This is it! Our first mailbag. Thanks to everyone for submitting some interesting questions, with topics ranging from Twilight Princess’ mailman, the video game based on the Lost TV show, and even Tanooki Mario himself! I’ll be honest and say that this first mailbag was a learning experience for both Matt and myself, and we’re looking forward to doing future mailbags for all of you!
–Christian

So, does anyone know about a Guitar Hero for the Wii? It would be so delightful!
Caleb

Christian: Thanks for the first question ever to our mailbag, Caleb! While no specific Guitar Hero game has been confirmed for the Wii yet, keep in mind that Activision’s CEO, Robert Kotick, stated at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia XV Conference back in September that Guitar Hero would eventually come to “every significant new platform.” That’s the only word we have at the moment on a Wii version, but it does all but confirm the eventual release of one.

Matthew: Now it’s my turn to say thank you for the first question. So…thanks! I attempted to contact Red Octane and Harmonix (Publisher and Developer, respectively) about the status of Guitar Hero on the Wii. As of today, no reply has been given yet, so information is very scarce. I assume the future of Guitar Hero on the Wii will depend on how well the game does on the 360. So, 360 owners: go buy Guitar Hero later this year!

1. When will Smash Bros. and Mario Galaxy come out?
2. We need more info on the video game based on “Lost.”
–Justin

Christian: 1.) Both are slated for release sometime in 2007, and hopefully PAL regions won’t have to wait any longer than that. Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now.
2.) Nothing new has been announced from Ubisoft since the game was last discussed – basically the game will have you explore the island to follow your character’s story, and you may even run into characters on the island before they even appear on the television show. Unfortunately Ubisoft hasn’t revealed any newer information, but I’ll do my best to keep in touch with them and post about any new findings.

Matthew: 2, Since Lost was announced early last year, we have seen relatively no updates on the game’s progress. The PC version is confirmed, however each console version remains unconfirmed at this time. Depending on which systems Ubisoft releases the game on, this might be as close as you get to seeing Lost on the Wii.

Last year Ubisoft announced that they have the rights to make games based on the hit television show Lost. Since then, little to no new information has been given. Do you guys have anything to shed some light on this project(s)?. Specifically the Wii version. Also, is there any chance we’ll see a DS version as well? Lost in Blue was okay but I want the real deal.
–Matt H.

Christian: Thanks for your submission! See the above answer. I’ll be sure to keep digging for info on this title, as it seems like a popular one among our readers.As for a DS version, I would say it’s as, if not more likely than a Wii version. J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, creators and producers of the show and executive producers for the game, have said it will come to both home and handheld consoles. There’s not many better choices for a handheld platform than the DS. However, this is a guess on my part until we get any kind of confirmation.

The mailman seems to appear in different places in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess when he’s not running, delivering mail, or running off cliffs. What are all the places that you could find the mailman? I have seen him in Zora’s Domain and Telma’s Bar so far.

Christian: You know, I never thought to seek out the mailman. I thought he’d always come for me. Aside from the two locations you found, Matt tells me he’s sitting on a ledge in one of the final rooms of the Cave of Ordeals. He’s still looking, so if anyone out there has actually found more locations, let us know!

As for your second question, that’s very ambiguous. It really depends on what types of games you really like most, and your list is currently comprised of the action/adventure/puzzle, platformer, and multiplayer/fighter genres. On top of that, your list seems to reflect the “must-haves” of a huge portion of Wii owners out there, which in itself is a very diverse group.

However, if you want my personal recommendations, there are a number of great Virtual Console titles out there such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda, and upcoming games like Super Mario World, among others. As for new ‘07 releases, I do believe Matt has posted his top picks for games this year under “The List” section above (however, I may very well have to write my own). There’s also great entertainment to look forward to in games like SSX Blur, Fire Emblem: Goddess of the Dawn, Animal Crossing, Dragon Quest Swords, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, among others.

Matthew: Christian is right; I do have a list of the top 7 games you should look forward to this year. If you are eager to purchase something this month I might recommend WarioWare if you enjoy hundreds of 3 second “microgames.” If you have never played a WarioWare game, I highly suggest playing one sometime as they are super addictive. We’ll definitely be reviewing the game shortly after its release this coming week also.

However, my best recommendation would be investing in some Virtual Console games. My top picks right now are Zelda, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64, and Sonic. The rumor mill also tells me that we might see Super Mario World or Super Metroid in the near future…if so, snatch those up right away. This reminds me, towards the end of this month I will be releasing a list of the top VC games out thus far.

So far WiiConnect 24 has been labeled as disappointing, mostly because of its lack of doing really anything (besides the edit stage feature in Elebits). What games are a) rumored to use Wii24 and how, and b) What games should use it and how. I’d love to hear your creative ideas.Thanks!
John

Matthew: I will have to agree that Connect24 hasn’t done much in games so far. However, this might be because developers are still trying to figure out all the possibilities for the Wiimote and Nunchuk. By the end of this year, we should see games take advantage of WiiConnect24. In fact, Animal Crossing is rumored to use Connect24 to synch the Forecast Channel with the game. So the weather in your own city will be reflected in your Animal Crossing town. Let’s hope for more unique features like this.

Christian: Speaking of social games, I took part in a discussion recently. I was just sitting and watching all my Miis in the Plaza just walk around, and then I noticed that some of them fall asleep or start chatting with each other. You know what I thought of? The Sims. Now, I know a revamped version of The Sims is coming out, and I’m sure it’ll be well worth the money. But what if they gave the Mii Channel an upgrade via WiiConnect 24? Or just released a whole new channel? It wouldn’t have to be The Sims-calibur in terms of functionality, but since we already use our Miis in competitive sports, we could have their skill levels determine a salary. We could have a “Mii Shop Channel” to buy houses, furniture, and even incorporate Wii/DS functionality… upload our Nintendogs for our Miis’ children to play with. We could use WiiConnect 24 to have our Miis visit other friends’ Mii neighborhoods. I’m pretty sure everyone got addicted to The Sims at one point, and not only would this idea make good use of both Miis and WiiConnect 24, it would move Wii consoles like crazy.

Aside from that, I’m not too huge on online gaming (yet, at least), but an official Pokémon MMORPG does rank up there with one of the games I’d love to play most. In addition, assuming Will Wright’s Spore does eventually come to the Wii, all competing species are supposed to be downloaded copies of species other users elsewhere in the world have created. Or perhaps we could have things in the Wii Shop Channel where we could download skins or themes for our Wii interface.

What exactly *is* a Tanooki? There are sources that claim that multiple suits
that are based on the Japanese Tanuki (source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros._3 ). Your site seems to focus
around the “Super Leaf” version of Mario, whereas the actual Tanooki Suit is
somewhat different.
–Don

Matthew: The Tanooki suit is quite a marvelous piece of work! The suit is based off of Japanese mythology, where Tanukis (a raccoon-like animal) have magical powers! The magical Tanukis also have the power to change their shapes by using leaves, often turning into humans. This explains why Tanooki Mario has the ability to turn into a grey statue. I just wish mythology around America was this interesting…

Christian: All of the site’s art, most of which are original drawings (except for the 2 pixelated versions you might see, which are from the game), are of Tanooki Mario. He is similar looking to Raccoon Mario in that they both have the ears and tail. However, Raccoon Mario (or “Super Leaf” Mario as you mentioned) has the ears and tail in addition to his usual attire consisting of the red hat, red shirt, and blue overalls. As shown in the picture that Matt provided above, Tanooki Mario wears a full body suit.

Well, that’s it for the first mailbag. Thanks for contributing to the very first one, we hope it was as much a learning experience for you as it was for us. We look forward to the next one, so please write to the mailbag! :-)

Trackback URI | Comments RSS