Old-school action is the main attraction at the Wii Shop Channel this week. With a wealth of underground buzz already surrounding it, a brand new WiiWare title uses vintage-looking graphics and 8-bit sounds to create a rhythm-based game that's loaded with retro cool. Find out if you have enough skill to create order from chaos in a game that is as mesmerizing as it is challenging. Meanwhile, the latest addition to the Virtual Console lineup brings a Commodore 64 classic to the Wii console, proving that fans of international sports events needn't wait until 2012 to get their track-and-field fix. Even if you're too young to remember the original days of 8-bit gaming, these awesome titles provide timeless 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
BIT.TRIP
BEAT (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii
Points): BIT.TRIP BEAT is a rhythm game that brings retro action into
the present, letting you use the motion-sensing Wii Remote controller to
bounce beats. Retro visuals, classic game play, four-player multiplayer
and an 8-bit soundtrack will get you in the zone and rock your world.
The challenges are mighty, but if you can stay cool as the difficulty
increases, you'll discover the beginnings of the BIT.TRIP saga.
Virtual Console
Summer
Games II (Commodore 64, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii
Points): A thousand athletes. A hundred countries. Billions watching
around the world as you enter the stadium, marching confidently among
your nation's strongest, fastest and boldest young men and women. Your
gaze sweeps the crowd as you realize the scope of your achievement. You
are about to compete against the world's best athletes in a
3,000-year-old competition. This is the pinnacle of athletic
achievement: the Summer Games. Summer Games II challenges your
competitive skills with a series of athletic contests for one to eight
players. Experience the excitement and realism of eight different
events: cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking,
rowing and triple jump. Practice each event to sharpen your skills, then
choose from the 18 countries you can represent in the competition.