E3 2011: Shield Pose Wii U Hands-On Preview

Shield Pose is one of a just a handful of Wii U demos on display at E3 2011. Unlike most of the other Wii U demos on hand, however, Shield Pose makes exclusive use of Wii U's screen-equipped controller. The idea behind the game is that you have to learn how to use the controller--as you would a shield--to block arrows being fired by pirates nearby. These come from four different directions--the center, the right, the left, and above--but there's a tutorial at the beginning of the demo that lets you get your bearings and learn how to aim the tablet controller in those directions.

It takes a few minutes to get used to the idea of holding a controller that you actually need to look at when prompted to do so, but Shield Pose tries to ease you into this by blocking single arrows initially from individual directions. Once you've blocked an arrow, you can shake it from your virtual shield by gently shaking the tablet up and down. Things start to get more complicated when Shield Pose tries to get you to block arrows and shake them off in time with the rhythm of the music playing in the background. Initially, it starts with just a few arrows before moving on to multiple arrows from multiple directions (for example, center, then left, and then above), but if you're paying attention to the beat, it's not all that difficult.

It's not a great visual demonstration of the Wii U's graphical capabilities, but what makes Shield Pose an interesting demonstration of the Wii U technology is just how the tablet functions as a second screen, not unlike the second screen on Nintendo's DS handheld platforms--only it's completely dynamic, functioning much like a magnifying glass. But we'll be curious to see if developers will be able to build an entire game around these mechanics. Look for more on the Wii U by visiting e3.gamespot.com.

For more info on Nintendo's latest console, the Wii U, be sure to check out our Nintendo Wii U: Everything You Need To Know feature or watch Nintendo's E3 2011 Press Conference to see the full reveal!