We’ve discussed it on Infendo and analyzed the situation from almost every possible angle, but aside from some sporadic gems and surprises, the state of third-party Wii software remains, well…quite regrettable.

Which makes the recently unveiled Wii projects from Illinois-based High Voltage Software, the development studio behind licensed Wii detritus like Ben 10: Protector of Earth and Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, even more surprising. Only an optimistic few expected such promising third-party Wii software in 2008, and given its mediocre Wii track record, even fewer expected these unlikely games to come from High Voltage Software.

I speak for all of the pessimists; we stand corrected.

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IGN yesterday revealed an exclusive first look at High Voltage Software’s The Conduit, an ambitious first-person shooter in development exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.

Contrary to the unfortunate nature of most third-party Wii afterthoughts, High Voltage is putting substantial effort behind The Conduit, promising both refined Wii control mechanics and hardware-pushing visuals.

In designing the game’s controls, High Voltage’s Eric Nofsinger told IGN the development team looked to Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 and Metroid Prime 3 for inspiration, offering players a precise and fully customizable control scheme. However, Nofsinger suggested the team is placing even greater emphasis on Wii’s graphics capabilities.

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I’ve sat back down and replayed through the series to deliver what I believe to be the top ten greatest Zelda games. As a huge Zelda fan, I have loved every single title Nintendo has feed us, (minus the CD-I titles) but there are some that are just built better than others. Click over to find out if your favorite made it towards the top. (Note: This list does not include spin-offs such as the Four Swords series, etc.)

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Incase you forgot (I did) the annual, Nintendo Media Summit ran all day yesterday and today showing off select first, and third party titles to release for Q2-Q3. No megatons this year besides an “official” press release for, Mario Super Sluggers, and in-depth details on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness. Nintendo’s main purpose this year is getting the press to play some upcoming “bridge” software, and to push Wiiware toward more big name developers. Many details concerning gameplay impressions are still under embargoed until next week, so look forward to some new media then.

List of titles on show floor…

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C3 News is reporting a snippet in this month’s issue of the UK’s Official Nintendo Magazine has confirmed Konami is working on a sequel to the Dec. 2006 Wii sleeper hit, Elebits.

Wii gamers with taste should recognize the pedigree; Elebits was one of the most innovative launch window games available on Wii, offering clever, intuitive motion controls, smooth IR integration and WiiConnect24 functionality.

Hot on the heels of Atlus’ announcement of another Trauma Center, it is great to see Elebits evolve into another Nintendo-exclusive third-party franchise. Maybe this time around, better sales can follow critical praise. Expect an official Konami announcement soon.

Now that we’ve had some time to digest his latest adventure, the Infendo offices have been buzzing with debate. It spilled over into last week’s edition of Infendo Radio and has since been the subject of countless e-mails from listeners, readers and tipsters all week long:

Which Mario games stand the test of time? Which are the cream?

We’ve set some parameters for debate, and the qualifying criteria for a “Mario game” were fairly rigid during the development of this list. We avoided including entries from the countless Mario spin-off franchises, such as Mario Kart and Mario Party, with one obvious and deserving exception. We are referring to proper Mario platformers.

After all, this is serious business. Place your bets, friends.

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Besides the daily dose of Brawling, what are you currently gaming? Maybe a little Mario Kart DS to prepare for the upcoming Wii version, or maybe mixing it up with a little WarioWare: Smooth Moves…it’s all good! I’m currently replaying through the Zelda games (split timeline order) with various shots of Tetris DS, and Super Mario World in between. Don’t forget the VC is always full of great (and not so great) classics for download. Just don’t spend all your points (Wiiware next month!).

So Infendo readers…What are you playing?

Atlus yesterday formally announced the new Trauma Center sequel revealed in the May ‘08 issue of Nintendo Power.

According to the official press release, Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 is a “direct sequel” to the original 2005 Nintendo DS sleeper hit. Pictured is the official box art from Atlus.

As reported last week on Infendo, Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 places players back into the role of Dr. Derek Stiles, again assisted by Nurse Angie Thompson. The game takes place immediately after the first DS title; the GUILT virus has been exterminated, but its aftermath remains, leaving players to explore its mysteries. Trauma Center’s notoriously challenging gameplay has been retooled with an easier mode for newcomers and also boasts “improved tool utility.”

Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 is scheduled to release July 1.

To preface the inference that follows, journalistic formalities ought to be addressed. There has been no official verification that Kid Icarus is coming to Wii, and Nintendo executives have remained characteristically tight-lipped about the persistent rumors surrounding Pit’s return.

But given the recurring podcast mumblings at IGN, it doesn’t take advanced application of deductive reasoning to conclude Kid Icarus is coming to Wii.

None of the major gaming sites have yet confirmed the existence of Kid Icarus Wii. Even IGN’s Matt Casamassina had remained stringently quiet about them until recently, but with the rumors as prevalent as they’ve become, his IGN Nintendo team has been unofficially spilling the beans on its weekly “Nintendo Voice Chat” podcast, formerly known as “Wii-k in Review,” for weeks.

For the Kid Icarus hopeful, I thought I’d share.

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Nintendo Power has revealed that a new Trauma Center game is in development for Nintendo DS.

According to the May ‘08 issue, the new title is a direct sequel to 2005’s Under the Knife. Players resume the role of Dr. Derek Stiles, accompanied again by Nurse Angie, as they face the aftermath of the GUILT virus and decipher its terrible mysteries.

The magazine also revealed the DS sequel has an easier setting for novice players and wider accessibility, as well as refinements to some surgical tools. Old characters will return and new ones will be introduced in an overly dramatic all-new story with new operations.

Nintendo Power did not specify exactly when the game would be available, but the latest Famitsu has revealed an Aug. 7 release date. Expect an official announcement from Atlus soon.

I had a fascinating conversation with my philosophy professor Thursday.

She is always a treat to speak to, and this day was no different. Yet as interesting as discussing the finer points of philosophy can be, it will always be usurped by the mid-evening need for pizza and french fries. My mind’s thirst for intellectual nourishment slowly lost ground to the growling demands of my vacant stomach, and in accordance with my physiological needs, I trudged across campus to the university dining hall.

While my dinners are usually a solo affair, I was pleasantly surprised to find a few friends and acquaintances had also just answered their bellies’ call to action. We gathered at a dimly lit corner table and, as always, began discussing the most indispensable component of college life:

Video games.

As is perhaps the case in most college dining halls, paramount early in our discussions were comments easily summarized as “Call of Duty 4 split-screen this, Halo 3 online that.” But later, between insightful quips about the industry, specific consoles and gaming trends, our conversation shifted into a discussion of the best games of the last few years. And as I listened to grandiose proclamations about the greatness of Heavenly Sword and Assassin’s Creed, I recalled my earlier philosophical discussion and made a profound realization:

They were wrong. Indubitably, irrefutably, unquestionably wrong.

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Video game sales tracking Web site VGChartz.com is now reporting 22 Wii games have sold one million copies or more worldwide.

LucasArts’ Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is the latest Wii game to go platinum, making it the ninth third-party game to reach this prestigious plateau.

These figures sharply contrast criticism asserting Wii software has poor selling potential. For comparison, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 now hosts 35 million-sellers 28 months after its release, while Sony’s PlayStation 3, released alongside Wii in Nov. 2006, has only 10.

Wii has reached 22 million-sellers in only 16 months, far outpacing software sales of Nintendo’s last console, the GameCube, which had 38 platinum-selling games by the end of its five-year life cycle.

In terms of specific Wii software, Wii Sports remains at the top of the list with more than 20 million copies sold, including non-Japanese pack-in sales. Wii Play follows with nearly 11 million, and Super Mario Galaxy rounds out the top three with more than 6 million copies.

“The perfect game.”

Our community often scoffs at the concept. Many argue perfection is unattainable, a Utopian mirage no game developer could ever reach. No game is entirely unblemished; there is always room for improvement, we argue, and there is always a flaw worth criticizing.

It almost seems an unwritten rule of gaming. The words of a writer who describes any game as “faultless” should be read with a certain degree of incredulity, particularly if s/he bestows a perfect score upon said game. Quite simply, there is no such thing as a “perfect 10.”

And as we scrutinize textures and analyze frame rates, reaching beyond the realms of practicality to invalidate perfection and justify a 9.6 review score, an irritated wave of antagonism toward sequels slowly spreads throughout our community. Speaking of unwritten rules, it is almost as if gamers are beginning to treat franchises as they would a passionate fling at the office.

The first time was great, and the second time was even better. But beyond that, things just start to get boring.

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Canadian Flash games developer XGen Studios launched an official Web site today for the upcoming WiiWare version of its classic Flash game, Defend Your Castle.

Given XGen’s latest juicy details, worries that the game will be a generic port of the Flash version should be alleviated. As confirmed in the April issue of NGamer Magazine, Defend Your Castle has received a dramatic makeover, in both visuals and gameplay, for the move to Wii.

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German developer Daedalic Entertainment released information today about A New Beginning, an “eco-thriller” in development for a 2009 release on PC, Wii and DS.

From the press release:

“The year 2050: The cities of the world lie in ruins. Catastrophic climate change, long prophesized,
has devastated the world with fatal consequences. In a flooded San Francisco, time pilot Fay overlooks the magnitude of the destruction. Sent from a distant future to avert the evisceration of mankind, she is faced with the horrible realization that it is already too late. The last hope for salvation is another desperate leap back in time to our present!

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