Hasta La Gadget!

Could this new peripheral provide the jolt the Wii needs to compete with Microsoft and Sony’s new additions to their gaming platforms? In Nintendo tradition, it’s certainly different and definitely innovative–and it’s far more compelling than I had expected it to be.

Following yesterday’s product announcement of the THQ uDraw GameTablet for Wii ($69.99, out in time for the holidays), the company hosted a press preview at the Nintendo World store in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. There was blessedly little speech-making; mainly we were let loose among numerous stations set up with Wiis and uDraws to try our hands at the new peripheral.

I tried the tablet with the bundled uDraw Studio software (two game titles, PIctionary and Dood’s Big Adventure, $29.99 each, will also be on store shelves at holiday time). Using the uDraw was like using a simpler wireless Wacom tablet; the Wii Remote docks in the tablet to provide connectivity. The 4- by 6-inch drawing surface provided plenty of room to draw. Getting started and figuring out the various controls was fairly simple (and then I found the tutorials, of course). Not so easy was controlling what I was drawing; it’ll take some practice for me and I suspect for most people. But the possibilities are a bit mind-blowing! (More after the jump.)