It is fair to say that Nintendo is on a bit of a rampage at the moment. With the drop in sales of the Nintendo Wii in recent years, the Japanese games giant is looking to the future.
This year we’ve had all sorts from Nintendo. The latest Zelda title, Skyward Sword, was the best use of the Wii’s motion-sensor we’ve ever seen, and then of course we had the 3DS.
While Nintendo may have been slightly disappointed with the sales of 3DS, the technology was a clear step into the future.
The 3D effect turned a lot of gamers off, with many complaining that it was quite nauseating. But it cemented Nintendo’s reputation as an innovator of technology and gaming.
And with 2012 we are set to see another innovation from Nintendo, with the release of the Nintendo Wii U.
It is worth remembering that there has been no release date for the new console yet, so there is a chance we won’t see it until early 2013. But that is fairly unlikely, and rumours are circulating that we will see a summer release in Japan.
So what do you need to know about Nintendo’s latest piece of gaming hardware, and should you buy one?
Nintendo Wii U controller
The first thing to note is the controller, which is the key feature of the Wii U that Nintendo will be pushing. More like a tablet than a controller, this bit of kit is a little cumbersome as far as as controllers go.
With a 6.2 inch touchscreen, two joysticks on each side, and an extra touch pad on the back just for good measure, there is no danger of losing this down the back of the sofa.
Xbox 360 capabilities
The latest rumour in the tech world is that the Wii U will be powered by a Quad-Core 3GHz processor, similar to that of the Xbox 360.
With Nintendo seriously needing something to rival the Xbox or PS3, the Wii U is likely to have a lot of power. Let’s just hope the games live up to it.
