Wii U version of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed to have five player offline multiplayer

While many members of the videogame press continue to lament the Wii U as a misguided grab at the “hardcore” demographic, occasional hints at the capabilities of that VMU-style GamePad still inspire some real confidence in me. Then again, I am one of those few who still argues with disinterested coworkers that the Dreamcast’s memory cards were far more than a stupid gimmick. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, RICHARD.

Anyway, at last week’s Gamescom, GamesRadar writer Justin Towell unearthed a clever new feature in All-Stars Racing Transformed that once again proves that screens in controllers are a very good thing: 5 player local multiplayer.

It seems that the GamePad’s screen doesn’t need loads of processing power to get it working in tandem with the on-screen action. Case in point: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, which will apparently feature a five-player mode, with four players on the TV in split-screen and another on the GamePad. That’s mighty impressive and we can’t wait to see it in action.

Obviously, this doesn’t exactly change the game entirely, but at the very least it’s an intriguing little glimmer of inspiration for a console that seems to inspire a lot more concern than anticipation.

[Source: GamesRadar via TSSZ]