Nintendo Unveils Wii U

Forget Project Cafe. Disregard Nintendo Stream. Don't even bother thinking about Nintendo Wii HD or Wii 2. And as for the simple and effective moniker of Nintendo, it looks like you can forget about that one, too. Nintendo has just announced its newest home console: Wii U.

The rumors were true, folks. It looks like a tablet controller with a 6.2 inch screen will be used as the system's input. The controller will also feature dual analog sticks, a D-pad, four face buttons, and four shoulder buttons, as has become the norm for standard controllers. But quite possibly the most mind-blowing feature is the ability to play Wii U games directly on it. So if someone wants to watch TV (or shut it off entirely to go to sleep like a troll), players can enjoy their games directly on the Wii U controller. Pretty nifty!

Contrary to my prior predictions, this controller will not be a portable gaming device. This isn't that big of a deal due to the 3DS being Nintendo's handheld priority at the moment. But the fact that you'll be able to transfer gameplay over to your controller and play on it is pretty awesome.

Also awesome is the third-party support that the folks over at Nintendo will be getting with this machine. Batman: Arkham City, Darksiders II, Metro: Last Light, Battlefield, and Ninja Gaiden 3 were all showcased. And in case you were wondering, yes, they were all shown off in glorious HD. Additionally, a partnership between EA and Nintendo was slightly discussed, and it revolved around Nintendo's online gaming service, which the two companies apparently vowed to turn into an improved online multiplayer component over Nintendo's current model.

It looks like Nintendo's going to be playing with the big boys all the while continuing to offer casual appeal, as well as their revered first-party franchises. It's going to be very interesting to see how the Wii U is received and what kinds of changes it will offer the gaming landscape.