Wii Rally

For those looking for a Nintendo Wii, EBGames.com will soon be selling Wii bundles in limited quantities.

There is the Ultimate Action Wii Bundle that sells for $581.91 and includes:

* Nintendo Wii system (system, remote controller, nunchuck, stand, sensor and Wii Sports)
* Wii Memory SD 1.0GB
* Wii Charge Station (Dual port rapid recharging dock, 2 rechargeable NiMH battery packs, rubberized battery covers and 6 foot power cable. *Does not include additional remote controllers)
* 1 additional Wii Nunchuck Controller
* Wii Play with Remote
* Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
* Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
* LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
* Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution

The Wii Multi-player Bundle retails for $594.91 and includes:

* Nintendo Wii system (system, remote controller, nunchuck, stand, sensor and Wii Sports)
* Wii Memory SD 1.0GB
* Wii Charge Station (Dual port rapid recharging dock, 2 rechargeable NiMH battery packs, rubberized battery covers and 6 foot power cable. *Does not include additional remote controllers)
* 1 additional Wii Nunchuck Controller
* Wii Play with Remote
* Mario Party 8
* High School Musical: Sing It! with Microphone
* Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games
* Rayman Raving Rabbids 2

Nintendo of America releases a partial list of Wii titles that will be available this spring. Here is the list:

Jan. 7: Kidz Sports Ice Hockey from Destineer
Jan. 8: Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law from Capcom
Jan. 15: SAMURAI WARRIORS: KATANA from KOEI CORPORATION
Jan. 15: Furu Furu Park from Majesco Entertainment
Jan. 21: Endless Ocean from Nintendo
Jan. 22: One Piece: Unlimited Adventure� from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Jan. 29: Bomberman Land from Hudson
January: No More Heroes from Ubisoft
January: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence from Ubisoft
Feb. 8: Kawasaki Jet Ski from Destineer
Feb. 11: Go Diego Go!: Safari Rescue from 2K Play
Feb. 12: WWII Aces from Destineer
Feb. 12: Dream Pinball 3D from SouthPeak Games
Feb. 18: MX vs. ATV Untamed from THQ
Feb. 25: Agatha Christie And Then There Were None from DreamCatcher Games
Feb. 26: Baroque from Atlus USA
Feb. 26: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors from Square Enix
Feb. 27: Kidz Sports Soccer from Destineer
Feb. 27: London Taxi: Rush Hour from Destineer
February: Garfield� Gets Real from DSI Games
February: Yamaha Supercross from DSI Games
February: Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore from Konami
February: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30� from Ubisoft
February: BALLOON POP from UFO INTERACTIVE GAMES
March 3: Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed from THQ
March 9: Super Smash Bros.� Brawl from Nintendo
March 10: Worms: A Space Oddity from THQ
March 25: Okami from Capcom
March 25: OPOONA from KOEI CORPORATION
March: MiniCopter: Adventure Flight from Aksys Games
March: Alone in the Dark from Atari
March: Ninja Reflex from Electronic Arts
March: Obscure: The Aftermath from Ignition Entertainment
March: Target: Terror from Konami
March: Nitro Bike from Ubisoft
March: Emergency Heroes from Ubisoft
March: HEAVENLY GUARDIAN from UFO INTERACTIVE GAMES
March: Rebel Raiders from XS Games
April 15: Castle of Shikigami III from Aksys Games
April: Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami
April: Wild Earth: African Safari from Majesco Entertainment
April: THE MONKEY KING-THE LEGEND BEGINS from UFO INTERACTIVE GAMES
April: Super Pick Ups from XS Games
May 6: Speed Racer from Warner Bros. Games
May 13: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian from Disney Interactive Studios
May: BlastWorks: Build, Trade, Destroy from Majesco Entertainment
May: King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga from SNK Playmore
May: THE DOG Island from Ubisoft
June 8: Wonderworld Amusement Park from Majesco Entertainment
June: Catch of the Day from Electronic Arts
June: Ford Racing Off Road from Empire Interactive
June: Cooking Mama Cook Off 2 from Majesco Entertainment
June: Rygar: The Battle of Argus from Tecmo, Inc.
June: DeBlob from THQ
June: Wall-E from THQ
Spring: Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel from Nintendo
Spring: Major League Baseball� 2K8 from 2K Sports
Spring: Don King Presents: Prizefighter from 2K Sports
Spring: Top Spin 3 from 2K Sports
Spring: Kung Fu Panda from Activision
Spring: LEGO: Indiana Jones from LucasArts
Summer: Deca Sports from Hudson
Summer: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from LucasArts
Summer: Active Life�: Outdoor Challenge� from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Q2: Wii Fit from Nintendo

New games for the Wii this week includes a few sports games as well as one based on a television show. If you can’t see new episodes, then play the game.

CSI Hard Evidence - M for Mature - $39.99

Nitrobike - Everyone 10+ - $49.99

Samurai Warriors - KATANA - Teen - $49.99

Kidz Sports: Ice Hockey - E for Everyone - $19.99

Only two new offerings today on the Wii channel.

Pac-Attack (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points)

Riot Zone (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Tobacco Reference, Violence, 800 Wii Points)

Maybe it was all the bright colors but the moment I saw Carnival Games behind the glass I knew I wanted to play it. It even made my Will holiday gift guide. So after passing it by a couple of times and then unable to find it for sale, I finally got it a few days after Christmas.

Carnival Games features 25 different mini-games that will take either luck or skill to master. Up to four people can play with either their own Wiimote or use just one Wiimote by taking turns. Games resemble those found at carnivals like the ring toss, duck shoot, or the dunking booth.

The first order of business in Carnival Games is to create your player. Once you’ve created your sim, you are read to hit the midway. In single player mode, players earn tickets when they play games. You can use these tickets to purchase items for your sim or to play specialty carnival booths like the Fortune Teller. It takes a minimum of 25 tickets to purchase anything for your sim, so it’s best to play a few games to build up some tickets. The booths that take tickets are okay but only if you have nothing else to purchase. I wasted 15 tickets on the fortune teller basically to get an answer I could have gotten from a magic 8-ball.

Carnival Games with its variety of mini-games should offer something for everyone. I have my favorite games while my husband has his. All of the games are fun while some are more challenging than others. It’s a great game to break out when friends come over or makes a fun choice for family game night.

Nyko Technologies’ wireless nunchuk for the Wii won a CNET Best of CES award. It took top honor in the gaming category at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Nyko debued the wireless nunchuk at the CES this week. Ever since the release of the Wii and the wired nunchuk, there has been speculation as to whether a wireless nunchuk would be released. Looks like there will be one. The wireless nunchuk should retail for $30.

There have been a few games released for the Wii this past week. So if you’re looking to spend some of those Christmas gifts cards, here are some options:

Kawasaki Quad Bikes - $19.99, E for Everyone

Rig Racer 2 - $19.99, E for Everyone

Myth Makers: Orbs of Doom - $19.99, E for Everyone

Master Trux Offroad - $19.99, E for Everyone

Kidz Sports: Basketball - $19.99, E for Everyone

Classic British Motor Racing - $19.99, E for Everyone

Yes, I’m a little late posting this week’s VC games. I blame it on the holiday. Next week everything will be back to normal. Here are the three games:

BUBBLE BOBBLE (NES�, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points)

Light Crusader (Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points)

TOP HUNTER (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older-Cartoon Violence, 900 Wii Points)

All Wiis now ship with a Wii jacket for the Wiimote. But if your Wii was purchased prior to this policy, then you can fill out a Wii jacket request form to get one of the jackets.

Who needs must see TV when you have access to You Tube? Here is one I found especially cute. It’s been uploaded for six months, which in Internet time means it’s old and everyone has seen it. Still it’s cute enough to watch again especially Wii Fit is a big hit has been released in Japan and is a success. Hopefully the U.S. release is on the horizon.

A few weeks ago, I wanted to purchase a Wii game, so I chose one that was around $30. It was Red Steel, and it was bought at Toys R Us. Well, it was almost bought.

Anyone who has ever bought a video game at Toys R Us knows that it is one of those items that you have to take the ticket up front to pay for it. Once you’ve paid, an employee will retrieve the item from a holding area. Apparently the system showed they had Red Steel in stock but they couldn’t physically find it. I chose another Wii game instead and quickly forgot about Red Steel until today. While shopping at Wal-Mart, I noticed that Red Steel is now selling for $19.97. I tossed it into the shopping cart.

One trend I have noticed is that more Wii games seem to be dropping to the $19.99 price point. There are always at least a few Wii games for under $20 available. It makes me think that maybe I should do a weekly Wii games under $20. The list is growing every week as more Wii games fall to that bargain price.

While new Wii games are so very tempting to buy, holding out a few months can save you a lot of money. Most games I can wait a few months for but there is occasionally one I will buy on its release date.

It is nice to see a price drop of Wii games even if they are some of the older Wii titles.

Nintendo’s upcoming title Endless Ocean brings to mind those fireplace VHS tapes that were all the rage a few years ago. Or how about the aquarium VHS that let people experience all the enjoyment of having fish without having to take care of them.

That’s basically what Endless Ocean for the Wii appears to be. Players can swim around in the ocean looking at the aquatic life. The point of Endless Ocean? Well, it’s to relax and enjoy the scenery. There is a log book where you can place objects that you find on your journey. So, maybe it does have a little hidden object game play to it.

Endless Ocean might be a great way to unwind after a jam session of Guitar Hero III or after Wii Boogie. Endless Ocean is due to be released January 22nd and will retail for $29.99.

There were probably a few Christmas trees this season that were devoid of at least one present: a Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo Wii was in short supply this holiday despite efforts by Nintendo to increase production. Many people are continuing their search for a Wii and hope to find one within the next month. While Nintendo has increased production of Wiis, it can still be quite challenging to find a store with any in stock.

Procuring a Wii within the next few months will take patience and perseverance. There have been Wii sightings in stores during the holidays. I have heard of people purchasing one at Target, Wal-Mart, and even Sears. I’m unsure if the stores know just when the Wiis will come in. After hanging out at our local Wal-Mart a good bit(buying groceries, shopping, etc) it seems that Tuesdays and Fridays are the best days to find new electronic merchandise. One day I saw Wiis in the cabinet but they shouldn’t have been there and would go on sale that following Sunday. I guess their Sunday flier would advertise having Wiis in stock.

I would offer this advice to anyone looking for a Wii with no luck: do not pay an outrageous price through eBay or some other venue. The supply will catch up to the demand. It might take a few months of looking but don’t give up. Make sure friends and family know you are looking for one, and they should contact you when they find one, preferably while they are still in the store or within at least an hour of spotting one.

With a little patience and some luck, 2008 might start off on the right foot with a purchase of a Wii.

Got all of your shopping done? Then check out what’s new for the virtual console this week.

BLADES OF STEEL (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points)

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble (Super NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points)

Rolling Thunder 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Violence, 800 Wii Points)

There are some must have Wii accessories that should, in my opinion, just come packaged with the system. They are really useful and quite handy to say the least.

5.Wii Zapper will be compatible with several games plus it comes with Link’s Crossbow Training and is a downright bargain at under $25. Crossbow Training will give you plenty of practice with the zapper.

4. Wii Classic Controller or the GameCube controller can be used to play virtual console games. The classic controller will give Wii gamers that sense of familiarity when it comes to button mashing. Besides, even though the Wiimote is a very cool controller, nothing compares to the classic style for certain games.

3. Wii Controller Glove will not only help your Wiimote stay clean but will also help you grasp it. Plus gloves comes in a wide variety of colors, making it easy to distinguish which one belongs to whom.

2. Wii Organizer Stand makes it easy to organize everything Wii. The stand has a place for the Wii itself, cords, games, and controllers. Once you’ve spent 30 minutes looking for a Wiimote, an organizer stand will look better and better.

1. NYKO Wii Charge Station will ensure that you can always have battery juice. There’s nothing more depressing than wanting to play the Wii to learn that the batteries are dead. The NYKO charging station comes with two rechargeable batteries designed for the Wii and can charge two Wiimotes simultaneously.

Honorable mention would have to be a Wii carrying case because it’s so much fun to play Wii with anyone. The Wii makes great entertainment for a party or a night with friends. A carrying case can help manage all of those wires, Wii stand, and sensebar. I prefer the slingback-type of Wii carrying case compared to the messenger bag.

While the Wii itself is a great video game system, a few added accessories wil ensure that you get the most playing fun out of your Wii.