Friday, January 11, 2013

Review: Nintendo Wii U



The HD Nintendo Revolution 



I should offer this disclaimer: I like Nintendo.

I've owned their systems since SNES and I love their exclusive franchises. In fact, it's these franchises that keep me, and presumably millions of others coming back for more with each new system they release. But when the Wii U was revealed, I found myself for the first time spectacularly uninterested. And I wasn't the only one. But, since using the device, I've been able to form a much different opinion. Not only of the system, but of what the future may hold for Nintendo as a company. Let's talk about Nintendo's HD Revolution.







1. Pre-launch Predicaments



The Wii U reveal at the Electronics Entertainment Expo- even according to Nintendo themselves, was unsuccessful. Their greatest flaw being that they didn't properly explain their intentions for the new controller. I myself didn't understand the need for the tablet controller- the GamePad as its called now. I, as a die-hard Nintendo fan, wasn't interested. The controller was an unnecessary addition in my opinion, and the fact that not a single promising game was on schedule for launch, it was going to be a hard sell. If I, a Club Nintendo member and Zelda aficionado wasn't impressed, then who would be? Certainly not that demographic they missed with the Wii. Certainly not the so-called "core gamer"



When the Wii launched it was an exciting time. The controller was truly viewed by many as a "revolution"- in fact, that was the console's name before it was changed to Wii. The rest is history now. The Wii went on to make Nintendo more profitable than Sony at one point. They were smart in terms or cutting cost- the Wii was essentially a slight upgraded GameCube with added motion controls. This made the console inexpensive to make, but allowed them to still market it as an entirely new experience. And for the first few years, it was just that. The profits Nintendo was making were astronomical and made the company the most valuable it had ever been. Old people and kids and nearly everyone wanted to play this thing called "Wii" And they did. To date, the Wii has sold about 30 million more consoles than Sony and Microsoft each. An impressive statistic for a game console that got by on a "gimmick" as many claim. People sure came to love that gimmick. Even the elderly.



But, the novelty faded. Fast-forward a couple years and suddenly everyone's got HD TV's. The Wii, being vastly underpowered next to the PS3 and XBox 360, really began showing it's age. And worse, the PS3 doesn't cost $600 anymore- its sitting currently at an attractive $300- with games included!  The Wii couldn't maintain that momentum and as of now, it's been relegated to the status as the bargain console- the kid's console. Now, as a Nintendo fan I'm very aware that the Wii has had some fantastic games released exclusively on it. Zelda Skyward Sword with it's 1:1 sword motion control showed incredible innovation and gave an experience no other console could provide. But for every Smash Bros Brawl that was released on Wii, there were scores of poorly-designed, half-assed games that were made for the sole purpose of catching that Wii wave. Most of the spectacular games that made the Wii worth owning were made by Nintendo themselves- and this is risky business. Will the Wii U fulfill it's promise on being a system for everyone? (including what Nintendo has called the "core" gamer) This remains to be seen and honestly can't be answered as of yet. But I'll sure as hell venture to say, after using one for a good 3 weeks, that the potential is certainly there. The Wii U is powerful. 

2. Is the Wii U for "U"? 


The Wii U's out and about now. Available in "poor man's" Basic and a badass black Deluxe version. I was fortunate enough to receive the latter from my girlfriend as a Christmas gift. I was excited. That kid inside of me was giddy and overwhelmed to get a brand-new console for Christmas.  But the adult inside of me was a bit worried. What if I didn't like it? Or just as bad a scenario, what if it just sat there and collected dust like my Wii did once I beat Zelda Twilight Princess? Fortunately, as of yet, that's not been the case, and I don't anticipate that it will be. With the Wii U,  Nintendo's not only created a console that offers a novel experience, but an entertainment system worthy of being turned on everyday.


The GamePad

Now this is the most obvious new feature and the one that has many people scratching their heads. I wasn't too sure of it's purpose myself either before using it. Especially when Nintendo revealed it at E3. But after using it and playing a bit of NintendoLand,  I've come to understand why they made it. And most importantly I've come to understand how they intend to implement it.





The GamePad is to the Wii Remote as NintendoLand is to Wii Sports. Just as Wii Sports came packed in with the Wii and showed people how the hell that strange controller worked with a little game of tennis, NintendoLand makes several different uses of the GamePad showing off it's capabilities using different attractions and each one has a theme representing one of Nintendo's iconic franchises- Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong are all there. One particular thing that makes the GamePad feel innovative is it's motion-sensing capabilities combined with it's screen. In NintendoLand's Zelda attraction, you can play as a Link-ified version of your Mii and wield a bow and arrow. So you watch the top screen until an enemy appears- at which point your eyes switch to the GamePad and you tighten your bow, and move around the the GamePad itself to aim. Sort of like the Wii Remote would work except your getting a zoomed in view on the controller. That may be difficult to understand without actually playing, but it works spectacularly well and works very intuitively- you just get it.


A feature that in description was a bit "meh" has actually come to be an exceptional one. The GamePad while in some instances offering a new method of control, is sometimes just a duplicate of the screen. Many times I've found myself playing New Super Mario Bros. U while my girlfriend wants to watch Netflix. The Wii U makes it so that when others in the household want to use the TV, the GamePad becomes your TV. I've used this feature a LOT. It almost seemed remiss when ZombiU didn't include it but I imagine many in the future will. As for the distance the controller can be taken from the actual system, it varies. Anywhere downstairs where the Wii U is is fine, but once taken upstairs, a bit of lag is experienced, and when taken further, the controller will disconnect. The Virtual Console that was available on Wii has yet to come to the Wii U, but Nintendo has confirmed that it'll soon be available on the Wii U AND that they intend to make those games playable on the GamePad while the TV's off or being used for something else. That'll be a nifty feature once it's made it's debut.






As for the design of the controller and how it feels in your hand, it's extremely comfortable with every button well in reach. That was another thing that seemed sort of off before getting my hands on one, but my worries went to rest as soon as I held it. It's much lighter than you'd expect and it felt almost like a grown-up Wavebird mixed with an iPad mixed with an Xbox 360 controller. The right analog stick was made more prominent and put above the buttons that would presumably make it perfect for dual-analog games like shooters. Everything is placed perfectly. My time with ZombiU has been brief so far was a bit strange as using an analog stick in general feels sort of backwards since using a mouse and keyboard, but compared to a PS3 controller and arguably even an Xbox 360 controller, the GamePad wins hands down in terms of comfort. 


The Apps

Of course, most people already have got about 3 or 4 different things that can do Netflix and YouTube lying around their house, but the Wii U does it too. Along with Hulu Plus and Amazon video (I've no interest in using that or looking much into it)

I recall an interview from a few years ago in which Nintendo's President made a comment stating that he'd love if the next system Nintendo were to make operated "more like a TV" in the sense that switching between games and the internet and Netflix and whatever else could be as quick as switching channels on the TV would be. Now of course that's impossible at this point, but switching between the Wii U's "apps" is much, much more seamless and snappy than it ever was on the Wii (or on the PS3 for that matter) 





Now the Wii U does surprise with a couple of very interesting features apart from the obvious ones. With a quick setup of the Nintendo TVii app , you can have your Wii U GamePad control your HDTV and cable box. Now I initially expected this to be a hassle or to simply not work at all, but alas it works as advertised- even when the console is off! So without having to awaken the Wii U from it's slumber, you can use the GamePad to view a TV Guide from your specific cable provider and navigate around what's showin' on cable to find yourself some reruns of The Golden Girls to watch. Wonderful stuff.



Even more neat is the ability to add favorite shows and channels to the remote so that switching to Fox News is as simple as a tap on it's screen. Only joking, Fox News is gut-wrenchingly unbearable and if you'd ever consider adding that to your favorite channels, then you need to leave right now. But in all seriousness, this feature is very interesting and I'm interested to see what improvements future updates will bring.

Nintendo embraces the Interwebs





MiiVerse is available when you first turn on the systemNintendo's long-awaited response to an Xbox-Live type of online endeavor. It's already a robust and (as expected) unique online experience at present. Essentially, you can consider it a combination of Nintendo and Twitter. Using your Nintendo ID, you may make posts related to whatever sort of content your enjoying (or not enjoying) at the moment. At it's most useful, I've seen it used in New Super Mario Bros. U by others playing the game and commenting on the very same level I was playing. So after dying 16 times because fucking Yoshi was on an apparent suicide mission as he chooses to leap to his death every second he gets a chance to, I read a little hint posted by another person about using a certain item. That "Miiverse" post helped me approach the level differently and made it a little less impossible. This sort of interaction makes for a fun and semi-interactive experience. 






Now when you're not playing a game, Miiverse is basically a social network. You can make posts and share drawings in different areas for each game or app or TV show through the Miiverse. Akin to the "Like" option on FaceBook, there's a "Yeah!" option for any Miiverse post. With Miiverse, Nintendo improved upon the Mii Plaza from the Wii (that place where the Mii's you created walked around with that ambient music playing and walked around some more...) They've made it into a bustling place filled with other's Mii's commenting on stuff. This particular part still doesn't feel "essential" and I've personally not spent time here as there doesn't seemto be much to do.  Now of course, this is Nintendo's first robust online attempt so there's going to be many improvements during the Wii U's long lifespan. And finally, Nintendo has ditched friend codes so that now, adding a friend to your "friends list" is as simple as sending an invite using their Nintendo ID. And after they've been added, you can view what they're playing and play along with them if they're enjoying an online-enabled game that you both own. They're late to the party, but what they've brought is very satisfactory.



3. Post-Launch and the Wii U's Future

As stated earlier, the Wii was a success. Nintendo defied the odds and outsold both of their competitors by offering a console that was significantly less expensive to manufacture and hardly any more powerful than it's predecessor. They did this by offering something their competitors had forgotten about- innovation. And with the Wii U, they've opted for a similar strategy. The experiences that NintendoLand offers are exclusive to the Wii U and it's particular capabilities. And this is Nintendo's intention. The PS4 or next Xbox won't offer an experience like it. (though they will likely sport much more power and a heftier price-tag)


The First to enter the Foray


The Wii U is out now and the next-generation of gaming has arrived. Some make the claim that this new system is underpowered relative to the other current game systems that are available and that in a couple of years, it'll begin to show it's age in a similar way to it's predecessor. There is the strong possibility that the competition will soon launch their own next-gen systems with enormous power. But this argument fails to recognize the difficulty that Microsoft and Sony will have when launching a next-gen system. The Wii and the Wii U are distinctly different. When a game like Pikmin or the next full 3D Mario game is released in HD, there will be no mistaking how things have improved graphically. We've gone from a system rendering games at 480p to one capable of rendering games in 1080p at 60fps. There's not much room to improve by those terms. To have an increase in graphical finesse nearly as substantial as the one from Wii to Wii U would mean a game system costing much much more than most people would be willing to pay. My custom-built PC, for example was nearly a grand and though it has graphics remarkably better than the PS3, not too many people will want to pay that sort of premium. It'll be interesting to see how the competition will answer to the Wii U, but it can be expected that in terms of raw power they'll be able to outdo Nintendo and the same can absolutely be said about their price tag. Nintendo's never been a company to let it's competition dictate it's decisions. 






Graphically, the Wii U will surprise. At present we've only got launch games available to showcase it's power and capability, and launch games are a very mediocre illustration of what the Wii U (or any system) will accomplish. When the games become available that everyone wants- the HD Zelda, the HD Donkey Kong, the HD 3D Mario, the HD Smash Bros. and all those other games that make a Nintendo system worth owning make their debut, the Wii U will have no trouble capturing it's audience. Even if Nintendo continues their habit of being heavily reliant on their own exclusive franchises to sell their game systems, it'll prove successful again even if only because they will be absolutely stunning in HD. Even though the Wii was limited graphically, in terms of attention to visuals and creating a beautiful visuals, Nintendo doesn't cut corners. Somehow games like Mario Galaxy 2 and Donkey Kong Country Returns still managed to look breathtaking. This trend is going to continue and I'd expect to soon be seeing the most beautiful game graphics of any console on the Wii U.




It's merely just Begun

When one considers that the Wii U has a more traditional controller, (you know, ignoring the giant screen in the middle of it) the ability for 3rd party game developers to make games and include Nintendo this time around will be much easier. It still remains to be seen if these developers will utilize the unique capabilities of the system or merely add some mediocre ones.

But even if other developers don't invest much into the Wii U's capabilities, as Nintendo always does, they will be the ones to make the Wii U worth owning. It'll be Nintendo that'll create
 a truly innovative experience and utilize the controller in ways we haven't even thought of yet. The future of the Wii U and Nintendo will be bright as their revolutionary ideas are realized- and of course when we finally get to see some Zelda in glorious HD as the gods intended.

No comments:

Post a Comment