Отзывы о Игровая приставка Nintendo Wii Family Edition

I'd like to give a stfu to my foul fiends @ Nintendo. Understand I am so fond of the memories that Nintendo has shared with me. My first NES Super Mario Bros & Duck Hunt, With Zapper. The Original Legend Of Zelda packaged in a gold cartridge.

Super Nintendo with Mario All stars & Super Mario world. Nintendo 64 the very finest TOP FLIGHT of the Nintendo platforms. So many consistently awesome titles. Mario kart 64, Super Mario 64, Doom 64, Quake 64,, and the Zelda titles. Top Flight bitches.

I will even give the Game Cube a nod over Xbox, or PS2. The Micro mini discs were too sweet. The best cube in the world. So much technology packed into a small space became a gadget we can still marvel at today. In spite of all the child orientated games, I loved you Nintendo. To thank the millions of people who loved you and had similar stories of gaming glory. You reward us with......

The Nintendo Wii with motion plus controllers. I like the concept your hand is the controller. Here the problems one by one. 1. For the price they charged, would it of killed them for Bluetooth control? Leaving us with a constantly fluctuating signal even with the sensor bar aligned. Sometimes, not often it would work as intended. 2. No HDMI input. The PS3, and Xbox 360 both were out at the time of this technology, and a blind man could of has seen HDMI was the way of the future. A Nice bonus was this technology was included in both PS3 & Xbox360.
3. No playback of DVD, or Blue ray technology.
4. Bad features of a remote. The controller later released for retail @ $59.99, It should have been included for when the sensor alignment fails, and sooner, or later it always does.

For these reasons, and the many nearly unplayable games like The steering wheel for Mario kart Wii. Which in a later review I systematically take Mario Kart Wii apart and expose it for the trash it is, and why it nearly killed a franchise. That's for a later day. It's for the aforementioned reasons above that I could never give Wii U a chance it's still more of the same BS. Thanks for fixing a nearly unplayable platform, giving it a fresh coat of paint with the fixes. Tuh Duh! may I present Wii U, It's what Wii should have been in the first place.

No thank you Nintendo. I think I will wait for your next console to be released. I know sooner, or later you will make another great system. You did it in the past, It's most likely in your future as well.

(I've posted an update at the bottom where I talk a bit more about long term use, the ineffectiveness of the cradle, and the 10% rebate on games.)I remember that Nintendo came under a lot of criticism for not having an HD version of the Wii. HD was around when the first Wii came out, and a lot of people were a bit skeptical that they stuck to the lower resolution. As HD became common, Nintendo told fans that they had to do something "more" than just come out with an HD version of the Wii.Well, thats just what Nintendo did. The Wii U is more than "just Wii HD". But Nintendo hasn't changed the Wii experience very much. You still use Wii remotes every time you play. The Wii U is not "completely different" like the Wii was when it came out. The Wii U is the Wii's younger, smarter brother. And if you liked the Wii, you'll like the Wii U.The 3 main features of the Wii U are:1) Its HD, which brings it (finally) up to speed with the Xbox and Playstation ... and everything else out there.2) The Wii U sports a single video controller. The video controller opens up new game experiences. Whoever is playing on the video controller sees something different than the other players. For generations people have wanted multiplayer games that didn't use a "split TV screen", and the Wii U gives you that in one console. This is a really big deal. The video controller is also a touchscreen which you use to flick something at the screen, or move things on screen. The new video controller allows for new control options ... just like the "Wii balance board" allowed Nintendo to sell yoga and ski games.3) Videos, videos, videos. Netflix, youtube, amazon instant video. It will keep track of the TV shows you want to watch, and when they will be on. And, it will support TiVo in January 2013. You'll also be able to use the Wii U as a social outlet to chat about TV shows and movies. Nintendo calls this Wii TVii, and it would be a revolution in TV watching... if only all the features were available now. So you can use the Wii U as a control for all your Video experiences with your TV. The video controller will act like "PIP Picture in Picture in the palm of your hand". I use the Wii U with Amazon Video to watch movies for free, and the Wii remote lets me see information about the movie on IMDB WHILE the movie is playing. For sports, you'll be able to watch instant replays on the small screen... while the rest of your buddies continue to watch the big game on the main screen. So its going to be a remote controller on steroids. To be honest, this is going to be a really big big deal but since not all the features roll until "later" I can't give the WIi U a star for it yet. Maybe it will change your life, maybe not. Time will tell.And that concludes the main appeal of the Wii U. We finally get HD, the video controller adds a new dimension to the usual Wii gaming, and it also serves as a "TV command center".FAQ:::Some people have asked me about the Wii U, and the short answers are:1) No, you don't have to own a Wii to have a Wii U.2) You can only use ONE video controller with your Wii U. All other players use the old Wii remote.3) 5 people can play at once, making it even more of a "game party" console than before.4) You can't play DVDs or Blu Ray discs. Blue Ray is Sony Playstation territory, as you probably know.5) You can surf the internet on it (why would you want to? I don't know)6) Should I get the deluxe? Probably. You get 32gb of memory, which will become more important the longer you have the console, and the more you do with it. You get the Nintendo Land game. You get the cradle for charging the video gamepad. And until 2014 they will give you a store credit of 10% every time you make a purchase of digital content (games). If you buy digital content regularly, you might "earn back" the extra $50 you pay for the deluxe Wii U. (I tried this yesterday, read below for more info on the credit)NintendoLAND:Nintendo Land has a nice set of games that introduce you to life with the video controller:1) Some of the games are a lot of fun. The most popular minigames in our house are the game where one player pretends to be a ghost and scares other players. This is accomplished by having two screens, the ghost can see everyone, but nobody else knows where the ghost is. This is always a howling good time at our house. The Mario hide and seek works the same way and is also popular with us. (update: after a month of play, the Kids now play Zelda and Metroid the most)2) Some of the games would be worth about $1 in an "app store". (race game, balloon game, and yoshi game: I'm talking to you!)3) Some games have more than one control scheme. The Pikmin game is enjoyed by my 4 year old because he can use a stylus to direct "Captain Olimar" instead of the joysticks/d-pads. He just points at what he wants to do. So for the first time even my youngest can join in on at least some of the action.4) Metroid and Zelda

So, let's start right out of the gate and say that this is the first Nintendo home console I have gotten since the Super Nintendo. Yes, it's been thatlong. So far after playing this for about a week, it almost feels like this is the system we should have gotten last generation and that could be a good thing or a bad thing. Setting it up Aside from the lengthy download and patch that you have to do to get it functioning, setup was done in a relatively short time. It's a shame however that Nintendo didn't include a demo disk to give us something to tide over after plunking down between 300 to 350 bucks for the system and the one or 2 games for it. Syncing the GamePad was a breeze and getting on the internet was no problem but again, it's that patch that you have to do that will take the air out of your sails. My advice is this, if you want to play and not pressed about playing online, start the download when you are planning on going to sleep or doing something else. Graphically speaking...how is it? This is the question that when time goes on is going to really make or break this system. Nintendo as always has done its own thing and not since the 16 bit wars has it really `tried' to keep up with the Joneses as far as technology and graphics. The Wii's claim to fame was the motion control and the ease of use it allowed casual and new users which is why it sold like gangbusters for the past 5 or so years. But the biggest hindrance that hardcore gamers complained about was that it was graphically inferior to Microsoft's and Sony's offerings. But with this system, it's now catching up so to speak but at what cost? With both Microsoft and Sony having yet to make any official announcement about what they plan on introducing it's no telling if the Wii U will either lead of fall behind once they introduce their new game systems. For now however, most of the games I have either played or seen demoed are on par or just slightly ahead of what's already out and part of that has to do with the fact that many of the launch games are ports of games that are on other systems. FIFA 13 runs a bit smoother and less jaggy on the Wii U, Assassin's Creed III is pretty good but sometimes suffers from framerate loss however, there is a way to play it in 3D on the gamepad. New Super Mario Brothers looks very good for a platformer but then what do you expect? Graphically speaking, the Wii U is on par with what's out now but because this is updated hardware, the question on everybody's mind will be how far can they push it and stay in competition? Is the GamePad really innovative? Your miles may vary with this one. The GamePad is what will sell people on whether or not they should get the Wii U. The GamePad in some games acts as a HUD or extra inventory screen and it's gimmicky for some games and very intuitive for others. But the big seller is the idea of being able to play games on the GamePad and not always have to be on the TV. It's really great in execution provided a few caveats. One is that you can only travel so far from the system itself because the system works off of Bluetooth technology so your range depending on your home and the amount of interference can range between 15 to 50 feet. After doing some rearranging around in my house, I can place the Wii U in the basement and play in my bedroom on the 2nd floor with zero lag. The other caveat is that there are no original Wii games that are playable on the GamePad, especially if those games required the motion controls so for anyone that thought about playing the last Wii Zelda game, nope...you are SOL. The last caveat is the battery life. You will be lucky to get between 2 to 3 hours on it so I would advise keeping the charger nearby. Overall, the GamePad is a great innovation and in many ways is giving gamers what they thought they were going to get from the PS3 and the PS Vita in Remote play possibilities. Also let's not forget that you can watch Hulu Plus and Netflix on the screen as well as use this pad as a TV remote What about launch titles? If you are a Mario fan then New Super Mario Brothers is a no brainer, Batman fans who already finished Arkham City on other consoles may want to pass on this but may still want to check out Assassin's Creed III. Call of Duty Black Ops I hear is good but servers are relatively empty, FIFA 13 is good only if you haven't picked it up on the other consoles where as this version I would strongly suggest that you pass on. As it has a nice Manager mode lite added in the game, it's really missing a lot of what is making 13 such a big buy. But right now, Assasin's Creed III and Darksiders II are the games to get.What is on your wishlist? So far, the Wii U is off to a good start. Not greatjust good. A few good ports and a Mario game will really help sell the system this season but as far as later down the road, I am hoping that Nintendo gets something as epic and expensive as Skyrim to take advantage of the GamePad. Th

At least that's what I would have called it lol. So while I'm downloading the extensive (or at least time-consuming) updates for the Wii U I thought I'd offer my first impressions and some general advice for potential buyers. I've seen a lot of complaints about early adopters annoyed that they can't play a game 5 minutes after unpacking their system, but this being Nintendo's first committed effort into things like Gamertags and full-HD current-generation downloadable content I'm willing to be very patient.I picked the system up for exactly the MSRP on a whim at a store that got a couple as I was passing through with some friends, but I've actually played a few games already in some stores around the area so I'm not just guessing about gameplay or the tablet. Also if it matters to anyone, I've owned every Nintendo system but not since the Super Nintendo have I gotten one less than 2 years old. I own a 360/PS3 and enjoy both so no "Fanboy Bias" here.I use a simple + and - system. More +'s mean the positive is important to me, more -'s mean more negative. So 5 +'s is a major selling point to me, while one - doesn't affect me much but might affect someone else.General Hardware:+++++ System is very stylish, quiet, and simple.+++++ Wii Games, Wii Motion Plus and Accessories are compatible saving lots of money+++++ Graphics are finally breathtaking on a Nintendo console+++ 4 USB Ports, 1 SD card port for Wii games/saves and hard drive expansion up to 2TB++ 2 AC adapters and HDMI cable for both bundles cuts Nintendo's profits but they made the right decision for consumers----- Nintendo STILL does not include ability to play DVD/Blu-Ray 12 years after the PS2 first launched.-- System is still a shiny surface and is a fingerprint and dust magnet. Especially annoying in US Navy room inspections lol.- Moving Wii saves and game data takes several extra unnecessary steps.- Wii Points can be transferred, but only for Wii purchases, not converted to currency in the Wii U/3DS eShop.- It's getting more and more expensive to throw your controller during a tantrum.Deluxe vs. Basic Model:I would recommend the Deluxe model hands-down, there are too many extras that will save you money.+++++ Nintendo Deluxe Points Rewards means you'll be saving about 10% on ALL purchases from the digital store.+++ Cradle makes charging the tablet simple and protects it++ Nintendo Land is really fun and shows off a lot of what the system can do++ 32GB makes downloading multiple games possible even without a USB hard drive+ Wii U stand is simple and fits snugly, making the system look great-- Could have included a headset or headphones for the Tablet despite it having its own mic- Tablet stand feels cheap and unnecessary, the Cradle could easily perform double-duty and had a little more invested in it- I would have liked the option of either color (or a dozen colors) for each bundle- I'd rather have a Pro Controller or Black Ops 2 than Nintendo Land and I'm guessing most core gamers from 360/PS3 feel the same wayTablet:+++++ For $300-$350 you get a system with 6x the processing speed of the PS3 and a freaking tablet lol+++++ The tablet can be a game-changer for browsing the web, controlling your TV, and communicating with friends.++++ Screen looks and feels great and is much bigger than I thought at 6.3"++++ Buttons are smartly placed and ergonomic for many hand sizes++ Additional features and inputs allow for growth and expansion in the device+ Tilting the gyroscope features while playing a console video game has the same Fun-In-A-Completely-New-Way feel as the original Wii+ Joysticks are clickable so porting over 360/PS3 games won't result in the loss of functional play.----- There's no plan at this time for more than one tablet per Wii U to be possible. This could be due to keeping up with demand.--- The screen is lower refresh/resolution than an iPad or 5-star tablet and takes some getting used to, I had a small headache after the first hour and rarely get them.--- After browsing the eShop and playing Nintendo Land I realized I hadn't actually looked at my TV for about an hour. This is interesting but potentially gimmicky.eShop*The new eShop uses real currency instead of the Wii Points, and Wii Cards can't be converted into money like X-Box cards*+++++ Many games are day-one digital releases. NSMB 2, ZombiU, Assassin's Creed 3, Darksiders 2 and others are available.++++ Early Deluxe adopters will receive a 10% discount in the eShop through mid-2014 when linking a Nintendo Club account.+++ Purchased titles can be downloaded any number of times if you're short on space.++ Nintendo didn't demand any unnecessary information for me to create an account, demonstrating they respect privacy as much as I do.----- Triple-A launch titles like Mass Effect 3: SE, Arkham City: Armored and CoD: Black Ops 2 are NOT available online (yet?)----- Nintendo is notoriously slow to lower their first-party games and will not update digital

Okay, first a little background, and then I'll get to the review: I'm not a Nintendo fan. Yes, I'm in my 40s, and I owned a Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s and 90s. I enjoyed both quite a lot, but then, didn't everybody? Nintendo really had it going back then.When they introduced the N64, however, I was nonplussed. Mostly, I was ticked that they stuck with cartridges in an era when CDs were king. This choice limited what they could do with the N64, and I still cringe when I think about how much more awesome games like Mario 64, Conker's Bad Fur Day, and WWF No Mercy would have been if they had a little more room for data on a CD. Still, I did enjoy those few games, and a couple others got my attention. Ultimately, though, the N64 was a flop for me. I was unimpressed with the game lineup.When Nintendo threw the GameCube at the public, I held off. It seemed like it was "too little, too late" and for the most part, I was right. The games didn't impress me all that much. The forced jump to 3D for Metroid didn't make me happy. The lack of third party titles was glaring. The choice to use proprietary discs made me wonder what could have been if they'd used DVDs instead, like the PS2 and Dreamcast. Eventually I picked one up, used, and played with it for a while, but ultimately sold it because there were no games I wanted to play.And then, finally, the Wii arrived and I totally skipped it. I wasn't into the gimmick, and I was really not interested in another standard definition console after shelling out the big bucks for an HDTV when they were first out, and still quite expensive. As the years went by, a few games piqued my curiosity, but I still never jumped at the Wii.In-between all this, I enjoyed the original Game Boy, the Gameboy Advance, and even the Virtual Boy. I messed around with the DS, but didn't keep it, and didn't transition to the DSi or 3DS.So basically, I bailed on Nintendo in the late 90s because I felt that they were losing touch with what I wanted as a gamer. They always seemed late to the party with new technology, or if they were first with something, it was kind of gimmicky and I just didn't see the appeal. When they announced the Wii U, I said pretty much the same thing: "A gimmick controller, and they're release all the same games again. I really don't want to play another Mario, Zelda, or Metroid title."Boy, was I wrong!I got a Wii U because I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and figured that if I could decide later whether to keep it, or sell it. Eventually, being the gadget freak I am, I had to hook it up and give it a try, and I was pleasantly surprised.THE SETUPThe first pleasant surprise was that the box contained some nice things. This was just the Basic Set-- The white one-- And it was still packed with an HDMI cord, a nice, low-profile Wii sensor bar, and of course the GamePad and console along with all the necessary cords. It's packaged smartly, with everything neatly wrapped and in its place. It reminded me a bit of a 1990s Apple product in this regard-- Simple, elegant packaging with everything you'll need to get started. The HDMI cable was almost like a little apology from Nintendo for making us wait for an HD console.There are two AC adapters with the Wii U. One is for the console, and the other is for charging the GamePad. The Deluxe Set comes with a charging cradle, too, but in the Basic Set the charging cable is plenty to keep you gaming, and if you want the cradle I'm sure there will be tons of them on the market soon (aside from the first-party version that's already out there, I mean.)Once everything was connected, I powered on and was taken through a very simple start-up procedure which included a system update after establishing an Internet connection. On the screen (despite what some "journalists" might have told you) is a message telling you not to remove the power supply while the system updates. Even if you do, though, the system is dummy-proof. You'll get a black screen while it finishes the update (in a "recovery" mode) and then it will apply the update and come back to the Wii U menu. If you see the black screen (if you're stupid enough to unplug the device while it's doing a system update, that is) then don't panic. Your console is not "bricked"-- It's just fixing your mistake.For most of us, this will not be a big problem.After the update (1GB, not 5GB as some people are reporting) the system is ready to go. You're encouraged to make a Mii, which is pretty easy and done on the GamePad, and then you're let free in the Wii U menu to start playing. You'll be greeted by a screen full of Mii characters, all popping up little messages and drawings. Oh, yes... you can send drawings done on the GamePad's touch screen as messages in the Miiverse. Kinda nifty.THE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCEAs I have the Basic Set, I do not have NintendoLand. It sounds cool, but I'll wait for that one. Instead, being a

I got my Wii U in the mail the day before Thanksgiving. I was super excited. I had read some bad things online. I had read that the update takes around 4 hours and the battery life of the controller is short among other things. I will tell you what I got from using the new Wii U for a bit.First, the dreaded update. Being someone of at least average intelligence, I knew that the time in which it takes to download something on any system all comes down to the speed at which the server lets you download it, the speed at which you can download it and the size of the file. When I read people saying 4 hours, I thought the file must be very large. Then I read that it was 1gb. Come on, iTunes songs are larger than that. So, I started the download at 12:58pm and went out to do some stuff. There were people here still, I would not leave it on if no one was home. Anyway, I got back and looked at my clock and it was exactly 2pm. The download had finished. Now I can not say exactly it had taken, but I know for a fact that it was less than 3 hours. I saw the bar before I left and it was a little bit full. I would guess that it took 1 - 2 hours to download. So there's that. Anyway, if you must download the update, you either do it or you don't use the system. People need patience. Now I read in a review that every game you play you have to download an update. I have Mario Bros. U and Nintendoland. They both started downloading an update when I started. Mario took 9 - 10 minutes. But, I saw something on the bottom of the screen that said play game. I was to nervous to hit it. Later I was playing Nintendoland with my step sister and I just hit the play game button, it was just as the update had started downloading. It told me I could install the update later. So, while some updates may take a bit of time, it seems as though you can continue to play your game while it does so. I thought that was a good thing.You do need to set your system up after the update. You need to put things like your age, name and email. This took a while. I started at 2pm and actually did not finish until about 5:30. This had to do with a system transfer that stopped. More on that in a bit though.The system software. Ok, this seems exactly like the Wii software to me. Everything looks the same as far as image goes. I did go to the store and it may have looked a little different. I have not really spent much time with it yet though. I will update when I use it more. But everything seems to work, feel and look great. Some were saying the new store is like Xbox 360s store or Playstation 3s. I say "so what?" I am happy with what I've seen so far.The new controller. The new controller feels freaking great in my hands. Everything fits and my hands did not feel cramped at all. My step sister and I would share the controller and her hands are half the size of mine, she did not complain at all. The screen seems to work very well. It never missed when I hit something on the screen. The buttons all respond fast as well. When Nintendoland started and the character was talking to me, I actually got tears. It is something new and exciting. I actually found myself forgetting to even look at my TV. Also, it told me I could set the controller up as a remote for my TV and cable box. Normally this is a pain. You have to look for model numbers and try again and again. This though was the easiest it has ever been for me. I hit the first letter of the company who makes my remote. It is Verizon, so I hit V. I scrolled down and hit Verizon and I could turn my cable box on and off. As easy as that. Same for my TV. Took less than 20 seconds. I was so happy with that. You can charge your controller while you are playing games. Just like that of the 360 or PS3. It did not take away from the experience for me at all. It's not like you have to move around the room when playing.Have a Wii? Well you may want to transfer your files from it to your new Wii U. It took a bit, but here is what you have to do. First you have to download the transfer software on your Wii U. Then you must but the software on an SD card with at least 512mb of space. Then you put that card in your Wii. You then download the software on your old Wii system. Then you put the memory card in your Wii and it transfers everything that can be transferred onto the card, thus erasing it from your Wii. When finished, you put the card into your Wii U and everything is put from the card onto your Wii U. The things that took the longest while I was home in front of the TV was this. I had saves and games on the card. I just did other things while it was in progress. It actually said error once and told me to re do the transfer. I did so and the second time it worked fine. This is why it took so long. You do get to watch a cool animation while it happens and the music or sound coming from the controller is very zen. So if you want to put stu

Plenty of people have given lengthy reviews on everything you want to know about the Wii U, so I won't rehash the basics here. I'll just share my initial reactions after unboxing my Wii U Basic last night.The box for the Wii U contains an owners manual and "Quick Start" guides in English, French, and Spanish. There's also a card advertising Club Nintendo; you'll get a hefty 160 points for linking your Wii U to your Club Nintendo account, which is more than halfway to Gold Status (you'll get a calendar or some other crappy gift if you hit 300 points in a year). Nintendo giveth and taketh away; unlike previous systems there's no warranty extension for registering a Wii U with Club Nintendo.You'll get an AC adapter for the Wii U console, as well as a charger for the GamePad. You'll also get an HDMI cable to attach to a TV (if you prefer to use your old component (YPbPr) cable or composite (RCA) cables from your Wii, you can do that as well). Finally, you get a new Wii sensor, but no Wii remotes. The Wii sensor is the same as on the Wii, so if you it set up for your Wii already, you can just swap your old one out and swap this one in (you can save the sensor in the box in case you need a replacement or you want to resell it).The Wii U itself is sleeker than the Wii, with rounded corners and a slightly longer body. It's still much, much lighter and more compact than either the Xbox or the PS3. The unit has four USB ports and an SD card slot. A lot of people are decrying the fact that 8GB won't hold a lot, but you can effectively expand the memory by using USB jump drives, SD cards, or even USB hard drives that you probably already have for your camera or PC. From that sense, I didn't see the memory size as as much as a downside as others.I wasn't sure what to expect from the GamePad, but my first impressions were very good. It's comfortable to hold, and the joysticks and buttons are easily accessible by your thumbs. I was impressed by the crystal clear picture quality, and the surprisingly loud and clear sound coming out of the two stereo speakers. There's a little slider on the back of the unit where you can adjust the volume, and there's a headphone jack. Something I missed at first was the stylus at the top of the unit that pops in and out of it like on a DS. While you can use either your finger or the stylus for most touchscreen interaction, the stylus does keep the screen free of fingerprints, plus it gives better precision on certain games.There's also a camera and a microphone built in--a clever differentiating move considering that Xbox and PS3 cameras are usually on the other side of the room. It'll be interesting to see what applications developers come up with for these. Nintendo has already released a small handful of cool applications that make use of the camera such as Video Chat and the ability to make a Mii from your real face (similar to the 3DS). One of the most anticipated features of the GamePad will be the ability to use it as a TV remote. RIght now you can turn your TV on and off, but in the future the TVii app (which will be a free download in December) promises to let you control your TV from your GamePad; if this means the end of confusing, esoteric universal remote controls, I'll welcome it.Setting up the hardware was pretty simple, just plug in the AC adapter to the console, plug in your HDMI cable to the TV, and plug in either your existing or your new Wii sensor.I wish I could say the software setup was as simple. Let's put it this way: I started the process at about midnight, thinking it'd take about 5 minutes. I ended up going to bed at 3 AM. It's not a terribly complex process (you actually get your first taste of "two screen action" as you use the GamePad to make your choices, while detailed instructions can be read on the TV), but it does drag on and has a few awkward moments. But it's critical to make sure the process completes without interruption; some people are reporting their units are getting bricked if they power down in the middle of the update.You start out by syncing the GamePad to the console, which is simply a matter of pressing the red "sync" button on front of the console and the same kind of button on the back of the GamePad. Once you do this, you'll be able to control the console from the GamePad (including turning it on and off).You start by setting the time and date, which was disappointing to me; it's the 21st century, and there's no reason they couldn't have put the Wi-Fi setup up front so the system could pull this from the Internet. You then confirm the resolution of your TV, which read a glorious 1080i. You can configure your GamePad to turn your TV on and off (I decided to hold off until TVii becomes available), and then as with the Wii you designate the position of your sensor bar. You, of course, have to accept the obligatory legal stuff, and then you get to the Wi-Fi setup.Wi-Fi setup was a snap. The system found my Wi-Fi network right away, and unlik

Having been a student for many years, the Wii U is the first console that I've ever pre-ordered. Now I've got a job that has something resembling a salary. Having gotten so many years of fun and excitement out of my first-gen Wii, I decided to roll the dice on the Wii U by pre-ordering the 32 GB black deluxe set. So far, I'm glad that I did. This is a review of the Deluxe set that I've ordered specifically, however you can compare the two sets and fill in the blanks concerning what you may be missing with the basic setWhat is (and isn't) included:The black deluxe set comes with (almost) everything that you need to get started. It comes with the black console, power brick, sensor bar, HDMI cable (if you need component you'll have to pick it up separately), stand, tablet, tablet charger and dock, a plastic stand for the tablet, and the packaged-in game NintendoLand. What the game does not come with is one or more wii remotes. If you already have a Wii, you'll be able to use your current remotes. If you don't have wii motion plus enabled remotes, you will need to pick up a set of wii motion plus dongles in order to use them (at least for the game I've tried, which I will get into later).Setup:Set up is pretty easy, although you may have to wait a bit (at least close to release day). Setting up the tablet controller, wires, internet, etc. was a breeze. Internet setup was standard. The system recognized the HDMI connection and selected the correct resolution and aspect ratio immediately. Yes, you now have the ability to play the new Wii games in HD like the rest of the world ; ) I understand the cost reasons related to the SD choice on the Wii, but for most Nintendo fans these days I suspect that the upgrade is going to be a nice change of pace.Before playing any games I can tell that I'm going to like the tablet a bit. Even during set-up you can tell that the tablet is well integrated with the overall use of the system. At times the tablet display mirrors the TV content, and at others you see something different on the tablet screen while you are working. The resolution, colors, and refresh rate of the tablet are all rather pleasing on the eyes. The screen is touch sensitive, allowing you to interact with the tablet and games with both a press of the screen and the press of a button. Hidden away in the back is a stylus, which is a nice touch. I like being able to keep the screen clean while I'm playing with it.One word of warning: You may want to bring a book along (at least at first)--the initial setup required two downloads to be made over the internet. The first was for the system itself, and the second was after I inserted the first game. The tablet showed the progress bar while the initial update was downloading, and it took at least 15 minutes for me to see any real progress. I switched to another activity for a while and eventually came back when the tablet alerted me that the download was finished. This is most likely going to be an early adopter problem--I suspect since today is the release date that Nintendo's servers are getting slammed.Once setup is complete you're greeted by the Wii U main screen. While the 3D organization is different from the Wii, you should figure out navigation fairly quickly. One of the options is a standard Wii view, which appears to give you access to the original Wii OS for navigation and applications (very cool, I look forward to figuring out how to port over my apps and data from my old Wii).Just like the original Wii, you create Mii avatars. This time you can use the tablet controller's built-in camera to create them for you. After selecting hair and eye color, you can snap a shot of yourself. The system configures several miis for you to choose from. It automatically recognized my glasses, and gave me an option to add my full beard to my mii (making avatar selection much quicker than before).If you choose, you can also set up the tablet as a RF remote that controls all of the other devices in your media center. This is a nice feature, and is quick to configure. I selected my TV brand (Vizio), and the first remote configuration that I tried worked right out of the box.In order to use many of the Wii U's features you'll need to create an ID for the new Nintendo Network. This in turn requires you to configure (among other things) a unique ID (that it says you cannot change), regional info, birthdate, etc. If you are uncomfortable providing this information you may have to limit the features that you're able to use. Personally, I don't care so it isn't a problem (they don't need phone, SSN, or anything that I felt was terribly invasive).NintendoLand & first impressions of gaming experience:The packaged-in disc for NintendoLand seems to serve the same purpose as Wii Sports did for the original Wii--to demonstrate how to use the features of the new system and show the user how to use the system's hardware and software. While Sports was ultim

[Please Note: This is a very long review, meant to give you exhaustive information on the Wii U based on first hand experience and research. The first portion is editorial; the second portion covers technical aspects and features. Each section is broken up by CAPS to ensure for easier reading and ease of use; if you are looking for specific information, simply look for the CAPS headers]The eight generation of video game consoles is upon us, with the Nintendo releasing the first console of that era, the Wii U. Nintendo has a lot riding on the Wii U. While the Wii has been the most commercially successful console of its generation, the perception has been that the Wii is firmly for causal gamers, and the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3 is for the hardcore gamers. Also, given the bumbled launch of the 3DS (Nintendo's most botched debut of new hardware, with the sole exception of Gunpei Yokoi's 1995 Virtual Boy), Nintendo has to get the Wii U right. Here are some concerns that Nintendo wants to address with the Wii U.THE WII IS ONLY FOR CASUAL GAMERS: One item that effectively fueled that (largely incorrect) perception is the packaging of "Wii Sports", which clearly demonstrated what the motion-controlled driven Wii was all about and what it was fully capable of accomplishing. Interestingly enough, the basic edition (covered in detail later in the review) does not include the Wii U's version of "Wii Sports", a game called "Nintendo Land". Most likely though hardcore gamers will want the Deluxe Edition due to the extra features included, including quadrupling storage space. It was only because of "Wii Sports" dethroned "Super Mario Bros." that "Super Mario Bros." finally had to relinquish its title as the best selling video game of all time. "Wii Sports" moved over eighty million units, and according to the Nintendo channel people played that game a LOT.BAD NETWORKING: Another notorious weakness of the Wii was its weak network infrastructure. Online gameplay is the order of the day, and Nintendo has been behind the eight ball for this generation due to poor implementation of online gaming. Although some Wii titles included online gaming ("Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel" and "James Bond 007: GoldenEye" come to mind), the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 offered much more robust gaming options in this milieu. "New Super Mario Bros. Wii", one of the biggest titles of the Wii era, notoriously did not include this much needed functionality.LACK OF THIRD PARTY TITLES: One of the major selling points of any Nintendo console is the Nintendo IPs: we all know the only place you get Mario ("New Super Mario Bros. U) and all his various sub-series, Link, Samus, Pikmin, Super Smash Brothers, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, Pokeman, Kid Icarus, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, The Legendary Starfly, etc, are on Nintendo hardware. As strong as these IPs are, to flourish Nintendo MUST have the support of third party developers. The Wii missed out on some of the biggest titles of the seventh generation, largely due to the radically different control scheme of the Wii compared to the other two consoles and the lack of HD support, as well as the required work to convert XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 titles to the Wii.The Wii U fixes the issues that were keeping away the third party games. Despite all the brouhaha regarding the GamePad, in one way Nintendo has become more conservative in their approach to third party developers. The Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller - Black (largely similar to the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 controllers) appear to be built directly for the third party developers to be able publish titles across multiple platforms with very little technical adjustments required to adjust for each console. Bringing the Wii U into closer technical proximity to its brethren means that developers won't have to have the added cost of having a production team set aside especially for the Nintendo console. The launch shows promise that third party developers are getting behind the Wii U, with exclusive titles of "Bayonette 2" and "Rayman Legends", as well as game series making their debut on a home Nintendo console ("Assassin's Creed 3","Darksiders II", "Mass Effect 3") and also "Call of Duty: Black Ops II". And rather than limiting and potentaily discouraging multi-platform titles with their radically different controllers, it's quite possible the Wii U GamePad will really strengthen the Wii editions of their perspective titles, affording gameplay design options unavailable on the other consoles.And, just maybe, my dreams of playing a current generation "Elder Scrolls" game on a Nintendo Console is this much closer to a reality. Only time will tell how the eight generation works out and who comes out on top in the market. Even though Nintendo had the weakest system of the seventh generation, they came out on top despite some obvious deficiencies. While the Wii U can give you the impression Nintendo is trying to get out from behind the eight ball

We got our Wii U (Deluxe Set) early 11/18. Here are my impressions thus far:1) Setup: Couldn't be easier. My 12-year old and I had it up and running in about 4 minutes, including connection to the internet. Anyone who says set up is difficult blows me away as you can do it without any instructions it's so intuitive. For those that have weird and needlessly complex home network and wifi configurations, plan on an extra 2-3 minutes for setup, but it has worked more easily and seamlessly than with our PS3.2) Initial updates: The console required an update to access some of the features, and both of the games we tried had small updates too. The main console update took about 3 minutes to download and another 3-5 to install. Not bad considering it was a large (1.05 GB) update. For those who have issues with this taking a while, you may want to consider moving your wireless router closer to the unit temporarily or hard wiring it in. The game updates took 2-3 minutes total and were trivial from my perspective.3) TouchPad. This is a very fun and neat addition. I'm not sure how it will be used all of the time, but so far Nintendo has done a great job integrating it into their new games. I think it has huge potential. The Pad display is very good and the touch screen is accurate and responsive. We use the unit with a brightness 3 out 5 and it lasts over 4 hours. Also YOU CAN USE THE UNIT WHILE CHARGING - WE DO IT ALL THE TIME AND IT WORKS JUST FINE! Anyone saying this isn't the case either hasn't tried or got a different unit they we did. We are very excited for this feature (and I'm glad I won't be buying 3 more of the things down the road). I love the touchpad!4) Using old Wii Controllers: We have the old (non motion plus) controllers. They sync up easily (about 10 seconds) with the Wii U and work just fine. There are some games that require motion plus additions, so we may buy a couple of these ($9) if we want. You can navigate the system with either the touch pad or the wii remotes.5) Getting old Wii stuff onto new console: This took about 25 minutes, but it's a one-time deal and very easy to do. They provide ample instruction; my 7-year old could have done it.6) Using old Wii stuff: This is one that could use a little help. The old stuff works just fine, it's just kind of funny to get to. You have to open up the "Wii" channel from the Wii U menu, then it opens up on a different screen with the old-style wii menu from the old console - including just the 480P output for the menu screen. When you want to use the Wii U again, you have to click the Wii U channel from the Wii menu and it loads the Wii U screen back. It works fine, just a little cumbersome. I was hoping that all of our old Wii channels would just show up as channels directly on the Wii U screen. Oh well, this could easily be changed with future updates.7) Non-Game Features: Jury is still out until we get the big Tvii update in December. The other features work fine and are similar to what was available on the old Wii with better graphics and interfaces. The Mii room is more useful, and we are excited to use the video/camera feature on the touchpad with Wii U chat as soon as we get some friends with a console. Neat feature!8) Games: We have played Nintendo Land and Mario Wii U. The graphics on Mario are very impressive. I used to do graphic design and programming, and I can tell the frame rate and smoothing algorithms are superior to our PS3. The output is still 1080P, but the processing is superior. That is good as it will help the Wii U stay more relevant with the next layer of competitors consoles come out. The gameplay is smooth, natural, and responsive as you would expect from Nintendo. The use of the touchpad on this game is fun but not 100% up to what it could be. NintendoLand gives a much better feel for what the touchpad can do with gaming. Note that if you have 4 wii controllers (like us), you can actually have 5 players on Mario Wii U and several NintendoLand games - it's really fun.If you like Nintendo products, this is a winner. It will be more capable of having mainstream trans-console titles with the new interface and graphics capabilities, but still has that fun, unique Nintendo feel that you just don't get on XBOX or PS3. We love our PS3 too, but Nintendo is our family's fun-time machine. Can't wait for more Nintendo brand titles. I may start getting mainstream titles on the Wii U rather than PS3 at this point too since the graphics will likely be better and I'm enamored with the touchpad at this point - we'll have to see what happens.In summary, the new Wii U is fun, works well (especially for a new product on launch day!), has great graphics and is a must have, especially for any fans of Nintendo.

Although the Nintendo Wii has been out for nearly 8 years, it was only recently that I got one myself. I couldn't believe how easy and simple the setup was (i.e. AC adapter, sensor bar and A/V input). However, I didn't know right away that I had to "sync" both the Wii remote and the console itself to make said nunchuk/controller work properly. (The "sync" red button is on the back of the remote; you need to take off the battery cover in order to see it!)

The nunchuk and Wii remote felt very natural and smooth once I started using it on a few games. Some of them require you to use that very combination (example: LEGO Batman: The Video Game); other games allow you to use the Wii remote by itself (examples: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Sonic & The Secret Rings); and others allow the use of a Classic Controller/Wireless Controller or even with a Nintendo GameCube controller (examples: Sonic Colors, NIGHTS -- Journey Into Dreams). But you MUST look at the back of each game box in order to know the differences! This also applies to the Wii U games (because of the Wii U GamePad).

Naturally, I also have Nintendo GameCube accessibility. After trying out a few games (Sonic Mega Collection, Mega Man X Collection and The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures to name a few), I quickly realized how much more fun this console really is. I haven't even gotten to the downloading capabilities yet for the Virtual Console and WiiWare games. But you can be sure that once I do, Mega Man 9 and 10 will be the first games that I work on!! However, it would be nice if you could download Sega CD games; I very much crave "Sonic CD" and "Shining Force CD". :)

In the meantime, here are a few Wii titles that I STRONGLY recommend to others:

Namco Museum Remix
Metal Slug Anthology
Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Metroid Prime Trilogy
Kirby's Dream Collection: 20th Anniversary Edition
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Mario Kart Wii
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2

I've been able to play both the Wii and PC versions of this game, a bit obsessively I might add. My 6 year old loves the game. He sometimes needs my help with some of the more confusing puzzles, but there are other instances where I'm amazed at what he is able to figure out on his own. I'm not sure I would have been so savvy when I was 6.

There are a lot of similarities to other Lego games, but just as many differences and enhancements to make it interesting.

I love the enhancements Lego has made to the overall package. The characters talking really makes the story come alive like it never has before. New characters mean new moves and this game has plenty of both. My personal favorite is being able to fly, whether it's with Superman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Man-Bat, Brainiac or Wonder Woman......to name a few (not to mention Sinestro, General Zod, Hawkgirl, Killer Moth, Supergirl & Martian Manhunter). You can also double click the fly button to give yourself a speed boost, which is especially fun at street level. There is a little bit of a learning curve to flying (it takes a minor amount of practice), but once you've got the hang of it it's a blast! One other bonus, any time you fly around Gotham City (not within the levels) as Superman, you get to hear the John Williams Superman movie score! My heart swells just little anytime I take off as Superman and that music starts. Superhero scores doesn't get much better than that. Also, it's a blast running through the streets as The Flash....be careful if you're prone to motion sickness. You can easily run yourself dizzy.

Now that I'm used to it, I really like having the whole of Gotham City to cruise around. It's extremely confusing at first to get around and I wouldn't recommend it until you've completed the Story Mode. Doing that will give you a good intro to the city as a whole. Plus, it's just more fun to travel around when you have the luxury of switching to other characters. I have made extensive use of the Map View to find objects scattered all over the place. BTW -- don't forget to spend a good amount of time at the local Carnival playing the games along the boardwalk and riding the rides. There are gold bricks aplenty to be found there.

I think my favorite enhancement has got to be the fact that there are Checkpoints within the levels. Some of the levels in other Lego games seem so long, that sometimes you would need to put aside up to an hour to get one finished or you lose your progress. In this one, there are Checkpoints (and they tell you load and clear when you are near one) that allow you to save your progress so you can exit the game and pick up where you left off. I will say that I had a couple of issues with that in the Wii version for the game where it still took me back to the beginning, but other time when it worked the way it was supposed to. However, I had no issues with the PC version.

On the down side (which is really mostly nit-picking), the Checkpoint option not working a couple of times on the Wii version was very frustrating (I'm sure just a glitch). I wish there was a way you could just exit out and it would automatically save your progress wherever you happen to be in the level. Some of those levels are really long and I just hate having to retrace my steps.....that's what Free Play is for.

Playing in 2-player mode is tough. Because it is a dark game in many instances and so much is going on, it's hard to follow your character sometimes when you're playing with someone else. I loved it when they came up with the split screen, but when you're just running around Gotham City it stays a split screen even if you are right next to the other player -- I don't get that one.

My only other real beef is how the game runs on the Wii compared to the PC. There are basically 3 sections of Gotham City (North, Central, and South) that are connected to one another by bridges. On the Wii, there is this pause in the game when you travel from one section to another as the system loads the section you are traveling towards. In the PC version, the traveling is seamless. I would assume that the same seamless travel holds true for PS3 and Xbox. It's frustrating knowing that you can potentially move with ease through all of Gotham City, but because you're using the Wii, there are these annoying pauses and loads. It is especially annoying when you are flying. In the Wii version, you can ONLY travel from one section to another across bridges, so when you are about to fly across water to another section, the game turns you around like you've hit an invisible wall and won't let you continue forward until you've brought yourself down to ground level and use the bridge. In the PC version, you get to fly all over the city without ANY break in the action. Unfortunately, it drives home the fact that the Wii falls a little short compared to other systems. Also, I know there are additions

"Wii Sports Resort" has twelve games. It utilizes the Wii Motion Plus Accessory to make playing even more precise. Each game features an instructional video that shows you how to play that game. You collect stamps along the way for certain achievements.Swordplay: there are three games - two two player games and one one player game. In Dual you have a sword fight with another player (either human or against the Wii). The object is to win two rounds. In Speed Slice you play against another player to see who can slice objects the fastest. The first player to get 10 points is the winner. Showdown is a one player game where you fight enemy sword fighters. The game ends when you are either hit three times or you defeat all the enemies in the area. All three games are quick to play and relatively easy to win.Wakeboarding: up to four players can play this game. iT has three levels: beginner, intermediate, and expert. This game can take a little getting used to in holding the remote correctly and using it to go over the wake but once you get adjusted it is a lot of fun. My favorite part is trying to do some tricks not very easy but a lot of fun when I managed it.Frisbee has two games: In Frisbee Dog you throw the Frisbee eight times and have a dog try to catch it. In the middle of the game there is an extra challenge to pop balloons. The other game is Frisbee Golf with a choice of three holes, nine holes, or eighteen holes. Both games are fun but I prefer Frisbee Dog. Frisbee Golf seems unnecessary as there is a regular Golf game included in this.Archery: up to four can play this game. There are three levels - beginner, intermediate, and expert. Using the Wii remote and nunchuk you get 12 shots over four stages to get the highest score possible. This is one of my favorite games as there is quite a bit of skill involved and a great deal of satisfaction from hitting the target.Basketball has two different games. The three-point contest is a one to four player game that is either competitive or team play. The object is to make as many three-point shots as possible shooting from different sections of the court (the bonus ball is worth double). Pickup game is a one to two player game where you play three on three (you control all the players on your team). Both games are fun but I prefer the three-point contest - mostly because I'm better at it!Table Tennis: this is a variation of the tennis game on Wii sports. There are two games. Table Tennis is a one to two player game where the first player to get six points wins. Return Challenge is a one to four player game in which you return as many balls as you can for points (extra points for hitting cans that periodically show up on the screen). Both of these games are a lot of fun.Golf: up to four players can play with a choice of three, nine, or eighteen holes game. This is another game that was in Wii Sports so I'm not sure why it was included in this set of games.Bowling: there are three games for up to four players. The first game is a standard bowling game; the second is a 100 game where have to knock down 100 pins instead of 10; the third game is spin control where you have to avoid barriers that appear in the game while trying to knock down pins. Of the three I like the 100 pin game the best but this is yet another game that appears in Wii Sports and seems a bit redundant.Power Cruising: has two games both of which need the Wii remote and nunchuk. Slalom Course is a one to four player game where you ride the waves and tried to get through rings in the best time. It was quite a bit of a learning curve for me in this game but I enjoyed it once I got used to it. VS. is a two player game where you race each other to make it to the goal first. A bit of a disappointment as I am usually the only one playing the Wii.Canoeing has two games. Speed challenge is a one to four player game where you paddle your canoe and try to make it to the goal before time runs out. VS. is a 2 to 4 player game where you triyto make it past checkpoints before your opponent does - the first to cross five checkpoints wins. I had a high time mastering the control of this game and didn't really like either game.Cycling has two games. Road Race, using the Wii remote and Nunchuk, is a one to two player game where you race among others to get to the finish line first. VS. is a two player game where you try to reach the finish line first. I find both games to be addicting.Air Sports has three games. Skydiving is a one player game where you try to hook up with other Mii characters while skydiving and have your picture taken while doing so. Flyover is a one player game where you do a flyover of Wuhu Island trying to collect points along the way. Dogfight is a two player game where you try to pop your opponent's balloons - whoever pops the most balloons wins. Air Sports is my least favorite of all the games and the one I play the least.There are a couple of games I do

I HATE this game. But, setting aside my personal opinion, it still just sucks. It suffers from two major problems:

First, there are too many dark scenes, I guess so the artists did not have to work so hard, it gets annoying.

Second, the who game play format is terrible. See, you have to get from area to area to area by "solving" puzzles. But they are not really "thinky" puzzles, you just have to try doing all sorts of un-intuitive stuff in different parts of the area you are in until, by sheer luck or perseverance, you finally hit on the right "solution" to the puzzle. Moving through it is less like playing a challenging game, and more like completing a really tedious assignment. My six year old son and his same age friend tried playing it and you could tell they were just getting more and more frustrated, yelling at each other, blaming each other, etc. Yet they did not want to stop playing -- the logic of "if you are not having fun, why play?" was lost on them, or at least unable to overcome the notion they were playing a real "superhero" game, ,so they basically plodded along till they figured out their way through a couple areas, but that was it. My son voiced no objection to giving the game away having played it only twice.

This is my first (and last) Lego game. This idea of smashing everything in sight that is smashable, to create tiny lego bits that you then run over and they magically coalesce into a different, large item you then need to use to move to the next area is extremely tiresome and involves no actual brain power. Things you would think you should be able to do, you cannot do, as the game's writers had little room for creative thought, so you are straight-jacketed into doing the things they want you to do and nothing else will register.

Before this, we have played Marvel Superhero Squad and, while that is also somewhat simplistic, it is about 1000 times better than this Lego fiasco. I don't know who is out there giving these positive reviews to these games, but I have a suspicion they may be shills, the game is just so bad...

I purchased my Wii U earlier today. Now before I get started, the skinny. The Wii U is a fantastic device with lots of potential. But as of writing this it may not be the best thing to put under your Christmas tree this year.I have always been a very devoted fan of Nintendo, having bought most if not all their systems upon launch (even the 3ds). By no means would I say i'm a fanboy however, despite what my friends believe. I find joy in every system, though I generally find more joy between Nintendo and Sony's first party offerings then Microsoft. But I am not a FPS guy, CoD just is not my thing. Now mind you when I buy a Nintendo system it's generally entirely for the first party offerings. And some would say "That's not enough!" I say otherwise. I can and I'm sure most of you as well can name off around ten all time favorite games, and i'm sure at minimum half of them are Nintendo games. Nintendo is good at making fun, entertaining games with cherished characters at the helm. Now onto the actual system.I, like many was very skeptical of the tablet controller(and still am mind you). But after using it over the day it is growing on me! The main reason, the speakers. Now we all remember when the Wii came out the little crappy speakers on the remote. Take that idea and throw it out. The Wii U pad has actual surround speakers built in. Now by no means are they BOSE or something like that, they are really good and plenty loud. Better then the 3DS speakers at the very least. The main reason I love these speakers that I've spent the last 3 sentences explaining, is because they act as surround sound for your tv. And very well might I add. I personally don't have a surround sound set up but after using the control pad + my tv, i'm really considering buying some for my ps3 gaming. The added speakers on the pad with your tv going really absorbs you into the game.Now a gripe, upon starting up the system you're welcomed to a software update. A very long update with no estimation as to when it's finished. My internet's crap and it took around one hour, so I'd say around there. After finishing(or maybe before I forget) you'll be asked to create a nintendo account. Gone are the ways of Friend Codes my friend, now if only they'll share the love to my 3DS. The first thing I love about the new nintendo network is MiiVerse. MiiVerse effectively takes every game available for the system and creates a forum for players to seek help, comment, review, and, draw doodles. One of the things I so far love most about the MiiVerse is seeing what people have drawn with their tablets. I fancy myself pretty good with a pencil but I don't think I could ever do what they're doing using the gamepad.Now onto a major gripe about the UI. Load times. It can take 20 seconds just to load any damn thing on the system. Netflix, Hulu, Games. Whatever, plan to sit around for a bit. To me this is unacceptable, I should never be able to go take a piss in the time it takes to just load up System Settings.Another issue, the eShop doesn't support the Virtual Console yet. I was gearing up to play some Super Mario World as my christening of the system, but nope. You can transfer your saves from your old Wii but I never purchased anything on my old one so that's a no go.so let me break it down.Likes- MiiVerse (it's excellent and I can't wait to see where this feature is going)- Nintendo Network ID's (No more friendcodes)- Surround Sound for the poor.Dislikes- Slow Slow SLOOOOW Load times- Long Downloads- Unsure of what's on the horizon.In a month or two I'll happily add on a star or two to the system. But as it stands right now we're doing the same thing we did with the 3DS which is paying to beta test. I'm hoping a update to fix the sluggish UI is right around the corner. If you can get past the issues I listed above however the system is very promising as it currently is the start of the 'next gen' (though it only took us 5 years to stop calling current gen 'next gen'). Ontop of that Nintendoland and Mario U are fantastic games to hold you over till games like Pikmin 3 come out. And hopefully by then Nintendo will shed some light on what there plan for 2013 and beyond is.Final Verdict: Wait.

I bought the this along with new super mario u, zombie u and nintendoland. I probablly played with the Wiiu for about a week and it has been collecting dust ever since. I honestly feel like I have wasted my money on this system. I encourage everyone who reads this to not waste your money, wait a year and check back on the game library then to see if you want to buy one.Why do I save done waste your money on a Wiiu? Because every game on it you can play elsewhere. Games like new super mario is the exact same new super mario games on the ds, 3ds and wii. Games like mass effect 3 are the same thing as you probablly already played on other systems. Games like zombieu which being exclusive to wiiu is just another zombie shooting game. I played a few other games at a friends house and those were all very much "been there, done that". Granted it is a new system and good games take awhile to trickle out but at this point there are no must have titles. Third party support is also lacking as there are'nt many third party developers creating a lot of new content exclusive to the wii u and the majority who are seem to just be porting other games to it.I dont like the online aspects of it. Like the friend request process, the lack of universal game invites, and downloadable games being split between the eShop and Wii Channel. It is just all very user unfriendly compared to say the ps3 or a pc's online community. It still feels like nintendo is being dragged kicking and screaming into the online world.It lacks the appeal to older people and non gamers that the wii did. Couple that with the fact the Ps4 was announced it looking rather nice so far and the fact that Microsoft should be announcing their next system soon, Valve is making a steambox and tablets/phones becoming more powerful it is hard to justify buying a wiiu.I cant justify the price for what it is. A upgraded wii. There is'nt a major technological leap here. Some might argue the tablet controller is a huge upgrade but its just a normal controller with a touch screen on it that has far less resolution than most smart phones, a less responsive touch screen and less features. The system itself is in HD now but it still lags behind the much cheaper and much older ps3 and 360 in terms of horsepower. But at it's core it is still just a wii.The wiiu itself is essentially just a slightly upgraded wii and nothing more. I really didnt like holding onto that tablet for very long and since it served me no real purpose aside from a few gimmick features it was pointless to hold on it. I cant imagine playing games on it that require analog stick, it would be like holding a giant ps3 controller. It is a cool concept but no one has implimented anything into their games that makes it worth while. I also didnt care for how the controller is, it feels like its a couple generations behind the curve in its mens and interface.For graphics people its still behind what a ps3 and 360 can deliver in terms of speed and graphics quality. You can buy a ps3 and a library of games for less than the cost of a wiiu system by itself and with the ps4 launching this year I cant even begin to reccomend buying a wiiu. Now good graphics do not equal good game, they never have but if they are important to you then you'll be dissapointed.So my suggestion is if you own a wii then dont buy a wiiu. If you dont own a wii then buy one instead of a wiiu because you can buy a wii and a bunch of really great used wii games and still spend less than you did just buying a wiiu system with no games. The wiiu isnt worth the price right now due to lack of good games, maybe in a year when more have come out and so on but as of now its just lacking too much to be worth paying for a new system plus the cost of games.

As an owner of all the next-gen consoles, I would not consider the Wii a true next-gen console as the graphics are not even HD. I would call it a semi next-gen console because of this. The graphics can be more compared with the GameCube. The only improvement is that the games are in widescreen and a slight improvement in picture quality. Some would say, though, that some of the GameCube games had better graphics. I can see that ini some games made for the Wii. I can say that the Wii has not been a good investment. This console does not have very many good games. I would say that for the limited games put out by first and third party companies, only about 20% are passable. The only game even worth a look is the Zelda Twilight Princess but then that is also available on the GameCube and I already had that. The controllers are what made this console new in a sense. But the use was force implemented in games such as Zelda Skyward Sword. Problems with the controllers were really apparent in games like New Super Mario Brothers Wii where the jumping mechanics were not well implement. I can understand why people complained about the dash. Nintendo realized the problem and put out a new controller to correct some of the problems with the Wiimote Plus. But by then the damage was done. Further, who wants to spend another forty bucks for another controller? I got the console in order to play Zelda Skyward Sword as it was not available for the GameCube as I am a fan of the Zelda series. But after having played that game I can say that it was not worth getting the Wii for. The other games were mot very good. It reminds me of the experience I had with the GameCube where there were lots of bad games. The best games for this console is actually the Wii sport and that can get quite boring without others to share the experience with. If you are getting the Wii for the fitness game, research shows that it is not an effective way to get fit. So that's out the window. Now, this console just sits collecting dust. The only plus is that it does play GameCube games but then I already have a GameCube. If you buy this, you will need to buy the GameCube controllers. I spend most of my time on the Playstation 3. I spend a small portion on the Xbox 360 as it is only for campaigns. I don't play online on Xbox 360 as I refuse to play sixty bucks just to play my games online. I used to subscribe to Xbox Gold but then after comparing online games (I even had Call of Duty World at War for both consoles and saw no difference in graphics or gameplay) I realized that Xbox Gold was a waste of money. As far as online gaming on the Wii goes, it is very archaic. You cannot actually hear what the other players are saying. Of course you can chat with your friend but the system is terrible. To add insult to injury, Nintendo came out with a microphone that they discontinued because it was that bad. That is a far cry from the Sony Playstation 3 headphones which I use for online gaming. If you want to know what it is like to play online with great sound and microphone, the Sony Playstation 3 headphones are simply the best. And don't get me on the code system just to paly with your friends online. That is just simply a pain in the ass to say the least. Further, having played Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 online on the Wii, I can say that it lacks the fun of playing it on the Playstation 3.

I have owned a NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, DS, Dslite, 3DS, and gameboy advance. Nintendo is an iconic gaming name in our family, and we had a lot of fun with the Wii, but long term as a "party" game system. I have been very excited to see what Nintendo comes up with next, but am concerned that flaws hamper the Wii U's immediate and long term success.The GoodGAMES! Nintendo Land and Super Mario Brothers U are homerun titles that bring the enjoyable game play and memorable characters that we all love. These rich, deep titles do not dissapoint. Game systems are all about games, and fun titles such as these at launch help cover many deficiencies.Tablet looks great, and is well sized and balanced for a variety of hand sizes from adults to little kids. Graphics look great on the tablet for all practical purposes.The BadGames! Aside from two great titles, launch titles are junk like usual. At least Mario saves the day again, but for diversity of games...wait and see how many A-list titles we have in a year. $60 is too much for a tablet game, which is what these primarily are right now.Graphics and hardware do not suprass the Xbox 360 or PS3, yet these systems are already SEVEN YEARS OLD! Nintendo did not take the lead, but rather is trying to keep up with 7 year old hardware from competitors. The graphics are fine if you are playing Mario Bros, but in the modern age gamers want more. Graphics can be overrated...but as the first next gen console these graphics should SHINE!.Internal memory should be larger, and download times are insane! I know the product just launched, but there are supposedly massive shortages and without a large initial product launch it should not take hours to get everything up and running. This is devastating to a 9 year old who waited 6 weeks to get this for her birthday...It is not about you Nintendo, it is about the consumer!The UglyThis system is confused, and so is the game play. Most game content is duplicated on the tablet screen and on the television...what is the point? It feels gimmicky...like it is supposed to be a "hip and cool" tablet, yet wants to be a console. Which screen am I supposed to be watching? It is unintuitive...the DS at least had 2 screens in near proximity, but let's face it for the most part we only look at ONE at a time. Maybe this should just have been a tablet gaming system...but it feels like a mismatched collection of features and toys that do not really work together. Did anyone actually buy the new controller that looks like an xbox rip off? I want better than an tablet rip off, xbox controller rip off, with "just ok" graphics for a next gen console.Different controllers for parallel gaming also miss the point. People only use motion sensing controllers when playing with friends, and most people do not want to stand while playing games. This disparity has my 9 and 13 year old fighting over the inequity of the controllers.ConcusionThe measure of any system is the games, and the fun factor. For now, my 9 and 13 year old enjoy it. Will they still be playing in 6 months is anyone's guess. I do not expect my 13 year old boy to stay interested long (plays with friends on xbox live), but the 9 year old girl may...if she gets enough fun games.**********UPDATE***************I raised the fun factor, but not the overall score.Multiplayer gaming in Nintendoland has emerged as the system highlight, with the tablet player competing against 4 wii controller players in chasing type of games. Big fun and lots of laughs for kids and adults, similar to the original wii sports when it first came out.System crashes are more common than expected, a lot more. We are hoping this is a software issue that Nintendo will fix, and not some type of hardware defect. Given the initial 5GB system update, Nintendo has been doing a ot of last minute work on the software and may still have bugs to fix.

I really like this game. My 5-year old LOVES it. However, it does have some major problems. Let me break it down for you:

LIKES:

- Fun story.

- Reasonably easy-to-solve puzzles.

- Good for all age levels, both young and old. My youngest still needs some help from me, but that's okay because we can play together.

- Has Superman in it. Nothing quite beats the joy of flying around as Lego Superman for the first time :)

- The Soundtrack gets it RIGHT. Uses music from both the 1989 Batman movie, and the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.

- Has a large variety of familiar DC superheroes and villains.

- The various suits are fun to use.

- Has lots of cool bat-vehicles to drive around.

- You can wander around a city exploring as you like, ala Grand Theft Auto (minus the cop shootings, prostitution, and gang wars, of course!).

- Above all, it is FUN.

Having said all that, however (sigh)...

DISLIKES:

- Glitchy / Buggy. The game freezes often, usually when you are wandering around the city. This requires a hard reboot.

- Poor map interface. In the original Lego Star Wars games, it was easy to see what your next objective was. In this, the central hub is a batcave. But good luck figuring out where to go from there. You have a computer map to interact with, which hints at where to go but this is obscure at best. The instruction manual is no help whatsoever. Your best bet is to just follow the greenish/blue lego stud trail, but even this if often unhelpful. I'm kind of amazed at how bad this is, and how difficult it is just to find the next level.

- Graphics are often sub-par. This is especially pronounced during the city segments, where the frame rate really suffers. I don't know what this is like on the Xbox, but it definitely seems like the Wii is not up to the challenge of presenting this game smoothly.

- Split screen co-op is the worst. In the original Lego Star Wars games, there was no split-screen co-op. You stayed on the same screen at all times, and the camera zoomed out a little if you started to drift apart. Note to the developers: THIS WORKED WELL. Now with the newer games however, they are starting this split-screen stuff, where as soon as the characters are further than about 5-feet away from each other, they each split into their own screens. THIS IS HORRIBLE. Most of the time, it just makes it harder to see what you are trying to do, as the characters are usually pretty close by each other anyway, only now with half the camera space. It makes it nearly impossible in some game segments, where you are trying to hook a batarang offscreen. And it becomes even more difficult when...

- The camera goes haywire. You will often try to look in one area, and it seems like the camera will look everywhere EXCEPT where you want it go. Add that in with an already-reduced split-screen, and you sometimes get a very frustrating experience.

- Level objectives are often unclear. This isn't as bad as some games, but lots of times we have still struggled to figure out exactly what we are supposed to do in some levels.

However, in spite of all its faults, this is still a really great game. I just wish they had spent some more time debugging it before releasing it. But despite that, it is still FAR better than Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is downright broken!

I wish I could tell you how great the game is toward the end, but we haven't finished it yet. We're maybe 25% of the way through the game, but can't figure out where to go now, to get to the next level. That is really annoying. But I'll just warn you now that you can expect that kind of frustration with this game. But it is still pretty darn fun.

I would give it a 2 or a 3, but it deserves at least a 4 for the fun-factor alone. Recommended!

First - get whatever version suits you. 32 vs 8 - it didn't matter to me as I planned on using an external drive anyway. The games that are proprietary to Nintendo ie: ZombieU, SMBU, Nintendoland, etc - they are flawless and work seemlessly with the gamepad. They also really show off it's intended features. I have been amazed by this machine pretty much every time I turn it on. I cannot believe how well integrated everything is. It's about 20 steps ahead of the Wii and there is no comparison graphically. The operating system is slow but the main screen is cool and well thought out. You'll see the top 10 titles/apps being used currently in a circle around your Mii - that's on the TV. Little Miis flood the screen and give an idea of who else is playing the game and what comments are being made with regard to the game they run to. On the gamepad you get a familiar look. It's the Wii's main screen essentially with all the 'channels'.The graphics are great. Now I've read hundreds of posts about how the PS3 or Xbox is still better. Not really. If you want up to date equipment - the Wii U is for you. The former machines are on their last legs and newer hardware is at least a year off. For the casual user or one who's never owned either competitors machine - now after looking at all 3 - the Wii U is just better. This is something that is fact. Graphics are smooth and there is no frame tearing. (look up frame tearing comparisons). My advice is to stay away from the blogs flooded with Wii U comparisons. You'll get little fact and a ton of highly biased opinions or profanity laced 'reviews' by Xbox owners.Some of the launch titles are useless (NBA 2k13) and others are stellar (Trine 2, SMBU, ZombieU). Do not pay $60 for any title though. Be patient (a month or more) and buy from Amazon where you'll likely find a used copy for around $30 to $40. It's saved us hundreds. Not much else to say here as my taste in game titles may not match yours.Overall then - the machine is awesome. It does have quirks. It will lock up on you once in a while unexpectedly in which case you have to unplug it to reset. Why there isn't a reset button is beyond me. The battery life of the gamepad has been no problem for me and should it die on you, plug it in with the adapter. Nyko is making a battery upgrade but this may make it heavier. I'd recommend a screen protector and rubberized gamepad protector. Kids' greasy hands are no match for these. Each user has his/her own profile that can be password protected. This eliminates your child from deleting your game progress!One concern is when the new PS/Xbox consoles come out - will the Wii U still be competitive and will it receive the same support as its counterparts? Only time will tell. For now, some of the new titles coming out soon - Rayman Legends, Aliens look like the Wii U will set the bar. In Aliens you'll use the gamepad as the motion tracker and the graphics are incredible! Rayman looks so well thought out with beautiful colors. I've played the demo a dozen times or more. The online title Trine2 features amazing graphics with beautiful rich colors, amazing shading - it's really quite something.There is a lot in this review I didn't mention. What I will say is: Get one. Your family will love it. It's the coolest thing I've spent this kind of money on in a long time. Current game titles are up and down so do your homework before you buy. Don't expect flawlessness but this thing is likely to wow you more than once.

This review represents a very quick overview from a father who is giving the new Wii U console to his kids as a gift for Christmas. I have only spent maybe 20 minutes playing games or testing other "play-oriented" functionality.I bought the Black console on the Nov. 18 release date at my local Target, and initially was going to let it sit unopened until Christmas morning.After reading a bit online, I decided I needed to take some time now and take care of the firmware and other updates, as well as perform the data transfer function via SD card from the original Wii console to the new Wii U console.Having just completed this procedure, I would highly recommend that other parents do the same, and not wait until Christmas morning. Your kids are going to be eager to start playing, and doing all of this on Christmas morning is bound to take several hours since you'll be downloading several files from what will undoubtedly be overloaded Wii servers on Christmas day.It still took me nearly 4 hours today, Dec. 12th, to carefully unbox, download updates, transfer my data via SD from the Wii to the Wii U, briefly trial, and rebox everything so it can be wrapped up and placed under the tree for Christmas.Fortunately, everything went relatively smoothly for me, with only a couple of minor hiccups along the way, and I was not one of those unlucky people who ended up bricking their console during the firmware update.It should be noted that I did my updates over Wifi, but you can also purchase a separate USB to Ethernet dongle for what I would imagine could potentially be a faster and safer update experience.My first hiccup came up when I tried to transfer saved data from the old Wii to the new Wii U. For some reason, the new Wii U was not happy with the Class 10 16 GB HCSD card I intended to use for this purpose. The SD card itself has no problems working in my Windows 7 laptops/desktops, but even after deleting all files and reformatting the SD card, the Wii U indicated that I needed to try a different SD card.Fortunately, I was able to find an older Class 6 4 GB HCSD card in a drawer, and the Wii U was happy with that card. Note that during this process you need to download transfer software on both your old Wii and your new Wii U. You also have to use traditional Wii remotes. I paired one remote with the old Wii, and another remote with the Wii U. Then you follow the guide which is relatively simple so long as you know how to switch your video sources on your TV, and you can keep track of which Wii remote operates which Wii console.After about two additional hours, including the time I spent fussing with my SD cards, my data transfer was complete!At this point, it was time to try out Amazon Prime video, which works nicely, but requires another download which only takes a few minutes. Satisfied with that, I moved on to putting the Nintendo Land game in the optical drive.This is where I experienced hiccup number two. It did not recognize the disc. I shutdown the Wii U and restarted it at this point, and following that, I was able to successfully launch the Nintendo Land game disc. But here again, another download is required which takes maybe an additional 10 minutes.I tried out Nintendo Land quickly and played some sort of dancing with an Octopus game for a few minutes, and lo and behold I was out of time, and needed to carefully start the process of reboxing everything back up.So there you have it , 4 hours of my time well spent! Trust me folks, you won't want to be doing this stuff on Christmas morning. Get this done now so you can enjoy playing some games with your kids on you shiny new Wii U on Christmas morning.

One star off for long downloads, 0.5 star off for the Wii U.I started setting up the Wii U about three days ago, so this is not a comprehensive review. I think people who are considering the Wii U need to know some things about the system as it exists today. I will update the review after I have a few weeks to work with it.YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS: When in doubt, press the HOME button. The A button is OK or Enter. The B button is Back.Pros:-Control Pad is very nifty: it's a competent hand-held gamer.-Nice browser, video apps, and Wii emulator.-Nice graphics on TV-Simple TV remote is very handy for operating the TV when you want to run the Wii UCons:-The bloody update times-Application instructions are light: you really have to go on the web to find stuff.-The main screen seems to operate slowly.-Wii to Wii U transfer process is time consuming and convoluted.Here's some early notes:Update Download When I turned Wii U on I had to do an "update." It took 2.5 hours to download and install(!!). DO NOT TURN ANYTHING OFF DURING THE UPDATE. The progress bar even takes a while to show any progress, so just be patient, go play solitaire. I get internet via att's second slowest dsl line, so your results may be better, but not that much better. When I selected YouTube, Hulu, Amazon, and even the NintendoLand disc, I had to go through 30 to 45 minute downloads. This may all go away in a few months, when consoles are loaded with the appropriate software at the factory, but right now it's a real pain.Wii OperationThere's a Wii channel on the Wii U that looks just like your Wii screen. This is where you run Wii discs and Wii downloads, once transferred. Wii channels not included are News, Weather, and Photo, my favorites. Anyway, it all seems to work. YOU MUST USE A WII REMOTE TO RUN WII PROGRAMS. The Wii U control pad turns off when you go to the Wii channel. I won't dwell on the transfer process: its awful. Here's a plus: your Wii sensor bar works with the Wii U, so you don't have to install a new sensor bar. That saved some grunt and cuss time. Also, your Wii Mii can be used as your Wii U Mii, if you like.Other StuffNintendoLand, on a short trial, is very cool. You can turn the control pad in different directions and the touch screen will show you what's happening in the different directions.Everything looked good and acted quickly.Amazon and Hulu are very good. They had my user information so I am synced up wherever I go to use those accounts. Picture quality was excellent. YouTube was confusing to navigate, and some of the categories didn't have any media. This is YouTube lean back, by the way. I've never seen two YouTube interfaces that look alike.The internet browser isn't bad. It doesn't do flash, but it otherwise operates well. I used it to do a google search on the Wii U internet browser and came up with an IGN web site that gave all the control pad moves to operate the browser. The browser is quite adept, but I had to go to a third party source to find out how to really operate it. Expect to use the web extensively to really get skillful with the Wii U.Conclusion This will be an excellent machine when the growing pains are over. It might be good to wait a few months before purchasingUpdate: 5 Dec 2012I have to pass this on. Yesterday I bought Sonic Racing. When I put the disc in, I received a message that a system update would take place, then an update to the game. The system update took about an hour and a half, the game update about 15 minutes. Wow!! This just emphasizes my point to wait to buy. Oh, Sonic looks like a lot of fun. Nintendo may have a major problem if people can't use the Wii U without the internet.

Wow people still think the wii is just for small children im 32 and I play adult and teen games for the Wii the god father, scarface,resident evil 4, one chanbara etc the wii is for hardcore gamers and new comers alike I have a wii and a wii u the wii is primarily used for gamecube and wii games and of course the wii u for wii games as well the wii u is what the wii should have been 8 years ago I still love the wii always will but of course ps3 is my favorite console sony will always be leading the game industry sorry Microsoft fans its true take away gears halo and titanfall what's left fable hasn't been good since 2008 getting back to the subject at hand the wii is awesome if you find the right games to all the nintendo only fanatics nintendo made games aren't the only great games the Wii has a robust library of sweet games im alittle surprised nintendo would let certain games be allowed on there consoles since nintendo claims to make family products im not criticizing mind you I feel it's awesome having mature games on a family console also 12 years ago when bmx xxx was put on the game cube a crappie game but the game cube version was the best one so kudos to nintendo for allowing a game format that Sony didn't allow so in conclusion the wii is a great console that was foolishly misjudged because nintendo presented the console wrong.

The Wii was hooked up to an old tube TV in the basement, with only a composite input. When we upgraded to a larger high-def flat-screen the picture was just horrible. After looking at various solutions and sifting through the reviews, I decided to just go for this product since for less than ten bucks it was worth a shot.

Wow, was that the right choice! The picture improved dramatically. Now the Wii is getting much more attention for game playing and streaming movies. The Wii display will never be as good as an Xbox or Playstation, but this cable maximizes what it can do.

Construction of the cables is solid, connections are snug, and the sound and picture are satisfactory. I'm happy with this purchase.