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Wii U Hands On Preview

Nintendo one-ups the Wii, iPad, and DS all at once.

In a developer video reel, Danny Bilson of THQ described Wii U's tablet-touchscreen as the "swiss army knife of controllers," and there is no better way of putting it. Wii U's controller really does everything, but it also melts in your hands the way the Gamecube's did all those years ago.

The first thing you'll notice (besides the gigantic 6.2" screen staring up at you) is that your fingers will rest right on the L and R triggers when you pick it up. They have a bit more tension than the Wii's Z button but are shaped more like the Wii's B button. Your fingers will not want to leave them. The other pair of triggers are more slender and longer than the DS's, but you'll quickly want to move your fingers back down to their natural resting spot. The gyros work just as well if not better than the ones on the 3DS. The dual circle pads resemble the 3DS's, but I seem to remember them allowing for more movement than their handheld counterparts. They certainly have the space for it since there's nothing on either side below the d-pad or four face buttons. They couldn't fit a can opener in that sizeable gap? Oh well.

Everything is a glossy white, and the screen looks very clear without pixelation or noticeable degradation in quality from the image on the television. There is a lot looking back up at you on this controller: a camera above the screen, and plus, minus, home, a mic, battery indicator, and power buttons along the bottom. A stylus is included, and there are ports for two separate wrist straps to prevent you from accidentally playing death frisbee with the controller.

For all that is packed into it, it still doesn't feel heavy, but with the remote and nunchuk clipped to it, it could get a little unwieldy (but that's only speculation). Either way, it's so comfortable and eye-catching that it's going to be hard to put down no matter how good of a workout it gives us next year.


 

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