Well it’s about time. Ever since the current generation of consoles took up residence in our living rooms, annual gaming expo E3 has been bereft of any big hardware announcements. E3 2010 was dominated by Microsoft and Sony as they fought over who could best imitate the hugely successful Nintendo Wii’s motion control, which this year has left Nintendo with only one choice: innovate yet again. The result is what you see before you, Nintendo’s Wii U. Well,mainly the controller for it. But then, it’s the controller that counts…With HD graphics and a full complement of controls, this is the Wii made hardcore.

The first thing you might notice is that the U controller is rather large. That’s because there’s a honking great, 6.2-inch touchscreen in the middle of it. Around that sits a more traditional controller setup: four action buttons and dual thumb sticks, shoulder buttons and triggers. There’s also full, 360-degree, motion-sensing capabilities and a forward-facing camera. It’s lighter than it looks and comfortable to hold, even if the triggers require both index and middle fingers. The console itself is more of a mystery. The unit we used was clearly a prototype, but we do know that the finished product will have full-HD, 1080p visuals, use solid-state storage and optical discs, be backwards compatible and have access to downloadable content. Will there be a 3D element? No. Nintendo describes this revolutionary console and controller duo as “something for everyone”. That means keeping the motion-control aspects of the Wii – all existing Wii controllers will work with it – while adding a full complement of more traditional controls and HD graphics. This is the Wii made hardcore.

It was hard to tell just how powerful the Wii U is from Nintendo’s demo. The general idea is that graphics will be on a par with PS3 and Xbox 360 – in-game footage from those machines was used to give an idea of what to expect which is an, err, interesting approach. However, all Nintendo actually had to show off were some rather basic mini-games.

The NintendoWii U is an ambitious attempt to do three dissimilar things at once: become the most innovative console on the market once again; win back hardcore gamers; and retain the Wii’s family-friendly image. No small feat, but Nintendo might just pull it off, thanks to the mind-boggling tech inside the U’s console and touchscreen controller.

Rather magnificently you can spin the console to view what’s going on around you, independent of what’s happening onscreen. The fact you have your own display also adds a new dimension to offline multiplayer gaming. It’s certainly a machine with the wow factor.

But one of the concerns is the fact that Nintendo could potentially alienate developers with too many options. Do they use the screen for key gameplay or just mini games? Do they use motion control or just treat the controller like a giant joypad?

We know innovation is Nintendo’s bag, but with popular franchises, game makers find it easier when you give them a set of rules and say, “Just put FIFA 13 on that”. However, that has not been sufficient in putting off launch partners EA, Bandai, Ubisoft and Eidos. As with the original Wii, the test will be whether third-party developers are able to make the Wii U’s innovative bells and whistles, sing; to produce something brilliant. Among the games said to be coming to U are Assassin’s Creed, Batman Arkham City, Tekken, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Battlefield and a much applauded Super Smash Bros sequel.

The Wii U’s potential awesomeness outweighs any worries about the sprawling newness of it all. Nintendo referred to this year’s E3 as a “coming out party” rather than a launch, stating that the Wii U won’t hit the shelves until next year. We can’t wait.

April 2012

Specifications

Processor - IBM Power-based multi-core

Storage - Flash memory plus SD card

Media - 12cm proprietary high-density optical discs

Controller - 6.2-inch, 16:9 touchscreen, control pad, four buttons, two shoulder buttons, two rear triggers

Connectivity - 4x USB, AV multi-out including HDMI

Size - Console 267x173x46mm; controller TBC

THE CONTROLLER

Screen - The 6.5-inch touchscreen is bold and bright. It doesn’t boast the 3D tech found in the 3DS, nor is it hi-def, but it rivals anything seen on the PS Vita.

Controller extras - The controller’s screen is touch-sensitive. There’s also an accelerometer for full motion control, plus a front-facing camera and microphone for video calls.

Handheld gaming - Single-player games can be transferred to the controller and played on its touchscreen as long as you remain within range of the console – the range and battery life are not yet known – leaving the TV free for non-gamers.

PLAY TIME

No proper titles yet, but these demos gave us a taste of the Wii U’s potential…

HD Experience 1- A brace of full-HD birds fly around a colonial Japanese garden eating blossom, flying over carp ponds and generally looking stunning, if a little cartoonish.

HD Experience 2 - A short clip of Zelda (above). The touchscreen can switch between night and day, change the camera, or

toggle through the HUD info on the TV or controller

Battle Mii - Metroid-style shooting, in which the player with the new controller flies a gunship around an arena, while players with Wiimotes fire at it from below

Shield pose - Designed to show how the Wii U utilises motion control. Lift the controller to use it as a shield, deflecting arrows fired from passing pirate ships

Panorama view - Footage of a car cruising through Tokyo plays on the TV. The controller’s screen shows the same footage, but by moving it you can get a full, 360-degree view.

Chase Mii - Four players armed with Wiimotes have two and a half minutes to chase down the player with the Wii U controller, who has the benefit of an onscreen map

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