on December 11th, 2012 | VIDEO GAMES

Review By Jesus Figueroa

There’s nothing better than a new system that provides a wow moment from the moment you open the box such as the Wii did years ago and the Wii U does today. I just set up my Wii U and played around with the already installed apps on the Wii Menu. Which there really isn’t much more than creating Miis, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Hulu+, Internet app, and Nintendo’s E-Shop.

Creating a Mii is fun. I of course tried the creating from scratch part which is just as fun as the Wii. With all those options to choose from how can it not be. But, what I got more interested in was letting it create my Mii through “Create from Photo.” It’s easy you just choose eye color, hair style and hair color and snap a picture. After a few seconds it pops out with a Mii that resembles the picture. It is possible to modify after it generates the Mii.

Didn’t try Hulu+ because I don’t have an account. Amazon Instant video: Set up is fairly easy. Just registering a new device on your Amazon account. It works great and fast. (This means more DVD reviews for iwatchmike.com) Netflix: still simple and easy. Registering is fast and searches are quick and with the Gamepad so much easier to navigate through. On-screen keyboard is very responsive and comfortable to use. The biggest thing I am looking forward to is TVii. But still no set date of release. The Internet app is easy to use. And is just what it sounds like, it’s an app to go on the Internet. The display on the TV and on the Gamepad are both great. I prefer the Gamepad since I’m use to doing everything on my iPhone anyways. Nintendo’s E-Shop is okay at the moment. Not much to explore in there. I would have expected the fact that your not getting a disc to reduce the price of games but no. Guess there’s no real incentive to buying at the E-Shop although I’m sure there will be some download only games. Searching through the E-Shop is easy and there are more than just games. There are videos and promos from Nintendo explaining about upcoming games.

Even before setting it up, when I opened the box I was in awe over the controller. Having a chic style apart from that of the Wii, the system itself is not bulky and fits well into an entertainment system. The new Gamepad is big but I couldn’t wait to set it up and see its functionality. It just looks exciting to handle. I bought the basic set so it does not come with stands and “Nintendo Land” but I will be reviewing “SiNG PARTY” at a later date.

What I found to be just perfect was that this High-Definition system actually comes with an HDMI cable. If a system is meant to be HD then yes it should come with the cable. The update is time consuming after plugging everything in. The Gamepad can also control your TV. It’s the easiest to set up. All that needs to be done is inputting the brand of the set and it does all the rest.

So how would I rate the Nintendo Wii U as of now. I say it’s a 3.5 out of 5 Circuits. It’s chic, the Gamepad is revolutionary, and it comes with every cable it needs to function at its best right out of the box. The counsel even if it just matches the resolution if the other counsels out there it still has a player interaction no other system can compare to. $300 for the basic set, 8gbs of internal memory and comes in white, and the Deluxe set, which comes with 32gbs of internal memory, comes in black, “Nintendo Land” game, and stands for the Gamepad and counsel.

(Game Reviews Coming soon to www.iwatchmike.com)