Nintendo has finally released the long awaited Wii U.  It’s the company’s next generation gaming console that features the revolutionary GamePad.  Hundreds of people lined outside the Nintendo World Store in Manhattan at midnight Saturday.   And those fans that didn’t want to wait in line on Saturday and got up early Sunday and purchased their Wii U, unfortunately for some Nintendo fans who went to Walmart, the gaming console was quickly sold out, quickly restocked and then sold out again.  If you want to get your hands on a Wii U, better start calling stores to check if they are in stock so you don’t waste your gas, time and energy going to a certain store only to find that it’s already out of stock.

The Wii U and the GamePad

The Wii U comes with an IBM multi-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and an AMD Radeon graphics chip.  For the first time, Nintendo’s gaming console has far better internal components than competitors, well at least for now.  Also, the Wii U can now connect to an HDTV via an HDMI cable so every game you play becomes eye candy.

If you have the old Wii console, you’ll be glad to learn that the old remotes, balancing board and other accessories are still compatible with the Wii U.  So now, more players can enjoy playing on your brand new Wii U.

As for the GamePad, the beauty of this gem lies in the fact that it serves as a game controler and as a second screen, or even your primary gaming screen.  What this means is that when playing, the GamePad can serve as the screen that tells you what weapons you have in stock, or where you are on the map.  And if ever someone decides they’d like to override your TV game, you can continue playing on the GamePad where you left off.

The GamePad features a 6.2-inch touchscreen, a front-facing camera, stylus, dual analog sticks, an accelerometer and a gyroscope.  And some gamers claim that the GamePad is durable enough to withstand damage from the hands of “an enraged 7-year-old.”

It’s an added bonus that Vidyo, the company that helped Google setup Google Hangouts, was the one responsible for the built-in video conferencing technology of the Wii U.  So you can expect better video chatting and video conferencing with your friends or gaming buddies.

So what’s the catch?

The selling point of the Wii U is probably the GamePad, but unfortunately only one GamePad is included in the box upon purchase.  And this is intentional, because only one GamePad can be supported by a Wii U.  So be prepared to referee a fight between your buddies as to who gets to use the GamePad.

Also, not all the features that Nintendo promised are outright available.  Wii U users will have to wait until December to see TVii, a feature that promises to give users what they want in terms of movies, TV shows and sports.  What this means is, if you like watching The Walking Dead, TVii will give you all the available episodes no matter what the source is.

The non-availability of some features is not something to be frowned upon, it just shows how Nintendo plans to update things as they go.  Just like in the case of Netflix.  Wii U launched without Netflix but now, those who have bought Wii U can now enjoy Netflix on their console.

“[O]ne of the things about Wii U is, it’s a living, breathing system,” Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime said in an interview with ABC.  “There’s always new things coming. As an example, tonight, when you log-on and connect, you’ll be able to get Netflix. So Netflix came on, just in the last couple of hours, it’s ready.”

Availability

Wii U is available in Deluxe and Basic Set.  The Basic set includes the Wii U Hardware with 8GB of storage, GamePad, stylus, sensor bar, console AC adapter, GamePad AC adapter, and HDMI cable and will sell for $299.99.  AS for the Deluxe Set, it comes with same thing as the Basic Set, except that the hardware will have a 32GB storage, Nintendo Land Video Game, GamePad stand, GamePad cradle, and Wii U console stand.