Nintendo finally dropped the Wii U details everyone has been waiting for Thursday, announcing that the next-generation gaming console will be available in the U.S. starting Nov. 18 at $300. It comes in white. A black “Wii U Deluxe” version will cost $50 more and include more storage (32GB versus 8GB), a charging station for the new GamePad controller and Nintendo Land, a collection of minigames that were designed to show off the new hardware’s various capabilities in a stylized theme park environment.
I was expecting a heftier pricetag after I saw what the Japanese pricing translated to, but now I’m excited for this console’s future. The original Wii, for all the flack it took for its influence on casual gaming versus hardcore, was revolutionary and just damn fun. Personally, I don’t know who wouldn’t be willing to pony up an extra $50 for the Deluxe extras. That’s the price of many old-console Wii games, and for that you get not only Nintendo Land but a charging station and more storage? Yes, please. Shut up and take my money.
We also learned that New Super Mario Bros. U will be a launch title. I was really worried about the starting lineup, because Nintendo almost always misses opportunities here and catches hell for it. Having a flagship franchise like this up front will please fans, and the solid gameplay that Nintendo devotes to its star player should help the Wii U take root in many, many living rooms. Now just don’t take forever bringing out the next Zelda game …
More coverage:
IGN: The full Wii U launch window (Nov. 18 through March 2013)
