These Nintendo Illustrations to Highlight The Wii U Difference are Just Too Good

OMG! These need to be in the U.K!

Awesome. Gotta love the Japanese style

If Yoshi could sing, what would that sound like?

Luigi the loner.

@Technosphile we already know what yoshi singing sounds like.

This artwork is just too cute.

Nice! This is like stuff they used to do in the old days. I remember a comic strip in an old Nintendo mag with Mario and Luigi to illustrate the Game Boy Link Cable.

I love that artwork!

@Technosphile
It would sound like the kazoo soundtrack in Yoshi's New Island.

Seeing yoshi sing, has made me picture him singing street spirit (fade out). I think I'm satisfied now.

Great stuff. No word on the latest Japanese software/hardware charts?

Very, very cute this artwork! ^.^

I love this 'art-style' for Mario. It's so reminiscent of Super Mario World, and the matte-characters are very appealing.
Is Princess Toadstool/Peach baking another cake?

So awesome! .^_^.

Adorable!!!

My all time favorite Mario artwork! Nothing can beat this classic art style for Mario. So clean, attractive and charm.

I couldn't help but smile at these

Thanks for sharing, Thomas.

These images should be used worldwide.

I really love how since 3D World the artwork of Mario has reverted to a style similar to the classics.

It's nice to see the old style of Mario art make a return. These are so cute! ^_^

I love it I love it I love
I really love these simple, oldschool 2D, no lighting / shades Super Mario artwork. This is the Mario I got to know and love. I used to draw these countless of times hihi

At least the super-fanboys will get two systems now.Gotta have one in the kitchen for these thousands of Wii U cooking apps.

Actually, the old-style Mario art has been around for a while now.
Love the artwork. Looks like they'll continue to use the art style. Nice .

At the risk of sounding stupid, am I missing something with the cooking apps on Wii U? I'm in North America and haven't seen any on the eshop, unless I'm overlooking them.

@Falkor Im guessing that's the internet browser aspect TW mentioned in the article. My Gamepad loses its connection about 5' from the kitchen though Really think the Gamepad should have had a Wifi connection for internet, Netflix , eShop (the games DL to the console, not the controller so distance doesnt matter) and last but not least Miiverse.

Yes Nintendo that's how you sell consoles with your strong IP's not celebrities!

@Falkor There are not any cooking apps that I know of but this could possibly represent using the Wii U Browser to look up recipes

This artwork is quite awesome... I wish I could get these in poster-form!

Nice artwork.

'Yeah!'

That Yoshi illustration is just adorable <3

I dig that classic Mario artwork. There should be more of it.

I really freakin' love these pictures!

@rjejr if it used wi fii instead of what it is using now, it would be laggy. Like the PS Vita and the PS4 which is extremely laggy. Probably the internet browsing would suck and not like now.

I am unbelievably happy to see this illustration style back!

advertising at its finest!

Oh Yeah!
80's - 90's Nintendo Japan is coming Back with Dem Drawings!!
All they Need to do is Spam this Ad of the Wii U and the Sales will keep Movin'
Now you're playing with Power! 8D

I love the hand-drawn illustrations in the 90's style of Mario.

@Technosphile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKXFzSF1Gtk

Ha ha, that's pretty cool.

I love the first one. My first thought was: If Mario's the Dad I guess.. Toad is the Kid, and Peach is the Mom.. that makes Luigi the free-loading brother. XD

I couldn't help but smile at the third one, Bowser seems so happy and friendly and Kamek seems to be rather befuddled and concentrating hard. I hope we can get a 2D Mario with this art style, it could really brighten up the series if they did a game like this!

The third image is a reminder that the Nico Nico Douga app released in japan only despite Dwango themselves making the site intonational.

This is pretty awesome!

I love this art style for Mario. I'm glad they've been using is recently.

I think this confuses me more...

Why doesn't Nintendo use its characters as marketing tools to advertise their systems like this more often? Instead of showing generic lame families with the Wii U, show us unique animated commercials of how the Mario crew uses the system. I just feel like they could be far more creative than they have been.

i love this keep doing this nintendo, and am i the only one that thinks that mario and bowser are friends and they are just a big happy family cause of these pics.

Strange how Nintendo's been pushing Rosalina into the spotlight, yet they don't use her in these illustrations.

Noco Nico Douga is there? I wonder if Bowser likes Anime.

LOL I think I know what Bowser is going to watch on Youtube....heh, heh heheheheh

@Rosalina It's because they're appealing to classic 90's mario here, so, no Rosalina.

Having said that, this is the best publicity I've seen in a LONG time, Nintendo of Japan really did a wonderful work with these illustrations, they're simply beautiful and clearly do the right thing explaining the wii u's gamepad functionality.

@Emaan I fully agree, this appeals not only to us pure gamers, but also kids, teenagers and adults would find it pretty cool. Lame family publicity is the worst gaming publicity, glad that at least nintendo of japan is becoming aware of that.

To be fair to nintendo, it's hard to convey the message of the wii u with off-screen functionality, which I would say is the only worthwhile function of the gamepad, but man is it an awesome feature. I hope they make a version of the gamepad for future gens that's lighter, has a better battery life, and is used more.

I hope Nintendo knows how much we love old style artwork of Mario and the gang. Maybe it will continue! Good clean fun

I think I just found my new avatar <3.

I wish the US could get some karaoke goin' on, not just Sing Party.

we did that first image in college. i'd relax in my room on the bed playing, and people would come watch in the next room over where the wii u was

@dumedum - " Probably the internet browsing would suck and not like now."

How laggy would i have to be for Miiverse not to work? My Samsung 7" Tab with a much hire screen resolution can stream Youtube over wi-fi just fine. I know games would be laggy over wi-fi, I understand that, but everything else should be fine. The 3DS can stream Netflix over wi-fi, w/o any special connection required.

@Emaan
I can see it now, Mario and the gang gathered around the couch playing Mario Kart or something.

I really wish they'd do commercials like back in the day again, I still remember the old Pokemon and Smash Bros. ones. They don't need to be retrotastically cheesy or anything, but a throwback to the old ones would certainly strike a cord with older fans.

The artwork reminds me of how NES and SNES were advertised.... And that's just awesome!!!!!!!

@Artwark

Yes it reminds me of the old classic NES art work, great stuff Nintendo needs to do more of this.

I don't like their try to appeal as a multimedia hub. Try and be the games specialist, not the generic platform everybody seems to try to be.

I'm really happy with the GamePad for a number of reasons. It's great for doing pastel paintings in Art Academy, and it's the handheld that wouldn't be allowed to exist if it had to be an actual handheld.

My sole minor gripe is the lack of space for your surplus fingers on the back of it. Which is understandable, as you can't just poke them through the screen, but gripping it isn't entirely as comfy as one might wish for.

This is pathetic. Nintendo trying to advertise the failed Gamepad and its poor features with old-school Mario. It won't convince anyone.

@TruenoGT

Damn, i was gonna post that.

@GamerOZO They will be. However they will replace mario and co with some z list celebrity no ones heard of to make lame attempts at pretending to be interested and invested in the wiiu... Yay britania! :-/

Mario chillin like a boss on that recliner.

I wonder why Mario is sitting that close to the TV.

"It's little secret that Nintendo will be aiming to up its game, in territories all around the world, in selling the Wii U concept to the masses."

I thought they were supposed to do that last year (in which they failed miserably). I don't know, maybe because I got spoiled with the Wii's success but I don't Nintendo is doing enough with the Wii U. Perhaps it's the growing pains of their first HD console.

@BAGBOY Well I know that this is classic 90's Mario here, but they've also made Rosalina in that art form. That's why I was considering Rosalina. It's just a little strange.
This is what I thought of:

I love how Mario is just hanging in his chair like that! Just like I always do!

@Mahe Opinions broham. Shockingly enough, you seem to be apart of a very vocal minority who actually hates the GamePad. So yeah, not everyone hates it, so market it. Though I am curious, why do you dislike it?

So cute!!! I love it!!!

I can't wait to see these in the US!

@Rosalina Rosalina and elsa look alot the same by the way nice picture it fits you very well:)

@Williaint That is indeed, the start of a cake recipe.