Wii Rally

Greetings everyone, I must again begin by apologizing for the lack of recent updates. I have been going through a difficult situation with my home life for the past couple of weeks. Said situation has finally come to a head and I have had to move out of my house on very short notice which has afforded me little time to update. Things should be back on track soon so bare with me. However I digress, on to the virtual console titles.

Super Metroid (Super NES, rated E, 800 Wii Points)
Neutopia (TG-16, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii points)
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Genesis, rated E10+, 800 Wii Points)

I don’t have time for comedic anecdotes regarding today’s games but I do recommend giving Super Metroid a download, I don’t think I need to explain why. It’s Metorid and it’s super, ’nuff said.

When online play was first brought to the Wii in the form of Pokémon: Battle Revolution, players didn’t respond. Yes the kids go ape poop over those little Pokémon but the “stadium” games have never been the bread and butter of the series. Just recently we were shown again how online play can be done on the Wii with Mario Strikers: Charged. This week we get to see how a third party handles the online option.

EA’s Madden ‘08 should be at your local game store as you read this. Sure it’s the only licensed football fair on the market but more importantly it’s the first third party Wii game to feature online multiplayer. So if you love football, the Wii, and playing online? You should definitely check this baby out. Don’t forget to laugh at those PS3 and 360 guys as they compare pixel by pixel trying to see who’s version runs better. Laugh heartily, for if you cared about graphics you wouldn’t have bought a Wii.

Hahahahah “I can see the interlacing” HAHAHAHA!

Title: Madden NFL ‘08
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher EA Sports
Platforms: All of them including Wii.
Rating: E for Everyone

Madden, Wii, New Releases, Games, EA, NFL

I hear the train a commin’
It’s rollin’ round the bend
and I ain’t played some Metroid
since I don’t know when.
I’m stuck in Folsom prison
and time keeps draggin’ on.

This week the Metroid train keeps on thundering down the tracks. Nintendo has declared this the “Month of Metroid” and is celebrating the late Gumpei Yokoi’s masterpiece on all fronts. First Metroid Prime 3: Corruption gets its own preview channel on the Wii menu. So far Wii owners have been treated to some gameplay videos a trailer and some back-story on Corruption. Also there is more content coming on the 16th of August. Monday also marked the release of the classic NES version of Metroid on the Virtual Console.

Metroid (NES, E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points)
Originally released for the Famicom (NES) Disk System (a Famicom add-on which used 3/4″ floppy disks instead of cartridges) in 1987. This game did two things, it attracted an older demographic of gamer to the NES with its challenge and a more complex, more mature story than most other games available at the time. It also had a strong female character in the lead role, a welcome change from your standard save the damsel in distress which had become somewhat of a staple at the time.

Shining in the Darkness (Sega Genesis, E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points)
If a guy has “Dark” in his name does that make him evil? Well in the world of game design the answer is most certainly yes especially if he has vowed to reign over the enchanted kingdom of Thornwood. I tell you all this game needs is a protagonist to adventure through dungeons solving puzzles and defeating monsters. What’s that? Oh! It has one of those? I see, well enjoy!

Cratermaze (TG-16, E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points)
How many times has this happened to you? You and some friends are casually travelling through time when some Mongolian zombie cohort traps you and your buddies in a never ending maze of traps, ninjas and adventurer eating dinosaurs. Man, it’s like last Thursday all over again.

This weeks update features a classic SNES adventure, a sport no one likes and more of the same.

Volleyball (NES, 500 Wii Points)
Does anyone actually like to play this game. Every time I do I somehow manage to walk away with throbbing red forearms and a ball to the face. But enough about the inadequicies of my athletic ability. Now you can experience all the fun of volleyball without the aforementioned draw backs from the safety of your Wii.

Breath of Fire II (SNES, 800 Wii Points)
I must say that there is a lack of expansive adventure games on the Virtual Console. So releasing something like Breath of Fire II is a step in the right direction. I mean do we really need another space shooter? Oh wait…

Galaga ‘90 (PC Engine, 600 Wii Points)
Rounding out this week’s update is of course the obligatory space shooter. I must say that there are more space shooters on the virtual console than there are Nintendo products with clocks in them. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week don’t forget to tip your waitress.

Greetings everyone, sorry for the late post today but we’ve been having server issues which appear to be somewhat resolved so one with the show.

Today I am featuring videos from the latest addition to Activision’s Tony Hawk series. Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground will be the deepest most feature ridden title bear the Tony Hawk name. Features like a full blown video editing system, 3 separate classes of skateboarders and the all new “Skate Lounge” where you can build whatever park you like play full motion video and much more.

First up is the Debut trailer.

Next up we have the “Big Picture” trailer which goes a little more in-depth with the various feature which will be found in the game.

Impressed yet? I am, this game will be coming out for every platform under the sun including the Wii of course. However at this point it is not exactly clear which features will be exclusive to their respective platforms. I’m also pretty sure that all the gameplay footage is either pre-rendered or from the Xbox 360 version of the game. Never the less I have one word for this game “Insane” and you can quote me on that.

Hit the jump for the bonus round.

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Featuring Euro and North American Virtual Console Updates.

My European friends forgive me for not posting your Virtual Console update on Friday.

4 new games hit the European Virtual Console last Friday featuring a Ninja, a toy, a troupe of brave warriors and dream warrior named Takashi.

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Mega Drive, 800 Wii Points)
The 3rd installment of the Shinobi series has ninja master Joe Musashi battling the evil Neo Zeed crime syndicate once again. Throwing stars go!

Dynamite Headdy (Mega Drive, 800 Wii Points)
A game based on a Metallica album? Well maybe not but as Headdy you must defeat the evil “Master of Puppets” (Get it?) to save your friends in North Town from a life a servitude and no one wants that.

Shining Force (Mega Drive, 800 Wii Points)
Why is that every time a Lord amasses a significant amount of dark power some sort of hero or party of heroes needs to be dispatched to stop him? Live and let live that’s what I say.

Drop Off (TG-16, 600 Wii Points)
Don’t let those apples and watermelons push you around. Show them who’s boss by dropping a ball on them. Take that you lousy fruit.

Check out the North American Virtual Console update after the jump.
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Hello everyone tis a holiday up here in Canada so I’m taking the day off to celebrate Lord Simcoe. Lord Simcoe was the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada which is now known as southern Ontario where I was born and currently live. So all you Canadians out there don’t forget to thank Lord John Graves Simcoe for the long weekend.

I shall return tomorrow till then Happy Simcoe Day!

Everyone likes to dance! Young, old, casual, hardcore once in a while they all need to just get down and bust-a-move. No I don’t mean by matching coloured balls. I mean actually get down with one’s bad self and just let loose.

Next week EA will unleash Boogie on the unsuspecting public at which time living rooms the world over will erupt in a disco inferno of sorts with Wii Remotes and nunchucks flying about. But don’t take my word for it see for yourself.

And that’s not all! Boogie will come packaged with a microphone peripheral which will allow you to sing along to your favorite boogie-licious tune.

Did I spy some co-op gameplay with one player singing and the other gettin’ down with the Wii Remote? Find out August 9th when Boogie hits store shelves nationwide.