WIIMCAST FTW


REVIEWS	UPDATE HISTORY	SHOP	LINKS	ABOUT US

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LATEST UPDATES

2008/06/01 - No, we're not dead. Just lazy. We'll hopefully be adding a few new reviews soon, so please look forward to them.

~benstylus

2007/12/07 - Coming off another busy time, we have a special import review -- this one is for Pulseman, which to my dismay has not been released on the Virtual Console outside Japan. So it's part-review, and part-plea to Sega to HEY! LISTEN!

In other Virtual Console news, The Dynastic Hero, another overpriced gaming gem du jour, has a more humble price attached to it for its Wii version. This jazzed-up Wonder Boy conversion is available for 800 points.

~sailorneorune

2007/11/06 - Wiimcast Extra-Special Blah blah blah...

I have FINALLY decided to share my feelings on Kirby's Adventure with you on this memorable title starring everyone's favorite power-swiping pink ball. In Virtual Console release news, ridiculously expensive Megadrive gem du jour Alien Soldier is now available in North America at a much more economical 900 Wii points, but sadly lacking the VISUALSHOCK!, SOUNDSHOCK!, or SPEEDSHOCK! from its appearance on the Sega Channel some 10 years ago. Short version: it's the European edition, but here's to more imports.

Still, I have two words for Sega and Nintendo: Pulseman, please.

~sailorneorune

2007/10/08 - Nintendo has spiced things up a bit this week on the Virtual Console with the addition of Neo Geo games. They've already said it in depth, so, in their own words... a press release:

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Oct. 8, 2007

This week, Nintendo adds another delicious category to its smorgasbord of classic titles. NEOGEO games will now be appearing in the Wii Shop Channel for download. NEOGEO becomes the sixth platform represented in the Wii Shop Channel, and it adds additional depth and breadth to the best selection of classic games available.

Hard-core gamers will especially appreciate the vibrant, arcade-quality graphics and the ability to finally play games they might have missed during the NEOGEO heyday. The first NEOGEO offering includes three fighting games that are a mix of familiar franchises and cult classics. Dive in and check out the deep game play, diverse characters and special moves and combos.

The 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:

FATAL FURY (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1991 and one of the longest-running series in the fighting-game genre, this title introduced players to Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi. Select one of the three and visit many locations as your chosen fighter engages in numerous street fights around the fictional city of South Town. If you're good enough, you'll eventually take on Billy Kane and then his boss, the notorious crime lord Geese Howard. Use each fighter's own finishing maneuver and battle in two different planes on the screen, one in the foreground and the other farther away in the background. The game also features a two-player mode that is well known for its unique setup, which allows fighters to both fight and help each other. Do you have what it takes to win the King of Fighters tournament?

WORLD HEROES (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Animated Blood, Violence, 900 Wii Points): A fighting game released in 1992 featuring eight characters, including Hanzo, Janne and Rasputin, modeled on historical figures from throughout the ages. The fighters compete against each other to become the world's toughest combatant, with players using a setup consisting of only three buttons (one each for punching, kicking and throwing). Adding to this unique system is the fact that the strength of your offensive blow depends on how long the button is pressed and held. Along with regular match styles, Death Match mode is also available and features mines, electrified ropes and other dangerous objects in the battle arena that can change conditions during the fight or damage players. Enjoy the wide range of combat forms as you take on history's best!

ART OF FIGHTING (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Animated Blood, Violence, 900 Wii Points): This fighting game, released in 1992, began the story of the Sakazaki family and Robert Garcia, further developed in two later sequels. Yuri Sakazaki has been abducted by Mr. Big to punish her father, Takuma, and her brother, Ryo. To rescue her, Ryo and Robert must take on numerous enemies around South Town, eventually reaching the mysterious Mr. Karate. The passion of the game's creators is evident in the unique game-play elements introduced. These include an energy gauge that is depleted every time a fighter uses a special maneuver, Desperation Attacks that are usable only when a fighter's health is low and camera zooming that adjusts on the fly as fighters move around the stage. All these features ensure that players use strategy and tactics, rather than simply mash buttons. Adding to the mix are little touches such as characters showing cuts when they are injured and voice-over samples during cut scenes. Can you perfect the art of fighting and save Yuri?

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

How do these games stack up in price versus playability? Well, I've never been a big fan of most SNK fighters (Samurai Shodown aside, of course), but if they're your thing then I doubt you'll find them much cheaper than 9 bucks. Unless, of course, you have a Playstation 2, in which case you may want to check out Art of Fighting Anthology or Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 1 as they've got multiple games on them and are only 15 bucks at Amazon (plus if you don't like 'em, you can trade or sell 'em later). And if you're on the fence, well, nine bucks isn't exactly going to break the bank for you to try one out.

~benstylus

2007/10/06 - Things have been pretty busy for us in real life the last few days (and we still haven't passed level 2 in Sin and Punishment), so we're pleased to have a guest review added to the roster today.

Visc has proudly shared with us his words on Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage for the Dreamcast. So go watch it if you're feeling like you want to cut things with a very large sword.

~benstylus

2007/10/01 - Press release courtesy of Nintendo:

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Oct. 1, 2007

This is a special week on the Wii Shop Channel. Frankly, it's a gamer's dream come true: Nintendo is launching the new Import genre with the release of two games that previously have never been available in the Western Hemisphere on their original platforms. The first will be hugely popular with Mario™ fans, who will love reliving the style of his classic games as they encounter new skills, new levels and new dangers. Nintendo® 64 enthusiasts also get a masterpiece of the shooter genre and perhaps the best game never released outside of Japan. Welcome to Import Week for the Wii Shop Channel!

The two 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:

Super Mario Bros.™: The Lost Levels™ (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros.® 2, this game has previously made only brief cameo appearances in the Western Hemisphere. Now available on the Virtual Console™ in all of its original splendor, Mario fans will appreciate the familiar look and feel of the game, while finding that its updated game play creates an entirely new challenge. No longer content just to wear different-colored overalls, Mario and Luigi also possess different skill sets: Mario can stop quicker, while Luigi can jump higher. In addition to the classic enemies already known to fans worldwide, there are also Poison Mushrooms, backward Warp Zones, and the occasional wind gust (which can help or hinder your progress) to take into account. And if that's somehow not enough, expert players can go looking for the game's secret worlds. So get ready to put your Mario skills to the ultimate test, and save the Princess again. Just don't be surprised if she's in another castle.

Sin & Punishment™ (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen – Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, 1,200 Wii Points): Created by the legendary development studio Treasure, this is a game that hard-core gamers and fans of Japanese imports recognize as one of the finest Nintendo 64 titles to have never previously reached North American shores. Its unique combination of English voice-overs with Japanese subtitles (preserved in this version) has only added to the enthusiasm for its eventual release here. Experience the frenetic pace of a classic shooter, while choosing from a variety of options and a number of different skill levels until you are ready to take on the full-blown challenge of Turbo Hard mode. Not to be outdone by the action, however, the intriguing story line gives the game its soul and draws you even further into the mix. Set in the near future, on an overpopulated Earth starved for resources, players uncover the intriguing mystery of two teenagers (Saki and Airan) and their battle against the Ruffians as they advance through level after level of nonstop action. Take a deep breath, gather your energy and prepare to see why this game is so highly praised.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

This is fantastic news, and you can bet that we'll have reviews for both these games up within the next few days. Once we do (or possibly before that), you'd better buy them too so that Nintendo knows there's enough interest in the import scene to keep doing more of it.

~benstylus