Nintendo unveiled the Wii U at E3 2011 on Tuesday. This, in case you aren’t aware, is the follow-up to the Wii, that games console that succeeded despite no one expecting it to.

The Wii U (read Wii 2, which is what this effectively is) is a strange beast. The console itself is like an HD version of the Wii, with visuals on a par with those of the PS3 and Xbox 360. But the controller is something else altogether.

The Wii U controller is like a cross between a traditional controller, with all the buttons and analog sticks, a tablet, with the 6.2-inch touchscreen, and a DS, with its ability to play its own games entirely separate from the Wii U.

This trailer, released by Nintendo, suggests there is a huge scope of different activities which can be achieved with the Wii U controller. So if variety is what you crave in your gaming, the Wii U could be for, well, U.

I guess we’ll find out when it’s released in the second half of 2012.