Wii U

[haloOfTheSun]

I've had one for a while now, and getting a new console so early is silly, but I had several of my own reasons to go ahead and get one.

I'd like to post my impressions on it. I actually didn't know a lot about the Wii U going in; probably just about as much as the general public knew about it. I didn't keep up on new features or read reviews about it or anything.

I got the black one, the one with a 32GB HD rather than the white 8GB HD, which is good considering it turns out the OS alone takes up 7GB. It seems most people have heard about this already, but the initial system update takes a long time. A really long time. I thought people were exaggerating when I heard about it and it would take just like 5 minutes, which seems like a long time when you're waiting to play a new game, especially on a new console, but no, it took about 20 minutes. And then when I went to try a game it wanted to update again! So the System Update from Nintendo doesn't include whatever update you need to play a launch title, for whatever stupid reason. Annoying, but whatever, it's an update, it's not like it happens every time you turn the console on.

I'd seen the gamepad in stores but I didn't realize just how big it was until I actually had it at home. It's a lot bigger than I imagined (yeah) but it's also very light. It's not uncomfortable to hold or anything and it works pretty well. A minor complaint, but I don't like how the Wii U forces you to use the gamepad instead of a Wiimote so often. Like when creating a Mii, for example, you have to use the gamepad. It's inconvenient having to switch back and forth between two controllers, and it makes me  feel like I'm playing on a DS instead of on my big TV. I feel weird complaining about it since I generally hate motion controls and the gamepad is more traditional in that regard, but it's also not right. You can use the Wiimote in the Wii U menu, but doing generally anything else causes the console to put up on the screen "Please look at the GamePad to continue".

Load times. My God, the load times. I don't have any idea why, because there is no reason for an OS being read from flash memory and not a disc to load menus so slow, but it does. It's SO FUCKING SLOW. Want to load System Settings? 15 seconds. Done? 15 seconds to go back to the Wii U Menu. Want to play a game? Tough shit, you have to wait 25 seconds first. Even worse is if you want to play a Wii game. The Wii U is backwards compatible with Wii games, but to do so you have to load the original Wii menu, which takes around 30 seconds, about how long it takes to start the game. Load times during the Wii games seem to go slower than they did on the Wii, but I've only tried 2 so far so I don't know for sure.

You can have multiple profiles (yay) but it doesn't matter since only the first player can sign in (boo).

Possibly my imagination, but the Wiimotes generally seem more responsive and accurate.

Of course, this can all be overlooked as long as there are enough good games. I have 4 games currently, and I've only played 3. Only 2 of them I've played enough to actually be able to give a valid opinion. The Wii U didn't really launch many strong games, and even less so if you own those games on other consoles. I haven't been paying attention to what games are on the way or anything, so I don't know what's in store, but I do feel like there's a lot of potential here.

There really just isn't a whole lot to say yet. For me, most of the complaints are pretty minor, but most of the good things are pretty minor too. Mostly it feels like Wii 1.5 instead of Wii 2.0, which I think is the problem. But the games define a console, so who knows?

tl;dr:

Pros

• Gamepad is kinda cool
• High definition (it's only several years late)
• One ID to play with friends online
• You gots da Marios
• High potential for creative new games

Cons

• REALLY FUCKING LONG LOAD TIMES OH MY GOD
• Initial setup takes a long time
• If you decide to keep your Wii, you now have 2 sensor bars
• Not a lot of good games yet
• Doesn't play DVDs, but like me, you probably have at least one other device that does that anyway

[Little Psycho]

I've seen the thing in real... It looks erm, erm, heavy!
Do you actually need the wii? As what I've seen is no long load times but they read the game disc through the wii or something like that(??)...


I'll just stick to my 3DS.xl for now. I'll ask that thing for my birthday once it's a bit cheaper to get!

[Irock]

I've seen the thing in real... It looks erm, erm, heavy!

It's not.

Do you actually need the wii? As what I've seen is no long load times but they read the game disc through the wii or something like that(??)...

No.

I'll just stick to my 3DS.xl for now. I'll ask that thing for my birthday once it's a bit cheaper to get!

Okay.

[tSwitch]

I'm waiting for more games and for the eventual price drop, like I did with the 3DS.  I'll probably be much happier with the system then, than I would be now.

[Dwarra?]

You could post that on any new console thread ever you bugger.
Anyways I love mine, it's completely replaced my TV remote and the fact that I can play Mario and watch TV at the same time is pretty rad.

[SirJackRex]

Not even tried one but I wanna get one. It'll probably wait until the summer, though. Off-screen play seems super cool. It'll be especially great for me, because I can have my Wii U in my room and use my PC and Wii U without having to fiddle with switching HDMI's, for the most part.

Holy crap though Nintendo Direct for Wii U was crazy with good news:
Wind Waker HD (a full graphical overhaul and some game play changes)
X (Monolith's new game, looks like Monster Hunter, full open world, real-time combat, mechs, co-op?)
Smash Bros details at E3 (I think they said game play video)
Tokyo EAD working on next mainline 3D Mario game ;.;
They detailed some design information on Zelda U
Yoshi 2D platformer, yarn aesthetics like Kirby's Epic Yarn.
SMT x Fire Emblem

Whenever Retro decides to showoff *SPLOOSH*

[&&&&&&&&&&&&&]

Yoshi 2D platformer, yarn aesthetics like Kirby's Epic Yarn.

Why? Oh god, why?

[Irock]

Not even tried one but I wanna get one. It'll probably wait until the summer, though. Off-screen play seems super cool. It'll be especially great for me, because I can have my Wii U in my room and use my PC and Wii U without having to fiddle with switching HDMI's, for the most part.

Holy crap though Nintendo Direct for Wii U was crazy with good news:
Wind Waker HD (a full graphical overhaul and some game play changes)
X (Monolith's new game, looks like Monster Hunter, full open world, real-time combat, mechs, co-op?)
Smash Bros details at E3 (I think they said game play video)
Tokyo EAD working on next mainline 3D Mario game ;.;
They detailed some design information on Zelda U
Yoshi 2D platformer, yarn aesthetics like Kirby's Epic Yarn.
SMT x Fire Emblem

Whenever Retro decides to showoff *SPLOOSH*

He said screenshots of Smash Bros will be at E3 and 3D Mario will be in a playable form at E3.

[SirJackRex]

Oh still cool.

Can't wait to see what Tokyo EAD has cooked up. They're so amazing.

Yeah I'm not too sure of why they chose the Yarn thing for Yoshi but probably to grab the young children audience? Don't know. It would've been nice if they went with Yoshi's Island;s trippy style again.

[Irock]

I think it's stupid to make another yarn game. There should be one. That's it.

[Acolyte]

fuk u guys yarn is awesome 



(crochet yoshi <33333)

[haloOfTheSun]

I think it's kind of weird that they're doing another yarn game, but I have no complaints with it.

[SirJackRex]

I think it's stupid to make another yarn game. There should be one. That's it.

Why?

How was Epic Yarn, anyway?

[Irock]

I think it's stupid to make another yarn game. There should be one. That's it.

Why?

How was Epic Yarn, anyway?

I think a better question is, why do they need to make another game where things are made out of yarn? When does it stop? Metroid Yarn? Super Mario Yarn? The Legend of Zelda: Epic Yarn?

They should do something different. This yarn idea isn't something that warrants being used for more series.

[Malson]

Epic Yarn was a solid platformer. Not a Kirby game by any stretch of the imagination, though. I get the feeling it was meant to be totally different, or a new IP or something, and at the last minute they realized it'd sell way more if they threw a renowned character in the lead role, so ta-da, Kirby.

Why they decided to do the same thing with Yoshi makes no real sense to me, but then again, it's Nintendo.

[haloOfTheSun]

Kirby's Epic Yarn is a lot of fun, though it is incredibly easy.

[Acolyte]

They had a game informer interview with the epic yarn creator, and he said that it was originally supposed to be a new IP that they added kirby to later. He then expressed interest in yarn-ifying other nintendo titles, which I suppose he's started doing already.

I'd play a Yarn Zelda.

[SirJackRex]

Yarn Zelda could be adorable.

I'd love to see limb damage on Zelda yarn enemies. Or, like, slice a stomach open to have yarn spill out.

Nintendo'd never do that though.

[tSwitch]

You could post that on any new console thread ever you bugger.
[...]

Any new console with a weak launch library I suppose.

[Irock]

You could post that on any new console thread ever you bugger.
[...]

Any new console with a weak launch library I suppose.

That's every console.

[tSwitch]

Not every console has a weak launch, some have had games that made me want the console immediately (PSP had some strong launch titles, for example).  I'm just not excited about the Wii U's current library.  At least, not excited enough to pay full price.

It's an opinion.

[Irock]

Portables don't count. Suck my dick.

[Malson]

Scribblenauts Unlimited would have been a great launch title if it weren't 60 dollars. And I think that's the issue; this is the first console Nintendo's ever released where they sell their hardware at a loss, to be recouped by software sales. As such, games like Nintendo Land cost as much as a high-profile title when it's clearly not worth that amount. So while a lot of the games are great, they're not worth their retail price.

[Kokowam]

Makes no sense when the game is $30 on Steam as well.

[haloOfTheSun]

You can get Scribblenauts Unlimited on 3DS for cheaper than that, so it doesn't count. Also Nintendo Land isn't a full-price title but it still isn't worth $40.