Music and rhythm games seem like a dime a dozen these days, but Nintendo and Ghostfire Games hope you feel differently about their exclusive Wii Ware game launching today called Helix, which involves rhythm-game mechanics while giving players a workout.
Helix launches today on Wii Ware, as do two “new” Virtual Console games. All three titles are available on the Wii Shop Channel.
In Helix (1,000 Wii Points), players use the Wii Remote to do dozens of moves, including punches, circles, back fists and hooks. Yes, it’s sort of like interpretive boxing. The background visuals pulse to the beat of the game’s 26 songs, while players exercise their way through three difficulty levels. No buttons are required to play the game, just a whole lot of moving.
The Virtual Console today sees two old-school games, Samurai Shodown 2 and Ys Book ! & II.
First released in 1994, Samurai Shodown 2 (900 Wii Points) is a fighting game that follows 15 samurai in their individual quests. The rage system has been enhanced from the first game, as the attack power not only rises when the gauge is full, but the player can also use a special technique that can break the opponent’s weapon and force him/her to fight unarmed. The game also allows back-stepping, rushing forward and ducking. Oh, and one of the new characters, Cham Cham, was voiced by voice actress Reiko Chiba, an idol in the gaming community.
Ys Book I & II (800 Wii Points), meanwhile, chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom. As Adol, players search the island of Esteria for clues to unravel the mystery of Ys. Naturally, monsters lurk in caves and towers with physical or magical attacks, and a host of puzzles must be solved to navigate trap-filled areas.