UPDATE 1: Nintendo Power was asked about a DS Player for Wii, they had the following to say: “We actually had little experience playing the DS on a TV screen, and to be honest, it’s not that fun…dual screen doesn’t fit too well onto the TV…no microphone on the Wii Remote…nothing can replace the pinpoint accuracy of the stylus.”

UPDATE 2: Fire Emblem: The Goddess of Dawn is only a Japanese name, the US name will be changed. Nintendo Power cleared up rumours about leaving a Wii game in the Wii when powered off could cause harm to the system saying that isn’t true.

UPDATE 3: Most Wanted: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy, Final Fantasy CC: Crystal Bearers and Fire Emblem. Top 10 best-selling Wii games are as follows: Zelda TP, Red Steel, SMB: Banana Blitz, Rayman, COD3, Madden, Trauma Center, Marvel, Excite Truck and DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 2.

UPDATE 4: Medal of Honor: Vanguard - One of the screenshots (small size) you haven’t seen before is in this issue and it looks amazing, the detail on the buildings is great! The story is about the 82nd Airborne Division’s Frank Keegan, a paratrooper, as he drops into battles across Europe. It starts off in 1943 Sicily (Operation Husky) and ends with Operation Varsity in 1945. Game releases on March 26th. Escape from Bug Island - The game was previously called Necro-Nesia in Japan and will be published state-side by Eidos. You’ll be using the Wiimote to bash bugs with sticks, rocks and other weapons as well as use it to overcome obstacles like lethal pits and falling rocks. Game is to be released in the Spring.

UPDATE 5: Fire Emblem - The game is a direct sequel to Path of Radiance, as the story takes place three years after the fierce war between Crimea and Daein. Game begins in Daein, and follows a small band of freedom fighters who oppose the nation of Begnion. The cast are different than Path of Radiance, except Sothe, who along with his sister will journey across Tellius and beyond recruiting new party members from the Beorc and Laguz. New obstacles include “mutlilevel battlefields”. No release date is set and how the game will use the Wiimote is unknown.

UPDATE 6: The Looney Tunes - A brand new game from Warner Bros. Interactive for the Wii is billed as “Warner Bros. Meets Smash Bros.” Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck will team up against a bald evil scientist in worlds from Camelot, ancient Egypt to even the trenches of WW2. Characters include Taz, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Gossamer and an “undisclosed character”. Game can be played in Single-player or two-player co-op. Robots have been sent from the present to the past on a mission to erase the characters from existance. The Wiimote will be used to swing giant mallets and ACME weapons, spin attacks and even pilot vehicles like Jet Scooters. A mock-up screenshot is shown and game will be released in the Fall.

UPDATE 7: Super Paper Mario - To be released in APRIL! Mario finds himself in the interdimensional town of flipside as a black hole looms overhead along with floating math equations. You have to use the controller sideways moving the control pad and jumping with the 2 button (OLD SCHOOL!). A button allows you to switch from 2D to 3D and later in the game you’ll encounter creatures called Pixls that will give Mario new abilities that make an interesting use of the Wiimote. Tippy (a butterfly) allows you to search areas for secrets, you can point the Wiimote at the screen to spotlight hidden doors or learn info about the enemy. When you jump on an enemy, if you shake the Wiimote you can gain extra points. Game has graphical enhancements from the E3 build (the issue has new screenshots).

UPDATE 8: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Little is known about how Ubisoft will use the Wiimote and Nunchuk. Game is also headed to the Gamecube. The game will use the Jade engine, which was used for the Prince of Persia franchise.

UPDATE 9: Sonic and the Secret Rings - This is odd, the Sonic advert says “February 2007″ while Nintendo Power says March for the release date…(some of the new screenshots look great) Sega’s Yojiro Ogawa: “Originally, we were going to produce Sonic the Hedgehog, the game we did for Xbox 360, on all platforms, including Wii. But after we looked at the Wii remote and the features of the controller, we decided to produce a new, completely different Sonic title for the system”…one stage you’ll be exploring a wreckage of a pirate ship on a storm sea, another an ancient ruins with giant flying beasts. Nintendo Power: The game features No Treasure Hunting (Sonic is the only playable character), No Wonky Camera, No Brooding Anti-Hero, No Guns and No dim-witted obese felines. NP says it would be misleading to think it’s a game on rails as it serves some platforming as you can jump with the 2 button, physically moving Wiimote to launch him at enemies etc. 1 Button allows you to slow down/hit the breaks.

Swing through ropes by swinging the remote back and forth, take a magic carpet ride by tilting the remote and fire Sonic from a catapult (twist remote toward you then snapping forward to fly). The finale of each level includes impressive boss battles, one of the bosses is described as a “hulking metallic monstrosity” which comes out of a pool of molten steel (Sonic runs around a circular walkway during boss battles). Ogawa continues “When we started thinking about it, the system was still called the Revolution. So we thought we should revolutionize Sonic. I wanted to do something people haven’t seen in previous Sonic titles.”

The tale begins when Shahra, a genie, appears before Sonic warning him of the Erazor Djinn who is absorbing the power of The Arabian Nights and causing pages to disappear and legend has it that the one who can defeat him is a blue hedgehog. So Sonic agrees to save it and gets transported into the storybook. Cutscenes are done in sketchbook presentation, levels based on different stories, Knuckles appears in the game as Sinbad, Tails as Ali Baba and Dr. Eggman returns as the king of Persia. The “secret rings” possess power in the world of Arabian Nights and there are seven of them throughout the game that you need to collect to see the “true” ending of the game. Nintendo Power describes it as it feeling like “Kingdom Hearts”.

100 RPG-like Skills can be learned. Earn powers like extended range for homing attack, ability to move quickly from left to right, and a ground pound. You must equip skills. Sonic gains experience based on your score in order to level up and earn skill points. Tons of secrets are in the game that must be used with a certain skill. Leveling up allows Sonic to have super powers like Speed Break (super fast speeds with blur) and Time Break (Matrix style). Sonic hosts 8 stages with 12 missions each with different stipulations. You don’t have to play every mission, but it is better too in order gain more skills including a “special book” that includes bonus features in the game like concept art, history of Sonic etc.

Complementing the game is a set of 40 mini-games with up to four-players. Minigames include musical violin (you actually perform it with the Wiimote like a violin) to Genie’s Lair, a “open the right chest to find a coin”.

UPDATE 10: Mario Party 8 - (few new screenshots) 14 Characters, features 70 all-new minigames. Shake-it-up, Surf’s way up (space race, rocket boards) and Breakneck Building (remote becomes saw, hammer, painbrush) are just some of the examples of minigames. Practice session is in the game and hold Wiimote like an NES controller for controlling the game. Bowser’s Board is unlockable. Party Tent battle include collecting coins to trade in for stars. At the same time the more you play the opportunity for more unlockable free play arcade titles. Extras Zone has things like bowling or ping pong. Canyon Cruisers is similar to the Star Wars Landspeeder races. Other minigames include DK’s Treetop Temple, King Boo’s Haunted Hideaway, Koopa’s Tycoon Town (characters become real-estate agents) and Bowser’s Warped Vortex where you can steal stars from other players. Buy Candies and become an 8-bit version of yourself, or give you other opportunites like getting more dice to roll and morphing characters into a creature.

Punch-a-Bunch Minigame allows for four players to take swings at bowser statues. Player wins when they cause the most damage. Grabbin’ Gold has three players up against one as you tilt the more to slide baskets and collect coins. Blazing Lassos lets you lasso barrels with spinning and tossing motion. Koopa’s Tycoon Town board lets you try to out-invest your opponents in hotels and the more money you invest the better the hotel. King Boo’s Haunted Hideaway is a ghost hunt where the player who tracks down King Boo twice wins.

UPDATE 11: SSX Blur - At first it seems like a best-of compilation of past games, but it is still a departure from the rest of the series. Game Producer: “We tried many different variations of the controls. Some worked out great and others just felt wrong…As soon as we played on run with the controls the way they are, we knew we had it. It just feels so natural and it’s so much fun.” Nintendo Power states it was an earlier build of the game that they tried. You’ll play as classic characters from Mac, Moby, Allegra, Psymon to new characters like Maurice and Feather. It is unknown if you’ll be able to play as Nintendo characters. The producer continues: “We wanted to be sure that SSX Blur reflects the Wii feel and style in addition to taking full advantage of the hardware” (you have now an ability to throw snowballs at opponents).

UPDATE 12: Nintendo Power 2006 Award Nominations for Game of the Year (for other nominees check out the magazine when you get a chance):
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
Madden NFL 07
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Wii Sports

UPDATE 13: Wii Play Review (7.0/10)
Shooting Range: Has four short levels, but is fun for the first few times you play it.
Table Tennis: It stops at 100 at a single rally, but fun and subtle.
Laser Hockey: It’s more fun than it has any right to be.
Billiards: Best video-game version of billiards.
Charge!: Best ever cow racing game.
Tanks!: Innovative targeting controls that should be in future games.
UPDATE 14: Next Issue will feature Wii Sims (including DS Sims), Alien Sydrome and more Mario Party 8.

Comments: Great issue, lots of things to check out including Wii Channels, Nintendo Power VC Picks, a “Better Gaming through Science” feature looking at games for Non-Gamers to Hardcore Gamers, and the issue includes a calender/poster of Super Smash Bros. Brawl (on the back Rayman). If you haven’t subscribed you can always do so and you can also get free bonuses by doing so! Subscribe: http://www.nintendopower.com

This entry was posted on Monday, January 22nd, 2007 at 3:29 pm and is filed under 1. Wii News & Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.