In some huge, exciting news to gamers everywhere, at least to those of you old enough to have owned a Super Nintendo when it was next-gen, Earthbound is coming to a home near you. According to a listing on the ESRB, Earthbound has a rating of E on the Nintendo Wii. So what does this mean? It means that Earthbound is coming to the Wii in some shape or form, most likely on the Virtual Console. Also soon to be on my own Wii.
Wii Shipments Coming To Toys R’ Us
If you are one of the people who still can’t find a Nintendo Wii, which from what I understand is a ton of people, you just may be in luck. There are reports that your local Toys R’ Us stores will be getting shipments in this Sunday. I’m not sure if this is nationwide, so you should probably call for details first. Isn’t it ridiculous that Wii’s are still impossible to find after all this time. In my opinion, they’re not even that great.
Capcom Wants North America Aware of Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is a huge hit over in Japan. It’s pretty much the equivalent of Halo, here in the States. But why hasn’t it caught on outside of Japan. Probably because of the very low amount of advertising that Capcom has put into it over here. Well that’s all about to change.
Capcom’s Chris Kramer has stated that he believes that Monster Hunter 3 for the Wii could be just as big as it is in Japan, in North America. In my opinion, it really should be. I was in the beta test for the first Monster Hunter on the Playstation 2, I absolutely loved the game. I hope the third installment really takes off.
Umbrella Chronicles Breaks a Mil
Capcom has announced that Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii has now sold more than one million copies around the world. Not like this wasn’t expected though, considering how awesome the Resident Evil franchise has always been.
Wii Okami Gets Small Delay
If you’re one of the people anxiously awaiting the release of Okami on the Wii, your wait is about to get a little bit longer. Capcom has confirmed that the game will be released three weeks later than what was expected, so you can look for it on store shelves on April 15.
Amazon Loves the Wii
If you head on over to Amazon.com and check out their Goldbox deals, you’ll see that they will be providing some great deals on Nintendo Wii games today. The main offer today is for Super Paper Mario at $29.99. You’ll have to wait for the scheduled times to see what the other games are and at what prices though.
Rock Band For Wii Confirmed
Many Nintendo Wii owners have sadly have to sit by idly waiting for any news of Rock Band coming to their consoles, and now they can run into the street screaming and celebrating. That would be weird, wouldn’t it? Anyway, a conference call held by Electronic Arts has revealed that a Wii version of Rock Band will be coming. An official release date wasn’t given, but it is scheduled to hit shelves in the fiscal year of 2009.
Fatal Frame for Wii is Coming
It has been announced that the very popular horror game, Fatal Frame, is coming soon to a Japan near you. Grasshopper Manufacture is developing the game and Nintendo is helping to publish it. I played the first one and I really enjoyed it, and my brother loved the second one, so I’m betting this one will be great too.
Pre-Register For Wii GH3 Replacement Discs
If you hate that mono sound that comes out that Guitar Hero III disc on your Wii, those replacement discs are only a phone call away. Actually, the phone call will just get you one step closer. If you call (866) 780-8286 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, you can pre-register so that the company will call and let you know when the discs are available. You can learn more here.
Ice Skating, Monkeys, and Guns: Virtual Console
I wasn’t sure if Nintendo would release new games for the Virtual Console on Christmas Eve, but they came through. Blades of Steel is an ice hockey game originally released on the NES. It was a lot of fun in those days, and may still be today. Then you got Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble. I haven’t played this one, but Donkey Country Games are always fun, right, so I’m sure I’ll be picking this one up sooner or later. Lastly is Rolling Thunder 2. I haven’t played this one either, but I did play the hell out the first Rolling Thunder. If the second is as hard as the first, you’re in for quite a challenge. Check out the official press release below.
WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL
If you hear a rumbling on the roof tonight, don’t assume that it’s reindeer when there are gorillas on the loose. Yes, this week’s merry Wii Shop Channel lineup includes a classic adventure title to entertain every reveler in your household, from the nicest to the naughtiest. Plus, you’ll find a wicked-cool dose of ice hockey action and a thrilling secret-agent sequel to help keep spirits bright all winter long. You were expecting lumps of coal? Sorry-maybe next year.
Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:
BLADES OF STEEL (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): With stick in hand and confidence brimming, you are looking to bring home the cup, win the MVP award, get on the covers of major sports magazines and date a beautiful model (not necessarily in that order). But soon you will learn that, in this league, nothing is ever given to you, and before you can reach your goals, you’ll have to put the puck in the net and score some. You’ll need both the artful skills of a finesse player and the bone-crushing brutality of an enforcer. Defend your own goal against unrelenting power plays, or put the pressure on your opponent’s goalie and try a slap shot of your own. Don’t forget to defend yourself when anger flares because the gloves come off and fists start flying. So strap on blades of steel and prepare to either make a name for yourself or be put on ice.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble (Super NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Revisit Donkey Kong Island and join the Kong family for their latest adventure. The Kremlings have a mysterious new leader named KAOS and are up to their usual mischief, even capturing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Now it’s up to Dixie Kong and the newest Kong, a giant infant named Kiddy, to rescue the two missing apes. They’ll travel across previously unseen parts of the island in their search, and even take to the skies in a rocket at one point. Lucky for them, Dixie and Kiddy’s powers complement each other (including Kiddy’s talent for rolling like a barrel), so they form a powerful team capable of major Kremling damage. They’re not completely on their own, either, since returning favorites like Funky Kong and Enguarde the swordfish provide help along the way. And in a series known for its abundance of secrets and high replay value, this entry doesn’t disappoint, with enough hours of game play to satisfy Donkey Kong himself. Anyone else have a sudden urge for some bananas?
Rolling Thunder 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Violence, 800 Wii Points): In this follow-up to the original classic, you are once again a member of Interpol’s Rolling Thunder task force, and it’s up to you to stop the return of the evil Geldra organization. Now known as Neo-Geldra and led by a newcomer named Gimdo, the bad guys are bent on destroying several valuable outer-space satellites. In this one- or two-player game, you can play as Leila or Albatross-both characters from the original-as you venture through several different levels, trying to put a stop to the nefarious efforts of Gimdo and the rest of Neo-Geldra. Use your bullets wisely and make Rolling Thunder proud.
