Wii Shop Channel Monday - Tetris Party, The Incredible Maze, Digital Champ Battle Boxing, and Gradius II
Monday, October 20th, 2008 at 9:08am by David
Another week, another hot WiiWare title. The hotly anticipated Tetris Party is finally out this week as well as The Incredible Maze. Over on the VC there are two TG16 games, Digital Champ and the import of Gradius II.
Click on in for more details. Anything here you interested in?
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 Party skills 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.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Just as a warning to my fellow Infendo-ites, here are some screenshots of The Incredible Maze. Beware.
http://www.digitalleisure.com/contents/screenshots/screenshots_wiimaze.htm
October 20th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I’ll still wait for a review, but it doesn’t look promising. If the game looks that bad because they spent 90% of the time perfecting the tilt controls, then I have no problem, especially if it makes the game small.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:04 am
It uses the balance board in some way and its 5 bucks. Worth a try in the distant future maybe.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Actually, here’s a video of the incredible maze. For 5 bucks I think it actually looks pretty good. Of course it’s hard to tell how the controls are by watching a video but I’m thinking this is a definite possibility:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s58cBbw254Q
October 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am
My kingdom for Castlevania III! Or Castlevania: Bloodlines.
Seriously, this would have been a great week to do so with the release of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:01 am
WTF! why is tetris 1200 wii points, does nintendo not realize we buy points in 1000, 2000 and 4000?, we can’t just buy 200 points extra, f*cking stupid!
October 20th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Not to be a “Debbie Downer”, but doesn’t it say something about WiiWare when one of our most anticipated titles is Tetris??
Just sayin….
October 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
“doesn’t it say something about WiiWare when one of our most anticipated titles is Tetris?”
Not really. Tetris is one of the most successful games ever because it appeals to people of all ages and both genders… sounds like a perfect match for the Wii audience, especially when you see the laundry list of modes and features that are being provided in this release. The opportunity to buy the definitiive version of this classic game for $12 sounds like a good deal to me.
“WTF! why is tetris 1200 wii points, does nintendo not realize we buy points in 1000, 2000 and 4000?”
SNES games on the virtual console cost 800 points. DLC for games like Mega Man 9 can cost as low as 100 points. There are ways to use your leftover points efficiently (without having to buy more point) if you choose to buy Tetris.
IMO, we need more variation in pricing — not less — so that we don’t get stuck with less than 500 leftover points.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
imho, we need to be able to buy on a 100 point system. not 1000.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Well steve, you just buy 2000 Wii points and purchase Tetris Party, Orbient, the extra Time Attack stage for MM9 and the Castle Renovation DLC for My life as a King.
Seriously, people complain about EVERYTHING now…
I bought 3000 Wii points on thursday and they were gone by saturday. I still want to purchase World of Goo, Gyrostarr, Cubelo and 1 game for the Genesis, SNES, TG-16 CD and N64, respectively, so I’ll just buy 5000 Wii points and see what does get purchased.
Buying points in bulk is the only way we can do it since using a credit card means Nintendo has to pay a fee or a % per transaction and buying “a whole dollar” worth of points doesn’t leave much margin for a profit.
October 20th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
You should be able to just buy the games for what they cost and not have to buy blocks of points. The way they do it forces you to buy more than you need in many cases. XBL and PSN do the same crap too.
That’s like going to GameStop and getting a $50 game you have to buy a $100 gift card to use as currency.
October 20th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
When was the last time you bought a $10 game at Gamestop along with $6 worth of extra content? I don’t see the problem of buying more points than needed at a time. With DLC (and GHWT and RB2 around the corner), you won’t be left with “100-300 points that I can’t use” and buying points in bulk is the way to go. I have purchased 5000 points four times and my last purchase was for 3000. I only have enough left for Protoman and the extra Time Attack stage in MM9 and will probably buy another 5000 points in November once I’m done with MM9, Orbient, My life as a King, Metal Mercury Revolution and Shining in the Darkness.
October 20th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
What’s with all the lame nagging? Some of you sound like pregnant teenagers except you’re crying about insignificant BS. Tetris Party is the best version of Tetris ever released. It is one of the most popular games for a reason. I bought it and also gifted it to a friend. This is a steal of a deal. A few years ago I bought Tengen Tetris on the nes for around $120 as a collectors item and because it has the rare co-op mode. Tetris party has everything and more. I’d pay $50.00 for this gladly.
October 20th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Yeah this is totally the best wiiware/vc week ever imo. I have been waiting for tetris for almost a year. I was amazed to see that they released Gradius II today also. I pretty much had an organism when the shop channel showed up. Even though Gradius II is 900 points (Turbo duo CD and also an import) it is an awesome game and definately worth it to any true shooter fan. I’ve allready got it on the Saturn and this one seems to be true to the original. TETRIS AND GRADIUS WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 20th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
While I agree with EdEN in principal, not everyone will be buying downloadable content for their Wii like I will be. It’s easy for me to talk about how having extra points is never a problem, because there are always games that interest me and I know that I will be buying more points later on anyway.
But not everyone is like EdEN and myself… For people who only want Tetris, there should be a way for them to get exactly the 1200 points they need to buy *only* Tetris.
It’s a shame that all three companies seem to run their online business differently, forcing consumers into buying large chunks of points at a time. Of course, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon because the gaming companies benefit from that practice.
October 20th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
“When was the last time you bought a $10 game at Gamestop along with $6 worth of extra content?”
Ummm…that’s my point. If I was able to get all this at GameStop, I’d pay $16, not $20 and have $4 credit left over. If I want to pay the $4 at GameStop, then let me make that choice, not give me currency that forces me to spend it there.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
ResEvil is correct. Being forced to pay more than what a product costs is absurd, inefficient, and just plain wrong. But no, because Nintendo can do no wrong this system is absolutely perfect and anyone who questions it just doesn’t love Nintendo anymore. Shame on them.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
DLC is a new model and as such it’s a still evolving proposition. Maybe next time Nintendo will allow for the exact amount of points to be bought, who knows. But for now it hasn’t been a problem for me.
October 20th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
“Being forced to pay more than what a product costs is absurd, inefficient, and just plain wrong.”
Actually, it’s a good business decision and also very efficient (for the companies selling games, not necessarily for consumers). So this assertion depends on your viewpoint.
“But no, because Nintendo can do no wrong this system is absolutely perfect and anyone who questions it just doesn’t love Nintendo anymore.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t all three consoles use the same points model for online purchases? This isn’t a Nintendo issue, and the comments above are just saying that people probably shouldn’t get so worked up complaining over small issues.
(Yes, this is a small issue. If you want to gripe about Nintendo and the Wii console, there are many problems more pressing than the way Wii Points are sold.)
October 20th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t all three consoles use the same points model for online purchases? T.”
Nope. I’m not sure about MS, but Sony uses the same model as Itunes. You can store your credit card on file, and the exact amount is deducted. Downloading new games couldn’t be easier.
And as far as a “smart” business model for Nintendo’s system. Well, if eliminating “impulse buys” is your definition of “smart”, Nintendo has certainly achieved that.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Ah, not bad! I keep hearing about the PSN cards finally being available, and figured that Sony ran the same deal as Nintendo for selling points that can then be redeemed for product. Storing a credit card is much easier, although not necessarily better for parents with kids buying stuff online.
But since I’m a Wii fanboy (yes, it’s true) I’ll point out that at a recent sale I got a number of 2000 Wii Point cards on sale for a smart 25% off. Sales in the US offered even greater savings. Bet that kind of discount doesn’t come around often when you use a stored credit card for direct purchases.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
The same deal can occur with PSN cards or MS cards. Also, storing the credit card is an option.
October 21st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
WHERES MARIO PARTY 1