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Nintendo changes 'Play on Wii' to 'New Play Control!' for North America photo

Japan just got its first batch of Play on Wii titles -- the classic Nintendo GameCube games refitted for the Wii -- earlier this month. Today, Nintendo has officially announced some of those titles for a North American release, with a small change. 

It seems these GameCube classics will be recognizable by the New Play Control! title -- New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis and New Play Control! Pikmin are both scheduled for a March 2009 release.

The name makes a good deal of sense, as both games have been tweaked to take control of both the Wii Remote and the nunchuck. New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis, for instance, will allow you to swing the Wii Remote to hit forhands, backhands, and apply swing. An on-screen pointer in New Play Control! Pikmin can be used to select and transport pikmin.

It would have been easy for consumers to write-off these titles simply because you can already play GameCube games on your Wii. "Play on Wii," downplays (no pun intended) the main selling point, which would be the update controls. When you think about it, this is more brilliant Nintendo marketing at work. Good show, guys.


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21 comments | showing # 1 to 21

parrothead's Avatar
parrothead at 12/17/2008 08:29
This is kind of cool.
AgentMOO's Avatar
AgentMOO at 12/17/2008 08:48
This was pretty successful when they did it with Twilight Princess - hopefully they will leave in the non-waggle option in case the schemes suck.
Tron's Avatar
Tron at 12/17/2008 08:49
i might pick these titles up because i'm desperate to play something on my wii that isn't a minigame collection, and also because i didn't bother picking them up on the gamecube
bobyoko's Avatar
bobyoko at 12/17/2008 09:15
pikmin definitely deserves a reissue, and mario tennis is a no brainer, i'm also waiting to see what they did with dk junglebeat.

@tron: try shopping somewhere other than malwart.
gamadaya's Avatar
gamadaya at 12/17/2008 09:29
@bobyoko: Pikmin deserves a true sequel, not just a reissue. I personally think Nintendo will use this as a further excuse not to make more original games for hardcore gamers.
Reisen's Avatar
Reisen at 12/17/2008 09:40
The new controls still wont make me get these two games.. actually they're two of the only Gamecube games I've always wanted but never owned myself. I think the waggle will just annoy me though; I'd rather buy both of the originals for a cheaper price and the regular controller..

On the other hand, those Metroid Prime re-issues...
bobyoko's Avatar
bobyoko at 12/17/2008 09:49
@gamadaya

i agree that a new pikmin game is a must at this point. i think that the remake is an easy way to introduce the series to people who didn't play it the first time around (ie everyone who didn't play gamecube)

as for the "hardcore gamers" argument. i don't think it has merit any longer. alongside nintendo's aaa titles, you have some games coming out this year that are geared specifically towards mature audiences.

any way you look at it, wii has the marketshare, and publishers are going to have to develop more games for wii, due to cost/return rates with this gen's hardware.
Jonathan Holmes's Avatar
Jonathan Holmes at 12/17/2008 10:02
@ Reisem -Do you own a Wii? It really doesn't sound like you do.

@ Gamadaya- Huh? Nintendo has made more games for the hardcore in the past two years than they did for almost the entire lifespan of the Gamecube.

And is Pikmin really for "hardcore" gamers?
silvain's Avatar
silvain at 12/17/2008 10:23
blah blah blah hardcore blah blah blah waggle blah blah blah too annoying blah blah third party support.

Can we just move on, please?
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 12/17/2008 10:51
I have a feeling we won't see an option for the old control scheme.

@ Holmes

Casual players certainly don't seem to care about Pikmin, only Nintendo fans.
SephirothX's Avatar
SephirothX at 12/17/2008 11:05
@ Jonathan Holmes
So you're saying they've released 2 hardcore games for the Wii then, right?

Ugh... what sucks about this marketing ploy is that it's going to work. People are going to buy these games and the casual market is going to rave over them, and a portion of the 'hardcore' community is going to think Nintendo is finally throwing them a bone. What also sucks about this is the underlying truth to why they can reissue these games, which is that the Wii is just a refurbished GameCube. There's a reason Nintendo is turning a profit with all of the Wii's it sells, the technology in it is last gen tech that integrates 480i (*puke*) display and motion controls. Wii = GameCube 1.5
CBunn's Avatar
CBunn at 12/17/2008 11:05
I'd buy wind waker again if they added widescreen.
Swizzler121's Avatar
Swizzler121 at 12/17/2008 11:26
why not just call them wiimakes? rolls of the tongue real easy...
Jaffacakelover's Avatar
Jaffacakelover at 12/17/2008 11:42
@CBunn: As would I... thinking of picking up Wind Waker and a WaveBird after xmas (just bought a GCN memory card).
The new branding sounds naff at first, but your explanation makes it sound OK. And, as i've already mentioned, Four Swords Adventures remade would be epic.
Timstuff's Avatar
Timstuff at 12/17/2008 12:13
This is going to bring shovelware to brand new lows. You didn't see Sony and Microsoft re-releasing Halo and God of War with tacked-on 1080p support, so I don't see why tacked on Wii controls somehow justifies re-releasing old games for $30 on Wii. Sadly, Nintendo knows that people are going to buy them, and when there's money to be made nothing can stand in big N's way.
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 12/17/2008 12:19
@Swizzler121:
Because Atlus took that label already at the Wii's launch lineup.
atastysammich's Avatar
atastysammich at 12/17/2008 12:37
Wake me up when they announce a port of F-Zero GX.
Superfluous Moniker's Avatar
Superfluous Moniker at 12/17/2008 13:33
Yeah, great, now I can tire out my wrist while playing through Wind Waker again. Oh wait, that sounds wrong.

Gamecube games are backwards compatible with Wii anyway. Can't they just release a patch or something? I guess that wouldn't print as much money though.
falsoman's Avatar
falsoman at 12/17/2008 13:35
Timstuff - Shovelware? That's like saying chrono trigger DS, RE4-Wii, Tekken on the PS3 were shovelware.

Yes, kinda sucks that these are not new games, but there's a difference between old and worthless. They ARE developing Pikmin 3, though.

And I do agree that nintendo needs some attitude adjustment, seeing they released funny games like disaster and captain rainbow that are new cheese fun franchizes and don't seem to grasp the idea to bring 'em them here.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 12/18/2008 17:54
A subtle change indeed.
Mr Jonson's Avatar
Mr Jonson at 12/29/2008 14:54
Don't they touch up the graphics a bit on these new titles?
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