Donkey Kong/Metroid Prime dev calls Wii U a "powerhouse," confirms new game

Donkey Kong/Metroid Prime dev calls Wii U a "powerhouse," confirms new game
Retro Studios says the perception that the Wii U is not a powerful console is "just not true," confirms work on new game, but what could it be?

[-Foxtrot]

"Powerhouse"

I think they are exaggerating a little

[DanManDantheMan]

Oh yeah, because you have years of experience developing on the Wii U let alone a Nintendo platform.

[-Foxtrot]

I'm not saying I do....but I could turn around and say they haven't developed on other platforms to call the Wii U a "powerhouse".

I mean you hear that kind of term when you have an article talking about Skyrim/Tomb Raider on max settings on the PC for example.

I'm not saying anything bad but his choice of wording is a little poor.

Powerful sure...but POWERHOUSE

Come on...not really the best choice of words.

[AKR]

@Foxtrot

"I'm not saying I do....but I could turn around and say they haven't developed on other platforms to call the Wii U a "powerhouse" "

Well, by that logic, I guess any comments about the PS4 that are coming from dev-teams like Sony Santa Monica and Naughty Dog also shouldn't be taken fully, right?

Who do you think knows the hardware better; you - some gamer dude on the Net - or the actual team who only has the Wii U and the 3DS to focus on?

[-Foxtrot]

@AKR

"Well, by that logic, I guess any comments about the PS4 that are coming from dev-teams like Sony Santa Monica and Naughty Dog also shouldn't be taken fully, right?"

It dosen't actually work like that though.

The Wii U is less powerful then the PS4 and Xbox One, we all know that it's common knowledge...you brought this up by the way so don't make this into a "Which is more powerfull argument" it's not about that at all....ANYWAY.... so obviously if you have someone like NaughtyDog or 343 talk about the consoles they are obviously going to know about the Wii U. If we know that I'm pretty sure developers do aswell without the need to develop for it.

I mean you don't need to develop for the Wii U to know you can't do Quantum Break or The Order 1886 on it....get what I mean.

If you have a developer working on a less powerful console and they don't know about working on more powerful hardware then how can you give that console the term "powerhouse" when you haven't actually seen what your capable of on actual more powerful hardware. It's common sense. The thing you have to remember though is that the Xbox One and the PS4 are POWERHOUSES compared to the Wii U.

To call the Wii U a powerhouse seems like he's matching it up to the other two consoles...when it's not, it's powerful but it's not a "powerhouse". All I was saying is that it was a bad choice of words, thats all. It's been out a year a bit now and we haven't seen anything come out which looks as good as The Order or Quantum Break. The best thing they've shown off which could rival that is Monolith Soft's "X" which in my opinion is the best looking Wii U game by far.

Gee you say one little thing against them and everyone bites your head off. Turning the whole thing or trying to, into a massive argument. There's honestly no need for it at all.

[UltimateMaster]

I'd say if it is, then show me what it can do.

[Chrischi1988]

Like every game, it can be done on last gen and so on Wii U, too. It doesnt look as nice, but it works. It is funny, how you guys name games and act like, it is common knowledge, that it cannot run on Wii U. Crysis 3 worked on a Xbox360, it just had lower graphics settings, like the lowest possible on PC, but it worked. Almost all CoDs came to the original Wii, it looked worse, but it worked. Watchdogs comes to last and current gen, Assassins Creed, too. Every game could be done on last gen. You name a game with great graphics and say it is not doable, but the graphics say nothing about a game being able to run, it just has to be scaled. Nobody says it will be super beautiful, I mean, CoD on Wii really looked horrible, but I guess you all get my point.

[kwandar]

@-Foxtrot

"The Wii U is less powerful then the PS4 and Xbox One, we all know that it's common knowledge"

Actually .. uhm ... NO! You're comparing apples and oranges.

The X1 and PS4 have more "raw horsepower", but use it very inefficiently, as much due to their x86 environment as anything else.

Wii U uses out of order processing, has better resource management/better use of pipelines, CPU +edram combination.

You're comparing a '67 musclecar with a new honda civic. In pure horsepower musclecar wins, but all that muscle isn't buying you that much due to the inefficiencies of the old technology used.

PS4 and Xbox1 are on old technology.

[clouds5]

@chrischi1988: exactly. It all depends on what the devs want to invest into. Modern engines allow scaling and most of them run even on mobile platforms like unreal engine...
The wii u is powerful enough for modern games. The need for speed game was a port from 360 and they made it look like the pc version in 720p.

I'd say all things considered, factoring in that they have different CPU architectures and RAM structure, the wii u can produce about the same graphics as the xb1. But wii u exclusive devs usually don't got for such a realistic look.
So its hard to compare, and since a wiiu exclusive will never get ported to the xb1 and vice versa we will never be able to really compare.

[Madock]

@Ultimatemaster
Zelda HD, 3d Mario, Pikmin & DK country
just check the graphics on these, btw, Wiiu produce 1080p with 60fps while Xbone is struggling to do so

[BlackWolf]

@Foxtrot
"To call the Wii U a powerhouse seems like he's matching it up to the other two consoles...when it's not."

I'm sorry, but where did they say that was the case? Is it that you can't say the console is powerful without automatically comparing it to the PS4 and the Xbox One? Come on, dude, you're taking it from the wrong angle. Their choice of words does not mean a comparative, you know.

The Wii U, as we know, is not at the level of Sony's and Microsoft's consoles, but its power, on it's own right, is not insignificant or nonexistent.

[Illionaire]

Exactly. The Wii U is such a powerhouse that developers are just choosing to leave their next gen games off of it.....

The Wii U might be a fun system but it's not a powerhouse by technical standards or sales. Powerhouse is the last word I would associate with the Wii U.

[-Foxtrot]

Thats what I'm trying to say but people are either missing the point or twisting it into something else.

If it was such a powerhouse then why are so many publishers and developers not putting third party games on the console.

Ubisoft have tried to be the biggest supporter of the Wii U but it seems lately Nintendo are not doing anything to strengthen that relationship and now Ubisoft seem to be loosing interest.

Where is Thief, Battlefied 4, Dying Light, The Evil Within, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy 15, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid V, Tomb Raider, Tom Clancy's The Division, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Wolfenstein: The New Order etc

[eaise]

The Wii U is very powerful, but because of the different architecture developers can't simply port games over. That is why many multiplat games aren't on the Wii U. In order to have an extremely good looking game the developers would have to build from the ground up for the Wii U. It is possible for Wii U games to look very similar graphically to X1 and PS4 if done for the Wii U instead of a port. So developers that leave the Wii U just don't want the extra work to make it possible to make great games.

[madjedi]

Man you and fox need to stop beating your head against the wall, arguing with nintendo fans. To them the wii u is a powerhouse or very powerful, it is slightly better than 8 yr old hardware in reality.

Nintendo is done in the console business, talk about the games because the wii u's hardware isn't impressive in the least nintendo guys.

[Chrischi1988]

I understand, that it is not as powerful, as a PS4 or Xbox One, but to say it is just slightly better than 8 year old hardware, is just as delusional, as nintendo fanboys saying it is just as good as a PS4.

[kwandar]

"The Wii U is such a powerhouse that developers are just choosing to leave their next gen games off of it"

Developers are less concerned about power, and more concerned about ability to port over the largest number of platforms possible. PC, Xbox1 and PS4 are all similar technology.

Wii U is a different technology, and the decision to not develop for Wii U is all about economics, not "power"

[weekev15]

Uh. The devs are not bodyswerving the wiiu due to lack of power. They are bodyswerving because, at the moment, the install base of WiiU is small and in general only have a WiiU for Nintendo games so 3rd party titles such as AC4 and COD sell horribly hence it's not worth the investment.

They maay blame lack of power but thats BS because modern game enggines are designed to be scaleable so that you can port the game to inferior hardware.

Having seen some of the games slated to come out this year id suggest the gap between WiiU and PS4/X1 aint as big as some people think.

Also starting to think we could have a Zelda/Metroid double whammy at E3

[swice]

Foxtrot, no games are on the Wii U because 3rd party devs are lazy. They don't want to take the time to learn the system that has a small fanbase. We have a small fanbase because they won't develop, and they won't develop because we are small.

If Retro says the Wii U is a powerhouse, I believe them, because they have some of the best talent in the industry on that team.

[FanboyKilla]

did you hear yourself? it might be a fun system, but im going to go play the one that sucks, because on paper its more powerful. lmfao i know reviews arent everything, but go check out wii u exclusives scores compared to xone and ps4. lol you do remember you brought that console to play games, not post its specs on n4g?

[for we are many]

Lol, instant "off topic" and I lose one bubble, and this guy/girl who's trolling every Nintendo article gets more bubbles everyday!! This website is a joke.

[-Foxtrot]

Because you were Off topic

Saying something like the dev is over exaggerating is not trolling. You guys really need to look up what trolling actually is, look up -Mika perfect example. I mean you saying things now is off topic..."every Nintendo article", gimmie a break man. Like I said before the last article was about Waluigi and how I wanted to see him in Smash Bros...how is that trolling?

Your comment was off topic and in the end you were trying to start an argument where one wasn't needed. Your comment in general was totally irrelevant to the article at hand.

I hope that clears things up for you.

[ape007]

100% correct

[REDBEARD]

I lost a bubble for being ''off topic'' even though I was on topic. I 100% agree that this site is a complete joke.

I love your pic. Is that from Shadow Man?

[for we are many]

@REDBEARD: Thanks and yes it's from Shadow man 64, perhaps the most creepy, fun and deeply unsettling action/horror game I've ever played, I wish that someday we get a proper sequel or remake for that classic, they don't make'em like they used to!

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

@-Foxtrot

Would you stop and listening to yourself.

You are saying "for we are many" is off-topic but you bring PS4 and Xbone into this article which for one.
- The article is about competing system vs Wii U

two
-Retro Studios ONLY develop for Nintendo and owned by them.
The article is comparing Wii to Wii U on both DKC games.

and THREE
- In terms of visuals Retro Studios alongside Nintendo EAD and Monolith Soft shows Nintendo system true potential.

The amount of house power is large.

I think you are the one off-topic.

[3-4-5]

compared to PS3 & Xbox 360 it is.

Compared to what we've been getting the last 7 years, it is.

It has 4X the memory.

Yes it's OBVIOUSLY not as powerful as PS4 or XB1, but people are acting like it's got the power of a ps1 or something.

Wii U is a legit console, it just has minimal support from people who actually make the more popular games.

Appears to be indie heaven though.

Wii U needs to capture at least one genre. Fighting, RPG, tactics, Platformers ect...something..

I still have a good feeling about Wii U's potential, but it will never be what we want it to be.

[-Foxtrot]

"but people are acting like it's got the power of a ps1 or something"

I know, I find that if you say something your in one or two groups.

Your in the the Wii U can match up to the PS4/Xbox One group or the the Wii U is as powerful as the PS1 group.

It's neither...it's powerful then last gen but not as powerful as in the current gen it's part of.

EDIT

And once again the agree/disagrees show that people just want to disagree with me even when I'm saying something neutral. It's hilarious.

[yeahokchief]

they are NOT exaggerating. people are just spoiled rotten.

if you took the time to compare PS3/PS4/WiiU in the videos where people compare the current multiplatform games the only difference between them was added effects like rain/lightning and more foilage on the ground.

that said, it is very early in the consoles life and future games will further the divide. but for the time being, they are not too much different. ps3 to ps4 was not that large of a leap in terms of visual graphics.

whatever retro studios puts out is sure to be amazing. dkc tf is the best game i've played all year.

i also don't understand what YOU'RE talking about when YOU'RE saying people are in 2 groups. the WiiU is clearly not as strong as the PS4, but it's not as far behind as the hype train would like you to believe. outside of the scenes with rain and lightning, i found it pretty tricky to tell apart assassins creed iv on the ps4 from the wii u.

games from naughty dog and sucker punch and kojima will show us why the ps4 is stronger than the wii u, but for the time being, there isnt a single game outside of maybe killzone (which is pure eyecandy) or battlefield that really does much more than the wii u is capable of. it will start falling more behind as the year progresses, but its still plenty capable for nintendo games to really shine.

TLDR: it's like saying YOUR mustang is no good because YOUR porsche is faster. just enjoy the games and give it a rest.

[Chrischi1988]

Yes, exactly, but then again, a game like Killzone, looks fantastic, like Crysis does, but plays also just as bad.

Funny how all act like they lose their eye sight, when looking at Wii U games. All complain about, that fantastic looking games, like Pikmin 3 or Mario 3D World are not so resource hungry, like photorealistic games. So what? For that kind of games you need that art style and for that art style it looks great, I wonder what some would understand under a next gen cartoonish style game.

[ABizzel1]

@Foxtrot

Retro is a great developer, and coming from the GameCube to the Wii to the Wii U in their minds it must be a powerhouse. But compared to the XBO, PS4, or even a mid range gaming PC the Wii U looks last-gen like the PS360.

No one would say games on the PS360 look bad or they're not good consoles, and Foxtrot isn't saying that either, it's just that the Wii U isn't a "Powerhouse" console when looking at today's offerings, maybe 4 years ago it was, but here in 2014, NO. It's a solid piece of hardware.

[BullyMangler]

wellll . . Retro may be exaggerating the wiiU's power capabilities due to all the wiiU trash talk, but DK himself in the new DKTF does looks more nextGen than anything on ps4 x1 so far, and its only in 720p . .

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

You don't have to be the leader to still have power under the hood, you know...

[marloc_x]

no.

[tinkypop]

The Wii u is a powerhouse in retro eyes.
As Retro only work on Nintendo platform.
He talking about the Wii u vs the Wii.
We know the Wii u vs pc, ps4 etc ect it's not.
So Retro don't need to bring any other into the picture.

[Muffins1223]

People are taking what you said out of hand....compared to a ps4/xbox one I wouldn't call it a Powerhouse either.

[theizzzeee]

I think what it all boils down to is the Wii U can't be powerful, why? Because it would mean you and of ton of other people are wrong about how powerful it is so there is no way you can all be wrong, right? Lol I think any quality developer like Retro bases power on can the system do everything it needs and how easily it can do it, not whether it fits with the majority opinion of the Wii U's power.

[Locknuts]

You serious? The last system they worked on was the Wii! They feel like Hitler with an A-Bomb right now.

[Azzanation]

The WiiU doesn't have to be more powerful then PS4 or XB1 to be a powerhouse. WiiU is clearly a powerhouse to last gen consoles. Unlike the Wii upgrade from Gamecube which was only twice the power. The WiiU is leap jumps ahead of the Wii. Making it a powerhouse.

[Iltapalanyymi]

yeah. well if you think a toaster is powerful then....

[N4g_null]

It doesn't matter you guys are always going to say the ps4 has more of this or that. Nothing else can do as good of a job and the ps4 even beats pc to most of you guys. Yet the sdk just keeps getting better. E3 or the nintendo direct for it should be interesting.

Any one playing with a kit now knows it's powerful the gaming masses have not been shown this. Mario kart 8 shows various signs of this but it's too cartoon right?

Also the real jump doesn't happen till next gen anyway. Hopefully retro makes the graphics who res happy.

[BattleN]

They know something we dont

[Kos-Mos]

Give up already. The majority disagree with you.

[Hicken]

Even though the majority is clearly wrong.

[ZombieKiller]

I WISH they would make a powerhouse console! Seriously! Nintendo was so awesome when I was younger but as I progressed further in life, I wanted more mature video games with something I've always been so comfortable with....A CONTROLLER.

If Nintendo made a console comparable to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox one in terms of power and maturity, I would buy one in a heartbeat.

[Kos-Mos]

Please define maturity.

[Ol_G]

Despite Kelbaugh's admiration for the Wii U, the system is struggling, having sold only 5.61 million units worldwide since its launch in November 2012.

So in this Gamespot article they had to start again with the installbase and even putting up wrong information Nintendo said december they sold 5.8 mil vgchartz kept it at 5.5 and now it's 5.7 and now gamespot says it's 5.6 i wonder are they going to keep doing this till also the X1 surpasses it in sales cause i see no logical explanation why everybody just keeps making Wii U numbers up

http://www.cinemablend.com/...

[BoneBone]

Why are the lives of 'gamers' on this site so utterly consumed with sales?

[R00bot]

Yes, 'lives'...

[Vegamyster]

That's what all fanboys like to do, they brag about something until it's turned on them.

Bring up the Wii selling 100 million and they'll say it doesn't matter because lots of them collected dust.

Last gen if a PC gamer brought up graphics the 360/PS3 guys would say it's about the games. Now the Xone/PS4 guys won't shut up about graphics.

Those are just a few of many examples.

[3-4-5]

People are too vocal about the things that don't matter, and don't speak up enough about the things that do

[ZombieKiller]

Damn....THANK YOU! Who cares? It's a d!ck measuring contest anymore.

Are we forgetting we are all gamers? Stop arguing who's "console is bigger" and start talking STRATEGY, or what you like about Nintendo.

We all have 1 thing in common: We are all here to play games (apart from a couple of lifeless trolls like any other website)

Sales should only matter to the guys at the respective companies.

[truechainz]

And yet Nintendo is hiring like crazy. If sales were all that mattered then Sony would not have a reason to layoff people. Let's start focusing on games since we are, you know, gamers. Kinda sad how there is mention of a new game here by retro and everyone is debating the usage of the word powerhouse and sales. Gamers are so lost.

[Ol_G]

That was what i was trying to say in an interview with retro gamespot had to bring up the installbase topic which has nothing to do with their game or the talk about transitioning from wii to wii u and on top of that their information is false again but seeing how i'm downvoted i'm not allowed to comment on misinformation in the newspiece on topic

[DanManDantheMan]

This makes me really excited. What the Wii U needs is hype and it looks like Retro Studios is about to bring the heat.

[LOL_WUT]

Heat? A little too late for that don't you think? And this whole the WiiU is a powerhouse I don't buy it one bit. Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is a great game don't get me wrong but it's not a very demanding game. Im not saying to make every game more realistic but they should tone it down with the whole cartoony look ;)

[DanManDantheMan]

I don't think Retro Studios is talking about any past game on the Wii U when he says it's a powerhouse.

He's obviously taking about the experimenting he's done to determine that. We'll probably see the fruits of that in their next game, but I don't blame you for being doubtful.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Meh, I don't mind animated graphics.
Photo-realism takes itself too seriously, and it's becoming quickly over-rated and over-relied-upon for decent games.

[marloc_x]

I'm interested in what this "toned down" middle ground for Donkey Kong should be ;)

[Ck1x]

Because I guess a gorilla with a tie should be toting a gun in your opinion ;) Nice logic

[ChickeyCantor]

" Im not saying to make every game more realistic but they should tone it down with the whole cartoony look ;)"

Implying photo realistic textures = demanding.

Could you please, just please stop talking all together now?

[mikel1015]

Take your guesses people! Metroid, or a new IP? Maybe the team that made Tropical Freeze will begin working on a new IP! :D

[Tito08]

I may not be a fan of Metroid, but I would really like to see a Metroid game in HD, knowing how beautiful the Prime games looked at the time, I wonder how nice would it look on a HD machine.

[gpturbo81]

speaking on DK, Metroid Prime and Mario Kart they said "Every one of those IPs have been a lot of fun to play with and work on and [we'd] love to come back to them sometime." key word being sometime. so we could assume its something different.

[fonger08]

A new Metroid would almost be expected of them at this point. But I'm going to go a little off base and ask that they'd do a follow up to Jet Force Gemmni... but I don't know owns the rights to that whether it be Nintendo or Rare still. They did such a good job making a franchise their own with Metroid I think with what they could do with Jet Force or Star Fox or something completely out of left field.

[PhantomTommy]

I was hoping for Metroid myself but now that you mention it, a new Star Fox from Retro could be absolutely fantastic.

[Vegamyster]

Platinum games has shown interest in Starfox, i'd want them to take that game.

[SpiralTear]

I personally think Nintendo should hand Star Fox to Platinum Games, but I'm not denying Retro Studios' skill. They're a versatile company who can work with multiple series and multiple genres.

If Retro Studios got Star Fox, though, it would still be really awesome. Retro's proved themselves already.

[Master-H]

Of course it's a powerhouse, if you just keep creating 2D and or cartoonish games on it, show me something as demanding as let's say.. Battlefield 4, then we'll see if it's a "powerhouse".

[R00bot]

Just because it's a cartoony game doesn't mean it's demanding. And Battlefield 4 was running on the 360 and PS3, so don't call that demanding.
I doubt it's even as demanding as Mario Kart 8 or Bayonetta 2 (especially since they're both 1080p, 60fps).

[Master-H]

@ R00bot
Battlefield 4 on ps3 and 360 ran with a sub 720p resolution and locked 30 fps, the game is obviously more demanding than the ones you've listed, if you think a WiiU port of BF4 could run at 1080p and 60fps like both of those games then you're kidding yourself.

@KonsoruMasuta
If Battlefield 4 isn't demanding then what is demanding ? Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze lol????

@maniacmayhem
EA and DICE being incompetent and releasing unfinished games is another topic but you can't tell me the Battlefield games aren't demanding with a straight face.

And no where did i say it did run 1080p on my post, so stop twisting my words, i said it wouldnt run 1080p on WiiU because your friend above compared it with two WiiU games that run 1080p saying they're more demanding than BF.

And about the last part, i'm sure if there were ps4/xbone versions of those games they would run even better than on the WiiU, resolution and frame per second isn't everything, there's Texture resolutions, lighting, physics and whole bunch of stuff that matter as well, those 1080p/60fps games on WiiU that you're talking about are similar to Rayman Legends on a graphical note, there's no problem running that at 1080p on a ps4 or an xbox.

[Realplaya]

@ Master-H Yeah So demanding it demanding a day 1 patch and guess what it still needs more patches.

[Errefus]

Mario kart and Bayonets are 1080p titles all the screen shots released by nintendo show the game running 720p or higher but not 1080p. And yes on 60fps

[imXify]

^ I swear both of those games are 720p

[Muffins1223]

Yea battlefield 4 was running on 360 and ps3, and it looked like shit. Its pretty demanding on my pc bro.Shows that you know little about modern gaming....

[KonsoruMasuta]

Battlefield 4 isn't "demanding".

[Illionaire]

You're not serious? The PC, PS4 and Xbox One versions of BF4 are more technically demanding any game that has appeared on any Nintendo platform ever.

[Beastforlifenoob]

LOL n fanboys these days

Yep battlefield 4 looks like regurgitated horse s*it but "donkey kong 2d tropical as* wiper" looks stunning /s

[fonger08]

Any multiplat that's on the PS3 and 360 is not demanding in all relative terms to the consoles that are now available.

[maniacmayhem]

Yes because Battlefield turned out to be the optimum of performance right?

BF4 doesn't even run at 1080p and 60fps on the PS4 or X1 so please stop kidding yourself.

And last I checked the WiiU had more 1080p games than both new systems. Since you are on this resolution equals power trip.

[PFFT]

I highly agree.

[Illionaire]

Wii U specs

2GB DDR3
Tri-Core PowerPC "Espresso" CPU
AMD "Latte" 550 MHz GPU w/ 320 shaders
0.352 TeraFLOPS/s
8GB or 32GB Flash
$299

PS4 specs
8GB GDDR5
Single-chip x86 AMD "Jaguar" processor, 8 cores
AMD Radeon Graphics Core Next engine w/ 1152 shaders
1.84 TeraFLOPS/s
500 GB 5400 RPM SATA II hard drive
$399

PS4 449,705 (+246%) 5,847,194
WiiU 44,503 (+10%) 5,765,484

[Vegamyster]

@Illionaire

http://25.media.tumblr.com/...

[Muffins1223]

Well I mean, last time i checked ps4 was not running games that looked like ps3/360 games...in other words wiiu games. And even then, there are some. most next gen titles like watch dogs are 1080p.

[kwandar]

@Illionaire

You forgot to add the out of order processing, Wii U's 4 stage pipeline, Wii U displays the textures that are in the memory (I don't believe X1 can, although PS4 could).

Point is that you are comparing apples and oranges. For power usage and memory X1 and PS4 have more. For efficient use though Wii U takes it. Which is better? Hard comparison to make - need "NATIVE" code on each console, and have some definition of "better".

Frankly, I haven't seen Wii U under performing to date. I think it is early for PS4 and X1, but I also expect that give the x86 legacy systems, they should be able to move faster.

[Metallox]

I want to clarify to you Master H and Beastforlifenoob that Donkey Country Country Tropical Freeze is not made like converntional 2D games. In fact, it uses the same engine of the Metroid Prime series.

Might leave this as well. http://nintendoeverything.c...

[maniacmayhem]

"EA and DICE being incompetent and releasing unfinished games is another topic"

But this is after you said BF 4 was a powerhouse.

How about you show me a Nintendo WiiU game that is as buggy and glitchy as most games for X1 and PS4?

[R00bot]

Metroid pls.

Imagine a 720-1080p Metroid Prime game with pristine effects and really nice reflections off Samus' arm cannon.

[Kevlar009]

There was a particular area in Halo 4 were I thought if I could get a Metroid Prime that looked this good I would probably die (it was one of the later missions where you were inside a complex)

And to think I could buy a Metroid game at 1080p, 60 FPS, and graphics better than Halo 4 blows my mind.

Can't wait

[KonsoruMasuta]

Please let it be Metroid! I would settle for a new IP though.

[InTheZoneAC]

This feels liek those little junior games where the winning team puts in their back-ups, plays off the whole game and lets their opponents feel like they're doing something when they're really not.

I have a Wii U btw, quit whining. I want more retro games like DKC Tropical Freeze. Just bring back all the sidescrolling hits of the SNES. And give me a LttP/LBW game for the Wii U.

Less motion based controls, more pro controller games.

I skipped on previous nintendo consoles because the games/controllers seemed tacky. Wii U seems to bring Nintendo back to it's roots a little, but they're being slow about the games...again...

[R00bot]

You're asking for disagrees. Couldn't you have just kept that to yourself?

[InTheZoneAC]

disagrees because the truth hurts. Wii U is struggling bad, don't you think it's weird how every publisher is ignoring this system when a Dev says it's a great system?

Which one is it? Someone's lying and I don't think it's the publishers of the gaming world.

[SpiralTear]

"Someone's lying and I don't think it's the publishers of the gaming world."

I really hope you don't think that the publishers are the ones making the games, because you are dead wrong.

[InTheZoneAC]

Most publishers don't, but that's not even the topic of this discussion...

[SpiralTear]

"Most publishers don't, but that's not even the topic of this discussion..."

Then why did you bring it up? I'm just responding to your comment. Publishers aren't the ones who determine the technical fidelity of a gaming system. The people who are making games for the system do. The developers do. I'd trust Retro's opinion on the Wii U's tech specs more than some suits from EA any day.

Retro's been working with Nintendo for years now, so it's to be expected that the game they make will work perfectly fine on the system, and that's what really matters here. Retro Studios are, apparently, very satisfied with the Wii U's specs, so they can make the game that they want for it. You may disapprove with what Retro says, but Retro's opinion and efforts are what will contribute to their future game's quality, not yours.

[Ck1x]

Shouldn't you be somewhere forcing yourself to play Knack! If PS4 owners had games to play, they wouldn't be hanging out in articles that don't pertain to their system of choice. Here's why I don't get the new age spec gamers. Because most of you probably own a iPhone and they generally aren't the most technical advanced phones on the market. But that doesn't stop them from performing great against their competitors. This generation is going to be way to long I can already tell...

[RGB]

WiiU, Powerhouse?! Tropical Freeze is 720p, it's a DKC Returns upgrade! Mario 3D World is 720p too, powerhouse my ****.

FYI, BF4 on PS3/360 is only 24 players locked at sub 720p/30fps. PS4's version is 900p/60fps with 64 players!

[LOL_WUT]

People just can't accept facts even if their life depended on it ;)

[RGB]

19 disagrees, it's sad really. People just can't accept reality. WiiU isn't a powerhouse, it's barely better than PS3/360. All major 3rd party games on WiiU prove that (they run worse on WiiU) and Bayonetta 2 is proving that too (looks barely better than the original).

When a side-scroller fails to achieve 1080p/60fps in 2014 with basic visuals and model geometry, something clearly is wrong.
Powerhouse I think not, more like weak-sauce.

[lilbroRx]

Oh, the irony.

lol, what? ;)

[marloc_x]

Only 900p?!

[stragomccloud]

Do some research on the Wii U's architecture. Developers have been lazy. And those games are actually spectacular looking.

[RGB]

@lilbroRx - Irony of what?! That a 3rd party game that has 64 player MP is only 900p whilst Nintendo games are 720p! lol indeed!

@marloc_x - 900p for a game ported to PS4 from PC not using DirectX tech or Mantle but OpenGL. Sony exclusives hitting 1080p with ease. MGSV being 1080p/60fps with ease and room for spare.

@stragomccloud - So Retro are lazy yet have worked on this game for 4 years at least! LOL
WiiU isn't a powerhouse, it's barely better than PS3/360!

CPU GFLOP/s is 15.
GPU GFLOP/s is 352.
RAM is 12GB/s and EDRAM is 70.4GB/s max!

WiiU is weak-sauce, deal with it!

[stragomccloud]

Had you actually done your research, you'd have learned that the Wii U is valuable of performing far beyond its theoretical limit because of its extremely customized architecture.

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz...

[RGB]

@stragomccloud - All talk yet no proof. The CPU is 15GFLOP/s and has been described as junk by multiple 3rd parties. GPU is mid-range 2008 tech and the RAM is budget beyond belief. Two latest exclusives in development by prime Nintendo studios, both 720p with basic visuals, geometry, textures, etc. Laughable.

@truechainz - I have 11 PS4 games, only paid for 3, only 1 that is below 1080p (BF4).

I'm enjoying my games, especially my free content, especially Don't Starve! :D

[stragomccloud]

Why don't you actually try reading the url.
People like you are a poison to gaming community.

[truechainz]

lol it is not that people cant take facts. It is just sad to see you call yourself a gamer and post on stuff like this. I didn't know resolution=quality game (plenty of wii u titles at 1080p). I notice you conveniently left off the fps of those games which is much more relevant for any gamer who actually ENJOYS playing games. I own all systems, and I could give two sh*ts about what the resolution for PS4 and X1 games are. I'm in it for the games and you clearly are not.

[RPG_Lover]

If it is to them, who am I to say?

The trolling responses from some of you are pathetic.

[diepdiep]

Retro deserves way more credit then this.

They are one of those studios who use "creativity" as the main driving force towards making their games, NOT just pretty graphics. Tropical Freeze had tons of imaginative and intense level designs, and it makes me excited to see whatever crazy ideas they can come up with in their next games.

[Ol_G]

Retro never failed with any game and they have knowledge of the hardware they work with
one look at the prime series gc and wii should tell you that
they know how to get the performance out of the machine that they need and that's what the good fellow said going from wii to wiiu not having certain limitations built what you want don't having to worry about polygons that's what he meant by powerhouse there's enough to work with if you actually try

But because they are Nintendo developers they MUST be lying .......
kinda strange when you see how everyone trusts and believes anything Naughty dog says because they also have a proven track record only difference they are Sony developers

[diepdiep]

Goes to show you how prejudice the gaming community is.

[TuxedoMoon]

HOLY CRAP GRAPHICS! Look at the graphics you guys!

Powerhouse might be stretching it, but they've been stuck working with the wii for a while...so yeah. I'm sure the Wii-u does have some power inside the tiny frame, but it's up to developers to unlock all that potential. Give the system a chance, it does have niche games that people would have fun with IF THEY GIVE IT A TRY!

[kirbyu]

I hope it's not Metroid Prime 4. I tried Prime 3, and I didn't like it too much.

[TheSsus]

I didn't like how the combat was less varied than the previous 2 Primes, but it was still a fantastic game. It still amazes me how a game without dialogue past the first 15 minutes could draw such a cathartic reaction as it did from me. W/e Retro does is gold so just gotta wait for what they got under wraps.

[josephayal]

The Wii U may not be as powerful as the PS3/Xbox 360 but that doesn't mean that it sucks

[Geekman]

Right. It's MORE POWERFUL. I think you meant PS4 and Xbox One.

[BladerunnerZX]

Too bad Nintendo doesnt have more AAA developers like Retro Studios.
Yes I know that they have other first party devs but Retro Studios is Nintendos Naughty Dog.

Just imagine what Retro could have done on the PS3 or could do on the PS4 or Xbox One.

[deafdani]

They also have EAD and Monolith Soft, which are extremely capable developers as well.

[SpiralTear]

"Just imagine what Retro could have done on the PS3 or could do on the PS4 or Xbox One."

You were doing so well until you made this terribly shallow argument that's still a fallacy-packed failed claim. Retro Studios did wonders for Nintendo; Metroid Prime is proof of that and that literally couldn't have existed on another system, since Metroid belongs to Nintendo.

[paulcek]

Definition of Powerhouse: a person or thing of great energy, strength, or power.

I think the Wii U can fit under this definition. People shouldn't really be focusing on the world "powerhouse".

Instead, in the article, Retro says that the Wii U is powerful enough that they don't have to worry about polygons ANYMORE -> meaning that it's powerful enough for them to make the game they want to make. This also implies that the Wii was not powerful enough for the games they wanted to make. That is what should be focused on. The fact that Retro can finally make a game without worrying about how much power the console can handle/

They develop on this console, they are obviously the ones that are most aware of the limits and potentials of the console. Since they are first-party, they also have more motivation to bring out the Wii U's power as much as possible (unlike ports) so let's just trust that Retro will make a great game.

[Geekman]

Then what was all that hulaboo 3 months ago with a third power developer calling it hard to develop on?

[gpturbo81]

laziness

[leahcim]

I really think that my mother is the best of the world..... if you know what I mean..

[eaise]

I will take any game from Retro. They are one of Nintendo's best developers and create amazing games. Personally I am hoping for a Metroid game, because I have great memories of the Prime trilogy. But if Retro does a new IP or any other game I will buy it because it will be an amazing game. This year is looking good for the Wii U!

[TheSsus]

A new Metroid from Retro would clean the stain that is Other M from our memories. Way to ruin a perfect track record...

[Metallox]

Other M is a good game.

[BladerunnerZX]

I never understood the hate for other M.

Besides wasnt it Team Ninja that mad Other M?

anyway yea I liked other M ..haters will hate though.

[TheSsus]

It's not a good Metroid game though and the controls were wonky. The great thing about the Metroid games is the sense of isolation and exploring a once populated planet on your own and learning about their demise (if you know where to look).

Having the federation and that Captain constantly talking to you ruined that sense of isolation that is caracteristic of the franchise. Oh and the fact that you couldn't move in 1st person... yeah.

[vakarian75]

Retro didn't have anything to do with Other M.

[deafdani]

I loved Other M. Haters gonna hate.

[Ac7iVe]

Other m was good they just made samus a pussy lol

[clouds5]

The only thing I didn't like about other m is the same thing I didn't like about the new tomb raider. That wasn't MY Lara and it wasn't MY Samus.
The gameplay was amazing. I just slipped most of the cutscenes and had alot of fun.

Now back on topic, I'm very excited about their next game. More than any other studio atm (on par with monolith). We all know what we will get on ps4 you know. Another great looking uncharted... Maybe another tlou. That's amazing. But not exciting to me. But to see a studio freed by the bounds of a console like the wii and now being able to do anything that makes me excited as he'll!

[curtis92]

A dev could say the Wii U is the most powerful system and Nintendo fans would believe it.

[Ck1x]

Not so, everyone isn't that delusional. But what I will say is that you guys aren't being realistic either. Because the PS4 trounces the 360/PS3 in raw horsepower and most of the games just don't show the same gap as the specs on paper show... I think this is the realization of this situation. If Nintendo gave Retro a good 20-30 million dollar budget, I'm almost betting the visuals could rival some of the best PS4 games. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it would look better, but many would probably swear that it wouldn't be running on actual WiiU hardware.

[FlyingFoxy]

A new Starfox that's more like the N64 version please.. but MUCH more levels and stuff to do, if there's any on foot bs please make it short. I'm sure many will agree.

[weekev15]

Openworld Starfox where its not on rails any more but you can see monsters causing havoc in the distance and choose which 1 to go for first.

[AKR]

I find it nice how everyone is having *convenient amnesia* about titles like The Last of Us, GTA: V and Crysis 3. Remember those? You know; they were considered to be technological masterpieces on near-decade old systems. Remember them?

Considering that the Wii U is STRONGER than both the PS3 and 360 - really, the term "powerhouse" does kind of fit. Retro is a very capable team - it'll only be a matter of time before we see the fruits of their labor.

Did they say:

"Wow! Wii U is so powerful! It pretty much hits the levels of the other systems!!"

No, they did not.

All they're saying is; it has more than enough power to power their titles. And considering that the Prime series looked really good on Wii; it should be real interesting to see what they can do on Wii U.

[Shinox]

Ok , Don't mix The Last of us with these two , its totally a different situation to begin with , also the game deserves the hype regardless of what's in your head or how much you hate Sony in general , you can't be that desperate to compare the Wii U with last gen consoles , if you like the Wii U that much don't listen to others arguments , stick to your point and be proud of it if that your choice , its not gonna hurt anyone if you like this system , its your own choice just don't get mixed up and hate everything around you just because they bash you favorite system , just be clear and be proud of it , don't be sensitive .

[Ck1x]

At this point even if Retro finishes the graphics engine before e3 and makes a hype trailer using Metroid Prime 3's models and code similar to WW:HD. I'd be very happy just to get a glimpse of what they may have in the works for Samus...

[Edsword]

I own the PS4 and a Wii U. I really debated getting the Wii U because I knew when it launched that it was underpowered compared to what Sony and MS would offer. But ultimately I bought it because of the prospects of HD Zelda, HD Metroid, and HD Mario. Unfortunately, while it is a great game, Super Mario 3D World is not Mario Galaxy. So I am a bit disappointed so far. Nintendo could redeem itself in my eyes with Zelda and Metroid, but seriously, the graphics do not matter to me as much as the quality that has always gone into Nintendo games. The longer it takes to get the new Zelda and Metroid (assuming it's being made) the more faith I am losing in Nintendo. Nintendo holds all the cards with its IPs and they are the only ones to blame when that are not done justice.

[DC777]

Eh..same old dumb comments about stats instead of talking about actual games. Who cares? Devs can obviously make it happen or there wouldn't be games like TLOU on ps3 which basically has next to no ram and is ancient.

Anyway hoping for a Metroid Prime but if they just started in November that's like 2015 at least.

[multiplatgamer]

All I can say is...prove it!

[Metallox]

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze!

[multiplatgamer]

Whatever....it's all preference but I can't believe that people think Donkey Kong Country shows that the Wii U is a powerhouse when there are games like The Order, Ryse, and inFAMOUS: Second Son out there on other platforms.

The Wii U may have games that are powerhouses in art design but it cannot be called a graphical powerhouse. The systems of Wii U to Xbox One, PS4 and PC wide in comparison. And you know what, that really is disappointing because Nintendo's worlds are really wonderful to explore. A true next-gen powered Super Mario Galaxy game or open world Hyrule setting would be amazing.

[sourav93]

Man....there are some really bitter fanboys on this thread.

[KevinCubes]

That's why Wii U has the definitive version of all my favorite games right.

[Realplaya]

I don't understand why certain individuals constantly attack Nintendo on this site. Everyone who comments to be negative and try to dog someone whose positive but lets look at the facts.

Although you can burn something with a full tank of gas you can still burn things with a half tank.

What this means to me is you get all these games made to look good based off graphical fidelity but there boring or just not good. Look at the last couple of games released on the higher powered systems there not all that good and they aren't burning up the charts.

Look at games made for the Wii U with the focus being primarily on the system there nicely put together works of arts.

One thing People forget and Retro mentioned is they have had no experience making HD games and they practiced with DK TF if i bet there next game blows the doors off of games that come out from other systems around the same time.

[LKHGFDSA]

there literally haven't been any first party games released on the other next gen consoles since their release.
What third party releases are "nicely put together works of arts" to you?
Lego City Undercover? The Wonderful 101?

I'm sure the new game by Retro will be good, but it's only 1 game.

[McScroggz]

Here's the sad truth. Let's say somebody makes a perfectly reasonable and respectful comment on how the Wii U isn't a powerhouse. Let's even assume they go out of their way to state that Nintendo still makes beautiful games and that the Wii U is a good system. There are going to be fanboys and delusional gamers who disagree and reply with inane comments.

Then a flame war starts.

If people weren't so sensitive and were more interested in engaging in intelligent discussions than arguing with trolls (or trolling) then N4G and other sites would be a lot more neutral and discussion friendly.

Sure, the site is slanted towards Sony and away from Nintendo and Microsoft. But think about why for a second. It isn't because N4G is some safe haven for Sony fanboys, it's because Sony is just clearly the more popular gaming company right now. I dislike that people who make smart, reasonable comments that are pro-Xbox still get bubbled down; but the biggest problem is that too many people try to argue instead of discuss.

And I shouldn't say this, but many Nintendo fans have developed a persecution complex.

[ARESWARLORD]

Mario 3d world looks great, I give them that.

[LKHGFDSA]

Doesn't matter how powerful it is if people aren't making games for it.
With that said though I am looking forward to whatever game they're doing.

[McScroggz]

For people who consider the Wii U to be a last gen console (technicalities aside), then the Wii U is a powerhouse relative to the PS3 and Xbox 360. Well, to a degree.

To the people that feel like the Wii U is current gen, it's just disingenuous to think the Wii U is a powerhouse compared to the Xbox One or PS4.

Another thing to consider is as great as the style is in many Nintendo games, the vast majority of their first party output simply does not push hardware graphically the way Ryse, Quantum Break, Killzone: Shadow Fall and The Order 1886 do. And honestly, I feel confident in saying the Wii U couldn't run those games in a reasonably similar state as the Xbox One/PS4 does respectively.

This isn't to say the Wii U or Nintendo sucks. It's just perspective. Compared to a jalapeno a haberno pepper is extremely spicy. But compared to a ghost pepper, a haberno is just a little mild.

And to the people who think the Wii U is close to the Xbox One, or especially PS4 in power, you are just plain delusional.