WiiU: Not Just For Kids

This weekend, we hosted a party to get in some play time with our friends. The WiiU we received for Christmas was the focus of the event, though our friend Chris said he came for the food.

WiiU Party

WiiU Party

The kids took turns with the game pad, hiding in the corner while they plotted to capture their friends (Luigi’s Ghost Mansion) or escape them (Mario Chase). There are 12 mini games on Nintendo Land, but these were the ones the kids enjoyed the most.

The kids are engrossed in the game

The kids are engrossed in the game

At one point, the kids went outside to run around, and the adults grabbed the microphones and sang their hearts out. Even those who didn’t want to sing were happy to be background dancers. Right now Sing Party comes with 50 songs, but new songs will be available to download soon. We had a competition of guys vs girls, and while the guys won, their performance didn’t get rated “glorious”.

As promised, a small snippet of one performance from the party. I would have taken more pics and videos, but I was laughing, singing and dancing so much I plum forgot. 🙂

(disclosure: As a Nintendo Ambassador, I was given a WiiU and some games to play with. All opinions are my own)

WiiU

I don’t think I can put into words how excited the family was to check out the new WiiU system, being released later this year. We’re BIG Nintendo fans- it’s the only system we own. It’s a brand I trust to put out a good product, and one I feel is a good fit for our family. I would admit that years before I became a Brand Ambassador.

We use our Wii weekly, so going into the play session I wondered if we would need a new system. Would any changes they’ve made make it worth our money?

The answer is yes. With the WiiU being backwards compatible, all our current games will be playable on the new system. And the new control pad (which feels like a cross between a classic controller and an iPad) makes things interesting. When the kids tried the new Super Mario Bros U, I was able to play along as a “helper”, adding platforms to help them reach more coins, knock out adversaries, and avoid pitfalls.

Miles getting help on the controller to play Scribblenauts Unlimited

One of my kids favorite games was Nintendoland, featuring Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest, Luigi’s Ghost House, Donkey Kong’s Crash Course, and many more. The other game they liked was Scribblenauts Unlimited. We were previously unfamiliar with the game, but even I’m sold on getting the game (and a version for my DS).

My favorite game was Just Dance 4. I do not own any of the previous versions, but I’m sold on picking some up now. What a hoot to be dancing and singing along with other Nintendo nuts! If you have friends who like to cut loose, this game is one you should add to any party.

No Nintendo event is complete without a visit from Mario. If I could have got us all in one shot, I promise that would have been our Christmas card for 2012. 🙂

Geoff: Hey Mario, here’s a mushroom…

 

Me: Dude, you just put a mushroom in front of my face!

 

Finally getting our nice picture taken with Mario