It seems as if Nintendo did not blow the collective mind of the gaming populace.
The general lack of information presented during their Wii U presentation shouldn't come as a surprise. Compared to what was said back in 2005 when Nintendo first showed the original Wii, I would say that this is an absolute flood of information to chew on for the next few months. However, it does appear that the Wii U may be farther out than many had previously guessed, considering that Nintendo showed absolutely no real games for the system besides a real of 3rd party software already confirmed for PS3 and Xbox 360.
I think it's hard to judge the controller without getting your hands on it-- the two circle pads seem to be in a bit of an awkward position near the top of the controller (and why go with circle pads instead of sticks?) and it's pretty crazy that the face buttons are below the right stick. I don't believe I've ever seen a controller with that particular button placement; it's going to take a lot to get used to, I think. I also imagine that the controller will be fairly hefty, given its size and amount of hardware packed in. Something that I don't think was mentioned was rumble-- I would be very disappointed if the controller does not include that feature.
It was nice to see the tech demo stuff, but the New Super Mario Bros game hardly looks exciting considering that it doesn't really show off what the hardware can do. I hope we get a direct feed, HD video of that Zelda footage; if they can manage to get a Zelda or Metroid game looking like that I'll be very impressed and excited to play.
What was not exciting was the footage of third party games that I'll already be getting on my Xbox or PS3. I like Tekken, but the ability to draw on Bob's fat arms isn't really going to get me to switch platforms. The other day, I mentioned to a friend that it would be very strange if Nintendo had the best console version of Battlefield and oddly enough, Battlefield was in the third party demo reel late in the show.
As happy as I am to see new hardware, I think the most exciting part of the show was the 3DS software showcase. It was very refreshing to see some exciting games shown for the system, even if it was for stuff we've known about. I never thought I'd be interested in another Mario Kart, but this one looks to be leaning back towards the creative and deep path the game had been set it before the DS and Wii with Double Dash. It appears that the game features tracks that require you to fly and travel underwater, and it could be the bit of variety that the Mario Kart series needs.
Kid Icarus looks to be a full featured game now. The environments were varied, and the graphics were probably the most impressive that I've seen on the system. I'm hoping to have a lot of control over the character and to avoid the on-rails shooter bits that seemed to be the crux of the game when it was first showed last year. Speaking of on-rails shooters, Star Fox is looking to be an excellent remake. Star Fox 64 is the best in the series, so I'll be happy for an excuse to replay that game. I am hoping for at least another level or two-- besides the medal grind, Star Fox 64 might be a little short on content.
I think I might be most excited for Super Mario. Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 are two of the greatest games Nintendo has ever put out, but unfortunately they were both outsold by New Super Mario Bros Wii. It seems as if the public has a penchant for a more classic style Mario, and this new game seems to be blurring the lines a little between the classic games and the modern 3D Mario titles. The game seems to frequently shift to a 2d perspective, and there are obvious throwbacks to classic Mario tropes such as the raccoon suit and the Mushroom Kingdom-like environments.
Also, it was a nice surprise to have Link's Awakening available today. I think most people were expecting that game to come much later, giving that the store just went up yesterday.
I have to say that I'm a little disappointed with the content they have available for the 25th anniversary of Zelda. Of course there are the great Zelda games coming this year (including a free Four Swords!), and I would be very excited to go to to the see the Zelda Orchestra, but I was hoping for some kind of collection, similar to the one put out last year for Mario. I suppose there's a lot of Zelda content coming out this year, but there would not have been a better time to put out another collector's disk.
The Wii U is a very interesting piece of hardware. It appears to comparable in power to the PS3 and 360, and that should be fine for right now. However, where will they be in two years when a new Xbox will be coming out? If Nintendo wants to appeal to the hardcore again, shouldn't there be a lot more concerned about future-proofing their console? There are plenty of things to think about as this new hardware comes along.
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