Who makes the best games for Nintendo consoles? We both know the answer to that. If you want something done right, you do it yourself, right?

A whopping 27.5 million first-party games were sold for the Wii in 2009, totalling $1.53 billion in sales. That’s 47 percent of all Wii sales for the year. Some of that may lead be related to a price difference: The average third-party game on sold for $37.85; the average first-party game sold for $55.63. Price it what it’s worth? We won’t get into that.

On the data, analyst Michael Pachter said: “The conclusion I draw from this is that the Wii audience is far more casual and harder to reach than the PS3 or 360 audiences, and they purchase brand name software (with ‘Wii’ or ‘Mario’ in the title, or with a TV/product tie-in).”

Looking at my collection, it is varied, and I own more third-party games than first. Of course, I’m far from your typical Wii owner. If you’re reading this, you are also in the same boat.

US: First-party titles accounted for 47% of Wii sales in 2009 [GI]

source Destructoid

Here’s the news many of us North America-based, Castlevania-obsessed freaks have been desperately waiting for: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is finally making it Stateside thanks to a Virtual Console release. The ESRB gave us a heads up not long ago, but Hudson has gone on to confirm the good news.

Speaking to Siliconera, a representative from Hudson said Rondo of Blood ought to be “released shortly” but not in English. Oh no, whatever will we do? There’s so much important text in the older Castlevania games. How the heck will any of us know how to whip skeletons without intense instructions first?

Now that my sarcasm powers have been permanently depleted from overuse, let me say how excited I am to finally play a non-emulated non-shady version of this game on my Television. Anyone else pumped up by this confirmation?

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Coming Soon, But It Won’t Be In English [Siliconera]

source Destructoid

At the time of this writing, I have just completed No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle after a 16-hour marathon play through, with occasional breaks to nap and go to the lavatory. This isn’t the best way to go about playing a game for review, but due to equally important Tatsunoko-oriented commitments, it couldn’t be avoided.

So here I am, trying to sum up and explain a game that’ll probably take months of analysis and multiple play-throughs to fully wrap my head around. Also, I really have to go to the water closet, which is ironic, because Suda51 (the creator of No More Heroes) sees his games as a sort of psychological bowel movement. All the information he takes in — movies, videogames, anime, relationships, conversations, everything that makes up his day-to-day life — is chewed up in his mind, and pooped out in the form of No More Heroes.

I’m going to try and take that as inspiration and go to the toilet myself. After that, I’ll be pooping out the ideal No More Heroes 2 review that I have the ability to. Take a look for it after the jump, but beware of possible minor, non-story-related spoilers.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Wii)
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: January 26, 2010
MSRP: $49.99

Like its prequel, No More Heroes 2 focuses on Travis Touchdown, the living embodiment of the modern American videogame fan. In the first game, Travis started out as a regular guy. By the end of the story, he had become the #1-ranked assassin in the world, found out that his twin brother was married to the woman he’d been trying to seduce for the entire game, and discovered even creepier stuff about his half-sister Jeane. Speaking of Jeane, Travis also named his cat after her. He pets his cat pretty regularly, and just sort of stares off into space as he does so — not something you see most videogame tough-guys do in their off time.

A lot of people I know skipped the Wii version of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and went for the slightly cheaper PS2 port, assuming that the two games would look identical. Turns out that they don’t. In fact, the PS2 version looks like it’s missing a lot, to the point where I’m not even sure it’s complete. As you can see in the above video, the first enemy in the game, the one that’s supposed to send Harry tumbling down a road of madness and horror, doesn’t even bother to show up in the PS2 game. Instead, Harry just stares at a massive block of ice, then pretends to get scared.

Thanks for trying Harry, but it’s not working. Pagophobia is so much less fun that skinless-freak-that-wants-to-hump-me-to-death-phobia.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories- Wii/PS2 Comparison [Gonintendo]

source Destructoid

Ubisoft has finally confirmed the release dates for Red Steel 2 in the US and Europe. Americans will be getting the game on March 23 and Europe will get the game a few days later on March 26.

You’ll have two options of buying the game here in the US. You’ll be able to pick up the game for the regular price of $49.99, or for $10 more, you can get the game along with the Wii MotionPlus attachment. And if you’re pre-order the game from GameStop, you’ll also get two in-game bonus swords.

Europeans looking forward to Red Steel 2 are definitely getting the killer pre-order bonus. The bonuses will include an art book, a Red Steel 2 branded metal bullet and four exclusive in-game weapons. You can get all the details on these bonus items over on Ubisoft’s Forums.

Red Steel 2 cuts March 23 in US, March 26 in EU [GameSpot]

source Destructoid

…and that’s a good thing. Up until now, Atlus’ Trauma Center games have been mostly about hacking up bodies in surgery. Not that I’ve a problem with that, mind you. It’s just that there’s a lot more to the upcoming Wii game Trauma Team, as it now features game play from six different medical fields, including forensics. Of course, in the field of

When I tell one of my fighting game-playing friends that Capcom’s releasing a new fighting game called Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, the first thing they ask is, “What’s a Tatsunoko?”, frequently with an incredulous tone of budding disinterest clearly present in the questioning.

Instead of answering their largely unimportant question, I instead cut to the chase and let them know that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom plays like an evolved version of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, features 26 characters (21 of which have never been in a fighting game before or have all-new play styles), is as easy to learn but hard to master as the Super Smash Bros. series, and features online play that’s thus far nearly lag-free. Their incredulous tone turns into excitement.

Really, that’s all you need to know about Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. I anticipate that fans of Capcom’s superhero rave series (X-Men: Kids of the Atom, Marvel vs. Capcom), fans of Smash Bros., or anyone who wants to play an almost totally new fighting game with 26 characters, will love the game. It has a few flaws, but it’s otherwise a fantastic game, easily my favorite Capcom fighter of this generation.

Still not convinced? Well, then hit the jump for the full review, you stubborn son of a b*tch.

[Editor's note: Also see the Destructoid review of the Japanese build of the game, which was released back in 2008. --Jonathan]

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii)
Developer: Eighting Co. and Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: January 26, 2010
MSRP: $49.99

Okay, about that Tatsunoko question: Tatsunoko is the name of a Japanese animation company that’s been around for the better part of fifty years. A few of their creations have gone on to star in big-budget live-action films (like Yatterman and Casshern), while others have managed to even grab some crossover success in the United States (like Gatchaman/G-Force). Over the past two years (since the release of the Japanese version of the game), I’ve learned just how much Tatsunoko means to certain high-ranking staff at Capcom Japan. A lot of armchair critics have been swift to claim that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom has tiny chance of selling in the US due to its weird name and cast of partially unfamiliar characters. What I’ve come to find out is that Capcom USA and Capcom Japan are well aware of this, but they made the game anyway.

Why? Well, the answer’s simple: they wanted to make a videogame for themselves and for like-minded fans. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is truly a labor of love, and it shows. The game is packed to the gills with fan service, characters from both the Capcom side and the Tatsunoko side that were thought to be dead to the world, and a general feeling of exuberance that can only be the result of a creative team whose inspiration has thrown their imagination into overdrive.

“Imagination” is the key word with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. The game is brimming with ideas, both in terms of visuals and gameplay. If you can envision a combo or fighting technique, it’s probably possible. The only thing limiting you is your own creativity and technical skill. Unlike in Street Fighter IV, the characters in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom don’t generally fit into the typical Capcom types (charge character, 360-throw character, shotokan, etc.). These are characters the likes of which have never been seen in a fighting game, and might never be seen again, ranging from a giant 25-foot robot to a five-foot-tall, super-deformed superhero who can control time. For a fighting game fan, a game like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom represents truly undiscovered country.

Thought the basic combat system fits firmly into Capcom’s superhero rave line of fighters, there are a few major changes worth mentioning. Like Capcom’s other tag-team fighters, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom allows you to pick two fighters at the begin of a match. You can call out the second character for assist attacks, or tag them into the primary combat roll, allowing their partner to replenish some health from the side-lines. The Baroque combo system changes that a bit. Instead of replenishing the red part of your health meter by tagging a character out, you can also sacrifice it to power a Baroque combo. Trading health for offensive power is a risky maneuver, but it can yield big rewards. There’s nothing like being on the verge of defeat and using your red health to power a 114-hit Viewtiful combo, bringing much shame and sorrow to the competition.

While the Baroque combos are sure to please fighting game enthusiasts looking to learn ever more complicated fighting techniques, the game’s simplified controls work to appease the other side of the market: gamers who like fighting games in theory, but can’t actually play them in practice. Using an arcade stick, GameCube controler, or Wii Classic Controller makes Tatsunoko vs. Capcom play like a slightly stripped-down version of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 that employs three buttons instead of four. If you use the Wii Remote or Wii-Remote-and-Nunchuk control schemes, the game plays much more like Smash Bros., with one button for all regular attacks, and one for all special attacks. This effectively opens the game up to everyone who ever wished they could effectively play a traditional 2D fighing game, but terminally sucks at quarter-circle-forward-and-fierce-punch controls. Now even the least dexterous among us can know the joys of chaining a hadouken into a shin-shoryuken.

The game’s cast also smacks of Smash Bros. influence. While previous Capcom vs. titles have featured a broad range of characters as well, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom has by far the most varied (and insane) roster of players utilized in a 2D fighter. On the Capcom side, newcomers Frank West (Dead Rising) and Zero (Mega Man X) join Ryu (Street Fighter), Chun-Li (Street Fighter II), Alex (Street Fighter III), Batsu (Rival Schools), Morrigan (Darkstalkers), Mega Man Volnutt (Mega Man Legends), Roll (Mega Man: Powered Up!), Kajin No Soki (Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams), Viewtiful Joe (Viewtiful Joe), PTX-40A (Lost Planet), and the Cabel-esque Saki (Quiz Nanairo Dreams) to form the most eclectic cast the publisher has ever put together. There’s an equal amount of Tatsunoko-based characters, the majority of whom will be unfamiliar to most American players, but they definitely still hold their own in providing a wide range of new and interesting fighting styles for the player. I don’t care if you’re a 5-year-old girl or a 40-year-old man, you’ll find teams on Tatsunoko vs. Capcom’s roster that you can relate to and enjoy playing with.

Also included in the package is an unlockable side-game, “Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Shooters.” This is a game that anyone, even those absolutely phobic of the fighting genre, can pick up right away and enjoy. It’s a 4-player cooperative shmup set in the Lost Planet universe, starring Ryu and PTX-40 from Capcom, and Ken the Eagle and Tekkaman Blade for Tatsunoko. Just like the main game, Ultimate All-Shooters is fun alone, and it can become incredibly addictive in multiplayer, especially for fans of Lost Planet. Though you’ll be playing the game as a team, you also play for points, and are ranked at the end of each mach based on score. Multiple paths, bosses, and special moves round out what could easily have been its own full-fledged downloadable release.

Talking of on the internet, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom features on the internet play, and thus far, I’ve had no real issues with it. Out of the hour or so I’ve spent playing others who presumably are reviewing the game for their respective game sites/magazines, I’ve not had slowdown, and only a few instances of frame-skipping lag. It’s been a generally better experience than the time I’ve had with BlazBlue and Street Fighter IV on the PS3, despite the fact that there’s no on the web chat. Random battles are swift to load, and after fighting a stranger, you can add them to your rival roster and fight them at any time. The all-too-familiar friend code system is in effect for other planned matches, but just like using a cell phone, it doesn’t bother me to have to enter a number into my Wii every once in a while to connect with people.

Probably the two coolest things about the game’s on the internet system are its ranking and matchmaking features. As you play, the game detects your play style and will pin you with a fire (offensive), ice (defensive), or lightning (evasive) badge, letting other players know what they’re likely up against. You’ll also only be put up against players of similar skill and experience, so as you get better at the game, you’ll be permitted to take on players who are more skilled. Perhaps best of all, the game also keeps track of every time you disconnect early from a match. Disconnect enough times, and the game will only match you with other players with a tendency for cowardly disconnects. As much as the Wii’s on the internet system can be overly protective, being saved from fighting sore losers who disconnect before a loss is something I fully stand behind.

What I’ve described so far should sound like a near-perfect fighting game experience, and it is. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the game’s flaws, a few of which carry over from the Japanese build of the game, and a few of which are new to this Western localization. While the game holds up Capcom’s long tradition of providing astounding animation, the game’s cel-shaded character models are a bit of a blended bag. Some of them, like Zero, PTX-40A, Gold Lightan, and Karas look amazing; a few others, like Morrigan and Frank West, look a little janky up close. For the most part you won’t notice, as once the camera pulls back and everyone starts moving, each character in the game looks great. It’s only during pre-fight introduction screens and close ups that you’ll sometimes see Doronjo’s overly blocky boobs or Frank West’s broken armpits.

Here’s the first video in a God-knows-how-many video series from last Saturday’s Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars launch event. This one focuses on Capcom big-wig Ryota Niitsuma. He’s a very serious man, but I managed to make him laugh a couple of times. I also inspired a few awkward pauses, which at least I think are funny.

There’s a lot of good info here, and if Niitsuma-san gets his way, I get the sense that he’s going to make some pretty kick-ass games in the future. This guy’s in it for the right reasons, or at least, he sure seems like he’s.

Also, how awesome is that he didn’t know that there was an audience for mini-game compilations amongst American Wii owners? That’s the kind of ignorance I have the ability to get behind.

source Destructoid

Want that sexy black Wii Classic Controller Pro pictured up there? Hope you like Monster Hunter!

Capcom and Nintendo have announced that this April a special Monster Hunter Tri bundle will be released, packaged with the above controller. The Classic Controller Pro isn’t just a fancy, darker color — it features a second row of shoulder buttons, as well as grips so your sweaty paws don’t slide off the peripheral when hunting monsters. If the controller looks familiar it’s because it’s been previously made available in Japan only; it’ll will work with any game that supports the standard Classic Controller.

Price? $59.99 for the game and the controller. Not a bad deal, really, considering Monster Hunter Tri was going to probably run you $49.99 anyhow. So, do you want this thing or not? Tell us!

source Destructoid