Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Earlier this week, we informed you lovely readers that House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return was super cheap at Circuit City. Now Amazon also has the game listed at the irresistible price of $19.99. We really don't mean to keep shoving this game down your throats, but how can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat? Yet, if you didn't buy House of the Dead earlier, there's probably nothing that would motivate you to get it now except an even bigger price drop.

It's also worth noting that Amazon's "Deal of the Day" is the Wii messenger bag pictured above. If you geekified hipster types were looking for a way to lug around your Wii, this bag for $19.99 isn't too bad of a deal. But, to be honest, there are probably better means that you can use to transport your console. That's just our opinion, though. What do the rest of you Wii aficionados think?



[Via CAG]

Read: House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return
Read: Wii Messenger Bag

Sega's budget port just got cheaper! Circuit City has marked down its copies of House of the Dead 2 & 3 to $19.99, $10 less than the game's usual going rate. Since you're really buying two arcade shooters with this bundle and not one, it's like you're spending only $10 each for two zombie-packed titles. And who doesn't love zombies?

Honestly, if you don't love zombies, you're no friends of ours.


[Thanks, Jason!]

For the first time in a long time, the Wii is down to having only five games in Japan's top thirty. As House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return fell of the charts in its second week and Everyone's General Knowledge Training TV disappeared after having a good run, only the regulars remain.

Deca Sports is the exception, being the only Wii title on the charts without either "Wii" or "Smash Bros." in its name, but even that is showing early signs of fatigue. While the game managed to nab the eighth spot and sell 29,000 copies, its Nintendo counterpart, Wii Sports, is nipping at its heels in spot twelve. This may seem insignificant, but keep in mind that Wii Sports has been out for around seventeen months, wheras Deca Sports has only been out for two weeks.

In the hardware department, the Wii got a beat down from the handhelds (especially the PSP), but still continues to do better than any other console in Japan. This week, for example, the Wii sold over four times the amount of PS3s, its closest console competitor.

Of course, you can just take a look at all the numbers for yourself by clicking past the break.

We don't really understand Amazon's price drops. Why do the prices for some games drop? And how long do such drops last? Yet, that doesn't mean we don't love them -- especially when it comes to getting one of the best games on the Wii cheaply.

Now at Amazon (until when?) you can get No More Heroes for $39.99. That's the best deal we've seen on the game so far, and in our expert blogger opinions, it's worth every penny.

Another price drop to note is House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return, which fell $5, meaning that the game will only cost you $24.99. Unfortunately, this price puts it just under Amazon's free shipping qualification by a penny, which sours the deal a little bit. Also, we can't imagine that a price drop so early in the game's life cycle could mean good things for how the it's selling, even if the sale is only on Amazon.

As far as we can tell, the price drops on Amazon fluctuate as a game goes in and out of stock. So, if you check these out and one of the deals is over, it might be worth looking again at a later date.





[Thanks, Sorensilk!]

Read: No More Heroes on Amazon
Read: House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return on Amazon

Goodbye, Family Ski and Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 -- we hardly knew ye. While Family Ski enjoyed a seven-week run in the top thirty, Wining Eleven (aka Pro Evolution Soccer) only lasted for four. It's no coincidence that they fell off this week, though, as fifteen spots were taken up by new releases.

The big Wii dog in town was not Brawl (which ended up 7th), and not even Wii Fit (which ended up 5th), but new release Deca Sports. We can't help but wonder if the appearance of Deca Sports will have an effect on that other sports game for the Wii. Is there room for both on the charts? (We think so.) And will Deca Sports have the same longevity as Wii Sports? (Probably not, but we're sure the game will do well for itself.) It's also worth noting that Deca Sports had the third highest third-party sales debut for the Wiil, following only Dragon Quest: Swords and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles.

Surely you know what House of the Dead looks like, right? If not, skedaddle into our gallery to see what you'll be shooting come March. If, like all sane people (we forgive the insane among you, because we're kind), you're totally familiar with the series and the forthcoming House of the Dead 2&3 Return, then just kick back and enjoy the screens. The undead don't have to be pretty. We just need a lot of them, and since we're getting two games for the price of one budget port, we're as happy as violent little lambs.

Like with Ghost Squad, its other Arcade-to-Wii light gun port, Sega has an optional Zapper pack-in planned for the Japanese release of The House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return this March. Amazon Japan already has preorders for the set available for 5,023 yen, about $44 dollars. For comparison, the software alone is priced at 4,536 yen, or $40.

You know, Sega, we wouldn't mind if you brought these bundles to the US at those prices (and with a Nyko Perfect Shot, instead). We understand that Japan didn't get the Link's Crossbow Training set, but this will be the third Zapper pack-in that North America misses out on -- the previous two being for Ghost Squad and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Come on, Sega, just think of it as a good-will gesture to all the Americans who actually gave you money for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.