I'm wondering how this compares to all the other handheld game devices on the market. Will Nintendo be able to compete when they are so limited on games? As you may or may not know, Nintendo only puts out games that are relatively non violent and considered family friendly games. I think that is great but I'm a realist and know that the most popular games don't fall in this category. I guess we shall see. It is supposed to be released in time for the holidays.
Please read below for more information about the Wii U.
You can use the GamePad as…
…a Wiimote with a touchscreen. As with the Wii and the Wiimote, some Wii U games get you off the couch and on your feet. In one of the games I tried, featuring a character named Takamuru who’s a long-time star in Japan, I held the GamePad in one hand, aimed it at the TV and slid my other finger along the screen to whip throwing stars at on-screen ninjas. The faster and further I dragged my fingertip, the more forcefully the stars moved then when they showed up on the TV screen. (The Takamuru game is part of Nintendoland, a Wii U title that’s a virtual theme park, with attractions based on classic Nintendo franchises, including Donkey Kong, Zelda and 10 others.)
…a second screen which may or may not mirror what’s being shown on the TV. Nintendo showed me a video of a Wii U version of the Batman game Arkham City, one of 2011′s blockbusters on other consoles. On the TV, it looks much like earlier versions — but the GamePad lets you choose and use weapons and gadgets from the Caped Crusader’s utility belt. In this mode, the experience is reminiscent of the two-display approach of Nintendo’s DS and 3DS handhelds.
…a complement to the Wiimote. In one of the examples in Nintendo’s video preview, a golf game lets you put the GamePad on the floor, where it displays a ball on a tee. You then swing a Wiimote like a club, virtually putting the ball off the GamePad and towards a hole shown on your TV.
…a tethered gaming handheld. You’ll be able to play some games, such as New Super Mario Bros. U, using only the GamePad; the TV can be tuned to something else or turned off. In these cases, the GamePad functions pretty much like a gigantic Game Boy that needs to be in close proximity to the Wii U console. (Nintendo says it’s designed to be used in the same room.)
…a window into a virtual world. Some Wii U games will let you rotate the GamePad up, down and all around to see a 360-degree view of the environment around you, as if you were standing in the center of it rather than looking at it on a TV. In the Zelda game from Nintendoland, for example, I shot arrows at bad guys, and could swing the GamePad upward to spy ones hovering above eye level. And one of the most engaging demos, Wii U Panorama View, simply lets you use the GamePad to watch 360-degree videos of scenes such as cherry-blossom season in Kyoto and Carnival in Rio.
…a social-networking device. In his video, Nintendo’s Iwata discussed Miiverse, an online service which will let far-flung Wii U users chat, share tips and otherwise interact. You’ll be able to use it on the GamePad (and, eventually, on non-Nintendo devices such as smartphones and PCs).
…a fancy universal remote. Even if the console is turned off, you’ll be able to use the GamePad as a touchscreen remote for your TV.
Read more: http://techland.time.com/2012/06/05/nintendo-wii-u-hands-on-e3/#ixzz26ffzZRGd
