Wii U

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Wii U
The Wii U
General Information
Type	Video game console
Manufacturer(s)	Nintendo (Developer) Foxconn Mitsumi
First available	18 November 2012
Discontinued	31 January 2017
Units sold	13.56 million (as of March 2017)
Technical Information
CPU	Tri-Core IBM PowerPC "Espresso" 1.24GHz
RAM	2GB DDR3
Sound	5.1 Linear PCM Analog stereo
Timeline
Precursor	Wii
Successor	Nintendo Switch

The Wii U (officially stylized as Wiiᵁ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo and is the successor to the Wii. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles. The Wii U was Nintendo's first console to support high-definition graphics.

The Wii U GamePad is the primary controller for the console, featuring an embedded touchscreen that can either supplement gameplay on the main screen, or be used to play the games directly on the GamePad independently of the television. There are two versions of the Wii U: the "Basic White" with 8GB of storage and the "Deluxe Black" with 32GB.

The Wii U is backward compatible with Wii software and accessories, and as such all Sonic the Hedgehog games released on the Wii are also playable on the Wii U, although the system does not support GameCube controllers. The Wii U also offers an online service called the Nintendo Network and previously featured an integrated social networking service called Miiverse. The Wii U was plagued with slow consumer adoption, a lack of strong launch titles, and bad marketing and third party support. It has been considered to be one of Nintendo's worst selling game consoles.

Nintendo officially ended the Wii U's production in 2017.

Controllers

Wii U GamePad

The Wii U GamePad.

The Wii U GamePad is the primary controller for the Wii U. It features a built-in touchscreen, which can either supplement or replicate the gameplay shown on the main display, and can function as a standalone screen without the use of a television screen.

Wii Remote

Aside from the console's backward compatibility with Wii games, the Wii Remote and its peripheral extensions (Nunchuk, Classic Controller etc.) are also supported in most Wii U games.

Wii U Pro Controller

The Wii U Pro Controller.

The Wii U Pro Controller is the second controller released for the console, available separately. Like more traditional controllers, it features standard control sticks, buttons, and triggers. Many video game journalists have noted the similarities between this controller and Microsoft's Xbox 360 Controller. However, Nintendo claims that the design of the Pro Controller is an “enhanced version” of the Wii Classic Controller and "offers a richer experience".

The Wii U Pro Controller is compatible with most supported Wii U games but is incompatible with Wii games.

Nintendo GameCube controller

Nintendo GameCube controllers can be used with the Wii U via a USB accessory, although it is only compatible with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and cannot be used for any other software.

Amiibo

The Super Smash Bros. Sonic amiibo.

As of 21 November 2014, the Wii U began supporting amiibo, a series of figurines which uses near field communication to add special features to compatible software.

A Sonic the Hedgehog amiibo figure was unveiled on 10 November 2014 as part of the Super Smash Bros. amiibo series, and was later released on 10 February 2015. It is only compatible with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Yoshi's Woolly World, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Maker, and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Sonic games

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012)	Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Bonus Edition (2012)	Sonic Lost World (2013)	Sonic Lost World Deadly Six Bonus Edition (2013)
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (2013)	Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (2014)	Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014)	Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2016)

Virtual Console

Similarly to the Wii, the Wii U also features a Virtual Console section in the Nintendo e-Shop where past video games, most of which were previously released on past Nintendo consoles, can be downloaded and played on the Wii U.

Sonic Advance (Japan)

Sonic Advance 2 (Japan)

Sonic Advance 3 (Japan)

Trivia

• The Wii U is the only eighth-generation console to have complete backwards compatibility with its immediate predecessor.
• The Wii U is the first home console with no native 4:3 support for any of its Sonic games; some Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Sonic titles supported it (i.e. Sonic Unleashed and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I & II), and all Wii Sonic titles supported both 4:3 & 16:9. If the Wii U is set to 4:3, all Wii U Sonic titles will be displayed in letterboxed widescreen on 4:3 displays. The Wii Sonic titles, on the other hand, can still be played in 4:3 on the Wii U as long as the system itself is set to 4:3.

External links

• Wii U at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Video game platforms