With NewBornThreat sick in bed with the flu (great way to ring in the New Year eh?) it falls to me to put up the Official Wii60 Poll of the Week. So while you’re here to vote send our poor sickly friend a get well wish while you’re at it

Anyways, as the New Year is now upon us, this weeks poll will turn its attention to said New Year which will surely be another jam packed year of great releases. Many of which we already know about, some which are no doubt still shrouded in secrecy. So while we may only have a glimpse of what 2008 will hold for all the gaming platforms let’s discuss and vote on our most anticipated 2008 releases based on what we know so far!

Click here to vote!

-EarthViper

Are you awesome at Bomberman and are eager to show off your demolitions expertise? Well, in order to celebrate the new year Hudson is holding a Bomberman Live New Year’s Bash tournament, with first place prize being 100,000 Microsoft Points (tournament only in the U.S.). Part marketing gimmick, the tournament requires all entrants to have the new game mode included in the “Bomb-Up Pack 3″ downloadable content. They will then have to do their best to get top ranks in the Weekly Ranked Friendly Fire Leaderboard, where “Friendly Fire” is the game mode required for download.

Registration began today, December 31st, at 9a.m. PST and will end on January 13th, 2008 at 8:59a.m. PST. The tournament itself begins 5a.m. PST on January 6th and ends 8:59a.m. PST on January 13th. You can register on the tournament’s official website.

Complete list of prizes include:
1st Place: 100,000 Microsoft Points
2nd Place: An Xbox 360™ Elite Console
3rd Place: An Xbox 360™ VIP Accessories Kit and Two limited-edition pink Xbox 360 controllers
4th Place - 8th Place: 1,600 Microsoft Points each

I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather win 2nd place.

- Chris Cesarano (Grohdinger)

It’s Monday again! And we all know what that means, no, not that it’s New Year’s Eve, that the VC gets updated today! There are 3 new titles available today: Bubble Bobble, Light Crusader, and Top Hunter. Personally, I have only played Bubble Bobble of all of those titles, but Light Crusader is by Treasure. This means I must buy it sooner or later, and I advise that you all do the same. Treasure is one of the best 2-D developers around, and they should be noted for it.
BUBBLE BOBBLE® (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): BUBBLE BOBBLE’s release in 1986 introduced the two bubble dragons, Bub and Bob, and brand new play mechanics, with players defeating enemies by trapping them in bubbles and then popping them. Although the puzzle-action game can be beaten by clearing all 100 rounds, it also contains secret elements such as not being able to get the “true ending” in single-player mode; hidden commands that lead to secret rounds; and a ton of different items. These elements are some of the game’s most memorable and important features. Each round even has different air currents that are not visible, so bubbles rise in unpredictable patterns. Aspects like forcing players to understand and utilize these different patterns while playing help make this a revolutionary game that is fun to play anytime.

TOP HUNTER (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older-Cartoon Violence, 900 Wii Points): Take on the role of either Roddy or Cathy, bounty hunters in this side-scrolling action game set far in the future when humans have colonized space. But all is not well: Space pirates called the Klaptons are making their way through the galaxies, wiping out peaceful settlements along their path. This disgraceful behavior leads to them having a price on their heads, so now Roddy and Cathy must travel through four distinct worlds on a mission to defeat their leader, Captain Klapton. Both characters have retractable arms-used to grab enemies or other objects in the scenery-that can then be thrown at others to destroy them. Also, be on the lookout for rings or levers to pull, as this might reveal special bonuses. Further adding to the mix, the game uses a unique system where the action happens on two planes, with the player switching between them at will. Can you prove yourself worthy of the Top Hunter name and help save the universe?
DISCUSS

RELEASE LIST

-Thomas

Assassin’s Creed

Platforms: Xbox 360 - Developer/Publisher: Ubi Soft Montreal
Genre: Sandbox-Stealth - Single Player

Review by EarthViper

Introduction:
I admit it, over the past 10 years during the rise in prominence of both sandbox games and stealth games, neither genre has appealed to me all that much. It came as quite a surprise then that Assassin’s Creed, which supposedly fused these two gameplay styles into one, interested me so much. As the year was winding to a close I was left to ponder however if Assassin’s Creed would be merely another in a long line of massively hyped 2007 games, filled to the brim with potential, that would fall well short of the mark. Keeping my hopes high I rushed home from the game store, AC in hand, hoping that the bitter taste the rest of the year had left in my mouth would soon be washed away. So did Assassin’s Creed overcome the hype machine and deliver a game that deserved it’s attention based on true merit, or did it fall with a thud like so many before it? Read on to find out.

Click here to read full review!

-EarthViper

Exclaimed as the best of the Metal Slug series, Metal Slug 3 is coming to Xbox Live Arcade January 2nd, 2008.  If you still have some Christmas money left over by then, I highly recommend dropping the 800 MicroMonies to download it.  It’s a classic of the 2-D run and gun genre.

Once again, thanks to A Reaver on the forums for reminding us not all knews has halted for the holiday week.

- Chris Cesarano (Grohdinger)

A demo for Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom has landed on Xbox Live for the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Asia territories.  The demo offers two stages from Act 1 of the game, and offers you to play as the characters Kendal or Leinhart.  The demo clocks in at 1.2Gigs, and will soon be coming to European regions in mid-January.

I played a little bit of one of the Kingdom Under Fire games on the original Xbox, and wasn’t much impressed.  Maybe I should give the demo a test to see if the gameplay has improved any.

Thanks to forum member A Reaver for pointing the news out.

- Chris Cesarano (Grohdinger)

It’s that time of year again! Since we are so close to the end of 2007, us as gamers, must make a decision on what game that released in 2007 reigns supreme. It is a difficult decision this year, with outstanding releases such as Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, Mass Effect and more. However, I encourage all of you to head over to the new forum section and begin nominating your favorite games. Polls will actually decide Wii60’s Game of the Year, so don’t go thinking your nomination wins automatically. This is one set of polls you WILL NOT want to miss out on, so head on over the forums!

Link

-Thomas

Christmas is tomorrow folks! Now how deep in the hole are you guys?

P.S. If you are not broke already and live in Canada, or anywhere else that has Boxing Week type sales, both Best Buy and Future shop sites will kick start their always amazingly retarded, stupendous sale online at 8pm EST tonight!! (xmas eve) I just saw the sneak peek flyer and items such as wireless 360 network adapters are going for $79! Name Brand 1gb laptop/desktop ram for $39! Etc, etc. Tis the season to file for bankruptcy!

#11 - How Broke Are You This Holiday Season?

-Mike

As most of you forum-goers know our “Release List” section has been abandoned since October or so, but alas, EarthViper, Grohdinger, and  I have come to save the day. We are resurrecting that section of the site, but the others may have to wait until the Holidays pass. Today, however, I am updating the Virtual Console section and, needless to say, making a front page post.

So, here are today’s Wii Virtual Console Releases:

BLADES OF STEEL™ (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): With stick in hand and confidence brimming, you are looking to bring home the cup, win the MVP award, get on the covers of major sports magazines and date a beautiful model (not necessarily in that order). But soon you will learn that, in this league, nothing is ever given to you, and before you can reach your goals, you’ll have to put the puck in the net and score some. You’ll need both the artful skills of a finesse player and the bone-crushing brutality of an enforcer. Defend your own goal against unrelenting power plays, or put the pressure on your opponent’s goalie and try a slap shot of your own. Don’t forget to defend yourself when anger flares because the gloves come off and fists start flying. So strap on blades of steel and prepare to either make a name for yourself or be put on ice. 

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble™ (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Revisit Donkey Kong Island and join the Kong family for their latest adventure. The Kremlings have a mysterious new leader named KAOS and are up to their usual mischief, even capturing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Now it’s up to Dixie Kong and the newest Kong, a giant infant named Kiddy, to rescue the two missing apes. They’ll travel across previously unseen parts of the island in their search, and even take to the skies in a rocket at one point. Lucky for them, Dixie and Kiddy’s powers complement each other (including Kiddy’s talent for rolling like a barrel), so they form a powerful team capable of major Kremling damage. They’re not completely on their own, either, since returning favorites like Funky Kong and Enguarde the swordfish provide help along the way. And in a series known for its abundance of secrets and high replay value, this entry doesn’t disappoint, with enough hours of game play to satisfy Donkey Kong himself. Anyone else have a sudden urge for some bananas? 

Rolling Thunder™ 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Violence, 800 Wii Points): In this follow-up to the original classic, you are once again a member of Interpol’s Rolling Thunder task force, and it’s up to you to stop the return of the evil Geldra organization. Now known as Neo-Geldra and led by a newcomer named Gimdo, the bad guys are bent on destroying several valuable outer-space satellites. In this one- or two-player game, you can play as Leila or Albatross-both characters from the original-as you venture through several different levels, trying to put a stop to the nefarious efforts of Gimdo and the rest of Neo-Geldra. Use your bullets wisely and make Rolling Thunder proud.

DISCUSS

-Thomas 

I’m a bit late on this news bit, but it seems we are one of the first to have a post about it. A new Guitar Hero 3 song appeared on the Marketplace nonchalantly a day or so ago. It is a holiday title called “We Three Kings” by Steve Ouimette. The best part about it is the fact that it is free of charge to those who own Guitar Hero 3.

I have played this song, and let me say, it is quite fun for something free and holiday themed. Essentially it is one big hammer-on fest on Hard and Expert Mode. I also find the song to be awfully good, but that is personal preference. My best advice? Get it.

DISCUSS

-Thomas