Glad about the pad

While some developers are certainly guilty of underusing the Wii U GamePad, that criticism can't be laid at the feet of the team behind Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The forthcoming fighter will make robust use of the unique controller, not only during battle but in-between brawls as well.

During normal play it will be possible to use the controller's screen for off-TV play, but you can also toggle it to display the damage levels of all of the combatants. With this feature, it's possible that you may wish to stand the GamePad next to the TV set so that all participants can easily see how much damage they've taken.

Smash Bros. will also make use of the GamePad's built-in microphone for voice chat — although to ensure that connection speeds remain fast, this will be limited to those moments before and after fights.

The GamePad's screen will also be used in conjunction with the screenshot mode to create paintings which you'll be able to send to friends at a later date — Nintendo is planning a big update which will enable sharing of various elements in the game.

Finally, there's the stage builder mode, which uses the GamePad's touchscreen to allow players to dream up their own unique stages. Again, these will eventually be shareable after Nintendo issues the aforementioned update.

How do you feel about the GamePad being used in this fashion? Do you think it's a step in the right direction, or could Nintendo have possibly done more? Sound off by leaving a comment below.