Tool Kit Wii U: A Game Controller, and More

When Nintendo started selling its Wii U video game console last fall, the company was at a precarious point: creating a new version of its device while trying to hold on to customers who were increasingly turning to other kinds of devices for their gaming.



Nintendo hoped the new device would keep pace with longtime competitors like Microsoft and Sony yet appeal to customers who play games on their smartphones and tablets. The Wii U is sold in a black deluxe version for $349 and a basic white version for $299.



The focal point of the Wii U is the GamePad controller, a tabletlike device that allows users to get a different view of a game than can be seen on the television screen, while maintaining the motion-sensor capabilities of the wand used with the original, breakthrough Wii console.



