My opinion is that wii u will be the best of all systems.
It surely will lift the spirits of the thousands of fans diddipointed by the 3ds.
when i first saw a video on utube about it (keep in mid that this was 4 years ago) i didnt beleve him. then i saw it at e3 2011 and i could not believe my eyes. now something they said then really shocked me and no1 elece probably remembers it.
3 words: Super Smash Brothers.

Honestly, after reading and/or watching a plethora of trailers and press releases, I'm still not sure what to think. But from what I've seen, it looks like it could definitely be the better of this generation's consoles.

To me it feels like Nintendo is re-hashing the Wii to appeal to the hardcore crowd who felt isolated after the Wii was loaded with software that seemed to befit the casual gaming crowd. If I recall correctly, that's exactly what Nintendo wants to do, and I can't say I blame them.

The hardware definitely is a huge step up from the Wii's, having nearly twice the internal memory and being able to support HD graphics. In fact, I was surprised that the original Wii wasn't capable of this, especially in this era of next-gen gaming. Where the Xbox 360 and PS3 could both run 1080p graphics, the Wii looked like a step back from the GameCube. There was also a lack of online support, having to use the twelve-or-so -digit "Friend Codes" instead of having a full online system such as PSN or Xbox Live. On top of that, at least for me, online play was frustrating, mostly because of connectivity issues. Nintendo Network, while it sounds like a blatant rip-off of Sony's PSN, will hopefully have the same decent functionality.

The controller looks like a combination of the Wii's Classic Controller and an iPhone. It's like they took an iPhone, made it larger, and added some buttons. It seems like it might be awkward to hold, given that it's a big rectangle, but I don't know for certain. The 6.5" touch-screen is a nice addition, though. It brings back memories of the Dreamcast's VMU, for those who remember. It will also be the first controller where you can see the gameplay so someone else can watch their Criminal Minds or whatever on the TV. Or you can watch your Big Bang Theory or whatever on the controller's screen, too. Which is awesome.
There's also the Pro Controller, but it looks a lot like the standard Xbox 360 controller, which made me feel a little sick. It's like Nintendo is trying to get back in with the hardcore crowd, by all but copying other consoles. It's a shame, really.

In the end, it's shaping up to be an excellent follow-up to the Wii. Even if it seems a bit like Nintendo is trying to copy its other two main competitors. But I guess we'll all know for certain how good the Wii U is come launch day.

Except for me. I'll wait for the price drop, whenever that is.

The Wii-U has awesome potential, but it's all up to the implementation. I watched videos of people testing it and the games don't actually look very impressive so far. They're not really much different than regular Wii games.

I think the biggest thing hurting the system is the expensiveness of the controller. Yeah, you can use a Wiimote and all its accessories... and you can use the Classic Controller... but the new Wii-U tablet controller is actually the best thing about it and the fact that you can't easily buy another may dissuade developers from making games that really take advantage of its potential.

Has anyone ever played Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (the original GameCube one) or Zelda Four Swords (again, GameCube)? Remember how you could link GBAs to the system to get your own little screen for playing? We need more of that and the Wii-U has laid the groundwork for this. Multiplayer games are the ones that are the most fun for me so something that pushes multiplayer and takes it to the next level creates the best gaming experience possible in my book.

I want games to have extra management on the screen like your own personal command center independent of what's happening on your TV screen. I heard rumors of 3DS integration which works as well... the 3DS could sub in for an extra tablet controller and provide the same functionality (a touch screen display center). If developers can utilize this either-or control scheme for games, we could really have something great.

Even sports games can benefit from this if you like sports. If you're playing football, why not have your playbook on your own little personal screen? Football games have always struggled in multiplayer for a way to call plays without the other person knowing (or at least having a decent idea) of what plays you're calling. This is the solution.

Anyone remember the Dreamcast? Dreamcast controllers had their own little screens. They had uses similar to this. The Wii-U has the potential to blow that idea away. This would be so much superior to that and enhance what that was able to do tremendously.

I'm extremely hopeful, but I can't get too excited because I don't fully trust Nintendo to realize this potential and push it or developers to pick it up on their own without influence from Nintendo.

I would have to agree, Crazy Li. It's pretty much all up to whether developers actually decide to use the tablet controller to the fullest, instead of just treating it like another console in the vein of PS3 or X360.

And yes, the tablet controller would blow the old Dreamcast VMU out of the water, if it was properly implemented, instead of just being a vanilla controller. Like if Mass Effect 3 let you use the touch screen to change ammo types and special abilities on the fly. Or maybe something a bit more creative than that. I'd love to see a new Four Swords for this console that uses the tablet. But the way it looks right now, it's maybe a handful of games that use it, and a few ports of games that have been out for a year or so already.

Another thing that worries me is whether the idea of the tablet controller will take off. Most people (at least the ones I've talked to) are perfectly happy with their PS3 or what-have-you. While I think the tablet controller is an interesting addition, the Wii U still does more-or-less what other consoles have been doing for a few years now. Nintendo also made the Pro Controller, which looks more or less like the X360 controller's weird cousin, completely eliminating the touch screen that was supposed to be such a huge draw. This, at least to me, makes me think that Nintendo just made the tablet controller as a flashy gimmick. An awesome gimmick with a lot of potential, but still a gimmick.

Like I said, the console land tablet look pretty nifty, but I'll still wait for a price drop. As you said, the tablet controller costs an arm and a leg.

I tried the wii u at best buy, I'm really considering buying one for Christmas

I think the Wii U can be much better than even the PS3 or Xbox 360 if Nintendo tries hard enough. The Wii had a lot of potential but they really did not make much use of it...