Wii U E3 Review

By Lee Burton / June 10, 2012

So, with many non-original conceptions and/or titles on display, and only really one first party title making any interesting use of the Wii U, the press conference felt lacking. Now, this isnt biased talk or vengeance from a bitter core gamer, the Wii U looks like the perfect fill for the casual and core gamer split. A device that is originally interactive for reeling in the casual yet capable of offering a traditional gaming experience for the core, it just felt like that perfect balance had been somewhat squandered in terms of entertainment offered. But following the consistent of sequence of single highlights and several ordinaries, Nintendo managed to slip in the announcement of double Wii U gamepad support... to then disappointingly continue talking about unrelated games. That inclusion was amazing and such a sigh of relief, yet a fleeting moment and another let-down opportunity to letting us know how this hardware would be utilised. Thats kind of what this conference was in the end, not a disappointment out of Nintendo not being capable but a disappointment out of knowing Nintendo have potential but were not showing it here.

Looking at the bigger picture though not all is bad, when has a first line-up of games for new hardware been truly astounding? The Xbox 360, The PlayStation 3 and even the Wii had all suffered from mediocrity. Developers just need a little time to find their feet, and there are glimpses of true inspiration and realisation of the Wii U. The Wii Fit U trampolining and bobsleighing seemed interesting, Sing fixated on the Wii U being a lyrics sheet for karaoke which is unique and Pikmin 3 had been the embodiment of realisation for core gaming, all of these games can be learnt from. If Nintendo can just clarify the Wii Us demographic, which seems to be everyone, and its purpose through explicitly stating how two gamepads could be different, how the Wii U can be a true replacement and how the Wii U can convincingly fulfil that vision of not being alone together, then the Wii U can still shine. We just need to be able to stop imagining what could happen and pass that job on to the creators who can make it happen.