Nintendo’s greatest franchise of all time, “Super Mario Bros.” will surely be appearing on the Wii U.
Nintendo’s greatest franchise of all time, “Super Mario Bros.” being played on the new Wii U.
Throughout the years, Nintendo has made itself known as the largest and most influential video game company in the industry. Since 1985, Nintendo has been making contributions to the virtual gaming world, with their first console being the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Nearly 20 years later, Nintendo released the Wii, whose motion sensor controllers and online capabilities set a precedent for installments and next-gen consoles. Now in 2012, the Wii’s successor and first home console to enter the eighth-generation, the Wii U, has been released and ready to be purchased this November.
The concept of the Wii U isn’t too different from its predecessor, but there are enough remarkable changes to the console to make it lure “core” gamers back to Nintendo. The console is very similar looking to the Wii, but it contains nearly twice the features. The Wii U supports games completely in HD and also has 3D game capabilities for 3D televisions. Instead of using “Friend Codes,” the Wii U will support online interactions in a similar manner to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network by creating user accounts. The Wii U will also have online capabilities, in which players can go on the Internet, use, and download applications like Netflix, Facebook, and Twitter. The new console will continue to be a part of the Nintendo Network, where players can buy and download retro games and titles from GameCube, Nintendo 64, SNES, and third-party games from SEGA and Neo Geo. The Wii U is fully backwards compatible with the Wii and recognizes both the games and Wiimote.
The Wii U Pro Controller.
Possibly the largest and most radical change for the new system are the controllers. Rather than the Wiimote, the Wii U uses the “Wii U GamePad.” The GamePad has everything needed for in-game play, like dual analog sticks, a directional pad, left and right bumpers/triggers, a home button, and a power button. However, it also features a 6.2-inch built-in touchscreen (with a stylus pen included), a camera, an infrared sensor, a microphone, built-in speakers, and Bluetooth support. With such features, a game can be streamed to and played on the GamePad’s screen, in case of an instance where the television is being used for something other than the Wii U. Additionally, there will be a controller that looks similar to an Xbox 360’s, called the “Wii U Pro Controller.” This controller will be sold separately and was specifically designed to attract “hardcore” gamers to the Wii U.
“Pikmin 3” is planned to be released shortly after the launch of the Wii U.
During last year’s Electric Entertainment Expo (E3), Nintendo confirmed many titles that were in development for the Wii U. Nintendo has released games such as New Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin 3, Nintendo Land, Wii Fit U, and Game & Wario. Third-party titles include Assassin’s Creed III, Batman: Arkham City, Mass Effect 3, Just Dance 4, ZombiU, and Rayman Legends. Of course, like on every Nintendo platform in history, a new Legend of Zelda game will be produced, and will hopefully bring groundbreaking graphics and features to the franchise.
The Wii U seems to be a promising and flattering addition to Nintendo. The large array of games being released are exciting for many gamers, and will hopefully be enough to launch the Wii U into success.
