I wasn't deemed worthy to see the Wii U at E3, so I made damn sure that I got to put my hands on one here at CES. Nintendo's tablet/controller hybrid is an intriguing move that has the potential to offer some very unique game experiences but only if it feels comfortable to use and, when the device was first revealed, I had some reservations about that.
No longer. What Nintendo has designed here is a thing of beauty.
The first thing that has to be pointed out is how deceptively lightweight the controller is. Even with its internal battery, it remains light as a feather. Any concerns I had when it comes to games which will use the device's embedded screen and gyroscope as a form of viewfinder have been pretty much eliminated.
Great care has also gone into the placement of the controller's more traditional inputs. The position of the analog sticks in the upper third of the device works great and all of the buttons have a satisfying level of tension to them.
In an odd sort of way, the Wii U controller reminds me more of holding an open book in my hands than a gaming accessory. The extra depth allows the meat of the palm to rest at the base with no tension, thumbs aimed upward. In fact, this larger form factor may actually wind up being more appropriate for lengthy play sessions than the standard controller designs we've become so accustomed to wrapping our hands around.
So, kudos to Nintendo. They've done a top-notch job on the physical design here. Assuming that this is the final design (something Big N would not confirm in our meeting), color me thoroughly impressed.
Contest:
12:00 PM on 01.12.2012 | 
Fighting games are still my primary shit though so hopefully this system will finally get some decent ones to at least warrant me dual modding my arcade stick to run on it.
Also are those analogs sliders like on the 3ds or are they actual sticks like ps3/360? If not I can see them having trouble snatching some of that more traditional market this device is supposed to appeal more to.
Just give me first party games, Nintendo. I'll play the shit out of them and will buy every one like I do now.
Please let me use the regular Wii-Mote.
I hope I don't have to use that Fischer-Price Tablet.
Once again I have to point this out, that everyone who actually plays the thing, has nothing but good things to say about it. Yet for months now, the people who haven't played it AKA “jump to conclusion fanboys” act like the Wii U controller is nothing but shit.
I think its just people wishing that its bad, so they won't want to get one, but everyone who has actually held the thing in their own hands, think that its fantastic. People need to just chill out about the Wii U, because last year was just a tease for the system. So until this years E3 is over, than we won't know the full picture of the system.
I'm thinking quality screen, but very little on the inside of the thing in terms of any sort of processing power.
@ Conrad: What did you think of the screen quality?
No multi-touch means it's already 3 years behind every tablet - even the Kindle Fire, which isn't really a tablet.
In regard to the comfort of the controller, I think having your hands farther apart would be more comfortable, too. Regular controllers can create some tension in the shoulders with your hands so close together. Most people even hunch forward a little sometimes while playing. One thing I like about kb/mouse is that I can use a big desk and spread my arms comfortably out to the side to each device (I keep my keyboard a good bit to my left while gaming). I wonder if anyone would make a "wide" version of a 360/PS3 controller - no screen, but with a wider center area.
Also, how does this feel/compare to project Fiona?
Kudos for not taking 2 minutes to read the article.
to be fair they're circle pads. And as someone with a 3DS I can say that those pads take a little adjusting to get used to how they don't have a "throw", but have some resistance when moving them.
high five!
Yes, I've also read articles saying the controller was comfortable, but I've yet to hear someone address the question I made in my post. I'm just having a hard time believing that Ninja Gaiden, Street Fighter, etc will play as well with this tablet as they would with a traditional controller, even if it "melts into your hands" or whatever.
I'm also not a huge fan of having a battery draining screen on my controller even when I'm playing games that don't use the screen very much, but I guess that's a small gripe assuming it has a decent battery life.
The last two descriptors are what make/breaks the Wii-U for me. I felt burned by the Wii and don't know if I can take it again :( .
With this and the previous article, Im glad were finally starting to shed some light on this thing. Cant wait for E3!
Street Fighter play just fine on the 3DS, so I can't see it being any different on this thing. In fact it would probably be better, because this has more traditional controls!
Where do you see in the article that it's multi-touch?
Plus multitouch would add some serious cost to the device..
Why should age matter? I'm older and very excited for the wii-U. Some my favorite gameplay experiences came on the wii this gen. Skyward sword, super Mario galaxy 2, new super Mario brothers wii.
As for the Multitouch debate, Single touch is actually better for gaming because it's more precise. "Resistive screens are more suited to drawing and writing as they work with styluses." At first I thought Nintendo was just being lazy and cheap when they didn't make the 3DS and Wii U multitouch, but after I looked into they made the right choice. Firstly multi-touch is mostly not needed when you have buttons, and after comparing a handful of tablets and smartphones with the 3DS touch screen I've found the mutlitouch to be more precise even when I'm using my finger on a singletouch screen.
In simple terms writing with a pen is more precise than dipping your finger in ink and writing with that. Multi-touch is better for tablets and smartphones because it makes them easier to navigate because they have no buttons. The Wii U is mainly just gaming and has buttons, so single-touch was the best decision for the consoles.
But I have to admit, I really like the idea of having two screens in a home console. The DS became my favorite console past generation because of that. We'll see how they decide to handle the touch one.
And I think this will be a lot better if it has a resistive touch screen and a stick, like the DS. I just don't like rubbing my fingers against a screen, thank you very much.
-Capacitive screens have a glassy exterior, which is more heavy and susceptible to cracking
-Multi-touch is less precise than resistive
-Multi-touch is more expensive
Now, if the tablet didn't already have so many buttons, then multi-touch would be a much better candidate for the screen. However, since it does have a full set of buttons, the benefits of precision and a lower price outweigh being able to press it in multiple areas. With resistive, Swapnote and Flipnote Hatena could make their way to the Wii U.
@Pringao
It is resistive, and it does have a stylus.
Wii U controller is beautiful and manly. I will make love to it.