JUSTIN BAILEY.
As a naive child, I spent countless hours trying to figure out who this mysterious Justin Bailey character was. Justin is a predominantly male name — does that mean Samus is a dude? And why does this sprite dude look so good in a swimsuit?
As the password that would allow you to play as Samus wearing a one-piece in the original Metroid on the NES, Justin Bailey made history. The thing is, Justin Bailey doesn’t exist — it’s simply a popular, randomly generated password that let innocent children cheat to win, and catch a little skin at the same time.
The legend of “Justin Bailey” will live on today, as Nintendo brings Metroid (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) to the Wii Shop Channel today. Along with Shining in the Darkness (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) and Cratermaze (TurboGrafx-16, 1 player, 800 Wii Points), Nintendo continues their “Month of Metroid.” No, I don’t know how Shining in the Darkness or Cratzermaze relates to Metroid, but they are all videogames. Isn’t that enough?
Hit the jump for the full “Wii-kly Update” press release.
WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL
Aug. 13, 2007
This week it’s All About Evil. The “Month of Metroid” continues, giving you the chance to contend with evil, flying, brain-like Metroids that latch onto your head and suck your life forces. Nobody needs that, especially not first thing Monday morning. Luckily, you’ve got a sweet suit and some nice weapons to help you navigate through this amazing classic game. And if that’s not enough, you also have the option of dealing with bad guys named Dark Sol and Zenzombie. You just know when their parents named them that, they were asking for trouble.
Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:
Metroid® (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): The first installment of the immensely successful Metroid series introduces us to the hideous title creatures and the slick, cybernetic bounty hunter Samus Aran. As Samus, your mission is to penetrate the space pirates’ home planet, Zebes, and keep them from destroying the galaxy with the dangerous life forms known as Metroids. Metroid has all the high-tech weaponry, creepy tunnels and crawly alien creatures that anyone could ask for. With its deep and complex game play, excellent music and a rare sense of setting, it establishes a frightening ambience that will haunt and entertain you for a very long time.
Shining in the Darkness™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Dark Sol has vowed to reign over the enchanted Kingdom of Thornwood, and only you can stop him. Find the powerful Arms of Light and battle the deadly beasts that keep your people desperate and starving in this epic journey for peace. Roaming the dark Labyrinth, you’ll seek out enemies and collect weapons, all of which will help you pass the test of the Ancients and become a shining knight. Get into the adventure with a stunning 3-D perspective, amazing cinematic views and fast-paced scrolling. You’ll move from battle to battle, solving puzzles and discovering secret items in this engrossing struggle between good and evil.
Cratermaze™ (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Comic Mischief, 600 Wii Points): Cratermaze is a comical action game set in a parallel world. While on a trip through time, you and your friends are confronted by Kublai, henchman to the evil Zenzombie. He traps your friends at separate points in the space-time continuum. Now you must fight your way through 60 rounds of mazes to save your friends. Dinosaurs, ninjas, robots and other enemies lurk within the mazes, spanning from primitive times to the future. Escape the enemies by digging holes to trap them in and then filling the holes to finish them off. Collect all the chests within the time limit to get the key and exit to the next round. With special items such as shovels and spring platforms, Cratermaze takes its game play to new heights, making for an unforgettable gaming experience.
