Great review Joe!! I have to admit, I really wanna try this game just because AYANE. Shame you can't play as her in every level, but the rest of the game sounds really fun anyway! Will be keeping my eye out for this one!
@castlezelda The ports are 2.0, but by all accounts it will work just fine with USB 3.0 HDD's! (The speeds just obviously being throttled down to USB 2 standard.)
@Ideal_Hero Exactly - just the Nintendo Land update. You can get to it through System Settings -> Move/Delete Data -> Internal Storage or USB Storage -> Nintendo Land -> ... I think it's called "Update Data" or "Additional Data"? If memory serves it's about 220MB. I haven't tried this personally, but I assume it would then prompt you for the update next time you put the disc in, and from what it sounds like installing it a second time has helped! Good luck! I hope that helps!
@Ren Miiverse integration is indeed open to anyone, not just your friends list. I've seen some people in my friends list walking around the plaza, but it's 90% people I've never met. Same with the messages that pop-up at the Continue screen. It really is awesome!
@justinj42 It definitely does - I finally made it past!
@ChunkyDroid @Picola and anyone else having crashing issues - I haven't encountered any problems myself, but I saw on the Euro-launch live-blog that Tom was getting crashes and fixed it by deleting the update/patch, and then redownloading/reinstalling it. So if it's still messing up, give that a try! I hope it works!
@Popo_man You are absolutely right! I must've written the Pikmin stage count for Zelda by accident. Good spot, fixed!
@Pikminsi Ha! Very true, I'd forgotten about that! Scary times.
@rjejr Unfortunately the Plaza is just for one, I was thinking it would've been fun to walk around together too! And yup, you can use any Mii that has a User Account or that's marked as a favourite, and it'll save scores & records to the Mii! There are also some pre-set Miis to choose from if you just want to jump into a quick game with someone without making them a Mii.
Woah, are people actually dissing on the GB Micro!? Tell you what, that is one beautiful piece of hardware - I picked one up last year and use it all the time. Sure it doesn't play everything, but it's the best way to play the games it does!
Back to the Wii mini though, I think it's an awesome looking console, probably the coolest looking thing since the Dreamcast. Plus, if you're in the market for a Wii Remote Plus and a Nunchuck, this only adds $40 to the price of buying those separately.
@CrimsonMoonMist Haha, my thought exactly! Those ninjas and their indefinite possessions.
Thanks for the review Corbie, this looks like a fun little Neo Geo fighter I hadn't heard of at all! I'm loving Last Blade at the moment so this might be a great follow up!
@DarkEdi Nintendo's said they're working on an update that will eventually allow you to connect two HDD's to the console, for that exact purpose of moving and copying data. (They haven't specified exactly when this will happen, but it's in the cards! )
@DarkEdi Nope, your Miis will still be safe in the Wii Menu! It's always a non-destructive process (whatever system you're transferring from), so you're only ever copying Miis.
@castlezelda I haven't bought a HDD in a few years, so I wouldn't be able to tell you any specific models - but anything with a wall plugin will be just fine! I've had good experience personally in the past with Iomega and LaCie drives, and I've also heard good things about Toshibas. But if I were buying a new drive, I'd probably just go with any drive with a wall plug that I could get a good deal on. And if you can find one in white, even better!
@DiscordedTeeJay That was my first thought too! I was thinking @Phil would be so happy to see this!
@daznsaz Yup! Though the option to add just what you need is sort of confusingly labeled "Pay remainder by credit card", as opposed to just being an option under "Add funds" if I'm remembering right. But you won't have to add $/£/€20 every time you want a game like on the Wii!
@castlezelda Haha no worries, I can appreciate that! If it makes you feel better about your computer drive (i.e. wall plug-in) choice, that's definitely Nintendo's preferred method. And remember if you grab the 3TB drive, you won't be able to use it until (at least) December when the firmware update to support drives > 2TB comes in.
@DrSlump I haven't been able to make that work, because the Mii Channel in the Wii U's Wii Menu doesn't seem to have the option to receive them via Wiimote. I'm still looking into it though, because I remember how important it was to you from the launch day thread! If I find anything I'll definitely let you know and update the guide!
@Nintenjoe64 @rjerj I wasn't able to get Miis on Wiimotes to carry over to the Wii U - the Mii Channel in the Wii U's Wii Menu doesn't seem to have the options on the righthand side like the original does.
Shame this one doesn't live up to BR or the WiiWare game, but a great review @Ken!! Here's hoping we get a properly fun firefighting experience sooner rather than later!
@Discostew Like, plugging one half of the Y-end into the Wii U and one half into the power adaptor? Logically that should work, though I think some Y-cables split data and power and some channel both through both cords, so you'd have to try with your particular cable. In any case, there's 4 USB ports all up on the Wii U.
@adrenochrome Definitely! I appreciate it! And that's a good point about not powering down the HDD too, very important!
@Sosa Yup! USB 3.0 is backwards compatible and will work fine, it'll just be capped at USB 2.0 speeds. If you're buying a HDD especially for your Wii U, I'd go with a 2.0 just 'cos they're cheaper, but either will work!
@MakeMyBiscuit Two ports in the back, and two in the front under the little flap. Plenty of room for a HDD and a few extras!
Great review Phil! I love Mahjong (this solitaire version and the cutthroat competitive version alike), and this looks like a perfect set of tiles to take on the go!
@castlezelda Yup, should be easy enough to find at a big box store, computer store, or Radio Shack. And if you can't find it there, Amazon or Newegg or lots of places online stock them.
@adrenochrome Well, I take their saying "we can't guarantee that such devices [single-cable connections] will run properly" without a Y-cable as meaning that they're unsupported. The minimum they recommend is a Y-cable, so that's what I'm going with here. As I said in an earlier comment, I understand that a single-cable connection may work, I just don't feel comfortable recommending it. I appreciate your feedback on the wording, too - thanks as always!
@castlezelda All you'll need is a Y-cable like the one in the picture; two standard USB ports (1 for power, 1 for data) going to a micro-USB or whatever the back of your hard drive requires. Or, if your drive has a port for an external power adaptor on the back, that would do the trick too!
@JAPBOO Excellent, that should do just fine with the AC adaptor!
@Steviis_Father Absolutely! There's a 32X, Saturn, and N64 under there too!
@blinder2 I haven't seen anything from Nintendo that would suggest you wouldn't be able to use a 7200rpm, should be fine!
@booker_steve Right - you'll have to keep all the files for each game together. I'm assuming this is so you can't split your data in a way that lets you open up a downloaded game without having the saved data available, or vice-versa. And as @Hyperstar96 pointed out, everything seems to default to the USB drive once it's hooked up, so it's really sort of a 'set it and forget it' operation.
@PinkSpider Yup! No need to move games to play them - anything on the hard drive can be played right from there.
@True_Hero @Mario_Party_Fan_999 You're very welcome, I'm glad it's useful!
Re: Single-cable USB drives - it's possible that a drive hooked up via a regular USB cable could work, but Nintendo won't guarantee it and recommends against it. From my understanding, it's because the Wii U runs at a pretty low power footprint, and if a drive needs more power than it's getting from the USB bus, it'll shut off to prevent blowing anything - potentially problematic if you're running a game off of it at the time. Your mileage may vary, but I wouldn't recommend it.
If you've got a USB drive with a single cable you'd like to use, check and see if it also has a port for an optional wall adaptor - my little Iomega does and I never noticed it until now! And of course you could always just grab a Y-cable, which would do the trick!
@Jonisme I tried playing the same game right before and right after copying to the USB drive to test it, and I didn't notice any difference.
@edhe Nintendo says you'll definitely want to use the Y-cable (data+power) but the Wii U has 4 USB ports all up - 2 in the front and 2 in the back - so you should have plenty of room for a few extra devices!
@TrueWiiMaster I don't have a Pro Controller to test it with, but it's not mentioned in the control options in game or in the manual, so I'm assuming it's not supported.
If anyone has the game and a Pro Controller to confirm either way, let us know!
@Discostew I bought the Basic pack with Nintendo Land separately for $60, and I'm definitely happy with the arrangement! I think it should be a pack-in with every Wii U, not because it doesn't merit a separate purchase but because I feel like it's the perfect introduction to the Wii U. (Plus it's a lot of fun!)
@Powkitty4 Yeah actually, it's a great weight! It's really comfy to hold for playing. It's light enough that you can comfortably hold it in one hand and use the stylus with the other without resting it on your knee or lap or whatever, though for left-hand stick right-hand stylus controls (like the Pikmin game in Nintendo Land) I found it more comfortable to rest it on my knee.
@madgear - Unfortunately it will take the games (as in WiiWare/VC games) and saved data (from Wii games, WiiWare, & VC games) off your Wii when you transfer them to the Wii U. But it certainly wouldn't touch anything in your GCN memory card, so your old Wii would still function as a perfectly good GameCube after the transfer!
@Coldheat - Thanks!! I went for the Basic because I liked the colour, to be perfectly honest! Even though I bought Nintendo Land, I didn't feel like I needed the stands or the digital promotion, so I just thought of it as paying $10 more for the colour I wanted! The storage space isn't really an issue for me, since I figure I'll need to add it sooner or later anyway, so I just cleared off an old USB HDD to hook up to the Wii U! I'm very happy with my choice, I like the classic white & it doesn't show fingerprints, which is nice!
Comments 490
Re: Review: Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge (Wii U)
Great review Joe!! I have to admit, I really wanna try this game just because AYANE. Shame you can't play as her in every level, but the rest of the game sounds really fun anyway! Will be keeping my eye out for this one!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda The ports are 2.0, but by all accounts it will work just fine with USB 3.0 HDD's! (The speeds just obviously being throttled down to USB 2 standard.)
Re: Review: Nintendo Land (Wii U)
@Ideal_Hero You got it! Let me know if it works!
Re: Review: Nintendo Land (Wii U)
@Ideal_Hero Exactly - just the Nintendo Land update. You can get to it through System Settings -> Move/Delete Data -> Internal Storage or USB Storage -> Nintendo Land -> ... I think it's called "Update Data" or "Additional Data"? If memory serves it's about 220MB. I haven't tried this personally, but I assume it would then prompt you for the update next time you put the disc in, and from what it sounds like installing it a second time has helped! Good luck! I hope that helps!
Re: Review: Nintendo Land (Wii U)
@Ren Miiverse integration is indeed open to anyone, not just your friends list. I've seen some people in my friends list walking around the plaza, but it's 90% people I've never met. Same with the messages that pop-up at the Continue screen. It really is awesome!
@justinj42 It definitely does - I finally made it past!
@ChunkyDroid @Picola and anyone else having crashing issues - I haven't encountered any problems myself, but I saw on the Euro-launch live-blog that Tom was getting crashes and fixed it by deleting the update/patch, and then redownloading/reinstalling it. So if it's still messing up, give that a try! I hope it works!
Re: Review: Nintendo Land (Wii U)
@Popo_man You are absolutely right! I must've written the Pikmin stage count for Zelda by accident. Good spot, fixed!
@Pikminsi Ha! Very true, I'd forgotten about that! Scary times.
@rjejr Unfortunately the Plaza is just for one, I was thinking it would've been fun to walk around together too! And yup, you can use any Mii that has a User Account or that's marked as a favourite, and it'll save scores & records to the Mii! There are also some pre-set Miis to choose from if you just want to jump into a quick game with someone without making them a Mii.
Re: Rumour: Yoshi's Land Coming To Wii U
Woah - thought: what if that's what the fruit thing Iwata and Bill have been doing in the Nintendo Directs is leading up to?!
Re: Nintendo of Europe Gives Free Retail Game to 3DS XL Owners
Holy crap! Well - that's awesome!
Re: Wii Mini Is Official And Has No Online Connectivity
Woah, are people actually dissing on the GB Micro!? Tell you what, that is one beautiful piece of hardware - I picked one up last year and use it all the time. Sure it doesn't play everything, but it's the best way to play the games it does!
Back to the Wii mini though, I think it's an awesome looking console, probably the coolest looking thing since the Dreamcast. Plus, if you're in the market for a Wii Remote Plus and a Nunchuck, this only adds $40 to the price of buying those separately.
Re: Review: Ninja Master's: Haō Ninpō Chō (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
@CrimsonMoonMist Haha, my thought exactly! Those ninjas and their indefinite possessions.
Thanks for the review Corbie, this looks like a fun little Neo Geo fighter I hadn't heard of at all! I'm loving Last Blade at the moment so this might be a great follow up!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@DarkEdi Nintendo's said they're working on an update that will eventually allow you to connect two HDD's to the console, for that exact purpose of moving and copying data. (They haven't specified exactly when this will happen, but it's in the cards! )
Re: Best Buy Canada Website Outs Wii Mini, States December 7th Launch
Dang, that is a cutie!
Re: Guide: Transferring your Mii to the Wii U
@DarkEdi Nope, your Miis will still be safe in the Wii Menu! It's always a non-destructive process (whatever system you're transferring from), so you're only ever copying Miis.
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda I haven't bought a HDD in a few years, so I wouldn't be able to tell you any specific models - but anything with a wall plugin will be just fine! I've had good experience personally in the past with Iomega and LaCie drives, and I've also heard good things about Toshibas. But if I were buying a new drive, I'd probably just go with any drive with a wall plug that I could get a good deal on. And if you can find one in white, even better!
Re: Review: Little Inferno (Wii U eShop)
@DiscordedTeeJay That was my first thought too! I was thinking @Phil would be so happy to see this!
@daznsaz Yup! Though the option to add just what you need is sort of confusingly labeled "Pay remainder by credit card", as opposed to just being an option under "Add funds" if I'm remembering right. But you won't have to add $/£/€20 every time you want a game like on the Wii!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda Haha no worries, I can appreciate that! If it makes you feel better about your computer drive (i.e. wall plug-in) choice, that's definitely Nintendo's preferred method. And remember if you grab the 3TB drive, you won't be able to use it until (at least) December when the firmware update to support drives > 2TB comes in.
Re: New Super Mario Bros. U Director Explains Why Peach Isn't A Playable Character
@TrueWiiMaster True! Definitely worth playing, I borrowed it from my little sister and it was a while before she got it back, haha.
Re: New Super Mario Bros. U Director Explains Why Peach Isn't A Playable Character
@TrueWiiMaster She was in her own game, Super Princess Peach on the DS, which was pretty awesome!
Re: Guide: Transferring your Mii to the Wii U
@DrSlump I haven't been able to make that work, because the Mii Channel in the Wii U's Wii Menu doesn't seem to have the option to receive them via Wiimote. I'm still looking into it though, because I remember how important it was to you from the launch day thread! If I find anything I'll definitely let you know and update the guide!
Re: Guide: Transferring your Mii to the Wii U
@Nintenjoe64 @rjerj I wasn't able to get Miis on Wiimotes to carry over to the Wii U - the Mii Channel in the Wii U's Wii Menu doesn't seem to have the options on the righthand side like the original does.
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@dmdsoftware The information comes directly from Nintendo's External Storage FAQ: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wiiu/en_na/external_usb_storage.jsp
(See question 10.)
Re: Review: Aero Porter (3DS eShop)
I can't pinpoint why, but this looks like so much fun to me! Great review Phil!!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda Perfect, I'm glad you got it sorted! You'll have room for as many games as you need! =D
Re: Review: Real Heroes Firefighter 3D (3DS)
@SteveW Oops - I just meant "Wii"!
Re: Review: Real Heroes Firefighter 3D (3DS)
@monkats Burning Rangers! What a classic.
Shame this one doesn't live up to BR or the WiiWare game, but a great review @Ken!! Here's hoping we get a properly fun firefighting experience sooner rather than later!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@Discostew Like, plugging one half of the Y-end into the Wii U and one half into the power adaptor? Logically that should work, though I think some Y-cables split data and power and some channel both through both cords, so you'd have to try with your particular cable. In any case, there's 4 USB ports all up on the Wii U.
@adrenochrome Definitely! I appreciate it! And that's a good point about not powering down the HDD too, very important!
@Sosa Yup! USB 3.0 is backwards compatible and will work fine, it'll just be capped at USB 2.0 speeds. If you're buying a HDD especially for your Wii U, I'd go with a 2.0 just 'cos they're cheaper, but either will work!
@MakeMyBiscuit Two ports in the back, and two in the front under the little flap. Plenty of room for a HDD and a few extras!
Re: Review: Nano Assault Neo (Wii U eShop)
This looks absolutely brilliant, and that two-player co-op sounds like a blast! Great review, mate!
Re: Review: 3D MahJongg (3DS eShop)
Great review Phil! I love Mahjong (this solitaire version and the cutthroat competitive version alike), and this looks like a perfect set of tiles to take on the go!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda No problem! The drive in the picture is an Iomega Prestige 500GB. It's an older model from a few years back but it works just fine!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda Yup, should be easy enough to find at a big box store, computer store, or Radio Shack. And if you can't find it there, Amazon or Newegg or lots of places online stock them.
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@adrenochrome Well, I take their saying "we can't guarantee that such devices [single-cable connections] will run properly" without a Y-cable as meaning that they're unsupported. The minimum they recommend is a Y-cable, so that's what I'm going with here. As I said in an earlier comment, I understand that a single-cable connection may work, I just don't feel comfortable recommending it. I appreciate your feedback on the wording, too - thanks as always!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@adrenochrome Certainly! It comes from Nintendo's official FAQ: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wiiu/en_na/external_usb_storage.jsp (See question #8)
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda Absolutely! You should be able to pick one up at a computer or electronics store, and certainly online if you can't find one locally.
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@castlezelda All you'll need is a Y-cable like the one in the picture; two standard USB ports (1 for power, 1 for data) going to a micro-USB or whatever the back of your hard drive requires. Or, if your drive has a port for an external power adaptor on the back, that would do the trick too!
Re: Review: ZombiU (Wii U)
Wonderful review Joe!! Looks absolutely freaking terrifying, but I'm glad to hear it's fun!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@PinkSpider You got it, made me very happy too!
Re: Talking Point: What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Eight
@justinj42 Hey that's awesome!! Balloon Trip Breeze music right? I totally agree, best Nintendo soundtrack ever!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@JAPBOO Excellent, that should do just fine with the AC adaptor!
@Steviis_Father Absolutely! There's a 32X, Saturn, and N64 under there too!
@blinder2 I haven't seen anything from Nintendo that would suggest you wouldn't be able to use a 7200rpm, should be fine!
@booker_steve Right - you'll have to keep all the files for each game together. I'm assuming this is so you can't split your data in a way that lets you open up a downloaded game without having the saved data available, or vice-versa. And as @Hyperstar96 pointed out, everything seems to default to the USB drive once it's hooked up, so it's really sort of a 'set it and forget it' operation.
@PinkSpider Yup! No need to move games to play them - anything on the hard drive can be played right from there.
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@True_Hero @Mario_Party_Fan_999 You're very welcome, I'm glad it's useful!
Re: Single-cable USB drives - it's possible that a drive hooked up via a regular USB cable could work, but Nintendo won't guarantee it and recommends against it. From my understanding, it's because the Wii U runs at a pretty low power footprint, and if a drive needs more power than it's getting from the USB bus, it'll shut off to prevent blowing anything - potentially problematic if you're running a game off of it at the time. Your mileage may vary, but I wouldn't recommend it.
If you've got a USB drive with a single cable you'd like to use, check and see if it also has a port for an optional wall adaptor - my little Iomega does and I never noticed it until now! And of course you could always just grab a Y-cable, which would do the trick!
Re: Guide: Using USB Storage with the Wii U
@Jonisme I tried playing the same game right before and right after copying to the USB drive to test it, and I didn't notice any difference.
@edhe Nintendo says you'll definitely want to use the Y-cable (data+power) but the Wii U has 4 USB ports all up - 2 in the front and 2 in the back - so you should have plenty of room for a few extra devices!
Re: New Gameplay Trailer For Chasing Aurora Soars In
@Haxonberik Definitely! We're working as fast as we can!
Re: Events: The Paper Mario Pop Up Diner
Haha wow, Martin this looks like a blast!
Re: Feature: Hands-On With 16-bit RPG Pier Solar
I love that people do stuff like this! What a beautiful looking release, I hope it does end up coming to the Wii U!
Re: Review: Chasing Aurora (Wii U eShop)
@TrueWiiMaster I don't have a Pro Controller to test it with, but it's not mentioned in the control options in game or in the manual, so I'm assuming it's not supported.
If anyone has the game and a Pro Controller to confirm either way, let us know!
Re: Review: Skylanders Giants (Wii)
Great review Mike, this looks like a blast!
Re: Feature: Wii U Launch Day, Live!
@Discostew I bought the Basic pack with Nintendo Land separately for $60, and I'm definitely happy with the arrangement! I think it should be a pack-in with every Wii U, not because it doesn't merit a separate purchase but because I feel like it's the perfect introduction to the Wii U. (Plus it's a lot of fun!)
Re: Feature: Wii U Launch Day, Live!
@Powkitty4 Yeah actually, it's a great weight! It's really comfy to hold for playing. It's light enough that you can comfortably hold it in one hand and use the stylus with the other without resting it on your knee or lap or whatever, though for left-hand stick right-hand stylus controls (like the Pikmin game in Nintendo Land) I found it more comfortable to rest it on my knee.
Re: Feature: Wii U Launch Day, Live!
@Jewelarchon You know, it actually doesn't feel any warmer when it's plugged in at all, it's totally cool to the touch!
Re: Feature: Wii U Launch Day, Live!
@Coldheat You got it mate!
Re: Feature: Wii U Launch Day, Live!
@madgear - Unfortunately it will take the games (as in WiiWare/VC games) and saved data (from Wii games, WiiWare, & VC games) off your Wii when you transfer them to the Wii U. But it certainly wouldn't touch anything in your GCN memory card, so your old Wii would still function as a perfectly good GameCube after the transfer!
@Coldheat - Thanks!! I went for the Basic because I liked the colour, to be perfectly honest! Even though I bought Nintendo Land, I didn't feel like I needed the stands or the digital promotion, so I just thought of it as paying $10 more for the colour I wanted! The storage space isn't really an issue for me, since I figure I'll need to add it sooner or later anyway, so I just cleared off an old USB HDD to hook up to the Wii U! I'm very happy with my choice, I like the classic white & it doesn't show fingerprints, which is nice!