So, I just picked up a Wii U at my local retailer. Totally dead, not that I'm surprised - this particular Finnish town isn't full of hardcore gamers in that sense. I'd ordered a ZombiU pack online but received the response that it wouldn't arrive in time for release(which seems to be the case all over for that bundle), so I cancelled the order and got a Deluxe Edition over the counter.

Now I'm sitting at work with the GamePad next to me, watching it ever so slowly update.

I guess people in the UK haven't gotten a chance to get one yet as it's hella early there, unless there's been midnight launches all over. Anyone gotten a hand on a Wii U in Europe yet, and what was the situation with regards to availability and such?

I'm going to be risky and try to get one at 6PM after work, looking at how things have been going I should be able to just walk into Tesco and buy one.

Game. The largest game retailer in the UK still had stock available on there website as of yesterday when i checked and they was guarenteeing delivery for launch so i doubt it's just the website displaying false info. I'm considering driving down to one later and seeing if i can buy one...can't really decide if i want one right now though.

Hows it looking? Cold really really cold.

I'm feeling a bit robbed now that I realize first party Nintendo games are 60€ and ZombiU is 70€ on the eShop. I guess I'll only be buying Christmas gifts for myself this year. Good thing I won't have to buy extra controllers right away though. The controller is at my desk and I'm trying to do some programming while the Miiverse is taunting me. Ah well, all in good time.

Just had a wander about. Argos and Sainsburys aren't stocking it at all where i am. Game has sold out of black ones but theres plenty of white 8(?)gig ones. I decided to not buy one...don't want a white one and i want one with more memory.

@Hugh_Jazz: I'm in the UK and just got word that my ZombiU premium bundle will be with me between 4 and 5 today. I pre ordered the day they became available.

Not bad. I bought it from the local GameStop and a little line started after a minute or so after opening. Seemed like they had some server overload issues as other GameStop retailers in Denmark was pretty packed with people to buy the WiiU.

I'm currently doing the Wii transfer progress. The Pikmin animation stuff is awesome!

Has anybody been down to Tesco? I'm still hoping its in stock, I checked there website and everything seems to be in stock.

In stock everywhere in Brighton, midnight launch was a complete failure and not a lot of people buying them according to my buddy at HMV.

@pompouspizza said:

@Hugh_Jazz: I'm in the UK and just got word that my ZombiU premium bundle will be with me between 4 and 5 today. I pre ordered the day they became available.

You bastard, I wanted to get my hands on that bundle. I preordered the ZombiU pack a few weeks ago so I figured I'd be in the clear, but apparently it showed up in real low numbers to Finnish retailers.

I just found a local retailer that sells ZombiU and the first party games for 50€, so that's handily a better value than the eShop. I'll hold off on getting a pro controller, gonna try the multiplayer with Wiimote/Nunchuk first. Thanks to my workplace being the chillest, I set the console up on a monitor and ran through the entire update process and get Nintendoland up and running.

Has anyone tried ZombiU on the eShop and received a message about the content being locked during certain times of day? I apparently couldn't buy the game early in the morning and now I've packed the console back in its box so can't check again. Seems weird to me, as my profile contains my age, which is way about 18. That is in case it's a parental advisory thing and not some weird regional restriction on the eShop.

i just picked up my Wii U Zombi U bundle, got it home and it cant connect to the internet. This sucks balls! I have tried using the guides on how to get it to connect, but i can only get it to connect to my router not the internet. Feels like i have bought a broken device :(

Gonna check tonight if it my one arrived. Went to a small game shop (not GAME) and saw people holding both the black and white Wii U bundles.

Ok so Tesco was a complete bust, I walked in at around 6PM like I said. I look around the game section and there is just nothing, not that there are no Wii U's left. But there are no signs, advertisements or anything even remotely attached to the Wii U out. I went and spoke to somebody and they told me they didn't get any in stock and told me they would get some in a few weeks. But if I ordered on there online store I could have it buy Monday, what kind of fucked up system is that!?

I have heard good things about HMV, so I will go out console hunting this weekend.

Update - I just checked Amazon and they have them in stock, I can get it as early as Monday. But I have to work during the week, fuck that. I'll take my chances this weekend.

Here in Belgium, a gamestore nearby was completely sold out, but the local toystore had plenty left. Which ended in me getting the ZombiU edition.

My Wii U launch day experience:

So I ended up getting it from HMV...but not at midnight even though I was promised they would have a midnight launch by staff. They didn't.

Me and my boyfriend were there at about half 9 and went in to ask about the launch and they said they weren't doing it. We were pissed! Cancelled my pre-order there out of anger which was dumb as the deposit was only £10. It was the whole reason we were both at the shopping centre that night which was inconvenient for both of us.

Anyway, then we went around a bunch of other places, but all GAME stores had them all pre-ordered and anywhere that wasn't a GAME didn't seem to be getting any in...we were advised by one of the tech guys in a 24 hour Tesco to go to the flagship, biggest in Europe store in Chesterfield, so we went...when we got there the tech staff DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A NEW CONSOLE LAUNCH!

So I ended up going back to the same HMV the next day at 9am and getting the one I pre-ordered essentially...even though it wasn't my pre-order any more. They only had two in stock for general sale and one of those was the one I'd pre-ordered then cancelled when there wasn't a midnight launch.

But now I have a shiny new Wii U and I do love it...got the ZombiU bundle with an offer HMV had to get the Sonic & All Stars racing game (surprisingly awesome) and New Super Mario Bros. U for £400...then Had to get Nintendo Land on top of that.

@KaiUnderneath: I too got the zombiu bundle from play.com for £350, I have been on the fence about sonic but it does look good. I want to play it with my girlfriend, can you tell me if when you play 2 player can one of you use the gamepad and the other use a wii remote and the tv? because much to my disappointment if you want to play mario multi player you all have to have wii remotes.

Thanks

Did your ZombiU bundle come with Nintendo Land? The one I got didn't...but it was £20 cheaper.

Anyway, YES...Sonic & All Stars has really great control options. If you play 2 player one person will use the GamePad and see everything on that screen while the second player plays on the TV with whatever controller you want...seems to support the Pro Controller, Wiimotes, Classic Pro Controllers and all sorts. Had a really good time playing it multiplayer. Works best with the GamePad and the Pro Controller I think.

@KaiUnderneath: Ok cool, i think i'll get it because it's £29 on shopto. No mine didn't come with nintendo land, I ordered it with play.com because I have had a much better experience with them and the £20 more didn't bother me because I only paid £175, my girlfriend paid the other half as a early christmas present. How's the singleplayer in sonic?.

@pompouspizza: £29's not bad! For that price, yeah definitely get it. One of the best things I've played on the Wii U so far.

I was pissed about the Nintendo Land thing. The woman in HMV told me that both ZombiU and Nintendo Land was in the box which is why I pre ordered that one. Ended up working out okay though.

@KaiUnderneath: Did you just buy Nintendo land?, sorry for the 20 questions but my girlfriend wants Nintendo land but are the games fun with just 2 people?

@pompouspizza: Yeah, bought Nintendo Land separate and it's really good. Have played some of it two player and there's definitely plenty to do two player, but some of the games are definitely a lot more awesome with 3 or 4...or even 5.

I'd say get it though, if you can. Coz it shows off how the GamePad stuff really well and is a lot of fun multiplayer with just 2 people. The Attraction Tour is fun coz it includes the single player games and makes you sort of challenge each other at them.

So I just walked into GAME, asked if I could buy one and they said yes. They had every edition available, I went with the Black 32GB with Nintendo Land.