WiiWare Launches Today

Today you will be able to access Nintendo's WiiWare service. As with the Virtual Console, you can download games right from your Wii by going to the Wii Shop channel. Unlike the Virtual Console, WiiWare games are all new - not old games you might have already played. Unfortunately, no demos are available, so you won't be able to try before you buy. The current selection consists of six games.

Available Games

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King

You are a young king who must rebuild his kingdom, beginning with the castle town. When the king first reaches the borders of his realm, he finds that the crystal in the center of town has given him special powers to be a "master builder," a unique ability he uses to construct houses, shops and the like to rebuild and revitalize his kingdom.







LostWinds

LostWinds is a fresh, enchanting adventure that lets you wield the awesome powers of Enril the wind Spirit - from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze – to guide and protect Toku, a young boy who is the only one who can help you release the curse placed upon the world of Mistralis and its people by evil Balasar.







TV Show King

Confront friends and family in a TV quiz game show! Let your Mii try to answer fun and challenging trivia questions, from the classics to original stumpers, spanning across history, geography, literature, science, sports and entertainment! For an extra challenge, use your Wiimote in original ways.

Make it to the finals and see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one last, ultimate duel. TV Show King will challenge your brain! Now, get ready… get set… and go play TV Show King!

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack

The world’s most played casino card game makes its WiiWare debut with highly detailed characters, true-to-life animations, and advanced artificial intelligence – making V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack the most realistic blackjack game ever made. By breaking-the-mold of traditional card games and their static 2D interface, we integrated our animated 3D interface into the table; creating a visually impressive look and play style that feels just right. Use the Wii Remote to point-and-click, press the hot-keys to quickly place your bets, or even use the Wii Remote’s motion controls to hit, stand, and bet.



Defend Your Castle

Defend Your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and at your disposal is only a hand for picking up the enemy and flinging them to their doom. Over time, add power-ups and other weapons to your arsenal to repel the attacks. How long can you hold them off?







Pop

Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed on 2 levels - casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving. Advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

Nintendo Channel Launches Today

Today’s North American launch of the Nintendo Channel means that Wii owners can watch game trailers and download demos for their DS using an internet connection. For DS players, this is even better than having a DS Download Station in their own home. The current highlight is the demo for Crossword DS.

Nintendo is expected to start the service in Europe by the end of the month.

Mario Kart Wii Review

Nobody can say that racing games are too hard now that Mario Kart Wii has arrived. With the Wii Wheel, staying in the race is so easy that even a first time racer can stay on track. Rotating your controller, as many have been prone to do, will finally turn the cart!

Although you can use other controllers (like a Gamecube joystick), the obvious choice – especially for a new player – is the Wii Wheel which comes with the game. It’s really just a shell into which a standard Wii controller is placed. Extras can be purchased separately for a reasonable price. But as we said, they are not required.

You can choose from a variety of Mario-related characters – or your Mii. Hop into the cart that catches your eye, and hit one of thirty-two fanciful tracks. You may even want to try popping wheelies on one of the new motorbikes.


There is no doubt that this game is ideal for socializing. You can play up to four players on the same TV, and up to twelve on the internet. Age and lack of skill will not deny you the pleasure of enjoying some laps with anyone, from a well-practiced teen, to a toddler who can barely hold the wheel.

If you are an experienced Mario Kart player, you may find this game a bit on the easy side. But there’s no denying – with the new tracks, and new tricks, you’ll have a ton of fun.

And for anyone who loved Wii Sports and is looking for something more, Mario Kart Wii is the game you won’t want to miss.

Wii Fit Fits the Bill

So now that Wii Fit is out in Europe, we’re wondering just how well it’s liked. Is it fun enough to keep you playing? Does the balance board work well? Is it really exercise?

The verdict is in: YES on all counts.

In North America, anticipation is high, with pre-sales soaring to number one at Amazon. Other stores taking pre-orders are also peaking. By the looks of it, there are going to be a lot aching muscles – and smiling faces – on the May 21st release date!

A look at Wii Fit

With all the concern for health and fitness, the soon-to-be-released Wii Fit is bound to fit into your lifestyle. The use of a balance board controller to stand on allows you to perform a daily exercise program and do other fun stuff, like snow boarding. It turns exercise into a game and will be good for your whole family!

Mario Kart Wii Preview

Mario Kart is a racing game anybody could love. Nintendo has had a version for just about every game system they have created, each a great success. Later this month the Wii version, simply titled ‘Mario Kart Wii’, will come out in North America and is expected to continue the positive trend.


The biggest difference with the new version is that it comes with a steering wheel shell. The Wii remote is positioned inside the shell, allowing you to control with a steering motion - something many people have been inclined to do, even with older controllers for which this did not work! While the game has always been well-suited to those who are not serious gamers, this new feature will make it even better.


And why would you want to play? Because this game, as you would expect from the Wii, is easy to learn and fun to play. Best of all, it is perfect for families and groups of all ages.

Look out for our review later this month.

Kart, Mario, Wii, preview

Regarding the Wii

Everyone - and their mother - has heard about the Nintendo Wii, and we mean that literally. The cross-generation reach of this system has been much publicized. And unless you never watch the news, you are already familiar with the ‘therapeutic’ value of the active game play. There is good reason it has become so popular.

Unfortunately, all too many people end up buying a Wii, playing the Wii Sports game which comes with it - and that’s it. When someone does decide to buy a new game, they often end up buying one of the many bad games. In the midst of this flood of poor quality games, there are a few gems, and more on the way. We will discuss some of these in the future.

Something not everyone is aware of is that you can buy games directly through the console using a wireless internet connection. These are considerably less expensive than games sold in retail stores. Currently you can get ‘Virtual Console’ games, which are re-released older games - sparks of nostalgia for those for those who played them in the past. But soon ‘WiiWare’ games will become available. These are new games which will appeal more to new gamers and take advantage of the Wii motion controller.

You can’t go wrong buying a Wii - if you can get one. Right now the demand is high. You can’t just walk into a store and expect to find one on the shelf. We recommend asking a store clerk when they will restock. This is usually weekly, depending on the store. Some stores stockpile their rations, then offer them all at once as a featured item. In any case, once you find out when they will be available, you would do well to get there early.

A Nintendo Wii may be a challenge to get, but once the challenge becomes playing the games, you will be glad you made the effort.

Nintendo, Virtual Console, Wii, WiiWare, games