Review: Wii Classic Controller Pro

Wii Classic Controller Pro
System: Nintendo Wii
MSRP: $39.99
Release Date: Japan only (currently)




This is going to be a fairly short review, since this is a piece of hardware. The Wii Classic Controller Pro (WCCP) is basically a Dualshock controller for the Wii. You just plug it into your Wiimote, like the nunchuk, and you’re good to go.

The design is just like the Classic Controller except you now have two Z buttons: ZL and ZR and, of course, actual grips. The controller’s design is excellent! It fits comfortably into your hands and it’s very durable.


If you’ve been wanting a controller to play Super Smash Bros. or the upcoming Tatsunoko vs. Capcom or any other fighting game, this is a definite buy! Also, this controller works great with all of the VC and WiiWare titles.


Yes, this controller is twice the price of the current Classic Controller, but the Pro model is absolutely worth it! Nintendo has yet, to announce this controller for any other region, besides Japan. And they have just announced a new design (black and gold) for Sengoku Musou 3 or Samurai Warriors 3 here in the West.


I can almost guarantee that Nintendo will bring the white and black Pro controller to other regions though; however, when?, who knows. Luckily, peripherals are not region protected, so you can order a white, black, or black and gold Wii Classic Controller Pro from Play-Asia (just click the banner below).

Nintendo's E3 Press Coverage

- The New Super Mario Bros. Wii gets announced! It will be a four-player co-operative take on classic 2D Mario gameplay. It will be available this Winter.


- Wii Fit Plus will drop this Fall. Basically an update to the original, it will featuring six new training exercises and fifteen new balance board mini-games, including juggling, skateboarding, and running activities. Users will be able to set up routines that tone particular parts of their bodies. The game will ship with and without the Balance Board.

- Mario Galaxy 2 gets announced! No details.


- New Metroid game announced for 2010!!!

- Mario vs. Donkey Kong 3 announced as a WiiWare exclusive for June 8th

- Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story announced for the DS

- Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers shown off, but no release date

- Golden Sun DS announced for 2010


- The Wii Vitality Sensor gets detailed, a little. It's a finger sensor which attaches to the Wiimote to read your pulse. Details on how the accessory is going to be used in games are pretty vague, but it appears the idea is to check stress, help you relax, etc.

Dead Space gets extracted this September

Dead Space Extraction will be hitting stores on September 29th for the Nintendo Wii. No word on a price, yet, but some are speculating a MSRP of $40-$50.

EA Set to Reenter the Depths of Space With Dead Space Extraction

The Panic Before the Terror Starts Hitting Store Shelves on September 29th

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and its Visceral Games™ studio announced today that Dead SpaceTM Extraction, will be available in stores on September 29, 2009 in North America and October 2, 2009 in Europe exclusively for the Wii™. Dead Space Extraction delivers the highly-polished, action-horror experience the Dead Space franchise is known for while upping the ante for technical excellence on the Wii with some of the best visuals ever showcased on the platform.

“Our team is really excited to bring the intensity of the Dead Space universe to an entire new audience,” said Executive Producer, Steve Papoutsis. “We are going to deliver the same high quality, cinematic experience we delivered in the original Dead Space, while also adding co-op, new enemies, weapons and taking advantage of all of the unique features the Wii has to offer.”

Developed at EA’s award-winning Visceral Games studio, Dead Space Extraction tells the story of a handful of space colonists desperately struggling to escape from a horrific infection on the Aegis VII mining colony deep in the furthest regions of space. The game introduces Lexine, an important new heroine, to the Dead Space universe. Players will play as the crew who falls victim to a mysterious contagion aboard the ship, with it quickly becoming clear that protecting Lexine will be their only hope for survival.

For more information about Dead Space franchise, please visit www.deadspacegame.com and get the latest from the development team at www.twitter.com/isaacclarke. This game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

Sushi Go Round making its way to the Wii & DS

The MiniClip game that was downloaded over 60 million times is now being ported to the Nintendo DS and Wii, thanks to SouthPeak Games. Expect it to drop this winter for a price that has not been disclosed. The engrish will make the game all the more enjoyable!

Grab Your Wasabi! Sushi Go Round is Rolling in for Nintendo Consoles
SouthPeak Games and Asylum Entertainment Co-Publishing Sushi Go Round - Based on the Hugely Popular Miniclip.com Mini-Game
E3 Expo 2009

LEICESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SouthPeak Interactive Corporation (OTCBB: SOPK) and Asylum Entertainment have today announced a co-publishing deal to bring Sushi Go Round to Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ this winter. Based on the Miniclip.com game, Sushi Go Round promises frantic eat-‘em-up action and sushi-serving gameplay.

Sushi Go Round has been downloaded more than 60 million times from Miniclip.com and these updated versions build on the addictive time-management gameplay of the original. Players must run their own sushi restaurant, in which they’re responsible for memorizing recipes, preparing food, ordering fresh ingredients and – most importantly – working hard to keep the constant stream of customers happy.

As you progress through the game you’ll meet demanding bosses that require constant feeding, harsh food critics and increasingly fussy customers. Successfully completing these tough challenges unlocks new recipes and even different sushi restaurants.

“We’re pleased to be teaming up with Asylum Entertainment to bring Sushi Go Round to consoles,” said Jonathan Hales, European MD, SouthPeak Games. “We’re sure that new audiences – alongside the millions of established fans – will be hooked on the intuitive and fast-paced gameplay.”

“We are really pleased to be working with SouthPeak to bring the highly playable and very cool Sushi Go Round game by Miniclip to the Nintendo DS,” added Nick Holden, Creative Director, Asylum Entertainment. “We’ve retained what was compelling about the original but have included even more fun and re-playability – we've also added a rich quality to its sound, visuals and animation. We feel this title fits in nicely with the tastes of a range of gamers young and old - whether they are sushi lovers or not.”

About SouthPeak Interactive Corporation

SouthPeak Interactive Corporation develops and publishes interactive entertainment software for all current hardware platforms including: PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PC. SouthPeak's games cover all major genres including action/adventure, role playing, racing, puzzle strategy, fighting and combat. SouthPeak's products are sold in retail outlets in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. SouthPeak is headquartered in Midlothian, Virginia, and has offices in Grapevine, Texas, and Leicester, England.

For a comprehensive investor relations portal complete with fact sheets, presentations, interviews and video (when available), please navigate to: www.trilogy-capital.com/autoir/sopk_autoir.html

For additional information, please visit SouthPeak’s corporate website: www.southpeakgames.com

About Asylum Entertainment Ltd

Asylum Entertainment Ltd (www.asylum-entertainment.com) is an experienced and award winning video game developer and distributor based primarily in the major brand name children's market. Asylum has completed over 23 titles on multiple platforms for some of the biggest and best publishers and license holders in the world. Asylum uses a number of leading edge technologies and develops for all gaming platforms, currently focused on developing for Online PC, NDS, Wii, Xbox360 and PS3/P. Asylum is passionate about its games, understands children's brand values and always aims to surpass client expectations. Check out www.gardenpartyworld.com for their new awesome online children’s game universe.

Sushi-Go-Round© of Miniclip Limited permitted under license to Asylum Entertainment Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo.

JU-ON: The Grudge coming to the U.S.!

XSEED has just announced that it will translate and port the "Haunted House Simulator," JU-ON: The Grudge to the U.S.! This title will be based on Takashi Shimizu's original Japanese film, and he'll even be taking part in the game's creation as a creative consultant.

Expect to see JU-ON: The Grudge to be scaring the crap out of you this October as a Nintendo Wii exclusive.

XSEED Games Announces JU-ON: The Grudge for Wii

New “Haunted House Simulator” To Offer Quick and Plentiful Scares

Torrance, Calif., (May 22, 2009) –XSEED Games today announced that JU-ON: The Grudge is in development for Wii and scheduled for release in North America in October, 2009. The title is inspired by the Japanese classic horror movie, “JU-ON”, on which the American release of the hit horror film “The Grudge” was based upon. JU-ON: The Grudge for Wii is a “Haunted House Simulator” where accessibility and instant scares are given priority over all other game aspects, with the original creator of the movie, Takashi Shimizu, serving as a creative consultant to game development.

It is said that when a person dies with a deep and burning grudge, a curse is born. When an average housewife in Nerima, Japan, was murdered in a grisly fashion, it gave rise to a curse so powerful that it threatens to kill at a pace thought unimaginable before.


The curse manifests on those who encounter the curse by any means, such as entering the house or being in contact with somebody who was already cursed. Once Erika Yamada is exposed to the curse while searching for her dog in an abandoned warehouse, the entire Yamada family is put in grave danger as soon as she reunites with them at home. They must now face their individual challenges alone, and only by overcoming the curse together will their family truly be free again.

”Ever since I first heard about this unique concept, this is a game that I’ve been looking forward to,” said Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games. “JU-ON: The Grudge makes quick scares accessible to anyone with a Wii, players can even hand the Wii Remote to their mother and enjoy watching her play and get scared.”

Using the Wii Remote as a flashlight, JU-ON: The Grudge has players move forward with the touch of a button and explore haunted areas such as an abandoned warehouse, a dimly-lit hospital, and a mannequin factory. Much like a haunted house, the player must proceed forward even after being frightened and running away from the initial threat. As much fun as it is to get scared, sometimes it’s even more fun to watch others play to observe their reactions. For instant gratification, grab a second Wii Remote and push buttons to make in-game events happen immediately to make the player jump and hate you forever.

XSEED Games partnered with AQ Interactive to secure the North American rights to publish and distribute JU-ON: The Grudge. The title is being developed by Feelplus and will be available October 2009 exclusively for Wii.

About XSEED Games:

XSEED Games was formed in November 2004 by a small group of industry veterans by president Jun Iwasaki with a common vision: to cross pollinate the avid gaming cultures of Japan and North America. Delivering unique, innovative titles across multiple platforms and genres, XSEED Games is dedicated to publishing products that appeal and enrich the North American market. More information on XSEED Games can be found at http://www.xseedgames.com.

(c)Toei Video / JU-ON Film Partners / JU-ON 2 Film Partners
(c)2009 AQ INTERACTIVE INC.

Metroid Prime Trilogy announced!

On August 24th, you can play all the Metroid Prime titles on one disk for the Wii. Yes, Metroid Prime 1 and 2 will have revamped controls, so they will play just like Metroid Prime Corruption did. There will be other enhancments, such as wide-screen for the earlier games and a new unlockables system - you can unlock music and artwork. The MSRP is $49.99.

THREE INCREDIBLE GAMES JUST GOT MORE AWESOME: METROID PRIME TRILOGY HEADS TO WII

All Three Critically Acclaimed Games Now Feature Motion Controls with Enhanced Presentation and In-Game Rewards

REDMOND, Wash., May 22, 2009 - Metroid™ Prime 3: Corruption set a new standard for first-person motion controls in video games. Now it's bringing those controls to the rest of the celebrated series, allowing players to experience the entire Metroid Prime story arc with the peerless precision of the Wii Remote™. Nintendo announces Metroid Prime Trilogy, a new premium three-game collection for the Wii™ console that bundles all three landmark Metroid Prime games onto one disc and revamps the first two installments with intuitive motion controls, wide-screen presentation and other enhancements. Metroid Prime Trilogy will be available exclusively for Wii on Aug. 24 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Each game maintains its original storyline and settings, but now Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes let players use their Wii Remote to aim with precision as heroine Samus Aran. Based on the breakthrough control system that debuted in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, these new Wii controls bring an entirely new level of immersion and freedom to these milestone games.

"Metroid Prime Trilogy puts the best first-person adventures all in one place, with a host of new additions that make these three timeless titles more engaging than ever," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "A great deal of care and detail has gone into Metroid Prime Trilogy, providing longtime fans with new ways to experience the games they love."

All three games now reside on a single disc. Players can access the game they want from a unified main menu that ties together all three adventures. Through a new unlockables system, players can gain access to in-game rewards such as music and artwork by accomplishing objectives across all three games.

Metroid Prime Trilogy was developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo, the same developers that created the original games for the Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems.

Need for Speed Nitro debut trailer