Wii
Super Mario Kart, Pilotwings, Smash Bros. Coming to Virtual Console
by Zach Carmichael | 11/21/09 | 5:57 AM PST


Kotaku is reporting that three of the most desired games for the Wii's Virtual Console are about to make an appearance. This Monday, expect to see Super Mario Kart (SNES) on the service for 800 points. The other two titles, Super Smash Bros. and Pilotwings, will be released on the Virtual Console "sometime this holiday season." Don't take my word for it, but I wouldn't be surprised if the former of the two came out on the Monday before Christmas.

Is this beginning of a slew of most-requested games to be released on the Virtual Console? Many fans, including myself, feel that Earthbound is long overdue for an appearance. Maybe Nintendo is finally starting to pay attention to its fans.

Wii
Mass: We Pray a Dante's Inferno Marketing Stunt
by Christopher Burke | 11/20/09 | 8:22 PM PST

Last week's satirical advertisement for Mass: We Pray, which featured cross-shaped motion controllers and gameplay modes like 'baptism' and 'ring the tower bell', has turned out to be another bit of sneaky marketing for EA's upcoming Dante's Inferno.

All of the game's marketing efforts have tied into the seven deadly sins. Back at E3, EA held a contest asking attendees to take pictures with booth-babes, which tied in with 'Lust'. EA also sent out checks to media outlets as a tie-in with 'Greed'. Apparently the Mass: We Pray advertisement ties in with 'Heresy'.

Seeing these marketing stunts fall flat, I wonder if the controversy EA is trying to raise is doing the game any good.

Wii
Week-Ending Game Endings - 11.20.09 - Resident Evil 2
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 4:54 PM PST

I hope this doesn't count as spoilers.

This week, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles came out for the Wii, and I figured a good way of marking the occasion would be to post the ending of one of the games from which it draws, Resident Evil 2.

But, it occurs to me that some peoples' first experience with the story of the game might be through Darkside. So if you're such a person and don't want the RE2 sequence spoiled, then I wouldn't watch these.

On the other hand, if you know it or just don't care, go right ahead. In the case of the former, it might even be fun to compare. First up, we join Claire Redfield...



More after the cut.

Wii
My Games This Weekend - 11.20.09 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii and WWE
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 4:38 PM PST

This weekend, it's more New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The wife and I have already stepped into the dark land of World 8, and will soon make Bowser eat his own shell. So far, the game really hasn't been all that difficult, even with two of us getting in the way of one-another. Nonetheless, it's been quite a fun ride, and I can't wait to go back and start exploring for secrets, Star Coins, and such.

I'm also aiming to get WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 for the Wii underway, so keep an eye out for that review soon. In the meantime, I've got the DS version in progress, so hopefully that will show up sometime early next week.

In addition, WWE Survivor Series is this Sunday, and I'll likely have Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, aka "the best game in the series" with me. Funny that in one game, I have to ensure Bowser's survival, while in the other, he's soon going to wish he was never born. Such is life.

So, those are my games this weekend, what are yours?

Wii
Media: Rabbids Go Home Music Video, Songs on iTunes
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 3:53 PM PST

Ubisoft has announced that for those who enjoy the soundtrack to the recently-released comedy-adventure Rabbids Go Home, the tracks can now be purchased and downloaded from iTunes.

To give you a sampling of what you're in for, they have produced the following music video:



Personally, I think more publishers interested in selling the music from their games should consider such an approach.

Wii
Nintendo Goes Nationwide with Holiday Mall Experience
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 2:47 PM PST

There are no doubt numerous games you would like to try out this holiday season. Of course, games aren't cheap, and in this economy, you can't just spend indiscriminately on unproven goods. Rentals are an option, but their prices these days are closer to a down-payment. And then there's piracy, but really, shame on you for even considering it.

What to do, then? Well, Nintendo is providing its own answer in the form of the Nintendo Holiday Mall Experience, which can be found starting November 23rd in 35 malls across America. There, you'll get the chance to go hands-on with hits such as Wii Sports Resort and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, or see first-hand what this whole "Wii Fit Plus" thing is really all about. Other titles on hand will be Style Savvy, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, and-- once it's launched on December 7th-- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.

Check out the full press release after the cut for further details, plus the most important part-- where to go to find it.

Wii
REVIEW: Play Any Other Fishing Game but Shimano Xtreme Fishing
by Ryan Olsen | 11/20/09 | 2:13 PM PST

What the Game's About
Shimano Xtreme Fishing brings the sport of fishing right to your living room. You can either be an angler the old fashion way or get more extreme by bow fishing or spear fishing. By requiring using the Wii-mote to simulate fishing movements, Shimano Xtreme Fishing feels more like an arcade fishing game than any simulation.

What's Hot
It safe to assume a lot of hopes weren't pinned on this game turning the gaming masses into fish fanatics. For a game about fishing, Shimano is as over the top as they come. There are tons of fish in the water and you can't go without getting something every cast. When you bow or spear fish, the game starts to go off into FPFS (first-person fish shooter) where you attempt to clear the lake of fish like they were radioactive or something. It's a certified guilty pleasure, but that doesn't save the game from the depths it sinks.

Wii
Aonuma Says Traditional Flow of Zelda Will Change in Next Wii Game
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 1:13 PM PST

Yesterday, we learned from franchise director Eiji Aonuma that "some of the internet speculation is right" surrounding the new Legend of Zelda game for Wii. But other than that, he said that further discussion and details surrounding the title would have to wait for the next Electronic Entertainment Expo.

But for IGN, it seems that E3 2010 has come early, for they managed to conduct an interview with Aonuma which reveals a little bit more about the title.

Wii
REVIEW: The Insanity is Back in Rabbids Go Home
by Ryan Olsen | 11/20/09 | 12:48 PM PST

What the Game's About
Rabbids Go Home is the very first time the mischievous, villainous little bunny type creatures star in their very first game without Rayman. The Rabbids want to make a journey back home and they think that home is on the Moon. To get to the moon, the Rabbids devise a plan to collect junk, pile it on top of each other and set foot on the Moon. Since this article is going on the internet, I'll put it in internet terms: 1. Rabbids want to get home, 2. Collect stuff to pile up, 3. ???????, 4. PROFIT!!!!

Those "?'s" are what the gameplay is all about. You play as two Rabbids who run around the world putting things in a shopping cart to bring to the rest of the Rabbids. That might sound like Katamari Damacy type game, but Rabbids Go Home is more of an adventure game with platforming elements that thrives on the frenzied, chaotic and scatter-brained Rabbids personalities.

Wii
Ubisoft Opens Rabbids Comic Blog
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 5:21 PM PST



If you simply cannot get enough Raving Rabbids, then Ubisoft has found a way to keep you entertained twice a week without running up their computer animation budget. Just check out the Rabbids Comic Blog to see more of their efforts to reach the moon, presumably before they decided that stacking up tons of junk was the most ideal way to achieve their goal.

Wii
Random Video of the Day: Death Metal Bowser's Castle Theme
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 5:11 PM PST

The folks at CollegeHumor.com suggest that "If you can't handle this, then you shouldn't be inside a kidnapper dinosaurs death castle."

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

And of course, my first reaction near the end would be "what? But he doesn't get any points for killing him that way!" And my wife was thinking the same thing, more or less (along the lines of "why have fireballs if you're not going to use them?").

Now, I just have to wonder what a full Mario soundtrack in death metal would sound like. In any case, I do wish Nintendo would remix that theme sometime.

Wii
Gamer Fails at Suing Sony, Goes After Microsoft and Nintendo Instead
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 4:35 PM PST

One lawsuit-happy gamer by the name of Erik Estavillo didn't have much luck when he tried to sue Sony Computer Entertainment America for banning him from the PlayStation Network, so he has instead decided to try his luck against the industry's other two big platform holders.

And at the same time, no less.

Wii
REVIEW: Resident Evil: The Dark Chronicles Presents New Looks at Past RE Games
by Ryan Olsen | 11/19/09 | 12:24 PM PST

What the Game's About
Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles is an on-rails shooter in the same spirit as Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. This time around, you play different scenes from the past games including Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica. The gameplay is that of an on-rails shooter, but Capcom makes it feel like you are in the action with a guerilla-styled camera system that bumps and moves with your character. Atmosphere is important to any RE game, and the more personal visual style that puts you in the boots of Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield and other supporting characters adds to the atmosphere full of moments where you jump in your chair.

What's Hot
On-rails shooters, light-gun games, whatever you call them, they are making a resurgence as of late. Darkside Chronicles is one of the best games of its type out there. You feel plunged in the action rather than hovering over the shoulder. The zombies and other infected creatures are a mix of slow and fast moving, so you have to be on your toes and prioritize what you want to shoot on the fly. Like any good suspenseful game, lighting is used to augment the feelings of fear and uncertainty. There is a moment when you enter the Raccoon City sewers and the screen is dark and all you have to see with is a tiny flashlight that only sheds a little bit of light. It is totally unnerving as you are taken on a path as you frantically scan the horizons to spot any glimpse of zombies. It is one of the game defining moments that shows the power of gameplay even though you are "confined" to your on-rails shooting. This game looks great by any standards and the cinematics look even better.

Wii
Media: Take That! The Phoenix Wright Trilogy Heads to WiiWare in Early 2010
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 11:41 AM PST



As we learned earlier this week, the rumor is true that Capcom is bringing the Ace Attorney series to WiiWare. And as Capcom has now revealed, the games are coming out in North America and Europe early next year as well.

While the European dates are unknown, the first game will come to North America in January, with Justice for All in March and Trials and Tribulations in May, each for 1,000 Wii Points. May will also bring the bonus fifth case from the DS version for 100 Wii Points. One would be remiss to not mention that each game finally has multiple save slots.

Learn more about it in the press release after the cut, then check out our gallery, which has 58 images, including screens and new art of Phoenix and friends swinging Wii Remotes.

Wii
Aonuma on Wii Zelda Internet Speculation: "Some of It is Right"
by David Oxford | 11/19/09 | 10:06 AM PST

Eiji Aonuma, overseer of many a game in The Legend of Zelda series, was recently making the rounds in the United Kingdom to promote his latest title, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. And during his time there, he did what any good employee of the company would-- he stopped by the Official Nintendo Magazine offices to give the staff some of their time to talk a little about what is going down.

And perhaps the most interesting news to come out of the meeting regards the internet's speculation surrounding the upcoming Wii Zelda title, and can be best summed up in five little words: "some of it is right."