Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- A year ago , Nintendo announced the Wii U , the next generation of its massively popular gaming system that incorporates a handheld controller with its own video screen into play with the more traditional Wii console . On Tuesday , at the world 's largest video-game gathering , the company was still explaining it -- and not sparing any superlatives in doing so . `` It changes your gaming . It changes how you interact with your gaming friends . And it changes the way you enjoy your TV , '' said Reggie Fils-Aime , president and CEO of Nintendo of America . `` It 's not just intuitive , not just accessible to everyone , but it stands to revolutionize your living room . '' Having showcased the Wii U hardware at last year 's Electronic Entertainment Expo , the focus at Tuesday 's Nintendo event was on games : 23 of them , to be exact . They ranged from `` Super Mario Brothers U , '' the inevitable arrival of Nintendo 's most enduring and beloved character , to `` Batman Arkham City : Armored Edition , '' a new take on the popular action franchise . But while the titles were plentiful , the real focus was on how the Wii U will make them different . At the forefront is what the company is calling `` asymmetric game play . '' What that means is that a player using the system 's new handheld controller -- it looks like a tablet computer , with a screen and buttons -- can share the same game with other players who are using traditional keypads . But that player 's objectives and experience will be different than the others . `` The player with the game pad takes on a special role , '' said Katsuya Eguchi , the developer of `` NintendoLand , '' a game that will combine characters and settings from 12 Nintendo titles into one `` greatest hits '' game . `` It 's playing the same game world as the other players , but with a different perspective , different information and a completely different role . '' In one of those mini-games , `` Luigi 's Ghost Mansion , '' up to four players using traditional controllers play as ghost hunters , while another with one of the new game pads is the ghost . The `` ghost '' sees more than the other players on the pad 's video screen and plays against the others . In turning to Eguchi to create `` NintendoLand , '' the company is hoping to answer any lingering questions about whether the Wii U is simply a handheld gaming device attached to a Wii . He developed `` Wii Sports Tennis , '' the game the company credits with most clearly and easily showcasing what the Wii could do when it was released six years ago . `` For Wii U , 'NintendoLand ' does the same thing , '' Fils-Aime said . `` Play it , and you begin to understand . '' The game will be released at the same time as the Wii U this holiday season , Fils-Aime said . No price for the system has been announced . The Nintendo event marked the second straight day that one of the three major gaming console makers used the big stage of E3 to focus on `` second screen '' gaming . On Monday , Microsoft unveiled its SmartGlass system , which lets players use their tablets or smartphones in conjunction with its Xbox 360 . Other titles announced for the system included `` Wii Fit U , '' a new version of the exercise program that has sold more than 43 million copies ; `` Sing , '' a karaoke game that lets players user the new game pad to read lyrics ; and , in a nod to hard-core gamers , `` Mass Effect 3 , '' the latest in the acclaimed role playing-game series . On its Twitter feed , game creator Bioware noted that the title represents its debut on the Wii and that the game will be available when the Wii U launches . But `` Mass Effect '' and `` Arkham City '' were n't enough to please some hard-core gamers , many of whom are down on Nintendo for what they see as its focus on games geared toward a more casual , family-friendly audience . `` I 'm not really sure what Nintendo wants to be ... , '' said Morgan Webb , host of G4 network 's X-Play . `` Nintendo has abandoned the core gaming audience even though they like to pretend they 're not . '' For the handheld Nintendo 3DS , the company announced upcoming titles , including `` Disney Epic Mickey : Power of Illusion '' and `` Paper Mario : Sticker Star . ''
Wii U rolls out 23 titles for the upcoming Nintendo . System 's handheld game pad offers different perspectives . New `` Super Mario , '' `` Mass Effect '' and `` Batman Arkham City '' titles are planned . Wii U is expected to be released last year 's .