Excitebike
Latest
Nintendo classic 'Excitebike 64' skids its way onto Wii U
Wii U owners, it's time to charge your GamePad -- Excitebike 64 is zooming its way onto the Virtual Console this week. Costing $10 (£9), the game arrives on Wii U this Thursday alongside Wario's stylish Wii adventure, Wario Land: Shake It.
Return to Excitebike Arena in first Mario Kart 8 DLC
Alongside Yoshi's Circuit and Link's Master Cycle, the first Mario Kart 8 DLC pack will also include a dirt track inspired by NES motorcycle racing classic Excitebike. For those too young to remember console games that debuted in 1984, Excitebike saw players racing from right to left and leaping off dirt ramps while attempting to speed to the finish. Think of it as a proto-Trials without the modern physics technology and you've got the basic idea. The Excitebike Arena track updates the aesthetics of the NES classic for the Wii U, but as you can see in the footage below the break, is otherwise an unmistakable homage to one of Nintendo's lesser hits. The first Mario Kart 8 DLC pack is slated to launch at some point in November. It will feature an $8 price tag, but fans willing to go as high as $12 can grab both the first DLC pack and a second, Animal Crossing-themed DLC pack to be released in May 2015. [Image: Nintendo]
Wii U Virtual Console launch: Punch Out, Excitebike, F-Zero, 5 more
The Wii U Virtual Console launch list is slim and trim, largely mirroring the initial list of games we got earlier this month: Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong Jr., Excitebike, Ice Climbers, Kirby's Adventure, Punch Out, F-Zero and Super Mario World. A handful of these games were already available on the Wii U, via the Virtual Console's early preview.If you've forgotten what all of these games look like (it has been a long time, after all), check out some screens on the Wii U Facebook page. Virtual Console is scheduled to launch this week.
Excitebike 3D free for 30 days after eShop launch, Pokedex 3D free forever
When the eShop launches on June 6, it won't just be our Japanese friends ripping up the track: Excitebike 3D Classic, a remake of the NES title, will be right there for free on the North American store. Act fast, though, as you'll be paying $5.99 to download it after the first 30 days of availability have elapsed. If you don't mind parting with some cash, you'll also be able to buy Game Boy ports Super Mario Land, Alleyway and Radar Mission on day one. The update will also add the ability for DSi and DSi XL owners to transfer "most" of their DSiWare purchases to the system (we're looking for clarification on what titles will be left behind). But let's get to the really important news: Nintendo's eShop will also arrive alongside PokéDex 3D, a virtual compendium of pokemon from the Black/White games. It's available as a free download (not timed) and lets you summon vast amounts of information on the critters, as well as full 3D models. It also has Street Pass functionality (unlock random pokémon by exchanging data) and QR support. The QR feature is actually pretty neat: you can take a picture of your friend, set it as a background layer, then snap a pic of a QR code to introduce a pokémon. Now you won't have to photoshop all your poké-snaps! %Gallery-125058% %Gallery-125059%
Nintendo 3DS eShop to launch on June 6 with internet browser and free Excite Bike
Why wait until June 7th when you can instead get your update on June 6th? That's the question Nintendo has answered this morning, telling us that the coveted eShop update for the 3DS will come a day earlier than previously anticipated. This will finally give gamers the ability to download some titles straight to their system, but more importantly will give everyone a free copy of Excitebike, the NES classic, naturally re-mastered so that the 2-D side-scrolling racer will have a little bit of depth. Super Mario Land and a few other downloadable titles will come along help launch the show, with Nintendo pledging to add new content every Thursday thereafter. But wait, there's more! Pokemon fans will be able to use their AR card to check out those they've already caught in 3D, and if you've purchased any DSiWare games you'll be able to download those to your 3DS. Last, but certainly not least, will be a full internet browser that you can spin up without exiting a game, which might make keeping tabs on that Ocarina of Time walkthrough a little easier. It has, after all, been a long time since last we vanquished Ganondorf and his Gerudo chums. Again, all this is set to go live in the evening of June 6th (which could still be June 7th where you are), so now might be a good time to invest in that bigger SD card you've had your eye on.
Excitebike 3D Classic to be offered free with 3DS eShop update
When Nintendo finally flips the switch on the 3DS eShop, it's got a pretty solid plan for enticing users into the service. During an investor briefing, president Satoru Iwata announced that Nintendo plans to offer a free downloadable version of Excitebike through the eShop, for a limited time starting at launch. It won't just be Excitebike -- it'll be 3D Excitebike. This freebie will be 3DS owners' first experience with the "3D Classics" line, in which classic games are updated with new 3D effects. So when some anonymous racer knocks you off your bike, it'll be more ... exciting. Iwata didn't specify a region for this release, so there is a possibility that it might be restricted to Japan.
ExciteBike motorcycle built out of wood hits us like a ton of pixels
To say that ExciteBike ate up a ton of our childhood gaming time would be an extreme understatement. In fact, we still occasionally hear that particular "vroom vroom" noise in our sleep. So the fact that someone -- in this case Justin Harder -- cobbled together a 'pixelated' ExciteBike bike, trophy and helmet out of wood in a months-long labor of love is truly impressive to us, and brings wondrous, dazzling feelings of nostalgia. We're also fairly certain that 8-bit Gary's going to be buying one to tool around town on. Seriously, watch the insane video after the break.
European Nintendo downloads: Excitebike World Challenge, Final Fight 3
Excitebike World Rally, having just been released in Japan this week, is now available in Europe, ready to delight players with online, tilt-controlled classic motorcycle racing. Final Fight 3 is also out in Europe this week, with classic dude-punching. We're starting to wonder -- is the worldwide Virtual Console release of Final Fight 3 some kind of abstract promotion for Super Street Fighter IV, which features characters and locales that originated in the Final Fight series? Or is it the Wii's equivalent of Final Fight Double Impact? Final Fight 3 (Virtual Console: SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) "Aha! I Found It!" Hidden Object Game (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) Excitebike World Challenge (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points) Snakenoid (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Japanese Nintendo downloads: Excitebike, Reversal Shooting
Japanese gamers get to experience the joy of Excitebike with a different camera angle and online play today, with the release of Excitebike World Rally (as "Excitebike World Race"). It's a pretty faithful adaptation of the original, something that can't be said for Tecmo's Are? DS ga Sakasa Desu Kedo: Gyaku Shooting, a shooter with elements of its own Star Force, but played from the other side -- and with the DS upside down. Using the DS's touch screen, players control the enemies firing downward at what is usually the player ship. DS ga Sakasa Desu Kedo: Sakasa Drops takes the same approach and applies it to a falling-block puzzle game. Check out a trailer for Shooting after the break. Quarth (MSX, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Contra (MSX, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Excitebike World Race (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points) Are? DS ga Sakasa Desu Kedo: Gyaku Shooting (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Are? DS ga Sakasa Desu Kedo: Sakasa Drops (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Artist ni Narou! Minna no Nurikai Museum Hen (DSiWare, 1-2 players, 500 DSi Points) Hobonichi Rosenzu 2010 (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points) Renjuku Kanji: Shougaku Sannensei (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Best of the Rest: Randy's Picks of 2009
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes If I had my way ... well, a lot of things would be different. When it came to video games, I'd make sure that everyone -- whether they own a Nintendo DS or not -- had a chance to play Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes. Now, I know, Might and Magic? Isn't that some long-dead RPG franchise that's probably best left in the ground? Well, yes -- but Clash of Heroes is about as far from any of the other games in the series as you can get. At its core, it's a puzzle game -- a combat puzzle game -- developed by Capybara, the same team behind PSN's wonderful Critter Crunch. Take that game's core mechanic, add a load of clever new ones and build a story-driven experience around it and you have one of the finest (not to mention most addicting) DS games ever.
NintendoWare Weekly: Excitebike World Rally, Electroplankton, Cybernoid, and more
It's a very exciting day for Nintendo downloads, thanks to one very thrilling two-wheeler. But Excitebike World Rally is far from the only offering this week. In fact, there are multiple games available for WiiWare, Virtual Console, and DSiWare, which seems like a rare feat for Nintendo of America. Head past the break to see if any of the other new games excite you.
Yes, Excitebike World Rally has some motion control
Wait! Come back! The motion controls sound okay! We know that you're already groaning about the potential ruin of an NES classic with unwarranted waggle, but according to 1UP's preview of Excitebike: World Rally, the limited Wiimote motion sensing added to the traditional Excitebike control scheme actually improves the game. You still move with the D-pad and accelerate with a button, but you can now tilt the Wiimote to lean your rider and "affect the pitch of your bike." "Jumping was always the trickiest part of Excitebike," 1UP's Jeremy Parish notes, "and the analog smoothness of the motion controls makes it intuitive -- it became second nature before the end of the first track." We're curious enough about this sensible-sounding innovation that we'll delay throwing our controllers down in disgust. For now.
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Excitebiking to the World Rally
This week's most noteworthy item on the Nintendo Channel is undoubtedly the unveiling of Excitebike World Rally -- if you haven't had a chance to check out the brief trailer for November's WiiWare racer then, by all means, get with the clicking. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, then we suggest you check and make sure it's still breathing, because a new Excitebike is definitely a fancy tickler. Head past the break for this week's Nintendo Channel content.
Excitebike World Rally heats up WiiWare Nov. 9, includes online multiplayer
Turn on your Wii and check out the Nintendo Channel right now: on the weekly "Nintendo Week" program, the hosts revealed a new WiiWare version of Excitebike, called Excitebike World Rally, due out November 9. It looks like a 2.5D version of the original Excitebike redone in polygons, with the classic track editor. But this version has online multiplayer! Take that, Vs. Excitebike. There's also footage of Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth! It looks fantastic. That comes pretty early in the show. The Excitebike reveal comes only after a Frag Doll appearance and a Scooby-Doo style fast-motion chase sequence. And a zombie grunting his way through a description of Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
Virtually Overlooked: Excitebike variants
Jerry "Tycho Brahe" Holkins and Mike "John Gabriel" Krahulik took the stage at the final round of the PAX 2008 Omegathon and introduced the climactic final game, which would decide which of two Omeganauts would win a trip to the Tokyo Game Show, cash, and a collection of customized, PAX-logo-emblazoned consoles. Last year, two Omeganauts vied for the prize in a round of Halo 3, which had yet to be released in stores. Everyone in attendance anticipated a similar surprise for this year's final round. The two competitors were introduced, and then the cartoonists/hosts unveiled the secret game that would be the arena for the final battle.It was Vs. Excitebike. After some Famicom Disk System fiddling, the flashing Vs. Excitebike logo appeared on the giant projector screen. The crowd exploded.We'd totally pay five bucks for that. Or even six.
PAX 2008: Omegathon finale crowns Geko, Gabe as winners
Within 15 minutes, it was all over. After Tycho and Gabe revealed this year's final PAX 2008 Omegathon challenge, 1987's Vs Excite Bike, finalists Fallout (blue rider) and Geko (red rider) went at each other with all they had. Unfortunately, the close competition didn't last, as Geko won every round to become this year's best Omeganaut, winning an expenses-paid trip to Tokyo Game Show in October.Following Geko's winning victory, Tycho and Gabe picked up the Famicon controllers to challenge each other as the blue and red riders, respectively. The race was once again painted red, as Tycho kept overheating his bike and crashing after the ramps. He managed a victory in the 3rd round after knocking down Gabe twice in a row, but every other round went to Gabe and red rider, giving the Penny Arcade co-creator a two-win streak after his 5-2 Halo 3 victory last year. After the race was over, Tycho and Gabe stood up to thank the crowd, who promptly began to shuffle out and away from the now-concluded convention. Geko took the stage one final time, plush Marissa's bunny in tow, to talk to the few who stayed behind.Stay tuned, we'll have more on the pre-Omegathon "puppet troupe" later today. Gallery quick-jump: Pre-Omegathon line and various pipe cleaner art The puppet troupe Omegathon! The End %Gallery-30939%
Excitebike bracelet pops wheelies on your wrist
As much as we love ourselves some Space Invaders and Pac-Man, it's always nice to see some other game or franchise covered on craft site Etsy. When said game happens to be one of this blogger's fondest memories from ye olde NES days, it's all the better! This (gender-neutral) Excitebike bracelet from Etsy user pixelparty is a snip at $15, and if yours truly hadn't already put money aside for Mario Kart Wii, you'd better believe this would be on my wrist as I typed.Incidentally, we previously covered some of pixelparty's bracelets in our Valentine's Day feature earlier this year. Check out the gallery below for more of his excellent handiwork.%Gallery-19450%
Reminder: Get your name into our VC giveaway!
You know what you need to make your holidays brighter? A big ol' bundle of games for your Virtual Console, courtesy Wii Fanboy! All you have to do is head over and check in at our current contest before the 20th, and since you can enter once per day, there's still time to get your name in. Remember if you already have exquisite taste the games we've selected, we've got back-up choices to offer. We'll make sure the winner has some new toys on the VC!Wii Fanboy's Virtual Console Gift Pack Devil's Crush -- TurboGrafx-16, 600 points (JC) Dragon's Curse -- TurboGrafx-16, 600 points (Candace) Excitebike -- NES, 500 points (Chris) Gunstar Heroes -- Sega Genesis, 800 points (Eric) The Legend of the Mystical Ninja -- SNES, 800 points (Dave) The Legend of Zelda -- NES, 500 points (Alisha)
Fanswag: Celebrate the season of giving with a VC pack
Now that the Virtual Console gift feature is alive and kicking, it just seems fitting that we celebrate with a few gifts of our own. Each member of the Wii Fanboy staff has carefully chosen one game currently available on the U.S. Virtual Console, and we're ready to show our appreciation by gifting the lot to one lucky reader. But guys! What if I already have the game in question? Well, dear reader, we've also each chosen back-up titles, just in case. If the winner has one, we'll move onto the next. If you have all of them? Maybe you should hang back and let someone else win! 'Tis the season of giving, after all.To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what you'd be most likely to give away, if you were so inclined. You may enter once per day, and we must receive your comments between now and December 20. The giveaway closes shop that night at 11:59 PM EST, so get to work! We'll announce the winner December 21. As usual, entries are limited to legal U.S. residents age 18 and older. Please check the official rules for any other questions.Wii Fanboy's Virtual Console Gift Pack Devil's Crush -- TurboGrafx-16, 600 points (JC) Dragon's Curse -- TurboGrafx-16, 600 points (Candace) Excitebike -- NES, 500 points (Chris) Gunstar Heroes -- Sega Genesis, 800 points (Eric) The Legend of the Mystical Ninja -- SNES, 800 points (Dave) The Legend of Zelda -- NES, 500 points (Alisha)
Dojo update: Get excited for Excitebike
Today's dojo update reveals another kickass assist trophy. It's none other than those nuts and bolts fanatics from the NES title Excitebike. And here they do what they do best: drive really fast.In summoning up the crew, all of the racers will ride back and foth, running over any enemy of the initial summoner. And, as you can see in the picture including Bowser below, they do quite the considerable amount of damage.There is also another assist trophy revealed today in Super Mario Bros. franchise enemy Lakitu. And, as you might imagine, he tosses down Spinies left and right, hoping to catch an unsuspecting brawler.%Gallery-6869%%Gallery-3347%
