On the Wii U GamePad - Clearly the main draw is its GamePad controller, which houses all of the standard buttons on a current video game controller plus a 6.2-inch touchscreen. I was a skeptic at first...I mean, I knew I would get this system anyway because of future installments of Nintendo's amazing franchises, as well as a new iteration of Monster Hunter coming out in March, but I wasn't completely sure how much I'd like it. I've never been the biggest fan of handhelds, and have only recently started to enjoy them again, so I figured this controller would be similar. However, this is not the case. The screen on the controller is fantastic and opens up a lot of ideas. It's pretty sharp-looking in my opinion, and the gameplay uses that I've seen so far for the screen are rock-solid. I'll explain more on that topic as I get into the games, though. The battery's a little short-lived (3-5 hours, depending on settings), but you can always plug it in and keep playing.
I would like to mention that a lot of the time at night, I have been playing my brand new console from the comfort of my bed before I go to sleep, because of the Wii U's sweet game-streaming directly to the controller screen. The signal from the system can reach my controller anywhere in my current apartment, so if I have to go and do something else for a bit or just want to sit elsewhere, I can just keep on playing! It's pretty damn slick.
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| Disclaimer: This thing is sweeeeet. |
The Wii U itself - The machine proper is pretty sleek looking, as I've gotten the black Deluxe version which came packed with a game (Nintendo Land), some accessories, and a sweet deal for downloadable games (10% back as points to spend on more games, basically). There's a function built into this system called Miiverse, where you (represented by your Mii avatar) can post small blurbs about various games and comment on other people's comments. These may include pleas for help getting past a level, pointless jokes, or even some extremely well-done drawings (by using the touch screen and stylus). Overall, I thought Miiverse was going to be something I didn't use much...but it's way more fun than it at first seemed! You can even post a screen shot of where you paused the game currently, which I've been doing in addition to making terrible puns. It's great!
There's also a great internet browser, an eShop for purchasing downloadable titles, and a ton of other features. Overall I'm impressed with how the Wii U operates. On a graphical level, it looks pretty damn good as well. I'm not sure exactly of the strength of the console's graphical output, but it's easily on par or maybe a tad better than the 360 and PS3. This will be easier to gauge once more original Wii U titles come out rather than ports of games to the system.
New Super Mario Bros. U - This game's pretty darn good. Definitely better than NSMBWii, it's predecessor...but not good enough to replace Super Mario Bros. 3 in my heart. The levels are well laid out, and it seems like every single stage introduces new obstacles for you to figure out. This is a good quality for a platformer. My only qualm is that a lot of it is recycled from NSMBWii...right down to the musical tracks and a majority of the enemies. I wish there were a bit more original content, but oh well...it's still pretty damn fun. There are even additional challenges to complete which put your Mario skills to the test. These range from tasks such as dodging attacks from the Fire Brothers as long as possible, or traversing entire stages without touching the ground (often using the new Flying Squirrel Suit). So, as much as it does derive straight from the Wii version, it still has a lot of content to work through for completionists. I'm having a lot of fun with it so far, and the last few days have been consumed by making my way through the tougher Challenge stages. Some hardcore stuff!
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| *shinnnngggg* |
ZombiU - Hoooooly shit. Welcome back, survival horror! This game is phenomenal...I don't care if half of the reviews for it are relatively low, because my opinion ranges with those that put it at an 8-9 out of 10. ZombiU is a FPS game where a zombie outbreak has occurred in England. You play as a survivor who needs to gather as many resources as possible to get by while also uncovering the truth behind what's going on. This isn't a run and gun, so if you're expecting it to be then you'll be disappointed. Rather, this is a slow-paced stress factory that doles out atmosphere in spades, wowing you with its intricately-crafted world while simultaneously making you sweat and shit your pants at the thought of running into even a single zombie. That's right, even one undead can take you down if you panic and mess up, since your ammo and other resources are limited and need to be managed carefully. Therefore, you have a constant sense of dread as you work your way through the streets of London that only ever vanishes at a save point.
If you get taken down, your resources all go away. If you're lucky, you can pick them up again when you respawn as a brand new survivor...but in order to do that, you have to make sure you get back to your previous character's location without dying again, and then kill the now-zombified version of them to gather your things. It's a lot like Dark Souls in that respect. There are subtle leveling systems with weaponry, where you will become more proficient with guns as you use them. There's also incredibly good use of the WiiU gamepad, which functions as a scanner, a lockpick, a rifle scope, your backpack full of inventory, and a keypad for code-locked doors, among other things. Whenever you do these things, you're fixated on the controller screen...but you're still open to attack, so you need to keep an eye out and make sure you're safe. It's tense! Seriously, this is one of my favourite games of the year and it's the kick in the ass that the survival horror genre needs right now. If you want a true survival horror experience and can appreciate this game as such, then definitely pick it up at some point...it's a very unique and satisfying experience.
Nintendo Land - This game looked lame, originally. My initial thoughts have since been shattered, however. Nintendo Land at first just seemed like the Wii Sports of the system, where it's there to show off what the GamePad can do and that's about it. Well, it does accomplish that goal successfully, but also has a LOT more depth and fun than I ever thought it would! There are 12 mini-games, which can becompetitive, co-operative, and single-player experiences. Simple games such as Yoshi's Fruit Cart have you drawing out a pathway for a little wooden Yoshi, which it follows in order to navigate through a stage. Combine that with the fact that you can only see obstacles on your TV and not on the Pad where you're drawing, along with some tricky obstacles and enemies, and you have a fairly tricky experience in later stages. The same goes for tricky-as-hell Donkey Kong's Crash Course, where you tilt the GamePad in order to manouver a vehicle through a devious, side-scrolling iteration of Labyrinth (NOT the David Bowie version). Many of the competitive games such as Mario Chase and Animal Crossing: Sweet Day play out like tag in which one player has the GamePad and a full map available to them (and in Sweet Day's case, two separate controllable characters controlled by separate analog sticks). This gives the GamePad user a different experience than the rest of the players, which is actually really cool.
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| NintendoLand at night. That's the Deku Tree, down there! |
Then you have more hardcore experiences. Zelda: Battle Quest for example, puts up to 5 players on a rail shooter-like path through familiar Hyrulian locales. The four people with swords (Wii Motion Plus required) hack and slash through enemies such as Moblins and ChuChus, while the player holding the GamePad functions as an archer to pick off distant foes. The other standout hardcore game is friggin' Metroid Blast. It's DAMN fun. You can either control a character on foot using pointer controls to blast waves of enemies, or pilot Samus' Gunship using the GamePad to attack from the air. There are competitive modes where you attack each other, sort of like deathmatch, but the real meat of this experience lies in the Ground Assault mode. This game mode has 30 levels, each with unique winning conditions and even further objectives to complete in order to "Master" each level. It controls well, and has some epic music to boot! I guess you could say I'm having a...BLAST with it! Haw haw haw.
As you play games, you earn coins that you can spend to collect statues of characters and items from the attractions, which fill up the main park. This small recap also doesn't even take into account other interesting games like Balloon Trip and Takamaru's Ninja Castle, but rest assured that Nintendo Land is a pretty darn good addition to your library, if you're on the fence about it. I know I was unsure about this game, but I'm glad to have it around!
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More posts to come shortly! Sorry for the long time between entries...I've been busy with life, school, and also Gaming Grads! Go check it out if you haven't already!! There's a Facebook page for the show, too!
Nice post on the WiiU... you really make the platform shine, bro... nice new features and the games truly instigated me to go and see this damn thing!
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