Or noise-sensitive enemies, who must be bypassed by lowering your engine thrust or switching to electric propulsion. The levels present a variety of obstacles, such as water, through which you must sink by increasing your weight. Via the GamePad, you gradually gain control of the ship’s systems, including its engines, gravity, stability and mass generator. Manipulate the ship's systems using the Wii U GamePad The early levels present no challenge at all but, better late than never, ASA introduces the variables that finally make it a worthy download. It sputters around the screen as you explore the dank caverns but lacks even a basic weapon to fend off the hostile aliens patrolling the shadows. Your only transport is a scruffy, barely air-worthy craft – like something Delboy Trotter would reject as too shonky. Seduced by the promise of cheap space tourism – sort of budget airline meets NASA – you crash-land on a gloomy planet. So it’s a rare pleasure to boot up Affordable Space Adventures and find the GamePad drafted into a key role for this likeably eccentric 2D puzzler. Barring NintendoLand and ZombiU, both launch titles back in 2012, few titles have bothered in any meaningful manner. Off-TV mode has its attraction but the touchscreen display has produced few unique gaming experiences.Ĭertainly, Nintendo itself makes little effort to incorporate its iPad-like functions in its own games in a compelling fashion. QUITE why Wii U was lumbered with an outsized (and no doubt costly) controller in the form of the GamePad still remains a bit of a mystery.