IGN writes: "Wii is already the best-selling current-generation system in the world. You could say that the Big N finally found that much-talked-about bridge leading into the living room of the casual gamer -- one that it's only just begun to explore. But Wii's rise to the top hasn't been without a few obstacles -- specifically, an onslaught of throwaway software from third-parties desperately hoping to cash-in on the get-up-and-move wave of titles, mini-game-fests and shallow, forgettable experiences. We're not going to try and sugarcoat it: Wii continues to see too many of these types.

Thankfully, though, there are a variety of innovative, fresh and fun titles to be enjoyed on Wii, too. We're talking about the growing list of amazing, AAA-quality games, both from Nintendo and more and more from third-parties. It is precisely with this thought held firmly in mind that we present to you the ultimate roster of Wii titles that you must own at all costs. The Top 25 (in capitals for effect). These are the very best. The cream of the crop. The standouts and the trendsetters. The games that you won't want to stop playing. So we really don't care how you do it. Take on a second job. Sell your car. Beg for money on the streets. Doesn't matter. Just make sure that you own all of these titles so that you may experience the height of Wii gaming".

Yesterday, Zip.ca announced a partnership with Sonic Solutions to become the first online streaming film and TV show rental service in Canada. Speaking with Joystiq, Zip.ca CEO Curt Millar said his company "would love" to bring the service to Canadian video game consoles -- similar to the Netflix streaming service currently available on Xbox 360's in the United States -- but no agreements are in place with any of the three game console manufacturers.

"Our whole strategy on this is to be available on every platform that we can be available on," Millar said. "We believe for consumer adoption to be high, you need to have it so that the consumer doesn't have to worry about how it works. It should just work on everything." According to Millar, partnering with an American company -- such as Sonic Solutions -- allows Zip.ca to put forth "a better presentation" when looking to secure agreements with partners, like the major console makers.

Streaming content to consoles isn't exactly new to Zip.ca's partner. Sonic Solutions recently announced it would begin offering movies from its catalog to Fujisoft's streaming Wii video service, Minna no Theater Wii, in Japan through its Roxio CinemaNow platform.

Zip.ca CEO 'would love' to bring new streaming service to Canadian console owners originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a pretty fun fighting game to play with friends, right?

WRONG. It's actually an unbalanced mess. At least, that's what a group of Smash Boards members seems to believe, seemingly with more conviction than we've ever had for pretty much anything. It's important enough that they decided to patch the game's code to change specific gameplay elements. "Balanced Brawl" has three goals, as stated by the coders: first, to remove "infinites" and "inescapable lockdowns" (simple, unblockable combos that add more than 50% damage), increase overall character balance, and increase stage viability.

You can see examples of the kind of minute tweaking done to the characters in the chart above, and you can read way, way more about each change in the Smash Boards thread. It's a pretty impressive testament to just how much time has been spent thinking about Brawl.

Fans rewrite Brawl to balance characters originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Despite being loaded with content, this week's Japanese Virtual Console and WiiWare offerings are unlikely to excite, with one major exception. Square Enix's My Life as a King follow-up arrives in Japan this week, allowing players to run the tower fortress of their dreams! It's joined by a, uh, doll game, and ... a brain training game ... for kids.

Virtual Console this week offers one really cute Namco arcade game, and another Jinguuji Saburo detective game, which we'll never see.

Virtual Console:

• Marvel Land (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
• Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni... (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
  

WiiWare:

• Right Brain Kids Okigaru Right Brain (1-4 players, 800 Wii Points)
• Licca-chan Oshare House (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
  
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
  

VC/WiiWare Tuesday: My Life as an Available Game originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

This is, necessarily, your final reminder: today is the last day of the "year" for Club Nintendo Gold or Platinum status in North America, which means that today is the last day for you to enter points toward whatever the exclusive free gift is going to be. We don't dare hope for the kind of awesomeness seen in Japan's Platinum rewards, but we want free things.

If you aren't yet at 300 coins (for Gold) or 600 coins (for Platinum), and you've got more games to register, get to it right now! If you've been thinking of picking up Punch-Out!! or something this week, you should probably do it today! Conversely, if you're at 600 now and you have more stuff to register, wait until tomorrow so it counts toward next year's total!

If you're not sure about the eligibility of an older (pre-Club Nintendo) game and don't want to waste time registering it, consult the list of eligible games in the "Product Registration" area of the Club Nintendo FAQ.

PSA: Register your games for Club Nintendo elite status today originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We loved the mother[expletive deleted] [expletive deleted] out of Sega's recent mature pair of Wii titles, House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld -- unfortunately, the same can't be said for the game purchasing population of the world. The two games' sales were far from stellar, but Sega isn't ready to give up on developing family unfriendly titles for Nintendo's home console.

In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sega MD of European development, Gary Dunn, explained that the company's outlook on its two grown-up outings is far from grim -- he even claimed that "House of the Dead: Overkill was a profitable title." He went on to explain, "Whilst MadWorld commercially didn't sell what we were expecting I wouldn't say it's game over for mature Wii titles from Sega." Hopefully the company's persistence will be rewarded, if only to ensure a few dozen sequels to Overkill. (Overkill 2: Superfluous Murder, Overkill 3: The Overkillinest, etc.)

Sega considering more mature Wii titles, says Overkill was 'profitable' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We here at Joystiq do our part to shield the nation's youth from the dangers of reading (Mein Kampf was a book, people, think about it), but when it's unavoidable, we always encourage the reading of video game-related literature.

Now that F.X. Nine has hung up his keyboard, we're glad that companies such as Disney are stepping in to fill the gap with books like four new novels based on the Spectrobes series. Look for the first two, First Contact and Rise of the Ancient, on shelves this week.

Also, do you get the headline now? Hilarious, right? Thanks, thanks, you're too kind.

Disney comes up with novel way of expanding Spectrobes originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It's been a long and storied road for the antagonist of 8 Zelda titles to date. He's captured Princess Zelda many a time, been longing for the triforce since 1986, and always loses in the end to a the almighty hero... Link. He helped influence the spread of the twilight realm in Twilight Princess, the flooding of Hyrule in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, and always seems to convince a loyal minion to bring him back from the clutches of eternal damnation. Yet, despite all this, it's time for him to simply say goodbye.

A retailer this week price cut titles that utilize Nintendo Co.'s Wii MotionPlus peripheral in a new one-week game sale.

Well of course it did. The original Wii Sports currently resides in like, four out of every five households on the planet -- why wouldn't the Japanese gaming populous spring to consumer action when the MotionPlus-bundled follow-up landed on store shelves?

Within the first four days of its release, Wii Sports Resort moved 353,827 copies, making it the third-fastest selling Wii title ever -- Mario Kart Wii sold 608,000 copies in a similar time period, while Super Smash Bros. Brawl moved 816,000 copies. Whether the frisbee-throwing, sword-dueling, jetski-riding simulator can come close to the 45 million mark set by its bundled forefather remains to be seen.

[Via Kotaku]

Wii Sports Resort sells over 350k copies in four days originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments