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  • The Nintendo Wii U: Worthy Of Your Holiday List?
Technology Articles > Entertainment > Gaming Consoles > The Nintendo Wii U: Worthy Of Your Holiday List?

Nintendo’s Wii U is highly anticipated. Nintendo will release the Wii U in Japan on December 8th and in the U.S. on November 18th. When the Wii first entered the market years ago, this gaming console was revolutionary. Can Nintendo hit the nail on the head once again? At first glance, the new Wii U looks nothing like the older version. Is that a good thing? A few lucky reviewers have had the chance to play around with a Wii U prior to the actual release date. This is what those reviewers had to say about Nintendo’s new offering.

Two Different Wii U Versions

This time around, Nintendo has created two separate Wii U consoles. These include the Basic Set and the Deluxe Edition. The Basic Set will come with a sensor bar, Stylus, touchscreen controller, HDMI cable, and AC adaptors. All of this will be available for $299 and will be coated in bright white. The second option, the Deluxe Edition, is just a bit different.

Nintendo’s Wii U Deluxe Edition will retail for $349.99. This version will come with a GamePad Stand (this will allow you to stand the console up while playing various games), console stand, charging cradle, HDMI cable, Stylus, touchscreen controller, AC adaptors, a sensor bar, and a copy of NintendoLand (a sports game). So, for $50 extra, you will get some stands, some props, and a free game. The Deluxe Edition will also be available in black instead of white.

There’s one more hardware difference between these two versions: the Basic Set will come with 8GB of storage while the Deluxe Edition will come with 32GB of storage. Nintendo is also setting up something called “Deluxe Digital Promotion” that allows Deluxe users to rack up points for every game downloaded. These points can then be used towards Nintendo devices and deals. This is incentive at its best, folks.

Games, Games, and Games!

The most important aspect of any new console is game availability. So far, Nintendo has released just two titles that will be available for the Wii U: NintendoLand and Super Mario Brothers. But, Nintendo has stated numerous times that there will be additional games available for the Wii U. Those games just haven’t been announced yet. Games for the new Wii U system will retail for around $50 a pop, so take this into consideration when buying the new system.

The New Wii U Controller

Nintendo chose to go with a controller that looks like a tablet this time around. The new Wii U controller has a small touchscreen too. This touchscreen will display game images on the controller as well as on the television in front of you. The idea here is to make navigating through certain games more detailed. So far, reviews have been favorable surrounding the new controller.

The biggest news regarding the new controller is that users can make instant download payments by tapping a credit card against the controller – something that Nintendo calls “NFC” technology. You can’t use the new GamePad as a tablet, per se, but it is an interesting spin on the old Wii sticks. Needless to say, the Wii U will be a big hit when it is finally released in the U.S., and it looks like the Wii U will certainly be worth adding to your shopping list!