Now this was unexpected. A Dead Rising game coming to the Wii that makes use of the Wii Remote motion sensing abilities to aim ala RE4. Click the pics below to see full versions:

SAN MATEO, Calif. — July 21, 2008 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Dead Rising™: Chop Till You Drop is in development for the Wii™ home video game system. Based on the critically acclaimed Dead Rising™, which has sold in excess of one million units since its release in 2006, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop is scheduled to hit store shelves this Winter.

Taking advantage of the same proven technology that brought Resident Evil® 4 so successfully to Wii, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop delivers a more immersive, intuitive and interactive experience as players use the Wii Remote to shoot, slash and bludgeon their way through a zombie infested shopping mall, fighting for survival.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop follows the harrowing tale of Frank West, an overly zealous freelance journalist on a hunt for the scoop of a lifetime. In pursuit of a juicy lead, he makes his way to the small suburban town of Willamette only to find that it has become overrun by zombies. Frank escapes to the local shopping mall, thinking it will be a bastion of safety but it turns out to be anything but. It will be a true struggle to survive the endless stream of enemies, but players will have full reign of a realistic shopping centre and its varied stores offering an endless supply of real and makeshift weapons to fight off the flesh-hungry mob. If Frank is running low on health he can pay a visit to one of the many restaurants or cafes for a meal in order to restore his energy and continue the fight.

The game is split into a series of individual cases, all of which Frank must complete in order to gain vital information that will allow him to piece together the truth behind the horrendous epidemic. In addition to the cases, players will be faced with the dilemma of deciding the rescue priority of the residents of Wilamette who also sought sanctuary in the mall. Depending on the player’s skill, some may not be so fortunate as each rescue needs to be undertaken in a set time period, therefore players may need to delay completion of a case in order to save a fellow human.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop’s infectious humor delivers some welcome relief from the incessant tide of zombies with players able to dress Frank up in a variety of comedic costumes and take on the undead hordes with a selection of improvised and sometimes highly ineffective weapons such as a toy sword or a football.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop includes the following features:
• Utilizes the same engine as Resident Evil 4 Wii edition.
• New level of interaction – aim and fire guns, swing and throw weapons and shake off zombie attacks with added Wii Remote functionality
• Huge environment – expansive indoor and outdoor areas of the mall provide a variety of different locations to explore
• Improved save functionality allows for more seamless gameplay
• Hoards of enemies on screen at once resulting in non-stop, pulse-pounding action
• Anything in the mall is at Frank’s disposal
• Grab environmental objects like umbrellas and benches to use as improvised weapons
• Snatch items from different stores to use as weapons including golf clubs, lawnmowers, frying pans and more
• Consume food and drink to revive health

Here’s the press release straight from Nintendo themselves covering this weeks WiiWare and VC releases:

Which do you prefer: sailing the ocean or soaring through the sky? With the latest additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel, players can choose between seafaring action and high-flying thrills. Unleash your inner pirate with a new WiiWare™ adventure, or check out a pair of side-scrolling Sega Genesis classics making their Virtual Console™ debut. By air and by sea, big fun is on the way.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Pirates: The Key of Dreams (Oxygen Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Pirates: The Key of Dreams is a frantic nautical shoot-’em-up. Sail your way across the Caribbean, cannons blazing, looting booty, running blockades and ultimately battling Blackbeard himself. The player takes control of a navy captain sent deep undercover as a ruthless pirate in order to seek out and retrieve the Key of Dreams, a valuable and dangerous cursed artifact. Rescue castaways to bolster your ship’s crew, gaining performance increases to your navigation, weaponry, structural integrity and cartography skills. Collect increasingly powerful weaponry including rockets, mines, chain shot, saw blades and a flamethrower to hurl destruction into the path of your enemies. Play against three of your scurvy friends or A.I. opponents in pitched multiplayer battles over 35 levels, set in seven themed environments. Choose from different ship types that reflect your play style. Play in turbo mode if you’re pirate enough.

Virtual Console

Super Fantasy Zone (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Cartoon Violence, 900 Wii Points): The last entry in the Fantasy Zone series, this side-scrolling shooter puts you in the shoes of main character Opa-Opa, who is on a mission to avenge the death of his father. To do so, you’ll have to battle a variety of Enemy Generators to clear out the various levels and finish off the Menon Guardian at the end of the level. Eliminating your enemies will let you rack up some gold, which you can use to buy even better weapons, upgrades and other equipment. Spend your gold wisely, as each different boss you need to defeat presents a unique challenge.

Gley Lancer (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): In the year 2025, a war breaks out between humans and a hostile alien race, and 16-year-old Lucia and the rest of the starfighter pilots in the Earth Federation must join the battle. When Lucia’s father is kidnapped by the aliens, she decides to take action and hijacks a brand new prototype starfighter, the Gley Lancer, in order to try to save him. In this side-scrolling shooter, step into the cockpit of the Gley Lancer as Lucia, rescue your father and destroy the evil aliens that are bent on destroying the human race.

Coming exclusively for the Wii, check out the Press release for Sonic and the Black Knight below:

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (July 21, 2008) –SEGA of Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced Sonic™ and the Black Knight, an all-new Wii-exclusive adventure. Part of the storybook series of games that began with Sonic and the Secret Rings, this new title brings Sonic into the world of Arthurian legend and offers the worlds most infamous blue hedgehog the chance to become a knight. Using the unique Wii control system, this exciting game will take advantage of both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk to offer an interactive experience that any Sonic fans will love.

Created by Sonic Team in Japan, this innovative game takes Sonic into a medieval world and arms him with a sword to aid in his effort to save the day. Sonic and the Black Knight will provide Sonic fans with an irresistible cast of characters and teach them all what it takes to be a true hero and the ultimate knight. With a series of missions taking place in stunning Arthurian-inspired locations, Sonic and the Black Knight promises to offer a fast-paced adventure that gamers of all ages will enjoy.

“After the success of Sonic and the Secret Rings we’re delighted to announce a second title in the Storybook Series,” said Gary Knight, European Marketing Director, SEGA Europe, “Following Sonic on his way to knighthood will excite players of all ages.”

Sonic and the Black Knight, exclusively for the Wii, will be out in Spring 2009.

Some new and fun items have shown up on the Nintendo Channel, here’s a list of what’s up:

Videos
Get Wii Fit with Alyson: Aerobics
Pirates: The Key of Dreams Info Video
Madden NFL 09 Info Video
GRID Info Video
Hell’s Kitchen The Game Info Video
TNA iMPACT! Info Video
Master of the Monster Lair Info Video
Dinasour King Info Video
Guitar Hero: On Tour Duel Video
Digest Video

Demos - expire 7/27
Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
Wall-E DS Demo
Contra 4
PICTOIMAGE

Let’s hope this microphone can be used in other games, but for now the WiiSpeak microphone will be supported by the upcoming Animal Crossing game for the Wii. It appears to function much like any other microphone, allowing people in a group setting to talk to others in a group setting over the internet. I’m wagering the device will be USB powered. Here’s a couple of pics:

Here’s the press release for Logitech’s Cordless Keyboard for the Wii and I can speak from first hand experience that having a keyboard for your console GREATLY increases your ability to type messages. I picked up the Bluetooth keyboard for the PS3 and love it. This one for the Wii will take up a USB port, but it’s not like you’re really using it for much else, are you?

Here’s that press release:

Licensed by Nintendo®, the Logitech® Cordless Keyboard for Wii™ provides easy text entry for Wii™.
Cordless Keyboard for Wii
Convenience

* 2.4 GHz wireless technology: Allows you to easily enter text on the Wii™ Internet Channel and in chat-oriented games from up to 30 feet (10 m) from the console.
* Compact design: Easy to store, yet full-size keys allow for comfortable typing.
* Easy setup: Just plug in the receiver and the keyboard works instantly.
* Wii™ system keys: Navigate the Internet and system with dedicated buttons for Zoom In/Out, Forward/Back, Quit, and OK.

Cordless Keyboard for Wii
Compatibility

* Licensed for Wii™: Ensures both design and technical compatibility.

Hmm, this week is a mixed bag of releases with two virtual console games and one Wii Ware game including Donkey Kong 3 (NOT Donkey Kong Country), Ninja Commando, and the eating game that looks rather mediocre from the Wii Ware platform. Check out the press release below for more info:

Enjoying a nice hot dog, tending to your flowers-not exactly the hallmarks of an adventurous lifestyle, right? Think again. This week’s additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel feature action and excitement in unlikely settings, from super-charged eating contests to a greenhouse that’s been invaded by a certain world-famous ape. We’ve also thrown in a classic scrolling actioner for those who prefer a more familiar brand of fist-flying combat. For WiiWare™ lovers and Virtual Console™ devotees alike, it’s a great week to get some unexpected kicks.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Major League Eating: The Game™ (Mastiff, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Crude Humor, 1,000 Wii Points): The ultimate chomp-off is about to begin. Grab your Wii Remote™ controller and dig into 12 different foods as you compete against the greatest major-league eaters in the world. This isn’t just a race to stuff your face-you’ll need strategy to master a smorgasbord of digestive attacks, defenses and counters. These include the Mega Burp, Gas Attack, Antacid and more. And don’t forget to keep an eye on your Barf-O-Meter, because if the food hits the plate twice, you’re out. Unlock more than 10 characters in single-player career mode, go gut-to-gut against your friends in versus mode, or compete online using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Online play supports friend codes, random matchmaking and leader boards.

Virtual Console

Donkey Kong™ 3 (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Based on the third game in the enormously popular arcade series, Donkey Kong 3 introduces an exterminator named Stanley as he desperately tries to protect the flowers in his greenhouse from Donkey Kong. Armed only with a can of bug spray, Stanley must force Donkey Kong higher and higher into the greenhouse rafters until Donkey Kong is off the screen and the next stage is reached. Not surprisingly, Donkey Kong isn’t going to move without a fight, so he sends wave after wave of bugs, bees and other creatures toward Stanley. Not only must Stanley repel the insects in order to save the flowers, but he’ll also have to keep an eye out for projectiles thrown by Donkey Kong himself. If Stanley is good enough, he’ll be able to grab a can of more powerful bug spray and really get Donkey Kong moving. It all adds up to frantic fun that anyone can enjoy.

NINJA COMMANDO (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Language, Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): NINJA COMMANDO is a vertically scrolling action game released by ADK in 1992. Players choose from among three ninjas-Joe, descended from the Koga ninja; Rayar, a woman who has learned the ways of the Iga ninja; and Ryu, descendant of the famous ninja Fuma Kotaro-as they pursue the merchant of death known as Spider, who plans to use a time machine to bring havoc to the world. The battle spans seven time periods, including the Stone Age, the Egyptian era and the Japanese Civil War era. Each hero features a variety of attack options in addition to their own normal attacks, including a deadly attack that inflicts damage upon all enemies on the screen, special ninja-arts attacks performed by inputting specific commands, and a powerful attack unleashed by taking on the “shape of the beast” when three scrolls have been collected. The game also supports two-player cooperative play, so you’re welcome to bring a friend and enjoy taking on the evil Spider together.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Nintendo’s upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player’s arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play. The Wii MotionPlus accessory reconfirms Nintendo’s commitment to making games intuitive and accessible for everyone. Nintendo will reveal more details about the Wii MotionPlus accessory and other topics Tuesday morning at its E3 media briefing.

Looks like one company is putting the Wii first with it’s “Wee 1st” program. Of course this doesn’t mean they are shifting all of their resources to developing on the Wii first and foremost, they are just coming out with a line of games specially designed to take advantage of the Wii controls, which is still a GREAT thing:

ACTIVISION ANNOUNCES “WEE 1ST”; NEW BRAND FOCUSED ON TITLES DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR Wii™

“Wee 1ST” Games Will Hit Shelves This Holiday Season

SANTA MONICA, CA – JULY 9, 2008 – Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today unveiled a new consumer initiative to expand the company’s Wii portfolio this Fall. Dubbed “Wee 1ST”, the brand highlights the company’s games that were developed specifically with the Wii in mind.

“The Wii is introducing new audiences to gaming,” said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. “Clearly, the Wii’s accessible controls are changing how the audience plays games and how we look at game design. This initiative is designed to showcase games that take full advantage of the Wii’s capabilities.”

With the Wii on track to be the leading platform by Christmas, the company’s move to expand its offering has been in the works for more than a year. The first titles under the “Wee 1ST” brand include Little League® World Series 2008, Rapala® Fishing Frenzy and Dancing with the Stars™: Get Your Dance On. More games will be announced in the upcoming weeks, all of which will hit shelves this holiday season.

The “Wee 1ST” brand is supported by a national television and print advertising campaign scheduled to kick off this fall. New branding is featured on the front of all boxes and at retail locations nationwide.

About Activision, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $2.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

I hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday weekend but it’s Monday again which not only means it’s back to work time but it’s also time for a WiiWare and Virtual Console update! It seems Nintendo is going to stick to the 1 VC game, 1 WiiWare game routine at least for now as that’s all we’re getting this week. On the WiiWare platform, you’ll find SPOGS Racing and if you check out the VC, you’ll find King of the Monsters from the Neo Geo. I used to love that game! Videos are below the press release:

July 7, 2008 - This week’s additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel are bigger, stronger and faster. It’s all about excess with these electrifying titles. A new WiiWare™ offering puts you behind the wheel of a high-octane racer with no regard for speed limits. A classic Virtual Console™ game transforms you into a larger-than-life beast with a massive appetite for mayhem. Whichever you choose, there will be no skimping on the action.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

SPOGS Racing™ (D2C Games™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Coming at you full throttle is SPOGS Racing, an all-new racer from D2C Games featuring classic arcade racing, pick-up-and-play controls, all-new racing vehicles and Crash N’ Grab™ instant upgrades. Jump in, gear up and modify your ride on the fly as you compete head-to-head for a totally outrageous arcade racing experience on your Wii console. Whether you’re a casual gamer or hardcore racer, SPOGS Racing features fun for all and is a must-have download for your WiiWare digital game library.

Virtual Console

KING OF THE MONSTERS (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released by SNK in 1991, KING OF THE MONSTERS is an action/fighting game that features city-destroying battles between huge monsters. Choose one of six monsters and travel around Japan, stopping to fight in various famous cities with the aim of becoming the ultimate winner. In addition to punches, kicks and other regular moves, each character has the ability to use more devastating maneuvers, like throwing flames and shooting laser beams, to defeat opponents. Wrestling elements are also incorporated, as you must completely exhaust your opponent and get a three-count to pin him and be victorious. Along with the player-versus-computer game, multiplayer options allow you and a friend to enjoy one-on-one matches and two-on-two tag-team matches against the computer. Take on the challenge and claim the title of King of the Monsters.

I still haven’t gotten around to playing My Life as King from the WiiWare platform, but I hear it’s good fun stuff and it’s only going to get better with DLC. DLC! On a Nintendo Wii! What’s included in this round of updates? NintendoWiiFanboy.com has a list of what’s been added to the list of available purchases and I’ve taken the meat of it and posted it below for your perusing:

* The Infinity Spire pack for 300 points, which contains two dungeons, one of which levels up when it’s completed,
* Castle Renovation for 100 points, a dungeon that enables you to rename your adventurers and listen to the game’s music in a jukebox mode,
* the Library for 200 points, a dungeon that adds libraries to the game and lets you teach your adventurers skills.

It also mentions you can purchase new outfits for your characters for 100pts a piece - including bikinis. Hot. I mean it’s hot outside! What do you think I am, some kinda perv?

Another Monday, another selection of titles for the WiiWare and Virtual Console platforms and this time we’re going to get a puzzle game in the form of Magnetica Twist and a fighter from the Neo Geo with Fatal Fury 2. Here’s the press release from Nintendo along with a few videos below it showing what to expect. They both look like great fun but I’m especially excited to see Magnetica Twist using Mii’s.

You want fireworks? Look no further than the Wii™ Shop Channel, where vibrant bursts of classic gaming action and fresh WiiWare™ content will help fill your living room with a flurry of ooohs and ahhhs. Puzzle-game mavens can enjoy a wild new addition to the WiiWare library, while the Virtual Console™ brings a truly classic fighting game to the fore. For an added holiday-week blast, fans of the WiiWare hit FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: My Life as a King™ can enhance the action with new Add-On Content.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Magnetica™ Twist (Nintendo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): The classic puzzle game Magnetica is now available on WiiWare , putting its own unique “twist” on the puzzle-game experience. You’re surrounded by marbles, marching slowly but surely down a track. Use a launcher (piloted by a Mii™ of your choice) to shoot marbles with matching colors and wipe them out before they reach the end of the track. Control couldn’t be simpler, as all you need to do is twist the Wii Remote™ controller to aim and press the A button to shoot. And the game play remains as addictive and deep as you’ve come to expect in Nintendo’s puzzle games, with five varied play modes, advanced mechanics such as the ability to lob marbles, and a never-ending supply of combos. This definitely isn’t your typical game of marbles.

Virtual Console

FATAL FURY 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Animated Blood, Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1992 by SNK, FATAL FURY 2 is the second installment in the renowned fighting-game series. In addition to Terry, Andy and Joe, who appeared in the original game, another five distinctive fighters gather from around the world to compete for the championship title. Also newly added are stage-specific hazards and the ability to perform desperation attacks when a character’s strength is low. These particularly deadly techniques create the chance for a come-from-behind victory achieved with a single strike. Moreover, the innovative two-line battle, which proved popular in the previous version, also has been radically enhanced. Pressing the weak-attack and strong-attack buttons simultaneously enables players to move their fighters to another line themselves, or to launch an attack that pushes opponents back to another line. This game mechanic, unique to this title in the series, allows the player to take advantage of the depth of the screen and create even more exciting bouts. Can you prove yourself the king of fighters again?

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

And now, for some videos:

GoNintendo has the scoop based on the latest issue of Nintendo Power that the Castlevania game coming to the Wii is going to be a fighting game. Weird. But it just might work! More info will be coming out about this title shortly, but so far we know you fight as classic characters from the game and it’s got some of the weapons from the franchise in there also.

Would you be interested in playing a Castlevania based fighting game? And why does this bring back memories of the N64 Castlevania for me?