E3 2012 Nintendo Wii U and 3DS Wrap Up

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Ok, Nintendo fans, we went into E3 expecting Nintendo to deliver.  After all, the Wii U was revealed a year ago and up until now has been out there in the mists, like some kind of mythical beast, or better yet, a gorilla.  But, the Big N came to E3 with a truckload of goodies, both in the form of system details and games.  Several sites have reported being disappointed with Nintendo’s line up, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ll do my best to be the first in line to buy the Wii U when it comes out.  First, let’s take a look at the system itself:

When you first see the Wii U, two things are obvious: they changed the controller, and it’s coming in two colors.  What changed on the controller?  Nintendo listened to fans and critics alike and changed the 3DS style slide pads to thumb sticks, and did some minor button rearranging.  But, the controller and color weren’t the biggest issue.  People want to know what’s under the hood and hear a firm release date and cost.  Nintendo was predictably tight lipped about the latter two issues, saying merely that the Wii U would be available by Holiday 2012.  No price given.  But, here’s what we can expect from the system:

  • 1.8 inches high, 10.5 inches deep and 6.8 inches long
  • 3.41 pounds
  • IBM powered multi-core processor
  • AMD Radeon-based High Definition GPU
  • Wii U will use internal storage for memory.  Other options for storage come in the form of SD cards and external USB drives
  • Wii U will have 4 USB 2.0 ports (2 in front, 2 in back)
  • Wireless 802.11b/g/n connection
  • backwards compatible with Wii
  • Audio output via 6 channel PCM linear HDMI or analog output via AV multi out connector
  • Displays in 1080 p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i
  • Compatible cables include HDMI, Wii D-Terminal, Wii Component Video, RGB, S-Video, and AV

But that’s not all.  Now that we’re past all the boring stuff, what can the Wii U actually do?  It seems as if the big buzz around E3 was connectivity, and making your consoles more than just a gaming machine by making them into centerpieces of the family entertainment center.  The Wii U seems to be no different.  Features include:

  • Miiverse: a brand new social networking service that connects all Wii U owners via their Miis.  Go online, chat with friends, get answers to game questions, change your mood, share achievements with friends, and much more!
  • The Wii U tablet controller will be able to function as the main remote for your television, whether watching the news or playing a game.
  • Tablet controller also has NFC (Near Field Communication) with other objects
  • Nintendo eShop will be present
  • Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, and Amazon Video services will work with Wii U.  Each of these apps will also take advantage of the second screen.
  • Internet Browser
But what about the GAMES?  Will the Wii U play games?!  Of course it will!  Not only are we getting a launch day Mario title, but we are seeing the resurrection of Pikmin and getting what appears to be a freakin’ awesome survival horror game to boot!  Check out the video below of the games that were announced.

 

But, not to be outdone, Nintendo had some news for the 3DS fans as well.

Also shown for the 3DS were New Super Mario Bros. 2

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

and many, many more!  So, was this enough to satisfy even the most rabid Nintendo fan….or did it just give you another place to direct your hate?  Do you think the Wii U is going to soar or flop?  Sound off in our comments section below, and while you’re here, why not check out our E3 Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 wrap ups as well?

 

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2 comments

  1. Alex 10 June, 2012 at 02:31 Reply

    I can wait for the ps4. what’s really to come next? the game are already on blue-ray… so downloadable? 1 TB harddrive? I’m down but not looking to spend the money just yet. I get everything I need out of the ps3. I use it more as a media center than gaming console right now. there’s 4 or 5 games that keep drawing me back in and they all look great.

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