New Play Control Wii Releases: How Are the Reviews?

I've always found it mind-blowing that gamers would be quick to criticize companies such as EA (who would release gluts of annual games such as Madden and Need for Speed ad naseum) for milking game series for all they're worth yet they'd be the same people first in line to purchase the newest incarnation of the DS from Nintendo or an updated version of a Metal Gear Solid release (such as the Essentials collection or the Substance upgrades) from Konami.

I'd say that the recently released New Play Control series re-confirms that Nintendo rehashes their releases more than any other company. For those who are unfamiliar with the Wii re-releases of Pikmin and Mario Power Tennis, these are the same exact titles that appeared on the Gamecube years ago except with new inferior cover art, higher prices, slightly upgraded visuals for Mario Power Tennis and motion controls. That's it.

New Play Control! Pikmin has garnered a 77% average thus far, and despite its mostly favorable reviews UGO makes a great point about this soulless rehash:

"New Play Control! Pikmin exemplifies Nintendo’s “most profit from least effort” strategy. Like the no frills Virtual Console emulations to the last-gen Wii hardware, this game’s a money grab barely disguised by a low price tag and abandoned potential. Why isn’t Pikmin 2 on the same disc? Why isn’t their bonus content to warrant a re-purchase? Why are we paying $30 for a modified launch title for a dead console? ".

According to IGN, Mario Power Tennis' controls have actually been downgraded on its way over to the Wii. When commenting on its game play, IGN has said this:

"What was once a great game has been pruned and morphed into lots of waggle, unreliable motion control, and a game with very little control over ball placement."

So far, New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis has received a mediocre 65% average from Game Rankings.

Overall, although these games will probably see much success due to the casual market, I'm hoping they flop at retail in order to prevent such worthless cash-ins in the future.

Pikmin and Fire Emblem Titles Price Increase Most Likely Due to 'Brawl'

Not too long ago the two entries in the Pikmin series and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (all for Gamecube) weren't fetching an ample amount of dough. It wasn't uncommon to find the original Pikmin for less than $20, its follow up for around 30 beans, and Fire Emblem in a similar price range. Hell, in terms of Fire Emblem, I recall spotting it on clearance at Gamestop brand new for a mere $10 and they still had a excursive time selling off their stock.

Now, with the release of the obtusely-popular Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, these titles have gone way up in value. What would that title have anything to do with this, you ask? Well, for one thing, the characters found in these particular titles can also be found in Brawl. Add in the fact that the Wii is backward-compatable with the Gamecube and you now have a decent, if temporary, market for these somewhat-overlooked titles (Fire Emblem didn't sell like hotcakes, but the Pikmin titles did reach Players' Choice status. Despite that, tracking down copies on the market as of late has been tough - and that's putting it lightly).

Browse any auction site and you'll see that the original Pikmin sells used for upward of $40, the sequel for $70 and up, and Fire Emblem for around $40 used. However, all three of these titles commonly eclipse the $100 mark when sold brand new.

Yeah,yeah, these are fantastic games... but there's never been a superior time to sell off your copies to make a quick buck.

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