I am a #NintendoEnthused Nintendo brand ambassador and received a Wii U console, games, and everything needed to throw a great Wii U party. No other compensation was received, but affiliate links are used within this post. All thoughts and photos are my own.
I am not typically a party-thrower. I love attending parties – eating the food, chatting with friends, playing games, dancing, the whole nine yards – but I am not a fan of being in charge. It just doesn’t come naturally to me. Last month, my friends at Nintendo made it easy for me to throw one of the best family parties I’ve ever been to, all thanks to the Wii U and some awesome Nintendo representatives who led us in games and brought some delicious foods.
(I mean, look at that fruit platter. And the Chipotle burritos? You wish you’d been there, too…right?)
Our party was not all about the food, though. The Wii U was the star of the show for sure.
About a week before the party, a new Wii U console and 3 games arrived in the mail. The kids and I experimented with the games and new features of the Wii U before the party unveiling, but even we discovered some amazing (and sometimes surprising) new Wii U features.
Wii U Games featured at our party:
Nintendo Land – (included in the Wii U Deluxe Set package) is a fun and lively virtual theme park filled with games based on popular Nintendo “worlds.” Each attraction features unique game play experiences made possible by the Wii U GamePad controller. Throughout Nintendo Land, different games allow players to play solo, compete against other players, or even team up to play cooperatively. Up to 5 players can participate in incredibly fun (party friendly) multi-player modes in several of the games. There are 12 unique attractions featured in Nintendo Land, including Ninja Castle (my favorite), Pikmin Adventure, The Legend of Zelda Battle Quest, Fruit Cart, and the extremely popular Ghost Mansion.
The BEST part about Nintendo Land was the multi player mode. We had kids of all ages AND adults playing together, and my husband commented more than once how much he loved that we were playing with each other and not just against a computer. It brought the game play to a whole new and exciting level.
SiNG Party – It’s not every day that you’ll get me in front of a crowd to sing karaoke, but if anyone can get me to do it, it’s my friend Safire. The new SiNG Party game was perfect for a party. Not only do you get the full karaoke experience, with words appearing on the GamePad for the singers to follow, but the rest of the party-goers can follow the dance moves on the big screen and follow along with singing certain parts. The best part about the way this was set up (with one or two singing and everyone else dancing and clapping on cue) was that those not singing didn’t have to awkwardly stand around listening to one person sing. Everyone was having fun at the same time.
Just take a look at my crazy husband and youngest daughter singing Love Shack together…
Our awesome Nintendo crew jumped in and sang, danced, and played right along side us…
Super Mario Bros. U – for all you Mario fans out there, this newest Super Mario Bros. game is sure to be a hit, with the characters and familiar scenery (along with new scenes, of course) that you love. Up to five players can join in on the fun, with up to four using standard Wii remotes and one on the Wii U GamePad controlling things “behind the scenes.”
Wii U Highlights:
Video on Demand: Wii U owners can access their Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, or Netlix accounts as well as watch YouTube video.
Nintendo TVii: Nintendo TVii makes watching TV even more engaging (and simpler, too) by bringing together a program guide, remote control, and social interaction into one system. I love the second-screen TV watching experience (you can find out more about what you’re watching, learn about actors and actresses, etc). You can even comment on what you’re watching on live TV via Miiverse, Facebook, and Twitter.
Miiverse: Miiverse is a global community in which gamers from al over the world can share their experiences, discuss games, and learn more about the video games they’re playing. Through the Miiverse, you can challenge friends to play together, or reach out for help on a level you can’t figure out.
Wii U Chat: Wii U owners can video chat with each other using the built-in camera and microphone on the Wi U GamePad.
Internet Browser: Wii U transforms your TV into a browser so that you can surf the net from the comfort of your couch. You can actually browse the internet on the GamePad while someone watching still something on TV.
Meet the new Wii U GamePad:
- It creates a “second window” into the video game world, thus removing the traditional barriers between games, players and the TV.
- It also offers a new way for viewers to engage with their favorite entertainment.
- The GamePad has a 6.2-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen, plus traditional button controls and two analog sticks. Inputs include a +Control Pad, L/R sticks, L/R stick buttons, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons, ZL/ZR buttons, Power button, HOME button, -/SELECT button, +/START button, and TV CONTROL button.
- Includes motion control (powered by an accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor), a front-facing camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, rumble features, a sensor bar, an included stylus and support for Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality.
- Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and weighs approximately 1.1 pounds
About the Wii U – Good to know:
- Price – $299.99 for Basic Set (white) / $349.99 for Deluxe Set (black)
- The new Wii U has 8GB (basic set) or 32GB (deluxe set) internal flash memory, plus support for external USB hard drives for additional storage.
- Compatible with Wii remotes and games – Nearly all Wii software and accessories can be used with Wii U.
- Energy Efficiency – Wii U utilizes specially designed power-saving features to lower its energy consumption.
Have you had the chance to try out the Wii U yet? If not, grab a friend who has one already, invite yourself voer (I suggest offering to bring goodies to eat) and then prepare yourself to get hooked. We love ours!
© 2013, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
hahahaha I love parties with wii :D