Wii U is a whole new way to play: our impressions

We just got back from a whirlwind tour of the Wii U tech demos. Yes, we were pleasantly surprised.

 Actually, perhaps “surprised” isn’t the right word, because there was so much hype before the show and so much awe in the audience during the keynote unveiling that we had high expectations.

Regardless, we were impressed. As Nintendo has managed to prove for the last several years, it can still innovate.

We tried out two of the best demos to show off the new console’s potential.

One was a cartoon shooter in which two players – on standard Wii Remotes – fight against a single player who has the advantage of using the Wii U controller.

We also took the Super Mario Bros demo for a test drive – because you haven’t experienced a new Nintendo system until you’ve experienced Mario on it. The game plays almost exactly like New Super Mario Bros Wii, but with the added benefit that you can take the experience with you on the Wii U controller.

There’s no messy file sending or storing it to the cloud or anything like that. Simply stand up and walk out of the room with the Wii U controller, and the game will continue. It’s a persistent connection between the Wii U and the controller.

Nintendo is the clear #1 spot for E3 attendees. Lines for general attendees to get their hands on it are more than two hours.