Nintendo Launches WiiWare with Six Games

By Nick Mokey Published May 12, 2008

Nintendo Launches WiiWare with Six Games

Almost a full year after Nintendo first allowed gamers to peak under the lid on WiiWare, the company has finally pushed it live. The freshly launched service allows Internet-connected Wiis to access an online collection of games for download.

The primary appeal of WiiWare since its announcement has been its potential as a channel for smaller game studios to put out games without the cost of distributing them through conventional means. The WiiWare launch seems to hold true to this premise, with games from small studios including Frontier Development, XGen Studops, Nnooo, High Voltage Software, and Gameloft.

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Those with connected Wiis can access WiiWare by clicking on the Wii Shop Channel and going to WiiWare. Like everything else on the Wii Shop Channel, the games will cost Wii Points, which can be purchased online and in retail outlets.

The new WiiWare titles range from 700 to 1,500 points, which translate to $7 to $15. They include: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle: My Life as a King, LostWinds, Defend Your Castle, Pop, V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack, and TV Show King. New titles will be released every Monday.

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Gaming

Nintendo Switch’s weirdest launch game is getting a surprise sequel

Key art for Everybody 1-2-Switch!

Nintendo has quietly announced Everybody 1-2-Switch!, a sequel to one of the oddest launch titles for Nintendo Switch.
1-2-Switch! was a Nintendo Switch launch title that served as a tech demo of sorts for the Joy-Con controllers, with players completing minigames based on direction from actors in live-action clips. It's a very quirky and critically divisive Nintendo Switch game, so it's a bit surprising to see a follow-up. According to the eShop listing for Everybody 1-2-Switch!, this game lets players use their Joy-Cons or smartphones to complete a variety of team-based minigames. And that's about all we've seen or know about this $30 game ahead of its June 30 launch alongside some new pastel Joy-Cons.

Everybody 1-2-Switch!'s announcement was quite unorthodox for Nintendo. It simply tweeted about the game's existence and opened up preorders on the eShop. This all happened with no reveal trailer less than a month before the game's launch. It's unknown why Nintendo's taking this approach instead of including the game in a Nintendo Direct or other major showcase, but a 2022 report from Fanbyte may reveal the answer. According to that report, Everybody 1-2-Switch! tested horribly, and Nintendo worried that the game could "damage the company’s reputation as a great software developer."
Almost a year after that report, it seems that the game has improved enough to release, or maybe Nintendo is just willing to take the hit after the impressive launch and critical reception of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Either way, this is a weird sequel to a weird Nintendo Switch launch game that's being mutedly marketed so it doesn't elicit much hype. We'll just have to wait and play it for ourselves if we want to know whether Everybody 1-2-Switch! is an enjoyable game or not.
Everybody 1-2-Switch! will be released physically and digitally for Nintendo Switch on June 30.

Gaming

Wii and GameCube emulator Dolphin is coming to Steam

Mario Kart Wii running on the Dolphin emulator.

Dolphin, a popular video game emulator for Wii and GameCube games, is currently set to hit Steam Early Access later this year.
The emulation software's Steam store page went live today. Although the page's software description can't directly name Nintendo's consoles, Dolphin Emulator's Steam description boasts about how it can play "classics from the big N's cube-shaped and motion-controlled consoles" in 4K with modern controller support, hacked widescreen and HD texture packs, better frame rates, local multiplayer, save states, slow motion, and turbo button presses.
It also reiterates that Dolphin itself doesn't come with or pirate any Nintendo games, instead positioning itself as a "tool to run legally obtained copies of these games" after someone has converted them into a compatible format. It'll certainly be interesting to see if that framing is good enough to prevent Nintendo from taking Dolphin Emulator off Steam.

When Dolphin Emulator is added to Steam in the second quarter of 2023, it'll be free, but also in early access. Its volunteer developers are aiming to exit early access by the end of 2023 after adding "better Steam integration and a more streamlined UI for Steam Deck users." Valve's Steam Deck handheld has already proven itself to be a haven for video game emulation, and Dolphin Emulator being available on Steam will only make that process even easier. While most GameCube and Wii games aren't available on Switch, the company has long been against emulation of its titles. As such, we'll definitely be keeping an eye on this to see if Dolphin Emulator makes actually launhes on Steam.
Dolphin Emulator will be released on Steam in the second quarter of 2023.

Gaming

Pick up these Nintendo games you can only get on Wii U and 3DS

xenoblade and pokemon picross headline eshop update chronicles x nintendo wii u

The Nintendo Switch has one of the greatest first-party lineups of any Nintendo console. In addition to several outstanding original games, a lot of awesome Wii U games like Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, and Mario Kart 8 finally got all the love they deserved when they were ported to the Switch. Even some 3DS games like Miitopia have made their way to Nintendo Switch. Still, that isn't all-encompassing, so when the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops are discontinued on March 27, we will lose access to some amazing first-party Nintendo games that aren't available elsewhere.
From black sheep in their respective series to new IP that tests out some novel ideas, four Wii U and four 3DS games that are still platform exclusives stuck out the most to us. If you're specifically looking for Nintendo-published games to pick up before the 3DS and Wii U eShops stop allowing the purchase of new games, consider picking up one of these titles.
Xenoblade Chronicles X

Considering the rest of the Xenoblade Chronicles series is on Nintendo Switch, it's very surprising that Xenoblade Chronicles X has not made the jump over yet. This RPG stands as the black sheep of the series, with a more gritty style and tone, mech suits, and a plot about humans who crash land on an alien planet after escaping Earth, which might be why it didn't come over before the trilogy was completed. Xenoblade Chronicles X is a great game in its own right, though, and also makes ample use of the Wii U GamePad for its detailed map and menus. As such, it's a worthwhile Wii U pickup for those who like to play games uniquely tailored to the system and enjoy seeing what the oddball entries in game franchises have to offer.
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