Wii-kly WiiWare And Virtual Console Update - 1/19/2009

After last week's WiiWare downer (I deeply apologize if you downloaded either of last week's WiiWare offerings) hopefully Nintendo can get back on track with an offering from one of the Wii's brightest developers. The game is High Voltage Hot Rod Show, and if the words High Voltage in the title sound familiar to you it's because they are also the company responsible for developing the highly anticipated Wii shooter The Conduit. High Voltage Hot Rod Show looks to be a racing game in the vein of R.C. Pro Am or the Micro Machines games, both of which are a good pedigree to follow in. But if zooming around a track isn't your thing, perhaps you would enjoy a nice game of air hockey. I'm sorry, I meant glide hockey with the game Family Glide Hockey. In addition to trypical air hockey games, Family Glide Hockey has a bunch of minigames that will focus on specifics of the gameplay to increase your skills.

On the Virtual Console side of things we get an amazing vertical shmup in the form of MUSHA for the Sega Genesis. It's one of the best in the genre, almost on par with the likes of Ikaruga, so if you like this kind of game then it comes highly recommended. And Virtual Console is definitely the way to get it considering that a used copy of the game can run up to $200.

WiiWare

• High Voltage Hot Rod Show (High Voltage Software, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): High Voltage Hot Rod Show is a slick and fast-paced racer that challenges up to four players to tear up the track on a variety of off-road courses, mastering death-defying stunts and building enough Boost to stomp the competition. Players must learn to tame their monster Hot Rods by nailing ramps, power slides, bunny hops and tricks while avoiding mud pits and smashing through Boost Rings to fill their Boost Meters. Players can compete against seven CPU opponents in Championship mode or set their best lap times in the time trials. Top times can be uploaded to an online scoreboard via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection* and shared with players around the world. Multiplayer supports up to four players in split-screen mode, giving each player a wide range of controller choices. (Router and broadband access required for online play. For more information, go to www.Nintendo.com.)
• Family Glide Hockey (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy are back for more family fun, and this time it's glide hockey. Hone your skills in a gymnasium, a forest park, a beach, an amusement park, even the freezing Arctic. Family Glide Hockey sports appealing cel-shaded graphics and endearing music to go with its friendly, competitive match-ups. Choose between single-player mode, versus mode (up to four players can play), or challenge your skill in engaging minigames such as Glide Hockey Brawl, Glide Hockey Drill and Glide Hockey Tracer.

Virtual Console

• MUSHA (SEGA GENESIS, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone--Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): MUSHA is a SEGA GENESIS game that shooter fans favor for its intense and exciting gameplay. Players must control Terri, a girl who pilots a MUSHA (Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor). Terri's goal is to eliminate Dire 51, an Intellicomputer that has gone out of control and is planning an offensive attack upon humanity. Use special weapons like the Vanishing Buster, Blazing Beam and Defensive Detonator, along with offensive options that allow six types of formation fire. Battle through seven exhilarating levels to finally reach and destroy Dire 51 once and for all.