by Lynn Little
Clear your gaming calendar for April 27 as that is the release date for Mario Kart for the Wii in the United States.
A lot of Wii owners have been waiting for this one and will be glad to know that through the WIFI connection they can compete with up to 11 people. Mario Kart will include 16 new courses and 16 classic drivers. Mario Kart will be compatible with the Wii wheel that will be sold separately. Mario Kart Wii supports four different control options: Wii Remote™ with or without the Wii Wheel, Wii Remote and Nunchuk™ controller combo, Classic Controller and even the Nintendo GameCube™ controller.
Mario Kart will launch with a new Wii channel, the Mario Kart channel. The channel will allow gamers to find opponents, compete in tournaments, check worldwide ratings, see when their friends are playing, and download ghost data.
For more, visit MarioKart.com.
by Lynn Little
Let the games begin! Super Smash Bros. Brawl is now available for the Nintendo Wii. The lines formed early to buy this one on release day.
Photo/Nintendo/Stuart Ramson
From all accounts, Super Smash Bros. was worth the numerous delays. Now if I can only get my hands on a copy..
by Lynn Little
Two new games are now available through the Wii shop beginning today.
DoReMi Fantasy: Milon’s DokiDoki Adventure (Super NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Alcohol Reference and Comic Mischief, 900 Wii Points) is an action adventure that stars Milon who sets out on a journey through a fairy tale world to save his friend.
Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points) is a head to head puzzle game where you clear your grid of falling puyos.
by Lynn Little
Baroque, an RPG adventure for the Wii and PS2, is due to be released in North America in early April. You wake up to a world in ruin. Guilt ridden and seeking absolution will have you on a quest to travel to a mysterious tower.
Baroque is a dungeon crawl RPG adventure. Players will progress through the game, gaining experience and growing as a character through various levels.
Dying is actually part of the advancement of the storyline as each time your character dies, more secrets about the forsaken world are revealed. Baroque is rated T for Teen. See full story for more screen shots.
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by Lynn Little
There is one new game available for the Virtual Console this week. It’s Super Turrican and was originally released for the SNES.
You play the game as Bren, who is on a mission to save the planet Katakis from the Machine. Your only weapon is a suit - the Turrican Assault Suit. This state-of-the-art suit will give Bren the power of an army and many resources to take out his enemy.
Super Turrican is a one player game and carries an ESRB rating of E+10. The game costs 800 Wii points.
While there is only one new game this week, there are plenty of games that available through the Virtual Console that you might have missed. Virtual console games range from around 500-1000 points. Points can be bought through the Wii shop or at your local gaming or department store.
by Lynn Little
The game that will pay homage to competitive eating, Major League Eating: The Game, will be an exclusive title for Nintendo Wii’s WiiWare. The game is set to launch May 12 in North America.
Players will use the Wiimote to simulate the fast and furious world of competitive eating. Gamers will have to master several weapons including bites, burps, belches, mustard gas and jalapeño flames. Players will also have to master such eating techniques as cram, toss, and ‘typewriter.’
Major League Eating will be for one or two players. Online play will be enabled as well as a leader board. For those who have ever dreamed of entering a hot dog or pie eating contest, this game is for you. Live your competitive eating dreams and challenge your friends.
Major League Eating oversees all of the big eating contests like Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest. Many of the sport’s most renowned stars are members of the league like Joey Chestnut, current champion of the world.
by Lynn Little
Love rockin’ games like Rock Band but don’t want all those extra peripherals to deal with? A new game due out this fall for the Nintendo Wii will allow you to rock out with only using the Wii controllers.
Ultimate Band is being developed and will be released by Disney Interactive Studios. Disney is hoping to showcase all types of music in the game from classic rock to the most popular hits from today. The game will be geared toward tweens and teens.
Players will build their own customized band. They will also see their career grow from playing in someone’s garage to some of the world’s finest venues. Players can rock out on guitar, drums, or even take on lead vocals all with using the Wii remote and Nunchuk. There will also be content that will be unlockable as players progress through the game like new songs and accessories.
Disney is working with some of the biggest names in the music industry to bring a wide selection of songs to Ultimate Band. Rock, alternative, indie, and emo are just a few of the styles that will likely have a spot in Ultimate Band. No specific details of songs that might be included have been released.
Ultimate Band is set to be released sometime in the fall of 2008. It will be available for the Nintendo Wii and DS. The DS version will be a rhythm game that will predominately use the stylus to play the game.
by Lynn Little
Being a huge Mario and Sonic fan, I couldn’t wait to play Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. I finally got my chance to play when the game was available for rent at the local Blockbuster. I couldn’t wait to get home and give it a shot.
My first impression of the game is ‘boy that is hard.’ It seems to be a steep learning curve to use the controls properly in what are basically a set of mini-games with an Olympic twist. It was disheartening because on some games it took longer to read the instructions than to play it.
Still it was fun to compete in Olympic games like swimming, shooting, and track. Even though my first experience playing it wasn’t that great, I hope to give it another shot in the future. Maybe the price will drop in a few months, and I’ll pick it up then.
by Lynn Little
Two games have been released to the virtual console this last week of February.
Kirby 64™: The Crystal Shards: (Nintendo 64®, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points)
Psychosis: (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 600 Wii Points)
by Lynn Little
The title that might truly marry video games with exercise, Wii Fit, has been given a US release date. Wii Fit will be available May 19.
Gamers use the special Wii Balance Board to ‘play’ this game that includes such activities as balance games, yoga, and aerobics. You can also check your BMI(Body Mass Index) as well as your Wii Fit Age. The Wii Fit Age will test your well you can control your left and right balance.
Wii Fit will be sold with the Wii Balance Board. Pricing details have yet to be released.
by Lynn Little
Nintendo announces from the Game Developers Conference a US launch date for the much anticipated WiiWare, a new component of the Wii Shop. WiiWare is slated to be launched May 12, one week before WiiFit hits the United States.
Wii owners will be available to download new games with their Wii points through WiiWare. Several titles have already been announced for WiiWare. Games include: : Pokémon Bokujō Channel, Dr. Mario & Bacteria Extermination, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Promised Land.
by Lynn Little
The Grim Reaper’s teenage son will be coming to the Wii this summer in a whole new adventure. Death Jr Root of Evil will be a shooter platform game.
While arguing, DJ and Pandora accidentally release an evil spirit and must set things right again. You can either play as DJ or Pandora or play cooperatively. Besides DJ’s scathe and Pandora’s whip, there are weapon upgrades that can be earned during the game. Root of Evil has 19 levels and over 60 unique enemies and bosses.
Death Jr Root of Evil is set to be released this summer.
by Lynn Little
Two more classic games are now available through the Virtual Console.
Harvest Moon® (Super NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points) - This RPG title will have you living the not-so-simple-life down on the farm. Grow and reap crops in this well respected title.
Lords of Thunder (TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points) - is a side shooting scroller that casts you as a warrior. Shoot the bad guys to heavy metal tunes.
Both are available beginning today.
by Lynn Little
It seems buzz about the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl is everywhere. This game is already out in Japan and Gamespot has a hands on review.
The video game isn’t due out in the States until March 9th, just over a month away. There are many fans who are patiently awaiting for Super Smash to be available. Here are a few more character renders from the game.
by Lynn Little
If there ever was a franchise game that was made for the Wii, Mario Party would have to be it. This party game veteran title is a perfect choice for the Wii because of the mini-games and multi-player mode. Plus it’s Mario. ‘Nuff said.
Mario Party 8 continues to do this title proud with fun games that make great use of the Wiimote. It’s also a great title to bring out when your friends come over. Gamers and non-gamers can enjoy this one.
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