In order to play Wii games on the Wii U, you must perform a system update on the new console. The Wii U GamePad shuts off when you access Wii Mode, as Wii games cannot be played with the Wii U GamePad or Wii U Pro Controller. Also, Wii Mode seemingly excludes some Wii Channels; the only Wii Channels available for download are The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword fix and the System Transfer application.
To access the Wii Shop Channel on Wii U, you need to sign in with your Nintendo Network ID.
According to IGN Executive Editor Richard George, the new 6.2-inch touchscreen controller, the Wii U GamePad, lasts for three to five hours after one full charge, which takes roughly 2.5 hours. George also reconfirmed that the Wii U Pro Controller lasts for 80 hours after a full charge, which takes approximately 4.5 hours.
Those of you looking for something a little retro-themed for your Wii U may want to take a closer look at this Super Nintendo themed Wii U Pro controller. The peripheral isn’t developed by Nintendo, but is available via a third-party peripheral manufacturer. Australian games retailer EB Games will be stocking the device, which is about $30 less than the estimated price for the official Wii U Pro Controller.
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According to GameStop, the Wii U Pro Controller can last up to 80 hours on a single charge, which is certainly a longer duration than the Wii U’s main controller, the Wii U GamePad, after one charge. For the sake of comparison, an Xbox 360 controller lasts about 25-30 hours with new batteries.
Although Wii U is backward compatible with most Wii games, GameStop claims that the Wii U Pro Controller cannot be used with any Wii game; you cannot use any of Wii U’s controllers to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for example.
The Wii U Pro Controller features the dual analog sticks and ergonomic button layout that you’ve come to expect, as well as a rechargeable battery that can last up to 80 hours on a single charge.
Brian Ashcraft, a long-term writer for Kotaku, has just published an article titled “I hate the Wii U Pro controller”. Ashcraft says that the Wii U Pro controller is just too light and says that it’s comparable to Sony’s original PlayStation 3 controller, the Six Axis. Another point that he brings up is the fact that the rumble feature on the controller is very subdued compared to the Xbox 360 controller and the Dual Shock 3. You can read his full opinions here.
Although Wii U GamePads will not be sold as standalone products in North American retailers, consumers can purchase a Wii U Pro Controller for $49.99 as it will not be included in any of the two Wii U bundles. The Wii U Pro Controller will launch alongside the Wii U console in North America on November 18th.
Madden NFL 13 is a Wii U launch title and will include local cooperative play, in which up to five players can play simultaneously. Gamers who play multiplayer Wii U games can choose among three different controllers – the Wii U GamePad, Wii Remote plus Nunchuk combination, and the Wii U Pro Controller. Which controller will be your preference, when playing a multiplayer game?
Wii U hardware producer Katsuya Eguchi claims that the Wii has a small number of multi-platform games because Wii Remotes lack features of traditional video game controllers – for example, a Wii Remote does not have analog sticks. According to Eguchi, Nintendo is offering the Wii U Pro Controller to hardcore gamers so that they will not feel left out. Eguchi believes that adding the Wii U Pro Controller may make it easier for multi-platform games to come out on Wii U.
“Adding a Pro controller may make it easier for multi-platform games to come out on the [Wii U] system. Wii remotes don’t have things like analog sticks. To make it as easy as possible to enjoy certain multiplayer experiences it was important to have that Pro controller.”
“We’re all gamers as well and we appreciate the interest of those [hardcore] gamers, and we don’t want them to feel left out, so we’re making big strides and changes in that area.”
Michael Pachter previously claimed that the Wii U Pro Controller exists because Activision forced Nintendo to develop it. Earlier today, Pachter confessed that no one actually told him this was the case; his claim was just “an educated guess.” However, Pachter still believes that Nintendo was pressured by third-party developers to make the Wii U Pro Controller.
“I am putting two and two together to conclude that Activision put pressure on them. I do not know this either first-hand or third-hand; nobody told me. I am merely deducing it from what we know, and it’s an educated guess.”
“If the Pro Controller is for multiplatform games, that means it is for third-party games. Nintendo has never done anything altruistically for third parties, so I concluded that they added the Pro Controller because of pressure from third parties. The pressure could have come from anywhere — EA with sports games, Ubisoft with Assassin’s Creed, or Take-Two with GTA — but it seems to me that the ‘prize’ that would make the Wii U legitimate as a console of choice for multiplatform games is Call of Duty.”
Microsoft recently claimed that the Wii U platform is “effectively a 360.” Microsoft believes that the Wii U Pro Controller’s design is based on the design of an Xbox 360 controller but, according to Reggie Fils-Aime, the Wii U Pro Controller is designed for comfort. Nintendo responded to Microsoft’s recent comments by saying that they “do not compare themselves to the other consoles.” According to Nintendo, “The Wii U Pro Controller is an enhanced version of the Classic Controller Pro.”
“The Wii U Pro Controller is an enhanced version of the Classic Controller Pro that has been designed specially to work with the Wii U console. It simply offers another way to play and more options for developers use. We do not compare ourselves to the other consoles.”
