Wiikly Wii Releases : 5/4 - 5/17

Welcome to the this week’s edition of the Wiikly Wii Releases! Here we’ll pick out a small selection of the upcoming week’s Wii titles and give you some information to help you pick the game that’s right for you. When applicable, we’ll choose one game to be the “MyWiiNews Pick of the Week,” a game that stands out among all the others as the title that takes the crown for that week. Without further ado, let’s look at what’s coming out this week.

Castle of Shikigami III

Aksys –May 13

Few things are as needed on the Wii as a good vertical shooter. As the arcades of yesteryear pass into the memories of most Americans, more arcade-styled shooters are necessary to keep the dreams of us nostalgic gamers alive. Sure, Metal Slug Anthology was great. And who could forget that double-pack of House of the Dead 2&3. But where is that good ol’ anime-inspired vertical shooters of yore?

While it’s certainly not a game for everyone, Castle of Shikigami III will surely satiate the desires of old school gamers looking for some quality quarter-munching fun. With ten unique characters to plow through its ten expectedly challenging stages, a wacky anime cast, and even a two-player co-op mode, Castle of Shikigami III offers plenty of replay value for $30. Even though vertical shooters may not be for everyone, CoSIII certainly offers a good time for those so inclined.

We Ski

Namco Bandai – April 21st

We Ski just might be another misleadingly titled, cutesy game for the Wii, but who are we to judge? The real kicker here comes in the games utilization of the Wii’s yet-to-be-released Balance Board, which could turn a mediocre game into one of the most engaging skiing experiences outside of the arcade.

How well We Ski holds up under critical scrutiny remains to be seen, but at least its price point seems to be in line with its cutesy title. It apparently offers a variety of courses, characters, and skiing options, so for those looking to head down the casual slopes, We Ski just might be for you. With tons of unlockables, customizable characters, Mii integration, and an entire school and mountain to explore, We Ski looks to be quite an enjoyable winter jaunt. Check it out when it hits stores this week

Boom Blox

Electronic Arts – May 6

If you’ve ever wanted to play Jenga with approximately 100% more explosions and monkeys, Steven Spielberg knows exactly how you feel. Boom Blox doesn’t make too much sense, but it is packed with enough awesome to keep you coming back for more than anything else released in the past few weeks, garnering our coveted Pick of the Week award.

The premise behind Boom Blox is simple enough: build things up and watch them fall. But throughout the game you’re faced with many different challenges, stages, minigames, and obstacles to overcome that you hardly do the same thing twice. It’s a difficult game to try to explain, so take a peek at this video to see how much fun is contained on a single Wii disc. With local multiplayer, hundreds of levels, level creation and even online stage sharing, Boom Blox is a helluva lot of game for the money.

While Boom Blox was technically released last week, My Wii News just couldn’t skip over what may be one of the best third-party games released all year. Its been receiving rave reviews from some of the biggest media outlets out there, and is apparently the very definition of fun. Go out there and buy this game, as there’s not likely to be anything that will demand your money in the same way for months to come. Here’s to exploding monkeys!