Nintendo late on Thursday revealed launch details of Wii U video game console as well as recommended pricing for Europe and the U.S. The console will land in the U.S. in mid-November, then in Europe in late November, which is ahead of the Japanese launch. In both regions Wii U will be able to work as a set-top-box.

“The wait is almost over - in just 66 days, Wii U will arrive with the strongest lineup of launch software in Nintendo history. With the integrated second screen of the included GamePad and features that instantly enhance the way people play games, watch video and interact with each other, consumers will see how Wii U delivers a completely unique experience and a remarkable value right out of the box. The new system also creates extraordinary new possibilities for game developers, bound only by the limits of their imaginations,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo of America.

Nintendo Wii U console will land in the U.S. on November 18, then in Europe on November 30, 2012. Just like in Japan, Nintendo will sell two versions of the console: Basic white  for $299/€299/£249 and Deluxe black for $349/€349/£299. Nintendo also revealed that during the launch window, more than 50 games will be available for Wii U.

• The Premium black bundle will include Wii U console with 32GB of NAND flash storage, Wii U GamePad with stylus, one charging stand and one play cradle for Wii U GamePad, vertical stand for the console itself, one HDMI cable, one AC adapter for Wii U and one Wii U GamePad AC adapter. The pack will include Nintendo Land video game.
• The Basic white bundle will include Wii U console with 8GB of NAND flash storage, Wii U GamePad with stylus, one HDMI cable, one AC adapter for Wii U and one Wii U GamePad AC adapter.

At a special Wii U preview event in New York, Nintendo also unveiled Nintendo TVii, an application that will let Wii U owners in the United States and Canada find, watch and engage with their favorite video entertainment in fun new ways. Using the touch screen on the GamePad controller, Nintendo TVii users will be able to browse programming from sources they subscribe to, including cable and satellite channels, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and even their recorded TiVo shows – all from a single starting point.

Nintendo Wii U is based on a custom IBM Power microprocessor equipped with 1GB of system memory as well as a modern custom AMD Radeon HD graphics processing unit with high-definition graphics and video support that is equipped with 1GB of graphics memory. The consoles come with 32GB or 8GB of NAND flash storage and an optical drive to read custom discs.

The main feature of the game console is its unique Wii U GamePad controller with 6.2" touch-screen that also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers that can be used to play both classic Gamecube/Wii games as well as specially designed titles that take advantage of the screen. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories.

Tags: Nintendo, Wii, Wii U