It is looking more and more like Nintendo actually had no grand gameplay design for the Wii U’s Gamepad when they were conceiving of the console, and that it really was just a gimmick to cash in on the tablet craze sweeping the market; none of their games since Nintendo Land, which was a launch pack in game, has actually supported it meaningfully, relegating it to a secondary map or inventory screen at best.
Well, at least that was still something– Nintendo’s next big title for the Wii U, the Retro Studios developed Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, will not actually be using the screen in any capacity at all. The screen will just sit there, blank. In a way, I suppose I appreciate the lack of useless gimmicks and the decision to turn the screen off instead of mirroring the gameplay on the TV like New Super Mario Bros. U does, because it does save up my battery. Still, it’s clear even Nintendo’s own teams don’t quite know what to make of this controller.