Miiverse, the Wii U's online communication interface, allows players to perform friend requests and exchange private messages, a first for a Nintendo platform. That's right: no more friend codes.

Nintendo made a big switch on its network philosophy with the new system, debuting on November 18 in North America. Formerly, they put a greatest emphasis on safety and each player’s online friend network has been assumed to be based on their existent real-life friend network. On the other hand, Miiverse will be oriented toward an open community, where people will start making friends with each other.

Miiverse also enables players to post and read comments on specific games. Accessed mainly by clicking an icon in the main menu (resembling the 3DS menu), Miiverse can also be accessed from the Warawara Plaza, which will be seen when the system booted. Each game will have different Miiverse features. For example, New Super Mario Bros. U will display other players’ comments and encourage players to post comments. Also, Miiverse enables Nintendo Land to show other players’ Mii and their comments.

Miiverse will inevitably include spoilers. Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata explained two ways to avoid leaving spoilers public. Firstly, there is a check box that indicates the message about to be posted contains spoiler. If a message is posted with this box checked, the message is masked with a message “This post includes a spoiler” and an open button. Readers still can read such messages if they click the button. Secondly, messages posted on Miiverse will be displayed with three buttons: the “Yeah” button (similar to the “Like” button on Facebook), a spoiler report button, and an ordinary report button. If a certain number of people report a post as a spoiler, the post is masked in the same way.

In general, posts on Miiverse are organized primarily in two ways. First, every Wii U game will support Miiverse and have a community in Miiverse where players can post. When players post, they can choose an expression of their Mii and attach a screenshot to a message, either inputted by an on-screen keyboard or using their stylus or finger on the GamePad touch screen. Readers can reply to the comment.

Also, just like Twitter, players also can browse posts from your friends and those who they follow. Judging from footage, the numbers of friends and those who a player follows seem to be limited up to 100 and 1000 respectively. There is also a notification icon that is exactly the same as one in 3DS main menu. According to the Iwata Asks on the subject, it will notify you of someone else’s “Yeah” to your comment.