Did you know that NST (Wave Race: Blue Storm, Metroid Prime: Hunters) were once working on a motorcycle title for Wii? A patent discovered in the USPTO provides some insight about what the game could have been.
In terms of controls, players would have stood on the Wii Balance Board and made use of the Wii remote and nunchuck, which would act as virtual handlebars. To turn right or left, the Wiimote would simply need to be turned in the desired direction. Players could also pull the Wii controller backwards or forwards to accelerate the bike or put it in reverse. Sharp turns could be performed by learning left or right on the Wii Balance Board – this would have been optional, however.
Gameplay elements shown in the patent include ramps and jumps, a potential Wiimote-only control setup, and balancing air time to maintain velocity.
The status of this mystery title is unknown currently. I have a feeling that it’s been cancelled, though, based on the fact that Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and Wii Crush never saw the light of day.
Over the past few months, Famitsu has featured a few Wii games in every issue, though that number has been very small for the most part. I found it interesting that, apparently, this week’s edition does not cover any titles for the console – not even anything from Nintendo. I know this isn’t the biggest news in the world, but it is a shame that the situation with the Wii has been very quiet lately. I’m hoping we’ll hear something about Pandora’s Tower soon…
When Nicalis and NISA announced Cave Story 3D, the two companies promised that the game would be released within the 3DS’ launch window. Fortunately, they are holding true to that promise. According to Siliconera, Cave Story 3D will be available on June 28. June could be a stellar month for the 3DS between Cave Story 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D which are all expected to ship within a few weeks of each other.
This information comes from Reggie Fils-Aime…
“It’s interesting. We haven’t even sold the first one and consumers are asking about what’s next. I answer it this way. The 3DS is our key handheld device. It is going to be our key business driver for the balance of this year, through the holidays.”
I’d be shocked if we didn’t see another version of the 3DS somewhere down the line. Personally, I’d like to see better battery life and moving the stylus area so that it’s positioned like the DSi. It’s definitely too early to be talking about this, though…
Although we don’t know just how well the 3DS performed on launch day, there’s no question that it sold very well. Nintendo has said that the new handheld has become their best-selling portable in North America in terms of day-one sales. First week sales will be revealed on April 14 via NPD.
“More details about U.S. sales numbers will be made public on April 14, when first-week U.S. sales figures will be tallied by the independent NPD Group. Nintendo worked hard to get as much product as possible to retailers on day one to meet demand, and we will continue with these efforts moving forward.”
1. Tales of Xillia (PS3)
2. Dragon Quest X (Wii)
3. Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3)
4. Yakuza: Of the End (PS3)
5. Super Robot Wars Z (PSP)
6. Mario Kart 3D (3DS)
7. Metal Gear Solid Rising (PS3)
8. Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)
9. Final Fantasy Type 0 (PSP)
10. Fotokano: Picture Girlfriend (PSP)
11. The Last Guardian (PS3)
12. Tales of the Abyss (3DS)
13. Dark Souls (PS3)
14. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS)
15. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
