Honestly not really, the Wii remote made motion based gaming possible. The gamepad can not do motion based games like Wiisports, while the Wii remote can not do games like Batman. The Gamepad is meant to allow other forms of gaming like traditional games, tablet based games, and asymmetric games. The Wii remote and the Gamepad both have they're strengths and weaknesses. The WiiU is pretty much a console with all the different forms of gaming combined into one. Thats what makes the WiiU so charming. Ninty doesn't need Nintendoland to be as charming as Wiisports, the Gamepad is enough of an eye opener and being the next Wii helps alot as well. The 3DS opened bigger than the Wii without being released during the holidays and being a pretty expensive handheld. The WiiU will have a similar opening except with big games coming near release.

I bought a Wii FOR the motion controls for games like Godfather, Tiger Woods and Punch Out!  Zelda: Skyward Sword is the only Zelda game I've played through, due to use of motion control.  Personally I can't stand dual analog for aiming and only will play FPS with wiimotes or mouse. 

As for Zelda all the complains I saw were for poor level design (having to repeat levels multiple times), graphics, irrating assist (Fi),  and now criminally out-dated gameplay, the controls were generally heralded or at least appreciated in all the reviews I saw. 

The Wiimote & Nunchuck had a lot of potential (especially with Wii MotionPlus) but most designers failed to take advantage of it in an interesting way. A large portion of games only used motion controls as a way to trigger something that would have previously been done by a simple button press and, while the waggle was interesting at first, it got old. Creating a game where you draw Runes on the screen to cast magic is just one of hundreds of ways the Wiimote could have been used in interesting ways, but developers didn't seem to think of things like this.

I think the Wii U tablet has far less potential but, since developers are already very familiar with touch screens from the DS, 3DS and mobile devices, it will likely be used in far more interesting ways.

I suppose that's a good point, but my issue was that most games which used the motion controls felt gimmicky, bar perhaps Skyward Sword, Red Steel 2 and Galaxy...the hamepad doesn't seem to have that problem for me.

okami - and (imo) it didn't work out well.  even though the shapes were very very simple (circle, horizontal slash, vertical slash) it failed to either reconize anything or reconize it correctly. if the game didn't pause why trying to celestial brushing it would have been unplayable.  

I think everyone is approaching Wii U in the wrong angle. It isn't about the Gamepad solely.

Its about the same Wii experience we had, revamped with a new shinny tablet controller. Nintendo will also push games that make primary use of the Wiimote (Pikmin 3 as the very first example).

That being said, Gamepad will make sense for games that better suit it, and so with the wiimote.

But I'm yet to see anything on the Wii U that has the same impact was Wii Sports Tennis.

ZombiU is possible on PC and other consoles, although some of its soul may get lost to the lack of a screen in your hands. Same for every game revealed thus far. Nintendoland makes a good job differentiating, but it isn't enough.

One thing we may be overlooking is the Miiverse. I'm sure that sucker will always be there on the gamepad screen if you want to go there, without pausing the game.

Hard to tell.
But the ds brought many comodities with is second screen that would be missed if there wasnt, and some other ideas that were only possible on there.
But above else i agree with @Francis.
I think it's not about having a experience being better than other but having an enjoyable experince with a different feel.

Gameplay-wise, without a doubt.


Mass appeal-wise? Not a chance. The Wii has not only been played by- and attracted all family members, but even found its way to several retirement homes. The Wii U would need to steal a significant part of Sony's and Microsoft's market shares to make up for those losses, and I really don't see that happening.

Motion controls was a revolution. A tablet controller is not even an evolution , but a fusion.

I think the potential for the Wii U is greater than Wii due to TWO main reasons:

The first is based on what has already been done. It utilizes Wii remotes, and outside of about a handful of titles (Wii Sports, No More Heroes 1, The Conduit 1, and Skyward Sword) rarely did games use it intuitively outside of waggle. In terms of being a standard control scheme, it is in its infancy and can still be developed further. As it stands it is still unrefined and underutilized. Plus the obvious upgrade in power can finally allow games like Resident Evil 6 to happen...Yay for title screens.

The second is the hidden potential. I am expecting the indie games to really push the capabilities of tha uPad, basically because they can take more risks then larger companies, who may then integrate these features later when they see what can take off. Some features seem like no brainers - using the pad separate from the TV, a few tablet games, etc. However, with a few catered 1st party titles on the game side of things we can realize the potential we really were not aware of. Asymmetric gameplay could suddenly become a standard requirement. It has dual analog capabilites, a larger Virtual console and a *supposedly* better online service with a year head start.

The uncertainty is there, but I do not think it was as LARGE as it was for Wii when  death knells were ringing on Nintendo. Ironically, I do not think it will outsell Wii. I do expect at least 65m consoles sold though.

No.

The very first things that people thought of for a Wiimote have not been done to a high polish level. That being a flying game, swordfighting and a shooter.

We have examples of all of them, but they're either minigames with limited scope or feel like you're fighting the controls (or in Skyward's case, the game design) for a lot of the time.

The ideas for tablets have already been used on smartphones and tablets, the ideas for 2 screens have been done on the DS*. The only thing that's not been done is local multiplayer with asymmetric gameplay and I think that will be exhausted by Nintendo Land and not seen again.

*At launch: Oh wow endless possibilities!
Actual games: It's the map screen. Always.