Nintendo makes a couple of Wii announcements

[Queasy]

Shortest one first, Nintendo's Japanese website is now showing a redone Classic Controller that is a bulkier version of the controller with a layout resembling the DualShock more than a classic Nintendo controller.

Don't know when that is going to be released in North America but I wouldn't imagine it would be too far out.

Additionally, Nintendo has put out a press release detailing 120 games to be released for the Wii and DS through the summer. Yes, most of them are of the shovelware variety but there are some standouts like Punch Out!, Guilty Gear, Overlord Dark Legend, Tiger Woods (supposed to support Wii Motion Plus), BOOM BLOX, Indiana Jones, Excitebots, The Conduit, and Virtua Tennis (again, WM+ support) for the Wii. Highlights for the DS include GTA: Chinatown Wars, Guitar Hero: On Tour, Desktop Tower Defense, Peggle Dual Shot, Indiana Jones, Henry Hatsworth, and Overlord Minions.

Full list from the press release:

Wii

2K Sports
Major League Baseball® 2K9 - March 3
Don King Boxing - March 31

Activision
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - May
Ice Age 3 - June 30
Transformers?: Revenge of the Fallen - June

Aksys Games
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus - May 12

Atari
Ready 2 Rumble Revolution - March 17
Backyard Baseball 10 - March 31

Capcom Entertainment Inc.
MotoGP? - Spring

Codemasters Inc
Overlord Dark Legend - Summer

Conspiracy Games
Real Heroes: Firefighter - April

Deep Silver, Inc.
Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity - April
Fritz Chess - May

Disney Interactive Studios
Hannah Montana The Movie - April

Electronic Arts
TRIVIAL PURSUIT? - March
MySims? Party - March
EA SPORTS Active? - May 19
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 10 - June
BOOM BLOX? Bash Party - Spring
MySims? Racing - Summer
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? - Summer
G.I. JOE? The Rise of Cobra - Summer
EA SPORTS Tennis (working title) - Summer

Hudson Entertainment
Help Wanted - Summer

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
DanceDanceRevolution® Disney Grooves - April 2
Yu-Gi-Oh! ? 5D's Wheelie Breakers - May 19

LucasArts
Indiana Jones® and the Staff of Kings? - Late Spring

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc
Klonoa® - Q2

Nintendo
New Play Control! Pikmin? - March 9
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis? - March 9
Excitebots: Trick Racing - April 20
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat - May 4
Punch-Out!! - May 18

SEGA of America
Virtua Tennis? 2009 - May
The Conduit? - June
Let's Tap? - June

Southpeak Interactive
Roogoo Twisted Towers? - April 7
Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball? - April 21

Zoo Games, Inc.
M&M's Beach Party - March 10
Puzzle Kingdoms - March 31
Garfield Gets Real - April 7
Pennzoil's Build-N-Race: "Speed Demons" - April 14
Jelly Belly Ballistic Beans - April 21
Smiley World Island Challenge - April 28
Garfield's Pet Force - June 9

Nintendo DS

2K Sports
MLB® 2K9 Fantasy All-Stars - March 3
Don King Boxing - March 31

Activision
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - May
Ice Age 3 - June 30
Transformers?: Revenge of the Fallen - June

Activision/RedOctane
Guitar Hero® On Tour: Modern Hits - June

Aksys Games
Jake Hunter Detective Chronicles: Memories of the Past - May 26
Rockin' Pretty - June 23

Aspyr Media, Inc.
Treasure World? - June

Atari
Backyard Baseball '10 - March 31
My Horse and Me Riding For Gold - March 31

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
TrackMania® DS - March 17
Tokyo Beat Down? - March 31
The Dark Spire? - April 14
Dokapon Journey? - April 14
Steal Princess? - April 21
101 in 1 Explosive Megamix - April 21
Super Robot Taisen® OG Saga:Endless Frontier? - April 28
Knights in the Nightmare? - June 2
Shin Megami Tensei®: Devil Survivor? - June 23

Capcom
Mega Man Starforce 3 Black Ace - June
Mega Man Starforce 3 Red Joker - June

Codemasters Inc
Overlord Minions - Summer

Deep Silver, Inc.
Pet Vet: Down Under - March
Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity - April
Elite Forces: Unit 77 - April
DJ Star - May
Fritz Chess - May
The Humans - May
Horoscope DS - May

Disney Interactive Studios
Hannah Montana The Movie - April

DreamCatcher
Dreamer: Shop Owner - April 21
Dreamer: Babysitter - April 21
Dreamer: Teacher - April 21
Prank'd - May 19

Electronic Arts
Zubo? - March 10
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure? - March 17
MySims? Party - March
SCRABBLE? - March
LITTLEST PET SHOP Spring? - March
MySims? Racing - Summer
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? - Summer

Hudson Entertainment
Miami Law - Summer

KOEI
Monster Racers? - June

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times? - May 5
Yu-Gi-Oh!? 5D's Stardust Accelerators World Championship 2009 - May 19

LucasArts
Indiana Jones® and the Staff of Kings? - Late Spring

Majesco Entertainment
Puffins: Island Adventure - April 14
Powerbike - April 28
Drama Queens - May
Marker Man Adventures - May
Hot 'n' Cold - May
Dawn of Heroes - June

MumboJumbo
Crazy Chicken Star Karts - March 31
Crazy Chicken Atlantis Quest - April 28
Crazy Chicken The Pharaoh's Treasure - June 2
7 Wonders II - June 30

Nintendo
Rhythm Heaven - April 5
Personal Trainer: Walking - May 25
The Legendary Starfy - June 8

PopCap Games, Inc.
Peggle? Dual Shot - March 3

Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - March 17

Southpeak Interactive
Roogoo Attack? - April 7

THQ
Desktop Tower Defense - April 29

Ubisoft
Imagine® Makeup Artist - May 5
Imagine® Music Fest - May 5
Imagine® Boutique Owner - May 26
My Healthy Cooking Coach - June 2
Petz® Fashion: Dogz and Catz - June 9
Jake Power Soccer Club - June 16

Valcon Games
History Channel: Great Empires: Rome - March 17

Zoo Games, Inc.
Yamaha Supercross - March 10
Hands On!: Tangrams - March 24
Puzzle Kingdoms - March 31
Garfield Gets Real - April 7
Jelly Belly Ballistic Beans - April 21
Smiley World Island Challenge - April 28
Garfield's Pet Force - June 9

 

[Kabob]

Just what I need...another Boom Blox to consume me.

 

[R Nilla]

The Dark Spire for DS looks pretty awesome. There are two different soundtracks, contemporary and retro, to coincide with the option of playing the game in color or in the traditional old school RPG black-and-white wireframe dungeon environments.

Rhythm Heaven is also worth mentioning (the sequel to Rhythm Tengoku which was never released in the US).

And what's this I see? The Legendary Starfy? Looks like another Japanese sensation making it out west.

 

[oznerol]

How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

Those are actually really good games though. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat won't be as much fun without the congas but could still be pretty good. Pikmin is just quirky enough to work well with the Wiimote. The big disappointment will be Mario Power Tennis if it plays more like Wii Play Tennis where you can't control your character's movement.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

I never played Pikmin (or Jungle Beat or Mario Tennis for that matter), so I'm actually looking forward to being able to get Pikmin and/or Pikmin 2 for Wii. Especially because it's hard to find a decently priced copy of the Gamecube versions.

Is it really any worse than the Virtual Console or the half-assed ports of games to XBLA or PSN? The only problem I have is these New Play Control titles are probably about $10 more than they should be.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

:thumbsup:

 

[erwos]

Wow, that's a lot of shovelware. At least devs try to make us believe most of their 360 and PS3 titles aren't going to be crap. OTOH, there are a few gems in there, especially on the DS side, so I guess 2009 won't suck. 🙂

Classic Controller Pro makes me think serious of picking one up... well played, Nintendo.

 

[AbAbber2k]

Konami and Capcom are starting to piss me off when it comes to the Wii...

Where are my Contra and MegaMan games making use of the Wii's IR aiming? Why has no one announced any type of 2D side-scrolling shmups utilizing this? It seems like a no-brainer to me.

Instead we get Disney DDR and Yu Gi Oh. :|

 

[gar655]

Yea, but where's the motionplus controller add on that is supposed to be used for games like "The Conduit"? I'm really wanting it. The Conduit looks like a great FPS for the Wii. With the Wii the control scheme should be worlds better than using a gamepad on the 360 or PS3.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: gar655
Yea, but where's the motionplus controller add on that is supposed to be used for games like "The Conduit"? I'm really wanting it. The Conduit looks like a great FPS for the Wii. With the Wii the control scheme should be worlds better than using a gamepad on the 360 or PS3.

The first game that supports WM+ (Virtua Tennis) is coming out in May with two more following in June (The Conduit and Tiger Woods). I would bet that the WM+ would come out then.

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

Those are actually really good games though. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat won't be as much fun without the congas but could still be pretty good. Pikmin is just quirky enough to work well with the Wiimote. The big disappointment will be Mario Power Tennis if it plays more like Wii Play Tennis where you can't control your character's movement.

They were good games when they came out years ago on the Gamecube.

Last year, Nintendo made bank releasing "sequels" to Gamecube games that were ultimately not much different than the originals - Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Smash Brothers.

This year, Nintendo is doing even less work, and just releasing the originals with new controls, a fancy surname (New Play Control!), and possibly some additional tacked-on features.

On top of that, the new games they actually are putting effort into are targeted towards a completely different demographic - Wii Fit, Wii Music.

Ultimately I don't care and I shouldn't complain - I sold my Wii a while ago. But like I said, I find it difficult for anyone who grew up with a Nintendo console to not feel a bit resentful.

 

[ed21x]

Originally posted by: ducci

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

Those are actually really good games though. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat won't be as much fun without the congas but could still be pretty good. Pikmin is just quirky enough to work well with the Wiimote. The big disappointment will be Mario Power Tennis if it plays more like Wii Play Tennis where you can't control your character's movement.

They were good games when they came out years ago on the Gamecube.

Last year, Nintendo made bank releasing "sequels" to Gamecube games that were ultimately not much different than the originals - Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Smash Brothers.

This year, Nintendo is doing even less work, and just releasing the originals with new controls, a fancy surname (New Play Control!), and possibly some additional tacked-on features.

On top of that, the new games they actually are putting effort into are targeted towards a completely different demographic - Wii Fit, Wii Music.

Ultimately I don't care and I shouldn't complain - I sold my Wii a while ago. But like I said, I find it difficult for anyone who grew up with a Nintendo console to not feel a bit resentful.

at least what Nintendo is doing is different. If the games of the ps3/xbox360 appeal to you then by all means get one, but what Nintendo is doing is giving you a different set of choices in addition to what you already have. Would you prefer that Nintendo produce a console that is exactly the same as the other two? I personally do not feel resentful because if i wanted to play FPSs, I still stiill turn on my ps3, but for stuff like Wii Play, at least I have that option.

 

[AmberClad]

Hmm, that Classic Controller Pro looks pretty similar to the old controller with a Nyko grip attached (other than the shoulder button layout).

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: peritusONE

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

:thumbsup:

You have to remember that a majority of the people who own a wii never owned a gamecube. I doubt I could get me wife to play mario tennis on my gamecube using GC controllers, but she would play w/ a wii remote. To be truthful, I'm tired of wii sport tennis but my wife likes so we still play. If mario tennis is something that's not intimating to my wife it means we have another tennis game to play.

 

[BD2003]

A remake of mario tennis instead of a new one is a bit of a rip, but I think its great theyre remaking MP1 and 2, Pikmin 1 and 2, and DK Jungle Beat. All of those were fantastic games that are extremely well suited to take advantage of the Wii controls. Especially the two metroids, I can't wait for those to come out.

Other than that, the only things that interest me are boom blox 2, which will be amazing if its anywhere near as good as the first. And I'm holding out hope for punch out.

The rest is shovelware or crap, as expected.

Yes, that includes the conduit. I said it - the conduit will suck. So it's an FPS thats supposed to have good graphics - for the Wii, which means the graphics will still be sub par compared to the 360. It'll be online, but the experience at it's best will be crap, because it's on the Wii. It's going to be the WNBA of FPS games, and really, who cares about the WNBA? I'd like to be proven wrong, but it looks like total ass to me.

 

[AntiFreze]

Originally posted by: BD2003
A remake of mario tennis instead of a new one is a bit of a rip, but I think its great theyre remaking MP1 and 2, Pikmin 1 and 2, and DK Jungle Beat. All of those were fantastic games that are extremely well suited to take advantage of the Wii controls. Especially the two metroids, I can't wait for those to come out.

Other than that, the only things that interest me are boom blox 2, which will be amazing if its anywhere near as good as the first. And I'm holding out hope for punch out.

The rest is shovelware or crap, as expected.

Yes, that includes the conduit. I said it - the conduit will suck. So it's an FPS thats supposed to have good graphics - for the Wii, which means the graphics will still be sub par compared to the 360. It'll be online, but the experience at it's best will be crap, because it's on the Wii. It's going to be the WNBA of FPS games, and really, who cares about the WNBA? I'd like to be proven wrong, but it looks like total ass to me.

the conduit is all about the controls for me. xbox and ps3 user's can stick with their retarded controllers for FPS. Keyboard + mouse is what a FPS was made for, but I think the wiimote does a damn fine job. The conduit should just improve on it. I'm exited.

(Owner of just a PC + Wii)

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Anybody who grew up playing the NES/SNES and continues to support Nintendo with their Wii and DS shovelware can no longer call themselves a gamer.

Any gamer who honestly believes that one day "Nintendo will tap into the potential of the Wii and DS" and release good games needs to be committed to an asylum. If it hasn't been abundantly clear for the last few years, Nintendo's plan is quite obvious and simple:

1. Release gimmicky console that is a one-trick pony and short on other real features.
2. Release as much shovelware mini-games as quickly as possible with as little dev time as possible.
3. Rinse and repeat.
4. Print money.

Why anyone would think Nintendo will change it's stripes is beyond me. They put in minimal effort releasing crap and people buy it up. Don't whine about crappy Wii and DS games when you continue to support this horrible practice.

Other companies are just following Nintendo's lead. They realize the Wii and DS are a joke, but they also know they can hire a one-man dev team to push shovelware out the door, and it will make money.

Anyone who owns a Wii or DS has nobody to blame but themselves for the lack of quality in the game selection.

 

[VashHT]

Originally posted by: ed21x

Originally posted by: ducci

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

Those are actually really good games though. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat won't be as much fun without the congas but could still be pretty good. Pikmin is just quirky enough to work well with the Wiimote. The big disappointment will be Mario Power Tennis if it plays more like Wii Play Tennis where you can't control your character's movement.

They were good games when they came out years ago on the Gamecube.

Last year, Nintendo made bank releasing "sequels" to Gamecube games that were ultimately not much different than the originals - Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Smash Brothers.

This year, Nintendo is doing even less work, and just releasing the originals with new controls, a fancy surname (New Play Control!), and possibly some additional tacked-on features.

On top of that, the new games they actually are putting effort into are targeted towards a completely different demographic - Wii Fit, Wii Music.

Ultimately I don't care and I shouldn't complain - I sold my Wii a while ago. But like I said, I find it difficult for anyone who grew up with a Nintendo console to not feel a bit resentful.

at least what Nintendo is doing is different. If the games of the ps3/xbox360 appeal to you then by all means get one, but what Nintendo is doing is giving you a different set of choices in addition to what you already have. Would you prefer that Nintendo produce a console that is exactly the same as the other two? I personally do not feel resentful because if i wanted to play FPSs, I still stiill turn on my ps3, but for stuff like Wii Play, at least I have that option.

The problem with your argument though is he is comparing Nintendo with itself years ago, he never said they should be like the PS3 or 360. He jsut sounds annoyed that all nintendo releases nowadays are sequels that are mostly the same as their gamecube predecessors and a few new casual games. I would disagree with you anyway, they aren't really doing much different besides the controller, their games are still largely the same.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
Anybody who grew up playing the NES/SNES and continues to support Nintendo with their Wii and DS shovelware can no longer call themselves a gamer.

Your premise is ridiculous. If you call yourself a gamer, you can still buy Nintendo Wii and DS but not support shovelware by simply not buying the shovelware and buy the good games that come out for those systems.

That's no different than any other system. It's just that the Wii and DS are afflicted with more shovelware than the other systems because they are so cheap to make games for.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
Anybody who grew up playing the NES/SNES and continues to support Nintendo with their Wii and DS shovelware can no longer call themselves a gamer.

:roll:

The Wii doesn't have much to offer for the serious gamer, but there are plenty of great titles on the DS amongst all the shovelware. Who says they can't coexist? They have to if you have everyone and their grandmother purchasing these platforms. I think the DS has enough available for both camps, but obviously the Wii has shortchanged those looking for more than simple party games.

And how exactly is Nintendo to blame if third parties decide to release garbage instead of something aimed at "true gamers"? There's legitimate beef on the Wii side since Nintendo hasn't really pushed much out themselves, but this is simply not true of the DS.

 

[oznerol]

I don't call myself a "gamer" because I'm not 14 anymore.

I play video games as a hobby. I like good ones. Nintendo made a lot of good ones a long time ago. Then they made some good ones for the Gamecube. Now they are just re-releasing them for the Wii. That is disappointing. That is all I am saying. And this is primarily with regards to the Wii. I think the DS was a nice evolution of the Gameboy - because with a portable system, short, shallow, fun casual games are what you want and expect. At least it's what I expect.

I don't expect Nintendo to clone the PS3 or 360. They've gone down a different path - a path that isn't targeted towards the same people who made them into the company they are today. I think that merits some kind of disappointment - or dare I say it again - resentment.

Contrary to what vehement Nintendo fans will say, the company isn't pushing the industry forward - though I will say they are definitely expanding it. And that is perfectly fine. I don't think it will hold back mature games or big-budget games or games with even a bit of depth to them.

But this is the same company I used to defend during the great SNES/Genesis debates. What is left to defend now? That they make games your girlfriend likes to play?

 

[NGC_604]

Originally posted by: ed21x

Originally posted by: ducci

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: ducci
How anyone who grew up playing Nintendo games and is likely now in their 20s cannot resent the company even a little bit is beyond me.

New Play Control!....

Just because there's an exclamation point in there doesn't make it any less shitty, Nintendo.

Those are actually really good games though. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat won't be as much fun without the congas but could still be pretty good. Pikmin is just quirky enough to work well with the Wiimote. The big disappointment will be Mario Power Tennis if it plays more like Wii Play Tennis where you can't control your character's movement.

They were good games when they came out years ago on the Gamecube.

Last year, Nintendo made bank releasing "sequels" to Gamecube games that were ultimately not much different than the originals - Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Smash Brothers.

This year, Nintendo is doing even less work, and just releasing the originals with new controls, a fancy surname (New Play Control!), and possibly some additional tacked-on features.

On top of that, the new games they actually are putting effort into are targeted towards a completely different demographic - Wii Fit, Wii Music.

Ultimately I don't care and I shouldn't complain - I sold my Wii a while ago. But like I said, I find it difficult for anyone who grew up with a Nintendo console to not feel a bit resentful.

at least what Nintendo is doing is different. If the games of the ps3/xbox360 appeal to you then by all means get one, but what Nintendo is doing is giving you a different set of choices in addition to what you already have. Would you prefer that Nintendo produce a console that is exactly the same as the other two? I personally do not feel resentful because if i wanted to play FPSs, I still stiill turn on my ps3, but for stuff like Wii Play, at least I have that option.

I don't care if Nintendo puts out a lot of fps, I just want them to put out good games. There are a couple on that list. But personally I'm dissapointed that every year I can find a lot of good games to play on the PS3, 360, & DS, but only 2-3 games on the Wii.

 

[Auryg]

Originally posted by: AntiFreze
the conduit is all about the controls for me. xbox and ps3 user's can stick with their retarded controllers for FPS. Keyboard + mouse is what a FPS was made for, but I think the wiimote does a damn fine job. The conduit should just improve on it. I'm exited.

(Owner of just a PC + Wii)

Seriously? The Conduit is the first FPS on the Wii that even seems remotely playable, whereas dual thumb sticks FPSes have been refined to the point where most people can do really well with them, with very little autoaim.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be the first guy to say that KB+M is superior in FPSes in every way (other than couch-abilitiy), but to say that the Wiimote does a better job than a 360 controller is laughable.

 

[gar655]

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: AntiFreze
the conduit is all about the controls for me. xbox and ps3 user's can stick with their retarded controllers for FPS. Keyboard + mouse is what a FPS was made for, but I think the wiimote does a damn fine job. The conduit should just improve on it. I'm exited.

(Owner of just a PC + Wii)

Seriously? The Conduit is the first FPS on the Wii that even seems remotely playable, whereas dual thumb sticks FPSes have been refined to the point where most people can do really well with them, with very little autoaim.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be the first guy to say that KB+M is superior in FPSes in every way (other than couch-abilitiy), but to say that the Wiimote does a better job than a 360 controller is laughable.

It's not laughable at all. With the (hopefully) better accuracy of the motionplus it will be a LOT easier to aim with the Wiimote. I'm new to console gaming and find the dual stick controls are very difficult to aim accurately and quickly.

Stick the Wiimote in a zapper type thing and it's like you're really holding the weapon.