Wii U



"How U will play next."

Note: specifies games that have Off TV Play. When necessary, sub-notes should be written beside it (in parenthesis if you wish).

Don't forget to check the Upcoming games page

System Specs & Details
Don't mind how small it looks- it's actually 50% more powerful than the PS3.


 * 2GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, 1GB for it's OS and 1GB for games.
 * Tri-Core 1.25 GHz IBM PPC750 based 45 nm CPU.
 * AMD Radeon HD 5550 at 550 MHz 40 nm GPU.
 * Wii U operating system runs on a separate duo core ARM Cortex A8 processor at 1 GHz.
 * 8 GB (Basic model) or 32 GB (deluxe model) internal flash memory. Supports external USB hard drives up to 2TB and SD(HC) cards.
 * Custom Blu-Ray-esque disks (25gb)
 * 2.5/5.0 GHz WiFi B/G/N native, supports USB LAN adapters (including wii/(3)ds ones).
 * Gamepad uses a custom made 5.2 GHz Wifi N signal, despise this less then the full 5.2 GHz output is used and can be used on a PC via homebrew.
 * HDMI, Component/D-Terminal, S-video (Japanese & North American models only), SCART (PAL models only) and Composite output.
 * HDMI output displays a limited RGB pallet in Wii U mode when it uses a full YCrCb pallet in Wii mode.
 * Gamepad is always in full RGB mode.
 * Component/D-Terminal output always displays a full color pallet, despite this you can't mix the Component/D-Terminal video out put when using the HDMI output for sound to fix the limited RGB pallet issue that the system has when using HDMI when using surround sound out of the HDMI port at the same time.
 * USB 2.0, four ports: two front and two back.
 * Region Locked
 * Internet not required except for Nintendo Network and game updates (system updates available in all nintendo games).
 * Free Nintendo Network account needed for online play. No fees!
 * Backwards compatible with all Wii games and controllers. Can download NES, SNES, N64, GBA, Wii and DS games from Nintendo E-shop.
 * Game installation optional (mostly in ports)

Spec Sources and More info: Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4.

What's with that gamepad thing?
Wii U's bundled in controller known as the Wii U Gamepad has been widely panned as "gimmicky" with many users wondering WTF Nintendo was thinking with such a weird design. Well, the gamepad actually is an interesting piece of equipment.

The Gamepad comes with a near field reader, a headset port, a volume control, a camera, speakers, a touch screen, a TV remote, motion sensors, and a microphone. It's also a full controller usable with a wide array of current and vintage games ported to the Wii U as well as with your computer via homebrew.

All you really need to play with a Wii U is the console and the gamepad because the Wii U's gamepad has a screen and speakers built in. It's actually possible to play many games using just the screen on the gamepad. This style of play is known as "Off TV Play" as the game can be played even if the TV is off. The headset port and volume knob are accessories to help aid Off TV Play by allowing players to play silently or to have the game pad function as speakers as well as a monitor.

Most people are aware that the gamepad screen is actually a touch screen, but it's still worth mentioning. Touching an icon is all it takes to launch a program with games like Mario Maker and Smash Brothers using the touch screen as an intuitive map maker. Typing and drawing are done the same way with the Miiverse welcome screen often filled with art and comments by other Wii U players. Drawing on the game pad while watching Youtube is a popular pastime among Wii U owners due to this ease of use.

The Gamepad also has motion sensors inside even though most games do not use these favoring using buttons and/or the gamepad screen, however, the motion controls are very popular for racing games like Mario Kart 8.

The near field reader is used mostly to use Amiibos and Amiibo cards with various games. Think of Amiibos as multi-game DLC that comes with physical collectables you can show off. The microphone and camera can be used with the built-in Wii U Chat system to videochat (no Skype required) and are used by various other games to allow voice commands, photographs and face recognition. The TV remote feature is perfect for people who are forever losing their remotes and works well.

All of these features are mixed and matched in various games for all sorts of effects from having a handy inventory screen built into your controller to being able to control the camera as you shoot by moving your body. Some may decry it as "gimmicks", but it's hard to deny that the Wii U certainly is a unique system with a multitude of unique options available to it.

Virtual Console
Currently, there are six systems that have VC games on the Wii U as of typing: the NES, the SNES, the Nintendo 64, the Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo DS, and select Wii games. While some may be turned off by NES games still costing $5 a pop and ask why not just emulate, at the very least the GBA games are well-ported. In addition, the Wii games are very fairly-priced ($10 for the Metroid Prime Trilogy for its first week!), and allow Gamepad play if the Wii Classic Controller could be used to play them. You can find specific game recommendations on their respective pages.

Games will only be listed below if they are Wii U-exclusive in the West. For non-exclusive titles, please see the page for the appropriate console.