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Interesting facts about Nintendo's Wii U
Nintendo has been developing consoles for over two decades now, from the beloved N64 & Game Boy to the Wii U - released in 2012.
While the original Wii consoles were not as impressive as when compared to the Xbox or PlayStation, this Wii U really made a difference with the ability to play as a home console or as a handheld system.
Is it impressive?
In fact, the Nintendo Wii U is really a pretty cool little device with lots of cool features and capabilities!
Features of Nintendo Wii U
First of all, consider the basic and best feature of the Nintendo Wii U: the controller.
That controller, the gamepad as it is mentioned, is epic.
This is a bit difficult for gamers at first due to the dual screen.
Admittedly, when you're typically just focusing on your television screen while gaming, you can easily forget to look at the gamepad.
Luckily, with some practice and a little patience, and you'll really appreciate this unique feature not available on any other device.
Another great feature of the gamepad is that it can also be used as a standalone device.
While the main console needs to be turned on and you have to be within its active range, the gamepad is actually capable of playing games on itself.
Wii U game controller
There are a number of games available as standalone to play on the gamepad.
Unfortunately, there aren't huge numbers yet, but there will be more when people realize the really great features of the Wii U!
This separate entity feature for the Wii U gamepad is actually one of the better.
While you can't use the gamepad as a tablet replacement since it needs to be within the range of the main console, it has quite a good range of performance.
Users have been in separate rooms of the house, more than 25 feet away from the main console, and have found that they can video chat, play games and enjoy the additional little features built right into the gamepad.
This is especially useful when there is a TV show that you or someone else is simply "must watch".
All you need to do is make sure that your Wii U main console is on and then change the video source to whatever you want while the game is on!
The Nintendo Wii U Gamepad is not only a controller, additional display and separate console, it also has the ability to control your TV!
The gamepad really feels like a pocket-sized, versatile tool for the tech world with the ability to work effectively with any device it's programmed to include TVs, home control systems, stereos,
Just make sure you actually keep the original remote somewhere in case the battery runs out or someone is busy playing games on it!
Wii U games
If you want to play the game legally and don't just hang around with the gamepad, you won't be disappointed.
The Nintendo Wii U is truly the holy grail for retro gamers.
You can continue nostalgic with some old Mario, Donkey Kong or Castlevania thanks to an update system from Nintendo that allowed transferring files from older consoles.
This is a clear step in the right direction for consoles as it looks like Microsoft and Sony are content to make everything from older generations unplayable without bringing them a lot of money.
Nintendo has never really explored the multiplayer online option, or actually got into the heavyweight game line like Fable, Elder Scrolls or Call of Duty;
This console does not have the classic games available for it.
New Lego games available for other consoles are also available on Wii U (including Jurassic World and The Hobbit!), And it has epic Batman games including Arkham Origins!
People completely underestimate the games available for Nintendo.
Additional features
But enough about the games you can play with the Wii U, let's find out more about what this console can actually do!
Acts as a media hub that has all the handy options for browsing the internet, watching Netflix, and even posting on Facebook, for example!
Now you can tweet, blog, like, comment, stream and watch everything from one awesome little device!
Xbox One and PS4 have the same features, but when you consider the price, controller, and all the other little Wii U features, that's great!
For those of you wanting to do anything other than playing a game, watching Facebook, updating your Twitter account or streaming the web, there are plenty of other things available to keep you entertained.
Like your smartphone, if you can think of it, there's an app for your Wii U!
If you go to the Nintendo website and explore their Apps & Entertainment section, you'll see a ton of options including Sketchpad, Animal Crossing, Hulu, Amazon Instant Prime, Crunchyroll, and more.
Admittedly no Google Play store has thousands of app options, but it's pretty good for a game console!
And, as the popularity of the Nintendo app store grows, more and more developers will make console options available!
After browsing the Nintendo App store, you can notice the popular and popular app, Skype not available.
Skype is very important in allowing people to stay in touch with friends and family no matter the distance between them.
After reviewing the apps on the store and noticed that the gamepad has a pretty good camera on it (okay, a really good camera on it), you might have been surprised.
Luckily, Nintendo has completely included this option.
The ultra-high definition screen on the gamepad is accented perfectly with its camera.
You can use the Wii U console as a chat option alone or you can use it on your TV.
Whichever method you use, you'll be happy to know that you can draw and play games with the other person!
Since the gamepad features drawing on the touchscreen, you can write notes, play hangman, enjoy a thrilling Tic-Tac-Toe game, and more.
The possibilities are endless with this fun and silly little feature, and it really helps liven up chats in a unique way!
Issues to note
So is Wii U really all that stuff and a bag of crackers?
It's a great device with a really great gamepad, but it has some flaws that you should be aware of.
One major flaw is that the gamepad lacks the ability to charge the battery for long periods of time.
If you're hoping for a good tablet like I said, an iPad or an Android tablet, then sorry but you will have to keep looking as this is not a good alternative.
The gamepad can charge in about three hours if you play hard.
This is very disappointing as spending an evening of gaming with friends and family will be interrupted by cords, battery changes and gamepad charging time!
Another fact about the Nintendo Wii U is that it lacks a hard drive.
This is disappointing as the game takes up a lot of space, which means if you are relying on the built-in options, then you'll be left.
Nintendo suffered a lot because its previous generation console had the same problem, but this time they let gamers fix it.
Instead of putting in a good hard drive with ample space for lots of games, the Wii U has four different USB 2.0 ports as well as an SD slot.
This alleviated some of the frustration of gamers as it allowed them to connect an external hard drive via one of the ports and ultimately have terabytes of storage options for them.
For those who are frustrated and frustrated by some of the games and features missing on the Wii U, you've probably seen an opportunity when it comes to four USB ports and an SD slot.
For the tech-savvy, these slots open up a world of unlocking and hacking opportunities.
From games that get suspiciously, to rich movie playback options and more, hacking your Wii U is sure to open up the device for limitless possibilities!
Remote option
Ultimately, it looks like Wii U has more remote options than almost any console out there.
Not only do you have the gamepad, but you also have the original handheld Wii controller with the nunchuk pressed.
It's frustrating, basically, to learn how to use a new gamepad, not to mention spending $ 40 or more on a Wii remote for games that require the use of a nunchuk and a remote.
Regardless, the Wii U is a big step in the right direction for Nintendo.
It has plenty of pretty impressive options including a media hub, a great controller, and some great games that will really make you feel nostalgic.
Unfortunately, there are a few flaws and failures.
The lack of impressive games and the inability to charge are two particularly big downsides that keep most people away from the Wii U.
Luckily, many titles are being released every month and you can get the most out of your device with video chat features and the ability to hack it thanks to extensive external storage features!
While the Wii U isn't nearly as great as the Xbox One or PS4, it certainly has its own unique feel and some features that you simply can't find on any other console.
