Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Pokemon Legends Z-A
  • Golden Joystick Awards 2025
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Gaming Controllers The best Nintendo Switch controllers in 2025
Close up photo of the right Joy-Con 2 controller sitting on top of a Switch 2 case, with microSD Express card and gaming earbud case to its right.
Accessories The best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories 2025: my top gadgets for your every day carry
Nintendo Switch 2 homescreen showing on the console on a wooden desk
Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch 2 review: "We're in for an excellent generation"
Nintendo Switch 2 sitting in centre with Steam Deck OLED above on left, Anbernic RG Cube aboveon right, Anbernic RG28XX directly left, Modretro Chromatic on right, and MSI Claw 8 AI+ below on woodgrain desk.
Handhelds Best gaming handheld 2025: I'd hit these portable PCs and emulation consoles first
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller on a wooden desk with blue backlighting
Gaming Controllers The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller might be the best feeling gamepad I've held so far | Review
Nintendo Switch 2 playing Donkey Kong Bananza with Pro Controller to the left
Gaming Controllers The best Nintendo Switch 2 controller 2025: Compatible gamepads road tested with Ninty's new handheld
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
Games Everything announced at the Nintendo Direct September 2025
three pikmin laughing at another one
Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo's mystery Pikmin video was nothing more than a showcase for Nintendo Pictures, which will "continue to explore new creative possibilities through video content"
Wii U
Wii U Gearbox's Randy Pitchford says everyone expects Nintendo to do something "really interesting," and sometimes you get "brilliant" things like the Wii and Switch 2, and other times you get the Wii U, which "didn't work as well"
virtua fighter screenshot showing a closeup of a man being kicked in the face
Fighting Games "How have we seen more footage for Kingdom Hearts 4": Sega claims coveted worst show award at Tokyo Game Show with a Virtua Fighter talk that "could've been an email"
A picture of a Nintendo 3DS console next to several of the best 3DS games and Nintendo cards.
Games The 25 best Nintendo 3DS games of all time
Tomodachi Life: living the Dream
Simulation Games After a 12-year wait, Nintendo's weird life sim sequel Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream just got a spring 2026 release window with a new trailer showing off deeper Mii customization and more
demonschool art showing two characters
RPGs The biggest JRPG news today somehow missed the Nintendo Indie Direct: Persona-inspired tactics RPG Demonschool is out in just a few weeks
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond key art featuring Samus in her suit with her hand outstretched using purple psychic powers
Games After smashing through Donkey Kong Bananza I've run out of things to play on my Nintendo Switch 2 – so here are 5 games that better get release dates at Gamescom 2025
Photo taken by Tabitha Baker of the official Nintendo Switch 2 camera sitting on a desk.
Hardware The best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras
  1. Games
  2. Wii U

Wii U: 10 best pictures from the Japanese launch presentation

Features
By Matt Cundy published 13 September 2012

Did you miss it? Never mind, here are some highlights

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Did you get up early/stay up late to watch the Japanese Wii U launch presentation? You didnt? Never mind unless youre fluent in the language it wouldnt have made a whole lot of sense anyway. Lucky for you, were here to bring you right up to speed with everything you need to know via the medium of the 10 best pictures from the showcase. Or, to be more specific, here are 10 images with stupid captions. Enjoy.

Page 1 of 12
Page 1 of 12

This is the very start of the presentation before Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has been switched on.

Page 2 of 12
Page 2 of 12

Now completely active, Iwata compares the size of the Wii U GamePad with his head. Result: The Wii U GamePad is wider than Mr Iwatas head.

Page 3 of 12
Page 3 of 12

Here we see the actual physical dimensions of the Wii U console. Nintendo did not provide dimensions of Mr Iwatas head.

Page 4 of 12
Page 4 of 12

Hopefully this means Nintendo is working on a new abstract 8-bit Mario game set in a minimalist Mushroom Kingdom. Or it might mean something else completely.

Page 5 of 12
Page 5 of 12

For Wii Us promotional imagery, Nintendo is updating the Wiis aspirational lifestyle models with cel-shaded drawings of people that have no face.

Page 6 of 12
Page 6 of 12

Here are more people that have no face. One of them is a woman. We could do a 'nice arse shame about the face' joke here. But we won't. We're above that.

Page 7 of 12
Page 7 of 12

We predict the promotional artwork for Nintendos next console after Wii U will just be pictures of white. Nothing else. Just a vast expanse of endless white.

Page 8 of 12
Page 8 of 12

We like this picture of Miiverse because the Darknuts are driving me crazy! comment at the top reminds us of that joke where the guy walks into the doctors with a steering wheel down his trousers and the doctor says How do you feel? and the guy with the steering wheel down his trousers says Its driving me nuts. Its a good one.

Page 9 of 12
Page 9 of 12

Our Japanese is patchy at best, but were pretty sure the bit at the bottom there says Wii U will be compatible with Xbox 360 controllers.

Page 10 of 12
Page 10 of 12

Nintendo has produced this innovative Wii U wrist-rest peripheral for gamers with weak wrists. It will be bundled with the basic Wii U console package.

Page 11 of 12
Page 11 of 12

If you worked at Nintendo and you got in late two days in a row, this is what Mr Iwata would look like when he was telling you off. We imagine him to be a sort of firm-but-fair boss.

And Mr Iwata looking like hes having a stern word at us seems like an appropriate place to stop. If youre looking for actual proper information about the Japanese Wii U launch presentation, weve got an article for that.

Page 12 of 12
Page 12 of 12
CATEGORIES
Wii-u Platforms Nintendo
Matt Cundy
Matt Cundy
Social Links Navigation
I don't have the energy to really hate anything properly. Most things I think are OK or inoffensively average. I do love quite a lot of stuff as well, though.
Read more
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
Everything announced at the Nintendo Direct September 2025
 
 
three pikmin laughing at another one
Nintendo's mystery Pikmin video was nothing more than a showcase for Nintendo Pictures, which will "continue to explore new creative possibilities through video content"
 
 
Wii U
Gearbox's Randy Pitchford says everyone expects Nintendo to do something "really interesting," and sometimes you get "brilliant" things like the Wii and Switch 2, and other times you get the Wii U, which "didn't work as well"
 
 
virtua fighter screenshot showing a closeup of a man being kicked in the face
"How have we seen more footage for Kingdom Hearts 4": Sega claims coveted worst show award at Tokyo Game Show with a Virtua Fighter talk that "could've been an email"
 
 
A picture of a Nintendo 3DS console next to several of the best 3DS games and Nintendo cards.
The 25 best Nintendo 3DS games of all time
 
 
Tomodachi Life: living the Dream
After a 12-year wait, Nintendo's weird life sim sequel Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream just got a spring 2026 release window with a new trailer showing off deeper Mii customization and more
 
 
Latest in Games
Pokemon Legends Z-A screenshot featuring the head of the lab, Mable, leaning on her desk
Pokemon Legends Z-A speedrunners are all using the same one Pokemon: a free, heroic Heracross named Bois
 
 
Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined screenshot showing a group of characters looking out over the horizon on board a ship
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined makes the original JRPG's choices actually matter with a brand new possible ending "that's never been seen before in previous iterations"
 
 
Doom 2's Super Shotgun fires at a group of enemies
John Romero awards John Romero "the most satisfying weapon in gaming history" award for Doom's Super Shotgun, and he's right
 
 
One of WoW Dragonflight's characters holds out their hand
World of Warcraft director says Blizzard has no plans to bring the MMO to consoles: "Our focus remains on the PC-based experience"
 
 
Team Fortress 2 screenshot of the Heavy shouting
"In other words, 72% don't know what a monopoly is," analyst says of study that finds 72% of game devs "see Steam as a monopoly"
 
 
Battlefield 6
A Battlefield 6 bug is killing some players for committing the heinous crime of jumping, dev says "We don't break knees on purpose"
 
 
Latest in Features
My Dress-Up Darling female lead Marin Kitagawa with blond hair and pink eyes
In decades of watching anime, I have never wanted a season 3 more: My Dress-Up Darling season 2 was a huge step up, and the manga has so much more to give
 
 
Lethal Company screenshots of workers in orange hazmat suits carrying props and junk
Life after Lethal Company: solo creator Zeekerss says "weirdly, not a lot has changed" after one of the biggest indie hits in recent memory, and he still has "a good handful of ideas for games"
 
 
My Eerie Lair key art showing vampire Victor holding Mary with a chain
Stop everything, this vampire decorating sim screams dark romantasy and I can't wait to get my hands on it in 2026
 
 
The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot showing two Earth Directorate agents standing proudly during a promotional video for the organization. The image is surrounded by GamesRadar+'s On the Radar interview banner
The Outer Worlds 2 is an RPG that's as much about what you can't do as what you can: "Everybody is going to have a different experience, and they may not see everything, and that's okay"
 
 
Two nobles getting married in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
RPG fans stay winning: 2025 has been a critical hit for the genre, though I'm anticipating a GOTY bloodbath
 
 
Hades 2
I was one of the first to see Hades 2's true ending, and I don't know how I feel about Supergiant retconning the whole thing
 
 
  1. Princess Zelda stands in front of a pack of characters including Calamo, a Mysterious Construct, King Rauru, Queen Sonia, Mineru, and others in key art for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment - slightly cropped for use as a header and thumbnail
    1
    Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment review: "Zelda is a fantastic lead in this action-packed Tears of the Kingdom prequel, but boring missions hold the magic back"
  2. 2
    Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs review: "Playing as a goblin thing to crack a gothic fairy tale mystery with magical cards has quickly become one of my favorite gaming short stories"
  3. 3
    Spooktacular review: "This is the perfect family board game for Halloween"
  4. 4
    It’s hard to imagine there are many gamers who won’t enjoy this quick but tactical board game for 2 players
  5. 5
    The Outer Worlds 2 review: "The Fallout New Vegas creators have crafted a masterful space age RPG that's willing to play game master to my silliest decisions"
  1. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in Predator: Badlands
    1
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  2. 2
    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
  3. 3
    Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"
  4. 4
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  5. 5
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  1. Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher season 4
    1
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  2. 2
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  3. 3
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
  4. 4
    Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"
  5. 5
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...