Finally got the chance to hit demo stations last weekend. Very pleased so far.
Saturday, hit a best buy with my son (15). We tried everything there was to do in Rayman. Graphics are really, really nice. Bright and lots of detail. Game ran very smoothly, perfect framerate, no slowdowns.
We played the Black Betty music level a few times. Found that we could play the level at the same time, which was actually pretty fun and helpful. If one of us missed bashing a block or whatever, the other would likely do it, so we failed the level less. Checkpoints are generous too.
The Co-Op level was really, really fun for us. We switched out who was using the gamepad.screen and who was using the wiimote+nunchuk, so we did the level twice over. We both had a great time doing either part and really got into the co-op groove, talking each other through the level as we went. In all, we spent about half an hour with the system.
Hit a Gamestop on Sunday with my youngest daughter (9). We tried the Black Betty level only. My daughter did not get the hang of the level as easily as my son and I did and she put it down about 3/4 of the way through, but she did enjoy herself (she said). I think the gamepad is a little bit big for her smaller hands. She did not use the cue, for example, to press and hold down the right shoulder button while using the left stick to run. She just used the left stick. I think she wa having trouble doing both things at once because of the size of the gamepad, if that makes sense. Turns out, it was not required to do the level. You could just "walk" the level instead of running, so it was OK.
Both kids really liked Rayman and wanted me to pick it up right away with the system. I had to break it to them that the game does not come out for awhile. Disappoint Get!
As for the gamepad itself, it felt good to me in general. The touchscreen looked good and was touch-responsive, better than DS and 3DS. It is a big beast and it may take a little time to adjust to the positions of the right stick in relation to the a, b, x and y buttons and also the shoulder buttons. I am used to the PS3 setup. But it sure is whiz-bang neato and I look forward to spending many, many more hours with it.
That said, it is still hard to get a sense of the gamepad's weight and how comfortable it is because the gamepads in the stores are tethered by tightly wound coil-cords. Those cords pulled the gamepad hard no matter how close to the TV I got. So, my sense is that the gamepad will actually feel much lighter and easier to manipulate once I have it in my home beginning on Sunday.
Topic: Wii U Demo Station Impressions (Stated on 10/17) (Read 10787 times)
