September 2007 Archives

Sega's Alien Syndrome has arrived on the Wii in this remake for the new generation console. Take control of Aileen Harding, exterminate some alien vermin and save the colony! 

The adventure starts off inside a large cargo bay with plenty of things to shoot at and a wide area to explore in. This part of the game is a good start to get to know your character and a feel for the controls. As expected, the adventure unfolds as you progress. Your character will also develop in rank and weapon skills marking for new attributes and extra heavy duty hardware for your alien ker-splatting needs.

This RPG version of Alien Syndrome has a lot to offer on the menu including 110 monsters, 20 bosses (15 sub and 5 main), and up to 80 different weapons to splat them all with. There are 15 different levels also featuring side quests to beef up the length of gameplay. Aside from going it alone Alien Syndrome does offer 4 player alien blasting action too presenting some multiplayer shooting fun. 

Despite having previously said the game having a lot on offer there are aspects of this game that make it all seem like hard work and not the best of gaming experiences. The thing that bugged me most about Alien Syndrome was the fast revolving 'dizzy' camera. I think sharing the nunchuck for moving around on screen with the control stick and tilting the chuck left of right to spin the camera was a novel idea but does not come off too well, perhaps a bit sensitive at times. Graphically the game isn't anything special and nothing to write home about. Coupled with the dull looking characters and bland level design this game looks depressing. The other depressing aspect of the game I found was the strange mini games that involved mixing alien and human DNA whilst swatting evil bacteria to benefit your character speed, strength, attributes. Playing the mini games are worth it for the sake of making the character better but it is much more fun blowing up crates and collecting the power ups.

I never played the original Alien Syndrome back in the day but from what I understand there are elements from the original in this (such as the giant worms and other recognisable nasties) that would spark the interest of anyone that liked it. Considering there isn't that many action games on the wii including multiplayer shooters it may be worth a look but don't expect anything special. Don't play this for too long in single player or you might fall into a coma!

 -Ken Flatt 2/5

Check out these screenshots for what has to be the most anticipated Wii title to date. Marvel at Princess Peach giving Mario the brush off, Andross spitting out teeth, Zero Suit Seamus dangling and other shots. Keep an eye out for more Smash Brothers Brawl preview material. In the meantime these 8 screengrabs should mark a good start to the weekend.

(click on picture to enlarge)  

 

 

 

Before we begin - have you got Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels yet?  It's only out until September 30th, at the end of which Nintendo say you'll never see it again.  This is the classic, Japanese sequel or add on pack if you will, to the original Super Mario Bros. title on the NES.  To be honest, you'd be a Muppet not to get this one.
 
Back to this week's releases; the Hanabi Festival is ending with a bang!  A pair of games which have previously never been released in Europe & the UK can now be yours: Sin and Punishment (N64 Japan - 1200 Wii points) and Gradius III (SNES US - 900 Wii points).
 
Bringing up the rear is this week's non Hanabi Festival title, Legend of Hero Tonma (600 Wii points). In this platform shooter, players assume the role of Tonma, a trainee magician who must rescue a princess from prison, using magic spells to battle giant bosses and work their way through seven stages riddled with treasure chests and unusual power-ups.
 

Sin And Punishment is a classic N64 3D 3rd person shooter game. Originally released in 2000, this title will see you assuming the role of a young resistance fighter facing an onslaught of bio-genetic monsters called Ruffians. These monsters, originally bred to boost dwindling food stocks on Earth, have turned against their creators and are trying to take over! In order to save the planet players must battle their way across land, sea and skies collecting energy, time and point bonuses as they go. A cool head and a strong trigger finger are essential to defeating the hordes of enemies that stand between our hero and victory! To enable players to better enjoy this cult Japanese classic, some in-game text has been translated into English.
 
Konami's much-loved 1990 side-scrolling shooter Gradius III may be more familiar to gamers. Players seize control of their Vic Viper Starfighter and take on the armadas of the Bacterion Empire. Ten levels of hell await you and your custom kitted ship.  The variety of different weapons at your disposal allows you to mix and match lasers, missiles and shields to create customised set-ups.

SEGA have finally revealed proper details of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games; the first ever game to feature Mario and Sonic together, a much-awaited trophy.

Currently the plans are to release the game on the Wii in 2007, on November 23rd. The DS version will then follow in Q1 2008.

Interactive features are promised, including 20 actual Olympic events set in Olympic venues. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, players can compete using one of 16 characters - 8 each for Mario & Sonic, taken from their respective games in the past. This is the published event list so far:

Fencing - Individual epée
Archery
Shooting - Skeet
Gymnastics - Trampoline
Gymnastics - Vault
Field - High Jump
Field - Pole Vault
Field - Long Jump
Field - Triple Jump
Field - Javelin Throw
Field - Hammer Throw
Rowing - Single Sculls
Table Tennis - Singles
Aquatics - 100m Freestyle
Aquatics - 4x100m Freestyle
Track - 110m and 400m Hurdles
Track - 4x100m Relay
Track -100m and 400m

For the Wii version, players will be able to swing the Wii Remote to simulate hammer throwing, notch the Nunchuk to shoot arrows, and perform swimming strokes. Secret boosts akin to Mario Kart 'special starts' are also promised, to propel players forward din certain events and give them the edge. So, it's going to be worth experimenting with your techniques!

Game strategy is divided into four styles: all-around, technical, speed, and power. The examples Sega give are these: Mario and Amy (All-around), Peach and Tails (Technical), Sonic and Yoshi (Speed), and Knuckles and Bowser (Power). Players will be able to choose and try out, in both single and multiplayer mode, each event individually with Single Match mode (where players can choose their event and play until they score top marks).

They can also compete for the highest overall score in a series of events in Circuit mode (where players can either create their own circuit by choosing the individual events, choose a pre-determined circuit, or randomly generate a circuit). Gamers looking for extra tests of their athletic abilities can choose the single-player Mission mode and earn top marks on challenges made for only the toughest athlete (expect to sweat a little for these!).

From the educational perspective, gamers can learn about the history of the Olympic Games through trivia, quizzes, and mini-games and unlock all-new facts and figures from past Olympic Games in the Gallery.

So far, this sounds like a very robust and well through out title that will give Wii gamers a much needed boost to their current games collection. The link to the Olympics will only help sales and the educational side will mean extra sales, too. Mario & Sonic coming together for the first time in gaming history is something that has been talked about and spawned many online Java games/silly movies until now.

Finally a reality, expect that alone to see copies flying off the shelves. We'll have the review of this one for you as soon as we get it in! Can't wait...

What's the only thing that's better than knowing lovely people?

Knowing LOTS of lovely people!

Dennis likes to talk both to fellow journos and those who enjoy reading our wares. We at Den of Wii are no exception - in fact we've thrust ourself forward into the social fray. We've got a Facebook! And we're going to test it out by browsing it on our Wii, too. See if you can join via the Wii.

Everyone is on Facebook (www.facebook.com) these days, and if you're not, you probably should give it a try. We've all found it to be very useful, so now we want to share the Den of Wii goodness with everyone out there on Facebook.

If you're a Den of Wii reader and you don't have Facebook, never mind. Or add us, if you decide to join. If you already have an account (it's free by the way), then add us and you can see who else is into Wii. Or you can at least talk to some of the contributors and writers for Den of Wii, and see what makes us tick. Clue: Chocolate, bevvies, joysticks.

Nintendo Power magazine has revealed the first images of the Wii Zapper game, Link's Crossbow Training.

 

Bundled with the Zapper casing (which holds your wiimote and nunchuk in a casing that makes them operate as a functional zapper), this latest Link adventure is likely to be the 'learn the ropes' title, aimed at introducing gamers to the concept of the Wii Zapper.  Link can be seen shooting at targets & enemies in Hyrule, where we're used to seeing the green-clad lad.
 
The position of the gamer's view (camera) is set behind Link, looking over his shoulder.  Graphically, Link's Crossbow Training appears similar to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which is what everyone expected given that there has not really been enough time in the cycle to expect a new gaming engine for a Zapper 'how to' title.
 
Stay tuned for more pictures as Ninty churn them out and a review as soon as we get the game

They say that if you can see a Ninja, you're already dead.  But this week's Virtual Console releases in Europe and the UK seem to prove that wrong as Nintendo host the second week of the Japanese Hanabi Festival - Ninja Week!

The Hanabi Festival is a three-week celebration on Virtual Console where European Wii gamers will be introduced to games not originally released outside America and Japan.  As it was a Mario theme last time, this week's offering has enough shurikens and grapplehooks to keep you in the ninja game for a while!

First up this week is Ninja Gaiden (NES - 1989). Players take on the role of Ryu Hayabusa on a quest, looking for his missing father. This game is famed for its cinematic-style presentation and action. This is the original US release and is 600 Wii Points.

Today, Nintendo have released more info on their game that will come packaged with the Wii Zapper casing (not an actual Wii Zapper but a housing that makes the Wiimote and Nunchuk become a functional Zapper):

Link's Crossbow Training

Launch Date: 19th November 07
ESRB: T (Teen): Fantasy Violence
Accessories: Wii Zapper - included (Wii Remote and Nunchuk NOT included!!!)
Players: 1-4 (turn-based)
Developer: EAD

Link returns to pick up the Wii Zapper and take aim at a host of targets in this shooting-gallery-style game.

Anyone can pick up the Wii Zapper and become a master marksman in the quick-play shooting galleries of Link's Crossbow Training. Dozens of stages offer a wide variety of game play, from shooting stationary targets to defending a supply wagon from onrushing hordes of enemies. Multiplayer modes let players and their friends share a Wii Zapper to shoot for the high score.

Link's Crossbow Training comes bundled with the Wii Zapper housing (not including a Wiimote and Nunchuk, you must purchase these). After a few rounds of Link's Crossbow Training, players will be more than ready to pick up any of the future Wii Zapper titles, like Medal of Honor Heroes 2, Ghost Squad and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.

Bomberman games tend to appear like buses - three come along at once. Recently there have been a couple of titles up for grabs on other formats, so it's about time the Wii saw some of the action. Now we're being promised an exclusive Wii Bomberman game in January 2008, so is it time to get excited? Hudson has released the following bits of info on their 'explosive' Wii title: (Groan... -Ed)

Title: Bomberman Land
Launch Date: January 2008
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action
ESRB: Everyone / Cartoon Violence
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Developer: HUDSON SOFT

Game Description
Adventure, Mini-games, and Multiplayer Action.

Embark on a fun-filled, theme park adventure as you discover intrigue and a host of addicting mini-games throughout 5 unique Zones. Also included, is the original Bomberman Battle game. Battle up to 4 friends and find out who is king Bomberman.

Key Features

* 50 Mini-games - Extreme sports fan? Try your hand at the Skateboarding mini-game...Do you love Sci-Fi? Try out the Laser Ball mini-game. With 50 unique, addictive mini-games there's something here for everyone.

* Character Customization - Customize and create you very own Bomberman character with

* Fun-filled Adventure - Bomberman Land has broken into pieces, uncover the mysteries and restore Bomberman Land by collecting all the pieces and put Bomberman Land back together again.

* Multiplayer Action -Go head-to-head and battle up to 4 players in either all 50 mini-games or the original Bomberman Game.

* Original Bomberman Battle Game Included! - The Original Bomberman Battle game is included with all new maps and power up items. Multiplayer Strategy Action doesn't get better than this!

But, does it though? We think it does. Up until now, every single time a Bomberman game has veered away from what makes the franchise truly great (a square screen with players battling it out with bombs) it has, if you'll excuse the pun, bombed big time. So to Hudson, we say this:

Stick to what works well, and don't sell out to cheesy platform nonsense. Mini games work well, but the history of Bomberman platform games reads like a list of train wrecks.

So you've finally got Super Paper Mario on your UK Wii! But are you aware that despite waiting the extra six months for the UK release, the game contains a class A bug which will crash your Wii and force a total reset? If not, read on. If you know already, you may resume rolling your D10.

The bug crashes the game, forcing a complete restart of the Wii, losing all current positioning and sending you back to the last save point. Pretty serious? We think so. Somebody in Ninty QA is so getting fired.

But like the lovely chaps they are, Nintendo are already publishing this solution for all concerned gamers:

"At the start of Chapter 2-2, you will come across a character called Mimi. She will tell you to go to the farthest room on the first floor to meet a character called Merlee. Enter that room and press the green switch. A trap will be triggered, and a spiked ceiling will descend upon Mario. Before the ceiling reaches him, flip into 3D and jump on it to find a key.

"If you pick up the key, you won't run into any problems. Use it to open the locked door to Mimi's right. However, if you talk to Mimi without picking up the key, the game will freeze. You will then have to turn off your Wii console and start again from your last save point."

The glitch won't do any long term damage to your system nor the game, and if you wish to return your copy you can contact Nintendo and they'll soon advise you on their provision for this glitch.

So how do things like this happen, you may ask? Simple, actually. It's QA (Quality Assurance). Every major game has a team of either in or outhoused QA working on every version of the game before it goes gold (gold means that it has passed all publisher milestones and is ready to go to the publisher). A game like Super Paper Marion would almost certainly have in-house Nintendo QA working on it and frankly, this is a class A bug. No game should ever go gold with one of these intact, and it is QA's job to catch these a lot earlier than this. To make matters worse, it's actually a repeatable and therefore fixable bug, unlike some class A crashes which are much harder to trace down in the code as to what went wrong.

We think one too many late nights in the QA team and a few too many kebabs may have contributed to this error. Better get the Wii Balance boards out and start working it all off!

Today, news has appeared covering the results of the Manhunt 2 controversy. Some adult gamers want the freedom to choose if they wish to purchase Manhunt 2 or not in the UK, following the banning of it by the BBFC body, effectively banning the multi format title by refusing to fashion it with a rating. Games that are refused a rating are not permitted to be produced in the UK under current law.

Interestingly, Nintendo had already stated that if the game carried an 18 rating, it would not be produced for the Wii, before it was known that Manhunt 2 was not to receive even this high rating. However, 18 certified titles are available on the Wii - we've played Scarface: The World is Yours.

A petition was started, asking the government to restrict the BBFC's power following its decision not to rate Manhunt 2. Adult gamers felt their freedom to choose was being violated.

After 3000+ people signed the petition, the government issued this response:

"The Government is satisfied with the BBFC's procedure and with the provisions for appeal, and will not be intervening in this process. The Government has recently announced a review aimed at helping parents ensure that their children are protected from exposure to inappropriate material in games. This is not intended to restrict the choice of material available to adults."

So, we'll never know if Nintendo would have stuck to their guns or not. Had Manhunt 2 been rated 18/adult, would they have let Sony and Microsoft run away with the takings over their family image? Whatever happens, UK gamers will currently have to find an overseas option to play Manhunt 2.

We think it's very interesting to note that some adult gamers are more interested in their right to be able to buy extremely violent games than they are in child protection, since it is a known fact of life that in the current shopping climate, there is absolutely nothing to prevent a parent/sibling or other adult purchasing an 18/adult rated video game and then supplying it to a child of any age. It seems the Government understand that our current protection system is failing children, and have chosen to stand on that side of the fence with this issue.

 

So, you're 28. Why would you want to review the latest Harry Potter game? Perhaps in this case, my curiosity has got the better of me. Can EA really make a quality game based on the Harry Potter licence? The answer was three shakes of a Wiimote away.

After making my start, I could imagine the game becoming boring or repetitive on the PS2. Wii owners get to immerse themselves in a slightly different experience, thanks to its unique control system. I think that it does make a difference to how quickly you become bored.

The menu screen is easily accessible, offering point and click simplicity, which means you can adjust in game options and begin your adventure without too much fiddling about. Nice that, considering first impressions is everything.

After the intro movie sets up Harry's near expulsion from Hogwarts, the player is given a tutorial level, allowing them to practice with the controls, instead of just being told which buttons to press. A nice touch though not terribly original, but this has worked well for other adventure type games. Initially you're taught how to operate or select your wand, how to move around and how to interact with environmental objects.

The game story then places Harry and his friends back at Hogwarts. It's within the school's grounds and corridors that the player really gets to sink their teeth into Harry Potter's world. Initially I'd have to report that I didn't have a clue where I was supposed to go or what I was meant to be doing (who reads game manuals these days right?) but the game corrected this as we went on, leaving me with a fairly reasonable learning curve.

You have an overall map which details specific locations around Hogwarts School - after about 15 minutes I was using this confidently. When you've discovered where you need to go next, you can set a waypoint marker, whether your destination is the owlery or the boathouse. A set of vanishing footprints will then appear in game, which leads Harry to his current objective. This idea works brilliantly, because it prevents the player from ever becoming lost. A nice touch for the younger or less experienced gamer.

What game would compare well with Order of the Phoenix? Only one comes to mind; Canis Canem Edit (Bully) on PS2. Although both games utilise a similar sandbox style which allows the player freedom to explore, Canis Canem Edit has a greater level of interactivity with non player characters.

Graphically HPOOTP is very impressive; all of the main characters have been faithfully recreated and look a lot like their real life counterparts. By the same token, Hogwarts isn't all dark and dingy; there are plenty of secrets waiting to be discovered and every area on the map is different from the last.

Other nice touches include; replacing portraits to release ghosts in the walls, restoring statues and ornaments, levitating objects with your wand and practicing new spells. As good as all this sounds I doubt whether Order Of The Phoenix will appeal to older teenagers; puzzles are kept simplistic and tasks involving recruiting students for Harry's Defence Against The Dark Arts army, quickly become too repetitive. Too much of the game is also spent running around from place to place in order to meet progress objectives. Unlike Canis Canem Edit - a game which pulled off interaction with NPCs flawlessly - players aren't given the option to turn Harry bad. There's little imagination behind set objectives, which are fun for a while but offer no real replay value.

So what's the verdict? HP:OOTP isn't the worst game I've ever played by a long shot, but it's also not one of the best. Instead EA have settled for the middle ground, neither squandering their licence rights nor creating what could be called the best Harry Potter game so far.

-- Ben Daniel 2.5 / 5

Known for their innovation and flair for design, it's not often that Capcom produce a doozy.  Golf games have proven popular on all recent Nintendo formats, especially the Wii and DS.  So, why not join in with the fun?  Capcom seem to agree.

Announcing a partnership with Camelot Software, Capcom say they're planning to develop an all-new golf title for the Wii. If the Mario Golf series and Hot Shots Golf are anything to go by, this should be both playable and very
entertaining.

'We Love Golf' will transform the Wii Remote into a virtual set of golf clubs, allowing players to choose clubs, line up shots, swing and add fade and draw etc.  Due to the Wiimote's unique abilities, all these motions will be done using very little button pressing and movements of the wrist, hand and arm.

With many game modes, unlockable content and plenty of multiplayer action, so far we're liking the sound of 'We Love Golf'.  Can it compete with the likes of Tiger Woods and King of Clubs?  We think it's in with a shot (Sorry! - Ed)

Look out for We Love Golf in 2008, when nobody's short game will be left untested...

The President of LucasArts has spoken out for the first time on what Wii gamers - and indeed any gamer - has been waiting to hear since the dawn of the Wiimote.  Lightsabre action!
 
According to CVG, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is coming to Wii next spring and it'll allow you to wield the Wiimote as a Lightsaber.
 
You will also use the nunchuk to 'use the Force' against enemies - we're guessing this will involve fast waggling from side to side as seen in Twilight Princess to activate force moves. The storyline of the game is set during the era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV A New Hope, so there's plenty of scope for just about anything to happen, and all the major character cast should be available.
 
"Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts. "We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force."
 
Krome Studios are developing the Wii version of the game, and have reported that there is an exclusive duel mode in which players can compete head on with other human players.
 
One of the first things to be said about the Wiimote when it was announced was "We can't wait for LucasArts to bring out a Star Wars game where you can use this thing as a lightsabre!"  It looks as though in 2008, that dream will be realised.  Roll on Spring!

The last time we had this good a chuckle was when they first announced the name change of Nintendo's Revolution as it was then known, to Wii.  It's happened again, and this time?  It's quite seriously, wee.

Wee DVD players have shown up in Japan, quite unapologetically using the same font and a very similar name to Nintendo's Wii.

Whilst the trained gamers' eye will never confuse the two (the wee is grey and the Wii white, for starters), it is worth watching out if you're expecting a Wii as a gift.  Ensure Granny, Auntie Jane or Mum understands that it is a WII you want, not a WEE.  Make sure they understand what to look for, because the last thing you'll want is a wee under the tree this Christmas!

 

Since the demise of the Saturn, very few games from the former Sega machine have retained as much respect in the minds of gamers as NiGHTS.  Some gamers even would own a Saturn just to play NiGHTS ...

The return of the NiGHTS brand to the current scene is receiving positive attention thus far, none more so than today - news has emerged to add to the already building excitement concerning a two player mode.

According to Sega sources, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will feature a new two player mode.  Sega have confirmed that there will be a range of two player situations within the game, and that you'll be able to play them online using WiFi.

IGN have reported that there is to be a Duel mode, which probably means versus play between human players, based on score.  There will also be a race mode, probably time based which players battling to complete an area first.

This new addition to an established brand of game is exactly what Wii gaming needs and Wii gamers want.  Ports and rehashes, even dull and samey sequels aren't going to convince the more established gamer to pick up a Wii or a Wii game.  What we need are fresh outlooks on what we've known, so props to Sega for creating flavour within NiGHTS in this way.

The King of Clubs teasers continue...

I love fireworks!  Apparently, so do the Japanese.  They've even named a festival after them - it's Hanabi festival time on the Wii Virtual Console in Europe and the UK!  What does this mean, you might ask?

It means in short, three themed weeks on VC with releases that have never before been seen in the UK and Europe on PAL format.  The first week features that intrepid plumber Mario in two titles not seen in the UK before, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Famicom - 600 Wii points) and Mario's Super Picross (SNES - 900 Wii points).  They're celebrating the 1985 launch of the first Super Mario Bros. game in Japan, and they're doing it crazy style!

Be warned; Lost Levels is exclusive and will only remain on sale until September 30th 2007.  All other Hanabi festival VC releases will remain available permanently, though.  After this week, we'll see two more festival weeks of Jap and US releases, which we'll detail in a later post.

In addition to all the Ninty excitement, this week features a Turbografx/PC Engine title, Neutopia II (Turbografx - 600 Wii points). If you liked the first one (also on the VC) then it's pretty much a sequel; more of the same.

Those lovely lads at Gamespot reported today that SNK Playmore have confirmed they are bringing a trio of early fighting games from the NeoGeo range to the Wii Virtual Console.  So far, this is only happening in North America, but with Wii hardware being practically universal in code and ability, we see no reason at all that SNK won't release the products in Europe & the UK too!

SNK compilation packs seem to have done well in the UK and Europe on PS2 and other formats. Tokyo's D4Enterprise will be releasing the games on the Wii's Virtual Console. SNK Playmore have stated that more titles will definitely follow "in the coming months", so expect a swab of titles early 2008.

This also bodes well for possible future releases from other great machines of the past; the unsung brilliance of the Sega Dreamcast, for example.  One word - Shenmue. If it's possible, we'd dearly love to see it!

Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and World Heroes will be first out of the gates to appear in America on the Virtual Console by the end of the year, with an expected Wii point cost of 900 (around $9 or £4.50p).  Beat 'em up fans should be licking their lips, and this furthers the Wii's case as a gaming machine for the established gamer, which is never a bad thing.

Slight frustration may strike Wii-owning monster fans today, in the wake of Atari announcing that Godzilla: Unleashed will not be a Nintendo exclusive anymore.  The title that was previously coming to Nintendo Wii and DS will now release at the same time (Autumn 2007) on PS2.

In addition to this, Atari with developer Pipeworks have added new monsters to the PS2 version, though they're not saying how many.  We're guessing a handful, which will probably use coding from existing monsters.  Effectively, recolours. To programe and design completely new characters from scratch would probably take too long at this late stage.

Wii and indeed DS gamers can take some satisfaction from the fact that PS2 gamers won't be able to use the wiimote controls and access the wire free, tilt sensitive gaming in 3D space that they will.  DS gamers will also have the advantage of touch accurate gaming, with the DS stylus adding a unique twist to the game play controls.  In short, unless you're a card carrying Godzilla collect 'em all type, we'd still recommend getting the Wii or DS version anyway.

High quality cables for Wii look to be arriving at the end of September 2007, making the most of your HD or even standard TV sets.  Packaged in sleek, metal boxes, Blaze are working with Xploder to produce the cables along with cheat and media management software for your Wii.

The cable range consists of Premium Wii Component and Scart cables, all of which have been designed and produced using the latest AV technology.  Features and benefits seen throughout the range include:

* Superior visual and aural performance of your Game, DVD, HD-DVD and CD
collections.
* Support HD mode 480p for Wii
* Designed for HDTV sets
* Gold and metal plated connectors for enhanced signal transfer
* Superior picture resolution
* Enhanced Stereo sound

The Wii Component and Scart cables include a copy of Xploder Cheat Saves and Media Manager software.  The software lets you unlock new levels, have new items, secret characters etc.  Just download the saves to your Wii SD Card and they're ready to use. It'll also let you convert your PC movie files to the MJPEG format for playback on TV, as well as import and manage your music and movie files.

All in all, we think better technology support for the Wii can only help the new console to be taken seriously by more mature and hardcore gamers.  Whilst all this may sound fiddly to some, to others it really is an Aladdin's cave of legal possibilities (we know that Wii tech-heads have been working day and night since day one to find less legal and sensible ways to mash their Wii up). If you've got a nice TV and/or sound system in your living room, you might just want to take a look at these new cables.  Especially if you're a High Definition user (HD), ensure you're using component cables of some sort to get the very best out of your Wii.

Stay tuned for more...

According to Nintendo themselves, we've heard that the Wii Zapper will come packaged with Link's Crossbow Training. Remember Duck Hunt with the original NES Zapper and the six games that came packaged with the SNES Superscope?  Expect something along the same lines; a training game to establish the Zapper unit's abilities.  What really makes this a unique shooting addition though, is the fact that in effect, it's nothing.  This is a mould, that will hold your already purchased and paid for controllers (the Wiimote and the Nunchuk). In that respect, we suppose it's justifiable to package a small training tech demo with the unit, in order to charge a shelf cost.

It will be on sale in the US November 19th 2007 with a recommended store price-tag of $19.99. So far, support for the casing has come from pleasing corners of the games market; Capcom with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, EA with Medal of Honour and Sega with their arcade FPS, Ghost Squad.

As mature gamers, we're hoping that the Zapper casing and other recent advances in more mature games controllers for the Wii will usher in an era of mature titles; more first and third person shooters perhaps, some decent target blasting titles (remember the joys of Point Blank in the arcades?) and dare I say a throng of mature racing titles making use of some of the full racing kits developed by Thrustmaster of late.  Their new compatibility with the Wii means that developers can no longer shun the format when considering their driving titles based purely on the lack of wheel/pedal/paddle controllers.

80's children are ready to play your games on their Wiis, third party developers.  Now let's have some!
 

Stay tuned for more later...

Thrustmaster, all giggling aside, are known for their production of solid, decent controllers for various formats, and are in the business of producing extra ways for you to scream around corners, or beat the living snot out of your hapless opponent.

So far, it's all good.  Wii gamers haven't seen too much of Thrustmaster though; some rubbery grippers and other little add-ons, nothing really to write home about.  But it seems that it's been all change in August with the release of the Universal Challenge Racing Wheel - with Wii compatibility!

This appears to be the first official, Wii compatible wheel kit with complete rig, including pedals.  Naturally this isn't a wireless controller, so you won't be holding your wheel in the air or plugging your wii-mote into it.  It's back to basics; grippy rubber wheel rims and pedals with traction to them, all set off against the formidable Ferrari yellow badge. The only obvious set back? You'll need some sort of tabletop in front of where you're playing your Wii, which will probably be a first for current Wii gamers.

Keep watching for our review of this piece soon, but if you just can't wait to return to real driving sensation, the wheel set went on sale late August, works with the Wii as well as PS2, PS3, Game cube and PC, includes on wheel gear paddles and should be yours for around £20 or €30.