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Punch-Out!! Hits Wii Without Mike Tyson

When it dropped in the 1980s, we clocked many, many hours on our Nintendo playing Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!!. Iron Mike was the heavyweight champion of the world, and the pixelated classic was the hottest game not featuring a character named Zelda. And although we reluctantly kept rocking with it when they dropped Mike (after his loss to Buster Douglas) and introduced Mr. Dream, we always had a special place for it in our hearts.

So you already know we got amped when we heard that they were working on a updated version of Punch Out!! for the Wii, which will drop at the top of ’09. Our hopes are high, and after peeping the new trailer for the game, with its trademark over the top animation, we’re even more excited. Watch it below…

Parents Protest Wii Beer Pong Game

It won’t be released until next week, but the new Frat Party Games: Beer Pong—a title on Nintendo’s WiiWare download service—is already sparking controversy. Lisa Lombardozzi, chairman of a Virginia Community Coalition, is apparently upset about the game’s “teen” rating, calling for parents to sign a protest petition because “The game encourages younger kids to emulate the patterns of college-age kids.”

A spokesman for the game’s creator defended it by saying, “If anything, you’re going to be drinking less…Because you are too busy playing the game, trying to beat your opponent, to be constantly picking up a beer and drinking it.” In our opinion, the kids need constructive video games like beer pong, otherwise they’ll just end up driving drunk on GTA. Watch the trailer after the jump to see what all the hype is about.

Shaun White Snowboarding Comes To The Wii

Winter sports are undeniably fun, but sometimes the frigid weather makes us question whether it’s worth making the trek to the top of the mountain. And like most tedious activities, we look to video games to provide the lazy man’s alternative.

It’s been a while since a truly great snowboarding series emerged (we see you, SSX Tricky), but Ubisoft might have next: Shaun White Snowboarding is dropping this winter. Skip that trip to Vale and try to achieve world-wide acclaim in the Olympic Gold Medalist’s signature game. It will also be available for Xbox and PS3, but the Wii version is the most dynamic, using the new Balance Board to simulate the actual deck. See some more screen shots below.

LostWinds Is The Best Cheap Wii Game

We didn’t expect much from the new WiiWare service—maybe a few decent puzzle games or something. But when we finally logged on this week and checked out the selection of cheap, downloadable games developed by third parties, we were pleasantly surprised by one title: LostWinds.

Created by Frontier Developments, this adventure game follows a boy named Toku on a mission to save his homeland. With the Wii cursor, you also control gusts of wind, letting you blow Toku up to high places, cushion his fall, blow fire across a room and a slew of other helpful actions. It’s an interesting new usage of the Wiimote that could have effects on future games. Granted, LostWinds is fairly short, but everything else about it is as good—if not better—than the average big name Nintendo title. And for only $10 (the average store-bought game will run you $50), it’s a must-have. Watch some gameplay footage in the trailer below.

Okami Art School Infomercial

Gamers recently noticed that the cover for the Wii version of adventure game Okami contained a watermarked image from gaming site IGN. It must have been an embarrassing discovery for the lazy graphic designers at Capcom, who clearly just pulled their source photos off of Google images.

Well now, the company seems to be having a little fun with the release of the “Okami Art School” infomercial. Aimed at the critics who complain about the difficulty of Okami’s brush strokes, it’s styled after a low budget ’80s commercial taped on VHS, complete with the jumps and “Play” message. The best part? If you look at the fine print on the ordering screen at the end, it says “Warning: artwork may contain watermarks!” Watch the video after the jump.

V-Sports Is The Poor Man’s Wii

Even though Nintendo’s Wii is way cheaper than any of the other current generation of consoles, that $300 price tag might still be too steep for some. Well, penny pinchers are in luck, because a Japanese company has been selling a knock-off called V-Sports for only $89. Sure, the gameplay is probably a joke, but the price isn’t the only selling point for the V-Sports. The console is available in white, blue and pink, and it comes with 11 games (in one!) plus a bonus game that features 10 more. It might never go on sale in the U.S., but Wired recently spotted it at some shopping malls in the Akihabara section of Tokyo. After the jump, check out screenshots of all the games and the different colors that V-Sports comes in.

Strong Bad’s Wii Game Is Only For Attractive People

If you’ve never visited homestarrunner.com, you’re missing out on one of the most consistently funny (and totally bizarre) shows on the internet. The most popular part of the site is when Strong Bad (pictured above in a wig) answers reader emails, which always leads to some sort of hijinks (Click here to watch a classic). Well, now all the characters are coming to a video game called Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People, which will be available for download on Nintendo’s WiiWare service in June. Three different trailers have been released, so check them out after the jump.

Major League Eating Stuffs The Wii

If watching the Food Network is like porn for fat people, then playing Major League Eating: The Game is like cyber sex.

When Nintendo launches their new WiiWare game download service in May, MLE will be one of the first titles available. The game lets all aspiring Kobayashis participate in some intense eating competitions (or as they call it, “professional gurgitory athletics”). With a variety of Wii controller motions, you have to out eat your opponent in a variety of cuisines. You even have an arsenal of defensive weapons: bites, burps, belches, mustard gas and jalapeño flames. If you go and register at the game’s website, they’re giving away gift certificates for (you guessed it) free food! Watch the game’s trailer after the jump.

Toys “R” Us Becomes Relevant Again

There’s a reason you don’t want to grow up and be a Toys “R” Us kid. The toy crazed monster chain is taking pre-orders for the soon to be released Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. But here’s the catch, you have to go find out what stores will have them available and then go directly to the store and drop $50 to claim your stake. They will contact you once the machines are available. To find out which stores will be carrying, click for the store locator and then call up to make sure they’re holding. Since many ‘hardcore gamers’ will be flooding stores like GameSpot and EB Games this may be your only chance.