WiiU Thoughts – NSMBU – Project P-100 – Pikmin 3

Just a year ago, Nintendo first added a U to the end of their Wii dynasty and showed some very incomplete games and hardware.  After stock plunges and a year of confusion, the Wii U is finally in a  state where we can make our judgment.  Is it any good?

TANK! TANK! TANK!
After unveiling a more final system, controller, and philosophy at the conference, I was off to the show floor to play the WiiU for myself.  I started off my endeavor by playing TANK! TANK! TANK!, and it was about what I thought it would be.  Mostly a mindless action game where you fire off rounds and get powerups to destroy your opponents.  Three people play on the TV and one person plays on the WiiU GamePad.  This works flawlessly, as the Gamepad has no lag and is surprisingly ergonomic.  Add to that a very light weight, despite the addition of rumble, and you have a controller that you can comfortable play for hours.  Unfortunately, the lack of online multiplayer really sours this one for me as the only I would want to play this is with three other friends, and getting that many people in the same room is a rough task these days.

Project P-100
Next, I spotted Project P-100.  I hadn’t seen or heard anything about this game before, literally, stumbling into it at Nintendo’s booth.  As I waited in line I discovered that is being developed by Platinum Games (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance) and knew that this could be something special.  Eric and Levi got some great footage of me playing this which will be posted soon.  This game is Pikmin meets rockin Platinum Games action game.  You run around and collect town’s people that then become like your Pikmin that follow you around.  There is a close, medium, and ranged attack that you activate by drawing a representative pattern on the WiiU Control pad which then transforms you and your followers into a large fist, a huge sword, or a gun.  These moves cost battery, which is replenished by doing non-special melee attacks.  It is a lot of fun to figure out the best way to attack your foes.  This is my biggest happy surprise for E3 so far, and I can’t wait to play this one when it comes out.  …Like the day it comes out.

New Super Mario Bros. U
I love 2D Mario, and while I have enjoyed all the “New” SMB titles, I have always felt that they lacked a little bit of the magic that made the original ones so great.  New Super Mario Bros U is Mario’s first foray into HD, and despite the simple graphics, the game looks awesome.  You’ll notice amazing looking stylish mountains in the background and even interesting stylistic levels where the entire style is changed.  Mario looks good in HD, and it is about fucking time.  Despite that, I felt that the levels looked more interesting and the gameplay seemed tighter than previous “New” titles.  I don’t know if this is because the WiiU controller is MUCH better for this game than a sideways Wiimote, or because of an actual gameplay improvement.  I played this on the TV and on the WiiU Game Pad screen and they both looked wonderful, and the Game Pad screen had no lag.  I’ll be getting this day 1.

Pikmin 3
I was initially disappointed in Pikmin when it came out on the Gamecube because I was looking for something a little more traditional; a la Zelda or Mario, but it eventually won me over as the gameplay is unique and engaging.  Ten years have passed since I was charmed by the first two Pikmin, and I immediately realized how long it had been when I I started playing 3, today.  The gameplay wasn’t dated, but I had forgotten most of how to play, plus this game uses the Wiimote and nunchuk instead of a traditional controller.  That said, this game looks AMAZING in HD.  It is absolutely beautiful.  The Wiimote becomes an extension of you, something I think might be a little rare, and feels like the perfect way to play.  Gameplay wise, the boss battle really stood out to me.  There was a long ice monster that I had to fight, and to do so I had to throw the new rock Pikmin at it to break the layer of ice armor on top of him before I could send in all the Pikmin to attack him.  Made me feel like I was fighting one of the cooler Zelda bosses.  Now, if that isn’t a compliment!

WiiU in General
Last year, I didn’t know what to think of the WiiU; I wasn’t interested in the controller and was really only excited that Nintendo was finally going HD.  Having actually played REAL WiiU  games with the REAL WiiU Gamepad, I can finally say that I am really stoked for it and will get it at launch.  The WiiU, more-so than the Wii ever did, feels like Nintendo quality through and through.  The gamepad itself feels really well built, is ergonomic and incredibly light.  The games look great, and as advertised, there is no lag on the gamepad’s screen.  The fact that they are also releasing a more traditional controller also greatly puts me at ease.

Sitting at the Nintendo Press Conference this morning, I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a dream.  Pikmin 3 was announced, and then we were shown a slew of big third party titles, many with tons of blood.  This may seem small, but we were drenched with blood at the Nintendo press conference.  BLOOD at a Nintendo Press Conference!  When was the last time this happened?  Seeing the titles in HD, I couldn’t help but think what would’ve been had Nintendo chosen to stay close to their competitors in terms of graphical prowess.  That’s all speculation, though, and we have to remember that the Wii was enormously successful despite the seemingly backward glance towards graphical technology.  Look, I love the Wii, there are many awesome games, but the system should’ve been in HD.  The Wii always felt cheap to me, as well, and it is nice to have that feeling back that Nintendo has made a really quality product.  If you like Nintendo, you are in for a real treat, and if you aren’t.. you just might be soon.