Wii-kly News

[Kordmalgemar]

So, I thought I'd return to add some news about upcoming Wii titles for hardcore gamers to look forward to. The climate's changing, people--my worries from months ago are slowly but steadily passing; third parties are definitely starting to give the Wii the attention it deserves, and although there still doesn't appear to be any news of a possible USB Graphics Upgrade for the Wii, Nintendo's powerhouse is still joining the hardcore fray one way or another. Here's how:

Battalion Wars 2
Release Date: It's totally already out, champ.
Did you play a lot of Star Wars: Battlefront? Are you impatiently awaiting the next installment, hoping that it's going to be released on the Wii because you only own a Wii? Do you wish there was a game out there to help with the Battlefront cravings that keep you awake 4 nights out of 5? A game that's not for the PSP? Then you should be totally excited for Battalion Wars 2. No, there won't be Jedi randomly appearing in battle, or Jedi for you to control randomly in battle. There won't be any TIE Fighters either. But there will be free on-line multi-player. And there'll be all of the hectic in-battle action you get from Battlefront on your Wii.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/26456.html


Medal of Honor: Heroes 2
Release Date: 11/6/07
I know this is not the Orange Box. I also know that it's not Halo 3. What I do know though is that it's a pretty good looking FPS for the Wii (possibly the first one to be worth anything) and it's also the Wii's first on-line FPS. Yeah, sure, you won't have an awesome story and I know you've already killed millions of Nazis in your gaming experience, but this game appears to have legitimately awesome Wii controls and the graphics at least aren't too shabby. Also, 32-person on-line multi-player? Kind of crazy. Apparently, these on-line sessions will be huge death matches that can be joined and left at any time. I hope you get to set at least some rules. But regardless, couple all of this with a pretty clever on rails Arcade Mode and compatibility with the Wii Zapper, and you've got a pretty interesting situation on your hands and yet another reason to shoot Nazis.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/24951.html


Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Release Date: 11/6/07
No, this won't be a truly hardcore experience--there won't be any story, for example--but Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is one of the hottest downloads on the 360's Live Arcade, and now, it's on the Wii and DS with a chock full of exclusive features (like multi-player, lots of different game worlds, and added gameplay elements [like a helper drone]). In the mood for some old school arcade action? Then you're in the mood for Geometry Wars: Galaxies on the Wii.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/25863.html


NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
Release Date: 11/13/07
Any hardcore gamer with experience should have fond memories of NiGHTS. The game was ridiculously fun for all those who played it, and seeing as the only thing fans got that was anywhere close to a sequel was Christmas NiGHTS--a free Sega Saturn revamp of the game that wasn't... actually a sequel--I can't imagine original fans scoffing at this surprising sequel any more than clueless noobs should.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/24928.html


No More Heroes
Release Date: February '08
Can you say free roaming with a lightsaber, tons of style, and lots of blood... on the Wii? Well, even if you can't, as Travis Touchdown, you'll have all three of those elements to slaughter the hitmen of Santa Destroy Town with. And chances are, you're going to love every second of it.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/25412.html


Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Release Date: 2nd Quarter '08
The first truly hardcore Star Wars experience you're going to get on the Nintendo Wii. Sure, it's coming out for the Xbox 360 and PS3 too, and yeah, it will have much better graphics on both of those systems, but hey, you won't actually get to wield your lightsaber on either of them. No, you'll only get to on the Nintendo Wii, and if it's done right, I wouldn't care if I was controlling stick figures otherwise.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/21832.html


De Blob
Release Date: 2nd Quarter '08
Easily one of the coolest and most original looking titles in the works for the Wii. If more games tried to look as original, trendy, and fun as De Blob does, I totally wouldn't mind forking over realistic textures.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/22003.html


Worms: A Space Oddity
Release Date: 2nd Quarter '08
I know--I know. Worms is already downloadable on the Xbox 360's Live Arcade. But this new title for the Wii incorporates the Wii Remote and boasts all new bonus games and on-line play. So if you've never played with worms before, there's never going to be a better time to start.

Check it out here: www.gametrailers.com/player/26483.html

[Kordmalgemar]

So, more good third party support news for the Wii... and a little not so great news as well.

First off, Okami, one of the PS2's last great games, will be ported over to the Nintendo Wii. Yes, awesome--especially if you're like me and never picked up Okami for the PS2. However, I did say "port" and I totally meant it; there is no added content in the works for the Wii version, and considering that the team in charge of the port is not the same team that created the game, I think we should all be happy with what we're getting. As for controls, according The Magic Box (www.the-magicbox.com), the Wii Remote will be used to make strokes with your paintbrush.

Other great news--it appears that Spore, the massive world creation sim game that's been in development for the PS3 and Xbox 360 for some time will also now be released on the Wii as well. Also pretty damn sweet, because this project has been generating tons of heat all over the gaming world and it looks pretty freakin' sweet. This news is pretty big for Wii owners because it's the second of the huge upcoming titles that's going to find it's way onto the Wii (in my eyes, The Force Unleashed is the first). No word yet on how it's going to differ from the other versions. However, according to ShackNews.com, Maxis--the developers behind Spore--have voiced the opinion that the Wii is the only actual next gen console out there (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/49653). Considering that that's how they feel over there at Maxis I can't imagine that they wouldn't do something with Spore to make use of the Wii Remote.

Finally, the not so great news. According to Destructoid.com and a gaggle of other sites, Doug Lombardi of Valve has officially denied rumors that Portal will be released on the Nintendo Wii. This isn't to say Valve has no interest in the Wii at all though; Doug says there's nothing in the works... "at least not yet." So yeah, I guess you can keep your fingers crossed for Portal. But me? I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for Half-Life 2 or some other new FPS/project. I mean, we're just now starting to see good FPS's popping up on the Wii, and what with the first console blaster worth anything in ages, the Wii Zapper, revolutionizing the way FPS's are played, I'd rather see a really awesome FPS on my Wii than another really good puzzler. I mean, Portal would definitely be really, really awesome... But I feel the Wii has an FPS deficiency. And I mean, it may seem like the Wii couldn't handle something like Half-Life 2... but the Wii is at least as powerful as the original Xbox, from what I've heard, so if the Xbox can get a sub-par port of Half-Life 2 the Wii can get a sub-par yet Wii Zapper compatible port of Half-Life 2. Or, ya know, something new. Or hey, hopefully all of the above.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll probably move all of this to a new thread soon so that it doesn't look like I'm still debating whether the Wii is going to fail or not. Also, look forward to a review of Batallion Wars 2 when I can get my hands on it. If you're eager to buy something though and you're waiting for a BWii review here so you can decide, seriously, just wait for Super Mario Galaxy. It's going to be amazing. Or if you want to blow stuff up and have a more mature experience, there's always Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which I really should've given a much better score in my review here on the site, in retrospect. Or, hey, if you have BWii or if there's any Wii title you want to chat about (whether you own it or not, or even if it hasn't been released yet), just write a post here. I'd be glad to hear from ya.

[Kordmalgemar]

So, first of all, before the news, Super Mario Galaxy got a 9.5 at Gamespot and a 9.8 on Gametrailers. This is just a small sample of Mario's triumphant return to the gaming universe. Why does all of this matter though? Halo 3 received 9.5 at Gamespot and 9.8 at Gametrailers as well... I dunno. Maybe it's just me... but I can't help being really satisfied that in this day and age, when so many video game publishers are taking the easy way out by dishing out Halo clone after Halo clone and FPS after FPS (with the occasional Doom clone), it's great to know that a platformer can still come back and kick serious ass... What am I hoping for? That for the love of God people stop dishing out FPS's. They're just about getting completely exhausting.

But anyway, to news: It appears Nintendo held a press conference in Japan on October 10. What did they reveal in this conference? The titles of the first actual WiiWare games. Yes, now you'll actually be able to download new content on top of the classics featured on the Virtual Console. These titles include:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Little King and the Promised Land
This is actually a "country building RPG" set after the end of the first FF: Crystal Chronicles for the Game Cube. The details of it are still a little unclear--mostly because the preview Square Enix released didn't reveal anything at all interesting, unless you find shots of all of the characters standing completely still interesting. However, if we're talking about something that blends RPG and a civilization Sim game... I can't help but be interested. This game is already valued in Japan at 1500 Wii Points, which translates to $15. However, I don't know if the price will change when the game comes here.

Dr. Mario and Bacteria Extermination
From the sound of it, this is basically a souped up version of Dr. Mario. Among its features there's a lot of online fun, including multiplayer and coop modes. There's also the feature to use your Mii instead of Mario... I dunno if I'm so excited about this one, but maybe it'll be interesting? I dunno.

Pokemon Bokujo Channel
Now, I didn't play Pokemon like I totally should've, but this channel still sounds interesting. Apparently, it's a channel where you can place your Pokemon into Pokemon stables. I'm talking about your Pokemon from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Now, you can view your Pokemon in 3D--of course--but you'll also be able to take snapshots of them and level them up in some undefined way. Yeah. So, I don't know if this is going to be universally downloaded, but I expect kids to gobble it up. Possibly even literally... somehow.

Joy Sound
This is a karaoke channel in the works by Hudson... I don't do much karaoke, but this has potential to be insanely popular. I mean... everyone but me really loves karaoke. And seriously, if they have like any Smashing Pumpkins in there (and maybe a few drinks in me), I'll be so down regardless.

Mojipittan Wii
Apparently, this will be a Scrabble-like game for the Wii... Call me a dork, but hey... I'm excited. Yeah, I wear glasses. And? What? Yeah. Impugn. Segue. Extrapolate. Who's the tough guy now?

Minna de Puzzloop
I can't say exactly what this is, but from the looks of it, it's a puzzler just like that one online game, Zuma, which I've always really, really liked. If this is true, I'd be excited. Possibly $15 dollars excited? I'm not so sure, but excited nonetheless.

Alright. Well, there were a few other games mentioned, but they were either not particularly interesting to me or I had no information about them aside from their names.

For the most part though, we've got puzzlers, and a lot of them. Now, what else can you really expect, I suppose; WiiWare can't be huge, so it's only natural that a batch of puzzle games would make up the first batch of WiiWare. What am I hoping this means though? Downloadable content for disc games. And also, new Channels that aren't kinda stupid, (like the Everybody Votes Channel and the new Check Mii Out Channel). Primarilly though, bonus tracks for Guitar Hero III? A Luigi Skin Mod so I can play Luigi in Galaxy? I mean... come on. So many possibilities.

But anyway, that's it for now. However, you should know that Wii-kly News isn't really weekly; seriously, I just had a hard time thinking of a good name that implemented "Wii." Anyway, the point is, if you enjoy stopping by for Wii news, come back more often--there may be new info up on like, Tuesday or something ridiculous like that. Or, ya know, if you want to discuss anything in the meantime, just post a comment. I won't bite; I'm legally forbidden to ever again.

[Kordmalgemar]

So, man, Galaxy is amazing. Seriously, it's like, one of the three best games of all time, in my book. Everything about it is so ridiculously well refined (it even has an interesting bit of story and a great plot for a Mario game) that it rightfully deserves the title of masterpiece. I mean, there are games out there that are really sweet... But there are a rare few that actually redefine how games are made. Super Mario Galaxy is definitely one of those, and you can find out why in my upcoming review for Galaxy either this weekend or the following one.

But anyway, I'm sorry. That's the second time that I've ranted about Galaxy instead of getting into the news. I'll try and stop being so obsessive, but it probably won't work.

What I came to talk to you about is actually a bit of Wii Channel Upgrade news.

First off, the Wii Photo Channel is getting some awesome new upgrades... and some pretty terrible ones.

First, the bad news: according to C3 Wii (http://www.cubed3.com/wii/readnews.php?storyid=9024), Nintendo has decided to upgrade the Photo Channel so that it works with AAC music files (and MP4 [".m4a"] formatted music files) instead of mp3's. In case you don't know, the mp3's on any SanDisk card you used with your Wii could be added to slide shows you make on your Photo Channel; personally, I always liked making slide shows to "Trogdor," but I always had a wide selection of mp3's already on my SanDisk... because who doesn't? But now, we'll all have to hunt down m4a's or convert our music files quite possibly just so we can use them to make slide shows on our Wii's... And that totally sucks.

The good news, however, is that we'll now be able to use photo's from the Photo Channel to personalize our Wii menu's with backgrounds. Pretty snazzy. I personally was disappointed when this was not a feature right off the bat, so I'm happy that it is now, but I dunno. I suppose it's all about what you want in the end. Balance it out. Would you have good times with customizing your Wii Menu? Or would you rather have an easier time making slide shows? Oh, by the way, the slide shows will also be able to cycle through a few songs with this upgrade, which will also be cool.

But hey, overall, the choice is yours. The upgrade will be available on the Wii Shop Channel in early December. So go with it, or rebel and stick with the old version of the Photo Channel. Maybe there'll be a new upgrade in the future to make mp3's the primary format again? Who knows. Me? I'm probably going to Level Up my Wii to Level 3.1U (or whatever Version number is coming next), because the personalization will probably be awesome.

The other bit of news I have is for the Check Mii Out Channel. Now, this isn't really news--it's more of a review... A negative review. I mean, okay, here's the deal. This is a channel where you sign in to look at other people's Miis, rate them, download them if you like, post Miis of your own, and enter Mii making contests... With that whole package though comes a few major problems that makes it not nearly as enjoyable as it should be.

First off, the channel's interface is pretty convoluted for a Wii Channel; there are a lot of options that have minimal results. Sure, I can switch to look at "Popular" Miis instead of the "Top 50"... but it feels like I'm always going to be looking at the same Miis of celebrities I've already seen (with no alterations or incredibly minor alterations) a whole lot of times.

On top of that... looking at Miis actually becomes a chore on this channel because each of them have abbreviations for their names; instead of "Michael Jackson," you find "M.J." The thing is, if you're looking Wacko Jacko, this is only a little annoying. It gets really annoying when you're looking at a character who's making a reference to something you make have forgotten, or when you're trying to decide on initials for a Mii you're posting that makes a specific reference. My point: I could go ahead and post my Zod Mii for the world to see, but chances are, a lot of people are going to see a dude with a black beard, see that his name is "Z." and have absolutely no idea who he's supposed to be. A lot of people might not even get it if he was named Zod, but with just "Z." the chances go from dismal to nil.

And finally, you can't even really tell who made what Mii first. There are some really cool ones to find on the Check Mii Out Channel, but there's no way to know where credit is due; I could definitely tell Danny Fifth-Grader that his rendition of Jack Black looks amazing... but I already know that his Jack Black is most likely not his at all, so why give him credit?

And overall, why bother at all? I didn't really have high hopes for this channel, but it was actually more disappointing than I expected. Again, sure, you could get some cool Miis on your Wii, but using the channel for more than that gets confusing and so thick with rules and guidelines that what Nintendo meant to be fun gets exhausting pretty quick. Maybe Nintendo will change this channel and make it enjoyable in months to come... but for now, it'll probably wear you out sooner than it'll make you smile.

My recommendation? Rebel. Show Nintendo that they have to stop pumping out stupid channels and make something that we'll actually enjoy using. Me? I'm going to delete it later today, because even the thought of having any of my Miis on-line, without any claim at all to me in any tangible way, and without the ability to hear any more of a review about it than "I like it!", I can't help feeling like I was just better off keeping my masterpieces to myself and posting them on the net, where people can already see them and give you both better reviews and more respect for knowing that you were the first to do them.

Alright. So, this novel's done. If you have any thoughts or questions, drop them here, send me a note, or peruse the boards until you find something you do want to talk about... and then talk about it. Until next time though, take care.

[Kordmalgemar]

Hey, readers. How's life been treating you? Good?... I hope so. Wii owners have just had a serious explosion of good games in the past month, so if you're a dedicated Wii junky, you should be doing awesome. I know I am--I picked up Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, and Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 last week, and all three of them are pretty solid games.

But anyway, with the release of Umbrella Chronicles, there's been a whole lot of talk about whether or not the Wii Zapper is worth the purchase. According to Will D'Angelo of the Wiicast, the Zapper makes Umbrella Chronicles "unplayable." He added that there is a control option for the Wii Zapper, but it doesn't help so much. As I don't have a Zapper, I can't really help, but I can say that both Umbrella Chronicles and Heroes 2 (especially Heroes 2) work flawlessly without the Zapper.

But if you're still itching to spend money on some peripheral to snap your Wii-mote into--ya know, just because you need a techno fix or something--I've put together a list of some pretty awesome shells for you to blow your cash on:

The Wii Light Sword
Yeah, I knew we'd see a Star Wars game that let you control a lightsaber with your Wii Remote somewhere down the line. But did I think there'd be a lightsaber you could attach to your Wii Remote for dorkiness to the extreme? No. I totally did not. Am I going to buy one? Of course I am. Am I going to claim I made it myself on Tatooine? Do you even have to ask?

Check it out: www.play.com/Games/Wii/4-/3517983/Wii-Light-Sword/Product.html?delete=3517983f2570


The Joytech Wii Sharpshooter
Here's a kinda bare bones gun shell for your Wii Remote. Just pop in your Wii Remote and let your young mind be corrupted by this peripheral, as it totally would be by the Wii Zapper... <sigh>

Check it out: www.play.com/Games/Wii/4-/3431811/Joytech-Wii-Sharp-Shooter/Product.html


A Newer, Much Cooler Looking Gun Shell
I'd much rather get this shell because it looks incredibly more stylish than Joytech's. Unfortunately, it looks like this one is only here to drool at for now--Go Nintendo, the sight where I found this listing (link below) doesn't really specify who makes it or how to get one. I suppose we'll just have to wait.

Check it out: gonintendo.com/?p=30078

Wii Controller Grip
It's no wonder this thing is sold out! I know it's not incredibly necessary... but a shell that makes my Wii Remote into a much more comfortably shaped controller? That's ridiculously awesome. I mean, considering games like Radiant Dawn are best played with the Wii Remote sideways... I mean, you almost can't go wrong here.

Check it out: www.play.com/Games/Wii/4-/3360984/Controller-Grip/Product.html

Wii Racing Grip
Can't wait for the Wii Wheel, or whatever that thing they're releasing for Mario Kart Wii is called? No worries; you can always blow you paycheck on the Wii Racing Grip and play... ... Well, I don't really know what you'd play with it, but hazaa! It can be yours!

Check it out: www.play.com/Games/Wii/4-/3273024/Racing-Grip-For-Nintendo-Wii-Remote/Product.html

The Wireless Wii Sensor Bar
This is pretty awesome and definitely something I never imagined happening. It's just what it sounds like--a wireless sensor bar for your Wii. Tired of all of those cables sticking out of your Wii and messing up your home set-up? Then this is the sensor bar for you. The cons? It uses two AA batteries.

Check it out: www.play.com/Games/Wii/4-/3385923/Wireless-Wii-Sensor-Bar/Product.html

My Mii Manager
Are you so addicted to your Miis that you want to edit them on your computer? Then you need My Mii Manager. Aside from alliteration, this program offers the opportunity to edit your Miis on your PC with an attachment that lets your Wii-mote work with your computer. Do you get to do more to your Miis? I have no idea, but probably not, thus making this deal kind of completely worthless.

Check it out: www.play.com/Games/Wii/4-/3360719/My-Mii-Manager/Product.html

X-OOM Movies on Wii
Now this sounds awesome. Apparently, this is some kind of program or something that lets you watch movies of varying formats (DVD, SVCD, VCO, DivX, AVI, WMV, MPEG, "etc.") on your Wii. Apparently, it even allows you to "copy individual files from DVD." Now, read this for yourself because I'm not sure I completely understand this whole thing. If you can figure it out, I'd love it if you replied here and explained it for me, so I won't just buy something I don't even totally understand.

Check it out: www.play.com/Games/Wii/4-/3477826/X-OOM-Movies-On-Wii/Product.html

Anyway, that's it for these peripherals.

What do I want to see though? How about a wireless keyboard for the Wii? A wireless USB keyboard would make my life so happy... Although you could probably find one now... Actually... www.newegg.com/ProductSort/SubCategory.asp?SubCategory=63&Tpk=wireless+keyboard. Bam. Just find one you like and don't worry about getting an official Wii one, cause it'll probably happen a few years from now and it'll be ridiculously expensive.

Anyway, that's it for now. If you find some other wacky Wii Remote attachment (akin to those swords and shields they sold on ebay specifically for Twilight Princess, you drop a post here. I'd love to see what any of you guys find.

[Kordmalgemar]

Okay, people. I don't want to get your hopes up, but mine already are, so here we go. A new website has been launched. According to thewiicast.com and probably a whole bunch of other websites, there's a new site called www.zelda2008.com.

Now, the thing about it is, it looks amazingly official, and amazingly awesome, specifically because it offers an official-looking image/rendition of Link I've never seen before. But while I and definitely a lot of other people are excited that this is a teaser for the next installment in the Legend of Zelda series, chances are, unfortunately, that it is not. Why? Well:

First of all, the title for the website speaks volumes about it being just some Zelda website. "Where All Roads Meet..." sounds too much like a site slogan than a teaser slogan for an upcoming game... I mean, I guess it could be... but it really doesn't sound like it is.

Also, the WiiCast explains: "Kotaku is quick to point out that it's probably, most likely, not an official website. See, Nintendo usually registers it's domains through a company called 'Network Solutions' and zelda2008.com is registered through 'Godaddy.'"

So yeah... A little disappointing, but better to be disappointed now than later. Still though... ... That Link there... on Zelda2008.com... looks amazing... <sigh> Maybe his picture is at least taken from official artwork for the next game? Eh?... <sigh> Alright. I'll stop dreaming... It's safer.

[/img]Check out Zelda2008.com though, because at the very least, it looks awesome. I kinda already want a wallpaper.

[Kordmalgemar]

Okay, so kind of big news in two parts.

First of all, according to my sources, Keiji Inafune has announced that a Megaman title will make its way to the Wii. And my sources, are in fact, correct: nsidernews.com/rumor-mega-man-wii-confirmed-by-inafune/. Now that's pretty damn exciting because Megaman is one of Nintendo's old school third party franchises that I feel we need to see on the Wii. Let me just say though that I really hope this will not be yet another Battle Network game, because not only is the gameplay for that series completely played out, but the story itself has gotten so dry and convoluted that I just would not really care to see more of it. What I am personally hoping for is a completely new title with a completely new style of Megaman who's cool in the same way Megaman and/or Zero from Megaman Zero were cool. I don't mean I want Zero in the game--I just mean I'd like a new title with an awesome art style that will make the game stand out in a library filled with stuff like Ninjabread Man and Disney's Meet the Robinsons. Seriously, if we get like Megaman 2: Powered Up, despite Megaman Powered Up being a great game, I'd been extremely disappointed, because Capcom will not have helped the Wii's image as a children's toy at all. More likely than anything else, however, Capcom will dish out another Battle Network title for the Wii, because they would probably want to cater to the kids that make up a lot of the Wii's market. I'd be so damn sad, but I would not be at all surprised.

Even more exciting though, and featured in that same story, Nsider2's reporter asked Inafune about the rumor that Megaman will be kicking everyone's ass in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. And Inafune's answer, ladies and gentlemen, was a no comment. A glorious, glorious no comment. I know it's not exactly a definite "yes, he will appear in Brawl," but ask yourself... If he wasn't going to be in Brawl, why wouldn't Inafune just say, "No, he's not going to be in Brawl"?

But hey, it's probably safer to not get your hopes up; after all, Megaman is, at the very least, going to pop up as an Assist Trophy, and that isn't going to be a huge surprise. But he may just remain an Assist Trophy; that could be what Keiji thought the reporter was asking. However, Megaman (again, hopefully not Battle Network's Megaman.EXE) would be an awesome character in Smash Bros. All we'd need is a Belmont and the game would be perfect.

[Kordmalgemar]

Hey, everybody. So, in case you haven't heard yet, the Wii Shop Channel is going to be upgraded soon so that Wii players can purchase VC titles for people on their friend's list, which is pretty cool. Here's a demo video supplied by Game Trailers: www.gametrailers.com/player/28647.html. And yeah, I know it's all in Japanese, but whatever. You'll figure it out.

Surprise surprise though: according to Wikipedia.org, which I've found can be pretty accurate about these things, the upgrade is scheduled for worldwide release... tomorrow. So hey, there's more to be excited about than Mario RPG--hopefully--eh?

[Kordmalgemar]

Hey. So, some interesting news from kotaku.com today. The first story on the website states that the team responsible for the Playstation classic PaRappa The Rapper, "artist Rodney Alan Greenblat and legendary musician and game designer Masaya Matsuura," are joining forces again to bring the Wii a new, exclusive sequel. According to kotaku, we can expect PaRappa the Rapper 3 to hit the Wii some time in late '08.

So yeah, pretty exciting stuff. My only hope is that we don't see another classic get a sub par Wii sequel, like we unfortunately did with NiGHTS.

[Kordmalgemar]

Alright, people. Seriously, I've gotta be honest--I'm getting tired. The wild journey the Wii has taken us all on has been one rife with controversy (graphics / internet), name-calling ("Gimmick!"), and disappointments (Heroes 2). What was meant to be a revolutionary system has turned into something that only tires most gamers--something whose only fame is in its rarity. I sit down with friends to play something like Lego Star Wars now and everyone sighs collectively when we realize we'll have to waggle the Wii Remote to swing our lightsabers, and then we let up a collective cheer when we realize we can just press B to swing lightsabers instead.

And now, with rumors of a Wii 2 quietly in the works, I can't blame a lot of Wii owners if they get annoyed about having to fork over possibly more cash to make their hyper-rare Wii's completely obsolete.

Still though, we can hope there will be some other solution that won't piss all of us off a whole lot. And although I highly doubt that solution is petitioning to bring new titles (set for PS3 and 360) to the Wii, at least it's a step toward really making Nintendo and 3rd parties realize that, hey, yeah, we TOTALLY want hardcore games on this damn system (and hopefully, at the very least, having Nintendo make sure to make the Wii 2 can hold its own when it comes to graphics).

And with that in mind, here's a link to a petition to get Bionic Commando on the Wii. Unlike other petitions that go nowhere, there seems to be a lot of support from Capcom on this one--according to Go Nintendo, Capcom has said that they want the fans to tell them whether or not they want Bionic Commando on the Wii. Whether or not this system could handle Bionic Commando's graphics is a whole other issue, but seriously, whatever. Just sign it. We need to be heard on the matter of getting more hardcore games to the Wii regardless.

Check it out: gonintendo.com/?p=33242