River City Ransom
System: NES®
Genre: Action, Fighting
Original Release: 1989
Wii Points: 500
Phantasy Star
III Generations of Doom
System: Genesis
Genre: RPG
Original Release: 1991
Wii Points: 800
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2008
VC Releases 4/26
River City Ransom
System: NES®
Genre: Action, Fighting
Original Release: 1989
Wii Points: 500
Phantasy Star
III Generations of DoomSystem: Genesis
Genre: RPG
Original Release: 1991
Wii Points: 800
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
SNES Classic Controler for the Wii
This offer appears only available in Japan for Nintendo Club members.
As reported on:
http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Everybody Votes channel up for download in Wii Shop Channel
I just downloaded it now, and am setting it up. I haven’t had time to update the Wii yet to get the channel to work, but reader Andy tells us what the channel does.
Alright – the new channel allows you to register your Miis as voters. Once that’s done, they have questions up (Nintendo-made and submitted!) that each of your registered Miis can vote on. Then, you also predict what you think the majority will vote for. It tracks these statistics by Mii as well!
Head to the Wii Shop Channel, then Wii Ware, and download! Thanks to everyone that sent this in (my email flooded with messages just as I was about to close it!).
Source Article
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Wii: Guitar Hero Coming...
That’s right, during Activision’s conference call on Wednesday, CEO Mike Griffith stated that Guitar Hero will be making it’s way to the Wii:
No other details were given during the 60+ minute conference call. Since the announcement was given by the President of Activision, I think the chances are high for an official press release in the future. If you wish to hear the announcement for yourself, check out the conference call below and skip ahead to around the 28-minute mark.
Retrieved from:
The key difference in our strategy versus the prior cycle, is that in addition to full support on Sony and Microsoft platforms, we will aggressively target the Nintendo platforms consistent with our multi-platform strategy and Nintendo’s expected growth. In fiscal 2008, we will double our offerings on the DS and the Wii, including Spider-Man, Shrek, Transformers, and Guitar Hero.
No other details were given during the 60+ minute conference call. Since the announcement was given by the President of Activision, I think the chances are high for an official press release in the future. If you wish to hear the announcement for yourself, check out the conference call below and skip ahead to around the 28-minute mark.
Retrieved from:
Thetanooki.com
Saturday, January 27, 2007
IGN's Wii Predictions: 2007 Edition
US, January 26, 2007 - In just about two months, Nintendo has sold through almost four million Wii units, a few million games, and 1.5 million Virtual Console titles. Not a bad start for a little white console that many initially argued lacked the horsepower to compete with the big boys. With an original lineup of software married to an innovative new controller, Wii has already become a worldwide success story, not to mention both the hottest holiday must-buy and the most sought-after gadget in the new year. Indeed, even as some shipments of PlayStation 3s sit untouched on retail shelves today, Wii systems sell out the moment they come in. And the momentum hasn't slowed yet.
Clearly, Wii's launch couldn't have gone smoother, but what about 2007? What can gamers look forward to from Nintendo and third parties through the remainder of the year? There are some obvious answers, including the arrival of the first Wii online games around the globe, new Wii Channels, more third party support than a Nintendo home console has seen in years and big hits from established and new franchises. You don't need us to predict all of that.
We do, however, have some predictions for Wii this year. Some of these are straight up guesses - call them educated wishful thinking, if you want - and others are based on details we already know. Of course, even with that being the case, something that is true today may prove false tomorrow and hence we ask that readers refrain from taking any of our predictions as a form of fact.
New Wii System Colors Launch
When IGN.com polled more than 30,000 readers last year, they were split right down the middle on the subject of their favorite Wii colors: white and black. As we all know, Nintendo ultimately chose to go with white, paying homage to the clean, simple style that helped earn Apple Inc. $1 billion of pure profit last quarter alone. That said, a multi-color plan has always been in the pipeline for Nintendo's new console and we think 2007 will house the arrival of the first non-white Wii. And can you guess what new color might hit store shelves first? Yeah - it's black. Nintendo did the same thing with DS, rolling out white first and black later. If all goes as planned, you'll be able to pick up your shiny midnight Wii systems as a sleek, beautiful complementary piece to the holiday season - and maybe they'll even ship with a game that isn't Wii Sports.
Metroid Prime 3's Late Arrival
Retro Studios' third installment in the Metroid Prime franchise was all set to arrive for Wii in time for the system's launch, but then it got quietly delayed beyond the holiday season. It's not coming in the first quarter of 2007 and we've been told not to expect it through June. So why does a game that's originally scheduled to debut with Wii get delayed by more than eight months and when, exactly, will it finally release to the masses? Depending on who you talk to, the delay is 1) to add an online mode (which we hope is not true) or 2) for purely marketing reasons. Regardless, we wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo held it well into the third quarter. Oh, Samus, how we'll miss you.
Wireless Attachments
Not just any wireless attachments, either. How would you like to eliminate the pesky wire dangling from the bottom of your Wii remote all the way to your nunchuck peripheral? Uh-huh. We believe by the end of the year Nintendo - not third party manufacturers -- will have a wireless solution for you. If the publisher decides to keep the controls for titles like DK Bongo Blast in tact, you're also very likely to see wireless Wii bongos, in addition to other attachments like the classic controller. Finally, third parties have made mention of wireless base stations that simultaneously power two Wii remotes and enable gamers to use attachments from the comfort of their couch. Look, ma - no cords!
Lots of Exercising
Nintendo DS has your brain covered, but what about your body? Strap on your Wii remote and get ready to shed some unwanted calories (and eventually, pounds). The Wii Sports collection was just the beginning. In 2007, we think that Wii owners can look forward to a series of games that revolve around the process of making exercise entertaining. Not just from the Big N, which undoubtedly already has games in development, from a variety of third parties, too. Some of these titles may be the first two use dual-Wii remotes, representing both the left and right hands during "intense" workouts. Who needs a stamina bar when you've got the real thing? And as an added bonus, these offerings are sure to make Wii the videogame darling of the mainstream world, which is sure to embrace anything that keeps kids off the couch for a few minutes longer.
Back From the Dead Franchises
You thought it was dead. You can, in fact, barely remember it by name. But after a long hiatus from the videogame world, the franchise has returned from the great beyond. And damn it, doesn't it look good on Wii? We're not going to name names, but there are a number of videogame franchises that are ripe to be reborn on Nintendo's new console with brand new controls and enhanced graphics. Check some first- and third-party back catalogues of licenses sometime - it'll give you something to do this weekend. You might just stumble upon the next big Wii game.
The Return of Pikmin
Battalion Wars, we love you, but you'll never replace Pikmin, a series that is perfectly suited for Nintendo's new controller. In 2007, we expect Nintendo to announce Pikmin for Wii, a title that boasts not only predictably overhauled visuals, but fully re-worked controls mapped to the Wii remote and a robust cooperative online mode. Commanding armies of different colored Pikmin will be both more intuitive and quicker than ever before with the newfound accuracy and speed of the Wii remote. Nintendo, make this one a priority - your fans want it.
Massive Developer Outreach; Launch of Original VC Games
March 2007 is home to the Game Developers Conference and, we believe, one of the most important third party outreach programs in Nintendo history. The event will kick off with a monumental keynote from Shigeru Miyamoto himself and from there we expect Nintendo to pull back the curtain on a brand new Wii Channel in promotion of completely original Virtual Console games. These will, of course, exist in addition to the classic already available for download on the Wii Shopping Channel. Post GDC, we think Nintendo will aggressively encourage and work with third parties to secure original VC content for Wii.
Third Parties Reinvent Mii Faces
We love the Mii concept and have absolutely adored playing as virtual versions of ourselves in games like Wii Sports. That said, Miis are at best inappropriate for certain game types. A cute, simplified Wii face would, for example, be entirely out of place in the upcoming Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. However, we think third parties will develop a custom Mii transformer tool that looks at and identifies the basic attributes of created faces and then translates them into something more befitting of a realistic setting. It's only a matter of time and the first studio to do it will undoubtedly be copied by others within months, if not weeks.
Wii Takes Japan
Wii is a hit around the world, but it's a smash in Japan. The console flew off store shelves in the Land of the Rising Sun when it debuted last year and it has continued to sell out on a weekly basis. Although Xbox 360 enjoys a strong sales lead in America and Europe, Microsoft's console has hardly made a dent in Japan. Wii has already obliterated it in sheer popularity and amazingly, Nintendo's system has for the last two months outsold PlayStation 3 in the homeland at a rate of almost three to one. With few major PS3 releases in the near future, we don't see how Sony can easily catch up, especially when Nintendo has everything from Cooking Mama to Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl looming.
Nintendo Holds Strong at Number Two Globally
Two years ago, we probably would have told you that nothing short of divine interference could stop PlayStation 3 from becoming market leader. Nowadays, we don't think anybody is going to squash Microsoft's Xbox 360 this year. (Next year, well, that could be another story.) That noted, if any console comes close, it'll be Wii and not PS3. The Big N has already sold almost four million systems and is expected to increase supply to retailers up to as much as one million units per month. If all goes well, Wii could topple 10 or 12 million units worldwide by the end of the year. Some analysts have pegged the console to sell even better than that. Regardless of how many people ultimately jump on the Wii bandwagon this year, one thing will remain a certainty: third party developers and publishers can no longer afford to ignore or dismiss Nintendo's hardware as niche or gimmicky. It's clearly here to stay.
Retrieved from: Wii.ign.com
Clearly, Wii's launch couldn't have gone smoother, but what about 2007? What can gamers look forward to from Nintendo and third parties through the remainder of the year? There are some obvious answers, including the arrival of the first Wii online games around the globe, new Wii Channels, more third party support than a Nintendo home console has seen in years and big hits from established and new franchises. You don't need us to predict all of that.
We do, however, have some predictions for Wii this year. Some of these are straight up guesses - call them educated wishful thinking, if you want - and others are based on details we already know. Of course, even with that being the case, something that is true today may prove false tomorrow and hence we ask that readers refrain from taking any of our predictions as a form of fact.
New Wii System Colors Launch
When IGN.com polled more than 30,000 readers last year, they were split right down the middle on the subject of their favorite Wii colors: white and black. As we all know, Nintendo ultimately chose to go with white, paying homage to the clean, simple style that helped earn Apple Inc. $1 billion of pure profit last quarter alone. That said, a multi-color plan has always been in the pipeline for Nintendo's new console and we think 2007 will house the arrival of the first non-white Wii. And can you guess what new color might hit store shelves first? Yeah - it's black. Nintendo did the same thing with DS, rolling out white first and black later. If all goes as planned, you'll be able to pick up your shiny midnight Wii systems as a sleek, beautiful complementary piece to the holiday season - and maybe they'll even ship with a game that isn't Wii Sports.
Metroid Prime 3's Late Arrival
Retro Studios' third installment in the Metroid Prime franchise was all set to arrive for Wii in time for the system's launch, but then it got quietly delayed beyond the holiday season. It's not coming in the first quarter of 2007 and we've been told not to expect it through June. So why does a game that's originally scheduled to debut with Wii get delayed by more than eight months and when, exactly, will it finally release to the masses? Depending on who you talk to, the delay is 1) to add an online mode (which we hope is not true) or 2) for purely marketing reasons. Regardless, we wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo held it well into the third quarter. Oh, Samus, how we'll miss you.
Wireless Attachments
Not just any wireless attachments, either. How would you like to eliminate the pesky wire dangling from the bottom of your Wii remote all the way to your nunchuck peripheral? Uh-huh. We believe by the end of the year Nintendo - not third party manufacturers -- will have a wireless solution for you. If the publisher decides to keep the controls for titles like DK Bongo Blast in tact, you're also very likely to see wireless Wii bongos, in addition to other attachments like the classic controller. Finally, third parties have made mention of wireless base stations that simultaneously power two Wii remotes and enable gamers to use attachments from the comfort of their couch. Look, ma - no cords!
Lots of Exercising
Nintendo DS has your brain covered, but what about your body? Strap on your Wii remote and get ready to shed some unwanted calories (and eventually, pounds). The Wii Sports collection was just the beginning. In 2007, we think that Wii owners can look forward to a series of games that revolve around the process of making exercise entertaining. Not just from the Big N, which undoubtedly already has games in development, from a variety of third parties, too. Some of these titles may be the first two use dual-Wii remotes, representing both the left and right hands during "intense" workouts. Who needs a stamina bar when you've got the real thing? And as an added bonus, these offerings are sure to make Wii the videogame darling of the mainstream world, which is sure to embrace anything that keeps kids off the couch for a few minutes longer.
Back From the Dead Franchises
You thought it was dead. You can, in fact, barely remember it by name. But after a long hiatus from the videogame world, the franchise has returned from the great beyond. And damn it, doesn't it look good on Wii? We're not going to name names, but there are a number of videogame franchises that are ripe to be reborn on Nintendo's new console with brand new controls and enhanced graphics. Check some first- and third-party back catalogues of licenses sometime - it'll give you something to do this weekend. You might just stumble upon the next big Wii game.
The Return of Pikmin
Battalion Wars, we love you, but you'll never replace Pikmin, a series that is perfectly suited for Nintendo's new controller. In 2007, we expect Nintendo to announce Pikmin for Wii, a title that boasts not only predictably overhauled visuals, but fully re-worked controls mapped to the Wii remote and a robust cooperative online mode. Commanding armies of different colored Pikmin will be both more intuitive and quicker than ever before with the newfound accuracy and speed of the Wii remote. Nintendo, make this one a priority - your fans want it.
Massive Developer Outreach; Launch of Original VC Games
March 2007 is home to the Game Developers Conference and, we believe, one of the most important third party outreach programs in Nintendo history. The event will kick off with a monumental keynote from Shigeru Miyamoto himself and from there we expect Nintendo to pull back the curtain on a brand new Wii Channel in promotion of completely original Virtual Console games. These will, of course, exist in addition to the classic already available for download on the Wii Shopping Channel. Post GDC, we think Nintendo will aggressively encourage and work with third parties to secure original VC content for Wii.
Third Parties Reinvent Mii Faces
We love the Mii concept and have absolutely adored playing as virtual versions of ourselves in games like Wii Sports. That said, Miis are at best inappropriate for certain game types. A cute, simplified Wii face would, for example, be entirely out of place in the upcoming Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. However, we think third parties will develop a custom Mii transformer tool that looks at and identifies the basic attributes of created faces and then translates them into something more befitting of a realistic setting. It's only a matter of time and the first studio to do it will undoubtedly be copied by others within months, if not weeks.
Wii Takes Japan
Wii is a hit around the world, but it's a smash in Japan. The console flew off store shelves in the Land of the Rising Sun when it debuted last year and it has continued to sell out on a weekly basis. Although Xbox 360 enjoys a strong sales lead in America and Europe, Microsoft's console has hardly made a dent in Japan. Wii has already obliterated it in sheer popularity and amazingly, Nintendo's system has for the last two months outsold PlayStation 3 in the homeland at a rate of almost three to one. With few major PS3 releases in the near future, we don't see how Sony can easily catch up, especially when Nintendo has everything from Cooking Mama to Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl looming.
Nintendo Holds Strong at Number Two Globally
Two years ago, we probably would have told you that nothing short of divine interference could stop PlayStation 3 from becoming market leader. Nowadays, we don't think anybody is going to squash Microsoft's Xbox 360 this year. (Next year, well, that could be another story.) That noted, if any console comes close, it'll be Wii and not PS3. The Big N has already sold almost four million systems and is expected to increase supply to retailers up to as much as one million units per month. If all goes well, Wii could topple 10 or 12 million units worldwide by the end of the year. Some analysts have pegged the console to sell even better than that. Regardless of how many people ultimately jump on the Wii bandwagon this year, one thing will remain a certainty: third party developers and publishers can no longer afford to ignore or dismiss Nintendo's hardware as niche or gimmicky. It's clearly here to stay.
Retrieved from: Wii.ign.com
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Where to Find a Wii
Ironic but here is a website that looks for Wii's in your area:
http://www.ps3seeker.com/wii/
More anticipated shipments on 1/8-1/9
http://www.ps3seeker.com/wii/
More anticipated shipments on 1/8-1/9
Monday, January 1, 2007
Wii Sports Time Magazines Top Video Game
WII SPORTS (for Wii)
There is no possible way to say this enough times: great graphics don't make great games. Perfect Dark Zero looked like a Titian, but it was a snooze. Wii Sports—a mini-sports anthology that includes golf, boxing, tennis, baseball and bowling—looks like Colecovision. The little guys on the screen don't even have arms. But it's hilarious, and it shows off the power of the motion-sensitive Wii controller to put you right in the game, sweating and yelling and trying crazy spins and lunges and angles. The tennis game alone is worth the price of admission. Which is nothing, since it comes free with the Wii.
Retrieved from: Time.com
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Wii Interview with Reggie Fils-Aime's Nintendo Chief
Critical Hit: Reggie Fils-Aime's Pledge to Nintendo Wii Owners--Read My Lips. 'No New Game Drought.'
In the downslope of Orson Welles' career, the actor-writer-director was less known for his seminal films than for his role as a TV pitchman for Paul Masson Vineyards, wherein he would sonorously intone "We will sell no wine before its time." Substitute games for wine, and he could well have been speaking of Nintendo, whose previous consoles have notoriously gone months between significant first-party games. (Google "Nintendo drought" and you'll get more than 190,000 results.) Now comes word from the U.K. gaming site CVG that two highly anticipated Wii titles-Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Mario Galaxy-won't be released until October 2007 at the earliest.
We have no way of determining the credibility of CVG's report, which it attributes to "reliable sources close to Nintendo." But it reminded us of an interview that we conducted with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime in October, where he freely made a "Read my lips" pledge that Wii owners would not endure the same software droughts they had on prior Nintendo machines. Here's our exchange on that point:
NEWSWEEK: Let's look at first-party software for a minute. As evidenced by software sales, gamers who purchase Nintendo platforms do so primarily to play Nintendo-developed games. But from the Nintendo 64-era on, Nintendo has a history of repeatedly delaying key titles, creating long droughts between the AAA games for which its fans bought the hardware. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, your flagship title for the Wii, is in fact a long-delayed Gamecube game that has been moved over to the Wii, as has Super Paper Mario. So how can you assure gamers that are considering a Wii--keeping in mind that they've heard such promises before--that they won't endure the same droughts between AAA first-party titles that they suffered on the Nintendo 64 or the Gamecube?
Reggie Fils-Aime: The way I answer that question is with three very real examples. First, Zelda: Twilight Princess, on Wii, is arguably the best game we've ever made. Period. It is fantastic. It's been essentially made, from the core essence of that game, to be perfect for Wii. And yes, while its development started as a Gamecube title, the fact is the Wii version plays fundamentally different. A consumer can buy the Wii version and the Gamecube version and have two fundamentally different experiences. Now certainly, the Gamecube version of Zelda is fantastic. But the Wii version of Zelda is without peer.
The second example I point out is Metroid Prime 3, which is a from-the-ground-up creation of Metroid for the Wii system. That title is going to come out early in 2007. That will give us fantastic momentum coming off of the launch, and will certainly be an example of how there will be no new game drought for this system.
The third example I would give you is Mario Galaxy, another from-the-ground-up Wii game that we are strategically timing the launch to make sure that we continue driving momentum through 2007. So N'Gai, how do I answer the question, "Will there be no drought," and "How will we make sure that there are fantastic titles for Wii?" The answer is Zelda, Metroid and Mario. Which is a pretty darn good lineup.
So are you willing to make a "Read my lips" pledge right here?
I thought I just did.
All right. I'll be checking in with you when these titles actually ship.
[Chuckles] Exactly.
Retrieved from: http://ncroal.talk.newsweek.com/default.asp?item=395614
In the downslope of Orson Welles' career, the actor-writer-director was less known for his seminal films than for his role as a TV pitchman for Paul Masson Vineyards, wherein he would sonorously intone "We will sell no wine before its time." Substitute games for wine, and he could well have been speaking of Nintendo, whose previous consoles have notoriously gone months between significant first-party games. (Google "Nintendo drought" and you'll get more than 190,000 results.) Now comes word from the U.K. gaming site CVG that two highly anticipated Wii titles-Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Mario Galaxy-won't be released until October 2007 at the earliest.
We have no way of determining the credibility of CVG's report, which it attributes to "reliable sources close to Nintendo." But it reminded us of an interview that we conducted with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime in October, where he freely made a "Read my lips" pledge that Wii owners would not endure the same software droughts they had on prior Nintendo machines. Here's our exchange on that point:
NEWSWEEK: Let's look at first-party software for a minute. As evidenced by software sales, gamers who purchase Nintendo platforms do so primarily to play Nintendo-developed games. But from the Nintendo 64-era on, Nintendo has a history of repeatedly delaying key titles, creating long droughts between the AAA games for which its fans bought the hardware. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, your flagship title for the Wii, is in fact a long-delayed Gamecube game that has been moved over to the Wii, as has Super Paper Mario. So how can you assure gamers that are considering a Wii--keeping in mind that they've heard such promises before--that they won't endure the same droughts between AAA first-party titles that they suffered on the Nintendo 64 or the Gamecube?
Reggie Fils-Aime: The way I answer that question is with three very real examples. First, Zelda: Twilight Princess, on Wii, is arguably the best game we've ever made. Period. It is fantastic. It's been essentially made, from the core essence of that game, to be perfect for Wii. And yes, while its development started as a Gamecube title, the fact is the Wii version plays fundamentally different. A consumer can buy the Wii version and the Gamecube version and have two fundamentally different experiences. Now certainly, the Gamecube version of Zelda is fantastic. But the Wii version of Zelda is without peer.
The second example I point out is Metroid Prime 3, which is a from-the-ground-up creation of Metroid for the Wii system. That title is going to come out early in 2007. That will give us fantastic momentum coming off of the launch, and will certainly be an example of how there will be no new game drought for this system.
The third example I would give you is Mario Galaxy, another from-the-ground-up Wii game that we are strategically timing the launch to make sure that we continue driving momentum through 2007. So N'Gai, how do I answer the question, "Will there be no drought," and "How will we make sure that there are fantastic titles for Wii?" The answer is Zelda, Metroid and Mario. Which is a pretty darn good lineup.
So are you willing to make a "Read my lips" pledge right here?
I thought I just did.
All right. I'll be checking in with you when these titles actually ship.
[Chuckles] Exactly.
Retrieved from: http://ncroal.talk.newsweek.com/default.asp?item=395614
Monday, December 11, 2006
Win a Nintendo Wii from Opera
Be a master storyteller using Opera Mini this holiday! We want you to tell us a photo bloggin' story from beginning to end. We've set out some simple ground rules:
* Snap minimum 10-, maximum 20 pictures
* A title for the story is required
* No other text is allowed
* Upload them to your blog
* Post a link to your story here
* Submit your contribution by January 7th, 2007
The winners will then be determined by a community vote in this thread.
Here are the prizes:
1st place: Nintendo Wii
2nd place: Nintendo DS Browser Card
3rd place: Opera goodies (brOwse me t-shirt, Opera Messenger Bag and more)!
Don't have Opera Mini on your phone? Click here to download it.
Good luck!
Retrieved from:
Opera.com
* Snap minimum 10-, maximum 20 pictures
* A title for the story is required
* No other text is allowed
* Upload them to your blog
* Post a link to your story here
* Submit your contribution by January 7th, 2007
The winners will then be determined by a community vote in this thread.
Here are the prizes:
1st place: Nintendo Wii
2nd place: Nintendo DS Browser Card
3rd place: Opera goodies (brOwse me t-shirt, Opera Messenger Bag and more)!
Don't have Opera Mini on your phone? Click here to download it.
Good luck!
Retrieved from:
Opera.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Four Virtual Console Games Tomorrow
According to a Nintendo press release, four new Virtual Console games will be released tomorrow at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. The games include the following:
Donkey Kong Jr.
1-2 players, 500 Wii Points
Based on the popular arcade game in the 1980s, Donkey Kong Jr. is the sequel to Donkey Kong. Players play as Junior, Donkey Kong's son, to rescue his imprisoned father from Mario. Using vines and chains, players gather keys to open up the imprisoned ape.
Victory Run
1 player, 600 Wii Points
Based on the TurboGrafx16 game, Victory Run is a rally racing game, made up of eight tracks across the world. The game offers upgradeable parts such as tires, gears, engines, suspensions and brakes. Driving on rough courses and hitting obstacles will cause damage to individual parts.
Columns
1-2 players, 800 Wii Points
Based on the Sega Genesis title, Columns is set similar to Tetris but with three same-colored blocks needed to be aligned rather than full rows. Sets of multicolored gems drop from the top of the screen and can be rearranged with the press of a button.
Ristar
1 player, 800 Wii Points
Based on the Sega Genesis title, Ristar is an adventure game set in the Valdi System of outer space, comprised of seven planets. Ristar uses extendable arms to combat Greedy, a space pirate.
According to Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, the Virtual Console will be updated with anywhere from one to five titles every Monday, with ten titles to appear every month beginning January 2007.
Retrieved from: Thewiire.com
Donkey Kong Jr.
1-2 players, 500 Wii Points
Based on the popular arcade game in the 1980s, Donkey Kong Jr. is the sequel to Donkey Kong. Players play as Junior, Donkey Kong's son, to rescue his imprisoned father from Mario. Using vines and chains, players gather keys to open up the imprisoned ape.
Victory Run
1 player, 600 Wii Points
Based on the TurboGrafx16 game, Victory Run is a rally racing game, made up of eight tracks across the world. The game offers upgradeable parts such as tires, gears, engines, suspensions and brakes. Driving on rough courses and hitting obstacles will cause damage to individual parts.
Columns
1-2 players, 800 Wii Points
Based on the Sega Genesis title, Columns is set similar to Tetris but with three same-colored blocks needed to be aligned rather than full rows. Sets of multicolored gems drop from the top of the screen and can be rearranged with the press of a button.
Ristar
1 player, 800 Wii Points
Based on the Sega Genesis title, Ristar is an adventure game set in the Valdi System of outer space, comprised of seven planets. Ristar uses extendable arms to combat Greedy, a space pirate.
According to Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, the Virtual Console will be updated with anywhere from one to five titles every Monday, with ten titles to appear every month beginning January 2007.
Retrieved from: Thewiire.com
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Wii Wiikly Newsletter
Get Wiikly Sent Directly To Your Wii
The Wiikly newsletter contains Wii-related news, release announcements, photos for doodling on in your photo channel, and a lot more. Sign up just so you can come home and see your Wii disc slot glowing blue! :) Add Wiikly@gmail.com to your Wii address book to sign up.
Retrieved from: http://www.wiikly.net/
Wii Virtual Console Notification
To be able to receive notifications of new Virtual Console games on the Wii Console, simply add vc@darkain.com to your Address Book.
Notes:
* It may take upwards on an hour for the initial approval notification message
* Currently for US shop channel only
Notes:
* It may take upwards on an hour for the initial approval notification message
* Currently for US shop channel only
Friday, December 1, 2006
No Mario Galaxy until Christmas 2007?
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has said that North American gamers can expect Mario's first Wii adventure, Super Mario Galaxy in shops between the end of March and next Christmas, in an interview with MTV.com.
The Nintendo boss also revealed when we can expect the next "meaty adventure" game for Wii Metroid Prime: Corruption, which will apparently arrive with the next batch of big releases following WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play in January, and Mario Party 8 in March.
In the interview Reggie also commented on Nintendo's plans for Virtual Console releases, explaining that "on every Monday, you can expect between one and five titles... essentially on an ongoing basis," So at the very least we'll have one Mario game to play before next Christmas, old or new.
Credit: Mtv.com
Retrieved from: Computerandvideogames.com
The Nintendo boss also revealed when we can expect the next "meaty adventure" game for Wii Metroid Prime: Corruption, which will apparently arrive with the next batch of big releases following WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Wii Play in January, and Mario Party 8 in March.
In the interview Reggie also commented on Nintendo's plans for Virtual Console releases, explaining that "on every Monday, you can expect between one and five titles... essentially on an ongoing basis," So at the very least we'll have one Mario game to play before next Christmas, old or new.
Credit: Mtv.com
Retrieved from: Computerandvideogames.com
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Nintendo wants GoldenEye back
MTV's Stephen Totilo recently grilled Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime about all things Wii. When questioned, the NoA president didn't hold back his desire to see GoldenEye returned to Nintendo's platform, revealing to Totilo, "Suffice it to say we would love to see [GoldenEye on Virtual Console], so we're exploring all the rights issues."
So how far is Nintendo willing to "explore"? If GoldenEye is to enjoy its homecoming, royalties could certainly be owed to Microsoft, which now owns developer Rare, and Activision, which scooped up the Bond license earlier this year. Judging by Reggie's comments -- "the pain is worth the gain" -- Nintendo may be willing to cut those checks.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Wii Sells 600,000 in one week!
Retrieved from: www.videogamesblogger.com
Nintendo’s new Wii video game system sold through to more than 600,000 consumers in the Americas in just its first eight days of availability. That’s a rate of nearly one per second continuously since the November 19 launch.
Including just first-party software and accessory sales, Wii instantly has become a $190 million business in the Americas.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a favorite of avid gamers, already has achieved sales of more than 454,000 units in the Americas, representing more than 75 percent of all hardware purchasers.
“Even with sales already in excess of 600,000 units, demand continues to exceed supply, as it’s clear this is one of the ‘gotta-have’ products for the holiday season,” says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We’ve shipped retailers several times the amount of hardware the other company was able to deliver for its launch around the same time — and we still sold out.
Given the inclusive nature of Wii game play, we’re seeing this new form of video gaming is already a huge hit with gamers and newcomers alike. It continues to be a phenomenal launch.”
During the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend, there was plenty of conversation across the nation about the high demand for the Wii system, with the acknowledgment that if you see one, you’d better buy it.
The system also is succeeding in its stated mission of reinvigorating current players, while attracting new ones. Every Wii system includes the five-game Wii Sports software, which is the talk of the Internet, featuring countless reports on how previously devout non-gamers have suddenly been converted via the amazing new way games are experienced using the system’s remarkable controller. At the same time, the masterful
Licensees, pleased not only with the sales performance of the Wii, but also its creative development capabilities, are publicly sharing their comments:
“Madden NFL 07 is a great example of how the Wii gives players a whole new experience on their favorite games,” says EA Studio President Paul Lee. “EA’s creative teams are working to build more Wii features into some of our most popular franchises.”
“The creativity we’ve been able to unleash on the Wii system with our game Red Steel has been eye-opening for our development teams,” explains Ubisoft President Laurent Detoc. “Having the opportunity to design and develop entirely new game-play experiences using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk is both exciting and rewarding.”
Classic games also are proving to be a hit on Wii, which offers downloadable access to 20 years of the best of Nintendo, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 hits via the system’s Virtual Console feature.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Wii Component Cable
Retrieved from Engadget
Those HDTV owners lucky enough to have a Wii may well know the sting of the Wii component cable shortage; with the ~$2 part (cost, not retail) fetching upwards of $100 on eBay, we think Blaze may have just saved the day with its $6.71 3rd party Wii component cables. Unfortunately even those are on backorder until this Thurdsay, the 30th, and even then you have to buy it from the same totally unimpeachable operation that brought you the Wii glove. So either way it looks like your ass is going to be rocking the 480i until further notice.
Those HDTV owners lucky enough to have a Wii may well know the sting of the Wii component cable shortage; with the ~$2 part (cost, not retail) fetching upwards of $100 on eBay, we think Blaze may have just saved the day with its $6.71 3rd party Wii component cables. Unfortunately even those are on backorder until this Thurdsay, the 30th, and even then you have to buy it from the same totally unimpeachable operation that brought you the Wii glove. So either way it looks like your ass is going to be rocking the 480i until further notice.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Wii FAQ
FAQ From: Engadget.com
# How loud is the Wii?
We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.
# Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?
Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.
# Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?
Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.
# Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?
If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.
# Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?
The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.
# When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?
Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.
# What are the load times for the games?
Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.
# Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?
Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.
# How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?
Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.
# Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?
Not at all. It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.
# How decent is the callibration for the Wii?
Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.
# Is the sensor bar really that distracting?
Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.
# What happens if you put a disc in upside down?
Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.
# In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?
That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand support.
# How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?
They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two months from now.
# What does the Sync button do?
It allows you to sync wireless peripherals (Wiimote, etc.) to your system, like an Xbox 360. Nothing more or less.
# Is the Wii controller REALLY Bluetooth-compliant, or is it simply RF? What happens if you try to pair it with a Bluetooth 2.0EDR capable PC?
It is indeed. And unlike the PS3, since it has that sync button you can make it go into discoverable mode. We tried and found the Wiimote, but we were unable to pair with the device. For those curious, its Bluetooth device name was Nintendo RVL-CNT-01 -- different from its official model number RVL-003.
# How loud is the Wii?
We'd say of the next gen consoles, the order of loudness goes: Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360. Though that's not necessarily fair since the Wii and the PS3 are both pretty much completely silent from more than a foot away. To put it in perspective, the only console we can tell whether it was left on is the Xbox.
# Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?
Our USB drive turns on when we plug it in -- it's obviously USB -- but nothing happens. Right now there's no support for USB storage, including playback of photos, music, or movies, nor saving channels or games to the device. Bummer.
# Is it possible to attach an external keyboard, mouse, etc. to the USB ports on the back of the Wii?
Yeah, you can attach them, but they don't actually do anything. Kind of a bummer, too, since using that on-screen keyboard of theirs is kind of a pain -- we often aim off our letter when pressing the A button to type.
# Does the Wii upconvert non-Wii games?
If you've got the component cables you can "upscale" old games to 480p / EDTV. Not that it's going to look any better, but the display doesn't change back 480i or anything.
# Which audio / video / image formats work with the Wii?
The manual states it works only with JPEG images, MP3 audio, and motion JPEG movies. We found it worked with all of the above, and unfortunately nothing but. We tested pretty much everything, including BMP, GIF, TIF, PSD, and PNG images; OGG, AAC, AAC lossless, WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, FLAC, AIF, and WAV audio; and XviD, WMA, H.264, and every other variety of movie could think of to throw at it.
# When you insert an SD card into Wii with photos and videos on, do they need to be converted to display/save onto Wii?
Nope, but it does only read JPEG, MP3, and motion JPEG (MOV) files.
# What are the load times for the games?
Nothing at all unusual for a disc-based console. Considering it's loading less data than the PS3 or Xbox 360, we might've liked to see those load times shaved down a bit. But it's nothing unreasonable, and doesn't clock into the minutes territory.
# Is the sensor bar setup tough (does it require a level or anything like that)?
Not at all. Just rest it on top of or below your TV. If it keeps falling off (like ours did) you can use the double-sided tape on the bottom and stick it into place.
# How does the Wii work on a smaller TV?
Very well; we hooked it up to the smallest TV we could possibly find, a 13-incher, and even put the sensor bar way off to the side and it worked beautifully.
# Is it hard to aim on the smaller TV?
Not at all. It's like playing any games on a smaller screen: you're never going to be able to pick up the same level of detail and accuracy as on a larger display, but it still works great.
# How decent is the callibration for the Wii?
Very decent, and extremely easy. In fact, there's no calibration at all, just put the sensor bar on or below your TV, set the option for its location, and you're off.
# Is the sensor bar really that distracting?
Huh? Not really, it's pretty benign; we didn't even notice it. You might pay more attention to it if it's mounted on a wall (if you're using a projector), but it's very low profile and unobtrusive.
# What happens if you put a disc in upside down?
Nothing in the channel page; in the Disc channel, however, you get a simple cannot read disc error message. Our discs came out fine and unscratched.
# In the unboxing video, what were those "decals" plastic things?
That's actually a sensor bar stand and a clear Wii stand support.
# How long do the Wii batteries last? Are they rechargeable? Nunchuck change the battery life much?
They just take AA batteries, so your mileage may vary. They're not rechargeable out of the box, and the nunchuck feeds off the Wiimote's power. We've been playing for a week or more now on the stock batteries with no problems, but who knows if they'll die today, tomorrow, or two months from now.
# What does the Sync button do?
It allows you to sync wireless peripherals (Wiimote, etc.) to your system, like an Xbox 360. Nothing more or less.
# Is the Wii controller REALLY Bluetooth-compliant, or is it simply RF? What happens if you try to pair it with a Bluetooth 2.0EDR capable PC?
It is indeed. And unlike the PS3, since it has that sync button you can make it go into discoverable mode. We tried and found the Wiimote, but we were unable to pair with the device. For those curious, its Bluetooth device name was Nintendo RVL-CNT-01 -- different from its official model number RVL-003.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
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