Black Wii U Premium Console Wii U

Black Wii U Premium Console Product Details

Released on 30/11/2012

• Editor's Choice - Pick of the Wii U Launch Titles

  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  Go on, admit it - we've all been sitting here drumming our fingers impatiently, waiting for the eighth generation of consoles to arrive. Both SONY and Microsoft have been biding their time, though, enjoying an extended run of six years for their current gen instead of the usual 3-4.

  It's fallen on Nintendo then to step up and release the 'latest spangly must-have', the Wii U that features some serious horsepower, HD capabilities and most intriguing of all, the innovative Game Pad, a tablet-like controller rich with potential for intriguing new gameplay possibilities. If you're lucky enough to snare a Wii U on its launch, the killer question is - what games should you actually get for it? Here are our recommendations:

  

  Nintendo Land

  The Wii had Wii Sports; the Wii U has Nintendo Land, a collection of 12 mini-games featuring an eclectic bunch of attractions. From multiplayer ghost hunts through to a Metroid-flavoured shooter, the package offers up the perfect showcase for the Game Pad's mass of features; its touchscreen, camera, gyroscope, microphone, joysticks and buttons all coming into play at some point. Think of Nintendo Land as a crash course in what makes the Wii U, well, the Wii U. In other words, a mandatory purchase and one best played with a bunch of friends.

  

  New Super Mario Bros. U

  It's a new Nintendo console so that's means the portly plumber is back, but this time in HD. No, there's none of the 3D awesomeness of Super Mario Galaxy, but what gamers do get is a refreshed and reinvigorated 2D extravaganza featuring classic Mario action mated to truly gorgeous graphics. Best of all, if the rest of the family insist on watching B-list celebs dancing or eating a kangaroo's private parts on telly, you can keep on playing via the Game Pad's screen itself.

  

  ZombiU

  We reckon ZombiU is the most intriguing of all the Wii U's launch titles mainly because it's so 'unNintendo'; a hardcore survival horror FPS, there's no candy-floss game worlds or cute 'ickle ghosts. No, just the living dead that want to suck the intestines out of your body like spaghetti out of a bowl. Set in London after a plague that... well, you can guess the basic plot... you must survive, heading out on missions to amass all-important supplies while fending off zombie attacks. The Game Pad adds a colon-quaking twist, acting as a second screen featuring the contents of your onscreen character's holdall; something that you must 'rummage' through live while zombies close in all around you up on the main screen. Clever, unique and scary stuff.

  

  Batman: Arkham City - Armoured Edition

  Now Nintendo's brought out a console with HD graphics and some serious hardware packed inside its diminutive shell, players are able to indulge in the kind of processor-hungry triple-A action that would have left the original Wii clutching at its chest, begging for heart surgery. Head out as the Caped Crusader (with Robin and Catwoman in tow) swinging through Arkham City on the trail of iconic villains including the brilliantly-realised Penguin and the perfectly-voiced Joker. One of the decade's best releases, this version features all the extra DLC plus Game Pad-specific gameplay additions (Holy earpiece, Batman!). A-bat-solutely essential! [You're fired - Ed]

  Published: 29/11/2012

• Review Roundup: New Super Mario Bros U

  The Wii U launches in America this weekend, which means we're starting to get the first reactions to the console's launch games. First off the blocks is Nintendo's new Mario game, New Super Mario Bros U.

  The good news is that reviews are all overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers bowled over by the game's simple charms and confident design. Many also point out that the retro-themed side-scrolling jumping action marks a welcome return to classic 2D gameplay styles.

  New Super Mario Bros U "demonstrates there's not just life left in this type of game, but that it can be modern and nostalgic at the same time", according to IGN's 9.1/10 review. "This is how Mario can and will appeal to everyone," it concludes.

  Polygon offers 8.5/10, and praises the game for staying true to the series NES and SNES roots. "New Super Mario Bros. U actually feels like it's from that era," says their review. "It's where the series would have gone next if the transition to 3D had never happened, and it feels great to be back on that track."

  Eurogamer, meanwhile, also agrees that the game finally makes good on the New Super Mario Bros promise. "There's always been a keen Mario brain working away inside these 2D design exercises", says the 9/10 review, "Now, it feels like there's a proper soul to go along with it."

  Published: 16/11/2012

• Why Rayman Legends is exclusive to Wii U

  Ubisoft surprised many when it was announced that Rayman Legends would be a Wii U exclusive. It's the sequel to the wonderful and charming Rayman Origins, which graced the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC, 3DS and the original Wii.

  But for the sequel, the decision was made to stick with Nintendo's new console, which launches at the end of November. Apparently the possibilities presented by the console's additional touchscreen gamepad were too exciting to ignore, and with gameplay designed around this feature, there was no way to port the game to other platforms.

  "We chose to really focus on Wii U specifically because it has a special toolset, and because everyone that buys it gets what they need to play the game," level designer Chris McEntee told Nintendo Power. "Here you buy the Wii U system, you buy the game, and you can experience all of the content without extras. And we didn't want to give somebody half of the experience just for the sake of getting it out on another console."

  Rayman Legends is out early next year for the Wii U.

  Published: 08/10/2012

• Wii U Preview - Pick of the Third Party Titles

  
  

  Between the platforming thrills of New Super Mario Bros U and Nintendo Land's brilliant and quirky mini-games, we all know that Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console's going to be great for brand new games, but what about the titles that have already come out for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the games that Nintendo fans are only just getting the chance to try? What about space operas like Mass Effect 3, or hack-and-slash fantasies like Darksiders II?

  Luckily, Nintendo's been letting us check out some of these games in the build-up to their new console's release, and things are looking pretty special. Here's what we think of some of the best third-party stuff you'll be playing with your brand new Wii U games console.

  

  Mapping New Territory!

  The Wii U's not like other consoles, of course: its brilliant new GamePad comes with all the regular thumbsticks, triggers and face buttons, but it also has a glorious 6.2 inch touch screen set in the very centre of it. When it comes to a complex action role-playing game like Mass Effect 3: Special Edition, that means you'll be able to get a top-down view of the battlefield whenever you look down at your controller, which should make fighting your way through the action-packed campaign a cinch.

  As well as a map, the Wii U GamePad will also allow you to move your team-mates around the Mass Effect landscape with a tap of your finger - and you'll even be able to target specific enemies for them. Then, when someone comes in and wants to use the big telly in the living room, you can move the main action onto your GamePad, and save the universe while they catch up on Eastenders.

  

  Dungeons And Dressing Rooms

  Darksiders II takes much the same approach: THQ's huge action game has already wowed us on the PS3, 360 and PC, but on Nintendo's dream machine it's at its best yet. Not only do you get the option to keep an eye on the game's sprawling dungeons with a handy touchscreen map, you can also use the GamePad as a kind of portable wardrobe, paging through your character's inventory, changing weapons on the fly, and even altering which special power-ups you take into battle. And yes, it also doubles as a main screen when the family telly is being used, too.

  Elsewhere, Assassin's Creed III isn't even out yet on any console, but when it hits the Wii U you can expect a similar attention to detail. Ubisoft's planning an epic adventure which will take you to the wilds of revolutionary America, and the Wii U GamePad will chart the course, offering a familiar blend of maps, menus and weapon-swapping. Not to be left out, Ninja Gaiden III: Razor's Edge provides fans of frantic beat-'em-up action with a GamePad screen that doubles as a scrolling move list as they unleash furious attacks on their enemies, while also allowing players to trigger magic attacks and re-centre the camera with a tap of their fingers.

  

  Old School Challenges

  Ninja Gaiden III also showcases another benefit that's specific to the Wii U. When the game initially hit the PS3 and the Xbox 360, it was widely considered to be a little bit too easy to complete. Beat-'em-ups like this are meant to be fast and furious, and the best players like a real challenge as they learn all the Ninjitsu moves and master each weapon.

  Razor's Edge is a chance for the development team to rebalance things, then, ratcheting up the difficulty, throwing in more character customisation options as you unlock new moves for your deadly Ninja, and even chucking in a new playable character in the form of the beautiful and deadly Ayane. If that isn't enough, you'll be able to play through the entire campaign in online co-op, too, which means you can take on the worst that the world of magic and martial arts can lob at you with a friend watching your back.

  That's the Wii U, then: great for original games, and great for more traditional fare, too. Whether you want action, adventure, sci-fi or fantasy, Nintendo's new console has you covered. Wii can't wait for release date! Can U? (Sorry.)

  Published: 05/10/2012

• Nintendo's Wii U will be region locked

  Bad news for anyone thinking of importing a Wii U console from America or Japan. Nintendo has confirmed that the console will be region locked, meaning that it will only play games from the region it was purchased in.

  This doesn't come as much of a surprise, given that the Wii, 3DS and DS have all been strictly limited to local software in order to cut down on importers bagging games early and cheaply.

  It does, however, mean that demand for the UK console will be higher than ever. The Wii U, which uses a new touch pad controller as well as the Wii remote, launches on November 30th in a variety of bundles. The basic console comes with 8Gb of storage and can be picked up for £259.99. The premium console, with 32Gb of storage and a copy of NintendoLand, is just £309.99.

  For the truly hardcore, the ZombiU bundle includes the premium console plus a Pro Controller joypad and a copy of Ubisoft's grisly horror game, ZombiU. All premium bundles also include a subscription to Nintendo Premium, which will allow you to earn points whenever you buy new games.

  The Wii U launches with a mouth watering line up of games. New Super Mario Bros U and Rayman Legends arrive on the same day, as well as touch pad enhanced versions of Mass Effect 3, Batman: Arkham City and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

  That's Christmas sorted then.

  Published: 25/09/2012

• Wii U - Hands On At the GAME Conference with Nintendo Land

  
  

  

  At this week's GAME Conference, the publishers were out to show off the big titles coming in the run up to Christmas and into 2013. One of the real highlights of the show was our first chance to get truly hands on with Nintendo's new Wii U. There were plenty of games to show it off, and we managed to get stuck in to the title being bundled with the Premium Wii U console, Nintendo Land.

  We tried out a couple of very fun games from this mini-game marathon, Luigi's Ghost Mansion and The Legend Of Zelda: Battle Quest, ideal games to test out the new Game Pad controller and Nintendo's first steps into HD gameplay. It's safe to say, we were not disappointed!

  

  Luigi's Ghost Mansion

  Luigi's Ghost Mansion is a five player game, with one person using the GamePad to control a ghost, while Luigi and friends are controlled using Wii Remotes. Playing as Luigi and friends on the screen, players have to manoeuvre about a darkened room trying to find the ghost and capture him in the light of their torches. The ghost is seen on the Game Pad, which is used to move around to capture the other players.

  Luigi and friends have to capture the ghost before the time runs out - or before they run out by being captured themselves. What follows is a fun mixture of Pac Man and hide and seek. Players on the TV screen can see the ghost for brief moments, when the lights flash on or the torch falls on his path, and so quick reactions to capture-or-be-captured are a must!

  Luigi's Ghost Mansion makes great use of both the Game Pad and the asymmetrical gameplay that it offers, and was a truly fun multiplayer experience. This is the kind of game you can play with friends and family again and again.

  

  The Legend Of Zelda Battle Quest

  Zelda's mini-game is a mini-adventure for three players. Dressing your Mii as Link, complete with sword (or arrow), the characters battle their way through Zelda inspired environments, working as a team to advance through the levels.

  Choose to play with the Wii remote, your Mii wields the sword to fend off oncoming enemies. Working together onscreen, the players chop and slice their way through the level to make the advance. Playing on to the Game Pad, your Mii now is a 'back-up' for the swordsmen, taking out as many enemies as possible with bow and arrow. Using the gyroscopic control, you move the pad around to aim, and the right analogue stick fires the arrow. Good aim is crucial as the archer is required to shoot at small shapes from afar, not just to tackle enemies, but to unlock the doors onto the next level. No pressure, then!

  This game makes great use of the Game Pad's unique features and brings a modern, quirky gameplay style to a 'legend'-ary gaming series!

  From these two tasters, it's clear that Nintendo Land offers a great multiplayer Wii U experience. Cleverly integrating the Game Pad into gameplay in countless ways, it's a great introduction to what the Wii U can offer and will definitely be a top family game for Christmas.

  Published: 14/09/2012

• Everything you need to know about the Wii U launch

  Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, launches in the UK from November 30th and you can secure yours now from GAME from just £259.

  The console comes in two different packages. The basic edition comes with the 8Gb White Wii U console and the new touchscreen gamepad controller. It'll work with existing Wii remotes as well as the Wii sensor bar. If you don't have those, you can buy them separately in a starter pack.

  Alternatively you can opt for the premium black console, for £309.99. This comes with a 32Gb console and gamepad, plus a sensor bar, HDMI cable and membership of Nintendo's Premium Network which will allow you to earn points every time you buy Wii U software. The premium bundle also includes a copy of Nintendo Land, a cool minigame compilation featuring dozens of classic Nintendo stars.

  Finally, if minigames aren't your thing, check out the £349.99 ZombiU bundle with comes with a copy of Ubisoft's grisly horror game as well as a Pro Controller joypad.

  What else can you pick up on launch day? Seven games will be on the shelves, with loads more to follow in the following months. NintendoLand and ZombiU will be available as standalone games, of course, and no Nintendo console would be complete without a Mario game, so make room for New Super Mario Bros U. Platform fans can also look forward to the fantastic Rayman Legends, the sequel to the wonderful Rayman Origins and a Wii U exclusive. Those with a more hardcore mindset, meanwhile, will be able to take home Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, FIFA 13 and Mass Effect 3: Special Edition on launch day.

  If, for some reason, that doesn't keep you busy then the coming months will bring dozens more titles, including Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition, Transformers Prime, 007 Legends, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Assassin's Creed III, Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition and Darksiders II.

  Published: 14/09/2012

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