Wii Rally

There wasn’t much to say last week about new releases seeing as how there was only one. This week is totally different, there are 7 new Wii games out this week. Sure 3 of them are multiplatform movie tie-ins but still, waving your Wii Remote around like Harry Potter’s wand may prove quite interesting.

Pokemon Battle Revolution
(E for everyone)
Finally online play comes to North America. Now if we can just get rid of those pesky friend codes.

The BIGS (E for Everyone)
I’m having trouble deciding which is more boring; watching Baseball or playing Baseball.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
(E10+ Everyone 10 and up)
“It’s not Levioohsa, it’s Leviosa!”

Transformers: The Game (T for Teen)
Could this game be more than meets the eye? I doubt it.

Driver: Parallel Lines (M for Mature)
Every ones least favorite crime sim comes to the Wii

Chicken Shoot (E10+ Everyone 10 and up)
Shooting chickens, yeah that’s topical.

Ratatouille (E for Everyone)
I ear ze movie iz good but ow iz de game. Iz amusant joost come Jerry Lewis.

The Virtual Console gets some nice updates this morning. Today marks the release of the “good” souped-up version of Street Fighter 2, too bad I’ve already downloaded the original. The N64 version of F-Zero is also available today along with something called China Warrior. Funny thing about China Warrior is that according to MobyGames.comit doesn’t exist. Hrrrm interesting a game that either doesn’t exist or nobody has played in a long time. On another note the wait for Mega Man here in North America continues.

F-Zero X (N64, 1000 Wii Points)
Street Fighter II Turbo Edition: Hyper Fighting (SNES, 800 Wii Points)
China Warrior (TurboGrafx-16, 600 Wii Points)

I know it’s a little late but Wordpress seemed to be having server issues on Friday. Anyway 2 new titles hit the Euro VC this week.

Mega Man (NES, 500 Wii Points)
China Warrior (PC Engine, 600 Wii Points)

Mega Man has been long awaited well Mega Man 2 to be more specific but you have to walk before you run nes pas?

Today’s Video Thursday features videos which are graphically violent and are featuring a game which has been rated for “Adults Only” by the ESRB. Please proceed at your own discretion.

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When Manhunt 2 comes out this July it maybe harder to get your hands on a copy than originally thought. So far the ESRB has given the game a “temporary” rating of “AO” meaning “Adults Only”. No surprise there the game is hella violent and really really graphic definitely not for kids or teen for that matter. The reason it may be difficult to find is that massive game retailers like EB Games/GameStop, Wal-Mart and Blockbuster Video will not carry a title with an AO rating.

When the first Manhunt game came out here in Ontario, Canada the Ontario Film Ratings Board (They rate games too) gave it an “R” (Restricted to adults) but since places like Blockbuster carry “R” rated films they couldn’t discriminate against the game for having the same rating.

For those of you who fancy a bit of the ultra violence and are over the age of 18 pick it up a copy of Manhunt 2. It looks like it maybe one of the better 3rd party titles this summer.

Another week another batch of new releases. Know I’m using the term “batch” very loosely since there is only one piece of software being released this week. Now it is game of the year….. 2005. The Wii-make of Resident Evil 4 should be on store shelves as you read this.

Priced at a nicely moderate 29.99$ with all the bonus features that were previously only available in the PS2 version of the game. Play as Leon or Ada Wong to unravel the sinister plot surrounding the Las Plagas parasite. If you’ve already played RE:4 you might find the new controls fun to play with but that seems to be about the extent of it’s appeal to repeat players. However if you are like me who has played the original version but has never finished it this could be the adventure you need to get through the long summer ahead.

Fore! Why do golfers say that anyway? I heard that the saying used to be “Look out beFORE you get hit by the ball.” Often the ball would strike it unintended target long before that sentence was uttered, so it was shortened to just fore! Why am I talking about golf you ask? Because NES Open Tournament Golf lands on the North American Virtual Console today. NES Open was a pretty decent attempt at a golf game on the NES, something I feel was perfected by Konami in 1990 with Jack Nicklaus’ Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf. I spent many hours with my uncle playing skins for quarters and every so often my dad would come in and ask “Why can you shoot 5 under par in a silly game but when I take you to a real golf course you shoot a score in the high 150s?” That’s my dad, I thank him for trying to understand technology but this is the second year I’ve had to re-connect his surround sound system because he went and played with it. So this year I gave him a standing order not to touch the cables with out my supervision.

Happy Fathers Day Pop!

NES Open Tournament Golf (NES, Rated E, 500 Wii Points)
World Sports Competition (TG-16, Rated E, 600 Wii Points)
Bloody Wolf (TurboGrafx-16, Rated E10+, 600 Wii Points)

24 years ago today was a significant day in gaming history. Possibly one of the most significant days in world history as well.

Yes 24 years ago today I was born in Brampton, Ontario Canada and the world was forever changed. How am I celebrating the joyous day of my birth? Well by telling you about today’s Euro Virtual Console releases of course.

F-Zero X (N64, Rated E, 1000 Wii points)
JJ and Jeff (TG-16, 600 Wii points)

Well I’m off to celebrate myself see you all on Monday.

I have a confession to make. I am a fan of Harry Potter, not in the fanatical sense but I do appreciate the books and films. Although I didn’t like the film version of Goblet of Fire they cut too much out.

This really is a great time for Potter fans there seems to be no shortage of the young wizard lately. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Videogame releases for all platforms on June 25th with all new wiggly Wii Remote controls for the Wii version of the title. Not sure what I mean? Good thing I have this video.

Harry Potter OotP Developer walkthrough

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You know what? I never tell you guys what new games come out in a given week. Sure I keep all you Rally readers up to date on the North American and European Virtual Console releases but what about Wii software. So without further adieu here are the New Releases for this week.

The Sims 2: Pets (T for Teen)
Are you a fan of the Sims? How about Pets? If yes, face it tiger you just hit the jackpot.

Scarface: The World Is Yours
(M for Mature)
Wii-make alert, if you didn’t like this game on Xbox or PS2 then I don’t think this version will convert you.

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (T for Teen)
Multiplatform movie tie-in. Approach with caution!

Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (E for Everyone)
A spiritual successor of sorts to the smash NDS hit Brain Age. Wii Degree is said “to make learning fun for the whole family”. Well I didn’t say that but I’m sure someone did.

Beware the sequels! Yes that’s right a couple more sequels hit the North American Virtual Console today at 12:00pm PST. Today’s releases are.

Lode Runner (NES, Rated E, 500 Wii Points)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis, Rated E, 800 Wii Points)
Golden Axe II (Genesis, Rated E10+, 800 Wii Points)

You may or may not have noticed that Nintendo has started putting the ESRB ratings in the Virtual Console games. I shall maintain this because I feel that it is important to follow the ESRB ratings on all games. Some games like films or certain magazines are not for children’s eyes. So if you have kids around make sure to note the ESRB rating before you have little Johnny waking up screaming at night because he thinks a chainsaw armed monster is after him.

Hehehehe chainsaw arms. For more information on the ESRB and it’s game rating system please visit the ESRB website

It’s been a great week here on the Rally but sadly Virtual Console week must come to an end. I would love to write about all the classics all the time but I must look to the future instead. It hasn’t been easy writing about the Wii lately. To be honest there isn’t that much going on in Wii-land but still I plug away to try and bring you interesting and insightful articles about the little white console. I’ve had my fun, now I have to get back to the business of this generations Wii software.

Speaking of software don’t forget we are only 1 week from the launch of Resident Evil: Wii Edition which comes out on June 19th for a meager 29.99$ So save those allowances or get a job cause you’re not going to want to miss this beautifully fun game when it drops next week.

On to the wrap, Virtual Console-style.

Monday
NA VC Update 06/04/07
It’s Virtual Console Week

Tuesday
The Cost of Classics

Wednesday
Virtual Console Mini-reviews

Thursday
Video Thursday: Retrotastic Edition

Feature Friday
VC Top 5 Most Wanted 2nd Edition

In early 2007 a list made its way on to the Internet, a list that actually drew my first bit of animosity from the gaming community. I’m talking of course about Wii Rally’s 1st Virtual Console Most Wanted list. Some people criticized the list due to a lack of a certain hipster cult followed SNES RPG, I won’t say it’s name but it sounds like BirthMound. Other than that the reception of the Most Wanted list was pretty positive. So now that 100 Virtual Console games have been released I think it’s time we revisited the Most Wanted list. So I present to you the readers of Wii Rally the VC Top 5 Most Wanted 2nd edition.

NUMBER 5
Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Every single Zelda game from the NES to the N64 has been released in the first 100 games, well except for one, Majora’s Mask. I recently replayed the GameCube port of my favorite Zelda and found it as fun as ever. I didn’t really have the same feelings as when I replayed Ocarina of Time but I’ve played through that like 9 times. Still with it’s tricky time system and challenging puzzles I’m still on pins and needles waiting for this one to be released. While I was replaying Majora’s Mask I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time; the desire to play with an N64 controller. Using the “C-stick” rather than the “C-buttons” felt awkward, plus while playing a GameCube game on your Wii the only way to exit the software is to reset your console. So now more than ever I want to play through this adventure Virtual Console-style.
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Welcome to Video Thursday, we all know that the NES or Nintendo Entertainment System revitalized the fledgling North American videogame market in the mid 80s, but how did one little console do so much? I’ve got video to answer those questions and more.

Check out this segment of G4TV’s Icons to learn all about the little console that changed the world forever. Not just by renewing interest in videogames but by setting a standard of quality that has become common place for the entire games industry.

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Still going strong with Virtual Console Week here on the Rally today I’m doing some mini-reviews of the classic and not-so classic.

Donky Kong
NES, 1 Player, Wii Remote, 500 points

Nintendo’s Donkey Kong was originally released as a coin-op arcade game and as such it makes sense to have only 3 stages where the overall goal is to beat the high score. However shelling out 500 points for a game with only 3 stages doesn’t really seem right in today’s day and age. Bottom Line: Skip this one, trust me you’ve played it at some point in your life.

Punch Out!!
NES, 1 Player, Wii Remote, 500 points

A great classic with tones of replay value. I was once asked why I never wrote down any of the passwords for this game. My answer, “I find it more fun to try and finish all the bouts in one shot. I wouldn’t want to fight the thoughest guy over and over that’s just boring”
Bottom Line: Grab this one for endless hours of fun.
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