Thinking about picking up a Wii U this Sunday, Nov. 18, when it goes on sale? Already have one preordered? Maybe you’re planning to brave the lines in hopes of lucking out? It’s not too late to change your mind, one way or the other. I’ve had a Wii U for the past week, and while I’m not allowed to tell you what I think about the system overall until Sunday, I’ve pulled together a list of points worth considering before you pull the trigger. It’s pre-sold out, everywhere. Really. Visit the website of any major retailer that carries video games and you’ll find the Wii U is either long gone or wasn’t being pre-sold in the first place. The only way to guarantee a system, day one, is to purchase through an auction site like eBay or through retailers that allow third-party sales like Amazon. It’s likely you’ll pay dearly if you do, of course — from $400 or $500 to upwards of $3,000. (MORE: Watch Out, Here Come the Wii U Vultures (Is Anyone Not Sold Out of the Wii U?)) You can always stand in line. Many retailers held units back to have on hand, day one, or simply didn’t offer pre-sales. You’ll want to check with your local stores for their launch day plans, but this is arguably the best route to nab a Wii U at launch if you didn’t preorder and don’t want to pay scalper prices. Nintendo says it should have plenty to go around. Not on day one, but Nintendo has publicly committed to having more Wii U units in stores during the first week than it did for the Wii six years ago, and it’s doubled down on that claim by stating it’ll replenish systems “much more frequently” during the holiday than it did for the Wii. The Wii U isn’t just a Wii plus a DS. It may look like a Wii plus a DS, and it clearly shares second-screen DNA with the DS, but it’s not a DS. The DS is![]()
