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Aug 23, 2005
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Come on folks can we have some hands in user reviews from our regulars please.

Games, Thoughts, likes & Dislikes of the new system.
 
Sonic'ly 'good' ? :p ;) :D

On that note I'll go to GameStop later today and in the pure interest of science I might buy another title so I can give it a better review.

This being completely scientific and all.. or something..

Review coming soon, no blue spiked hair unfortunately. :p
 
On that note I'll go to GameStop later today and in the pure interest of science I might buy another title so I can give it a better review.

This being completely scientific and all.. or something..

Review coming soon, no blue spiked hair unfortunately. :p


LOL. Well i am intending to pick up the spiked one when I collect my Wii U next friday ;) So i might beat you too it :p
 
LOL. Well i am intending to pick up the spiked one when I collect my Wii U next friday ;) So i might beat you too it :p

I think you can DL Sonic Racing right? I didn't see a Sonic game for sale anywhere or you know I would have bought it lol.
 
So far so good. The update did take foooooorever. And each game I played, also had an update that took a while. Load times are long for everything but I hope they can fix that. i feel stupid getting annoyed at a load time (first world problems and all) but I do. Super Mario on WiiU looks so much better than the old Super Mario on plain old Wii. Crisper, cleaner, no dropouts, just great, great graphics. Game play with touchscreen is fine although I do get that WHAT THE HELL IS IN THIS THING noise you might have heard about. I don't care about it as long as it works fine, which is does. Battery life is HORRIBLE on touchscreen. When I play, I like to play for a long time on one of my days off. Not easy to do with the battery dying this quick (although on some games, I can switch to old mote). Does anyone know if battery life is something that can someday be fixed with a software patch or are we stuck with this? Kids didn't seem to into the nintendo land games. I remember how blown away they were with wii sports, so this is a bit of a disappointment. All in all, glad I bought it, could be better, ask me again when 3d Mario or Zelda comes out. ;)
 
Pros:
- Can play game on the remote itself without the tv being on (if anyone else wants to watch tv that is really the best selling point of this console)
- 5 player games
- Dual Screen games
- Party Games
- Non Gamers will enjoy this console and its games alot more

Cons:
- Wii Menus and switching between different apps is PAINFULLY slow, cant believe this brand new tech will literally take 30secs-1min to go from one menu to another
- Gamepad battery life can be an issue to some
- Gamepad resolution is not great, you can see the pixels up close, specially for someone coming from retina displays and hdtvs
- HardCore gamers will stick with xbox/ps3, this system is still not geared towards them
- Adding friends makes no sense, u have to add a friend AND they have to add u back so u can be friends how annoying (i guess its for safety for kids but they couldve added an adults only option without this)
- No really unique titles and launch titles are mainly ports or just shovelware a la Wii

Overall i think it shows great promise for being a unique and different console, its just not in the same league as xbox/ps3 and shouldnt be compared to them
 
Friend tag = iGamer

Wii U a tale of frustration and lots of promise.



So my Wii U experience has been a mixed bag.

I picked up my Wii U earlier today. The Zombi U limited edition premium bundle. I was disappointed to discover that Nintendoland didn't come with it, but that was my misnderstanding it seems.

The console itself is nice and discrete. The gamepad is surprisingly light and ergonomic. Setup was slow because of the amount of stuff needed to get it up and running, and the very lengthy firmware update it asked me to download once connected to the Internet.

This failed downloading first time and I was a little peeved to as it took an hour and a half to download. Thankfully I was able to resume from where it failed and so in total it took about 2hr30 for me to get it updated.


Loading times haven't bothered me as much as others have mentioned here. But the way you can't control the menu system on the TV with the gamepad controls only, rather than being forced to use the gamepad screen unless I plug in an additional controller is my real irritant.


E-Shop pricing is a frickin joke for full price titles. Sonic is €49.99 on the e-store, but €39.99 in the retail store where I bought a physical copy of it today (plus 5% off for loyalty). How does that pricing make sense?

Also pricing for games generally is shocking. Call of Duty 2 is €69.99 on the e-store here. That's $91 for COD on the e-store!!!For a digital copy tied to 1 piece of hardware, Sorry Nintendo but that's a total epic FAIL !!

I won't be purchasing much digital content if that pricing structure remains...




I like the TV control.

Setup worked perfectly with my Humax FoxSat receiver and Samsung TV. Quick and painless. Impressed.


Games...

I've only played one so far due to the lengthy protracted setup time.
Zombi U is excellent so far, and its nice to see a 1080p game as a launch title.


I also bought Sonic All Star Racing Transformed, New SuperMario Bros U, Call of Duty 2 and Tekken Tag 2.

Will post more lengthy impressions tomorrow.


Adding friends..

Right folks post don't forget to post your Nintendo username/tag so we can add each other.

I'm iGamer





Edit. Corrected spelling and I've decided to skip buying Nintendoland. I just read that there is very little single player games. Why they can't make all these games single player compatible with 'bots' or online is another annoyance.
 
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It's the hardest core Nintendo console I've owned..

Ok more thoughts.


Sega All Star Racing Transformed is excellent on the Wii U and is faster & smoother than the PS3 version. Excellent karting action but bloody tough to beat even on medium racing difficulty.

ZombiU is awesome. I keep restarting because I'm playing on survival so when I die I die. So far I've lasted just over 45 minutes. Getting better. Really enjoy it and it totally is the creepiest game I've played in ages.

Call of Duty black ops 2 I'm finding actually quite tough. Only early in the te solo campaign and I'm getting regualy anhilated.

New Super Mario Bros can get tough too.

Tekken is great but keep getting my ass whipped in multiplayer.


Basically all the games are posing a genuine challenge, look great, play well and I've no regrets.


Trine 2 looks amazing on the gamepad screen and the touch screen for the wizard is a lifesaver. The game plays better thn any other version I've played (ps3 & mac).


MiiVerse is fun, some of the doodles are very impressive though..



Negatives.. My console locked up once going back to the wii menu. E-shop pricing is a joke. MiiVerse loading the is too slow to make you want to dive into it fully.
 
Negatives.. My console locked up once going back to the wii menu. E-shop pricing is a joke. MiiVerse loading the is too slow to make you want to dive into it fully.

Download stores can't charge less for a download version of a disc game in one region than another. So because the RRP in Albania or [pick another country] is steep, the entire region has to suffer the high price on the digital store. It's as simple as that and even applies to Steam (Which is why they have 2 or 3 pricing structures for Europe). Sucks, doughnut.


Nano Assault Neo: It's alright. You can play on the controller or TV, so I keep coming back to it because it's just so easy to. Nice graphics, okay music, good gameplay (the satellite customisation is actually great, best bit about it). Confusing scoreboard structure though. It tells me I'm 45th on the scoreboard, but scrolling up the positions reset to 100 and the scores keep increasing.

Can't wait to dive into Mario. I find them amazing in multiplayer and dull in single, waiting to get a houseful before starting that.
 
Over the years I've somehow ended up with every Nintendo home console at, or around launch, other than oddities such as the Famicom Disc System, Virtual Boy and 64DD.... so I've been quite looking forward to the U.

Firstly, the name..... Well done on confusing people Nintendo. Whilst the general public seem to be able to comprehend PlayStation 3, adding a U seems completely lost on most people. The vast majority seem to think it's a peripheral, or just a newer version (like a slim), or they have no idea what it is. Maybe Nintendo could have got away with Wii2, but they should have just called it the Nintendo U, and let the Wii name go.

As for the hardware itself, it's quite nice and discreet. I still can't work out why they didn't put the sync button behind the front panel and center everything though? But my main concern is a lack of an internal HDD bay. Both models have a pathetic amount of internal storage, Nintendo are essentially expecting you to use a USB external drive. 32GB isn't going to last even the most casual of gamers 5 years if we're totally honest. So why not make everything much neater and easier and allow the use of 2.5" HDDs internally?

Overall though the console feels nice and solid, looks tidy and will be covered in dust-bunnies, well, immediately.

The controller really is very nice. Reading the initial reviews, people were complaining that it felt cheap and plasticky. One reviewer even complained the buttons were the wrong way round compared to his 360 controller :eek: kids today, eh.... But really, I think it feels very nice and solid and it's great to hold. It's been compared to the iPad in build quality which is silly considering the entire system is half the price of one. The touchscreen is nice and bright and registers inputs very well. I do find it strange though that ZR and ZL are digital buttons and not analog triggers.

To be honest, I've been using it as an Über-Gameboy so far. Playing Mario on the controller whilst having Star Trek on the telly is awesome and totally geektastic. Obviously things like ZombiU and Aliens are going to require a combination of controller and TV, and work much better on the bigger screen. But for platform games like Mario or Rayman I'm quite happy with my new Gameboy :p

It's just a shame they didn't ship it with a higher capacity battery that actually, you know, fills the entire battery compartment. Just over three hours play-time is unacceptable if I'm totally honest. So it's now up to Nintendo or some enterprising Chinese mateys, but I want a battery that's going to last at least 6 or 7 hours between a charge.

Now considering the whole system really is centered around the Gamepad, I think Nintendo have done really well for the price point. My only real complaint is the battery and maybe the lack of analog triggers. I do have one suggestion though: that silky plastic they use on the rear of the Harmony 1100 or WDTV remote would be great on the rear of the Gamepad. Other than that, I think it's a fantastically well engineered controller which fits the hand very well.

The absence of real media center capabilities is slightly annoying. Nintendo have always traditionally done the gaming thing and left the whole Media Center experience to Sony and Microsoft. But this time they're offering TVii, so the lack of any other media capabilities is a bit of an oversight. The Triple and 360 are capable of streaming video, albeit with the help of PS3MediaServer, so why not the U? The discs are surely proprietary Blu-ray technology so why not add full BRD playback support? C'mon Nintendo, you can swallow a licensing fee of a couple of quid per machine?

So yeah, there you go, that's my honest thoughts. It's certainly not a perfect system by anymeans, but they never are. The good points outweigh any major complaints though.....

Reading reviews and other opinions, no one seems blown away by the console. Which is a shame considering new systems aren't released every year. It is understandable though, the PS3 and 360 have been available for years now delivering what the original Wii couldn't, graphics wise. However, I really don't think the next consoles from Microsoft and Sony are going to live up to expectation. I think people are expecting an Alienware under their telly, and that's just not happening, not for 300 quid.

Everything will come into perspective when the other consoles are released late next year.

:apple:
 
Bought Assassins Creed 3 and so far I've only played it on my Gamepad screen. What this has done has made me realise how crappy the Vita version is (despite it being one of the better Vita games out there).

Assassins Creed 3 on the wii U looks and plays great on the TV but on the gamepad screen it looks amazing.

The fact I don't get just a 'similar' experience as my bigger console but instead I do get the genuinely same experience has made me question why I am bothering with a Vita, which for the most part I have to buy a game twice (excluding cross buy) to play my console game on a small screen whilst watching TV.

I've decided once I have completed Persona 4 : golden I am going to trade in my Vita for credit and put it towards future wiiU and ps3 software instead.

I'm also planning on going forward to buy the wiiU version of multi platform titles simply for the play on gamepad experience.

I don't play my Vita outside the house, so 'true portability' in that sense is a non issue for me.
 
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Assassins Creed 3 on the wii U looks and plays great on the TV but on the gamepad screen it looks amazing.

The fact I don't get just a 'similar' experience as my bigger console but instead I do get the genuinely same experience has made me question why I am bothering with a Vita, which for the most part I have to buy a game twice (excluding cross buy) to play my console game on a small screen whilst watching TV.

Yeah this is the same thing I was thinking about awhile back and part of the disruptive nature of the Wii U. A lot of people buy the Vita because they want a handheld console experience but most games don't match console gameplay 100%.

Here you have a 100% console experience transplanted to a handheld device. Only caveat is you have to stay within range of the box. But for those people who spend most of their time playing their Vita on the couch anyway, they're getting a better experience streaming to the Gamepad than on the dedicated handheld.
 
I guess I am just one of the very few people who see absolutely no appeal in playing a game on a tiny portable screen while my nice TV is in the same/next room. :confused: I don't think I have ever turned on my PSP outside of an airplane or train.
 
Bought Assassins Creed 3 and so far I've only played it on my Gamepad screen. What this has done has made me realise how crappy the Vita version is (despite it being one of the better Vita games out there).

Assassins Creed 3 on the wii U looks and plays great on the TV but on the gamepad screen it looks amazing.

The fact I don't get just a 'similar' experience as my bigger console but instead I do get the genuinely same experience has made me question why I am bothering with a Vita, which for the most part I have to buy a game twice (excluding cross buy) to play my console game on a small screen whilst watching TV.

I've decided once I have completed Persona 4 : golden I am going to trade in my Vita for credit and put it towards future wiiU and ps3 software instead.

I'm also planning on going forward to buy the wiiU version of multi platform titles simply for the play on gamepad experience.

I don't play my Vita outside the house, so 'true portability' in that sense is a non issue for me.

I think your usage of the Vita is a bit skewed - I use mine out and about, which is what Sony intend you to do (see the adverts!), which is a usage scenario where the WiiU obviously wouldn't work. It's true, the Vita doesn't quite provide the same experience (although games like Wipeout 2048 are incredibly close), but for portable gaming it does a remarkable job.

I also don't quite get why you're playing it solely on the low resolution Gamepad as opposed to a nice big TV?


On a side note, price gouging has begun! £450 on Amazon UK for a Premium Bundle...
 
I think your usage of the Vita is a bit skewed - I use mine out and about, which is what Sony intend you to do (see the adverts!), which is a usage scenario where the WiiU obviously wouldn't work. It's true, the Vita doesn't quite provide the same experience (although games like Wipeout 2048 are incredibly close), but for portable gaming it does a remarkable job.

I also don't quite get why you're playing it solely on the low resolution Gamepad as opposed to a nice big TV?


On a side note, price gouging has begun! £450 on Amazon UK for a Premium Bundle...


My Vita usage isn't skewed, it's just different to others. But I'm sure there are many people who don't use their DS's or Vita's outside of the home.

That does not mean I'm doing anything wrong, it means my usage is my own.


As for why would I be playing on the Wii U gamepad. Simples. I wanted to play Assassins Creed 3 which I picked up yesterday, but I also wanted to watch Strictly Come Dancing & X-Factor Final's on the TV, so I used the wii U's gamepad for Assassins Creed 3 and it looked great on it, lower res and all - it looked really good on it. Now you can't tell me I'm doing something wrong here surely, as that was the whole point of the gamepad screen that if you wanted to use the TV for something else.

Likewise when I went to bed last night I took the gamepad with me and spent an hour with TRINE 2. Which again looks frickin awesome on the screen.

Now I didn't say the gamepad would replace the Vita for everyone, I just said for ME and for how I utilise handhelds.

Now the only thing that would stop me selling my Vita is the fact that with PS+ subscription even if I don't ever buy a new Vita game again, I know that I'm going to get 2-4 free Vita games per month. The only downside is the €100 for a 32gb card!!
 
Don't get me wrong, I know it's your personal usage, I just find it odd to have a portable system that is used in the environment where portability isn't really needed. That said, I like big screens to the point of having a PS3 in the living room and bedroom for gaming sessions, which is arguably not normal either...

I do think the WiiU functionality of being able to play games whilst watching TV is pretty cool, and arguably one of the stronger selling points for the system. No more TV hogging for hours! However I'd definitely chose the TV as the main viewing device if it was available.

I'm going to sit tight and wait for another 6 months of game releases, or possibly Zelda, and then re-evaluate the WiiU. If there's been a price drop by then, even better! That said, I'm all out of HDMI ports :(
 
Well I do have 3 PS3's myself too :p :p


Nah I just find when I go out the house it's to the gym or for exercise (hiking, treking, cycling) or to socialise (Dinner parties etc.) I work from home office so I don't commute anywhere.

Hence when I do go out, the idea of taking a portable games console is not really appropriate. Turn up at a dinner party with a Vita and ignore everyone all night to play little big planet just wouldn't be the 'done thing'.. :D Although at times, preferable.... :p Can you imagine in the middle of Yoga, bend over and have a little piece of Mario (oops) :eek: :p :D
 
Three? You do realise the number after the name isn't how many you're supposed to buy? (...how many Xboxes?!)
 
I guess I am just one of the very few people who see absolutely no appeal in playing a game on a tiny portable screen while my nice TV is in the same/next room. :confused: I don't think I have ever turned on my PSP outside of an airplane or train.

It's the games. The PSP especially had genres that other consoles didn't have, like JRPGs, 2D platformers. The lines blurring a bit with the Vita. I think it's worse for it, to be honest, that they're trying to emulate home consoles but they're never as good (Uncharted, Mortal Kombat, Call of Duty, Resistance, Assassin's Creed (although I like Liberation)) and rarely just as good (Wipeout, Rayman, Persona).


What I'm amazed at is how there is no latency with the Wii U controller display and have no compression artefacts! It's a bit blocky with red and orange edges but completely unnoticeable during gameplay.

And Playstation are using similar tech with cross-controller games. What I played of LBP2 with a Vita as a Wii U style setup was great and why they're not pushing this tech more is beyond me.

Right now my Wii U is my go-to home console. It's got a bunch of nice controllers, Miiverse is great and there's a lot of connectivity. And the Vita is my go-to handheld.
 
Three? You do realise the number after the name isn't how many you're supposed to buy? (...how many Xboxes?!)

I did have two 360's but I traded them in couple years back as there wasn't any xbox exclusives I wanted, and a few other titles I could get on PC anyway. :)

I do miss banjo-kazooie and viva piñata though.
 
So the new update came out today, supposedly to speed up loading but haven't noticed too much difference.

Really enjoying Assassins Creed 3 :) I haven't encountered any bugs yet and I'm still playing it on the gamepad itself.



Now come on folks post your Nintendo ID so we can add MacRumors Members as friends and share messages on miiverse.

So far we have myself


MacRumorUser = iGamer
Dagless = jimmirock


Please post more so we can get a little macrumors wiiU clan going.
 
Yeah this is the same thing I was thinking about awhile back and part of the disruptive nature of the Wii U. A lot of people buy the Vita because they want a handheld console experience but most games don't match console gameplay 100%.

Here you have a 100% console experience transplanted to a handheld device. Only caveat is you have to stay within range of the box. But for those people who spend most of their time playing their Vita on the couch anyway, they're getting a better experience streaming to the Gamepad than on the dedicated handheld.

And what is that range ? I heard about 30 feet.. I'm thinking about a WiiU, but how do games look on that pad? I think they've could used a higher rez screen than 480p.
 
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