Making Friends With Wii U
Friend Codes are dead. And it's about time.
For months, even years, many have wondered if and when Nintendo would finally move away from the Friend Codes that were so cumbersome and annoying on previous systems. The publisher hadn't really offered many specifics with regards to Wii U. Today we were able to finally test out that environment, and see how you'd be able to connect with people you know - or simply play games with.
Simply put, Friend Codes are gone, replaced by your Nintendo Network ID, which is effectively a username. Your Network ID can be set up when you add a new Mii to your Wii U OS, or later through settings. After registering your ID to an e-mail address, you're able to use this to connect to others through the master Friend List 'application', which is accessible from the system's Home Menu (which you get to by pressing 'Home' on the GamePad).
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/18/making-friends-with-wii-u
