The Wii U has arrived! We've said plenty about it already, so let's just skip the preamble and jump right into the main event: Our Wii U hardware review.
The Hardware
Jeremy Parish: The Wii U's core is probably the least interesting thing about it, in my opinion. It's essentially a piece of kit on par with PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but compacted into a box about the size of the Wii. I don't see much sense in arguing about whether it's more or less powerful than other current systems -- even as far back as the Super NES/Genesis console wars, you can see the vagaries of hardware "power" at play.
The important thing is that Wii U brings Nintendo into the HD era. It runs original, Wii U-targeted software smoothly, and third-party content we've seen on other systems works here with the varying degrees of success you'd expect from launch-day ports. Assassin's Creed III and Ninja Gaiden 3 seem to work fine, while Mass Effect 3 struggles to maintain a decent frame rate. We can assume that the quality of these games has more to do with the studios responsible for converting them than the capabilities of the Wii U itself, just like the PlayStation 3 runs some games more smoothly than the Xbox 360 but is pretty much a disaster when it comes to Bethesda-developed games.
I find Nintendo's frugality when it comes to storage troubling. The basic Wii U hardware comes with 8 GB of internal storage, about half of which is taken up by the system software. That's not much room for downloading software -- retail games run several gigabytes apiece. Reportedly, digital-only Wii U software has no upward size restrictions, so don't expect that base system to take you far. Meanwhile, the deluxe console has 32 GB internal storage, which is still pretty meager -- my launch PS3 has nearly twice that large a hard drive, and downloading software requires a painful juggling and deletion act every single time I want to buy something. Memory is so cheap these days -- it's mind-boggling to see Nintendo scrimp on such a basic feature, and it's indicative of just how far behind their digital distribution approach remains.
Commendably, though, Wii U does continue Nintendo's commitment to industry standards for expansion. The system accepts SD cards (though reportedly Wii U games can't run off them, only Wii games and media) and offers four USB ports for peripherals and hard drives (from which Wii U games reportedly can run). It also supports all kinds of Wii peripherals, though as with the revamped Wii model Nintendo has abandoned GameCube support of all kinds -- the better to sell you enhanced ports with, my pretty.
One glaring hardware omission: The Wii U lacks any kind of optical-out. In fact, its only output options are a consolidated legacy cable (component video with a Nintendo connector) and standard HDMI. It's perfectly reasonable, I think, to expect better in a modern console.
All in all, Wii U won't blow anyone's mind with its hardware capabilities, and it will definitely annoy hardcore A/V fanatics with its lack of output options. The system's horsepower puts it on par with current consoles, which will be true for... a year, probably. And of course it's miles behind a gaming PC rig. It seems weird for Nintendo to settle for parity with the current-gen competition instead of pushing the bar a little further to mitigate the inevitable power gap that Microsoft and Sony's next systems will institute... but, well, that's Nintendo. (And, in hindsight, that approach didn't help the TurboGrafx-16 or Dreamcast.) Time will tell if their determination to do things their own way will help or hurt them.
Jose Otero: The Wii U could be the gutsiest move in a string of audacious decisions by Nintendo. Remember the DS? How about the Wii? Those two easily became blockbusters in the industry. As I recall the negative reactions to each one, I look at the Wii U hardware itself and think, "Could this really be the next big deal?" It's possible, and the smaller-sized hardware makes a strong first impression.
The glossy finish on the system means it's custom-made for a shelf and not travel-friendly. The numerous scratches I picked up while traveling with one of our pre-release units made it a hideous sight overnight. Buyer beware: if you plan to take your Wii U to other places, wrap this thing in some of the softest towels you can find, or at least buy a special case. Trust me on this one and learn from my mistakes.
Despite its scratch-friendly finish, I'm still impressed by the Wii U's compact form. The dimensions of the hardware come surprisingly close to the size of the Wii, only this one is a little longer and a little heavier than its last generation sibling. When you compare the unit to a PS3 or an Xbox 360, you'll be surprised by just how small this thing is. It makes other systems look bloated compared to its surprisingly small form factor.
With such a trim exterior, the Wii U will fit on almost any shelf, but I have to agree with Jeremy that the existence of an 8GB version is a very odd choice, especially if Nintendo wants people to take downloading games off of the system's eShop seriously. Expansion slots provide a cheap solution to a major problem, but the prospect of shuffling and deleting purchases just to make everything to fit seems like an early generation mistake; a weird situation when you consider how this hardware arrived at the tail end of the current one.
Storage concerns aside, the system itself sounds close to whisper-quiet and the games look good. Obviously third-party ports have a ways to go, but that's to be expected, no? I see no signs of a system incapable delivering beautiful graphics, but Nintendo isn't known for creating photorealistic visuals. New Super Mario Bros. Ulooks slick, but it's using a considerably lower-impact art style compared to other current-generation video games. If you're worried about the Wii U's horsepower, I'd say wait for more games to come to the system before running out to buy the system at a retailer.
Marty Sliva: Jeremy was spot-on with what he said -- the Wii U is a perfectly adequate piece of hardware, but its specs won't be blowing anyone away. With Nintendo finally presenting us an HD console, their impeccable art direction will hopefully be given the respect it deserves. Taking a look at games like Wind Waker and Super Mario Galaxy running on a Dolphin emulator gives you an idea of what Nintendo's gorgeous design can look like when it's given proper hardware support.
As far as storage goes, the relatively small hard drive doesn't really bother me, considering how cheap and ubiquitous externals are. But the thing that I really don't understand about the Wii U is its lack of GameCube functionality. I already have enough consoles underneath by television, so I was hoping for this system to be my all-encompassing Nintendo device of the past decade. But the fact that I'll have to keep my Wii around if I want to go back and play Super Mario Sunshine or Killer 7 is a huge letdown. I'm sure we'll be able to download GCN games in the near future, but I don't have a whole lot of faith in Nintendo delivering a full library in a timely manner.
Bob Mackey: Though it's just a rectangular box with the edges sanded down, the Wii U looks like a piece of future tech compared to the behemoth Xbox 360 and PS3 looming over it in my entertainment center. This I can appreciate, because god knows space is starting to become a premium in the crowded television setup currently occupying an entire wall of my bedroom. Inside the system, though, things could use a little improvement; while I'm happy to continue living with the graphical standards of consoles circa 2005, the lack of storage space -- even with the superior Deluxe version -- feels like a classic Nintendo move of underestimating their audience. I'm sure countless pages of statistics prove that prospective Wii U owners might not be likely to download a single piece of software, but I'd love the chance to download a handful of retail games without needing to seek out another storage solution.
The Controller
Jeremy: The big deal about Wii U, of course, is its controller. The Wii U GamePad represents a complete about-face from the Wii Remote in terms of capabilities and utility. On a larger, more conceptual level, though, its role remains much the same. It's meant to be a game-changer (literally!), forcing developers and gamers alike to reevaluate how they experience games. The GamePad serves as a complement to the television screen, ideally pairing with the TV in the same way that the DS's two screens worked together.
In practice, though, it still has a long way to go. The DS's design, unconventional as it may have been, made perfect sense in practice because the screens lived together, separated only by a hinge. The GamePad, however, shares a more nebulous relationship to the TV. Your eyes naturally focus on one or the other, and you'll feel unclear about how you should hold the GamePad. Up facing the TV? Down like a normal controller?
This uncertainty has already manifested in some of the early software for the system. Even a game like Nintendo Land -- even the operating system! -- has a tendency to mirror content across both screens, and to provide on-screen cues to tell you where you should be focusing. When the system tells you repeatedly, "Don't look here, look over there," it starts to feel clumsy. Maybe this is something developers will figure out in time. For the moment, though, the GamePad's potential and proper use are still up in the air.
Physically, it's an interesting device -- somewhere between a traditional controller and a tablet. Of course, it lacks the multi-touch capabilities of an iPad, though that may be for the best; juggling two screens, enough buttons for a PS3 or 360 controller, and a touch pad is plenty complicated already without bringing pinch and swipe gestures into the picture. It's lighter than a standard iPad, too, though it does feel somewhat flimsy as a result. Not cheap, exactly, just a little insubstantial. The touch screen uses the same lousy plastic as the DS and 3DS's lower screens, which means it smudges up horribly and will doubtlessly scuff hideously after a bit of use.
My real complaint about the GamePad is one I initially waved off when Jose first brought it up: The button layout is weird. Nintendo echoed the 3DS's controller configuration by placing the left analog stick above the D-pad, which makes sense for consistency's sake. But then they mirrored that layout on right side, putting the right stick very unconventionally above the face buttons. For anyone accustomed to the 360 or PS3's controllers -- supposedly a big part of Nintendo's target audience with the Wii U! -- this configuration feels awkward and unnatural. I've constantly found myself pressing the wrong buttons in the heat of action. Assassin's Creed III is pretty bad for this -- the "assassin's pinch" of the right trigger and B button used for climbing and navigating the world ends up being much further apart than my hands have been trained to expect. I wondered why I kept constantly leaping to my death until I realized, oh yeah -- I'm pressing the A button, not B. I guess it's not a fatal issue (at least, not outside the bounds of poor Connor Kenway), but it does seem like one of those decisions that was made different simply for the sake of being different.
I like the GamePad as a whole and think it has a lot of promise. But its configuration will take some getting used to, and I expect a fair number of missteps as game designers resolve the uncertainty surrounding its proper uses.
Jose: Obviously, the GamePad is Wii U's main attraction, and the tablet/controller hybrid makes quite a first impression. I like how light the unit feels in my grip. I do agree with Jeremy's point that the controller doesn't feel quite as firm as an iPad but, it's certainly doesn't feel cheap either. The grooves on the back of the device fit comfortably in my hands. The face buttons could be bigger though, but I do have the biggest hands of the 1UP staff, so maybe plenty of other folks will disagree.
I'm glad to see Jeremy had similar issues with the face buttons and their odd placement relative to the right analog stick. The GamePad and the Pro Controller both use the same weird layout, but at least Nintendo kept it consistent across the board. Maybe time will erase the slightly awkward feel, or maybe we just have to rewire our brains to compensate.
The GamePad itself displays some impressive range. At the office, I could take the device a few desks down with little visual lag. Of course, the more walls between you and the system, the worse this situation gets. Still, streaming gameplay to the pad itself looks remarkable. The visuals don't pop with gorgeous detail due to the screen dimensions, but it still manages to look good from multiple viewing angles. Plus, the idea of playing a game on the device itself in order to use the TV for other functions seems interesting. It's a dual screened home console that can seamlessly switch from one screen to the other.
But that's kind of the problem for the GamePad. I'm not always sure where to look while playing some games, but hopefully future software will make the transition between two displays a little easier. As much as I like the quality of the device, I'm not sold on the touch screen itself. When I played Takamaru's Ninja Castle and had to launch shuriken at cardboard ninja's using the device, it felt really imprecise and clunky. Due to the abundance of touch screen technology in our daily lives, a resistive touchscreen that relies on pressure just doesn't feel like the right decision for a tablet. It's the only part of the device that feels a little cheap. Marty: Having spent a good amount of time with the GamePad has only confirmed what I had thought going in to the Wii U -- I can't see myself electing to play a multiplatform third party title here instead of PS3 or 360. In experiences where you're accustomed to Sony or Microsoft's controller setup, such as Arkham City or Epic MIckey, the GamePad makes controlling your avatar just seem foreign and cumbersome. Shoehorning touch screen functionality for the sake of checking off a box is never going to be a good thing, which is why so many of the ports we've seen so far come across with a resounding "meh."
But those few titles that have been built from the ground up around the unique attributes of the GamePad provide a glimpse into the Wii U's future creative potential. Nintendo Land highlights a dozen different ways to present a game that could only exist on this specific piece of hardware. And though it has its share of flaws, ZombiU handles the new technology in an interesting way by incorporating the GamePad into the narrative itself. This opening volley of titles have done a lot more convincing me of the control scheme's potential than the Wii's launch lineup ever did.
Bob:The Game Pad genuinely surprised me more than I assumed it would. Great, crisp, ghosting-free image quality, and a built-in camera with a healthy refresh rate? Sign me up? Plus, it's much lighter than I ever thought it would be. The only issue is battery life, since the Wii U's Game Pad poops out after roughly 3 hours, which might put a kibosh on any party fun times you plan on having. So why is there no way to charge the controller while you're playing, a la Sony's PlayStation 3? Wish I had an answer, since the nearest free outlet in my room isn't close enough to give me enough slack.
The Software
Jeremy: Wii U games cover an impressive gamut of genres and quality on day one. Because the hardware's power is on par with two current, viable, mainstream consoles, Wii U offers several current big-name releases right from the start: Assassin's Creed III, Mass Effect 3, an improved version of Ninja Gaiden 3, and more. On top of that, Nintendo has trotted out a new Mario game for launch for the first time since Super Mario 64 in 1996, as well as a number of other console-specific titles like Nintendo Land. While it's a bit short on top-tier original titles, when is launch software ever flawless? By and large, Wii U's day-one offerings make it one of the most impressive hardware debuts ever.
The system's system and other integral software are more hit-or-miss. Now that the system has been properly updated with the day-one patch (which you'll need to download as soon as you unbox it), I was hoping that it would operate a bit more smoothly. But Wii U still feels very much like a work-in-progress. You'll really notice this when you switch apps or boot into or out of a game: The transition takes something like 10 seconds, and the visuals are utterly bare-bones -- uncharacteristically ugly for a Nintendo system.
Wii U features some weird compromises thanks to Nintendo's glacial progress getting into the swing of this whole "Internet" thing. Wii software runs in what appears to be an emulation shell and, despite advance rumors to the contrary, can't run on the GamePad -- and this includes Virtual Console games. While you can transfer content (including games and Wii Point balances) to Wii U, it's not fully integrated with Wii. No doubt this is a side effect from Nintendo lacking universal accounts until the advent of this console -- and even now that we have "Nintendo Accounts," they seem to be implemented pretty poorly. You cannot, as of this writing, transfer accounts between two different Wii Us, for example.
The shining star of Wii U is the Miiverse, a sort of loose social network that comes across as a mix of the Wii's Mii Plaza, a message board, and Xbox Live. So far, each game available for the system has its own separate Miiverse section where developers and players have scribbled notes and doodles and can even theoretically interact with fans. You can follow favorite people and games, and the GamePad home button flashes whenever you receive a message or notification. New Super Mario Bros. U features direct Miiverse integration, and I'm sure many more games will incorporate it over time.
The process of adding friends has been vastly improved from previous Nintendo systems. No more friend codes. Everyone creates a unique Nintendo Network ID when they set up their system, and anyone who knows your self-defined ID can search for you by that name and either make a friend request (there's a standard 100-friend limit) or simply follow you a la Twitter (which currently has a ceiling of 1000 people). And thanks to Miiverse's allowing you to leave doodles in the public game spaces, you can subscribe to your favorite artists or contributors to Miiverse -- the potential of Swapnotes realized at long last. I would love to see the next 3DS system update incorporate this concept, but knowing Nintendo we'll have to wait until the third-generation DS... assuming such a thing ever comes to pass.
I've only encountered one drawback to the friend system so far: Before you can add friends in Miiverse, you have to set up a friend list in the separate Friend app. This took me a while to figure out -- I kept getting an error when I went to add Miiverse friends, but the solution wasn't immediately intuitive. The system didn't explicitly tell me where to set up my Friend list, and once I backed out to the system menu I wouldn't have known where to go if not for my familiarity with the 3DS's Friends app (which uses the same icon as on Wii U). While this was a one-time speed bump, it does demonstrate the system's need for further refinement.
Certain system features -- namely the video streaming apps -- have yet to go live. They're not integral components of the system's gaming features, but they do play into its secondary function as an entertainment device. The Game Pad doubles as a television remote control, which is a neat ability... though I can't seem to get it to work with my cable box, which reduces its utility somewhat. The video elements of Wii U tie into the idea of screen sharing, though this will likely appeal most to people who don't already own a tablet -- after all, a tablet isn't tethered to a console the way the GamePad is.
Despite its current bumpiness, Wii U's network and basic system could prove to be the most properly realized console online service to date. It's certainly the most charming, if nothing else.
Jose: I like Nintendo's overall goals with the Wii U as a connected console that comes bustling with online features, but the day one system update required as of this writing is a major pain in the ass. The download took a little over one hour and can't be done in the background while you play games. I know my expectations might seem unreasonable, but there should be a more elegant way to perform such an important process.
Once you get past the lengthy download and installation process, the software itself works fine. I agree with Jeremy that the transitions between applications can hang a little too long, and they feel unbelievably dull for Nintendo. At least the system can handle multi-tasking pretty well. I jumped between the eShop, the Download manger, and a game pretty easily. Also, apps like the eShop have some actual thought put behind them. Up until recently, PSN didn't show basic information like screenshots or video in the same category, so I'm glad Nintendo did their homework to an extent. Apps appear to download in the background, and the system does have a management tool with options to power down the system once it's done transferring the information.
It alarms me that a lot of software for Wii U is unavailable right now. YouTube, Nintendo TVii, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Video don't work as of this writing. Netflix does, but their online offerings are the definition of slim pickings. Bottom line: You'll have to wait for future updates if you want to take advantage of Wii U's additional features.
Miiverse presents an interesting way to connect with other Nintendo online users, and it's a much better solution to friend codes. I quickly found Jeremy posting pictures in the Nintendo Land thread of Miiverse and sent him a friend request in minutes. The ability to follow people gives Wii U a Twitter-like social media sensibility that could change the way competitors handle their own online communities.
Marty: Jeremy is absolutely right when he says that the Wii U's launch lineup is one of the most impressive of all time. When I took a look at the charticle we put up a few days ago, it reminded me of how crummy and slight a lot of Nintendo's launches have been. But this time around, we have a new Mario game, an amazing litmus test in Nintendo Land, and a slew of ports that include of some of the best games of the past year. Things are only getting better over the next few months, with Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, and Rayman Legends on the horizon. While the future beyond that is still unknown, it's hard to argue with the library of games available at launch.
Bob: The rest of my peers are dead-on: the Wii U has a very strong launch line-up, at least judging by the terrible standards set by the last few generations of hardware. Sure, Super Mario U and Nintendo Land might not be "event" games in the sense of Skyward Sword, but they provide enough of an incentive for hardcore Nintendo-ites and casual players alike to try out this intriguing new system. Unfortunately, my Wii U is still in transit as of this writing, so I haven't had the time to tool around in the system's many options outside of the very limit OS available during pre-release. But some of the arbitrary restrictions present in the Wii U interface strike me as very stupid -- especially the underdone Wii support. So I can't play my many Virtual Console games on the Game Pad? Well, there goes one of the major reasons I plunked down hundreds of dollars on the thing. I'm sure Nintendo will offer updates to satisfy popular demand, but then I think of how long it took them to make the Wii's SD Card slot functional, and it makes me a little sad.
The Prospects
Jeremy: So what does the future hold for Wii U? Anyone who tells you they know is a liar. Wii U is launching into an uncertain time with some strange limitations and design choices, and its "comparable to the current gen" hardware power is likely to become "severely outmatched" hardware power in about a year. But Nintendo has built its business around defying the odds and turning certain defeat into gobs of money; they're a true wild card in video gaming. Will Wii U sidestep both the console and tablet competition by embracing elements of both formats, or has it opened up a war on two fronts?
We don't know much about the system's long-term software library; will we continue to see parallel Wii U development for major third-party releases, or will Nintendo have to go it alone with first-party releases? Nothing in gaming is a sure bet anymore, but I feel pretty good about investing in Wii U. It could be something great... but even if it's not, at least it would be an interesting failure.
Jose: If you haven't bought a Wii U yet, relax and take a breath: You're not missing out... yet. I should point out that the hardware has its perks and the tablet controller is definitely cool, but a lot of the big features behind Nintendo's new system currently need a little more prep time. That doesn't mean the system isn't impressive. It just needs a few more must-have games and updates to get things rolling more smoothly.
Even with all my concerns about the quality of the touchscreen and the state of Wii U's software, I'm still eager to see how developers will utilize the system and what cool tricks they'll employ to get the most out of the dual screen interface. Wii U may be off to a slightly awkward start, but I would rarely bet against Nintendo having a plan to right their course. Remember how the 3DS had a rough launch and how Nintendo recovered. The Wii U situation isn't nearly as dire as that. Sure, it's a little rough around the edges, but it still shows plenty of promise.
Marty: While I still only see myself using the Wii U for Nintendo games and third party exclusives, I have faith in enough of those coming to warrant a purchase. The creativity we've seen already is indicative of the potential the GamePad has in delivering experiences that are wildly different from those found on PS3 and 360. Despite its flaws, the Wii U has made an very strong opening statement. Here's to hoping Nintendo continues to impress.
Bob:As someone who bought Nintendo's last two consoles, I definitely know what I'm getting into with the Wii U. Nintendo might be able to keep up with these late-gen releases like Assassin's Creed III and Batman: Arkham City, but in a few years, I can see the Wii U being lambasted for its dated hardware and staggering irrelevancy to "core" gamers. That's okay, though; I have a healthy PC, as well as a PS3 and a 360, which puts me in the perfect place for Wii U ownership. The system certainly shouldn't be your only outlet for gaming, but just with this initial batch of launch games, the Wii U has my brain buzzing over the sheer potential for unique, game-changing experiences -- which I hope third-party developers take advantage of more than they did with the Wii. Nintendo still has a ways to go in the realm of creating an integrated social network that isn't shackled by the dangers of irresponsible parenting, but I'm going into the Wii U for solo experiences, as well as the odd local multiplayer session. Am I giving Nintendo too much of a pass? Maybe. But for now, the Wii U will be my specialty console.
Source: http://www.1up.com/news/1up-wii-hardware-review
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