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Nintendo Wii U FAQ

Dear Kyo,

 

1. What is the Nintendo WiiU?

It is the offspring of Nintendo's Wii. Instead of bundling with a remote, it comes with the infamous WiiU Gamepad.

 

2. What is so special about the console?

Erh, I just told you, it's the Gamepad. The Gamepad works as a controller plus tablet screen hybrid for you to play games with. It's a pretty neat technology when it was introduced though. Another way to look at it would be to picture the lower part of the 3DS/DS console, but blown up in size. It's roughly the same idea (even the battery life borrows the same idea).

 

3. What are the specs of the machine?

Really? This is important to you? I am not going to write it down. I'll just refer you to this link below. 

The Verge's Nintendo WiiU Spec Sheet (and their review as well. Credits go to the Verge)

 

4. What games can it play? Is it region locked again?

The WiiU plays both Wii and WiiU games. And yes it is region locked again. So, pick the right region! (Aka DON'T BUY EU or JAPANESE GAMES. They don't work unless you buy the same console from that region.)

 

5. What's the common region sold in Malaysia?

It is usually the US version. However, there are reports of sellers selling Asian version. I can tell you that these are indeed Asian versions (provided the adapter for the console and the WiiU are both officially made for Malaysian Plugs) and these consoles are distributed by Maxsoft Singapore. However, it should also be noted that while Maxsoft does sell the console, it is not considered as an Official Asian WiiU unit. It can be considered as a Parallel Import of a US Unit in Asia.

 

6. That sounded confusing.

It is. But that's what business is made of.

 

7. So there is no difference if I choose Asian or US region right?

Nope. Not at all. But it helps to get the Asian one since the plug is officially made.

 

8. Would you mind telling me what other regions are available?

Sure. There is the US one, Asian one (which is same to US), Europe/UK/Australia one, and Japan one.

 

9. Are you thinking of the Xbox One at the moment?

No. I'm Malaysian. You'd have to include Lah or One depending on which race you are. Then again, I'm Malaysian, I use all of it. :P

 

10. How many versions of the console is there?

Actually, a few iterations have been released since it's official launched in 2012. Allow me to cover it for you.

 Main Flavor of Console Console Edition
8GB White Color Basic Edition

- Launch edition (No games were included here)

- Bundled with Skylander's Swapforce (Was available during Black Friday 2013)

32GB Black Color Deluxe Edition

- Launch edition (Bundled with Nintendo Land at the time. Very fun. Bundle has been discontinued though)

- ZombiU bundle (Same with the Nintendo Land bundle, just that they replaced the game. A Nintendo WiiU Pro Controller also came bundled.)

- Limited edition The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD bundle (Bundled with the digital game and a digital copy of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia book. The centerpiece is the Limited Edition Gamepad)

- The Super Mario Bundle (Latest bundle since Black Friday 2013 and has been going on since. It comes with 2 games: New Super Mario Bros U and New Super Luigi U)

- The Super Mario 3D World Bundle (Which includes both that game and Nintendo Land)
- The exclusive Walmart Mario Kart 8 Bundle (Which is actually both that game and Nintendo Land)

- The Splatoon bundle (Splatoon game included as digital installed version, along with Nintendo Land.)

 

11. How much is the price of the console and what is commonly available now?

At the moment, the mainly distributed one is Super Mario 3D World bundle. Now, that one can range from RM 1450 to 1550 now. There has been no official price, so I can't provide a good one. It might even be cheaper if you buy it from Singapore.

 

12. What is included in the box?

- The console. (DUH)

- The gamepad. (DUH)

- An HDMI Cable. (If you're looking to play the console on a SDTV, you are out of luck)

- A Sensor Bar.

- Stands for the console and the gamepad. (only available in deluxe model)

- Adapters for both console and gamepad. (Yes they are giving you two adapters.)

- The respective bundled game.

 

13. BUT I ONLY HAVE AN SDTV ONLY KYO. HOW????????

CHILL IT YO. The back of the WiiU still has a Video out for Composite or Component cables, but using the Wii Cable. However, you are going to have to buy it separately. Don't worry, a cap ayam/third party version will do fine. It's not that expensive anyways (RM 25 I think for a Component one).

 

14. Ok. What is the average price for games then?

The range is from RM 50 to RM 200. Then again, there are now rare titles available for the WiiU (Considering it's young age). Pikmin 3 and Wii Party U would be that example.

 

15. Yosh! Already got my brand spanking new WiiU!

Congratulations! Now look at the back and see which ports are necessary for you to plug into.

 

16. Erh Kyo, do I need to pasang both the HDMI and the Video Out at the back of the WiiU?

(You won't believe this, but the question has been asked before) No need. Just choose one or the other. The HDMI will be your priority whenever possible.

 

17. What does the USB port at the back do?

Last time in the Wii, you can hook up to a keyboard, HDD, and various other USB eccentric Devices. The same works for the WiiU as well. I believe you can also update your console from the USB port now compared to when it was launched.

 

18. Am I ready to play the WiiU now sir?
Go ahead. It is all yours. 

 

19. Wait, Kyo, my adapters are for US plug. It doesn't fit into the Malaysian wall plug. How?

Ah, easy. You have 2 options for this.

1, You can invest in Stepdown Converters/Adapters. These can be easily obtained for RM 24 - RM 30. It would help you regulate voltage with the US adapter. (Pro Tip: Ask for the EKK Brand. That's the commonly available brand)

2, You can easily use a Travel Adapter. Now, this doesn't regulate the voltage in the WiiU's adapter. However, the WiiU's adapter have been multi voltage right from the start. So you can actually use it anywhere around the world, provided you have the appropriate travel adapter for it. It can easily be bought for RM 8 to 16 at places like Plaza Lowyat or even your normal electric store.

If you want documentation on the Multi Voltage part, click here for the lowdown courtesy of some awesome guy at IGN.

 

20. Which one is safer in your opinion?
Frankly speaking, out of 12 customers who bought the WiiU from me, I managed to get 2 users who bought Stepdown Converters, while the rest decided to use Travel Adapters. Only 1 of 'em had issues with the console, and that was because he forgot to unplug his console during a bad weather. One other dude (didn't buy it from me) however had his console fried by the Stepdown Converter.

One of my customers who used the travel adapter couldn't turn on the WiiU for the first time. Subsequent tries and it worked like a charm after.

So from those experiences, I hope it helps you to decide which one works the best for you. :)

Update as at 22 Dec 2014: Of course I now have more people buying the WiiU from me. I haven't heard anyone else use Stepdown Converters though.

 

21. BUT YOU'RE NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTION...

How to answer lah if it's totally random and IN THE HANDS AND WILL OF GOD.... (Cues dramatic background music)

 

22. How do I turn it on?
There are two way: From the console itself / From the Gamepad itself. It's that easy.

 

23. Kyo, if there is a sensor bar that came with the WiiU, that means I can use the Wii Remote too right?

Yes and no. With some games, you can play with the remote (most games would). But definitely not all. Wii Games of course will be all.

 

24. Since the Gamepad has a screen, that means that I can actually play the game on my gamepad right?

Yes and no as well. Not all the games were built with this feature though. But of course, it is nice to have Remote Play on the WiiU Gamepad.

On Wii Mode, you can play games from the Gamepad. Not sure why you would, since it is so frigging small.

If you want to know what can and cannot be played on the Gamepad, click here to view the list from Wikipedia.

 

25. Owh that's what it's called... Remote Play...

Yes my son. It's the one method that Sony felt WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS.

 

26. Is it ok to play the WiiU while the Gamepad is being charged?

Due to the fact that the Gamepad has only 3 to 5 hours of battery life, you may want to consider that as an option. There is no harm or damage that might happen (except when you're playing with thunder and lightning coming out everywhere at your area). But if it does happen, /runs.

 

27. Ok, so I turned it on. It is asking me to choose country setting. Shall I choose Malaysia?
The best country to change into is US. Here are your benefits:

- US E-Shop has loads more content.
- You can download Wii U Apps from the E Shop.
- You will be playing with or against US friends.
- Malaysia or Singapore probably has nothing again in the E Shop like it's 3DS counterpart.

 

28. AMAIGAWD It's asking me to register Nintendo Network ID. HELP!

Erh... This shouldn't be a problem really. Again, make sure the country setting is in US. This will make your Malaysian Credit Card unusable, but based on answer number 27, you will reap more in the end. When filling in the address, use an address in the US.

 

29. But how do I get a US address. I don't live there.

I know. But you will have to. Google is going to be your best bet.

 

30. Why don't you teach me on how to get the US address?

Reason being is that it is considered illegal to provide a fake address. I mean, logic lah right?

 

31. So, am I supposed to put in the address or not?

Put it this way, and to quote a good friend of mine: "It's not a crime if no one finds out."

 

32. Kyo, can I use Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video on my WiiU?

Honestly, you can download it from the US E Shop as free apps. Whether it works or not in our country is a different case altogether.

That being said, you actually have other options that you can use to view those apps. Mainly from the PC itself or by using VPN. But that's entirely up to you. I will try to cover this next time.

 

33. What if I want to expand my Hard Disk? 32GB is pretty small to me.

You have 4 options:

1. Buy a big ass external HDD up to 2 TB (probably has increased in limit). You will either need a self powering one or a Y-Cable if you insist in using the small HDDs.

2. Use an SD Card with an SD Card adapter (The front one won't work)

3. Thumbdrive also can~ (but... don't ask me on the loadspeed)

4. Recently, a forum member tested out his Western Digital My Passport Essential as a self powering HDD. He reported that it has worked so far with the WiiU. Further testing should be used for this case in my opinion before you jump in to buy one. (That being said, I don't think WD actually releases this anymore, and your next alternative is a My Passport Ultra.)

Funny note: I may have typed a different letter earlier in the question. May have.

 

34. How do I play Wii Games on the Wii U?

Easy. Either switch to Wii Mode by clicking the icon on the gamepad or by the remote, or you just insert a Wii game disc. Done.

 

35. How many gamepads can I pair with the WiiU?

2 at a time. That's the most. But good luck on finding a spare gamepad to purchase! Apparently, it's not sold on it's own. Maybe Nintendo should do that now.

 

36. If say I want to send data from my Wii to my brand spanking new Wii U, can I do that?

You can. But asking me to explain it will take forever. Take a cue from Nintendo's How to Guide as per below:

Nintendo's How to Guide on Transferring Wii Data to the Wii U

 

37. What is this Deluxe Digital Promotion that came with my Wii U?

Ah, that's sort of like Nintendo's Reward Points system (Not to be confused with Club Nintendo Rewards). It will expire end of 2014. The tricky part is that in order to get this, you will have to consistently buy from the E Shop to get those points. For every 500 points you earn, you get a USD 5 discount on your next code that you can use in the next purchase.

This however, is no longer valid as and when you read this.

38. Is it worth it?

Well..... At the time of writing, it is going to expire at the end of 2014. If it does expire, then it's not. But point is, if you're buying lots of games for the Wii U, then by all means yes. besides, saving 100 dollars from purchasing USD 1000 worth of stuff is pretty neat.

 

39. OK... So, next one. Can Malaysians use Nintendo TVii at their homes?

Honestly, I am not too sure. I have not been able to test this yet. Remind me to test this soon ok?

 

40. OK. Can.

Good.

Update 22 Dec 2014: WHY NOBODY REMIND ME TO UPDATE THIS.

 

41. What other accessories can I use with the Wii U?

All the previous accessories that you used for the Wii would work on the Wii U.

Update 22 Dec 2014: Remember that quip I said about Gamecube items not possible? Well, the ADAPTER for GC Controllers for Smash WiiU is made. So, yeah. That can be used. :P

 

42. Is the Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller worth my time?

For some games yes. To alleviate your frustrations from using the Gamepad often (due to battery power), yes as well. But as usual, take note that not all games support the controller.

That being said, a shame that it is one of the nicest controllers Nintendo has ever mad. Aside from the revolutionary Wii Remote that is.

 

43. Say if I want to recommend people to buy the Wii U, where should I direct them to?

For them trustworthy people, you have wonderful people such as Gamer's Hideout, Impulse Gaming, Heavy Arm, and Yours Truly. Just give them (or just me. Preferably me. You know, because, I'm awesome?) a ring and we shall how we can help you with your requests (Again, preferably me.)

 

At the time of writing, I do intend to include more queries and FAQs on this part. So I shall update here as priority when I can. :)