Live by the Sword…Die by the Blade!

Wall, NJ – July 31, 2008 – SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION, the U.S. publishing arm of the SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION, announced today the forthcoming release of SAMURAI SHODOWN II for Wii™ Virtual Console™ on August 4th 2008.

Regarded as one of SNK’s greatest games ever produced, SAMURAI SHODOWN II successfully integrated a brand new, dynamic fighting system that was years ahead of its time. The fighting system introduced players to several new offensive and defensive maneuvers including the ability to roll both forwards and backwards, ducking to avoid high attacks, hopping to avoid low attacks and the implementation of a ‘parry’ system that would allow players to deflect incoming attacks at the last second if performed successfully. In addition to the newly revised fighting system, SAMURAI SHODOWN II also features 16 unique playable characters, hidden bosses, a two player versus mode and of course all of the wonderful translations fans have grown to love.

SAMURAI SHODOWN II will be available for Wii™ Virtual Console™ for only 900 Wii™ Points and has been rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

SNK PLAYMORE USA also plans to release SAMURAI SHODOWN ANTHOLOGY for Wii™ in Q4 of 2008 for $29.99. The collection will consist of 6 SAMURAI SHODOWN games: SAMURAI SHODOWN, SAMURAI SHODOWN II, SAMURAI SHODOWN III, SAMURAI SHODOWN IV, SAMURAI SHODOWN V, and SAMURAI SHODOWN VI.

GamePress

If variety is the spice of life, we’ve got an extra-spicy lineup for you this week on the Wii™ Shop Channel. From bouncing balls to out-of-control cars to hardcore fisticuffs, the latest game additions offer an incredibly diverse mix of Wii™ thrills. So if you’ve been saving up your Wii Points™ for something new and different, here’s your opportunity to cash in and kick up some serious fun. Enjoy! 

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time 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:

WiiWare™

Pong Toss—Frat Party Games™ (JV Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild

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Wii
July 22 - Kidz Sports: Crazy Golf
July 22 - Order Up!
July 22 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Virtual Console / WiiWare
Pirates: The Key of Dreams (Oxygen Games, 1-4 players, 1000 Points)
Super Fantasy Zone (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 900 Points)
Gley Lancer (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 900 Points)

DS
July 21 - Final Fantasy IV (GameStats)
July 22 - Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns (GameStats)
July 22 - New International Track & Field (GameStats)
July 22 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
July 23 - Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society

Sorry this is a little late in the week, but I had to at least mention that Final Fantasy IV for the DS is now out!  Can’t wait to get my hands on it!

WiiWare

Pirates: The Key of Dreams (Oxygen Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone Mild Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Pirates: The Key of Dreams is a frantic nautical shoot-’em-up. Sail your way across the Caribbean, cannons blazing, looting booty, running blockades and ultimately battling Blackbeard himself. The player takes control of a navy captain sent deep undercover as a ruthless pirate in order to seek out and retrieve the Key of Dreams, a valuable and dangerous cursed artifact. Rescue castaways to bolster your ship’s crew, gaining performance increases to your navigation, weaponry, structural integrity and cartography skills. Collect increasingly powerful weaponry including rockets, mines, chain shot, saw blades and a flamethrower to hurl destruction into the path of your enemies. Play against three of your scurvy friends or A.I. opponents in pitched multiplayer battles over 35 levels, set in seven themed environments. Choose from different ship types that reflect your play style. Play in turbo mode if you’re pirate enough.

Virtual Console

Super Fantasy Zone (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone Mild Cartoon Violence, 900 Wii Points): The last entry in the Fantasy Zone series, this side-scrolling shooter puts you in the shoes of main character Opa-Opa, who is on a mission to avenge the death of his father. To do so, you’ll have to battle a variety of Enemy Generators to clear out the various levels and finish off the Menon Guardian at the end of the level. Eliminating your enemies will let you rack up some gold, which you can use to buy even better weapons, upgrades and other equipment. Spend your gold wisely, as each different boss you need to defeat presents a unique challenge.

Gley Lancer (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): In the year 2025, a war breaks out between humans and a hostile alien race, and 16-year-old Lucia and the rest of the starfighter pilots in the Earth Federation must join the battle. When Lucia’s father is kidnapped by the aliens, she decides to take action and hijacks a brand new prototype starfighter, the Gley Lancer, in order to try to save him. In this side-scrolling shooter, step into the cockpit of the Gley Lancer as Lucia, rescue your father and destroy the evil aliens that are bent on destroying the human race.

Enjoying a nice hot dog, tending to your flowers-not exactly the hallmarks of an adventurous lifestyle, right? Think again. This week’s additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel feature action and excitement in unlikely settings, from super-charged eating contests to a greenhouse that’s been invaded by a certain world-famous ape. We’ve also thrown in a classic scrolling actioner for those who prefer a more familiar brand of fist-flying combat. For WiiWare™ lovers and Virtual Console™ devotees alike, it’s a great week to get some unexpected kicks.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time 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:

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Virtual Console

1 - Super Mario Bros. 3
2 - Super Mario Bros.
3 - Super Mario World
4 - Super Mario Bros. 2
5 - Mario Kart 64
6 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
7 - Punch-Out!!
8 - The Legend of Zelda
9 - Super Mario 64
10 - Donkey Kong

WiiWare

1 - My Pokemon Ranch
2 - Dr. Mario Online Rx
3 - Defend your Castle
4 - Gyrostarr
5 - Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
6 - TV Show King
7 - LostWinds
8 - Cocoto Fishing Master
9 - Family Table Tennis
10 - Block Breaker Deluxe

Link

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND ONE VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAME ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

July 7, 2008 - This week’s additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel are bigger, stronger and faster. It’s all about excess with these electrifying titles. A new WiiWare™ offering puts you behind the wheel of a high-octane racer with no regard for speed limits. A classic Virtual Console™ game transforms you into a larger-than-life beast with a massive appetite for mayhem. Whichever you choose, there will be no skimping on the action.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time 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:

WiiWare

SPOGS Racing™ (D2C Games™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Coming at you full throttle isSPOGS Racing, an all-new racer from D2C Games featuring classic arcade racing, pick-up-and-play controls, all-new racing vehicles and Crash N’ Grab™ instant upgrades. Jump in, gear up and modify your ride on the fly as you compete head-to-head for a totally outrageous arcade racing experience on your Wii console. Whether you’re a casual gamer or hardcore racer, SPOGS Racing features fun for all and is a must-have download for your WiiWare digital game library.

Virtual Console

KING OF THE MONSTERS (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released by SNK in 1991, KING OF THE MONSTERS is an action/fighting game that features city-destroying battles between huge monsters. Choose one of six monsters and travel around Japan, stopping to fight in various famous cities with the aim of becoming the ultimate winner. In addition to punches, kicks and other regular moves, each character has the ability to use more devastating maneuvers, like throwing flames and shooting laser beams, to defeat opponents. Wrestling elements are also incorporated, as you must completely exhaust your opponent and get a three-count to pin him and be victorious. Along with the player-versus-computer game, multiplayer options allow you and a friend to enjoy one-on-one matches and two-on-two tag-team matches against the computer. Take on the challenge and claim the title of King of the Monsters.

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

Nintendo PR

June 30, 2008

You want fireworks? Look no further than the Wii™ Shop Channel, where vibrant bursts of classic gaming action and fresh WiiWare™ content will help fill your living room with a flurry of ooohs and ahhhs. Puzzle-game mavens can enjoy a wild new addition to the WiiWare library, while the Virtual Console™ brings a truly classic fighting game to the fore. For an added holiday-week blast, fans of the WiiWare hit FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: My Life as a King™ can enhance the action with new Add-On Content.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time 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:
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Brawl was released in the UK yesterday, and almost after a 4 month delay from the NA release, Smash Brothers disc are still giving some people troubles. Here is what Nintendo had to say about it.

If you have recently purchased Super Smash Bros. Brawl and are experiencing technical problems playing the game on your Wii, please read the following information to learn how this issue can be resolved.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl utilities a double-layer disc which has a large memory capacity. A very small percentage of Wii consoles may have trouble consistently reading data off this large capacity disc if there is some contamination on the lens of the disc drive. Nintendo has specialised cleaning equipment that can resolve this problem. Please do NOT attempt to clean the lens yourself, as you may damage the system.

If you are experiencing disc read errors, please contact consumer Support. They will provide information regarding sending your Wii to Nintendo to have the disc drive lens cleaned. There is no cost for the repair or shipping. (Please note: Returning the disc to the retail store will not solve the problem. We encourage users who are experiencing issues with playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl to utilise Nintendo’s repair service.)

Due to the nature of this particular issue, Wii owners should not lose any of their stored data, such as Virtual Console games and WiiWare software. In some rare cases you may have to re-download this software from the Wii Shop Channel, but there is no cost to doing so.

Link

Hey everyone!   Last night I got the opportunity to be a part of a conference call with Master Higgins (Toshiyuki Takahashi) of Adventure Island fame.  The meeting was a great chance to dialog with him about upcoming games from Hudson for the Wii and Wiiware.  

He spoke at length about casual vs. hardcore gamers, and discussed the balance between gameplay and graphics.  He feels that the Wii does a lot of things very well, but that developers have a greater responsibility in their design.  When asked about utilizing the Wiimote for an Adventure Island game, he mentioned that he didn’t want to “force” motion controls on a game.  The controls need to complement the game, and shouldn’t be tacked on.  He also mentioned his love of Kororinpa for the Wii, and felt the game utilized the Wii controls very well for a fun experience.

Some of the bigger news from the call, was the mention of a new Adventure Island game being developed by Hudson for Wiiware.  No word on whether we would see the title at E3, but they mentioned they are having to wait in a “landing pattern” for Wiiware releases.  Nintendo is apparently regulating Wiiware releases more so than Virtual Console games (could this have to do with space issues???  I think so)

I also got to ask him about the Wii’s balance board.  They couldn’t say much, but they are definitely looking into the balance board very seriously for an action/puzzle game.

There was also a lot of discussion about Master Higgins’ famous caravan tours around Japan.  Although this was his first trip to America in 20 years, Master Higgins mentioned the possibility of a small American tour at some point.  Better brush up on your Star Soldier skills for that road tournament!

Be sure to check back this weekend for this week’s podcast!  We will discuss the interview a little more in depth and also provide some sound from the actual call : )  So stay tuned for that!