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Blame it on the turkey, I guess. You can feel the lethargy dripping from the latest Virtual Console press release, where Nintendo practically admits that the Thanksgiving rush has left them tired and defeated. The VC lineup reflects this, featuring questionable offerings like Sega's kid-friendly Ecco Jr., Nintendo's virtual money-waster Vegas Stakes, and Konami's 8-bit basketball sim Double Dribble. Ecco Jr. is about as good as you'd expect (a watered-down kid's version of an already terrible game? OH BOY!), but I seem to remember Double Dribble being pretty awesome, and I've never actually played Vegas Stakes. I'll report back later, after some thorough and intense playtesting.

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Nov. 26, 2007

Let's hope you all survived the long holiday weekend. With all the eating, traveling and family fun, isn't it time to do something just for you? So take a few minutes and do a little shopping from the comfort of your couch, away from the chaos of the malls. This week you can get into a game of hoops, do a little faux gambling or head out to sea with your favorite dolphin friend.

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:

DOUBLE DRIBBLE (NES, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): DOUBLE DRIBBLE, the first 5-on-5, full-court home basketball game, is pure hoops action at its finest. While still a surprisingly accurate basketball game for its time, the frantic action keeps you on your toes as your players run from one end of the court to the other. Choose from a handful of teams and multiple levels of difficulty as you take on the computer alone or challenge a friend and see who has the better skills. Take the ball and sink shots from locations all over the court, or get in your opponent's face and do your best to block the shot. Better yet, drive the lane and rock the rim to see one of the game's trademark slam-dunk cut scenes. He shoots, he scores!

Vegas Stakes (Super NES, 1-4 players, rated E for Everyone  Simulated Gambling, 800 Wii Points): Feel like taking a road trip to Las Vegas? Let your inner high roller go wild as you try your luck at five different games-blackjack, slots, poker, craps and roulette. Start with only $1,000 in your pocket and play your way through five casinos, each with a different theme and varying limits. But no one wants to gamble alone, right? Not a problem, as you'll be able to choose one of four friends to tag along and offer advice when you need it. Further enhancing the experience is the fact that you'll be presented with a slew of interactions with random casino patrons. Best be careful, though-your choices in these situations could either get you closer to the millions of dollars you're after or cost you a pile of that hard-earned cash. Roll the dice, spin the wheel, hit or stand-do whatever it takes to stake your claim in Vegas and beat the house!

Ecco Jr. (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): The aquatic adventures of Ecco come to life for a younger generation of gamers. Perfect for kids, Ecco Jr. finds our young hero heading out to sea with a variety of tasks he must perform in order to get there. Along with his friends Tara the baby orca and Kitnee the young Atlantic dolphin, Ecco Jr. will interact with sea lions, sea horses and other aquatic life as he makes his journey to the Big Blue. Introduce your kids to the classic series of Ecco the Dolphin titles by downloading Ecco Jr. today.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Source: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=14120

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