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Ah the trusty Wii. Originally a game-changer (literally) and enjoyed by millions as a console to help them get into shape, did it really get the use it deserved? How many people dug deep into the range of Wii games on offer, and how many even knew they could download games for the console?

Now inhabiting dusty cupboards and basements, cast aside by those looking for new experiences and excited for the arrival of the Wii U, let’s not forget this great Nintendo invention. It led the way at its launch and its unique interactivity inspired Nintendo’s competition to raise the bar for their own consoles. Plenty of loving care and attention went into making Wii games from Nintendo and third party developers alike, including us indie devs. It’s only fair then that we should salute this great console and the games which made it so much fun to play.

Games Beat asked some key industry figures, including our own Nic Watt, which Wii experiences they think deserved a wider audience. Take a look at this great feature and see how many of these games you’ve played yourself. Who knows, it might be worth dusting down your Wii and firing it up again for some great new experiences. Remember, it’s not gone yet!

It’s almost time for us to fly out to San Francisco for this year’s Game Developers Conference. We’ve got an early build of escapeVektor on the 3DS to show press and the latest version of Spirit Hunters Inc. We’ve been flat out over the last few weeks making sure everything is prepared.

However, we’re never too busy for an interview. So when The Strikester from Nintendo Nation asked Nic to answer a few questions, he was right on it.

INTERVIEW: NNOOO

The Strikester

What happens when you make a successful WiiWare game? The Strikester talks to Nic Watt, the head of the team behind the hit game escapeVEKTOR.

NN: Congratulations on the success of escapeVEKTOR: Chapter 1 on WiiWare. What was the idea behind it?

NW: The idea came from several places. Firstly we wanted to make a new WiiWare game and thought that doing something fun and stylish with depth would appeal to the Nintendo market. Secondly we wanted to make something we could ensure would give the best game-play and graphics we could achieve with not only our resources but also within the confines of the WiiWare service.

I really like the idea of having a person trapped inside the player’s Wii and having to go through games to get out. This sparked the idea of a series of games telling the tales of Vektor, how he became trapped in your Wii and his subsequent escape. escapeVektor is only one part of that story.

Click here for the rest of the interview

It’s been quite a while since our last post, but that’s because we’ve been super-busy (and also on holiday for a couple of weeks)! But we’re back and hopefully we’ll have plenty of exciting news for you soon. But before that, there’s this – our new Mario Kart 7 Community!

Yes, we’ve been playing the awesome Mario Kart 7 on our Nintendo 3DSs and we want to race you! We’ll be racing every weekday from 1pm-2pm (Sydney time). Just check the countdown clock on our community page to find out when the next race is. The running totals of the top 10 cup winners will be recorded on our leaderboard for everyone to look at in wonderment and awe.

But that’s not all! If your name is at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the first week, we’ll gift you a copy of escapeVektor: Chapter 1 for WiiWare. If you already own a copy or don’t own a Wii, you can choose someone else for us to gift the game to.

Have you got what it takes to get to the top of our leaderboard? Have you? You really think so? Well, bring it on!

We’ll keep the racing going until…..well, until we get bored of it. See you in the race suckers!

The latest games website to review escapeVektor: Chapter 1 is MMGN.

Did they like it? Well, let’s see. They scored the game 5 stars out of 5 and wrote “Very rarely do we see a game come through with such perfect design and gameplay, but escapeVektor: Chapter 1 nails it on debut.” So yes, we think they liked it. Have a look at the review below.

escapeVektor: Chapter 1 Review

by Stephen Heller

Some of the best games of all time are the simple, yet challenging ones.  Donkey Kong, Pac-Man and Tetris all have simple concepts, yet immense difficulty that challenges the player and keeps them coming back for more. While the puzzle meets retro arcade gaming sector has seen a number of successes in recent years, Nnooo’s escapeVektor: Chapter 1 goes above and beyond all expectations, as it offers an inviting and unforgettable experience.

Click here to read the rest of this review

Nintendo Life have written their review of escapeVektor: Chapter 1 and it’s another hugely positive one. With comments like “one of the finest experiences on the entire WiiWare service” and “This game is sharp, challenging, clever, gorgeous, atmospheric, thought-provoking, and, above all else, fun”, we think they quite like it! Have a read and see if you agree with us.

Virtual world, real quality

by Philip J Reed

After the delightful Pop (and its various offshoots), it seemed a bit like Nnooo was taking a break from game development. The studio released several applications through DSiWare, and while they were quite good, gamers might be forgiven for assuming that the company’s future releases would gravitate more toward “useful” than “fun.” Now Nnooo has released escapeVektor: Chapter 1 to remind us all that not only is the team still interested in games, but that it can also to deliver one of the finest experiences on the entire WiiWare service.

escapeVektor: Chapter 1 is brilliant. There are no other words to describe it, though, so that this review isn’t the shortest in Nintendo Life’s history, we’re going to have to try to find some.

Click here to read the rest of this review

It looks like IGN are also fans of escapeVektor: Chapter 1. In their 9/10 review they say “escapeVektor just blew me away.” and “It’s a spectacular experience.” Nice!

escapeVektor: Chapter 1 review

by Lucas M. Thomas

escapeVektor just blew me away. I’d had this new WiiWare game on my radar for a while, and I thought that it looked like a good one – but now that it’s out, and I’ve played it, I was wrong. It’s more than good. It’s great. It rocks. It’s totally freaking slick.

Click here to read the rest of the review

Our first review is in for escapeVektor: Chapter 1 and it’s a big thumbs up from Nintendo World Report, giving the game 9/10. “It was addictive, fun, and strikes the perfect balance between an arcade and puzzle game.” Thanks guys!

escapeVektor: Chapter 1
by Daan Koopman, Europe Correspondent

What lurks inside your Wii’s CPU? An awesome game, that’s what!

Have you ever wondered what is going on in your Wii’s CPU? No? Well, maybe you will after playing Australian developer Nnooo’s newest WiiWare product escapeVektor Chapter 1: Combat Power Unleashed. In the first episode of this brand new series, we meet Vektor. He has been trapped inside your Wii for longer than he can remember and you are the first person he has successfully made contact with. He doesn’t remember anything of his past or why he is trapped, but if you help him you might learn a thing or two about Vektor. However, this is not as easy as it sounds. The CPU is fully aware of your actions and tries to stop you at any cost. Luckily for you, Vektor has coding skills which can come in handy, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Click here to read the rest of the review and see a couple of gameplay videos

Kotaku Australia have recently introduced a new feature for Australian developers called Show & Tell. When they asked for developers to submit answers to five questions describing their studio and current projects we couldn’t resist. It gave us a great chance to tell some more people about escapeVektor: Chapter 1 and Spirit Hunters Inc.

Show And Tell: Nnooo

by Tracey Lien

Welcome to Show and Tell, a (relatively) new regular that gives local Australian indie developers the chance to show their latest work, whether its a finished game or a work in progress. Today we’re speaking to an indie studio that is no stranger to the WiiWare, DSi and iOS market. Bruce Thomson from Nnooo gave us a preview of what they’re working on now.

Can you introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about your studio?

We are an independent game development studio based in Sydney, developing downloadable games primarily for Nintendo consoles. Our first game was called Pop, a bubble popping game for up to four players for the Wii. It was one of only six titles picked for Nintendo’s US WiiWare launch in 2008. We subsequently made a single player version of the game, Pop+ Solo, for the Nintendo DSi and iPhone. We’ve also released a series of personal organiser applications for the Nintendo DSi called the myLifeCollected series. The most successful of the applications, the myNotebook series, has sold almost a quarter of a million units.

Click here to read the rest of the article

When we sent out our press release about the escapeVektor: Chapter 1 release date, MCV Pacific asked us what developing for WiiWare was like for a small indie developer. So we told them…

Nnooo talks about developing for WiiWare

by Leigh Harris

escapeVektor: Chapter 1 has been given pricing and a release date by developer Nnooo today, who has spoken to MCV about releasing games for WiiWare.

The downloadable Wii title will be available worldwide on 29th September for 500 Nintendo points, and blends Tron style arcade gameplay with intense puzzle action to unique and very colourful effect.

Nic Watt, creative director at Nnooo, told MCV: “WiiWare like all channels for an indie developer is a tough market to compete in. As a small independent developer we have learnt that it is not simply good enough to have a great, highly polished game and expect it to sell well just on word of mouth.”

Click here to see the rest of the article