The Nintendo Wii is now in stock at RadioShack.com. This would be a good time to pick one up and hide it away for holiday giving, before the big rush.

In an , GameStop’s new CEO, Dan DeMatteo, says he expects the shortage of Wiis to continue through Christmas:

I’ve never seen this type of demand before. I know they’re making more, but we’re still short like everybody else. I think we’ll have a continued shortage this Christmas.

According to an article in the Belfast Telegraph, Wii is the new social hub for people:

The message is clear; a Wii is the new social hub, it coaxes gloomy teenagers out of their bedrooms and weans them off Grand Theft Auto. A Wii does not warp fragile young minds. Wii stands for wholesome, healthy family values. It’s even got brain training and fitness applications.

Read the article – short, but makes sense.

GamePro features a rundown of the 28 Best Wii Games. The place Super Mario Galaxy in the top position. Do you agree? What do you think is the best Wii game?

Oh wow.

Sky Crawlers, Namco Bandai’s anime-based flight title, has a pretty sweet trailer.  You should most definitely check this title out, when it gets released to the US.  It’s out right now in Japan; if there are any WeKnowWii readers in Japan (こんにちは、よい友人) let us know how it is to play!

Do you remember Albino Blacksheep?  I mean, it’s not like they’re dead – quite the opposite – but I remember it being very popular back in undergraduate school for some reason.  So, we’re talking 2002-2003.  Remember Defend Your Castle?  It’s also not just a flash game anymore, it’s on WiiWare!

From the Official Defend Your Castle site:

Defend Your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and at your disposal is only a hand for picking up the enemy and flinging them to their doom. Over time, add power-ups and other weapons to your arsenal to repel the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

Those crafty barbarian hordes have amassed their forces once again to challenge your domain. Will you and your court rise to the challenge, or stand aside as they raze your Castle to the ground?

You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to pick up the enemy and mercilessly fling them to their demise. Perform this task well, for the invaders you face are numerous and employ many different types of soldiers in their quest for your castle.

Excellent!  500 Wii Points, and you’re defending your castle.  Just like in the Flash game.  Except you’re not in your PJ’s in front of the computer, at 3:45 in the morning.

Or maybe you are.  Weird.

Circuit City has the Rock Band 2 Wireless Drum Set for Wii on sale for $49.99. Shipping is free, or check in-store availability for immediate pick-up.

Thanks to Jeremy over at WiiSPin, I ran across this great trailer for Fatal Frame 4:

All of the articles I can find say that Fatal Frame 4 is being released in Japan (well, July 31, 2008), but I can’t find a US release.  This game looks great!

Check out the Wikipedia entry on Fatal Frame 4.

After the first fishing games post, I found another fishing game.  As in found, meaning I stumbled upon it.  Wii Hooked! by Aksys comes with a fishing controller rig for the wiimote, and decent customer reviews.

Wii Hooked! has up to 4 online multiplayers – for all of your, uh, online multiplayer fishing needs!

Check it out, it’s $49.99 right now (September 8, 2008) and it seems as though there’s a little bit of a backorder.  There are some used copies as well, that’s never a bad idea.

Also, here’s a link to Aksys’s Wii offerings.  I am pretty unfamiliar with their games, so hopefully this helps you too.

I was going to say something absolutely horrendous like “Get Hooked!” but I decided against it.  Did I make a good choice?  Only time will tell…

ANYWAY…

I just read an article about the game Rapala Fishing Frenzy, from Activision, complete with a crazy fishing pole-wiimote-nunchuk thing that ships with the game:

Wow.  THAT is an accessory.  Anyone have primary research on how this thing functions, and how strong it is with regards to holding up under virtual fishing stress?  At least you don’t have to smell like fishing.  Most of my memories of fishing include being exhausted at 5am, being cold, and out of beer.

Also, there is Rapala Tournament Fishing – I’m looking for some trailers for this, I’ll update once I find what I’m looking for.  If you’ve played these, let me know what you think.  Post in the comments.

Accessories not to forget if you’re into the Wii Fishing:
Wii Fishing Rod, $13.99.  Amazon has it down a buck.

Monday
NHL 2K9
Ten Pin Alley 2

Tuesday
Active Life: Outdoor Challenge
Cabela’s Legendary Adventures
Hell’s Kitchen
The Price Is Right

Friday
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party 2

Nintendic’s great writers and the good folk over at WiiWare-World have posted information about the WiiWare release, Fun! Fun! Mini-golf, with screenshots by IGN.

This game obviously isn’t released yet, and we’ll post more info about it as soon as it comes available.  It looks pretty awesome, though!  Wii-Ware World also posted some info about the game and the graphics:

• 1-4 Players.
• -Fun! Fun! features Golf courses in America, Europe and Asia.
• There are 27 different holes to play.
• We expect to release the game very soon on Wii Ware.
• We will announce the release date in the next weeks.
• It will be released in Europe and the US
• The game runs fully at 60fps (NTSC) or 50fps (PAL).
  The game does support 16:9 and 4:3 TV screens.Some graphical specs. Fun! Fun! features:
• HDR Lightning
• Image Based Lightning
• Soft Shadows
• Normal Mapping
• Environment Mapping
• Bump Mapping
• Blooming

Nintendic and Wii-Ware World, thanks!

We just got an email, a PR release, about some HudsonSoft’s WiiWare releases.  Check it out:

My Aquarium Makes a Splash on WiiWare!
Offering all the fun of owning an aquarium without the high costs and
maintainence, My Aquarium allows you to create your own, one of a kind
aquarium, complete with unique fish, plant life, and other
decorations. Share your aquarium with friends through WiiConnect24™
and enjoy a soothing experience for the whole family!

DECA SPORTS: AVP Pro Volleyball
Throughout the summer, the American Volleyball Professionals league
has had DECA SPORTS on hand at all of their events. Check out the
summertime fun with AVP right here!

Thanks, HudsonSoft!
Don’t forget that you need Wii Points to buy WiiWare stuff.  Got a 2000 points Wii Points card.  It’s 20 bucks.

NHL 2K9 comes out Monday, promising to “bring the fun back to hockey video games”. Check out the action-packed trailer.

Today only, Amazon is selling Sonic Riders Zero Gravity for $17.99. That’s 40% off of the retail price.

Amazon has Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam for $19.69 new, and 10.44 used from its various sellers.  The game has decent reviews, and looks pretty fun.  If you get it, please post back here and let us know how it is!

On September 23rd, we’re all going to be exposed to a new Sega title for Wii, which seems to be a la DDR, Guitar Hero, and al of those games that we love to play that follow patterns (or Tap, Tap, Revenge for the iPhone users out there).  This one is different in the fact that you’ll be shaking your wiimote and nunchuk like maracas, because this is a maraca-shaking game.  If you’re into reality maracas-shaking, get a pair. Yep, they’re available for pre-order, with the game.

Samba De Amigo has a pretty long list of tunes to shake shake shake along with, and with downloadable content, you’ll be shaking yourself into the ER.

Game list:
(and did you know that there was arcade version of this?!)

• Baila Me- Gipsy Kings
• Papa Loves Mambo – Perry Como*
• Mambo No. 8 – Perez Prado
  Conga – Miami Sound Machine*
• Low Rider – War
• Mambo No. 5- Lou Bega*
• Oye Como Va – Santana*
• Asereje- Las Ketchup*
• Arriba Allez – Bellini
• Magalenha- Bellini and Mondonca Do Rio
• Ran Kan Ran- Tito Puento*
• Groove Is In the Heart – Dee Lite
• Jump in the Line- Harry Belafonte*
• Do It Well – Jennifer Lopez*
• Como Ves- Ozomatli
• Cha Cha- Chelo
• Pon de Replay- Rihanna
• Smooth – Santana*
• Mexican Flyer – Ken Woodman*
• Borriquito – Charo
• Un Aguardiente- WaveGroup
• Solo Tu- WaveGroup
• Tango With Me- WaveGroup

Classic songs from the original Samba de Amigo:

• Vamos A Carnaval- WaveMaster*
• Volare – Gypsy Kings
• Hot Hot Hot – Arrow*
• Salome- Chayanne*
• Tubthumping- Chumbawumba*
• The Cup of Life – R. Martin*
• Samba de Janeiro – Bellini
• Mambo Beat – Perez Prado*
• Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin*
• Bamboleo- Gipsy Kings
• Take On Me – Reel Big Fish
• El Ritmo Tropical – Dixie’s Gang*
• Macarena – Los Del Rio*
• La Bamba- Ritchie Valens*
• Tequila – Chuck Rio*
• Soul Bossa Nova – Quincy Jones
• Samba De Amigo – Bellini
• The Theme of Rocky- Bill Conti*
• Mas Que Nada – Jorge Ben*
• Sway- Gimbel and Ruiz*
• El Mambo- Solemar

Wal-Mart has stand-alone Wii consoles right now – if you’re looking for one, go get it!

The Nintendo Wii Is Now In Stock At RadioShack.com If you’ve been looking for a standalone unit, take advantage of this opportunity quickly!

New on WiiWare this week is a title called My Aquarium from HudsonSoft; a virtual fishtank of sorts.  It’s gonna set you back 500 Wii Points, and it’s one player, but you have up to six fish tanks you can “design,” with up to 40 species of fishies.

Sound ridiculous?  Well, WiiWare World gave it 8 of 10, calling it “a unique experience that will provide enjoyment for gamers of all ages and backgrounds.”  Stick that in your fishtank and – um – swim with it?

Hmm.  Yeah.