• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Official (I guess) Wii U Demo Station impressions thread

Stewox

Banned
Impressed by the responsiveness of the touch screen to taps with the finger in this video. I was worried that the stylus was going to be required for any kind of accuracy or consistent input response.

Master Believer: gladly, great to hear that you've just landed on planet Earth, welcome to our little Gaf Treehouse for those who have just landed, in the Forrest of The Landed , we are sadly still a minority all around, so many are still up there. You have landed via Gaf, so this is your home indicator for various houses, permanently. While there are more treehouses to visit now at any time, we must inform you that the Nintendo Steelhouse in Land of Originators, is permanently off limits for most levels and specials. Top Announcement; We are expecting a meteor shower with peaks around this November 18 and 30 and December 8, be sure to read your starter guide in order to find instructions on how to level up and help getting down more lands. Beware though, attracting too hard may cause some to crash land, because they are not ready yet, worse yet, they may form groups which will crash land around you increasing chances to get hit, but you may be thrown out of the club if you let them to form an asteroid and crash land into you, balance your abilities wisely, finnally, be sure you treat newcomers from same home very nicely. End

... That could be one hell of a crash land. No, fingers or styluses, have absolutely no remote effect on touchscreen response time. None. Nada. Nonsense. Good Heavens forgive me. And a happy Good eu Night.
 

Hiltz

Member
I got to play Wii U at Gamestop earlier today. Unfortunately, my time with it was a brief 3 minute experience with Rayman Legends. This guy behind me was waiting with his weasel-faced friend. He tapping my shoulder to ask me know when they could play it. I noticed he had long, dirty fingernails that were creeping me out, so I decided to leave the store before he could touch me again with his filthy hand.

Anyway, I was surprised by the GamePad's large shape, (by the way, I'v never even handled an iPad/tablet before) but it's deceptively light weight and seemed durable like previous Nintendo controllers. It sported a sleek design that prevented it from looking like a cheap toy.The controller fit snugly in my large hands without that tight grip issue I have with the Wii's CC Pro (as if it feels like you'd break it). The back triggers felt pleasant to the touch, but I didn't think much of the top triggers that appeared to resemble the Wii CC Pro's (too bad none are analog). The d-pad and analog sticks felt fine while the face buttons may have been less mushy compared to the Wii's CC Pro. From what I can remember, the touchscreen for menu navigation of the demo options looked bright and crisp.

Now, the only minor issues I have with the GamePad is the right analog stick being placed above the four face buttons. While playing Rayman Legends, it felt fairly odd having to take my thumb off the analog stick and reach below to use the face buttons. I died three times during the first jump in the game because of this. More than once, the analog stick shifted back into neutral position as it gently rubbed up against my thumb while in the process of moving my finger over to the top two face buttons. Maybe I just need some more time to get used to the controls, but this is the second time a dual analog controller didn't immediately feel intuitive upon playing a game (the other time is with the PlayStation controllers, those analog sticks have always rubbed up against the sides of my thumbs). I don't remember if the rumble was on or not, but if it was, then I sure as heck didn't feel anything.

The visuals of Rayman Legends are as colorful and crisp as it has been made out to be. I felt compelled to stare at the game's fluid animation and beautifully detailed environments before attempting to make any progress with the adorably goofy, ginger-haired viking girl. Ubisoft really did an impressive job crafting this game's lovely visuals and I wouldn't be surprised if it remains the best looking game in the entire launch lineup. While I wasn't even able to finish half of the level, the gameplay was simple but entertaining -as most platformers are - and the synchronized music and platforming was an amusing touch that I can't wait to see more of. Maybe it's just me, but I still need to get used to Rayman's platforming physics since I'm so used to Nintendo platformers. This isn't a complaint, however.

Now on to the touchscreen stuff. While I don't recall the quality of the game's graphics on the touchscreen display, the gestures were accurate to perform. I was not a big fan of these abrupt Murphy sections because they felt intrusive and fairly disorienting to suddenly lose control of the main playable character. It took me a second to remind myself that I need to look at the touchscreen. It felt like it took me out of the experience a bit to use Murphy to tickle a monster then look back up on the tv and quickly attack it. According to a comment made by IGN yesterday, we can apparently play through single player mode without ever having to use the touchscreen gestures. That's kind of a relief if my opinion on these Murphy sections don't change later on.

I also got to see a quick video of New SMBU and the graphics were a mixed bag. On one hand, the stylized backgrounds look lovely and add a sense of whimsical charm that was largely absent from the previous New SMB games. Unfortunately, the actual graphics didn't impress me much. The generic character models are back and still don't look that much better. I think there were even some jaggies too. Strangely, I recall online videos of the game looking better than what I saw.

I walked away impressed by the GamePad, but still undecided if I want a black or white one.I wasn't able to get a good look at the Wii U console box.
 

Synless

Member
Tell the guy to fuck off and wait his turn, take it a step further and tell him if he touches you again with his dirty hands you will break his fingers.
 

Hiltz

Member
Tell the guy to fuck off and wait his turn, take it a step further and tell him if he touches you again with his dirty hands you will break his fingers.

I should have said something, but I was honestly grossed out. I tried to check at other stores like Target, but it didn't have a demo unit set up. I guess my local Bestbuy/Wal Mart would probably have them.
 
I got a chance to play the Wii U again at GameStop this morning. I played it at a Wii U Experience a couple months ago, so it was nice to get my hands on it again. I'll mirror everybody else's surprise that the system itself is huge! It's about as deep as the original Xbox 360 is tall. I'm concerned about the GamePad tether being strung too tight. I was having a hard time playing because of the resistance to standing at a comfortable distance from the machine. I also had a couple instances where the touch screen seemed to not register my inputs. This was probably due to some dirty kid putting a fine layer of grease on the screen. It was no worse than my Vita screen or my iPhone/iPad, though. They sometimes have the same issues if you haven't wiped it with a microfiber cloth recently. I hope they send some sort of update to the systems before launch. Having only Rayman as a playable demo seems kinda silly since it isn't even launching with the system. There were also some things in the "About Wii U" section that were notably missing. The information on the MiiVerse and eShop were grayed out. I guess this means they will add that stuff at a later date.
 

Lenardo

Banned
The best buy in danvers,ma got the demo unit yesterday, controller felt good. Then my kids took it over for the next 30 minutes. They love legends, had to rip the controller from my 11yr old son's hands to let his brother and sister try it.
 
Looks like bad impressions from the same people who have nothing good to say about it from the start.

I 100 percent guarantee you the screen does not "blow". Its plenty good enough for anyone in this thread dont kid yourselves.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
From what I can tell, the screen is better then what is offered with the 3DS, but does look a bit weak when compared to the HD TV in front of you running Rayman Legends (for example). IMO the screen seems to "pop" more with the black controller, and (obviously) looks much better while playing in the dark.

The analogs still feel weird to me though.
 

adroit

Member
...and (obviously) looks much better while playing in the dark.
I wonder if the super-bright overhead lighting in retail stores is causing negative impressions. I tried to use my DS Lite at the dentist's office the other day and was surprised how impossible it was to see the screens with the brightness level I use at home (brightness level 2 out of 4).
 

Mrbob

Member
Played the Wii U at Best Buy last night. It's strange they had the Wii U display buried in the back of the store. Game looked nice, played well, and I was impressed with the Gamepad. Lighter than I imagined and the analog sticks felt good. Going between the two screens in the Rayman section was a bit disappointed though. Just doing gestures on the touch screen and Rayman auto runs on the main screen to the next area. I hope this isn't the only way you use Rayman in the game.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
adriot said:
I wonder if the super-bright overhead lighting in retail stores is causing negative impressions. I tried to use my DS Lite at the dentist's office the other day and was surprised how impossible it was to see the screens with the brightness level I use at home (brightness level 2 out of 4).

It likely could be a factor. Pulling your 3DS out at a store like Best Buy doesn't exactly do wonders for the screen. I think the vast majority of people will be fine with the screen quality once they get it home and are sitting 10+ feet away from their HDTV.

Played the Wii U at Best Buy last night. It's strange they had the Wii U display buried in the back of the store. Game looked nice, played well, and I was impressed with the Gamepad. Lighter than I imagined and the analog sticks felt good. Going between the two screens in the Rayman section was a bit disappointed though. Just doing gestures on the touch screen and Rayman auto runs on the main screen to the next area. I hope this isn't the only way you use Rayman in the game.

It's not. Some areas during single-player require you to play as Murphy (touch screen gestures) while the majority of it is played as Rayman 2D sidescrolling-style. The game is best with co-op, where one-four players play as Rayman and his friends while one plays as Murphy on the Gamepad.
 

P90

Member
My boys tried Rayman Legends at the kiosk today at the local GS. I did not have time to play as I was getting an new Skylander for one of the kids for Christmas on the sly. The kids loved the system. I watched my boys play for a bit. I was impressed with the gaming pad functions in game play. I can't wait to play NG3:RE.

I thought the game pad screen looks very good. Good color and contrast, at least from what I saw of Rayman Legends. Not up to Vita standards, but I think better color and contrast then my iPad 1 screen.
 
I just got back from playing it for the first time. I got to play it at a Gamestop and Best Buy. For some reason Rayman looked better at Best Buy, it must have been because it was on a bigger TV.

Gamepad: It was a little weighed down since it was tethered to the demo unit, but I could still feel that it was a very light controller, especially for its size. I didn't have much problem holding it on the side with one hand and using the touch screen with the other, and I'm sure this will only get easier since it won't be tethered when I'm using it at home. The screen looked pretty good, but the colors were a little more washed out than what was being shown on the TV. I didn't have any problems with the resolution, but with a colorful game like Rayman the color difference was pretty noticeable. There probably won't be many examples that show off the screen's flaws as much as the extremely vibrant Rayman though, so if this is the worst it gets, I can live with that. As someone mentioned earlier it could also have been the bright fluorescent lights.

Rayman: I think this demo sold me on this game. I couldn't stop smiling when I was playing the music level with Black Betty playing in the background, and a few people actually stopped to watch me play and they were enjoying themselves too. It's going to be hard to pass this game up with as much fun as this demo was now.

System/OS: Obviously just the demo interface, but I wanted to point out that the videos you could play loaded FAST. Like, instantly. Way faster than my computer loads a video saved to the hard drive.
 

RobertM

Member
Why is there only 1 demo? Where are Nintendo games? Rayman looked pretty damn good, i thought the colors really popped on the screen they had there, nothing compared to my monitor.
Controller felt good in hand and can't say anything bad about the touch functionality; good quality and responsive. My issue was the placesemnt of the face buttons below the analog stick. I kept on pressing the wrong button and occasionally hitting the stick. Pretty bad design on their part.
Overall I had pretty good time with the system. Jeez the console is long though.
 

jacksrb

Member
Glad to finally be able to post my thoughts.

First, I went to a Best Buy that had the demo area setup with the TV, wii remote and nunchuck and wii U gamepad, but NO WII U CONSOLE. I was happy to handle the controller anyway.

Better luck at GameStop.

Pad was huge on first impression but pretty comfy. Was impressed with the touchscreen in the Rayman demo stage where you control Murphy.

My biggest surprise (and relief) was that the I was able to reach the top shoulder triggers pretty easily. They looked really awkward to me in pictures but weren't hard to reach.
 

Arc07

Member
Heard it was at Gamestop nearby. Controller was perfect for my hands. Also... Rayman Legends is now pre-ordered. I haven't played Rayman since Atari Jaguar, but my my my that game is gorgeous.
 
system wasn't working when i was in best buy :( it needed to be synced since someone reset it.

I got to test/play around the controller though and it felt fantastic, was expecting it to be heavy but it was really light and i want to play some games now!
 

Hiltz

Member
Played the Wii U at Best Buy last night. It's strange they had the Wii U display buried in the back of the store. Game looked nice, played well, and I was impressed with the Gamepad. Lighter than I imagined and the analog sticks felt good. Going between the two screens in the Rayman section was a bit disappointed though. Just doing gestures on the touch screen and Rayman auto runs on the main screen to the next area. I hope this isn't the only way you use Rayman in the game.

It sounds like you'll be able to play as Rayman with the touchscreen control being optional for single player mode. I suppose the demo units just have it set up so people would be forced to try out the touchscreen.
 

GDGF

Soothsayer
Is there a way to change the color/contrast/backlighting of the Gamepad itself? Might help the washed out colors complaint if there is.
 
Got to play one at the Nintendo World Store last weekend. You can read my impressions here.

I was extremely pleased with the controller. Considering I was extremely skeptical, feeling how light and comfortable it was was a relief. The screen's no HD OLED, but it'll be more than adequate for Off Screen Play.
 

Wiz

Member
Today I tried to find a Wii U Demo station at a Gamestop & BestBuy around my area. No luck...guess I'll just wait till launch. Nintendooooo.....
 

Seventy5

Member
I played with the demo for about a half an hour total at Best Buy & Gamestop this weekend. I have one preordered but I don't think I'm going to bother now. The tablet controller just isn't comfortable at all for a normal game. The face button placement is terrible, it didn't even feel right for Rayman because you have to move your right hand down off of the "sweet spot" and it just doesnt feel like you have a good or proper grip on it. I wish they had had an FPS game on the demo, but I still tried to acclimate my hands to how it would play and it just didn't feel right. I know that there is the pro controller, but at that point it's a PS3, and I already have one of those, and motion controls just aren't my thing. My 10 & 11 year old daughters were at Best Buy with me, and they are Wii fanatics, and they weren't moved by it one way or another. I gave them Rayman Origins last year and they love it, but my youngest said it was too hard to play with the tablet controller. Anecdotal for sure, but my 2 cents nonetheless.
 

Lenardo

Banned
I played with the demo for about a half an hour total at Best Buy & Gamestop this weekend. I have one preordered but I don't think I'm going to bother now. The tablet controller just isn't comfortable at all for a normal game. The face button placement is terrible, it didn't even feel right for Rayman because you have to move your right hand down off of the "sweet spot" and it just doesnt feel like you have a good or proper grip on it. I wish they had had an FPS game on the demo, but I still tried to acclimate my hands to how it would play and it just didn't feel right. I know that there is the pro controller, but at that point it's a PS3, and I already have one of those, and motion controls just aren't my thing. My 10 & 11 year old daughters were at Best Buy with me, and they are Wii fanatics, and they weren't moved by it one way or another. I gave them Rayman Origins last year and they love it, but my youngest said it was too hard to play with the tablet controller. Anecdotal for sure, but my 2 cents nonetheless.


My 8 yr old daughter and son had no problems with the gamepad, in fact my daughter was better at Murphy than either of the boys. All three love the gamepad. At home we have 4 nunchucks, 4 wiimotes, 2 mote+, 4 motion plus adapters, 2 classic controllers, a cc pro, balance board, zapper shell, 3 handgun shells, 2 Wii's. In 3 weeks a wiiu.
 
Played around with the demo unit today at the local gamestop. Very impressed with the gamepad on all levels, including the screen. Can't wait to get my sexy black one next month.
 

Seventy5

Member
My 8 yr old daughter and son had no problems with the gamepad, in fact my daughter was better at Murphy than either of the boys. All three love the gamepad. At home we have 4 nunchucks, 4 wiimotes, 2 mote+, 4 motion plus adapters, 2 classic controllers, a cc pro, balance board, zapper shell, 3 handgun shells, 2 Wii's. In 3 weeks a wiiu.
Awesome. My daughters each have a DS lite & a DSi (6 total, the 10 year olds are twins) and they have tons of wiimotes, m+, mics & other stuff. They love their Wii. They just didn't care much for the new controller, nor did I. Plenty of people are going to like it, I'm not trying to disparage it, it just doesn't seem like it's going to be for us, which is fine.
 

Amir0x

Banned
What issues are people having with the screen? It seemed fine to me. No worse than the 3DS one.

The 3DS doesn't have a good screen either. Pretty awful compared to industry standards at this point, really.

I know people's standards might be accepting of that level, or they might not even factor it into the equation. The disparity between these accounts is simply a matter of where you fall on that line.

So this can be summed up as: The same people that overlook technical issues like power, resolution, etc will be "fine" with it, and those that find these issues more important won't be. If you do find it important, however, it is immediately apparent the shortcomings of the screen. What compounds the issue though is that since this is a Wii U, you're constantly going to be moving your eyes back to a far superior HDTV most of the time. So the difference seems even worse for me.
 
The white gamepad's screen at the demo Wii U looked good enough to me, but I think the black gamepad's screen will look a little better due to having the black surrounding the screen. The white seems to just make the image on the screen look a little washed out/brighter than it really is while a black border allows the image to more clearly stand out on its own. At least that's how I feel about it, it could just be the poor smudging or lighting that the Wii U demos have been experiencing as well.
 
Finally found a demo kiosk:

-What's with only Rayman being playable? It was fun and nice to look at, but there was no controller use at all (or if there was I couldn't find it in my 10 minutes). No Nintendo Land demo, really?

-I felt all the graphics (either from the Rayman demo or the videos from the other games) were noticeably better (in a resolution sense) than most anything from current gen. My girlfriend who was with me said, "This looks better than an X-Box, the graphics look like they are on an iPad" which I assume was a compliment and also about the resolution(?)

-The controller was pretty wicked sweet, the shoulder/trigger buttons being the immediate standout. It's the first controller ever that I'm comfortably able to rest a finger on each button (instead of having my pointer finger having to do double duty).

-The controller is too light. It gives it a really cheap feel. Definitely need to be heavier.

-I liked holding it, my girlfriend didn't (hands were too far apart). She said she also didn't like holding a Wiimote & Nunchuk for the same reason, it makes her feel uncoordinated.

-Steady line of people at both GameStops I visited lining up to try it, most of them probably "casuals." The vast and distrubing majority of these casuals remarked that the controller was awesome because you can take it on the go with you (which you can't).

-The Wii U unit itself is too unassuming, it's literally just a box. The Wii itself became a pop cultural thing (not just the remote) so I think this is the wrong move by Nintendo.

-I need to play more Wii U games.
 

Amir0x

Banned
Finally found a demo kiosk:

-What's with only Rayman being playable? It was fun and nice to look at, but there was no controller use at all (or if there was I couldn't find it in my 10 minutes). No Nintendo Land demo, really?

I thought the demo kiosks have like a bunch of different demos packed into it, and you could go back to the controller to select a different demo?
 
Top Bottom