Given that Mass Effect 3 has already been out for eight months on 360 and PS3, that the trilogy will be out on both consoles soon, and that there has been no news of the first two in the series coming out on Wii U, you might expect Mass Effect 3 for Wii U to have some trouble. Bioware is obviously aware of this, and has implemented several features in the game to combat it. Melanie Faulknor, External Producer for Mass Effect 3 Special Edition on the Wii U, has taken to the Bioware blog to explain some of what makes the game stand out. Calling it a special edition, for one thing.
Firstly, you couldn't be blamed for thinking Mass Effect 3 might not be as good a fit with the Wii U GamePad as the PS3 or 360 controller. But Bioware has added features to make the Wii U look like a good home for the game. You can use the GamePad to control your team, use abilities (both Shepard's and those of your team members), and play the game entirely from the GamePad itself without need for a TV screen.
As for the extensive backstory that 360 players can get from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 and PS3 players will be able to get when the trilogy comes out in December, Bioware has come up with a unique solution to fill in those who choose to play Mass Effect 3 on the Wii U. Instead of putting in the vast amounts of money, effort, and time that would be needed to port all three games over, the team has covered the first two with an interactive comic. Players will be able to make choices throughout the comic that will then create a save game to be imported into the game, so not only will they get the backstory from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 but also the consequences of those decisions in Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 3 Special Edition is a launch title for the Wii U, so it will be available from November 18th in North America, November 30th in Europe, and December 5th in Japan.
