Wii Rally

Just in time for the holidays, Video games publisher and games developer Data Design Interactive announces that Trixie in Toyland has received approval from Nintendo. Trixie in Toyland is being created by their Wii development team that works under the label Popcorn Arcade.

The game is about the fearless Trixie, the Easter bunny cadet, as she single-handedly chases down Penumbra – the new tyrant of Toyland. It is up to Trixie to collect all the Myth Maker orbs. Use the Nunchuk to control Pixie and swing the Wii remote to bash the evil guys. Also complete Myth Maker quests by collecting hidden objects.

Trixie in Toyland can be played by up to four players and could be gold by the end of the year.

This week’s three new games to the Wii Shop may not have much in common but do sound pretty intriguing.

ZANAC (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points) is a vertically-scrolling shooter. Zanac must destroy the mechanized bases of the enemy forces. Zanac was originally released in 1986.

Eternal Champions™ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Animated Blood, Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points) is a 2D fighter that features 16 characters who have met an untimely death on Earth. Now they can battle it out to take on the eternal champion for a chance to avenge their death and return to Earth.

The Dynastic Hero (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points) is an action RPG featuring a cast of insect creatures. The insects have turned to Dyna to fight the evil-doers who have invaded their land. Besides fighting and battling your way through various levels, you will also be challenged to answer multiple choice questions that will help open up areas in the game.

Marketing research company Enterbrain is reporting that the PlayStation 3 outsold the Nintendo Wii in Japan. In the four weeks ending Nov. 25, Sony Corp. sold 183,217 PS3s in Japan, while Nintendo sold 159,193 Wii consoles. Nice holiday news indeed for Sony.

With a price drop plus a new, low price 40GB version of the PS3, the PS3 has been selling well this holiday season. The PS3 has struggled to find its place and has been overcast by the lower-priced Nintendo Wii and even the lower-priced, older Xbox 360. But things seem to be turning around for Sony. The PS2 was such a dominant console in the market that I’m sure it’s been disheartening to Sony to see the next gen struggle to find footing in the marketplace. It seems they are finally learning what consumers want: an affordable console. The PS3 is slick, delivers great graphics and game play, but with a higher price has been unattainable for many.

The Nintendo Wii hasn’t had to make any price adjustments since release dates and has done extremely well. Production has been increased at least three times, and Nintendo is still not able to meet the holiday demands. The PS3 and Xbox 360 might have more bells and whistles when it comes to hardware, there’s no denying that the Wii appeals to both gamers and non-gamers alike. I’m sure Nintendo isn’t too worried about being outsold by Sony this time. If it becomes the norm, then it will be interesting to see if Nintendo drops the price on the Wii in response.