Wii Shop Channel Monday - Strong Bad episode 3, Art Style: R0T0HEX, and Earthworm Jim
Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 8:31am by David
Talk about a spooky awesome selection this week, just in time for Halloween! The new Strong Bad episode, another Art Style game, and finally Earthworm Jim! Hit the break for the full details. And tell me .. is there any of these three games you aren’t going to download?
WiiWare
Strong Bad Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,000 Wii Points): Rock and roll! Hurting for cash, Strong Bad sets out to dominate the “Battle Royale of the Bands.” Can he rule the stage and win the big prize? Or will he be drowned out by the competition? Find out in this high-voltage episode.
Art Style: ROTOHEX™ (Nintendo, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Use colored triangular panels to create a vibrant mosaic of stained glass in Art Style: ROTOHEX. As triangles fall from the top of the screen, rotate them to group six panels of the same color and create a matching hexagon, or HEX. Once the HEX has been formed, it will disappear, allowing the existing panels to shift and more panels to fill the playing field. A clear-cut goal and two different styles of intuitive controls allow you to focus solely on the game play-which is vital, as the playing field will be full of panels before you know it. With multiple modes (unlock more as you progress further in SOLO mode), special item panels at your disposal, and the ability to play cooperatively or competitively with a friend, there will always be another HEX to create.
Virtual Console
Earthworm Jim (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): Jim was an ordinary earthworm who did very earthworm-like things, such as flee from crows and eat dirt. One day, during an outer space fight, a suit drops to Earth and falls around Jim. It mutates him into a large and intelligent (at least by earthworm standards) superhero. Play as Jim in this Sega Genesis classic. When Jim learns of the evil plans of Psy-Crow and Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, he decides to rescue Princess What’s-Her-Name. Run, gun, swing on hooks by your head and launch cows at the interesting characters you meet along the way, such as Major Mucus, Chuck and Fifi, Evil the Cat, and Bob the Killer Goldfish.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Not downloading Earthworm Jim.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Hell’s yeah Art Style and Earthworm Jim.
Another impressive week.
I DONT NEED TO GO OUTSIDE ANYMORE. END OF GAMESTOP!
October 27th, 2008 at 9:45 am
A third Art Style game? It’s interesting that they are pushing out this series so quickly. Seem like decent games overall, and the $6 purchase price means it doesn’t hurt much even if the game doesn’t end up being great.
Earthworm Jim astounds me. Critics (and many, many others) seem to love the game… but I’ve never understood what the buzz is about. It has many interesting gameplay ideas, but a terribly disconnected theme and sense of humor felt dated when I was 10. Psy-Crow, Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, and Princess What’s-Her-Name? Really? To each their own, but I’m with DonWii on this one.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:46 am
I stopped with Gamestop once I found Amazon.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Sega Genesis Earthworm Jim? Pass…
October 27th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Never, Earthworm Jim WAS my childhood on the SNES!
(By the way, is this the same game as the SNES version?)
October 27th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Gahroovy!
October 27th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Third Art Style game? I only know of Orbient being out. What is the third?
No controlling an earthworm for me.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:31 am
No Castlevania 3 for Halloween week? Booooo!
October 27th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Art Style: Orbient (Bit Generation Orbital Remake)
Art Style: Cubello (Brand New Game)
Art Style: Rotohex (Bit Generation Dialhex Remake)
October 27th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Also, trailer for Rotohex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwUDdeFZphY
October 27th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
What’s with all the earthworm jim hate? THat was a great game! Is the Genesis version somehow different from the SNES or PC versions?
October 27th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I’m just wondering why they chose to release the Genesis version of Earthworm Jim only.
It would have been smarter to release the SNES version as well…
October 27th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Not trying to hate, but I just don’t *get* the Earthworm Jim series like most other people seem to.
“No Castlevania 3 for Halloween week?”
Oh… good call! It’s too bad that we didn’t see Rondo of Blood or Castlevania 3 this week. That would have been awesome.
October 27th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Finally Earthworm Jim! Need I say more?!?
October 27th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Cubello is my favorite thus far. It causes nightmares of blocks slowly flying towards my head.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Yea, I don’t understand all the Earthworm Jim hate. This is probably one of the best Virtual Console titles aside from the MegaMans released in a long time. I don’t know why people are so upset by the Genesis version either… weren’t they identical except that the SNES version had 1 extra level? Easily one of the best platformers from that generation, and easily worth the $8.
ejamer: wouldn’t you say that games like Super Mario titles and Megaman also have “many interesting gameplay ideas, but a terribly disconnected theme”? I think that’s one of the main reasons these titles do so well is because it’s not the same screen over and over again, but varies their locales and stages.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Super Mario and Mega Man require leaps of imagination to accept, but both offer worlds with a consistent sense of internal logic once you start playing. Also, both of those series are simply made up of better games than Earthworm Jim.
Earthworm Jim felt different, and simply never appealed to me. If you want to compare Earthworm Jim to a game, try Battletoads - they seem much closer in spirit than the other titles you mentioned, although I personally think that Battletoads was actually the better game (when they were first released). Neither is a game I would go back and play now.
Millions of people grew up playing Earthworm Jim and loved it. More power to them. My opinion shouldn’t change the way anyone else feels about this game.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Earthworm Jim ! For the Win !
October 27th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I just don’t want to control a worm. That’s all.
October 27th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
If you’ve never played Earthworm Jim before, you must try this title out. If you have, you also must download this game. If you don’t like this game….I’m sorry. Don’t know how this version is, but it’s SNES counterpart was one of the best on the console.
October 27th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Now if Nintendo had actually taken the time to release some Halloween-themed games today I might have given them some money (Splatter House 3, Castlevania III, maybe?). But they didn’t. WAAAY to drop the ball, Nintendo.
October 28th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Earthworm Jim has maybe the best soundtrack of any game I’ve ever played. Just sayin’.