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Dec. 1, 2008

After a long, lazy holiday weekend, it’s time to shake off your post-Thanksgiving daze. Need some suggestions for boosting your activity level back into the red? Let the latest additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel be your guide: Take command of a UFO in an epic space battle, get your engine revving as the leader of a frenzied pit crew, or storm the battlefield in a high-tech military mêlée. With all this excitement, you may be ready for another vacation day sooner than you think.

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™

SPACE INVADERS GET EVEN (Taito, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): The Space Invaders are back, and this time they’re out to get even. Take control of a UFO and make those Earthlings pay by unleashing your fleet of heroic invaders against their puny tanks, fighter jets and artillery-but watch out for the massive boss awaiting you at the end of each stage. Use your invaders’ five attack types and the might of the mother ship to rack up high scores, then upload them via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection and see where you stand in the global rankings. (Note: Router and broadband access required for online play. For more info, visit  www.nintendo.com.)

Pit Crew Panic! (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Pit Crew Panic! is a frantic, action-packed game that unfolds on the racing circuit. During the game, the pit crew is not only faced with repairing vehicles, but also various WHATSITs. Handling the WHATSIT repairs is a pit crew made up of legendary beauties. The controls are simple: Just grab a member of the crew with the Wii Remote™ controller’s A Button, then release the button when the Pointer is over the damaged PART, and that crew member will begin repairs. Assign repairs to the members of your team and provide support using the Wii Remote to send a fully repaired WHATSIT out of the pit as quickly as you can. The game features Normal mode, which can be played using one of two rules: Abnormal mode (players split into two teams and compete against each other) and Ranking mode (compete with players around the world for the top record). Each mode can be played with a maximum of four Wii Remote controllers, allowing you to team up with friends and family. Your teamwork could lead to outstanding records.

Virtual Console™

METAL SLUG 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Blood and Gore, Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1998 by SNK, METAL SLUG 2 is a side-scrolling military-action game. Players choose from Marco, Tarma, Eri and Fio, setting their sights on wiping out Morden’s newly remobilized Rebellion Army. Just like the original METAL SLUG, players blaze a trail by shooting and jumping, but METAL SLUG 2 adds a new arsenal for you to command, including a heavy machine gun, a shotgun and even a laser gun, providing players with rich variety. Battle effects are packed in, as well-players turn into mummies after getting caught in poison gas coughed up by mummies. After picking up too many food items, characters turn fat, but they get an attack-strength upgrade. Two-player action is supported, too, so players can have a blast with their friends.

Nov. 24, 2008

This week, it’s all about you. By adding three new single-player games to the Wii^TM Shop Channel, we’re helping gamers turn their Wii time into “me time.” That said, don’t be surprised if you attract a crowd of onlookers with this remarkable lineup. From elastic critters and elaborate puzzles to a hero with highly questionable manners, these solo titles are suitable for sharing, but give your friends and family fair warning: They may have to wait a while for their turn once you’ve gotten a taste of the single-player fun.

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^TM 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
Boingz (RealArcade, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Stretch, flex and flick your way to freedom. A truly mind-bending experience, Boingz introduces you to cute, colorful, stretchable friends lost in an alien world, searching for the magical gates that will take them home. Boingz springs to life with 30 levels of puzzle-platforming fun. The Boingz are bendy little critters that can be pulled, stretched and flicked from place to place like rubber bands. It’s a team effort, as all the Boingz will have to work together to unwind the game’s puzzles. What’s more, many of the Boingz have fallen into a deep slumber, and you’ll have to lead the stronger Boingz to find and wake up their sleepy friends. Explore surreal landscapes, sail through the air like a trapeze artist, walk along the seafloor, and collect the Twinklies to power up your elastic-powered flights.

Sudoku Challenge! (Digital Leisure Inc., 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Now’s your chance to play the brain-busting puzzle game taking the world by storm. With over 100 million Sudoku puzzles, you’ll never see the same puzzle twice in Sudoku Challenge! You can select the classic nine-by-nine Sudoku game boards as well as Grand Sudoku, which challenges you to complete five intersecting Sudoku boards simultaneously. Just a beginner? Don’t worry-with three difficulty options, even a novice player can complete a Sudoku with ease. But if you’re a seasoned pro, challenge yourself in Expert mode and test your true skills. It’s time to get your thinking cap on and see how many Sudoku puzzles you can conquer.

Virtual Console
Boogerman^TM: A Pick and Flick Adventure (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points): In this top pick from the Sega Genesis, play as Boogerman, the heroic alter ego of Snotty Ragsdale. While investigating Professor Stinkbaum’s lab, Boogerman stumbles upon a strange machine that opens a portal to another dimension. Boogerman has a nose for adventure, but has he met his match in this sticky situation? Journey through dangerous worlds while battling wicked enemies like Fly Boy and Deodor Ant. Deal them a blow with Boogerman’s super abilities: pick and flick with deadly precision, belch, and use his deadly signature stomp.

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

Big week. 4 games released!

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO WIIWARE GAMES AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Nov. 17, 2008

The ever-growing library of games on the Wii™ Shop Channel truly offers something for every gaming occasion, as seen in this week’s new additions. Want to settle in for a few single-player laughs? Check out the latest hilarious Strong Bad adventure. Socializing with friends?Target Toss Pro: Bags lets you play with as many as 15 of your pals. Gathering with family? Even your grandparents can enjoy the arcade classic SPACE INVADERS®. And the side-scrolling action of FORGOTTEN WORLDS™ provides a wickedly fun diversion for solo gamers and fantasy-loving groups alike. 

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a broadband 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™

Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Move over, generically buff action heroes. Strong Bad is here to show you how it’s done in his hand-crafted cinematic masterpiece,Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective. You play Dangeresque, a dirty cop in pursuit of a little action and several big sacks of cash. Can our hero stay alive long enough to defeat his arch-nemesis, save the world and get the girl? Looks like he’s gonna have to jump.

Target Toss Pro: Bags (Incredible Technologies, 1-16 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Target Toss Pro: Bags is a new video game based on beanbag toss, the nation’s hottest backyard and tailgate sensation. Bags – or Cornhole, as it’s called in some parts of the country – originated in the Midwest in the 1960s and has since become a staple at outdoor social events from coast to coast. Similar to horseshoes, Bags is a deceptively simple yet extremely competitive game where players try to toss beanbags into a hole in a slightly raised platform or “box” for points. Whether at a tailgate party or a summer barbecue, the game has become a social focal point, and the unmistakable thud of bags hitting the box is now a universal party soundtrack.

Virtual Console™

SPACE INVADERS: The Original Game (Super NES™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Experience one of gaming’s iconic franchises in this perfect rendition of the arcade classic. Take aim at the field of invaders relentlessly marching toward you. Move quickly but carefully, using the barriers for protection as you avoid missiles fired by the aliens and try to destroy all of them before they reach the bottom of the screen. Further enhance the nostalgia by choosing from several modes that simulate different versions of the arcade game (such as upright cabinet or black-and-white). Or if you want to prove your superior skills to a friend, try the new VS mode and see who can stop the alien menace the quickest. All in all, it’s pure gaming at its best, now with no quarters required.

FORGOTTEN WORLDS (SEGA GENESIS, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): FORGOTTEN WORLDS is a one- or two-player side-scrolling shooter made by CAPCOM. It was one of the first games to incorporate 360-degree aiming and shooting. This SEGA GENESIS version provides the same impact and intensity of the classic arcade game. In the 29th century, without warning, warships broke through the sky, loaded with fiendish aliens. They rained down fire, bombs, missiles and napalm, leaving the land barren and inhospitable. Humanity was enslaved and Earth became known as the Forgotten World. In a hidden place, a group of brave humans raised two male children in secret. They brought up the young men as warriors, training them for battle. The two warriors emerged as armed machines of might, strength and super power – the Nameless Ones. Fight the hateful invaders as the powerful Nameless Ones. Collect Zenny to upgrade your weapons and satellite, and free the planet.

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

Nov. 10, 2008

Are you hungry? Think of this week’s Wii™ Shop Channel lineup as a lively menu that aims to satisfy every appetite. You’ll find a food-themed game to tempt your tummy, a challenging brain game to please your noggin and a classic sci-fi action title to fuel your imagination. Whatever the recipe, you’re sure to come back for seconds-and thirds, and fourths, and beyond.

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™

Brain Challenge™ (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Just like your body, your brain needs to be exercised to stay in shape. Boost your brain and relieve stress through various minigames in a personal session to get a detailed evaluation. Challenge your friends’ brains in delirious party games to see who is the smartest. Test your brain’s abilities in Visual, Memory, Logic, Math and Focus minigames. Compare yourself with friends by challenging their brains in three multiplayer modes. Develop your resistance to stressful situations that could happen in real life. Use a customized Mii™ character to create personal sessions. Choose your favorite personal coach. Track your overall performance with detailed statistics and graphs. The special Kid Test and Senior Test modes will gather everyone around the game.

Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (Virtual Toys, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam is a frenetically active cooking game in which you must serve food to your customers as quickly as possible. This could be a simple task, but the customers aren’t very patient, and you’ll find a multitude of annoying insects that make the noble mission of satisfying your small gourmets’ stomachs much more difficult. In the game’s Career Mode, your goal is to become the best chef in the city. To do so, you have to prove your worth by cooking in four fantastic restaurants: the Hot Dog, Hamburger, Pizza and Mexican Restaurant. Enjoy playing Yummy Yummy with your family, serving delicious food to the most surprising characters: vampires, ninjas, extraterrestrials and mafia thugs. Put on your chef’s hat, sharpen your knives and turn up the heat.

Virtual Console™

Mega Man™ 3 (NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points):In the year 200X, the notorious Dr. Wily, now reformed and working for the forces of good, works hand-in-hand with Dr. Light to build a new type of peacekeeping robot. When a new set of eight Robot Masters escapes the lab to wreak havoc on the world at large, only Mega Man can save the day. This time, Mega Man must rely on his new slide move and canine companion Rush to conquer the stages and vanquish evil. A new character, Proto Man, adds to the mystery and appeal of this seminal title in the famous action-game series.

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

Nov. 3, 2008

Sometimes you feel like a pinball, bouncing from one thing to the other. Do you spend time blasting things in outer space or just spend a quiet afternoon at home, redecorating? Fortunately this week’s Wii-kly Update doesn’t force you to make those tough choices. 

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

ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS™ (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS is the ultimate incarnation of the popular TurboGrafx pinball classic, Alien Crush. Boasting innovative game and control features, this is one Wii experience that you don’t want to miss. With all the ball-blazing simplicity and flipper action thrills of standard pinball, ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS has all the visual and digital elements that you’ve come to expect in a video game, including grotesque, eye-stunning playfields as well as unique Action Ball gimmicks that redefine the fun and excitement of pinball. You can even nudge the machine with your Wii Remote controller. What’s more, you can connect via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to enjoy a variety of features such as four-player head-to-head action, high score competitions and Extra Stage downloads.

Home Sweet Home (Big Blue Bubble Inc., 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Picture this scene… You move into your new home, and every room is perfect. Every room, except one. Here is the blank canvas for your vision, but you lack the know-how. Who do you call? The Home Sweet Home team! Home Sweet Home will give you the chance to unleash your hidden talents as an interior designer. You choose the furniture, patterns and colors to create a masterpiece that will blow your client away. With simple controls, a fun graphical style and an easy-to-use interface, Home Sweet Home allows you to nurture your creative side. Remember, a house is not a home until it is a Home Sweet Home.

Virtual Console

Space Harrier™ (Sega Master System, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): Space Harrier was originally released in the arcade in the 1980s, developed by AM2, which also developed OutRun and Afterburner. Space Harrier is widely recognizable by many arcade fans due to its distinctive, colorful art design and its fast-paced action. The SEGA Master System version is considered a solid port of the arcade game, containing 18 levels of intense fun. As the “Space Harrier,” you must fight your way through “The Land of Dragons” and defeat the bosses at the end of each level to restore peace to the land. Are you prepared? Get ready!

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

Oct. 27, 2008

It’s a rockin’ week at the Wii™ Shop Channel, featuring fresh additions to two hot WiiWare™ game series, plus a character-driven classic for the Virtual Console™. Fans of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People will find an awesome new installment, while those who’ve discovered Nintendo’s extraordinary Art Style™ series will discover an elegant new puzzle title to enjoy. And if you’ve got room in your game library for a heroic earthworm, don’t miss the Wii debut of the legendary Earthworm Jim™.

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

Strong Bad Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,000 Wii Points): Rock and roll! Hurting for cash, Strong Bad sets out to dominate the “Battle Royale of the Bands.” Can he rule the stage and win the big prize? Or will he be drowned out by the competition? Find out in this high-voltage episode.

Art Style: ROTOHEX™ (Nintendo, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Use colored triangular panels to create a vibrant mosaic of stained glass in Art Style: ROTOHEX. As triangles fall from the top of the screen, rotate them to group six panels of the same color and create a matching hexagon, or HEX. Once the HEX has been formed, it will disappear, allowing the existing panels to shift and more panels to fill the playing field. A clear-cut goal and two different styles of intuitive controls allow you to focus solely on the game play-which is vital, as the playing field will be full of panels before you know it. With multiple modes (unlock more as you progress further in SOLO mode), special item panels at your disposal, and the ability to play cooperatively or competitively with a friend, there will always be another HEX to create.

Virtual Console

Earthworm Jim (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): Jim was an ordinary earthworm who did very earthworm-like things, such as flee from crows and eat dirt. One day, during an outer space fight, a suit drops to Earth and falls around Jim. It mutates him into a large and intelligent (at least by earthworm standards) superhero. Play as Jim in this Sega Genesis classic. When Jim learns of the evil plans of Psy-Crow and Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, he decides to rescue Princess What’s-Her-Name. Run, gun, swing on hooks by your head and launch cows at the interesting characters you meet along the way, such as Major Mucus, Chuck and Fifi, Evil the Cat, and Bob the Killer Goldfish.

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

Oct. 20, 2008

No matter how many years go by, the blocks just never stop falling. Now Tetris Party gives you the chance to show off all the block-stacking skills you have honed through the years while competing with friends in a variety of new challenges. If you’re in more of a solitary mood, see how long it takes you to work your way through The Incredible Maze. The Virtual Console also sees two classic games added. Whether you like to do your fighting with an airship or a pair of boxing gloves, you’re covered.

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™

Tetris Party (Tetris Online, Inc., 1-6 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,200 Wii Points): Tetris Party is a deceptively simple, totally addictive puzzle game that is sure to keep you and all of your friends and family entertained for hours on end. The WiiWare game features 10 never-before-seen single-player and multiplayer variations of Tetris, including Field Climber, Stage Racer, Shadow and Wii Balance Board-enabled modes (Wii Balance Board™ accessory sold with Wii Fit™). Several of the modes give users the chance to take advantage of the unique point-and-shoot capabilities of the Wii Remote™ controller. The party doesn’t stop there, though. Take the Tetris fun online via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, where you can play multiplayer Tetris against up to five friends at a time. You can also see how your Tetris Partyskills stack up against the rest of the world using the global ranking system. 

The Incredible Maze (Digital Leisure Inc., 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Get lost in The Incredible Maze! Simply tilt your Wii Remote controller to navigate a series of exciting and twisted mazes. Entering the maze could not be easier, but finding your way out will require a keen eye and a steady hand. Obstacles and traps are around every corner, so move your ball around the maze without falling off the edge. But watch out, there are lots of surprises in store. You can hunt for gems in a timed challenge, or test your abilities in a race against the clock. The Incredible Maze is also compatible with the Wii Balance Board, so you can really put your weight into it. This is the way in, but you’ll have to find your own way out.

Virtual Console

Digital Champ Battle Boxing (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Mild Violence, 700 Wii Points): Set in the near future, Digital Champ Battle Boxing is a first-person-perspective boxing title that plunges players into the raw intensity of the ring! Determined to thwart Mother Computer’s plot to conquer mankind, you infiltrate the enemy’s domain, using your boxing skills to vanquish your foes. Each round is three minutes, with a total of 12 rounds to a match. Advance to the next contest through either a KO or by flattening an opponent three times in a round for a TKO. Utilize an arsenal of left and right jabs, hooks, power-charged crosses and three different kinds of “Devastator” punches. Deftly block and slip your opponent’s attacks, and look for your chance to lay them out. Master these techniques and take down the greatest opponent of them all, DIGITAL CHAMP!

GRADIUS® II GOFER NO YABOU (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): This shooter is the sequel to the seminal masterpiece,GRADIUS. Two years after its last epic battle, the GRADIUS army recommissions the VIC VIPER super-dimensional warplane to combat the invasion of a new nemesis known as GOFER. Piloting the latest model of the VIC VIPER, players can select between multiple WEAPON MODULES and SHIELDS to tackle the varying stages and enemy attack patterns they come up against. With a total of nine stages, this perfect port of the original boasts one of the longest adventures in the series and features more of its trademark fast-paced background music to accompany the intense action.

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

Oct. 13, 2008

Armchair physicists rejoice! The hotly anticipated award-winning World of Goo™ makes its WiiWare™ debut this week, inviting players to build infinitely fascinating structures out of Goo and uncover the mystery behind the World of Goo Corporation. Other cool additions to the Wii Shop Channel™ this week include Art Style™: CUBELLO™, the second installment in Nintendo’s Art Style series, and a pair of classics for the Virtual Console™: SECRET OF MANA™ andSTREET FIGHTER™ II’: SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION. Fun offerings like these are sure to heat up your October, no matter how low the autumn temperatures may go.

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

World of Goo (2D Boy, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone—Comic Mischief, 1,500 Wii Points):World of Goo is an award-winning, physics-based puzzle/construction game made entirely by two guys. Grab living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins and giant tongues. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore—but they don’t know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious. World of Goo Corporation is contractually obligated to state that everyone is a winner, and is enthusiastic to celebrate everyone’s Goo building opportunities equally.

Art Style: CUBELLO (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Art Style: CUBELLO mixes the strategy and feel of a traditional puzzle game with the precision and reflexes required in a shooter. As each stage begins, various colored cubes form into one large object called a Cubello, which floats and rotates as you play. Launch additional cubes from your magazine and try to connect four or more of the same color, removing them from the Cubello and eventually leaving only its core. Take on the challenge of either Stage or Endless mode and watch what happens when Bonus Time is activated. The straightforward controls and goal ensure that anyone can play, while offering enough depth that even advanced players will find themselves quickly addicted to the unique world of Art Style: CUBELLO.

Virtual Console

SECRET OF MANA (Super NES™, 1-3 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 800 Wii Points): Good and evil battle for a young warrior’s heart. There is one force in the universe that keeps good and evil in perfect balance. It is called the tree of Mana. But a magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting this balance, spreading evil throughout the land. Thus, the warrior must undertake a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mana tree, which have been hidden for centuries. Only then can perfect harmony be restored. In this incredible adventure, things are not as they seem. Magic swords release evil as well as fight it. Treasure chests hold booby traps. Monsters are friends and friends are enemies. Potions give power, black magic takes it away. Dragons fly, weapons change. It’s a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right. And the only way to succeed is to solve the Secret of Mana.

STREET FIGHTER II’: SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen—Violence, 800 Wii Points): STREET FIGHTER II’: SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION was the firstSTREET FIGHTER game released for the Sega Genesis console. The STREET FIGHTER series can be considered one of the first fighting games to popularize competitive video game fighting. This version of the game contains both the CHAMPION and HYPER rule sets, from the two editions released in the arcades. It also introduced an exclusive Group Battle mode that is now a general feature in most fighting games. Play as one of 12 different characters, each with their own distinctive fighting style. Try single-player mode or challenge a friend in this legendary, classic fighting game.

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

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 2, 2008 – Nintendo today disclosed a number of surprises, including new games, the ability to use the Wii™ console to chat with friends near and far, and the expansion of the popular Club Nintendo rewards program to North America.

Continuing its commitment to supply new game experiences for every level of player, Nintendo revealed a wide range of games for the 2008 holiday season and beyond. A number of games are slated for 2009, including a new Punch-Out!! ™ and Sin & Punishment 2 for Wii, and Fire Emblem™: Shadow Dragon and Mario & Luigi™ RPG 3 for Nintendo DS™. Consumers also can expect a new “Personal Trainer” series of titles designed to help users enrich their lives and learn new skills in fun and interesting ways.

Nintendo also announced that North American supplies of the Wii video game console between October and December will see a significant increase from 2007′s levels, and that Nintendo DS will also be available in greater abundance than ever before.

“We have new games and new experiences for every kind of player this holiday season, and that will certainly fuel increased interest in Wii and Nintendo DS,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “While there’s no way to gauge total demand for our hardware systems, we’re trying to satisfy as many of those players as possible.”

The new Wii Speak™ Channel arrives on Nov. 16 and uses the Wii Speak™, a microphone that sits on top of your television. This accessory is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99. People who buy the microphone are given a code that allows them to download the Wii Speak Channel from the Wii Shop Channel at no charge. The Wii Speak lets people in up to four locations who have traded Friend Codes chat with one another at no extra cost. When you use Wii Speak in real time, your Mii™ appears on your TV screen and mimics your chat. You also can leave audio messages for your friends and family members or use Wii Speak to narrate captions for your photos.

Gamers have longed for the expansion of Club Nintendo to North America for years, and now Nintendo is making it a reality for everyone. Club Nintendo rewards Nintendo loyalists who complete surveys and register Nintendo products with loyalty coins that can be redeemed for exclusive items available only to Club Nintendo members. Club Nintendo is set to debut in North America this holiday season.

Key software available for Wii this holiday season includes:

• Wii Music™: It’s a new Wii experience that launches on Oct. 20 and gives you the ability to play a wide variety of musical instruments by using the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers to mimic the motions used to play real instruments. Everyone in the family will enjoy jamming together, while music fans will enjoy creating their own fresh, stylized takes on a variety of songs. Songs range from classical favorites like Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” to pop hits like “Material Girl” or “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” to Nintendo standards like the Super Mario Bros.® theme.
• Animal Crossing™: City Folk: This game lets you live your life in a virtual community that’s all your own. You can interact with the fun characters in your town, customize everything from your house to your clothing and even chat with other friends in the game using the Wii Speak. Animal Crossing: City Folk launches on Nov. 16.

o WiiWare delivers great new games directly to Wii consoles that are connected to the Internet. Nintendo’s downloadable game service will see games like:

o Tetris Party: This game will feature 18 game modes, including 10 never-before-seen single-player and multiplayer variations of Tetris. Some modes will use the unique capabilities of the Wii Remote and the Wii Balance Board™.

o Strong Bad Episode 3: This third episode in the series features humorous story-driven game play, music-themed collectibles and achievements and an old-school side scrolling shoot ‘em up mini-game, as well as a special celebrity guest appearance by rock gods Limozeen!

o World of Goo: This title is an award-winning, physics-based puzzle/construction game. Grab living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins and giant tongues.

o Cave Story: This title is an action-adventure game with new, exclusive content and features created only for the WiiWare version.

o Boingz: Developed by the award-winning studio NinjaBee and published by RealNetworks®, Inc., Boingz introduces players to bendy, stretchy little critters who’ve found themselves scattered about an alien world. Using the Wii Remote, players can grab, stretch and fling the rubber-band bodies of the Boingz to bounce them around the environments and help them find their way home.

Key games planned for Wii in 2009 include:

• Punch-Out!!: Nintendo is reviving one of its most storied and popular franchises with the first new Punch-Out!! boxing game in 15 years. Players will once again follow the exploits of the up-and-coming challenger, Little Mac, and take on a series of opponents, including favorites from the past like Glass Joe and King Hippo.
• Sin & Punishment 2: The announcement of a sequel to one of the most popular Japanese import titles ever is a dream come true for avid Nintendo fans. This new sequel blends intuitive Wii Remote pointing controls with the shooting and sword-swinging game play that made the original an instant classic and fan favorite.

Some Nintendo products available this fall for Nintendo DS include:

• Personal Trainer™: Cooking: This title launches on Nov. 24 as the first in Nintendo’s new Personal Trainer series. Personal Trainer: Cooking includes more than 200 recipes from around the world and transforms the Nintendo DS into an electronic, interactive cookbook, complete with a glossary of terms and even instructional videos. In 2009, the Personal Trainer series will expand with Personal Trainer™: Math, a collection of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division drills based on the Kageyama method. Meanwhile, Personal Trainer™: Walking will introduce a wireless pedometer, letting consumers not only track every step they take, but also turn walking into interactive entertainment.
• Pokémon™ Ranger: Shadows of Almia: On Nov. 10, this new installment in the Pokémon Ranger series allows you to use the power of Pokémon to protect nature and help people in need as you strive to become a Top Ranger. Use the DS stylus to encircle and capture Pokémon with the “Capture Styler” as you explore the vast new Almia region.

Key games planned for Nintendo DS in 2009 include:

• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon: A reinvention of the original NES™ titles with revamped graphics and intuitive touch control, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon will finally introduce longtime fans to the stories that gave birth to the series nearly 20 years ago in Japan, while introducing the Fire Emblem franchise to a broader audience of strategy and chess fans. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon also reveals the back story of Marth, the original lead character in the Fire Emblem series introduced and made popular in North America by the Super Smash Bros.® series of fighting games.
• Mario & Luigi RPG 3: The acclaimed Mario & Luigi series returns with another hilarious action role-playing game. Join the Mario Bros. as their travels take them far and wide.
• Rhythm Heaven™: If you can snap your fingers in time to music, you’re ready to play this simple but infectious rhythm game. Just tap your stylus on the touch screen to the beat of the music.

Nintendo has a strong lineup of legacy games and accessories that have continued selling well, even a year after they launched. These include Super Mario Galaxy™, the Wii Zapper™ accessory, Wii Fit™, Super Smash Bros.™ Brawl and Mario Kart™Wii. These five products are expected to remain in high demand as shoppers look for ways to make their holiday dollars go further.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about these and other Nintendo products, visit www.Nintendo.com.