Assassin's Creed III Wii U "exactly the same" as other versions

When the Wii U version of Assassin's Creed III arrives in stores next month, there won't be much to distinguish it from its Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC counterparts. As the game's creative director Alex Hutchinson told GamesIndustry International at a launch party last week, that's a good thing.

"I'm super excited whenever we demo the Wii U," Hutchinson said. "It is exactly the same game that's on the other platforms. And I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's been a long time since I've shipped a game on more than three platforms where you could say it's all the same. It's not like some radically diminished version, so that's exciting."

The Wii U version of the game will use the system's Game Pad to display the in-game map, or allow players to quickly equip different weapons. While Hutchinson didn't mention the Game Pad specifically, he did speak positively about working with the new Nintendo hardware itself.

"It's always a challenge with new hardware, but it's also exciting," Hutchinson said. "I love the smell of new plastic, that day you get home with your new piece of kit. And it's been a long time since we've had a new piece of kit."

Assassin's Creed III debuts on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC October 30. The Wii U version is expected on shelves at the console's launch November 18.