The Wii U finally hit our shores late last week and with the NBA season rolling full steam ahead, what a great time to sit down with the producer of 2k13 Rob Jones to talk about basketball on the new Nintendo platform.

So what can we expect from the new version of 2k13 on Wii U?

It’s very much in line with what we have on the console versions, this will be the very first time that we can showcase the Nintendo at the same quality that represents what we bring to you on the consoles.

The full feature set is there, the graphics are there and we are really excited that we will be one of the first few sport titles available on the Wii U for launch.

There are a few new additions to 2k13 on the Wii U.

First off we have the ‘Gatorade biometric scan’. The cool thing is you tilt the screen towards you and it changes the players that you see on your game controller, this screen reads how hot or cold your players are shooting from the floor and the level of fatigue of your team-mates.

We have also added the ability to view you My Player in a new interactive way by touching or tilting the touch screen you can now view a breakdown of stats and player information relevant to the game you are in, with live feedback and overlays.

What was the biggest challenge putting all of the content that you get from a console version onto the Wii U?

Generally it’s trying to get the right performance out of the device, for a console that is launching for the very first time the final hardware is changing every few days and sometimes its hard to get that up to date.

We have a really good team on board that made it easy for us to mirror what you see and play on the console version without downgrading anything. I think we’ve done really well with achieving that.

What’s the best thing about bringing 2k13 to the Wii U?

For me it’s the portability, and how you can interact with the console separately from the actual unit.

I have 4 kids and they are always arguing who gets the TV, and this console is perfect for that.

I mean your getting exactly what you get on a console version but in your own hands, its great! I can finally please them all at the same time. Again it brings the usual innovation that comes from Nintendo.

Will there be roster updates for this game?

Yes, it will run the same schedule as you would get with the console versions of the game.

Game Review

After playing the console version,then jumping into the Wii U version, this game is what you would expect.

Unlike many other portable games where big modes are cut out in order to maintain frame rate and performance, 2k have delivered a full product that sets the benchmark for others in the future.

At times it can be rough around the edges but it finally gives you a full basketball simulation for your portable needs.

Like any new device, it takes some time getting used to the new controls. 2k have made it very similar to their console versions in the way the controls are mapped out which cuts down the learning curve by a few hours.

The ability of a touch screen adds that extra tool that brings the interaction with the game closer. The best thing about the game on the Wii U is how it replicates the console version so well.

The only thing missing is no online VC (virtual currency), this makes building your My Team a longer process. Apart from that it’s the real deal, the incorporation of the Nintendo’s game-pad works well.

I didn’t see to many frame rate drops or glitches in the game. I have heard a few times it can crash when going online or saving a game mode but you expect that early on as the console has just been released.

Final Thoughts

Overall so far I’m pretty impressed with the game and the device, we’ve waited for a while but it looks like the next step of portable gaming has evolved.

Already you can see how smooth this game plays on the device, and its only just been released.

Give the developers a few years and I believe basketball on consoles will be a thing of the past.

The Wii U was released on the 30/11/12 and retails at $299.00 for the basic starter pack.

NBA2K13 Wii U version retails at $79.00 

Rating: 7/10

Check out the game and leave us your thoughts.

Also, check out our previous interview with NBA 2k13 lead producer Erick Boenisch here.

Photo Credit: www.kotaku.com.au