Nintendo has now confirmed the specific date and time that online services will be shut down for 3DS and Wii U software, and there’s less than three months to go. 

Specifically, the services will close for good on April 8 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET, which is the equivalent of April 9 at 12am GMT or 9am AEST. This confirmation isn’t too shocking, as we knew last October that the services would be terminated in “early April,” but this is the first time that Nintendo has stated exactly when things will come to an end.

The company has also reiterated that “if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned.” Needless to say, if you want to get your fill of For Glory on Super Smash Bros 4, trade some Pokémon in X and Y, or get one final taste of the original Splatoon, it’s worth doing so sooner rather than later.

It’s also worth pointing out that the deadline to merge funds from your 3DS and Wii U Nintendo Network ID with your Nintendo Switch eShop balance is March 11 at 10pm PT, which is March 12 at 1am ET, 5am GMT and 4pm AEDT. If you have any leftover money remaining on your Nintendo Network ID, be sure to merge so that it’s not lost.

With the exception of the date announcement, it doesn’t appear that any of Nintendo’s plans surrounding the termination of the 3DS and Wii U online services has changed. Like in October, Nintendo stated that it’s planned to keep the applications Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter up and running even beyond April 8. 

For those unfamiliar, Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter combined can be used to transfer Pokémon from the fifth generation games (Black, White and their sequels) to the sixth and seventh generation games (X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon respectively). Only from there can players then transfer their Pokémon to Pokémon Home - the app used to store Pokémon on Nintendo Switch for use in the latest games. 

Without these apps, Pokémon from older games may get stuck on their original cartridges forever, which is why it’s a relief that online services will continue to be supported. With that said, Nintendo has stated that this “may also end at some point in the future,” so keep that in mind.

In addition, it’ll still be possible to both redownload eShop games and downloadable content (DLC), as well as update data from the Nintendo eShop on 3DS and Wii U “for the foreseeable future.”

If you’re on the lookout for some new games to play, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best Nintendo Switch games, as well as our roundup of upcoming Switch games releasing on the console soon.

I have been collecting video game merchandise since I was old enough to hold a Nintendo DS. So, over the years, I’ve assembled a ridiculous display of things with little purpose beyond looking pretty. So if I can get my hands on something collectible that also benefits my gaming experience somehow, I’m all in. Naturally, then, I was a sucker for Amiibo. 

Back in 2014, following the launch of Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS, Nintendo released Amiibo figures, and the small plastic statuettes had one primary purpose: to unlock in-game content. At the base of each statue sat an NFC chip you could scan with your console to unlock a new character or some exclusive content like an outfit, skin, or hairstyle. At first, these statues were exclusively released for the Super Smash Bros. series. But, as years have passed, Nintendo released Amiibo figures and cards for loads of its games, meaning there is now an abundance of figurines available – and even more on the way.

I bought my first Amiibo five years ago – Animal Crossing’s Isabelle, if you must know – and have picked up around 20 since then. Between several house moves, student life, and a change of heart, it’s hard to keep track of the final number. Once, these figures made my favorite Nintendo games better, but now they lie dormant in a box in an attic, waiting to be displayed. And yet, despite my graveyard of Nintendo figures, the announcement of the new Sephiroth and Kazuya Amiibos has my finger hovering dangerously close to the pre-order button.  

 What’s the point? 

When I started collecting Amiibo, they were a key to unlocking my favorite games. This key just happened to be a cool figure, which justified the expensive price tag. But over time, Nintendo’s inconsistent use of Amiibo has made it more and more difficult to work out which ones are worth buying. 

For example, Splatoon Amiibo, for the original game, opened new modes you could only access with the corresponding figures. However, Splatoon 2’s Amiibo only unlocks a few cosmetic items – making them significantly less rewarding than the previous game’s figures. In other games, though, Nintendo has locked key quality-of-life features behind Amiibo. If you wanted to fast travel in Skyward Sword HD, you had to pick up a Zelda & Loftwing Amiibo.  

It’s a difficult balance because, on the one hand, locking game modes and characters behind an Amiibo paywall is frustrating, especially if the cost or availability of the figurines means you’re forever locked out of that content. And, while quality-of-life features, such as fast travel, aren’t essential, locking that behind an Amiibo is a little Scrooge-like. But, making Amiibo only unlock cosmetic rewards makes more recent figures seem comparatively less valuable than the older statues.

 From unique and useful to purposeless plastic 

There are now over 200 unique Amiibo figures, alongside five series of Animal Crossing-themed Amiibo cards featuring over 400 villagers and NPCs. While having exclusive in-game content is a perk of the figures, they’ve become little more than glorified collectibles. A few can unlock a new depth to some of Nintendo’s classic titles on Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo Switch, but the majority do little more than look pretty on a shelf. 

But there’s something about Amiibo figures which makes me want to keep buying them, even when my shelves are filling up, and I’ve no reason to keep collecting, and it's because they feel limited. Some of the more popular characters like Luigi, Mario, and any stereotypical ‘poster’ character for Nintendo will have a constant stream of merchandise and figures, but for a more niche character like Diablo’s Loot Goblin or indie darling Box Boy, it’s hard to find decent merchandise. So I’ll pay any amount of money for them regardless of whether or not they do anything.

I might have started buying Amiibo, telling myself that it’s because I really wanted that Splatoon mode or that Super Smash Bros character, but now I just have to figure out the fact I really want a Breath of the Wild Guardian statue on my shelf.

• Splatoon 3 Amiibos: your guide to the new collectibles

The Wii U wasn’t Nintendo’s finest attempt at-bat. Its baffling design and confusing marketing campaigns left Nintendo stalwarts – and the more casual Wii audience – feeling alienated.

Originally released in 2012 – long after the Xbox 360 and PS3, and just a year out from the Xbox One and PS4 – the Wii U failed to captivate a sizable consumer base. A shame, considering it was Nintendo’s first console to support HD resolution.

Those that did own a Wii U were treated to some exceptional first party releases over the console’s lifetime, however. And while many of those would eventually find homes on the Nintendo Switch through ports and sequels, the Wii U did evolve into a pretty solid purchase in its latter days.

But at long last, Nintendo looks to have written the final page in the book of the Wii U. The console’s dedicated eShop is officially shutting down on March 27, 2023, taking many digital-only games and services with it. So what better time to dust off your Wii U and browse its digital wares before they’re gone for good?

While you'll still be able to buy many of the best Wii U games in physical disc format, so many more released exclusively on the eShop. As a result, they'll be on the chopping block next year if not ported to modern systems.

Here’s our list of recommendations of the best Wii U eShop games you should try before they're no longer available.

Metroid Prime Trilogy

• $19.99 / £17.99 (around AU$ 28.99) on the Wii U eShop

Originally a collection of games bundled together for the Wii, physical copies of Metroid Prime Trilogy command outrageous sums online. However, this coveted collection of Samus’s finest adventures is much more affordable on the Wii U eShop. Much, much more.

The first two games in the Metroid Prime Trilogy are among the best Gamecube games ever made, and today they hold up tremendously well. As an added bonus, they work seamlessly with the updated Wii motion controls that give them parity with Metroid Prime 3.

Whether we’ll ever see a Nintendo Switch port of Metroid Prime Trilogy is anyone’s guess. For now, the digital version on Wii U is the easiest way to play this incredible trio. If you loved Metroid Dread and are looking for more exploration-driven shooters, the Prime games are well worth your time.

NES Remix 1 & 2

• $14.99 / £8.99 (around AU$21.99) each on the Wii U eShop

Ever wanted to experience some of the most iconic NES games from a different angle? The NES Remix games do exactly that, and are wonderfully fun and interesting curios as a result.

NES Remix is unique in that it takes snippets of popular NES titles and turns them into minigames. You might find yourself collecting a set amount of coins in Super Mario Bros, racing against the clock to stay airborne in Balloon Fight, or taking on a boss from The Legend of Zelda. There are tons of bite-sized challenges like this to be found in both games.

NES Remix is so good that I wish Nintendo Switch Online’s SNES and NES libraries had something just like it. A robust collection of minigames like this would be a great addition to the subscription service, and a natural fit for its rewards programme.

Art Academy: SketchPad

• $3.99 / £3.49 (around AU$5.99) on the Wii U eShop

Want a wonderfully cheap sketching app that’s better than most of the ones you can find on your phone? The Wii U’s Art Academy: Sketchpad is a fantastic tool that makes drawing a blast.

Sketchpad lets you draw with a bunch of highly detailed templates and a wide variety of pencils. But confidence-filled artistes can forgo them altogether in favor of a blank slate. The Wii U GamePad even supports pressure sensitivity for more nuanced works of art.

Unfortunately, as the excellent Miiverse network is no longer supported, you can’t share your creations with other players. That sucks, as it was one of the best features of Art Academy: Sketchpad. But still, if you’ve got the urge to create, you can do much worse than drop a few bucks on this simple yet robust drawing app.

Star Fox Guard

• $14.99 / £12.99 (around AU$21.99) on the Wii U eShop

You wouldn’t think Star Fox would pair well with tower defense gameplay. But that’s where Star Fox Guard will prove you wrong. And to be honest, it’s even better than the Wii U’s divisive Star Fox Zero.

The novelty of Star Fox Guard is that it uses the GamePad in tandem with your TV. Using the Wii U GamePad, you’ll strategically place cameras around the field to keep tabs on infiltrating enemies. If you spot them approaching, you can shoot them down. It’s simple yet frantic fun that’s also very affordable on the Wii U eShop.

Pushmo World

• $9.99 / £8.99 (around AU$14.99) on the Wii U eShop

One of Nintendo’s most slept-on games in recent memory, Pushmo World (or Pullblox World in Europe) is a fantastic puzzler that shouldn’t be missed. Especially with the eShop shutting down next year.

You control the adorable Mallo in solving around 250 block-based puzzles. And as the title suggests, you’ll need to push and pull those blocks into (and out of) place to reach each stage’s goal. 

It’s a wonderfully creative puzzle-platformer that’s packed with content, and like most other games on this list, won’t break the bank with its budget price.

Nintendo has announced it will be closing the Wii U and 3DS eShops in March next year. While you’ll still be able to download games and DLC you’ve already purchased from the digital storefronts, it will no longer be possible to buy new titles, download demos, redeem download codes, or add funds.

In a blog post on the publisher's website, Nintendo says the discontinuation of the eShops is simply part of the consoles’ “natural lifecycle”, although there are no immediate plans to shut down their online play features.

If you've already added digital funds to the storefronts, you'll be able to transfer any leftover balance to the Nintendo Switch eShop after they close next year. On top of that, any remaining eShop Cards sold by retailers that show the Wii U or 3DS logo can be used to add funds to your Nintendo Account for use on the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo hasn’t stipulated exactly for how long the eShops will remain supported, only suggesting that players will be able to re-download their games, DLC, and receive software updates for their existing purchases for “the foreseeable future”. 

It's also launched a new 3DS and Wii U Memories webpage that reveals several of your playtime stats for the consoles.

Analysis: the NES era is now subscription-only

With the Nintendo 3DS now 11 years old, and the Wii U due to celebrate its 10th anniversary later this year, the closure of their eShops shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Running, maintaining, and updating a digital storefront is costly, so Nintendo will be looking to shave expenses from the aging consoles. Sony attempted to make, but later reversed, a similar decision with the PlayStation Store for PS3 and Vita last year.

More aggravating, however, is that the discontinuation of the eShops will effectively prevent players from purchasing and owning many classic Nintendo titles. While the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service gives you access to a library of gems from the NES and SNES era, the Wii U and 3DS eShops include a bigger selection of classic titles, and let you purchase the games outright, rather than having to pay a monthly fee.

As spotted by Kotaku, Nintendo’s original announcement was accompanied by a Q&A section explaining the decision to remove older titles from purchase. That section was taken down, but reportedly read:  “Will you make classic games available to own some other way? If not, then why? Doesn’t Nintendo have an obligation to preserve its classic games by continually making them available for purchase?”

In response, Nintendo said, “Across our Nintendo Switch Online membership plans, over 130 classic games are currently available in growing libraries for various legacy systems. The games are often enhanced with new features such as online play.

“We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players. Within these libraries, new and longtime players can not only find games they remember or have heard about, but other fun games they might not have thought to seek out otherwise.

“We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.”

• Best Nintendo Switch games

The Nintendo Wii U is no longer in production, so the chances of finding a deal on the console - let alone a new one in stock - is increasingly rare. Nevertheless, we're keeping this page live to direct you to any unopened consoles we find, as well as more affordable second-hand Nintendo Wii U deals. That way you can pick from either of these should you wish to try out the maligned console for yourself.

Yes, it's true, the Nintendo Wii U was a considerable flop. All eyes were on the house of Mario after the huge success of the Nintendo Wii and 3DS to see what their next hardware could do. In the end, the cumbersome console and handheld hybrid struggled to establish itself. It was built upon some fascinating ideas, though - ones that were much better realised with the company's hugely successful Nintendo Switch.

The Wii U has had a bit of a re-evaluation in recent years by those who look past its faults to see it as a fascinating piece of console history. That's made the second-hand market quite competitive, so you may not be able to pick up a console for as cheap as you would imagine, but it's usually around $100/£100. Still, this is the place we'd suggest looking instead of brand new consoles as hardly any are available - and when they are, they're extremely overpriced. To eBay, then!

And while there are some strong games in its lineup, practically all of the popular ones have been ported over to modern consoles. A cheap Nintendo Switch bundle may be a better place to spend your money, then, so at least you get some modern hardware. You can now more easily find the Nintendo Switch OLED if you want the latest version.

Nevertheless, we're still tracking any Nintendo Wii U deals we find just below. To reiterate, these are almost certainly going to be overpriced or show limited stock, so definitely consider the second-hand market before you spend hundreds on a brand-new one.

Wii U game deals

The Wii U hasn't enjoyed the same success as the original Wii console, but that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of incredible exclusives to enjoy. We've rounded up some of the best ones in a comparison chart below. So if you decide to add a Wii U to your console collection, be sure to take a look at these games while you can - or check out their remastered versions on the Nintendo Switch.

Update: Naturally we've added the latest and perhaps greatest addition to The Legend of Zelda franchise, Breath of the Wild, to our list of must-play titles. 

There aren’t many consoles that have had as hard a time as the Wii U. Like the younger sibling of a chronic overachiever, it had a lot to live up to in terms of sales and public reception and unfortunately it never managed it. 

Before it was even launched, the Wii U suffered from poor communication with regards to its purpose and unique selling points. Even when it was released, the console struggled to boost its sales partly because of its high cost and partly because of its relatively underwhelming game library at launch.

That said, it wasn't all bad. The system had its fair share of gems that are definitely worth your time and attention. Plus, now that the Wii U is tagging the Nintendo Switch and being dragged out of the ring by a disappointed Nintendo, this is the perfect time to pick up the little console that tried for yourself and experience the great games that it did have. 

It might not have been able to match up to the heavyweight libraries of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 due to a lack of third party support, but the Wii U still had some fantastic titles that we think are worth playing, many of which didn’t get the attention they deserved as they were simply launched too late in the console’s lifecycle. 

So, if you’re wondering if you’ve missed any great games in the time since you bought your console, or you’ve just picked up a brand new one since they’ve dropped under £200 and you want to know what to play, we’ve put together a list of the best games you can get on the Wii U. 

• Get them before they're gone. These are the best Wii U deals at the moment

Mario Kart 8 is without a doubt the best and most polished racing game Nintendo has released in a long time. Keeping the best elements of the classic Mario Kart racing games but adding modern, outstanding visuals, a catchy soundtrack, and even more customization it’s a must for your Wii U library. Especially if you’re looking for a multiplayer party game that everyone will love.

It’s time to prove once and for all that Princess Peach could take down absolutely anyone in a fight with New Super Smash Bros. If you’ve ever played a Super Smash Bros game before, you probably don’t need to be told what to expect here but at the very least New Super Smash Bros is an example of Nintendo getting the balance between appealing nostalgia and inviting accessibility just right. 

That’s because it adds new characters, more stages, and the absolute chaos of an eight-player battle mode. 

For anyone that loves getting their friends round for multiplayer gaming this is a title is a perfect choice. If you prefer games with depth and story that you can enjoy alone, though, this probably isn’t one for you. 

Not keen on the 3D levels of Super Mario 3D World? Why not try New Super Mario Bros. U instead. It’s a classic side-scroller that offers a five person competitive multiplayer to keep things interesting when you’ve worked your way through the single player mode. 

Though it’s not a groundbreaking addition to the franchise, for competitive multiplayer fun we think it’s a great buy that actually makes good use of the Wii U Gamepad. 

It’s not a Nintendo home console if it doesn't have a Mario platformer and Super Mario 3D World is a good one, which you’d expect as it follows on from Super Mario 3D world for the 3DS handheld. 

You can take up the role of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Rosalina or Toad (or take four on the road at once in the game’s excellent co-op mode) in a fantastic platform adventure that changes up the traditional Mario formula just enough to keep fans interested.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was already a great and beautiful game when it was released on the Gamecube but the Wii U is probably the best possible way to experience it thanks to its re-mastered graphics and improved gameplay. 

In Wind Waker you take Link around Hyrule long after a great flood, exploring the stunning open world while solving puzzles and defeating bosses.

One of the most significant improvements is Swift Sail, which greatly improves on the sailing mechanic of the original game so if that was something you detested, this game is a good way to try again.  

Whether you played the original and want to take a trip back to this incarnation of Hyrule or you’re looking to jump into Zelda before the release of Breath of the Wild, this is a title that’s worth your time and money. 

This is a competitive online shooter that’s absolutely been Nintendo-fied. What do we mean by that? Well, take out the aggressive masculine characters and the bullets and replace them with quirky teenagers and ink and you’ll probably understand what we mean. 

Splatoon is different and refreshing but most of all it’s just massive amounts of fun, even for the traditional online shooter lovers out there. 

Sure, you love playing games but you’ve always had a feeling you’d love making them too. Super Mario Maker is your chance, bringing to gaming what fanfiction brings to, well, everything apparently. 

In Super Mario Maker you design your very own Mario levels, making them as challenging as possible and then you play through them yourself or allow others to play through them. 

Adding to the fun of designing the Mario level you’ve always dreamed of, you can also play through the crazy creations of other players. Guaranteed you’ll encounter some of the most difficult Mario levels imaginable thanks to this.  

Like Splatoon, Pikmin 3 is another example of how Nintendo still has fun and original IPs up its sleeve and doesn’t have to rely so heavily on the classics. 

It doesn’t change much from previous titles on Gamecube and Wii but Pikmin 3 is a fun and colorful strategy game that’s played from an overhead view where the player controls hundreds of tiny Pikmin creatures through three leaders. The aim is to use their unique abilities in clever ways to explore the game world, discover treasures and grow your army even larger to take on more challenging tasks. 

Bayonetta is not a title for everyone but if you loved the first game in the series, or you just love fast-paced hardcore action games in general, Bayonetta 2 is a must-have. 

It brings back the intense combat and ridiculous character designs of the first game, but throws in all new weapons and abilities to keep things interesting. 

Adorable is the first word we’d use to describe Yoshi’s Woolly World. Despite its cute and entertaining surface, this is a genuinely challenging platformer with wonderfully individual visuals, fun deep levels, and plenty of collectibles to gather and secrets to uncover. It also has the Yarn Yoshi amiibo behind it, which is probably one of the best amiibo out there. 

This game riskily takes the Pokemon and Tekken formulae and smashes them together with a surprisingly satisfying outcome. 

Until Pokken Tournament we’d only seen Pokemon battles feature animated suggestions of what moves the Pokemon were actually performing with little to no sense of their power. Now, however, we see the moves actually hit their target. We see Pokemon two-on-two battles which involve actual battling. 

Pokken Tournament includes the exciting battle elements of the mainline Pokemon games, but eases up on the mechanical elements of Tekken which strikes a nice complexity balance and provides rich combat that will entertain fighting fans and newcomers alike. 

Seeing the X in a game’s title can be off putting, but if you haven’t played a Xenoblade Chronicles title before that shouldn’t stop you from picking up X. Action RPG fans don’t get many titles to chose from on the Wii U system but this is an excellent one to have access to with its big open world that’s filled with entertaining characters and quests.

Have we mentioned you can jump inside massive humanoid robot suits which fly and take part in aerial battles? Because you can and they do. 

Another HD remake of a Legend of Zelda title, Twilight Princess took the original game, enhanced its graphics and added amiibo compatibility as well as support for the Wii U Gamepad. 

Everyone has different reasons for which Zelda title they hold closest to their heart and if yours is Twilight Princess an HD remaster is a great way to return to the Hyrule and Link you love most. 

Minecraft was always a game that felt like it should have come from Nintendo, so it makes sense that it was a title worth picking up when it finally arrived on the Wii U. 

Players on the Wii U got the traditional Minecraft block-building content we’ve all come to know and love, but had the added benefit of music, items, characters, and textures from Nintendo’s Mario to bring an added bonus to their decision to play on this platform over others. 

Sharing surface level similarities with Towerfall Ascension, Shovel Knight also eschews polygons for beautifully evocative arrangements of pixels that'll make you pine for a bygone era – until you realise that it's actually a hell of a lot more fun to play than the Castlevanias et al that influence it.

A knowing and challenging RPG complete with idyllic villages, impossible boss fights and (mercifully) mid-level saves just to remind you what decade you're in, it's among the best-executed hybrids of old-school punishment and modern amusement in years.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a side-scrolling platformer that continues the well-loved gameplay of previous games in the Donkey Kong Country franchise. 

This version sees Donkey Kong and characters travel through six different islands on a mission to defeat the Snowmads and save Donkey Kong Island. Players will mostly play as Donkey Kong, but they’ll be joined by a companion character who provides supplementary abilities and can also be controlled by a second player should the desire arise. 

This game boasts fantastic level design (though there aren’t an abundance of them) and great boss battles making it a must-have for any side-scrolling platformer fans. 

 Even for a series like The Legend of Zelda which rarely puts a foot wrong, Breath of the Wild is an absolutely phenomenal game. 

While past Zelda games have stuck pretty closely to the formula established by Ocarina of Time (the series’ 3D debut), Breath of the Wild throws much of the established wisdom away. 

Rather than having a pre-defined order you must use to approach each major mission, Breath of the Wild opens the entire map up to you almost immediately, allowing you to approach the game in whatever order you see fit. You can spend hours just climbing trees and brewing elixirs, or you can even head straight to the game’s final boss if you’re feeling confident. 

But away from Breath of the Wild’s unique structure, it’s the puzzles themselves that make the game feel the most satisfying. While previous games rigidly allow for a single solution to each puzzle, BotW’s physics-based problem solving means that there are often multiple solutions to each challenge depending on how you combine your various skills. 

The result is a game that feels incredibly broad in scope, with so many little touches to discover that it’s hard not to fall in love with this long-running series all over again.  

This is one for all the fans of Japanese Role Playing games. If you like titles such as Fire Emblem, Persona and Shin Megami Tensei you'll no doubt find a lot to love here: fantastic characters, a great strategic battle system and a frequently silly but often entertaining storyline. 

It's also a game that actually makes good use of the capabilities of the Wii U game pad by turning it into a giant smartphone of sorts where the text messages the game characters send each other appear. 

Taking several games and mushing them into a single package served Nintendo well with Wii Sports and it's served it well here too. 

Nintendo Land has more than a dozen games for players to enjoy and though they're not all good, many of them absolutely are. There are both single-player and multi-player titles on offer, though the balance is skewed in favor of solo adventures. 

Still, each and every one of them make interesting use of the Wii U's gamepad and that's something we love to see. 

They're absolute classics and now you have the chance to enjoy them on your Wii U thanks to the beauty of Nintendo's Virtual Console. 

The Metroid Prime Trilogy bundle brings all three of the main Metroid Prime games together and if you enjoy intense gaming adventures set in space then you'll absolutely love taking up the role of the badass bounty hunter Samus Aran.

We’ve known for a while that Nintendo was planning to end production of the Wii U, but now it’s been confirmed that production has officially finished in Japan.

The news was announced on the Nintendo Japan website where it’s stated that though production has ended, this is only domestic production in Japan. 

Considering the launch of the Nintendo Switch is now just over a month away, it makes sense that we’re seeing the beginning of the end for Wii U production. Though arguably the consoles end began long before this.

The death knell

It’s not been confirmed yet when production will cease in markets outside of Japan, but it’s probably safe to assume that it’s on the horizon. 

That means that if you have been considering picking up a Wii U console, whether you’re a collector interested in posterity or you’re just curious about what you’ve missed, now could be the ideal time to do so. You never know when it’ll suddenly become a collector's console that hard to get a hold of. 

At the moment retailers (including Nintendo itself) are offering good deals on the consoles, no doubt in order to clear their stock in anticipation of the Switch. Not only that, there are plenty of stellar games to pick up and enjoy, some of them with significant discounts. 

• Looking forward, here's everything we know about the Nintendo Switch

If you were holding out any hope the Wii U would get a shot in the arm at the same time Switch is stealing the spotlight, you might want to sit down.

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime revealed the forthcoming Zelda game will be the last title Nintendo makes for Wii U. 

"From a first-party standpoint, there's no new development coming after the launch of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," Fils-Aime told Polygon. "We really are at the end of life for Wii U."

That's not terribly surprising, given the Wii U, which launched in 2012, never really caught on, and the house of Mario is gearing up to release Nintendo Switch, a hybrid console that could redefine gaming machines for good.  

You'll still be able to buy Wii U games in stores, Fils-Aime said, and its online services aren't going away, at least not right now. Nintendo is supposedly working on a title codenamed "Project Giant Robot" that uses a Wii U GamePad, and it's possible the project could end up online. Produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, it seems to be in development limbo at the moment, however. 

What else to play?

While you may feel a twinge of sadness at the demise of Wii U, there are still plenty of other ways to satiate your need to play. 

Nintendo Switch joins the Xbox One S and PS4 Pro on game store shelves on March 3. That's the same day Zelda: Breath of the Wild launches for Switch and Wii U, by the way. 

Nintendo also revealed on Wednesday it's launching Fire Emblem Heroes for mobile on February 2, bringing its storied strategy series to smartphones. Super Mario Run is also sprinting to Android in March.

It's a sad day for Wii U fans, but there are plenty of games and consoles to look forward to and that you can play right now. If you need a little inspiration to get excited for Switch, a bunch of its games are already discounted on Amazon.

Nintendo has confirmed that Wii U production is coming to an end, four years after the console first hit store shelves. In typical Nintendo fashion this announcement followed official denials of rumors to that effect; a sign of just how stubborn the Japanese veteran can be, even when faced with the blindingly obvious. 

The reality is that no amount of positive spin can alter the fact that the Wii U has been an unmitigated disaster in purely commercial terms. With 13.36 million units sold at the last count, it is by some margin Nintendo's least popular home console (if we ignore the Virtual Boy, which was primarily powered by AA batteries, and the Japan-only Color TV-Game from the '70s). 

After the dizzying heights of the Wii, which won the previous console generation with over 100 million units sold worldwide, the Wii U will go down as a particularly embarrassing fall from grace.

Nintendo’s nightmare

Officially announced back in 2011, the Wii U's unique dual-screen setup seemed exciting and innovative, offering "asymmetrical gameplay" where one player could experience a completely different perspective thanks to the Gamepad's display. The promise of compatibility with Wii accessories – as well as the Wii name in the system's branding – was a clear message to the many millions who had already taken the plunge on Nintendo's existing console: this new system offers the same fun, but with a dual-screen twist.

After the stunning success of the Wii, it seemed that Nintendo could do no wrong. Third parties threw their weight behind the Wii U, with Electronic Arts, THQ, Ubisoft and Activision all ensuring that they had software ready for the 2012 launch. 

Early titles like ZombiU and Nintendo Land showcased the uniqueness of the machine; in the former, it was necessary to remove your gaze from the TV screen and tap in codes on the Gamepad while the action – and zombies – continued to move in terrifying real-time. In the latter, asymmetrical gameplay was highlighted by mini-games like Mario Chase and Luigi's Ghost Mansion, where the Gamepad player's movements were hidden from those using the TV. 

The tragedy is that Nintendo Land – despite its status as a pack-in launch title – would be one of the best adverts for the console and was never really bettered in this respect, not even by Nintendo itself.

U? Me? What, Wii?

Almost from the off, the message surrounding the Wii U was muddled and confused. Nintendo's early advertising focused on aspects such as off-TV play, which allowed you to play certain titles even when the main television was in use for other activities. While this was undoubtedly a nice extra for busy households, Nintendo perhaps overestimated its importance to your typical player, who refused to game on anything but the biggest HD screen. 

Nintendo's marketing also failed to effectively communicate that the Wii U was an entirely new system, and not merely an extension of the original Wii – something that was perhaps exacerbated by the fact that accessories like Wii Remotes worked on the newer console. Even today, it's amazing how many people who owned a Wii are still blissfully unaware that a successor even exists – and that's as solid an indication as any that Nintendo's promotion of the console missed its mark entirely.

Other problems related to the hardware itself, and the core concept of dual-screen play – the USP that the entire machine was built around. The lag-free wireless connection between the Wii U and its Gamepad controller was and still is impressive, but its range is limited and the battery life of the pad itself is dire. The pad was also criminally underused by both Nintendo and third-party developers; when it was confirmed that the Gamepad's screen would be blank during play in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, it was abundantly clear that even Nintendo had given up trying to leverage the one truly unique selling-point of its system.

The Wii U's abject failure is made all the more tragic by the fact that it is home to some of the best video games of the past decade. Super Mario 3D World is arguably the zenith of the plumber's adventures in three dimensions, while Mario Kart 8 can boast a similar ranking in the world of Nintendo-made racing games. Bayonetta 2 – funded by Nintendo itself in a moment of inspired brilliance – should really have attracted more "core" players to the console, and Super Smash Bros. refined the famous fighter to the point where it's hard to see how sequels can better it. 

Factor in titles like Rayman Legends (the definitive version), The Wonderful 101, Lego City Undercover, ZombiU, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Super Mario Maker and the superb Splatoon, and it's clear that the Wii U wasn't short on must-have titles. 

• Is Nintendo making the same game mistakes with Switch as it did with Wii U?

The big issue is that many of its best releases were separated by many months, leaving massive fallow periods where owners simply had nothing new to play. Third party support waned quite quickly once it became clear that the console was never going to sell in large numbers, with developers reluctant to plough cash into adapting their titles for dual-screen support when the potential rewards were so small. A case in point is Criterion's Need For Speed: Most Wanted U, a drastic revision of the existing Xbox 360 and PS3 title which added in plenty of cool Nintendo-exclusive features and content, but sold dismally.

Could the Wii U have been saved?

With the benefit of hindsight it's easy to offer opinions on what Nintendo could and should have done differently to ensure the Wii U's success. The company's desire to do something unique – a commendable quality which led it to dominate with the Wii and Nintendo DS – proved to be its undoing this time around, with second-screen gaming already considered by many to be a dead-end even by the time the Wii U hit store shelves. Several botched attempts by the likes of EA and Ubisoft to combine smartphones and tablet apps with their console releases proved that. 

Should Nintendo have focused on the fact that its new console was essentially a HD Wii, and should it have done away with the Gamepad altogether? Such a move would have maintained a stronger link with the previous console and would also have allowed Nintendo to reduce the retail price of the machine considerably. 

We'll never know, but the fact that the company's next machine, the Nintendo Switch, has abandoned dual-screen gaming would suggest that Nintendo is happy to be a bit more conventional this time around.

History will no doubt look back on the Wii U as a failed masterpiece; like Sega's Dreamcast, it possessed quality games and attracted a loyal fanbase, but mainstream popularity – such an important quality in an era where platforms can live or die by the volume of their third-party support – always eluded it. 

A combination of errors – poor marketing, bad design choices and lack of software – all came together to deny the Wii U the amazing commercial success that its predecessor enjoyed, but the console is far from being a complete write-off, and in the near-future it is likely to grow in stature thanks to the quality of its software – software which Nintendo would be wise to remaster and resell to players during the Switch era. 

If you were one of those brave enough to invest in the Wii U then you won't need telling that it hosts some truly amazing titles – titles which should have more than justified your initial outlay. Those of you who held back may want to consider picking one up on the cheap and experiencing first-hand what is sure to become known as Nintendo's lost generation – a period of four years where the company released some of its best software on a console that was ultimately doomed to commercial failure.

• Nintendo Switch release date, news and features

The Wii U's successor – Nintendo NX – is still nearly a year away. But, the current console-meets-handheld hybrid could be in for an early retirement.

Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima announced that the company could halt production on the Wii U by March 2018, Reuters reports, dropping that bomb while discussing earnings and projections for the coming year.

Nintendo has squashed rumors in the past about putting the Wii U to bed before the NX even comes out – now we know in in March 2017. But, this new report cites a year after that date, giving credence to the claim that the original Wii was also retired approximately one year after the Wii U arrived on the scene.

That said, if the Wii U does get decommissioned in 2018, it will have enjoyed a lifespan of just under six years, which is relatively short when considering previous console generations.

By contrast, the Xbox 360 ceased production just this week after a decade-plus of sales – and three years of that was spent after being replaced by the Xbox One.

Thankfully, Wii U owners will have their swan song in the form of a new Legend of Zelda title, which will formally debut at E3 this year for both the Wii U and NX as Nintendo's sole playable game on display.

• Should you grab a Wii U before it's gone? Check out our review

Nintendo has denied a claim that the company is to halt production of the Wii U this year, presumably to make way for the NX.

Nintendo gave comment to Japanese website IT Media, in which it denied the rumor. "This isn't an announcement from our company," said a spokesperson (as translated by Kotaku). "From the next quarter and thereafter as well, production [of the Wii U] is scheduled to continue."

Nikkei has a so-so track record with Nintendo news but Nintendo also has a track record of denying things that later turn out to be true, so we're taking all of this with a pinch of salt for now.

Original story below...

Nintendo will be announcing its next home console, codenamed the Nintendo NX, later in 2016. But, in preparation for what's coming next, a report suggests that 2016 could also bring about the halt in production of Nintendo's current console, the Wii U.

While it's definitely not uncommon for a company to phase out the old as it puts more focus on the new (the PS2 hung out on store shelves years after the release of the PS3,) one of Japan's largest business newspapers, The Nikkei, stated that Nintendo will stop the production of its struggling console earlier than originally planned.

To date, the Wii U has sold about 10 million units worldwide since its launch in 2012. That number pales in comparison to the explosive pace of the original Wii, which sold about 100 million consoles over its seven-year lifespan. Compare that to Nintendo's previously low-water marks like the Gamecube, which only sold 22 million units, and it's clear that the Wii U's total sales figure is, no doubt, in a bad place.

That's not to say that Nintendo hasn't tried. Wii U owners have enjoyed plenty of first-party exclusive games like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. on Wii U, but apparently, those wasn't enough to attract gamers to Nintendo's console that, instead, went toward a PS4 or Xbox One.

Although it would be a bit sad to see the Wii U phased out of existence, it would be a wise decision from a business perspective.

Nintendo's current console was, and still is, a confusingly named product to sell to fans of the original Wii, as well as gamers looking for a traditional gameplay experience. Removing it from store shelves ahead of the NX's arrival could be the palate cleanser needed to help Nintendo hit the ground running with its next home console.

Source: The Nikkei

• Is this the first picture of the Nintendo NX?

Nintendo announced today that Mojang's omnipresent block-building sensation Minecraft is heading to the Wii U. While Minecraft has made its way across a gamut of systems, this will be the first time that the game will be available on Nintendo hardware.

Minecraft: Wii U Edition will release December 17 on both retail disc and the Nintendo eShop for $29.99 (approx £20/AU$41). In addition to the base game, Minecraft Wii U Edition will also include multiple cosmetic add-ons, such as the Battle & Beasts Skin Pack and Fantasy Texture Pack.

The Wii U edition of Minecraft also takes advantage of the system's specialty gamepad, allowing users to play on the pad's screen without interrupting play, should someone else need to use the TV. Up to eight players can also participate for cooperative building, gathering, and survival.

16 other add-on packs will also be available for purchase from the eShop, including skins that allow players to take on the look of characters from Doctor Who, Mass Effect, Star Wars, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, or The Simpsons. Nintendo has yet to specify prices for these packs, and promises more will be made available in the future.

The Wii U joins a long list of consoles that play Minecraft, including PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. A pared-down mobile version, Minecraft: Pocket Edition, is also on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Amazon Kindle Fire.

For the few of you who've managed to go this far without playing Mojang's digital building set and are curious to learn more, Nintendo's website hosts more information.

• Naturally, Minecraft on Oculus Rift will trump them all

Update: Want a Wii U this holiday season? Here are the best Nintendo Wii U and 3DS deals around.

Original review below...

After placing third in a console generation with the GameCube, Nintendo showed that it was no longer willing to compete strictly on software with the 2006 launch of the Wii. The platform proved a phenomenon thanks to its motion controls, ease of use, and low price point, and while it may not have held sway with core gamers for long, the Wii showed that Nintendo could still work wonders with innovation.

The Wii U is the next step, and like its predecessor, it's something different from the pack. A brand new standalone console, the Wii U may initially offer graphics power comparable to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, both of which have been on the market for several years, but that's not its main selling point.

What sets the platform apart is its focus on the new Wii U GamePad, a large amalgamation of a traditional controller and a tablet, featuring a 6.2-inch touch display that can work in tandem with what's being shown on your TV.

It's the center of the Wii U experience – a single, wireless input device that includes a bit of everything. In addition to the large screen, it includes two analog sticks, a directional pad, eight input buttons, a front-facing camera, and an NFC (Near Field Communication) sensor. It can even control your television.

And much as the GamePad is designed to supplement your big-screen games, whether as a standard controller, a screen for map and inventory info, or one of many other inventive uses, it can also work independently from the TV. Turn on the GamePad (which likewise activates the console) and many titles can be played entirely from the small screen, even in another room – though range varies.

The Wii U ships with a single GamePad, and while future games may support two, none do as of now – and they're not sold separately. Multiplayer games still utilize the last console's wand-like Wii Remotes and Nunchuk attachments, plus the new Wii U Pro Controller bears a striking resemblance to an Xbox 360 controller.

Beyond the innovative GamePad, the Wii U in many other ways seems intent on rising to the level of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. While the Wii was a smashing success, its lack of high definition output – plus graphics technology barely above that of the previous generation of consoles – dated it quickly as HDTV sales surged and streaming media took off.

Early Wii U launch titles look very similar to current games on the other home consoles – in part because many of the launch titles are top games from other systems, albeit with modifications and enhancements. For Nintendo's part, the company has finally ushered some of its franchises into high definition with New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land.

And the Wii U is positioned as the center of your digital universe, though it's not quite ready to fill that role. Netflix is available, but apps for Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube – visible on the home screen – won't be activated for weeks, and the big Nintendo TiVii feature that lets users track and find their favorite media across services (as well as interact with TiVo boxes) won't be out until December. At least you can control your TV and cable box with the GamePad.

Considering its myriad parts, the Wii U seems to offer a mix of the new and novel and the old and familiar – but what is its worth to both owners of other current game consoles as well as those looking to upgrade from the Wii? And do its initial game offerings warrant early adoption, or should curious parties wait and see how it takes hold in the market?

The Wii U is initially available in two distinct packages. On the lower end is the Basic Set, which includes a white Wii U console with 8GB of internal flash storage, a white GamePad, separate AC adapters for the console and controller, an HDMI cable, and a sensor bar for Wii Remotes. The Basic Set is sold for $299.

For $50 more, the Deluxe Set serves up a black console and GamePad, the former offering 32GB of internal flash storage, and in addition to all of the accessories from the Basic Set, the bundle also features a charging cradle for the GamePad, as well as simple stands for both the GamePad and console.

The Deluxe Set also includes a boxed copy of mini-game collection Nintendo Land, which sells separately for $60, and owners earn points on digital purchases that yield credit to use towards additional purchases. All of that for $349.

It's extremely difficult to recommend the Basic Set by comparison. Even for those uninterested in Nintendo Land, which serves as a smart tutorial for the system's various features, the huge increase in storage makes it an essential purchase – especially since only 3GB of the Basic Set's storage is usable for games, compared to 29GB on the Deluxe console.

The Wii U console itself looks somewhat similar to the original Wii in general build, yet features rounded edges and is notably longer – it measures 10.6 inches long and 6.75 inches wide, with a height of just 1.8 inches. While it reads and plays older Wii games on standard DVDs, the Wii U's native games run on new 25GB optical discs. GameCube discs will not run on the Wii U.

On the front of the system, you'll find power and eject buttons, each augmented by a small light. The white light by the eject button illuminates when a disc is in the system, while the power light changes from red to blue when the system is turned on. Below the disc slot is a hidden compartment with two USB ports and an SD Card slot for added storage.

Flip the system around and you'll find two more USB ports on the right, along with ports on the left for the HDMI cable, other types of AV outputs, power cable, and Wii sensor bar. External hard drives up to 2TB in size can be plugged into the system, though any hard drive will be formatted to work with the Wii U and cannot be used with other devices.

Out of the box, the Wii U only supports Wi-Fi (892.11b/g/n) connections, though a Wii LAN Adapter connected to a USB port can be used for wired Ethernet lines.

Nintendo hardware has a long history of being physically well built and reliable, and from our initial testing of the Wii U, we don't expect that to change. It seems sturdily assembled, though the glossy black plastic of the Pro unit is seriously prone to dust, fingerprints, and visible scratches.

The Wii U GamePad measures 10.2 inches wide, 5.3 inches tall, and is 0.9 inches deep, and weighs just over a pound. For what seems like a lap-centric device, it's actually remarkably comfortable in the hands, thanks to contoured grips on the lower back, as well as a ridge that sits between your middle and pointer fingers.

At the center of the experience is the 6.2-inch screen: a 16:9 widescreen, 854 x 480 (158 ppi) resistive touch display. Like the touch screens on the Nintendo DS and 3DS, it's a little muted in comparison to a standard screen, but at full battery-powered brightness (plugging it in provides one more level of brightness), it provides a clear image that is only occasionally pixelated in parts.

The screen will only recognize a single input, but like the DS and 3DS, it's equally useable with your finger or a stylus, which is conveniently stored on the top, to the left of the right shoulder button. Holding and dragging can be an occasional issue in both games and the web browser, though.

The GamePad takes a kitchen sink approach to input devices, giving developers a wide array of options for games. Traditional games can use the dual analog sticks and face/shoulder/trigger buttons. Motion games have the accelerometer and gyroscope, while the camera can be used for video conferencing or augmented reality games. An NFC sensor is included (but not currently used by any games) below the D-pad, plus there's an infrared sensor on the top.

The button layout does take some getting used to, though, especially for those used to controllers from other modern platforms. Having the sticks aligned and so far apart makes it an arrangement unlike that of any other input device. Fans of action games ported from other systems may prefer the Wii U Pro Controller, though the altered button layout can prove challenging to adjust to.

Many games, including New Super Mario Bros. U and Madden NFL 13, can be played entirely with the GamePad, letting you turn off your television or cede control of that larger screen to a family member for other purposes. With a large display and both external and headphone-enabled sound options, it's almost like a handheld game system, though the lower-resolution screen is a compromise you'll have to make for the sake of portability.

However, range is an issue. The GamePad reportedly works up to 25 feet away from the console, but walls and other sources of interference may well interfere. In the home office we tested in, with the system nestled between bookshelves, the GamePad worked perfectly from several feet away. Taking a few steps outside the door, it quickly lost its connection.

We moved the console to a much larger living room setting, with the Wii U standing free from boxed-in furniture, and tried again with better results. The GamePad then worked through one wall, allowing us to walk about 15 feet away from the console, but moving past a second wall killed the link. Others have reported significantly longer distances, though, so your mileage will likely vary here based on your surroundings and interference from other devices.

The GamePad is wireless, but the rechargeable (and replaceable) Lithium Ion battery doesn't last for long. Nintendo claims that it'll give you 3-5 hours of play on a full charge (which takes about 2.5 hours to accumulate), but with the brightness on max – which we found essential for getting the best-quality play experience – we struggled to push past that three-hour mark.

That's a big problem. Traditional rechargeable controllers usually notch a dozen or more hours per charge, making them ideal for lengthy play sessions and party scenarios, but the Wii U GamePad won't go the distance. While the GamePad can be used while it's plugged into the wall, there's currently no way to charge it through the system during gameplay via USB, akin to the Xbox 360's Play & Charge Kit.

It's an odd omission, seeing as the Wii U Pro Controller (sold separately from the console) does come with a USB charging cable, though it doesn't plug into the GamePad. Then again, the Pro Controller won't accommodate a headset jack for the multiplayer games it's designed for (you'll have to plug it into the GamePad), so both neither controller feels fully thought out.

If the GamePad's second screen makes the Wii U concept feel like a blown-up take on Nintendo's handheld ethos, the 3DS-esque interface and home screen only confirm that.

Upon loading up the console, by default the GamePad screen displays three rows of five icons each, whereupon you'll find access to whichever game is in the disc drive, settings, and installed apps and downloaded games. Below those large icons are five smaller, permanent ones that include access to Miiverse, eShop, the web browser, the incoming TiVii app, and notifications.

Five identical screens can be filled up with your games and apps of choice, and all can be navigated either via touch or using the physical inputs of the GamePad. It's a crisp, clean, and to-the-point approach that works well for the system and looks great on the smaller screen.

Meanwhile, on your TV you'll see your created Mii character amidst friends' creations and a mass of other random Miis standing near floating app and feature icons in the sky. It's just another way of viewing the myriad abilities of the Wii U – plus little dialogue bubbles suggest things to check out – and you can swap the two screens at any point.

As on the Nintendo 3DS, tapping the Home Button on the Wii U GamePad pulls up a hub menu that includes a battery life indicator, date and time, access to controller settings, and links to the Friend List and Download Management screen. As with most Wii U menus, what you see on the GamePad is also what appears on the TV.

Also a trend throughout the Wii U menu experience: sluggishness. It's everywhere you turn, whether it's waiting 15 seconds for the settings menu to load up or the same delay in getting back to the Wii Menu after exiting an app. The interface is in clear need of optimization and refinement in that regard, as getting from one place to another proves a slow-paced venture.

Another awkward element of the Wii U interface is its handling of original Wii games and content. Not only does that all take place on a separate screen, but the hardware actually reboots and simultaneously shuts down the GamePad, forcing you to use a Wii Remote with the sensor bar – and what you'll get is a perfect facsimile of the Wii menu screen in all its jagged, low-resolution glory.

Inelegant seems too kind a description for what's essentially a closed-off console within a console. Even getting content from your old Wii to the Wii U is a drawn-out and cumbersome process requiring both being connected online while using an SD card to transfer the actual content. It works, and the step-by-step process is well explained, but not ultimately having that content accessible with the GamePad and via the Wii U menu is disappointing.

While the Nintendo TiVii feature has been delayed until December, one helpful TV-related ability is here on day one. You can use the GamePad to control both your TV and cable/satellite box, and the setup process is absolutely breezy. We simply tapped in the name of the TV manufacturer and cable provider and it worked for both on the first try.

Once that's done, simply tap the TV Control button on the lower right of the GamePad to pull up a black remote overlay, which lets you input channels, access the guide, change volume, and toggle the power of either device. It could replace the standard channel surfing routine for many heavy users; for others, it'll still be a helpful perk for when the remote's too far away.

Out of the box, the Wii U is able to play disc-based games and let you create little Mii characters. What it's not able to do is hop online or utilize the many network-connected features of the platform, nor does it even show off the completed launch interface. For that, you'll need to download a patch.

And what a patch it is. On the evening before the system went on sale, we spent about 90 minutes downloading the update, though we've seen others speak of up to three-hour download times. Luckily, the update itself only takes about 10 minutes, though that massive download is sure to harsh to buzz of some excited kids this holiday season.

Ultimately, though, the patch opens up a lot of possibilities for the system, and the Wii U is dramatically better equipped for online interactions than its predecessor. Case in point: instead of swapping randomized friend codes to connect with pals, you can register a free Nintendo Network tag of your choosing. That alone is a night-and-day improvement over the original Wii and even the 3DS (as of now), though like Xbox Live, you're capped at 100 friends.

The eShop is a much glossier version of the 3DS original, and it's well-stocked: the vast majority of retail games are also available as downloads (full-priced, sadly), while promising and prominently-featured indie games like Little Inferno and Chasing Aurora offer lower-priced experiences. Streaming video trailers are a nice touch for certain games, as well, though playable demos are currently MIA.

Miiverse is Nintendo's attempt at offering a baked-in social network of sorts for Wii U players, allowing users to swap stylus-based drawings, tapped-out messages, and other little challenges and observations in communities based on individual games. It's also a hub for seeing the notes and messages your friends send, making it an essential stop for well-connected users. Miiverse is shallow and restrictive, but lightly charming in its simplicity.

Day one jitters intervened regularly with Miiverse, though. We often had trouble connecting at all, and for most of the launch day, were unable to see any messages at all in any community. We also had issues with the Wii U Chat video feature, which lets you call pals (with an adorable ringtone) and scribble on each other's pictures as you talk. Calls failed to connect; ones that went through lagged and dropped quickly. With luck, both are early issues that Nintendo can scale up to avoid.

The Wii U Internet Browser is an OK choice for couch-based browsing on the TV, with the touch screen allowing you to tap in URLs and search terms and scroll the screen with relative ease (aside from occasional tap-and-drag issues). Multiple tabs are supported, as are favorites, plus you can surf privately on the GamePad by drawing virtual curtains on the TV screen – a cute touch.

But if you're planning to surf solely on the GamePad and already have a smartphone or tablet, you're probably better off using that, particularly if it runs at a higher resolution than the GamePad – and has native apps for services like Twitter and Facebook, which Wii U lacks.

We caught a couple of oddly rendered fonts on the GamePad screen, plus sites were inconsistently displaying standard and mobile versions of sites with no apparent local option to force one or the other. Also, streaming video may run at a slower frame rate, depending on the source. Essentially, it's a decent option for occasional web look-ups, but if you have a better option within reach, use that instead.

As of day one, Netflix is the only video app that actually works – the icons for YouTube, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video are placeholders. Netflix on Wii U is a fine, but unremarkable experience; the GamePad is used to flip through content, which can be displayed on either screen, though we'd like to see the ability to browse content while video still plays on the TV.

Following the large system update, the games themselves also in many cases have separate, smaller updates that seem to implement the previously locked online features and potential other tweaks. These updates typically take a few minutes to download and install, though you can continue playing while the download occurs in the background and install later.

The Wii U launches with more than 20 retail games in North America on day one, with many also sold as downloadable games in the eShop. We've had a chance to play several of the more notable options, and here are our impressions on how they perform and how they utilize the system's unique tech.

Nintendo Land is included with the Deluxe Set, and it collects 12 mini-games based on various classic Nintendo properties. It's a slick set of diversions that collectively serve as a Wii U tutorial, introducing concepts like asymmetric play (one GamePad user against up to four Wii Remote wielders) along the way.

With unique mechanics in many of the games, Nintendo Land doesn't have the breezy accessibility of something like Wii Sports, but this light and amusing entry should have been a pack-in for all systems. Sold separately at $60, it's a tougher recommendation aside from wanting a token launch title or to take in the ample fan service.

Nintendo Land may be the pack-in option (at least for one bundle), but the face of the company is well represented in New Super Mario Bros. U, which like earlier "New" entries returns the series to its side-scrolling roots – though this iteration makes good use of the GamePad. It's also the first Mario game in high definition, and finally seeing the colorful stages and characters in HD is really a blast.

Building off of the earlier Wii entry, up to four players can take part in New Super Mario Bros. U using Wii Remotes, plus a GamePad user can help compatriots by placing platforms in the world with a touch of the stylus. NSMBU can also be played entirely on the GamePad in single-player. While much of the template is familiar, it's hard to argue with a large and beautiful new Mario platformer.

Another Nintendo title is Sing Party, which puts a new spin on the karaoke genre by having a microphone-wielding singer read lyrics from the GamePad while friends sing and dance around them. Meanwhile, the Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge updates this year's ill-regarded violent action game with marginal polish.

Continuing on the third-party front, ZombiU is one of the more interesting options designed around the GamePad, as the deliberate, first-person survival horror game uses the second screen to access inventory, hack doors, destroy barricades, and much more. From what we've played so far, it's a very intriguing take on the horror genre, and on a system headlined by many existing ports, it's a standout release.

Scribblenauts Unlimited finds a perfect home on the Wii U thanks to the pairing of touch screen mechanics and HD visuals. Originally bound to the dated Nintendo DS (with a bite-sized iOS 6 version coming last year), Scribblenauts lets you solve puzzles by typing in words and interacting with the items you spawn. Unlimited is adorably presented and brainy but accessible, making it an easy early favorite. It also features classic Nintendo characters, which can be spawned within the game.

Both of EA Sports' launch titles have been upgraded and enhanced for the system. Madden NFL 13 uses the GamePad to let you flip through and choose plays, which is a very natural-feeling use of the controller, plus you can play entire games using only the GamePad screen. Overall, the presentation in the Wii U iteration is a bit less fluid and polished, and it's lacking a couple features from other versions, but Madden still delivers a great core football experience.

And FIFA Soccer 13 is easily the best entry of the series to land on a Nintendo console, carrying over much (but not all) of the action from this year's Xbox 360 and PS3 versions while adding a GamePad interface that allows a quick look at the entire field, the ability to make defensive alignment changes, and more. You can also raise it up to aim the ball at the goal, shake to shoot, and tap the screen to tackle. They're optional controls, of course; the button-based approach remains intact, as well.

Perhaps the year's biggest release, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, hits the Wii U less than a week after its debut on other platforms, and from what we played, it's nearly identical to the Xbox 360 version. Occasional texture loading issues seemed new, but the overall result is still a huge first-person shooter experience that's a blast to play online. And it features a separate-screen local two-player option, which is a great perk. Even with a Pro controller, though, the revised button assignments and analog stick placement in Black Ops II make for a tough transition between consoles.

Many of the launch games that we didn't play are enhanced ports of top titles from other platforms. Assassin's Creed III is available, while other big-name re-releases include Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition, Mass Effect 3: Special Edition, and Darksiders II – all glossy AAA experiences with added GamePad functionality. Even a game like Just Dance 4 uses the GamePad for creating playlists and having an extra player pick moves on the fly for dancers, who still wield Wii Remotes while dancing.

Since multiplatform games take up such a large chunk of the launch lineup, its success depends a lot on player perspective. If you're upgrading from a Wii, you'll find a large number of fantastic HD experiences that simply weren't possible on that dated hardware. For owners of Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or a capable PC, a lot of the lineup may seem like a retread of familiar ground, with only a handful of titles beyond Nintendo's really delivering fresh affairs.

The Wii U certainly is an interesting console, to say the least. Like the Wii Remote before it, the GamePad is a real innovation in the home console space, though here it's in many ways more a complementary feature to traditional games, rather than a dramatic, experience-shifting mode of input.

As an network-enabled device, the Wii U is leaps and bounds ahead of the Wii, but it should be after six years; whether it's as fully-featured as competing consoles is a different story, and initial online hiccups and broken promises regarding video streaming options show a lot of work to be done in that area.

All told, does the Wii U warrant your $350 right now?

We liked

The GamePad is indeed a unique addition, bringing a DS-like dual-screen experience to the living room. The controller itself is well designed and comfortable, and includes a wide array of features for developers to mix, match, and create games around.

Asymmetric gaming – where one player with a GamePad faces off against those with Wii Remotes – is a neat twist that we're excited to see develop further over time. Nintendo Land gives a taste of what's possible, but future games should spotlight it.

Seeing Nintendo finally embrace HD gaming is a wonderful thing. New Super Mario Bros. U might be familiar overall, but playing Mario in high definition is a wonderful thing, It's long overdue, and also makes the platform more attractive to multiplatform developers.

Being able to play games without the television on is a fantastic perk, though the trade-off is the lower-resolution GamePad display. And depending on your setup, you may be able to play multiple rooms away from the console.

Considering everything that comes with the bundle, including a $60 game, charging dock, HDMI cable, and a fair amount of Flash storage, the $350 Pro bundle feels appropriately priced – especially when compared to the Basic set.

We disliked

GamePad battery life is very weak, coming in around 3 hours for us on a full charge with maximum brightness. It can't be plugged into the hardware, either, which seems an odd oversight for something you'll be using constantly.

Sluggish menus make getting around a hassle. A giant online patch is required to access many features, and even then some – like Miiverse and Wii U Chat – are struggling to work properly due to initial demand.

There's nothing really mind-blowing in the launch lineup. No doubt, there are some great games to explore, and it's a large day-one spread – but many of these games are already on other platforms, with enhancements here being generally minor.

The Basic set feels seriously gimped for just $50 less. Only having 8GB of storage (3GB available for games) with no pack-in game just isn't worth the small savings.

Promised features like non-Netflix video streaming services and the Nintendo TiVii functionality were delayed just before launch. It's potentially misleading for those expecting such features out of the box.

Verdict

For Nintendo fans looking to finally enter the HD era, the Wii U may seem like a beacon of light in an endless downpour – and if you're coming from the Wii, it will be quite impressive, indeed. Not only are the publisher's own properties sleeker than ever before, but third-parties can finally deliver the great games they've been making for other systems in recent years.

But gamers who already have an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 may struggle to see much of the appeal for now. Many of the Wii U games are lightly enhanced ports, with just a few noteworthy originals. And the online interface and streaming media options aren't quite as polished or robust as what's seen elsewhere.

for many, an early system purchase hangs on the quality of Nintendo's own offerings and the handful of other unique experiences, but it's difficult to point to a brilliant, system-selling game that justifies a new console purchase. There's great fun to be had on the Wii U right away, but we struggle to call it an essential purchase for those still enjoying games on other platforms.

As with all console purchases, a look ahead is necessary. No doubt, developers will find exciting ways to harness the GamePad and the system's other unique options to deliver one-of-a-kind experiences in the years ahead. But with the hardware performance seemingly only meeting that of several-year-old competitors, it may well feel outdated in many ways if other new hardware rolls out in a year or two.

That's a concern, as well as a risk. But Nintendo's modern mandate is providing something different instead of simply replicating others' plans, and however the industry and the platform itself evolve in the coming years, the Wii U is sure to provide experiences like no other along the way.

Update: Star Fox Zero has finally received an official release date. Nintendo says we can expect to be saving Corneria in time for the holiday season. Star Fox Zero will drop on Nov. 20 in the US and Europe.

Original story follows...

Fox McCloud and the gang are finally making their return to the Wii U with Star Fox Zero this holiday.

Star Fox Zero was announced at E3 2014, but was only in the developmental stage and couldn't be showcased. This year, Nintendo opened its digital conference with an extended look at the gameplay of Star Fox Zero and a look at what went into the game with designer Shigeru Miyamoto.

The new space adventure feels like the good old days of Star Fox, with a lot of added functionality. The Wii U Gamepad is being utilized like it was always meant to be, doubling as a virtual cockpit, giving players added control over the third-person world.

On the new functionality, Miyamoto said, "You can be really immersed in the experience."

Star Fox Zero will bring many new vehicles beyond the Arwing, including the mech walker from the ill-fated Star Fox 2 for Super Nintendo, something the developers were excited to bring back.

This installment will be our first original Star Fox game since 2006's Star Fox Command for Nintendo DS, and will be available this holiday. We'll keep you updated as soon as we learn more about our next Star Fox adventure. Here's the first look at Star Fox Zero's gameplay.

• Keep up with our coverage of E3 2015

The Wii U version of Project Cars has been cancelled, Slightly Mad Studios has confirmed.

We recently reported that the studio was struggling to get the game running smoothly on Nintendo's console, hitting around 23fps at the time (60fps on other platforms). The team were hoping that Nintendo might announce some new hardware at E3, but, as those of you who haven't been living under a rock for the last month will know, there was nothing.

Andy Tudor, Creative Director of Slightly Mad Studios, told us in a statement: "Despite much perseverance on the Wii U version of Project CARS we will no longer be actively pursuing development on it as the quality does not meet our own high standards nor our intended vision for the title on this platform."

'Simply too much'

"We eagerly look forward to any announcement of further hardware from Nintendo but right now Project CARS is simply too much for Wii U despite our very best efforts. Apologies to our Nintendo fans out there that have been waiting for further news on this but have no desire to release a product that isn't at the very least comparable with our highest-rated versions on other platforms. We optimistically look forward therefore to what the future may hold."

Studio head Ian Bell originally broke the news to Nintendo Life in a statement quite similar to Tudor's. "As of now pCARS is simply too much for the Wii U," he said.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions were also cancelled during development, but we were holding out hope that Slightly Mad would find a way of getting the game working on Wii U. Alas, it was not to be.

It speaks volumes that one of the first things Nintendo did at its 2015 E3 event was acknowledge a next-generation console it hasn't even formally announced. It also offered very little Wii U content for the coming months. Go figure.

The NX remains shrouded in mystery – it might not even be a "console" in the traditional sense – but I'll always remember today as the moment Nintendo finally started to let go of the Wii U and move on. Nintendo America President Reggie Fils-Aime said it himself: the theme of this year's E3 for Nintendo is "transformation".

OK, so the show kicked off with Star Fox Zero, which will arrive on the Wii U this Christmas, but the rest of the event was heavily focused on the 3DS. After Sony opened fire on E3 with a merciless barrage of long-awaited games, Nintendo's E3 kept a slower pace, allowing for time to dwell on things like Yoshi's Woolly World and new Amiibo figurines.

Nintendo prefers to focus on the coming months, not years, which is fine, but this year it made for an empty showing. Its major satellite studios were notably quiet, and to me that can only mean they're working on what's next. While other publishers talked about the far-off future, Nintendo refrained.

All filler, no thriller

After the event Miyamoto did confirm that Zelda is still coming to the Wii U. So why has Nintendo stopped talking about it, especially after the phenomenal gameplay demo we saw just months ago? Why won't it commit to a new release date?

There's every chance the new Zelda will get the Twilight Princess treatment and be launched across both the Wii U and the NX. And yes, Nintendo's disappointing Metroid 3DS announcement could be a covert water-tester for a future home console game.

Nintendo has done everything it can to succeed with the Wii U, and to its credit has released some spectacular games, but it knows it's time to move on – hopefully with some valuable lessons in tow. If it really is holding back the big announcements for the NX, then I'm confident that it won't make the same mistake of launching a console with a game lineup so terribly barren.

Transformation often evokes nostalgia, and Nintendo's E3 event closed with a montage of people playing the Mario theme. "As anyone transforms, be it a person or a company, it's good to reflect on where you've been to help guide where you go next," said Reggie.

Nintendo has transformed itself time and time again, and as Super Mario Bros turns 30, there's never been a better time for change. Here's to what's next.

• Here's that first Star Fox Zero footage you've been waiting for

Just a couple of weeks to go until E3 2015, where the news will flow like water and games journalists will huddle under the news-waterfall like that bit in Mad Max, holding up their word-buckets and hoping to get a taste of a sweet, sweet scoop. If you haven't seen Mad Max yet, that reference will be a bit lost on you. Also, what the hell is wrong with you? Go see it right this instant!

Splatoon reviews were the big topic of this week, coming in as mostly favourable and with the general consensus that Nintendo's Wii U shooter is cute, fun and different from the normal shoot-em-up fare - but that it lacks much outside of its central theme: inking up an arena.

It's a refreshing take on a genre that's almost entirely about hitting people until they cease to exist, thanks to its visual style (day-glo sport-punk, as I called it in my review for The Guardian) and its squid-nonsense music, as well as the general concept of replacing bullets with gorgeously animated, brightly-coloured ink.

I've spent a lot of time with the game, and the others aren't wrong - it IS a lot of fun, especially when you have a handle on how it all works; you start to develop your own tactics, and the shoot-swim-splat rhythm is unbelievably satisfying when you nail it. But the online co-op is far too idealistic to work - no voice chat, tedious lobby waits, no real matchmaking system (until ranked matches, which unlock at level 10) and a bare minimum of maps make the game run its course far quicker than it deserves to.

The problem here is that Nintendo is wading into unfamiliar waters, going up against genre veterans like Infinity Ward and Bungie who ironed out these types of mistakes long ago. Furthermore, when the solo mode has loads of cool, innovative doodads, such as sponges that turn into platforms when inked, and wires that you can squelch along in as a squid to access new places, it makes you wonder why the multiplayer mode (by far more exciting to play) is just a load of flat land. No doodads in sight. Boo.

Yet despite the drawbacks, the game still manages to be a tonne of fun, and will be even better when the August patch adds features like parties of friends. Will Splatoon sell Wii Us? That's undoubtedly what Nintendo wants, after lacklustre sales and being generally (and possibly unfairly) the butt of this console generation's jokes, but sometimes Splatoon feels like a rushed release with some gaping holes in its gameplay. A shame, because the innovation and creativity is as Nintendo as any game, but Super Mario Galaxy it ain't.

But hey, I know what you're really thinking. You're thinking, "ink, blah blah, guns, blah blah, is there any football on right now? I like football. Especially the bit where they make the grass all muddy. God, I hate grass." We're all thinking the same. And amidst all that football stuff that's normally going on, there's been a lot of FIFA drama taking place this week.

Yes, many FIFA officials have been put on the naughty bench, which is apparently not a real thing. But what's more exciting - and much less criminal - is the addition of female footballers in FIFA 16! Finally, we can actually appreciate the wonderful game of kickyball the way it's meant to be - with ladies being just as excellent as the overpaid haircut models we're used to. It's taken 22 years to get to this stage in the FIFA games, despite women having existed (so our research says) for at least a few decades.

The internet, as may be expected, has been mostly divided into two camps: the people who think it's cool, welcome and progressive, if a bit late, and the hotbed of rampant, idiotic misogyny. "Girls don't play football," they cry, because in their world, kicking a thing into a big hole is a male-only pursuit. "Every time a woman has ever attempted a sport, she has fallen pregnant by the mere presence of testosterone, and is unable to perform her sportly duties on account of having breasts, or something."

Four words: Pipe down, watch this.

Join us again next week, where I'll be speculating about whether or not the new Tony Hawk game will have hoverboards. It'll be fun.

When Nintendo announced that The Legend of Zelda Wii U would no longer launch in 2015, the assumption was that we'd see it next year - but Nintendo didn't actually say that.

In fact, the company is still keeping mum on the hugely anticipated title. In Nintendo's Fiscal Year Earnings Release, the game is listed with a 'TBD' release date. Further, we contacted Nintendo about it and were told that there were "no further updates" about the release date that it could share.

So, what's going on? The game certainly isn't going to disappear; the last time we saw it Zelda Wii U looked very fleshed out, and this is one of Nintendo's most cherished franchises.

The refusal to confirm a 2016 release has led to speculation that Nintendo might be holding Zelda back for its next console, currently codenamed the 'NX'. Iwata recently promised to tell us more about the 'NX' "next year", so both Zelda and Nintendo's next-gen console are moving closer together.

"We are no longer making our 2015 release our number one priority. Instead, our priority is to make it the most complete and ultimate Zelda game," said series producer Eiji Aonuma in March. "I hope to use the added time to make The Legend of Zelda for Wii U into a game that will reward you for your patience."

Ultimately, next year for Zelda still feels like a safe bet, but don't be surprised if it does end up spilling into 2017.

• What do we know about the Nintendo NX?

Greetings, game fiends. For those of you in the UK who haven't been blown away by this week's galeforce winds or election results, prepare to be blown away by NEWS! Marvel at my fantastic segue.

For the rest of you around the world, I've got nothing. Sorry.

We can't talk about anything else until we've talked about Splatoon, Nintendo's new ink-splatting IP that even your gran can enjoy. I played a little bit shortly after E3 last year, back when the mess fest was in its infancy, and while I didn't exactly understand why everyone could turn into a squid, it was a hell of a lot of fun. A Splatoon-centric Nintendo Direct revealed more information this week: there will be an open global beta, which is an interesting new play from Nintendo. The Global Testfire, as it will be known, is running this weekend, and all participants that work at Nintendo will be wearing lab coats obviously.

There will also be free DLC, new stages added each week to the standard five available at launch, a ranked battle mode due in August, and a tournament called "Splatfest" which could earn you a special item based on how well you perform. Don't be fooled by all the colourful charm - Nintendo's added a fair amount of depth to the game, including customisable clothes, headgear and weapons, many of which can be bought from the Booyah Base. Yes, that might be Nintendo's greatest pun of all time.

But in all seriousness, Splatoon is a really refreshing effort from Nintendo that could only come from such a veteran of multiplayer gaming. Things are looking up for the company right now, following this week's announcement that it had become profitable again for the first time in four years, and titles like Splatoon continue to demonstrate why the Wii U is still a horse in this console race.

So does all that sound exciting? Of course it does, don't be silly. The game will be out on May 29, and you can check out this week's Nintendo Direct in full below.

The other biggie of the week was Tony Hawk. Thanks to a couple of leaks, a few more on-purpose teases, and an actual, proper reveal, we know that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is coming to console this year. So what's the hawkman up to now? New levels, new characters, new skateboards, probably, and co-op and solo play. Oh, and err, "projectiles", we're told.

You can create your own skate parks - expect a great deal of halfpipes put together to resemble a giant, wooden dong - and you'll be joined by a host of other skateboarders like Ishod Wair, Riley Hawk, Leticia Bufoni, and Andrew Reynolds. If you don't know who they are, don't worry - you're probably just not cool any more.

But if you find skateboards way too rad for your poor, weak body, perhaps you'll enjoy this news as much as I did (read: I squealed, rather loudly, and then went and told a load of my co-workers, who reacted much, much less excitedly. As in, not at all). Lego Dimensions is getting a whole bunch of new characters! Alongside the existing ones, including The Lego Movie, The Wizard of Oz and Lord of the Rings, a leak has sort-of confirmed that we'll also be getting expansion packs for Jurassic World, Scooby Doo, The Simpsons and Portal. These were already rumoured thanks to an incredibly blurry pack shot from a few weeks ago, so I'm more than ready to accept these rumours as being totes legit.

Portal Lego. I mean, who'd have ever thought it?

It's times like this that I sort of wish the human race could hibernate. Think about it: we'd go to sleep after New Year's, then sleep through until Easter, at which point we'd wake up, rapidly elevate our blood sugar with chocolate eggs, and then enjoy the spring sun while wearing bikinis and sunglasses. Probably.

And then we wouldn't have to wait SO LONG for E3 2015 to happen. The couple of months in the run-up to E3 are some of the most frustrating in the whole gaming calendar, because all the studios are being more secretive than a spy playing poker in Area 51. Every now and again they'll tease us with the gaming equivalent of a coy flash of ankle at a Victorian soiree - like CoD Blops 3's teaser campaign, which I'm mostly finding incredibly confusing.

It's something to do with grainy, vague Snapchats that are apparently filled with subtle Call of Duty references like guns and bullets and blood and big beef-men with the voice of a 13-year-old boy questioning the purity of each other's mothers. Somehow, this translates to "OMG Call of Duty Black Ops 3 is probably coming out," to which I say, cool. As long as I can continue calling it Blops, that's fine by me.

What else is being teased? Why, the next Deus Ex game, of course. We saw a few screenshots earlier in the year which were totally, completely obviously Deus Ex, but Eidos just shyly flashed an ankle or two and said "oh, no, it's just to demonstrate our new engine. Teehee!" Nice try, Eidos. If you enjoy Deus Ex, you'll be happy to know that the new trailer is packed with super-obvious messianic imagery and lots and lots of yellow, and lovely Adam Jensen - who is now more robot than human - is still wearing his nice sunglasses and looking grumpy with the world. Essentially - it's looking Deus-sexy. Nice.

What's going on chez Nintendo, then? Quite a lot, since last week's Direct - and not all of it is good. Sad face. Puzzle-solving logic-dude Professor Layton's next outing is on mobile, which means it could be okay - like its mobile predecessor, Mystery Room - or it could be a rubbish, free-to-play, match-three nightmare. The sequel to last year's gorgeous job-hopping RPG Fantasy Life is also on mobile, and early screenshots are making it look a bit too Farmville for my liking.

Story of Seasons - the unofficial Harvest Moon game made by the core team from the original developers Natsume - is now out in America, but not the UK yet. It looks brilliant, and an awful lot better than the Minecraft-inspired official game, Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley. If you fancy a bit of calming pastoral foraging, and slowly building relationships with pixelated hotties, then Story of Seasons is the game for you. If you like crappy Minecraft wannabes with bad anime eyes and characters that all look like children, then go for Lost Valley. Don't say I didn't warn you.

(Oh, and speaking of harvesting stuff...)

Let's wrap up with something nice, shall we? GTA V is coming to PC. Soon. FINALLY. It looks nice and all that, but I'm mostly excited about MODS. Imagine the possibilities: Two-Headed Trevor, flying cars, trucks that turn into dragons, guns that shoot jellyfish. The possibilities are endless. I assume. I don't know how to mod stuff. Check out our preview for all the gossipy information, like whether or not it's possible to load jellyfish into revolvers. Actually, that might not be in there, but you'll just have to read the whole thing to check, won't you?

That's all for this week! Well, actually, it's not. There was more I wanted to talk about, but I just woke up from a three-month hibernation nap and now I'm sleepy.

"Mum! Mum! Guess what day it is!" Your mother reluctantly turns on the bedside lamp. Groggily, eyes hooded from slumber, she sits up. "Huh? What do you mean?" "MUM, it's the most important day of the year," you reply excitedly. She visibly perks up. "Oh my goodness," she exclaims. "Can it be? It's a Nintendo Direct day already?" "No," you reply, but she's already run downstairs to the computer. "It's my birthday."

My point is, children are stupid and they don't deserve Nintendo stuff. We should buy up all the things they just announced in the recent Nintendo Direct - like the freaking adorable knitted Yarn Yoshis that tie in to the just as freaking adorable Yoshi's Woolly World. Or the Jigglypuff amiibo that would probably just end up at the bottom of a toy chest if you gave it to an actual child. Look, they don't appreciate this stuff. Just give them a ball or a sock or something and tell them to use their imagination.

Meanwhile, us grown-ups who can enjoy games like Super Mario 64 and Yoshi's Island with all the finesse and expertise of a sommelier will be busy honing our gaming craft. And probably having ice-cream for dinner and staying up past our bedtime, because we can if want. We'll be choosing our sides in Fire Emblem mostly based on which dudes we fancy the most, and we'll be playing Paper Mario (the second best Paper Mario to date because Thousand Year Door is the best game of all time) until our thumbs fall off.

And I didn't even mention the new Animal Crossing game, which looks like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in that you get to come into other people/animal's houses and touch all their stuff. Or the new Mario Kart 8 200cc mode, for people who love racing, hate corners and don't understand braking. 8 Fast, 8 Furious.

But apparently, other things have been happening elsewhere in the world, far off the coast of Nintendo Island where everything is colourful and confusing and occasionally utterly bonkers.

What's that over there? Why, is that the S.S. Hideo Kojima, pulling back into Konami Port? It just might be! After we reported last week that Kojima may or may not have become sausage, Videogamer has reported that Konami seem to have put his name back on the branding! Look, you can even check on their website. Sausage no more, my friend. Sausage no more.

No, I'm not going to talk about April Fools jokes. It was too painful. Let's just move on.

If you enjoy pretending to sit and talk to people that look a bit like meat wrapped around pipe cleaners, then you'll probably be more than a bit sad about the loss of Playstation Home. OK, sure, it was something special - even though it never officially left beta in its five and a half years of existence - and many people did really feel like it provided the titular 'home' on the Playstation. It's not exactly the cuddliest of consoles when it comes to its operating system, but Playstation Home let us decorate, shape and play in our own space. It's sad to see it gone.

This is by no means all the news this week but Nintendo Directs tend to take priority when they happen. I haven't even mentioned everything from the Direct. New Streetpass games! Mario Maker due in September! Mario Kart DLC! Splatoon! Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains!!

Okay, now I'm done.

The Wii U's lack of flagship games - or many games at all, if we're being honest - is no secret to owners of the console and non-owners alike.

So it stung even more when Nintendo revealed today that the Wii U Legend of Zelda game has been pushed back into 2016.

There's at least a good reason for not putting the next Zelda game out in 2015 like Nintendo promised, and producer Eiji Aonuma went into detail about the choice in a Facebook update.

Bad news, good reasons

"The directors and the many members of the development team have been working hard developing the game to make it the best it can be," he says in the video. "In these last three months, as the team has experienced firsthand the freedom of exploration that hasn't existed in any Zelda game to date, we have discovered several new possibilities for this game.

"As we have worked to turn these possibilities into reality, new ideas have continued to spring forth, and it now feels like we have the potential to create something that exceeds even my own expectations."

He said he'd rather focus on making a good game than meeting a strict schedule, and therefore the Wii U's Zelda game won't arrive this year.

Nintendo of America added on Twitter that the game won't even appear at E3 2015, suggesting there's a major overhaul underway, and from the vague hints that Aonuma gave it seems the game could be legitimately fantastic.

Damaged reputation

But despite Nintendo and Aonuma's optimism about how hard the team is working and how good the next Zelda game will be, this is a blow for Wii U owners - the poor things - who are perpetually waiting for a new game to buy.

This is hardly the first big Wii U game that's been delayed, and indeed, the challenges of HD development seem to have thrown a wrench in the development of every major Nintendo game since the console came out.

Over that time plenty of great Wii U games have actually been released, and the system now has a respectable library of solid Nintendo games, a considerable advantage that the Xbox One and PS4 obviously lack.

But the damage done to Nintendo's reputation in this time - especially among the company's most ardent fans - may be hard to overcome, no matter how great the Nintendo NX turns out to be.

• Here's what we're expecting at IFA 2015

Via Polygon

You may have seen some Nintendo buzz on the waves today, after a seemingly-innocent Mario Kart 8 advert popped up on the company's YouTube channel.

While the commercial simply depicts a family enjoying a game of Mario Kart, something strange happens at around eight seconds in. We see what (we assume to be) the dad is holding, and it doesn't look like the Wii U GamePad we're familiar with. It might be blurry but it's clearly a smaller controller.

So what's going on? The likely answer is bad editing. We suspect that the screen was superimposed on a gamepad to either make the display look brighter, or make the pad not look so chunky.

But yes, the other possibility is that this is a sneaky tease from Nintendo for a new, smaller GamePad. We've contacted Nintendo about it but we're yet to get an answer, however it's been pointed out that this is an old advert.

So while it's still possible that this is a sneaky tease from Nintendo, it seems unlikely.

But wait, there's more!

That said, it definitely feels like the Wii U is due a hardware update. What makes us slightly more hopeful is a separate discovery on the Nintendo eShop, where one person found an icon of a smaller GamePad (shown left, source here).

Few would disagree that the current GamePad could do with losing a few pounds. And as Nintendo charges out of a reasonably successful 2014 and into a promising 2015, now would be a great time for a hardware revision.

The Game Awards, previously The Spike Awards before it lost Spike, has been a massive showcase for future games over the years. But, naturally, there have been some awards given out too. So before we move onto anything else, here's who won what on Friday night...

Game of the Year: Dragon Age: Inquisition

Best performance: Trey Parker, South Park: The Stick of Truth

Best online experience: Destiny

Best score: Destiny

Trending Gamer: Total Biscuit

Composition Award: Martin O'Donnell

Best mobile game: Hearthstone

Best fighting game: Smash Bros Wii U

Industry Icon: Roberta and Ken Williams

Developer of the year: Nintendo

Best eSports: Matthew 'NaDeSHoT' Haag

Best sports or racing game: Mario Kart 8

Best Remaster: GTA V

Best shooter: Far Cry 4

Game for change: Valiant Hearts

Best narrative: Valiant Hearts

Best action game: Shadow of Mordor

Best Indie Game: Shovel Knight

For me, an appearance from Reggie Fils-Aime on the night was worth all the game previews in the world, but he wasn't just there to let us bask in his radiant glow, as we were quickly transported to Japan for a gameplay preview of Zelda Wii U - and hot damn does it look nice.

With Shigeru Miyamoto and Zelda lead producer Eiji Aonuma giving commentary, we were treated to a closer look at Link's next big console adventure, with a particular focus on the size of the new world. Everything we saw took place in the map's lower right corner. Having set a beacon marker to the point he wanted to travel, Aunomua proceeded to show off the ways he could get there, which included the sailcloth and Link's horse Epona, who now appears to ride in autopilot mode. "Real horses don't run into trees very often," quipped Aonuma. I guess has a point.

It took at least five minutes to traverse a small section of the map, suggesting that this world is going to be huge when the game arrives next year (yes, Aonuma also confirmed that). And then there were all the other little details like the apples growing on trees which you can pick and eat, and the fact Link can now jump off his horse and attack enemies in slow motion.

Finally, Miyamoto stole some of the limelight to confirm Star Fox Wii U would arrive before Zelda in 2015. Chump move, Shiggy.

Now, do you still need an excuse to buy a Wii U?

So what else happened on the night?

Well, no Man's Sky still looks awesome, still has no release date.

'Metal Gear Online' is actually Metal Gear Solid V's co-op multiplayer, and looks hella fun.

Fullbright has a new game called Tacoma, which is set on the moon.

Xbox One takes a c-c-c-combo

After it was announced that Microsoft had secured Rise of the Tomb Raider as an Xbox One exclusive, I suspected we'd see a lot more of these power moves in the future. Sure enough, this week someone at Capcom accidentally set its Street Fighter V trailer live a bit earlier than intended, and while the teaser only offered a few tiny morsels of detail, one morsel turned out to be a big middle finger to Xbox. Street Fighter V will be a PS4 and PC exclusive.

Now, in my eyes, this is a bigger deal than Rise of the Tomb Raider, and here's why: although Street Fighter's exclusivity might also be timed, it's going to push serious players, and probably the beat-em-up community, to the PS4 while the console is still young. This move could potentially lock down the PS4 as the platform for fighters.

Whether or not you think I'm exaggerating the point, there's no doubt that this is an excellently-timed move from Sony that could have a big sway. Much more so than Lara Croft could ever dream of having.

I played Shopper Simulator and now it's my GOTY

On a more cheerful note, UK retailer Game this week launched a title of its own, Christmas Shopper Simulator, and I can tell you now that it's as hilarious and dull as it promises to be.

Drawing inspiration from the cultural touchstone that is Goat Simulator, CSS lets you control a rag-doll Christmas shopper as you navigate your way around a shopping centre to complete menial tasks. Or, if you're like me, you'll just spend your time hurling reindeers at people and kicking in Santa.

If a perfect storm of Black Friday, Nintendo Day, and the launch of a new Star Wars trailer can't break the internet, Kim Kardashian doesn't have a hope in hell.

And I'm pretty glad they didn't because I've been spending every spare minute brawling my heart out against anonymous foe on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. I can tell you that it's every bit as brilliant as you'd expect, not to mention that it looks great on the big screen in HD.

I'm grateful to have a portable option, truly, but this is a game that feels at home on the TV, best enjoyed in a local multiplayer match of furious button mashing and angry swear words.

• You thought the Black Friday sales were crazy? Someone just paid £175 for an empty Xbox One BOX.

But the launch of Nintnendo's Amiibo range was also a significant moment for the company, with the Mario creator betting big on collectable figurines. However, I'm sure you're aware that these aren't merely toys; each figure can store data and interact with the Wii U or 3DS via NFC, much like the ones of Skylanders and Disney Infinity. Think of them as memory cards with a bit more attitude.

• Everything you need to know about Amiibo

There has been an awakening

Speaking of Star Wars, Microsoft just fulfilled a fantasy I didn't even know I had by bringing the worlds of Minecraft and Star Wars together in perfect harmony.

This week it launched some Xbox exclusive DLC for its recently-acquired sandbox title, which includes a bunch of character skins taken from the original movie trilogy. Microsoft also plans more Star Wars themed DLC for the future, but for now, Xbox One and Xbox 360 users can go and dress up with 55 different costumes, including Boba Fett. Laugh it up, fuzzblock.

Waiting for DayZ

It wasn't the best week to be a DayZ fan though, as developer Bohemia Interactive announced that the game won't transition into beta until Q4 2015, and that the final game won't arrive until "the first half of 2016".

There should be a console prototype up and ready by Q3 next year, with an official release some time after. When that will be, we have no idea. But at this rate, we'll be staving off real zombies before we get anywhere near a final release version of DayZ.

SNNNAAAAAAAAAKE

The Metal Gear franchise isn't one that seems to lend itself to any sort of multiplayer, but I never thought 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand would be any good, and boy was my face red.

Metal Gear Online, which came bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on the PS3, was a surprisingly decent spin-off until its servers were terminated in 2012. So we were pleased when Hideo Kojima promised us a new online component to The Phantom Pain.

And as revealed by Geoff Knight, Kojima will attend next week's Game Awards to premiere the new Metal Gear Online, so we can expect to be much the wiser come Friday.

This is the first year for the Game Awards show, the latest incarnation of the Spike VGA awards, which has played host to some significant first-looks and teasers over the years. We don't expect Metal Gear Online to be the only big game shown off. Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann has already teased something big for the event, which could be a hint at some new Unchartered 4 footage.

And hey, is a Fallout 4 tease really out of the question? I don't think so.

The Wii U is having a shift in fortunes right now, with post-E3 sales getting a big wind from a strong show in Las Vegas and the launch of Mario Kart 8.

But just when things looked like they were picking up, a couple of big publishers have started scaling down support.

Despite the fact the last two Call of Duty games were available on Wii U, Activision has decided to skip Nintendo's console with Advanced Warfare.

Michael Condrey, co-founder of the game's developer Sledgehammer, responded to a question on Twitter to confirm the fact. "No, no Wii U. That was an Activision decision," he said. "We are focused on Xbox One, PS4 and PC."

We've asked Activision why it's dropped support for the Wii U, and we'll update if we get a response.

Silenced Assassin

Unfortunately this comes alongside news that Ubisoft is also scaling down its support for Nintendo's console.

Speaking in an interview with Game Informer, Ubi CEO Yves Guillemot said that Watch Dogs will be the last "mature" game for the Wii U.

"We we see is that Nintendo customers don't buy Assassin's Creed. Last year [with Black Flag] we sold in very small numbers."

This is perhaps a bigger deal for Nintendo, given that Ubi has been a big third party supporter of the U since launch.

But Wii U game sales made up a mere 3 percent of the company's total for the last fiscal year, compared to the PS4's 9 percent and the Xbox One's six percent.

But it won't be completely jumping ship with Guillemot adding: "What we see is that they are very interested in Just Dance, very interested by other kinds of games.

"So what we are trying to do is to focus more on the types of games they are interested in."

• But hey - we all know it's about first party games anyway - so check out our Wii U review?

Miyamoto took the Oculus Rift for a spin at this year's E3, and while we don't know what he experienced on the headset, we now know a little more about his thoughts on virtual reality as a whole.

The upshot? Don't expect Nintendo to wheel out the Virtual Boy 2 any time soon. Speaking to Time, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto said he was unconvinced by the type of experiences virtual reality offers for console gamers.

"When you think about what virtual reality is, which is one person putting on some goggle and playing by themselves kind of over in a corner, or maybe they go into a separate room and they spend all their time alone playing in that virtual reality, that's in direct contrast with what it is we're trying to achieve with Wii U," he said.

"And so I have a bit of uneasiness with whether or not that's the best way for people to play."

An antisocial perspective

While he's probably got a point, Sony, Oculus, Samsung, and probably Microsoft (if rumours are to go by) all see a big future in VR. But Nintendo has never been one to follow the rules, so if you're hoping for some immersive Mario Kart VR on Wii U any time soon (as brilliant as that sounds) - don't hold your breath.

However, Miyamoto did add that Nintendo could potentially approach VR from a different angle.

"There's interest in the technology, but we think it might be better suited to some sort of attraction style of entertainment, say something at a video game arcade or things like that, rather than something that one person plays alone."

• 10 games from E3 that will make you want a PS4 AND an Xbox One

Don't expect the Legend of Zelda Wii U release date to be until 2015, as Nintendo is greatly expanding the series' open world environment seen in its E3 2014 presentation.

Today's Nintendo Direct video gave us our very first look at the still-far-off Zelda as well as a redesigned and bow-carrying Link character.

The blue-eyed Link is riding through a forest on his trusty horse while battling it out with a familiar-looking giant, tentacled enemy.

This threatening creature meets his end at the water's edge when Link whips out his bow and lodges a magic-tipped arrow in its direction.

Skyrim, anyone?

The Nintendo Direct E3 video also revealed that players won't have to follow a set path and scenario thanks to Zelda Wii U's open world environment, according to Nintendo designer Eiji Aonuma.

It seems as if Nintendo's legendary franchise is taking cues from sandbox games like Skyrim, much to adventure genre fans' delight.

The final second of today's short Zelda Wii U video flashes its vague 2015 release date, so in addition to seeing it at E3 this year, we may see it next year as well. The wait is on.

• Check out Mario Maker from E3 2014

Nintendo has seemingly dashed rumours that a new console could be imminent, but says it already has a "clear idea" of what form the Wii U's successor will take.

During an investor Q&A, Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata said that once a console is out the door, the company will "naturally" prepare for the next.

But he added that the next console won't arrive until current platform holders are "satisfied".

"I of course believe that launching new hardware will not product good results unless we first make sure that those who have already purchased our platforms are satisfied," he said.

Seeing clearly

"We will continue to work hard to ensure that consumers who already own our platforms are satisfied, and make sure that people will continue to see great value in our software," added Iwata.

"But I could like to say that we are preparing for our next hardware system, and in fact, we already have a clear idea to some extent about the direction out next hardware is going to take."

Nintendo is currently working to expand its focus to "quality of life" hardware, the specifics of which are currently unclear but will be revealed before the year is out.

• Replacing the Wii U right now would be madness, right?

Via Eurogamer

Nintendo has posted its financial report for the financial year that ended on March 31, and it's not a pretty sight.

We didn't expect the Wii U to have had a miraculous recovery but things are a bit worse than we expected: the company sold just 310,000 consoles in the fourth quarter.

That $456 million loss for the year isn't exactly something to be happy about, but Nintendo has faith that it'll see a return to operating profit in the year ahead aided by the more encouraging 3DS sales.

The company certainly has some big months ahead of it with the launch of Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros, and hopefully some big reveals during E3 (although there'll be no press conference this year). But similar promises have been made before.

All hands on deck

In the meantime Nintendo promises to focus on making more use of the GamePad which has felt somewhat neglected recently.

"By providing software that takes advantage of the Wii U GamePad, utilising its built-in functionality as an NFC reader/writer, and adding Nintendo DS Virtual Console titles to the Wii U software line-up, Nintendo will seek to enrich the value of the Wii U GamePad," the company said in a statement.

Nintendo sees the GamePad as the key differentiator from other consoles, and perhaps the Wii U's last salvation, so the plan is to push out more software that takes advantage of it.

Or maybe Nintendo should just ask TechRadar for some advice. Don't sweat it, guys, we've got this...

The 2014 Game Developers Conference is about a month away and the organizers have released the results of an industry poll where it looks like the Wii U isn't doing so hot.

Only 4% of game developers stated they had games intended for a Wii U release, and only 4% have Wii U games currently in production.

To be fair, the GDC organizers noted that just over 2,600 people who attended GDC 2013 or previous dev conferences were polled.

But the numbers still provide a decent glimpse into the developer world by revealing interesting trends - namely that PC and smartphone and tablet gaming seem to hold the highest interest for developers.

Let the numbers do the talking

Fifty-one percent of devs surveyed plan to make their next game for mobile devices, while 52% anticipate releasing their next game on PCs and Macs.

These numbers are higher than the 20% of intended releases for the PlayStation 4 and 17% for the Xbox One.

Games currently in the works reflect the same trend: 14% of devs are working on games for the PS4 right now and 12% for the Xbox One. As for PCs and Macs, 53% of developers have games in the works for the hardware. Another 52% are working on titles for mobile devices.

Does this mean we can expect to see more games coming out for the PC and mobile in 2014? Probably, considering those are the platforms indie devs gravitate towards. Triple A titles for consoles are dished out by larger companies but see a greater time gap between each release.

Regardless, we're hoping to hear about more games for all platforms when GDC kicks off in March.

• Oh no! BioShock studio Irrational Games is no more.

No one really buys into this Nintendo Fusion business, surely.

Locking down the specs of a whole new console before the Wii U has even turned two? Unlikely at best.

And as for replacing the 3DS, the best selling console of 2013, in the process - now that really doesn't really add up.

NintendoNews is confidently standing by its "very reputable source" – fair enough – but it all smells pretty fishy. I don't dispute that Nintendo has begun work on its next big project because that's just the way these things go.

But if Nintendo has any sense, which I believe it does, we won't be seeing the Wii U successor for a long time yet, by which point these purported specs will be outdated anyway.

"I can see the attraction in hoping Nintendo might have super computer waiting in the wings. A machine capable rendering Mario's individual moustache bristles in 4K? Sounds cool," Official Nintendo Magazine's Editor Matthew Castle tells us.

"But I don't believe it for a second. It sounds to me like some wily writer has taken two things they know to be true - a 'Fusion' trademark dating back to 2003 and Nintendo's announcement that its home console and handheld teams would be unified into one - and spun it into something crazy."

Get together

But the rumours do highlight another potential strategy. Nintendo missed a significant opportunity to converge the Wii U and 3DS early on, and I think there's every chance we could see Nintendo re-market both consoles in an effort to change that. It's no quick-fix solution, but it would be a big step in the right direction.

The 3DS is proving largely successful, so use it as a flotation device for the Wii U. Ideally, I'd like to see a more unified OS and more cross-platform gaming. Hey, maybe even give the Wii U a new look with a less ugly gamepad.

But more importantly just convince us that the handheld and the main console are meant to be together.

Sony had that exact same idea in tying the PS4 and PS Vita together. Nintendo converged its handheld and console divisions last year, yet the 3DS and Wii U still feel awkwardly disjointed.

Ok, so the Wii U isn't particularly powerful. Neither is the 3DS. But both have two screens, including a touchscreen at their disposal, so why isn't Nintendo making more of that?

Super Smash Bros will be one game to show off the cross-platform possibilities this year (Monster Hunter did it last year) but why hasn't there been more of it? Nintendo needs to give the two a new, more converged identity.

Still breathing

Nintendo is far from dead. It's cash rich and still pushing out quality software. There are some heavyweight titles heading to both consoles this year, with Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros promising to be big hitters. But it still needs to act swiftly if it's going to revive the Wii U.

A small part of me would like to see Nintendo strike back with a power-heavy new console, but I know that it's far, far too soon, and ultimately a bad idea. That should be Plan F right now.

Plan A is to give us a reason to buy what it's already got on the market, and I think the 3DS should be a big part of that. A U turn is still possible.

We'd hoped that Christmas might have given a helping hand to Nintendo and its forlorn Wii U console, but any favours it did for the little white box weren't nearly enough.

Nintendo has today significantly lowered its prediction of 9 million Wii U sales by the end of March to a lowly 2.8 million. On top of that, it's also halved the number of games it expects to sell for the console.

The upshot of this is that Nintendo is expecting to make another thumping annual loss - this time in the order of 35bn yen ($335m / £205m).

And remember, this is just four years on from the days when Nintendo was selling 26 million original Wii and 30 million DS consoles a year and making a stupendous 490bn yen ($5bn / £3.27bn) profit.

So what's to blame? According to Nintendo, a lot of it was weak console sales during the run up to Christmas - something that won't have been helped by the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One.

Dreamcast 2?

The 3DS is still Nintendo's best-performing piece of gaming hardware - it was the best-selling console of 2013 in the UK and US - following a year that gifted the handheld with a strong lineup of titles.

But even the 3DS is on a downward spiral, with Nintendo slashing its expected sales of the handheld from 18 million to 13.5 million.

So Nintendo's future is looking pretty bleak right now. Anyone got any ideas to turn its fortunes around? Let us (or them) know soon.

• It's not game over for the Wii U just yet

A new firmware update for the struggling Nintendo Wii U console has added a new string to the touchscreen GamePad's bow - the ability to play original Wii games on the smaller 6-inch screen.

The feature will allow users to turn off the television (or indeed change the channel if everyone else is fed up with Mario) and continue playing classic Wii games exclusively on the GamePad.

However, users will still need to use the old Wiimote and Nunchuck combination in order to play the game, which means resting the GamePad upright on a flat surface.

As the Wii U is already backwards compatible with original Wii games, folks will need to keep the console running, while enjoying the game on the small screen.

Taking it back

The update comes at a time when backwards compatibility and remote play are a hot topic as we build up to the launch of the competing Xbox One and Sony PS4 consoles.

Sony is working with Gaikai in order to provide backwards compatibility for previous generation PlayStation games over the cloud, while Remote Play will be available using the PS Vita handheld.

Just last week, Microsoft reportedly demonstrated a cloud streaming project for Windows devices, which could potentially provide access to the vast back catalogue of Xbox and Xbox 360 games that are incompatible with the Xbox One.

Nintendo already has an upped hand in this field by building previous generation compatibility into the new Wii U, but it's struggles are related to the lack of top software titles available for the new format.

• New games will save the day for Nintendo Wii U, says Iwata, but where are they?

Via The Next Web

Update: The U.K. got a little Nintendo attention today, too.

According to Eurogamer, Nintendo outed details of its Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD Wii U bundle. The bundle is due Oct. 4, and the game will be available with a limited edition Ganondorf figurine then too.

Gamers there will also have a mini-game collection Wii Party U on Oct. 25, which will be bunched with a Wii Remote Plus in either white or black.

Original article...

Gamers may be turning their backs on the Wii U, but Nintendo plans to staunchly defend its next-gen console against invading competitors this holiday season with a drop in price.

Nintendo today confirmed a change in suggested retail price for the Wii U, which comes on the eve of new threats from both Sony's PS4 as well as Microsoft's Xbox One.

Beginning Sept. 20, the Wii U Deluxe drops from $349.99 (about UK£225, AU$391) to $299.99 (about UK£193, AU$335), a $50 price cut that Nintendo executives hope will make the troubled console more affordable; no official announcement has been made yet regarding a similar change in Europe or Japan.

The same price will also apply to a new deluxe bundle that includes digital copies of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker HD as well as the Hyrule Historia book coupled with a Zelda-themed GamePad and a 32GB hard drive.

Heightened value

Rumors of a Wii U price cut have circulated for months, but Nintendo's announcement colors the decision as just business as usual.

"The price decline is pretty straightforward. Really, the focus on heightening the value for Wii U is now that we are in a position where we've got a regular pace of great software," Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime told IGN.

Fils-Aime specifically cited this month's arrival of Pikmin 3 and New Super Luigi U as well as Wonderful 101 and Wind Walker HD next month as Nintendo's "strong pace of first-party, strong third-party content."

According to USA Today, the current 8GB Wii U Basic model will no longer be manufactured, making room for the lower-priced version such as the original bundle with Nintendoland.

Think of Disney and your mind jumps to Mickey and Minnie, Donald Duck and innumerable princesses. That is, if you're not a member of the Cars generation.

Animated flicks, theme parks and merchandise will forever be a part of Disney's multi-billion dollar empire, but the entertainment powerhouse is also looking to seed itself in more modern forms of content delivery.

"Mobile and tablets have always been a huge part of the strategy for Disney Infinity," John Vignocchi, executive producer at Disney Interactive Studios, said during a media briefing yesterday, referring to the company's ambitious gaming initiative (more on that later).

To move that mobile-focus forward, Disney announced two apps: Disney Infinity: Action! for iOS, Windows Phone and Android, and Disney Infinity: Toy Box for the iPad.

The latter is of particular note because it will join the first-ever offering that allows user-generated content to be shared across multiple platforms, according to Disney.

To Infinity

But first, some background.

Disney Infinity, launching Aug. 18, is a video game platform that essentially involves placing real-world objects - character figurines, power discs and Play Set pieces - on a board called the Infinity Base. It's similar to Activision's Skylanders and even Rovio's plans for Angry Birds Star Wars II.

Characters from both Disney and Pixar films can tool around in appropriate "Play Sets," or game worlds. Jack Sparrow, for example, will swashbuckle through a pirate realm while Sulley will scare over at Monsters University, with neither compatible in the others' setting.

Within each Play Set, players can collect characters, vehicles, upgrades and gadgets as they advance through levels. These are then stored in their virtual "Toy Box," which a player can access to create their own Disney adventures in an open world environment. The story possibilities, says Disney, are infinite.

Cross-platform action comes into play as Toy Boxes are cloud stored with a Disney ID, which users can then tap into on a PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U or PC, switching to any platform to access saved data. A Toy Box world created on a PlayStation can be edited on an Xbox before more tweaks are made on a Wii U.

With the introduction of the Toy Box app, mobile too joins the flow.

Playing with the Toy Box

"We want people to build wherever they are inspired," said a Disney Interactive producer about the iPad app's ability to let users play wherever and whenever.

A demo showed how a Toy Boxer (as we've dubbed them) can utilize a tablet's multitouch capabilities to quickly craft a game world, then pick up an Xbox controller and continue right where they left off, with little lag in syncing.

The app is free and comes with a complimentary character (Mr. Incredible) but in-app purchases are $.99 (about £.64, AU$1.09) after that. It will be available in most regions in the coming weeks, while a few countries will see the app in September.

Though limited to the iPad to start, Vignocchi told us after the presentation that Interactive is exploring other mobile platforms.

"We thought, 'Which device has a great interface that really uses the touch screen controls the best?'" he said of launching of Apple's slate.

"We had evaluated other tablets and we're continuing to evaluate other devices, Android-based devices as well, and we're looking at what makes the most sense. Primarily we're focused on Apple and iPad but I think real soon you're going to see us venture into other platforms before the end of the year to bring the Toy Box experience there."

He was less forthcoming with information on compatibility with unreleased consoles, meeting our query about whether the app will work when the PS4 and Xbox One launch with a "we're not talking about our next-gen plans."

Vignocchi did share the "fun" of getting Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to agree on cross-platform compatibility, however.

"As far as we know, this is the first time this has ever been done," he said. "And so getting all the first parties together then telling them, 'You know, here's what our plan is,' and then getting everyone to agree was definitely a challenge. But given Disney's history with first party, they were willing to let us embark upon it and work with the others."

Disney Infinity: Toy Box will be compatible with the iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad mini. It is, to be sure, only part of a much larger mobile strategy for the House of Mouse.

Ready, set, action!

If you've ever played around with the Action Movie FX app, you have some idea of what Disney Infinity: Action! entails.

There's no Michael Bay-esque explosions in this app, however, as users have the option of creating a movie featuring animations of Mr. Incredible, Sulley and Jack Sparrow and starring real-world characters (a.k.a. yourself, family and friends).

The app has over 30 different animations and dozens of props, including some from films like Tron and Toy Story. After stitching together your flick using Movie Maker, wannabe Walt Disneys can upload their movies to Facebook, YouTube or share via email.

Action! is free and will be available in iTunes and the Windows Store tomorrow, and it will land in the Play Store soon.

Vignocchi said Action! and the Toy Box app are intended to grow over time, and are "our two footprints primarily in the mobile space."

As for whether Disney has its sights on developing its own hardware, he wouldn't budge.

"I can't comment on future technology plans, but it's a great question."

Every time the gaming world at large demands it, Satoru Iwata is there to dismiss. True to form, Nintendo's CEO has again refuted the need for a Wii U price cut, claiming cost is not the issue.

Pointing to the fact (or clutching at the straw?) that the console's Premium bundle has sold more than the cheaper Basic edition, Iwata said the lack of top games, rather than any prohibitive price point, is what's putting off prospective buyers.

"If the price is actually an issue [with Wii U], then there is some contradiction between the current sales balance between the Basic and Premium versions of the Wii U," Iwata told CVG.

"The basic version should have sold a lot, but the fact of the matter is that people are buying more of the premium version. So the issue is not there."

Business fixin' to pick up?

The console-maker sold only 160,000 units in the three months spanning April-June, while retailers are unofficially dropping the price (and the console itself). However, Iwata is convinced business will pick up once more marquee titles hit the market.

"I understand that the real issue is the lack of software, and the only solution is to provide the mass-market with a number of quality software titles," Iwata added.

Nintendo has promised new versions of classic franchises like Donkey Kong, Super Mario World, Super Smash Bros in the next six to 12 months, but third party support is seriously on the wane.

EA has practically abandoned the device and Ubisoft has said there'll be no more Wii U exclusives. The console will get the new Call of Duty: Ghosts game, but there are no plans to launch this year's other big hitter GTA V on the console.

• Was the Wii U doomed from the start? TechRadar UK's Editor in Chief Patrick Goss explains why the console never had a mushroom in hell's chance.

'Trust us, we've done this before' is the message coming out of Nintendo today, in response to the recent struggles which has seen the Wii U shift just 160,000 units in 3 months as well as report its first ever operating loss.

In its latest annual report, the company has attempted to put a positive spin on the conversation, by recounting its successes over the course of a rich 30-year history and pledging a swift return to "Nintendo-like" profits.

The nostalgia-soaked, 39 page documents pointed out Nintendo has sold 269 million consoles and 385 million handhelds to date, with software sales at 2.195 billion and 1.907 billion respectively. Not bad.

The report also attempts to evoke the fondness for Nintendo and its storied universe of characters, employing language like 'Nintendo's games grew up with you too.'

Ninty: We'll be back

In a statement, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata promised the company would 'pleasantly surprise' people with its new and unique software experiences for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS console in the next year.

He said: "Nintendo posted an operating loss for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013. However, we strive to regain "Nintendo-like" profits for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014 by providing many people with fascinating games and services.

"We continue to make brand-new and unique proposals, and make efforts for the growth of the home entertainment industry with a mission that is to pleasantly surprise people and put smiles on the faces of everyone Nintendo touches."

Can Nintendo really put the smiles on enough faces to recapture its glory days, or have the company's well-documented Wii U missteps placed the company on the gaming periphery forevermore?

• Next: Is poor, old Mario super enough to save Nintendo?

Via The Verge

Despite criticisms being thrown at the Wii U version of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist over its lack of offline multiplayer, the game's Creative Director told us that the technology of Nintendo's console means it will still be offering the most immersive experience.

Maxime Béland, who has been working with the Ubisoft team on Blacklist for the past three years, told TechRadar that during development the team found that the Wii U's GamePad features made for a natural pairing with the game, rather than leaving the team having to invent tapped-on functions to support the hardware.

"I like it because it feels like it's a natural evolution," said Béland on putting the game on Nintendo's console.

"We weren't inventing features to support the gamepad, we were embracing the features we already had in supporting the gamepad."

Béland then went on to describe what he meant by giving an example from the game:

"For us it was interesting because Sam [Fisher] has that gamepad in a way. So when Sam snake cams under a door to see what's under the other side, while he's looking at the feed of his snake cam, you're looking at the gamepad. You can tap to mark the enemies on the pad."

"It's not gimmicky, it makes sense," he added. "It's natural and it feels good."

Covert ways to play

As for whether the Xbox One's and, to a slightly lesser extent the PS4's, emphasis on motion gaming will ever take see Sam Fisher drop the controller, Béland still isn't convinced.

"I believe in using all these things when they make sense," he said. "Sitting on your couch with two hands on the controller, that hasn't changed since it was invented"

Béland added: "In the short term anyway, I think there's this type of game where you're sitting on your couch with both hands on the controller".

It's shaping up to be a busy August for Ubisoft, with both Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Rayman Legends launching this month.

On the surface, a British retailer dropping the Wii U from its shelves might not seem like that big a deal, but for Nintendo's latest console it's yet another piece of bad news in what has become a litany of misery.

The arrival of the original Wii had briefly hinted at a return to form for a Nintendo that seemed to have bowed out of the home entertainment market in order to concentrate on its flourishing DS handheld.

Suddenly gaming arrived for a whole new audience - one that did not have the patience to learn button combinations or use d-pads. The Wii was accessible, simple and it deservedly sold in droves.

But, in retrospect it also scrawled the writing on the wall for any successor. This audience didn't buy into Nintendo but into motion control, they didn't love Mario but Wii Sports, they didn't buy games but they did buy Wii Fit.

And when that's the case, it's always going to be a massive headache to persuade these people that they should invest in the next generation.

Add to that thorny problem the arrival of Kinect - which took motion control to another level - and the inevitable apathy of a group that had pulled their Wii out only for parties and you can understand why the Wii U needed to be truly tremendous if it was to succeed and have better marketing than Apple.

Many stools

Of course, neither we the case. The Wii U was a muddled hotch potch of ideas taped together with a confused message for consumers that, personally, I'm not convinced managed to convince a huge swathe of the market that it wasn't just a handheld add-on to the original Wii.

It's easy to look back and say what was done wrong - but if ever Nintendo needed to wow its loyal audience and prove that it was for gamers and not just for families then it was for the Wii U.

The naming was the first problem, Wii U doesn't sound like a sequel, especially when you've already had Wii Fit as an add-on. Wii 2 would have been straightforward but, again, might not have convinced its wider audience to buy. Should Nintendo have gone with something altogether different?

Next up, the Wii was all about group gaming, and yet the Wii U's expensive controller seems to run counter to that. And, although interesting, was the addition of touch controls a bridge too far?

Nintendo has, as you would expect, reined in the price and retreated back into its familiar territory - Mario games, as it tries to rescue the Wii U. But perhaps it would have been better if it had designed its console to be the most awesome gaming machine for people who love Mario, Luigi, Link et al, rather than letting it fall between a veritable room-full of stools.

Despite protests and petitions from fans, Nintendo will not be lifting region restrictions on its struggling Wii U console.

With Sony and Microsoft allowing users to play discs from any country on the new PS4 and Xbox One consoles, many felt Nintendo had to follow suit in order to compete.

However, company president Satoru Iwata has ruled out the move citing legal restrictions and differing age ratings and has pleaded for understanding from gamers.

Speaking to IGN, he admitted the decision may impact console owners' ability to play the content they want from around the world may 'seem' like a restriction (that's because, by definition, it is).

Freedom isn't free

Iwata said: "From some people's perspective, it might seem like a kind of restriction. However, we hope people can appreciate the fact that we're selling our products worldwide.

"There are many different regions around the world, and each region has its own cultural acceptance and legal restrictions, as well as different age ratings.

"There are always things that we're required to do in each different region, which may go counter to the idea that players around the world want the freedom to play whatever they want."

While Iwata's reasons are somewhat valid, it's something that Sony and Microsoft have been able to navigate quite comfortably in order to make their new consoles more appealing.

The struggling Wii U is already facing an uphill battle to compete with the Xbox One and the PS4. Is this another blow to its potential? Microsoft thought it was a big enough deal to reverse its policy. Should Nintendo find a way to do the same? Let us know in the comments below.

• Want Mario on the iPhone? You'll be waiting a while, potentially forever, according to Iwata-san.

Gaming giant Electronic Arts says Nintendo must sell more Wii U consoles if it ever expects to see the likes of Madden and FIFA grace the device again.

EA has all but abandoned the Wii U for the time being (although there are conflicting reports suggesting some games are in development) after the slow start the console has endured since its launch in 2012.

To that end, there'll be no FIFA 14 or Madden 25 coming to the console, while EA didn't even mention the Wii U during its E3 keynote.

EA's labels president Frank Gibeau said the Wii U must become a viable platform for EA to jump back in and the current strategy to avoid the Wii U like some sort of medieval plague is just a 'rational' business decision.

Rational company

He told Joystik: "Look, the only thing they can do to fix it is to sell more boxes. We're a rational company, we go where the audience is. We publish games where we think we can make a great game and hit a big audience, and make money. That's why we're here, that's why we have an industry."

Gibeau pointed out that the games EA had supported for the Wii U just haven't sold enough to justify further work on the console at this stage.

He added: "The Wii U, we shipped four games. We shipped Madden, FIFA, Need for Speed and Mass Effect. In fact, the last Need for Speed shipped 60 days ago had a pretty good Metacritic (score). It was a good game. It wasn't a schlocky port, we actually put extra effort into getting everything to work. And it's just not selling because there's no boxes."

Don't count 'em out

He president added that the company is only focused on the PS4 and the Xbox One right now, but said EA isn't 'counting out' Nintendo just yet.

He said: "Nintendo is a good partner and never count 'em out and all that. Never count them out, but right now we're focused on PS4 and Xbox One and from our perspective we'll look at the Wii U, we'll continue to observe it. If it becomes a viable platform from an audience standpoint, we'll jump back in."

Have you counted Nintendo out yet? Or is there a future for the console despite EA's snub? Let us know in the comments section below.

Games developer Ubisoft has told Nintendo it'll need to start shifting some serious Wii U inventory before it grants the console any more exclusive games like the critically acclaimed ZombiU.

The French giant has put together an impressive line-up of titles for next-gen consoles, as evidenced by its E3 keynote on Monday, but none of them will be dedicated to Nintendo's fledgling device.

The Rayman Legends title, previewed again during E3, had been announced as a Wii U-only game, but will now come to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the onus was now on Nintendo to inspire developers by create a wider audience for their games and prove there's value in developing for the console.

Agile

He said: "We need more sold They are coming with five of their biggest brands ever. And the Yen went down. So maybe they will take steps that will increase the number of consoles sold."

Guillemot also admitted that Ubisoft had used Nintendo's new console as somewhat of testbed in order to prepare for the next-gen era where second screen gaming will play a march larger role.

He added: "Our job is to be agile. We have to adapt the company to the potential of the market. So, what we did last year, was we knew we could learn second-screen with Nintendo, so we went full-speed to use this capacity the console was bringing."

While Ubi's stance is another bitter pill for Nintendo to swallow as it seeks to put the Wii U on the map before the clamour for the PS4 and Xbox One later this year, it could still be worse.

Afterall, EA seems to have abandoned the console completely.

Via Kotaku

Nintendo's Wii U was hardly the focus of E3 2013 this week, but the Mario developer presented a decent showing of news games anyway.

During a Nintendo Direct video that aired simultaneously worldwide on Tuesday, the company debuted new Mario and Mario Kart games and showed footage from the next Super Smash Bros. and Pikmin titles.

The gorgeous-looking Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD appeared as well, plus numerous third-party games, most of which will also appear on other consoles.

TechRadar got the chance to play some of the new titles at E3 this week, and while we're always down to game, we came away with mixed feelings. Despite the new Nintendo hardware that launched late last year, the company seems to be stuck using the gimmicks of the past all too often.

First the good

At Nintendo's sprawling E3 booth we played the newly announced Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World, as well as Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Wind Waker HD and the long-awaited Pikmin 3.

Each of these games uses the Wii U hardware in unique ways, but they all rely on old gimmicks as well, particularly when the seven-year-old Wii Remote is involved.

Some of these functions, like the ability to pull the image from the TV down to the GamePad's screen in Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World and Wind Waker, are as welcome as ever.

In fact, the GamePad continues to prove useful in subtle ways. In Mario Kart, you can switch control methods (analog stick or tilt steering) with a quick tap, no pausing necessary. There's a map there too, and the same is true in Pikmin 3.

In the Wind Waker remake, the GamePad can alternately show a map, the player's inventory (with super convenient drag-and-drop equips) and a new, largely unexplained messaging feature called Tingle Bottles. Mario World takes things further still by allowing the player with the GamePad to manipulate objects and enemies in-game using the touch screen.

None of these features totally justify the GamePad as the must-have device that Nintendo wants it to be, but they do add something to each experience.

Stuck in the past

Things start to get iffy when the old Wii Remote is involved.

Nintendo's original motion controller was good at many things, but never really great. Whether you're using it to point at the screen in Pikmin 3 or attempt to steer a snowboarding Sonic the Hedgehog down a mountain, it just feels dated.

Some Pikmin 3 players may prefer the point controls, but luckily the option to use the GamePad or even the Wii U's Pro Controller will ultimately be present as well. These options weren't present during the E3 demo though.

The Mario & Sonic title is a different story. Like the other games in the series, this latest uses the Wii Remotes heavily for their motion control capabilities. In a competitive snowboarding race you hold the controller horizontally and tilt it to steer; in a cooperative bobsled race, you hold the Wii Remote vertically and tilt it to steer. This is a gimmick we've been seeing for years and it's as imprecise now as it ever was.

And like other Wii U games, this one commits the unfortunate sin of displaying a real-time feed of the GamePad player's face (thanks to the device's front-facing camera) on the TV for everyone to see. That angle is never flattering.

Will it be enough?

There was plenty good at Nintendo's E3 booth. Pikmin 3 looks great, and it gets bonus points for still including split screen - though online play isn't looking likely.

That stubborn refusal to embrace the modern age has worked against Nintendo in the past, though given recent developments in the saga of the Xbox One, gamers may suddenly start to feel a lot happier to have a console that doesn't need to be online all the time.

Super Mario 3D World plays fantastic, much like its cousin on 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land, but with chaotic multiplayer as well. The cat suit feels different from past power-ups, but not in a bad way. And Mario Kart 8 is Mario Kart, but with anti-grav motorcycles. It's hard to go wrong with that.

But is it still too little, too late? Where's that new Zelda game? It's great to see Super Smash Bros. and more Donkey Kong Country, which Nintendo also showed off this week, but what about Metroid, Star Fox and Nintendo's many other infrequently seen first-party gems?

Nintendo has always struggled to juggle everything its myriad fans want to see, and this year is no exception. Hopefully, it all proves enough.

"Play the game."

Nintendo continued its anti-establishment E3 2013 with these words uttered by Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo America, at a Software Showcase for the Wii U this morning. With no new hardware to show, the company is placing emphasis on why the handheld, and to a lesser extent the 3DS, are still worth a gold coin.

"Outside, the world waits for the word that only you can deliver," Fils-Aime told the crowd inside its not-yet open booth.

"What type of magic box is going to play my game? Can I get it through hard copy or download? When can I get it? These questions are secondary," Fils-Aime continued, clearly distancing the company from counterparts Microsoft and Sony, who opened the annual gaming conference with details like these for the Xbox One and PS4. "What matters is how you feel when you play a game."

What followed was a tap dance of top Nintendo developers explaining six new Wii U titles from Shigeru Miyamoto; and Eiji Aonuma introduced Pikim 3 and the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. The company had earlier laid out these and third-party offerings like Batman: Arkham Origins and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag in a Nintendo Direct.

Wii want U

Through a translator, Miyamoto, whom a digitized Mario called "the man who brought me to life," made the Wii U a hallmark of his talk.

"When I started working with the Wii U, I thought that this is the right hardware for Pikmin 3," Miyamoto said. "This was about two years ago. I truly believe this is a game that can only be played on a Wii U."

The U has struggled from a dearth of games, but Nintendo is trying to shift that perception with the introduction of new titles here at E3.

The Showcase had a touch of whimsy and innocence, themes different from the shoot 'em up and speed away order of Microsoft and Sony's shows. There were devs in cat gloves and ears, a giant Donkey Kong and hands on time for attendees.

The company also introduced a new character to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Wii Fit trainer, who took on Bowser before Nintendo staged a duke it out battle with the another new character, Mega Man.

Nintendo's time here is so far cute, kitschy and silly, but also pointedly serious about showing why the Wii U shouldn't be ignored. We're not completely taken, but we hand it to Nintendo for doing something different.

• We've got pricing details for the Xbox One and PS4. You know you're curious.

Though it decided not to hold a press conference this year, Nintendo still promised to make a few waves at E3 2013, opting to showcase its games via a livestream instead.

Kicking things off with a big start for the Wii U, we were treated to some footage of new title Super Mario 3D World, which seems to have taken its design cues from 3DS title Super Mario 3D Land, and will be released in December.

Nintendo then kept the Mario love coming with Mario Kart 8 showing itself for the first time, and promising to bring anti-gravity racing when it arrives next spring - which, we have to say, looks pretty awesome.

Also entering the arena was a new installment in the heavyweight beat-em-up Super Smash Bros. franchise - the new game is inventively titled just Super Smash Bros. - which will be available on both Wii U and 3DS with cross-platform support next year.

What else was Wii-new?

The first party announcements came in droves as Nintendo then showed off Donkey Kong: Country Tropical Freeze, a safe-playing number that will also hit the Wii U later this year.

And as a reminder that the Wii U will be getting a look in with the multiplats, we were treated to a sizzle reel of third party games include Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, and Watch Dogs.

However, those of you waiting for the new Wii Party U and Wii Fit U, Nintendo told us that the two have been delayed. Wii Party U will touch down in October, while fitness freaks will get their hit in the winter.

Overall, there weren't any real surprises - which is extra disappointing in one of the biggest E3 years ever. Still, there was enough to tide us over for the time being, even if we'll have to wait a while to get our hands on any of the new games.

Electronic Arts is focusing on games for Xbox One and PS4 and current generation consoles, but is still making software for Wii U, according to the company's chief financial officer.

"We are building titles for the Nintendo console, but not anywhere near as many as we are for PS or Xbox," admitted EA CFO Blake Jorgensen during a banking firm conference Q&A.

This contradicts statements made last week by the company's corporate communications head, Jeff Brown, who said that "[EA has] no games in development for the Wii U currently."

The lack of steadfast commitment from the No. 1 publisher of sports video games doesn't bode well for the GamePad-included console, which hasn't sold well since its November launch.

Stuck in the middle of U

The Nintendo Wii U is more powerful than the original Wii, but Jorgensen felt as though it cannot compare to the technology in and the buzz behind Xbox One and PS4.

"Nintendo's business was more an extension of their last console," said he during the Q&A.

"What the consumer will find is a lot more powerful gameplay with the new boxes that are coming out, and a lot of excitement."

At the same time, the install base of less powerful, current generation "boxes" is so great that Jorgensen sees Electronic Arts producing PS3 and Xbox 360 games for at least three to four more years.

This leaves Wii U, with a fraction of the install base of current generation consoles and unable to live up to developer demands as a next-generation system, stuck in the middle of the console war.

The Xbox One vs PS4 debate

Looking forward, when it came to the debate between Xbox One vs PS4, Jorgensen thought it would come down to the experience of each system rather than the hardware specs.

"It will remain to be seen as to the services associated with those as to the direction of the services they might want to go."

• Want to know more about Microsoft's new console? Take a first look at the Xbox One with photos from all angles.

Nintendo is looking to smartphone app developers to help boost the line-up of games available on its struggling Wii U console.

A report in the Japan Times on Monday claimed the console-maker has offered powerful conversion software to a number of developers in the hope they'll bring popular titles to the Wii U.

The Wii U's innovative GamePad features a 6-inch touchscreen, which would certainly benefit from a larger library of titles that can be played directly on the peripheral.

According to the report, Nintendo hopes the addition of top mobile games will boost console sales, which have been way below the Japanese gaming titan's expectations.

Mobile games to the rescue

It's somewhat ironic that Nintendo would be turning to mobile games to help rescue the console, which hasn't been on sale much longer than half a year.

Low cost mobile games have undoubtedly affected the home console industry, so Nintendo may have adopted a 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' attitude.

Most folks would rather see the likes of Mario and Zelda finally make an appearance on iOS and Android devices, rather than top mobile games on the Wii U console.

However, it appears things would need to get pretty desperate for Nintendo for the company to go down that road.

Via Engadget

Nintendo's Wii U is a compelling piece of gaming hardware, but anyone who owns one can tell you that it's lacking in the software department.

That apparently includes Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, who admitted Wednesday that the console's lack of games is hurting sales.

Wii U sales came in at a disappointing 3.45 million at the end of last month, well below Nintendo's original forecasts for the year, and even below its lower, revised forecast of 4 million consoles sold.

But the house that Mario built expects to move another 9 million Wii Us by March 2014, and to do that it's going to - surprise - release more games, said Iwata.

More games, more money

Iwata admitted to Japanese media that the Wii U's lack of momentum this year can be attributed to the console's lack of games.

Wii U owners have had titles like New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land and ZombiU to munch on for months now, and besides the odd Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate there honestly hasn't been much else since the console launched last year.

Now that Nintendo has made it known that it's aware of this fact, hopefully it will be able to do something about it.

Iwata said that "plenty of great games for Wii U" will be coming out by the end of the year, though Nintendo's odd (to say the least) withdrawal from E3 doesn't have us brimming with confidence.

Can upcoming Wii U titles like Pikmin 3, Wii Fit U and the next Zelda game really salvage a flailing console anyway? We certainly hope so, but even Nintendo's traditionally powerful first-party brands have got to start waning at some point.

Nothing lasts forever, after all, and we've been questioning lately whether characters like Mario can really save the Wii U.

What else?

Iwata also said that Nintendo will continue offering more and more online content, and that it could soon begin allowing Japanese gamers to utilize the Wii U's NFC capabilities to make purchases with something called "Suica" cards.

Iwata clearly hopes that making e-payments easier will result in more digital Wii U purchases.

This week the Wii U received a much-needed and much-hyped update that improved its UI responsiveness and added important features like background downloads.

Whether it will be enough to persuade jaded Wii U owners to turn their consoles on again, well, we'll just have to wait.

Via PC World

Oh Mario, just when you thought it was safe to hang up your wrench and leave Princess Peach to her own wilfully damsel-in-distress-like adventures your Nintendo paymasters once more haul you back and put the weight of the gaming world on your shoulders.

The Wii U is in trouble - sales are not where Nintendo hoped (or even expected) they would be. But you certainly can't accuse the Nintendo big wigs of lacking optimism. 'Next year we'll sell 9 million Wii Us' is the forecast suggested after 3.4 million sales in the console's tricky post-launch months.

And what is this optimism based on? Yep - you guessed it. Mario.

Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. are both highlighted by Nintendo as software that will 'drive hardware momentum'.

When it comes to driving his Kart, Mario is definitely the man. But I'm not convinced that even this most iconic of gaming legends has the power to convince the doubting masses that the Wii U is the console for them.

In Nintendo's defence, another of its gaming stars - the Wii Fit - is also highlighted as on the way for Wii U, but this particular pony has already used its solitary trick when it rejuvenated the Wii. Whether it will work again is a long way from certain.

Even with Mario there is a law of diminishing returns. I grew up with Mario games, loved them and still use them as a touchstone of gaming in a simpler, more gleeful era.

Yet, every time Nintendo goes back to the Mario well, hoping that our affection for this plumber is bottomless, it feels like an air of desperation is creeping in. One of these days he's going to set off to rescue a damsel in distress and find out that Master Chief or Solid Snake has got there first.

Nintendo has earned itself a special place in gamers' hearts, and the well-timed and entirely necessary price drop for the 3DS means that it retains its place as the go-to portable gaming platform, but although the Wii gave it a whole new market of casual gamers, it left them precariously reliant on an audience that is less loyal, less likely to buy games and less driven by titles.

The Wii U is an obvious attempt to change that, to bring back that army of Mario-fans and Zelda-lovers, without sacrificing those nouvelle family gamers. Whether the console falls between two stools is probably not for me to judge, but the sales numbers will not be encouraging anyone at the company.

I genuinely hope I'm wrong - that the arrival of the most obvious white knight, a garishly dressed plumber with a jaunty cap, can prove to be the killer app for this generation's Nintendo.

But hovering ominously over the horizon is another Japanese great with a point to prove, Sony's PlayStation 4 and, of course, Microsoft's new Xbox. The core gamer - even a Nintendo stalwart - may well be looking at these consoles and wondering if they can abide leaving Mario on their 3DS and embracing a whole new set of core games.