5 Game Franchises that Must Use the Wii MotionPlus!

If you haven’t heard yet, Nintendo has just announced a new add-on for the Wii. Called the Wii MotionPlus, and don’t just shrug this one off because this is the add-on which will literally change the way we play games. The new peripheral, according to Nintendo, will allow 1:1 like movements on screen. Allowing us all to play that star wars game, or golf like game we’ve been dreaming of since, well… forever! With this being said, we could think of hundreds of different game franchises that could use this controller, and use it well. But lets narrow it down to the top 5 game franchises that we would like for them to use this brilliant new add-on to the already wonderful Wii-mote.

Number 5: Tiger Woods PGA tour

We’ve all wanted that perfect golf game with the Wii-mote, but frankly, we were never going to get it. Until now! While we haven’t seen what this new peripheral can do until E3 tomorrow (which we will be covering extensively) what Nintendo has said is surely promising and we’ll take their word for it. Imagine, being in front of your TV screen, you slowly move you arm back getting ready to take the shot, and the character on-screen does exactly what your doing. Then you quickly strike forward with a powerful blow and at the same time your character mimics you. You get a feeling of control over a game you’ve never felt before and for a second there you actually felt like Tiger playing at the PGA tour. The possibilities are endless and with 1:1 gameplay, this could definitely be a hit if used alongside the Wii MotionPlus.

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New Conduit gameplay - “This footage makes us believe!”

High Voltage Software, the makers behind the exciting Wii-exclusive title, The Conduit, have released new footage on their game today. The graphics? Much better then before, they easily can compete with first-party Nintendo games visually, which says a lot. The action? The action and gameplay, judging from this trailer, would give any FPS on the 360 a run for its money. Plus, when you add in the control scheme (based off Medal of Honor: Heroes 2), the online mode, and the fact that it’s all running at silky smooth framerate, The Conduit is starting to look like the real Halo Killer.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at the new gameplay footage. Also, this is Youtube footage and the game will look much better on a TV, obviously.

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. But as others have noted, this footage really does make you believe.

What do you think? Do you think The Conduit will be the next ground-breaking title on the Wii or do you think it will flop? Discuss it in our forums.

Mega Man 9 Debut Trailer and Details

Who can forget that distinct sound of an old-school game? The well-crafted midi music brings the good memories back to all of us. The songs were so catchy that you found yourself humming them all day because you couldn’t get them out of your head, no matter how hard you tried. This is why we play old-school games, not just for the songs, but for that sense of your childhood being rekindled.

This is why we must thank Nintendo for bringing us Virtual Console. And now we must thank Capcom for bringing us Mega Man 9, a new game in the series that brings Mega Man back to his roots on the Wii Ware service. Be prepared to be blown away with the trailer below.

That’s not all. Capcom has also confirmed that Mega Man 1 and 2 will be making their way to the Virtual Console. Also, many thought that Mega Man 9 would be a Wii Ware exclusive, but Capcom has announced that Mega Man 9 will be hitting all three consoles.

Are you a die-hard fanboy of Mega Man? Did you wet yourself when watching that video? Discuss Mega Man 9, or any other Mega Man in ‘The Retro Gamer’ section of our forums.

“Wee 1st” - a new Wii exclusive brand by Activision

The Wii has seen its fair share of shovelware.  And frankly, the lackluster titles will never stop coming. Nintendo has really hit the casual crowd right over the head with the Wii and developers are taking advantage of that. The new All-Play brand that was recently announced by EA takes sports games and aims them at “players of all skill levels.” You know who they mean by that.
Now, this isn’t bad news. A casual game isn’t always going to be bad. Look at games like Wario Ware, a game that mixes the likes of both the hardcore and casual crowd. But more often, hardcore games are what, logically, hardcore gamers want.

Enough of this, let’s get to the real news, shall we?

Recently Activision announced they will be coming out with a new Wii exclusive brand much like EA’s All-Play brand. The brand, named ‘Wee 1st’ will be attempting to cater to the casual market with Wii-specific game designs. Dave Oxford of Activision Publishing notes:

“The Wii is introducing new audiences to gaming. Clearly, the Wii’s accessible controls are changing how the audience plays games and how we look at game design. This initiative is designed to showcase games that take full advantage of the Wii’s capabilities.”

To me, it sounds like Activision is just trying to get a slice of that delicious, Nintendo money-pie that Nintendo has cleverly baked. But who knows, maybe they’re trying to go above and beyond with the Wii and its games. Let’s just hope that these games are good. Below is a list of the upcoming games that will feature the ‘Wee 1st’ branding.

-Little League World Series 2008

-Rapala Fishing Frenzy

-Dancing with the Stars: Get Your Dance On

More games are set to be announced which will arrive in-time for the Holiday season.

What do you think about the Wii and its casual games “crisis?” Discuss it in our forums.

Why Nintendo will win the E3 War

While some may oppose, I would say that last year’s E3 press conference was an epic failure on Nintendo’s part. Although they had some exciting news such as the revelation of Mario Kart Wii and the announcement of 32 player online for Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, the majority of the conference was spent talking about the Wii’s success and how great Wii fit was. Forget about last year.  Lets talk about how awesome this year’s press conference will be. I would go as far to say that Nintendo will steal the show this year.

This last week has shown some surprises already for the Wii. And while we’ve had our fair share of guesses, at E3 we can expect more surprising announcements. Pikmin 3? Perhaps. A storage solution? Most definitely. A Zelda trailer? Highly probable.

It may sound, stumbling, but let me explain. This article from PureNintendo, which shows when all the 3D Zelda games were announced and released, crossed my path. A good read, but here’s a summary:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Announced- December 1995
Released- November 1998

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Announced- June 1999
Released- October 2000

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Announced- August 2001
Released- March 2003

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Announced- May 2004
Released- November 2006

Now according to the article, every 3D Zelda game was announced one year after its predecessor. Plus, this is the longest time we have waited for Nintendo to announce a Zelda game on a console in over 13 years!

We are overdue. Nintendo will announce a Zelda game at E3 and it will be the most exciting announcement of all three of the console company E3 shows.

If that is not enough for Nintendo to win (which, it is) we can hope for an announcement or an indication of voice chat for the Wii. The DS has it, why not the Wii?

That’s been the question of all online Wii gamers, and Reggie has also been hinting at it for a while. He has noted that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if voice chat made its way onto the Wii. Can we consider that straight confirmation for an announcement?

One last reason why Nintendo will win is the innovation. Nintendo has done some amazing stuff, but nothing to truly show off what the Wii Remote can do (not like Johnny Lee has). Nintendo wants to prove that the Wii Remote is the best controller available, and they are definitely coming up with a game that will show it off. Maybe we’ll see a brand new IP? Or we’ll see them take another existing IP and make a great game perfect for the Remote.  And seeing their repitoire of past titles, that would be just fine with me.

Nintendo will do all they can to “win” E3 this year. And while it isn’t a competition per se, we know that it is close, and we can expect some major announcements.

What do you guys think? Will Nintendo win E3 this year? You have less than two weeks; give us your input in our forums on what will make this year a great year for Nintendo at E3.