The Wii U video game console was supposed to be Nintendo's first all-in-one media center, a system designed to be a hub for family entertainment right out of the box.
But some contents may have shifted during packaging, as a newly installed Wii U lacks the YouTube, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video and Nintendo TVii apps. Nintendo is using the system's Internet connectivity to quickly play catch-up, though: less than a week after the Wii U's launch, YouTube, Hulu and Amazon functionality was enabled, joining the default Netflix. Add in a hefty one-gigabyte day-one patch, as well as updates to popular games like pack-in Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U, and the console now touts many of the features Nintendo COO Reggie Fils-Aime guaranteed it would have. Still required is the patience and fast Internet connection to go through the download and configuration routine, none of which changes the fact that the Wii U user interface is a train wreck. Gone are the days when you could slam a cartridge into a slot and watch the game come to life!
I documented my battles with the Wii U last week in an unboxing video. Judging from the more than one thousand comments it's received on YouTube, the unboxing raised more questions than it answered. I selected some of the most frequently asked questions and offer my answers in this Nintendo Wii U FAQ video.
Questions answered in this video:
- 0:25 - "Does the GamePad come with a stylus?" (everyone)
- 0:50 - "can u play a wii u game on the wii, because i am not paying another 300 dollars for a system." (glonik10)
- 1:20 - "can you use wii games for the wii u" (Carol Gibson)
- 2:19 - "I can use my Wii sensor bar on my wii U?" (zzzzJRzzzz)
- 2:34 - "Is the gamepad just like a portable device similar to the Vita or a secondary screen which must be played together with the console?" (Wilson Liao)
- 3:20 - "What's the resolution of the gamepad?" (Enrique Diamond)
- 3:44 - "Is it possible to get multiple gamepads?" (Dannator54)
- 4:10 - "Why didn't you just plug the cord directly into the GamePad and leave it in while you configured ... ? Letting it charge in the cradle was a waste of time." (MasterPibb)
- 5:10 - "So the wii u requires or at least uses a wii remote but doesn't come with one?" (JeffR110)
- 5:58 - "How long took your System Update?" (Virin Ramcharan)
- 6:33 - "is the harddrive removable?" (smartguyjaja)
- 6:56 - "is it more stronger than the Wii's connectivity?" (KonataGuy)
- 7:10 - "How do friend codes work with Wii U?" (Neil Byrne)
- 7:28 - "can you get achievments/trophies?" (tokhionlinearcor)
- 7:47 - "I heard that Nintendo took the Donkey Kong Country games out of their Shopping Channel. Does my download of Donkey Kong Country three get lost if I do transfer the data on the Wii U?" (MarcMarioMaster)
- 8:38 - "Where's the facebook app nintendo?" (chuggaconray1)
- 8:59 - "Do the wii red white yellow cables work on the wii u" (Shockwave6680)
- 9:14 - "Can I get sound from the analogue output via component cables even if the HDMI is connected to the T.V.?" (ThatGuySy01)
- 9:34 - "How much costs the wii u in the USA ?" (Obamashoes2008)
- 10:03 - "When will GameStop most likely have deluxe wii u s for people who didn't pre order? Any guesses? I didn't pre order." (Nozrac13)