KEY POINTS:
The news just keeps getting better for Nintendo - the gaming company is on a big comeback.
Nintendo has so far sold 13.17 million Wiis worldwide and now has plans to hit China and South Korea. The revolutionary console is still in hot demand with 3.9 million selling in
only the past three months.
Its present manufacturing plants have been running at full capacity churning out 1.8 million Wiis a month to keep up with demand in the US, Japan and Europe.
And Nintendo's magical comeback is also reflected now in Nintendo DS sales with 28 million sold in the fiscal year to add to the 40 million already in existence.
The company is talking of a major profit rise of an incredible 58 per cent to reach US$2.4 billion with profits in the first half doubling that of last year.
The success of the Wii has certainly taken some game developers by surprise and significantly, titles meant for the next-gen consoles are also being considered because of the healthy sales possible thanks to the number of Wiis out there.
Legendary games developer Will Wright has told UK's Guardian that his forthcoming revolutionary game Spore is being re-worked to produce a Wii version in addition to that for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Wright, creator of The Sims, is trying for a "more personal experience in gaming" with his much-hyped game, billed as "an epic journey that takes you from the origin and evolution of life through the development of civilization and technology and eventually all the way into the reaches of outer space."
Spore is now scheduled for a March release next year.
But there's plenty of titles coming through to keep Nintendo gamers happy.
Here are some of the latest:
Zelda Phantom Hourglass
Nintendo DS, rated G
This is an awesome Zelda sequel that will keep fans very happy and for those new to the franchise, it's reasonably accessible. Zelda may have been around for yonks but the DS control system helps breathe freshness into it.
It's the first Zelda title on DS even though the handheld has been around for about three years. The graphics and audio have been scaled back to compromise for the DS release so don't expect anything but fun and a great story.
For those who had a Gamecube (I didn't) it's apparently similiar to the plot of The Wind Waker adventure which appeared on that console. With my limited recollection playing Wind Waker, the game has all the Zelda elements you'd expect including the puzzles and battles and those dungeons but the touch screen controls make the fights and puzzles feel a new experience.
MadGamer rating: 9 / 10
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All
Capcom, rated PG
This is a Japanese court room battle series which first emerged on GameBoy Advance. You play defence attorney Phoenix Wright who has his work cut out to prove his client not guilty in four cases. You have to do all the lawyer things - like collecting evidence, examining witnesses, and demanding that truth prevails.
It's surprising fun with wit and charisma showing through each character. The courtroom battles are so old-school you could almost imagine this is a legal Tekken.
The cases are absorbing, the characters fun and they take time to solve. The only downside is that once you win a reprieve for all your clients, the game is over and there's nothing to do but eagerly await the next episode!
MadGamer rating: 6 / 10
Big Brain Academy for Wii
G
Building on the success of Brain Age, the DS brain age exercises improved with More Brain Training. Now a successor comes to the fore on the Wii but is the game a cut-down version from the DS?
I loved testing my wits with More Brain Training on the DS as did millions who wanted to improve their day to day IQ and mental agility. It worked for me or at least that is what I am told!
This is essentially similar brain exercises re-done in a rapid-fire fashion, with a quick release out for the Wii in which you enrol to a "Big Brain Academy" and take various doors or hallways to find challenges.
Your virtual avatar (Mii) gives a visual reaction to whether you did good or bad as well as your remote coach giving audio cues and praise.
You can embarrass yourself by playing multiplayer with friends (tip: obviously don't choose the nimblest of your friends).
The weighting of your brain depends on your abilities in pre-defined areas such as Visualise, Memorise, Identify, Analyse, and Compute. I started out scoring only 850 grams but quickly improved 300 within 10 minutes.
Remote Coach encouragement is a good feature to have for what seems the 8-15 age-group this should be targeted at. We had problems with the multi-player/remote activation for the second player with this game which was a disappointment.
It's fun and there's enough to tax your brain but there are only around 15 activities with differing skill levels so you may be hanging out for some more.
MadGamer rating: 7.5 / 10
Super Paper Mario
G
The newest chapter of the quirky Paper Mario story (which appeared on Nintendo 64 and GameCube) is a version that is a 2D platformer, and a 3D action adventure, that also has RPG elements. The action is spread against eight worlds filled with mysteries, traps and puzzles.
Those familiar with it will find familiar characters like Peach and Bowser, and humour, enjoyable puzzles and side quests, it looks good and works smart on the Wii but there is a lot of text to read and button pushing wears down the batteries (I use rechargables)! It's good value with about 20 hours gameplay.
MadGamer rating: 8 / 10
