Wiikly Wares: Castlevania III takes Jungle Speed on Planet Pachinko

by Justin McElroy { Jan 12th 2009 at 10:38AM }

Coming at 12pm ET to Wii:

WiiWare:
Jungle Speed (Playful Entertainment Inc., 1-8 players, 1,000 Wii Points): So, here we have a card game that comes with no cards and, at $10, costs twice as much as an actual card game. Sounds like a great deal for those of you who don't own tables.

Planet Pachinko (Allied Kingdoms Inc., 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): We can't tell you how many times we've been playing pachinko in our favorite local haunt and thought, "Why can't I have this kind of fun on my Wii?" Our next thought is usually something like, "Why is our favorite local haunt in Tokyo? We're spending a fortune on airfare." [Update: This isn't a pachinko game. In fact, it looks absolutely insane.]

Virtual Console:
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): A classic, but doesn't the premise sound like the fan fiction of a 12-year-old? "OK, so you're one of the Belmonts, right? You're ... umm, Trevor. But instead of just using your whip you can transform into a really hot girl that uses magic and ... uhhh, Dracula's son. Oh! And also a pirate. Listen, there's more, but I've gotta get to Pre-Algebra."

Tags: castlevania, konami, virtual-console, wiikly-wares, wiiware

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

(The Award-Winning) dark_inchworm @ Jan 12th 2009 10:42AM

I have a friend who claims that Castlevania III has been lost or stolen from him 7 or 8 times. I'll have to post those tales as soon as I dig them up...

MNC Dover @ Jan 12th 2009 10:44AM

Oh hell yeah Castlevania III! Downloading this one when I get home.

* inevitable dusty Wii comments to follow :) *

samfish @ Jan 12th 2009 10:48AM

If I had the space on my Wii, I'd get Planet Pachinko.

...too bad the name is going to probably make most people overlook it. It's a run 'n' gun shooter, a la contra, not a Pachinko game (unless I'm thinking of the wrong game!)

MNC Dover @ Jan 12th 2009 11:00AM

Wow, yeah looks like you're right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65FbZL2DiWk

Frostybolts @ Jan 12th 2009 11:31AM

Hopefully the Joystiq guys will edit the post to indicate what the game actually is..

Russ Carroll @ Jan 12th 2009 11:49AM

Agreed...joystiq, this needs a correction, your post description is entirely inaccurate. I smell WHB (wii-hater-bias).
...then again, it doesn't really look like a good game...

John Z @ Jan 12th 2009 12:59PM

Of course, the fact that it ISN'T a pachinko game is turning me off from it.

...sue me, when I was little an uncle brought a machine over from Japan, and I loved playing it.

Josh @ Jan 12th 2009 2:25PM

Yeah, I totally skipped over the game as soon as I read "pachinko" in the title. I just assumed it was more shovelware.

But that's really a bad title for the game. It's like calling a game Jay R.P.G. when it's really an FPS about a guy that likes to take down tanks.

>.>

Pimliconite @ Jan 12th 2009 2:27PM

"Can you survive the Pachinkeet Temples of Planet Pachinko?"
"In the future of the future, an ancient civilization has sealed away its riches in elaborate temples dedicated to the game of pachinko."
"Now the Robot family must fight through these dangerous temples in search of their lost puppy. Using their rockets, lasers, grenades, and slime launchers, will they be able to survive the challenges?"
"They aren't the only ones adventuring through the temples. The pirate Vile Vill and his minions are looking to loot the temples and take on the Robot family."

Robot pirate temple laser rocket pachinko puppy family deluxe super slime?

I appreciate how some wiiware releases, though crude and simplistic, manage to be completely fucking insane. I think "Pit Stop Panic" falls into this category as well.

umm....hello??? @ Jan 12th 2009 10:49AM

can't go wrong with a NES game...or a 2D Castlevania game.

CJC @ Jan 12th 2009 11:00AM

Pre-Algebra was a bitch when I was 12.

Mr Khan @ Jan 12th 2009 11:17AM

Hey, don't make fun of those without tables. It's a serious problem!

playwhutyalike @ Jan 12th 2009 11:17AM

Well, it looks like I gotta get "duped" again and buy 2 fantastic games. And would you look at this, that's all I have in my checking account. So let's see, I can choose between gas in my car, a dime, or Castlevania and PP.

baby sea tuna @ Jan 12th 2009 1:14PM

"A dime"

That's so cute. What are we, high schoolers in the '70s?

(The Award-Winning) dark_inchworm @ Jan 12th 2009 1:52PM

Yeah bitch, me and tuna do COKE.

playwhutyalike @ Jan 12th 2009 4:14PM

Ouch.

Rootbeer @ Jan 12th 2009 1:02PM

I don't suppose they found a way to work the VRC6-based soundtrack into the U.S. Virtual Console release of CVIII, huh? The 2A03-only music we had to settle for was so weak and thin compared to the Japanese version's sawtoothed, 8-channel majesty...

Alex Erde @ Jan 12th 2009 1:29PM

While an amusing commentary on Jungle speed, the actual game itself (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/8098) is about 16$ or so, getting it on the Wii might actually be a safer choice, my friend has it and she is aggressive and has caused physical injury and one case of some small bloodshed because of the totem hitting someone in the face while playing. I'd prefer it for the wii actually...