FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2012 photo, Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, discusses the upcoming Wii U gaming console, in New York. Much like the iPad, the curvey GamePad features a touchscreen that can be manipulated with the simple tap or swipe of a finger, but it's surrounded by the kinds of buttons, bumpers, thumbsticks and triggers that are traditionally found on a modern-day game controller. The gaming console will start at $300 and go on sale in the U.S. on Sunday, Nov. 18, in time for the holidays, the company said. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
Review: Nintendo Wii U blows up dual-screen gaming
FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2012 photo, Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, discusses the upcoming Wii U gaming console, in New York. Much like the iPad, the curvey GamePad features a touchscreen that can be manipulated with the simple tap or swipe of a finger, but it's surrounded by the kinds of buttons, bumpers, thumbsticks and triggers that are traditionally found on a modern-day game controller. The gaming console will start at $300 and go on sale in the U.S. on Sunday, Nov. 18, in time for the holidays, the company said. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
By LOU KESTEN
Associated Press /
November 16, 2012
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I don’t expect the Wii U to make as big a splash as the original Wii did six years ago. Nintendo’s competitors are dipping their toes into the dual-screen pool as well: Some Sony games link the PS3 with the handheld Vita, while Microsoft’s SmartGlass app for tablet computers adds bonus material to Xbox games such as ‘‘Halo 4’’ and ‘‘Forza Horizon.’’
Still, the Wii U goes all in on the multiscreen concept for a relatively inexpensive price. And in a world where people tweet on their iPads while watching sports or reality shows on their TVs, the whole GamePad concept feels perfectly natural.
The Wii U’s success will depend on what Nintendo and other developers do with that second screen. The early results are very promising.
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About the Wii U:
The basic Wii U model, with 8 gigabytes of internal storage, costs $300. The deluxe set, with 32 GB, ‘‘Nintendo Land’’ and a charging stand for the controller, costs $350. It comes to the U.S. on Sunday, later this month in Europe and Dec. 8 in Japan.
Both versions come with the GamePad, but you'll need to snag old-school Wii controllers from older Wiis or buy them separately.
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