E3 is growing oh-so near (July 15-17), so I thought I'd spout some nonsense about my Nintendo Wii hopes. When I say what COULD happen, I mean what I WANT to happen, even though some of it most-likely won't.

First of all, I'd like you to know that this year at E3 Nintendo will be focusing more on hardcore gamers, or so they say. Not more as in more than casual, but more as in more than they have been doing.

Quote, Nintendo -

"We will be announcing several new titles that core gamers will be interested in around the time of E3."

With that said, I'll start my crazy-high-hopes blog post. Drumroll Please

Games

Animal Crossing Wii

Well, need I say more? We know that Nintendo, EVENTUALLY, will release Animal Crossing Wii. We do not know, however, any details on the game. Rumors have surfaced of it being an MMO. Sounds interesting, eh?

Pikmin 3

Since Pikmin 1 & 2 were such huge successes, why not release a Pikmin 3? The Wii has opened up so many oppurtunities to making the next Pikmin revolutionary. I think it would be a HUGE success, and hopefully it will be announced at E3.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Click Image to view full size.

"Set two years after the events of Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo GameCube, Dawn of the New World follows the journey of two new young heroes, Emil Castagnier and Marta Lualdi, as they seek to uncover the mystery of why their world has fallen into ruin. In their quest, their paths will cross with the original cast of Tales of Symphonia including Lloyd and Colette, as well as a summon spirit known as Ratatosk who claims to be the lord of all monsters.

Dawn of the New World introduces a new monster recruitment feature in which players can capture more than 200 unique enemies and train them to actively participate in battle. Players can then feed these monsters to make them more effective, and even evolve them into several new fearsome forms. The game also features an updated real-time battle system that lets players move freely in all directions around the battlefield, execute powerful unison attacks and take advantage of a new elemental alignment system for even more strategic depth." -IGN

If you haven't played Tales 1 on gamecube, go get it NOW. Probably one of the greatest games I have EVER played.

The Conduit

Click on the image to view the full size.

Out of all of the games to be announced at E3, and all of the details to be released about already confirmed games, I have to say, the one I am looking forward to seeing the most is The Conduit, if it is shown at all. This game is going to change the way developers make games, using the new Quantum 3 game engine to showcase graphics almost to that of early 360/PS3 games. Oh, and did I mention it was designed from the ground-up exclusively for the Wii? Read more about it in My Blog Post, or check out The Conduit Union.

Zelda

I think the new Zelda will be revealed after reading this post. Click on IV. Teh Meg4t0n.

Not much more I can say on this one. Zelda's Zelda.

Guitar Hero: World Tour

Guitar Hero 4 will feature drums, guitar, bass, and a microphone. And it is said to include ALL of the features present in the 360 and PS3 versions. The guitar will have new touch-sensitive pads, plus the normal fret buttons, too. Oh, and did I mention the new song creator? Wii users will be able to download up to 200 user-created songs, as well as upload thier own. Also, Being a drummer myself, I must say, the drums look amazing, and with DLC for the Wii, I'm sold. Sorry Rock Band, you just got out-done. But what will Rock Band 2 hold for us? Maybe we'll find out at E3?

StarFox Wii

I am almost 100% posotive that we'll see a StarFox Wii, and 70% sure it'll be at this year's E3. Don't believe me?

"The Wii controller, Miyamoto told Famitsu, could be easily used to control the airwing in StarFox." Miyamoto told Famicom that back in '06. Why would he bring that up if we aren't going to see a StarFox Wii?

Also, Takaya imamura, series designer, said he already has ideas on a sequel.

Fatal Frame 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

Perhaps the scariest horror series ever, Fatal Frame, is coming to the Wii. Being developed by Tecmo exclusively for the Wii and being published by nintendo, this looks AWESOME!

"So why should you, a newcomer to the series and happy Wii owner, care about Fatal Frame. Well for one, a well made Fatal Frame on Nintendo's system could mean the scariest horror game of this generation is now on what is considered to be a "casuals only" console. The game is out to scare you, and as such there are tons of horrific images, extremely uncomfortable scenarios, and extremely moody worlds. It'll be a "Mature" rated game without question. Fatal Frame will also bring a level of depth and maturity we don't normally see on Wii, as the stories are usually about double the length of a standard Resident Evil game, and feature tons of upgrade items, side quests, and backstory for those looking for a fully realized world." -IGN

Project 0 (Little King's Story)

Now before you shun this game because of it's childish and corny title, keep reading. A Real Time Strategy similar to Pikmin and Warcraft, players take control of the "little" king and all of his followers, comlpeting various tasks.

"As King, players manage and involve their townspeople in the goals of creating this new territory; enlist them to dig for treasure, build new buildings and otherwise better their community. Of course, leadership is a two way street, so as King, players try to conquer rival nations to create a single unified kingdom, as well as grant the requests of townspeople at whim. With the Wii Remote as a royal scepter, this Winter Little King's Story allows players the chance to be the best king in the world." -IGN

Check out the video!

Mad World

"Madworld is an inventive third-person action game exclusively for Wii. Produced by Atsushi Inaba, MadWorld has a unique black and white sty|e depicting an incredibly sharp backdrop that straddles graphic novels and 3D worlds. As players battle opponents, they must master the use of various weapons and items found within their environment, such as chainsaws and street signs, while entertaining sports commentary adds to the third-person gameplay. With its irreverent humor and over-the-top violence, MadWorld will deliver a unique core gaming experience currently missing on the Wii system." -IGN

Disaster: Day of Crisis

"Survive nature's most devastating catastrophes in Disaster: Day of Crisis, a panic-inducing survival game for Wii. When a wave of natural disasters pummels the United States, a rogue special forces unit takes advantage of the chaos and seizes a nuclear weapon. Players race a car down a mountain to escape a roaring pyroclastic flow, dodge toppling buildings during a devastating earthquake and swim for their lives in a raging flood. No matter what happens, fight to survive." -IGN

Deadly Creatures

"Deadly Creatures is a 3rd person action thriller set amidst a desert world of venomous terror, built exclusively for the Nintendo Wii. Players will control an armored Scorpion and a deadly Tarantula as they fight for survival against Gila monsters, lizards, black widows and many more terrifying creatures. Featuring intuitive motion controls and a deep combo-based combat system, Deadly Creatures is a thrilling mix of brutal creature-crushing action and suspenseful exploration of vast 360 degree desert and man-made environments. Gamers will explore this darkly compelling story through the eyes of two of the world's most deadlycreatures." -IGN

Check out this video, and the others on the playlist.

MLB Power Pros 2008

"The Power Pros take to the field again in this unique baseball game that has the comedic visual appeal of miniature Major League Baseball player players while still delivering the fun with easy-to-use controls and addictive gameplay.

With over ten different exciting game modes including the traditional Practice, Exhibition, League and Home Run Challenge modes, MLB Power Pros 2008 will bring fans closer to the action than ever before. Gamers also get the opportunity to act as general manager and control the destiny of their own franchise in Season mode, or engage in entertaining role-playing story modes such as Success and MLB Life modes. As general manager, gamers can trade, sign free agents, coordinate practice schedules, purchase new equipment, call up and send down players from the Minor Leagues, along with other management options to bring in fans, win playoff games and eventually, earn the title of World Series champion." -IGN

de Blob

"An action puzzle title that allows players to explore and liberate an alien city from the evil, monochromatic I.N.K.T. Corporation that has taken over the city and outlawed all color and fun from daily life. Playing as de Blob, gamers will embark on a quest to re-animate the city of Chroma, and bring spunk and character back to the oppressed, by splattering buildings, landmarks, and citizens with color. de Blob features an intricate single player campaign as well as a multiplayer experience that supports up to four competitors via split screen. The game was conceived by a team of nine students studying Game Design & Development at Utrecht University's School of the Arts in the Netherlands." -IGN

Call of Duty 5: World at War

Being developed by treyarch, but using Infinity Ward's COD4 engine, Call of Duty 5: World at War will return to WWII, battling the Japanese in the Pacific, as well as some parts of the game returning to Berlin as the russians advance on the Germans.

Wario Land Shake

"In this side scrolling platformer, your goal is to make use of Wario's moves to get past enemies and obstacles and clear each stage of play. You hold the controller sideways, controlling Wario's movements with the d-pad. Most of your actions involve shaking the controller at hot spots and using other forms of motion control to pilot the various vehicles that Wario encounters." -IGN

Nintendo's BIG projects(s)

As you may or may not know, Nintendo has announced some big projects. Promising to bring some new games for the hardcore gamer, and promising a game that "everyone will want" around the holiday season. And, as I said before, Nintendo says this -

"We will be announcing several new titles that core gamers will be interested in around the time of E3."

Oh I wonder what it/they could be.

Add-ons

Voice Chat

This, out of all of my crazy 'what COULD happens', is probably the crazist and least-likely to happen. However, I find it very important, and sooner or later, whether it be at a future Wii E3, or for one of the future Nintendo consoles, I think Nintendo will implimant voce chat into thier online games - or at least SOME.

This would be a great improvement to the Wii's online capabilities. While there are some games that offer extremely good online play already IMO (i.e. Mario Kart and Medal of Honor: Heroes 2), they could MOST DEFINATELY be a lot better. With the addition of voice chat, and some other things, the Wii's online service could finally be compared to that of Xbox Live and the Playstation Network by Xbox and PS3 fanboys. Don't think I'm bashing the Wii's online, 'cuz I'm not, I'm just saying that voice chat would put it closer than ever to being on par with the other consoles' online, if it isn't already . This topic is debatable, but I'll leave it at that.

However, here's a problem IMO that would be holding voice chat back.

1) Argue, Debate, and talk all you want, but the majority of younger kids (I mean YOUNG, 4-10) that own a current-gen game console own a Nintendo Wii. I am in no way saying that the Wii is for kids, because that couldn't be further from the truth, I'm just stating facts. This could be one of the reasons Nintendo won't release voice chat. If you go on Xbox Live and listen just for a moment, you'll hear some stuff that would make your grandma cry, so I can already see a problem. Nintendo caters to ALL of its gamers, whether they be casual or hardcore, young or old, so releasing voice chat for the Wii would be, in some people's opinions, not catering to thier yonger gamers (or thier parents for that matter). There could be workarounds, however, maybe by enabiling voice chat with friends only, or maybe you have to be over a certain age to voice chat, but as of now, this I think is the main problem holding voice chat down.

Plus, how would we connect a mic? Via a USB bluetooth dongle?

A Wii HardDrive or other form of mass storage and DLC.

This also could seem a little far-fetched, but don't poop your pants just yet. Nintendo had published some job offerings for "Software/Hardware testers," who will be able to "create and execute a test plan for Wii's USB devices". Could this mean a HardDrive, or something else? Plus, the Wii already has, technically, Downloadable Content, via WiiWare and Virtual Console and Channels, and DLC (songs) has been confirmed for Guitar Hero: World Tour Wii.

There are three options, I believe, Nintendo could take in order to expand storage, mostly to bring Downloadable Content to the Wii.

Option 1) Nintendo releases an OFFICIAL Wii hard Drive. It would plug into one USB port, and be flush with the console on the back. It would have to look good (after all it is Nintendo).

Option 2) Release a firmware update enabling the Wii to be able to use all External USB Hard Drives.

Option 3) Add firmware support for larger SD cards. However, SD cards can be rather expensive compared to HDDs, and some people may not like the physical small size, in the case of losing it or something.

Attention all Wii gamers!!! The Conduit Union has just been formed.Don't miss out on one of the biggest Wii releases of the year!

Here's a description of what we'll do in the Union -

The Conduit Union is a Union all about the new Wii exclusive FPS - The Conduit (Duh!).
Anyways, in the Union, we'll keep you updated and informed with the latest news regarding the Conduit, complete with Previews, Hands-on articles, and so much more. You can also talk about The Conduit in our private Union Board. Then, when the game comes out, we will hold tournaments, game nights, etc. We'll also be offering Signatures, Bannners, Avatars, and Userbars, and will be starting the "Buy The Conduit Campaign". There IS one rule though - HAVE FUN!

Anyone can join, so JOIN NOW!!!

High Voltage Software's The Conduit is a stunning first-person action shooter that promises to provide some of the best visuals seen to date on Nintendo's Wii gaming console.

Using their proprietary Quantum 3 Game Engine technology, the team at High Voltage Software is fusing fast and fluid gameplay with an advanced set of visuals intended to squarely establish the Wii as a true next-generation gaming platform. The first-person shooter boasts a competitive online multiplayer component and a thrilling single-player campaign. Advanced graphical features include dynamic environment mapping, interactive water with real-time reflection, and four-stage texture composition including gloss, diffuse, and bump mapping.

Featuring terrifying alien creatures, an advanced Artificial Intelligence System, and a rich, conspiracy-laden story, The Conduit has more than a pretty face. "The Wii has tremendous potential," said Kerry J. Ganofsky, CEO and founder of High Voltage Software. "We've invested heavily in our technology to make certain that potential is realized with The Conduit."

The Conduit will use the new Quantum 3 Gameplay engine developed by High Voltage Software. Said to bring graphics up to that of early 360 games, this revolutionary engine is going to push the hardware capabilities of the Wii.

Eric Nofsinger, chief creative officer at High Voltage Software, had this to say about the Wii being a "casual" platform -

"Most of the games on the Wii look like crap. We want to change that, so we've invested heavily in our Wii tech over the past year. We have real-time normal mapping, reflection and refraction, post process full screen effects, real-time shadows, projected lights and textures, specularity and fresnel effects, emissive and iridescent materials, interactive water, morphing, and much more all running with a rock solid frame rate on the Wii. Our goal is to be the most technically innovative Wii developer on the planet."

If you don't understand what all of that technicle mumbo-jumbo means, I'll sum it up for ya - some pretty darn good-lookin' games for the Wii, closer than ever to that of the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Nofsinger continued,

"There is this pervasive and cyclical argument that Wii consumers don't want mature titles, when there aren't those types of products available to them. And even more frustrating is the claim that Wii consumers only care about great gameplay. Of course they care about gameplay, but we believe if given the choice, they would want great graphics as well. It's just a cop out," says Nofsinger. "With Conduit, we are trying to make a Wii game that looks like a 360 title."

Check out some more screenshots of The Conduit over at IGN.

OR over at Gamespot.

The Conduit's control scheme was carefully designed from the ground up with the Wii in mind, as were each of the weapons in the extensive armory, providing gameplay not possible on other platforms. As Secret Service Agent Ford, you must learn to master each of these weapons as well as the special "All Seeing Eye" device to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, and unravel the game's mysteries.

If everything High Voltage has said is true, this will truly be the best FPS for the Wii, and will definately showcase the best graphics for the Wii to date. That is "if." Hopefully the new Quantum 3 game engine will be used by other developers, and pretty soon we can be seeing Wii games' graphics on par with the "other" next-gen consoles.

The full articles I got this info from can be read Here, and Here.

Also keep in mind that The Conduit is still in early design stages, Alpha, and does not yet have a publisher.

Well, it's been an exciting year so far for Wii owners. As March 9, the launch of Super Smash Brothers Brawl, is finally here, I thought I'd let some people in on a little secret - it's not all. In fact, it's not even close to ALL. There is a vast array of great games to come in the 2008 gaming season, and the year is still young, so I've decided to make a list of my Most Anticipated Wii Games of the first half of '08 . I'd like to here some reccomendations to "The List", so drop some thoughts or leave a comment. I'm gonna start it off, and as I here more recomendations from you guys, I'll make some changes, adding games, and dropping some. So here we go.

In chronological order.....

No More Heroes

January 22, 2008

"Weird, Funny, and Violent is No More Heroes in 3 words. By the makers of Killer 7, you get to slice and dice opponents via Beam Katana on the way to be the best assassin out there leaving over-the-top, almost to the point of being comical, fountains of blood in your wake. Gameplay is so satisfying that you'll forget that it's a little on the simple side. And if you're looking for styIe this game oozes it. Story may seem straight forward at first but all the characters are so unique you'll be begging to see the next cutscene. Although the overworld is a bit lacking and the graphics not top notch, it's easy to overlook with everything else in the game. And there's enough extras to unlock to keep you busy for at least 2 playthroughs." (Shogun_Master)

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March 4, 2008

"Scholarship Edition is somewhat of a director's cut for Bully, the game released as Canis Canem Edit in Europe in 2006. The new version keeps the soul of the original PlayStation 2 game and adds a next-gen polish to its body. It also adds new graphics, extra solo missions, and multiplayer games."

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Super Smash Bros. Brawl

March 9, 2008

"Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a brawling, battling, action-packed video game that features a varied roster of characters for four-player simultaneous melees! Use your Wii Remote and Nunchuck controls to deal serious damage to your opponents and win the game! This Wii entry in the popular series features a number of new additions, including an Adventure Mode (with co-op play), a wealth of new characters and stages, and online combat for multiple players to face off against each other from anywhere" (IGN)

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Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Mar 18, 2008

"The Wii version of PES offers the same level of realism that has established the series as the definitive football title, but has been undergone a radical rethink to make the most of the Wii's motion-sensitive control system. Using a point and drag system, the player uses the Wii Remote to guide the player with the ball, and perform all the skill moves and close control with subtle movements of their hand. The new system gives the player full control over their team, and allows the man marking of specific threats, while shakes of the Wii Nunchuk can be used to perform sliding tackles, and send the goal keeper out to clear a loose ball. The strategic elements are also easily accessed, with the directional controls of the Wii Remote used to activate tactical plays and spring counter attacks or send players tracking back." (IGN)

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Mario Kart Wii

May 1, 2008

"Mario and friends once again jump into the seat of their go-kart machines for the first Wii installment of this popular franchise. New features this year are an online racing mode, new motorbike vehicle types, a special balancing system for new and veteran players, and (in its initial release) a special Mario Kart wheel packaged with the game." (IGN)

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Wii Fit

May 19, 2008

The hit combination of Wii Sports and the Wii Remote brought golf swings and tennis serves into people's homes. Now Nintendo turns the living room into a fitness center for the whole family with Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board. Family members will have fun getting a "core" workout, and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu.

Lean to block soccer balls, swivel hips to power hoop twirls or balance to hold the perfect yoga pose. As users stand on the Wii Balance Board, included with Wii Fit, their body's overall balance is tied to the game in a way they've never experienced before. Wii Fit also uses the Wii Balance Board for daily tests. These evaluate two key measures that a household can track via progress charts.

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Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

June 3, 2008

Once again rendering a beloved George Lucas creation in LEGOs, LEGO Indiana Jones features the intrepid explorer in an epic adventure based on the film series. Developed by the same team that created the LEGO Star Wars series, LEGO Indiana Jones presents a tongue-in-cheek take on the first three cinematic adventures of pop culture's most iconic archaeologist, including Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Add me- My Wii Code is 8692-6282-4674-0576!

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