Wii U

The Wii U (/ˌwiː ˈjuː/ WEE EW) is a home video game console created by Nintendo and the successor to the Wii. The system was released in November 2012 and was the first entry in the eighth generation of video game consoles; it competes with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One.

The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support high-definition graphics. The system's primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen. The screen can be used either as a supplement to the main display (either providing an alternate, asymmetric gameplay experience, or a means of local multiplayer without resorting to a split screen), or in supported games, to play the game directly on the GamePad independently of the television. Games can support any combination of the GamePad, Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Balance Board, or Nintendo's more traditionally designed Classic Controller or Wii U Pro Controller for input. The Wii U is backward compatible with most games released for the Wii. Online functionality on the Wii U centers around the Nintendo Network platform and Miiverse, an integrated social networking service which allows users to share content in game-specific communities.

Wii

The Wii (/ˈwiː/ WEE) is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others.As of the first quarter of 2012, the Wii leads its generation over PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in worldwide sales, with more than 101 million units sold; in December 2009, the console broke the sales record for a single month in the United States.

The Wii introduced the Wii Remote controller, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and which detects movement in three dimensions. Another notable feature of the console is the now defunct WiiConnect24, which enabled it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode. Like other seventh-generation consoles, it features a game download service, called "Virtual Console", which features emulated games from past systems.

It succeeded the GameCube, and early models are fully backward-compatible with all GameCube games and most accessories. Nintendo first spoke of the console at the E3 2004 press conference and later unveiled it at E3 2005. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata revealed a prototype of the controller at the September 2005 Tokyo Game Show. At E3 2006, the console won the first of several awards. By December 8, 2006, it had completed its launch in the four key markets.

Super Mario

Super Mario (Japanese: スーパーマリオ, Hepburn: Sūpā Mario) is a series of platform video games created by Nintendo featuring their mascot, Mario. Alternatively called the Super Mario Bros. (スーパーマリオブラザーズ, Sūpā Mario Burazāzu) series or simply the Mario (マリオ) series, it is the central series of the greater Mario franchise. At least one Super Mario game has been released for every major Nintendo video game console and handheld.

The Super Mario games follow Mario's adventures in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, usually with Mario as the player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and occasionally by other members of the Mario cast. As in platform video games, the player runs and jumps across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario rescuing the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first title in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established gameplay concepts and elements prevalent in nearly every Super Mario game since. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give Mario special magic powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing into giant and miniature sizes.

Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario 3D Land (スーパーマリオ3Dランド, Sūpā Mario Surī Dī Rando) is a platform game in the Super Mario series developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo, with development assistance from Brownie Brown, for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was the first in the series to be released for the system, and was released worldwide in November 2011. It was revealed at Nintendo's Keynote Conference during the 2011 Game Developers Conference held in San Francisco. A sequel, titled Super Mario 3D World, was released for the Wii U in 2013.

Super Mario 3D Land is unique from other games in the Mario series, as it combines elements from both traditional 2D Mario side-scrolling games and modern free-roaming 3D Mario games. It also introduces new elements into the series, including new power-ups and gameplay mechanics. The main story is similar to previous Super Mario titles, centering on Mario's efforts to rescue Princess Peach, who has been kidnapped by Bowser, utilizing the aid of the Tanooki Suit amongst other power-ups. The game consists of 96 distinct levels allotted among the 16 worlds.

Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World (Japanese: スーパーマリオ3Dワールド, Hepburn: Sūpā Mario Surī Dī Wārudo) is a platform game in the Super Mario series developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. Released worldwide in November 2013, it is the sixth original 3D platformer in the Super Mario series and a follow-up to 2011's Nintendo 3DS game, Super Mario 3D Land. The game received critical acclaim, with its level design, multiplayer, visuals, and music all receiving high praise.

Gameplay