Nintendo unveiled the second North American television ad for the Wii U this afternoon. The ad, centered on "Nintendo Land," not perfect but it does an okay job of explaining the special features of the console's touchscreen GamePad.
One thing that the ad doesn't make quite clear is what the hell Nintendo Land is. This is a goof on Nintendo's part, considering the fact that the game is the main focus of the commercial. Nintendo Land is a collection of minigames that will ship with the Premium Edition of the console. Nonetheless, the ad manages to be informative even if that part's a bit unclear for most of the video.
The GamePad's screen displays different information than the television screen. This opens up new gameplay possibilities. For the "Mario Chase," the player who is "it" uses the GamePad to chase other players. Because those other players don't see the touchscreen, they won't know where he is or who he's specifically chasing after. The dual screen set-up also has simpler applications; in the ad, a player flicks paper shurikens on the GamePad at enemies on the television.
The controller is what's new and exciting about the Wii U. It's vital that Nintendo makes players understand that. While it's tough for me to watch this commercial through the eyes of a newbie, it seems like it might properly introduce the GamePad to viewers - something the previous ad failed at.
The Wii U will launch in North America on November 18th.
