Nintendo Wii U: Release Date, Price And Specs Revealed (PICTURES)

Nintendo Wii U: Release Date, Price And Specs Revealed

Nintendo has revealed the price and release date for its next-generation Wii U games console.

The innovative machine, which features higher-resolution graphics and a touchscreen controller, will be available in the UK from 30 November, and looks set to cost £249 for the basic version of the console.

Amazon is currently listing the basic for £249 and the Premium pack for £299.

At its Nintendo Direct event in New Yorkthe Japanese company said there will be two versions of the machine.

The basic edition will include a white console which will have just 8GB of storage, while the premium will have a black 32GB console, a charging cradle for the GamePad, a sensor bar and the Nintendo Land software.

Additional touchscreen control pads will cost about £100 - though those prices have not yet been confirmed.

Nine games will be available at launch, and at least 26 more are slated for release in the coming months, Nintendo said. Several games will be released exclusively for the new console, including Bayonetta 2 and ZombiU, an undead survival adventure set in London.

The new machine will debut alongside New Super Mario Bros U, the first time in 16 years that an all-new instalment in the Italian plumber's video game series has been available at a console's launch.

Nintendo is releasing the Wii U ahead of expected next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony. But by doing so, some fear that it could be left behind in the gaming wars, as graphical quality continues to advance.

There are also concerns that the new Wii U touchscreen controller - which Nintendo hopes will be used to provide new gaming experiences in the same way as the original Wii's motion controls - will not prove a hit with early adopters.

Nintendo's share price has fallen by almost a third since March, and rising interest in mobile and tablet gaming has also seen some fear it will be left behind.

But with the enduring appeal of its Mario, Zelda and Mario Kart franchises, the company still has its fans:

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