On the Japanese Virtual Console this week: two games we'll never see outside of Japan! Aw. Neither Konami's NES side-scrolling action game Getsu Fuuma Den nor Falcom's sidescroller/action RPG Legend of Xanadu II were seen in the West, and they're a bit too low-profile to warrant a release as an import. Of course, we thought that about Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa, as well, and look how that turned out (hint: it turned out with Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa on the VC in the West).

• Getsu Fuuma Den (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
• Kaze no Densetsu Xanadu II (PC Engine, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare this week holds significantly more promise for those of us speculating for future US/PAL releases. The video streaming service Minna no Theater Wii is launching with an already-impressive lineup of anime (including free episodes!), live-action sentai shows, and variety shows. Fujisoft has already expressed interest in releasing this service in the US. We can safely assume Crystal Defenders R1 from Square Enix will appear worldwide (and on every platform). And we are absolutely certain that Aksys will release every single Family series game Arc System Works puts out, even if it's based on a Japanese dice game nobody's ever heard of.The only game in the group unlikely to see the world is Popple and the Magical Crayon, a children's adventure game. Oh, well.

• Okiraku Sugoroku Wii (1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)
• Crystal Defenders R1 (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
• Popple and the Magical Crayon (1 player, 800 Wii Points)
• Minna no Theater Wii (0 players, 500 Wii Points)

Source -- Virtual ConsoleSource -- WiiWarePermalink | Email this | Comments

He may have covered wars, but when Frank West makes a return visit to the Willamette Parkview Mall to buy a case of waggle, he'll do so without his trusty camera in tow. Rather than blaming brain freeze (journalists are prone to this, you see) Capcom explains that the shutterbug's best friend was chopped in favor of a camera of a different sort.According to OMG Nintendo, Minoru Nakai, director and producer on Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop, describes the upcoming Wii port as "a very different game" than the Xbox 360 original, with a Resident Evil 4-style camera that "stays fairly tight behind Frank." Apparently this makes snapping pics, erotic or otherwise, of the undead not work so well.We hope Frank doesn't feel too naked without his trusty 35mm, though it looks like the photojournalist has that situation well in hand.[Via N4G]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Well, folks, we've made it. Welcome to the new home for all things Nintendo here at Joystiq. We've had fun running DS Fanboy and Wii Fanboy for these last couple of years, but that was small potatoes, in all honesty. It was really only training for the long road ahead that would eventually lead here. A road paved with functionality and sexy design. A road that rewards a traveler not only with a cleaner, much more efficient way of getting gaming news and original content, but with a brand new, organized way to get at it.The new Joystiq Nintendo will be everything you loved about the old Nintendo Fanboys. You'll get the same editorial direction, but packaged in a far better manner. We're benefiting from this transition through a sleek, customized version of Joystiq. One that fans of the Nintendo Fanboy spaces before will hopefully come to love as much, if not more, than those previous blogs.You all made this happen because you choose to stop by our little corner of the internet every day and brighten our lives with your opinions and tips. We appreciate that and hope you all enjoy our move. We're hoping it gets you more content, much more quickly. Let us know what you think in the comments and we'll see you out there!Permalink | Email this | Comments

In case you needed it confirmed yet again: Nintendo totally wins at selling stuff. Gamasutra went through the NPD statistics for 2008 software sales with a fine tooth-comb, and discovered that Wii and DS titles formed almost half of all games sold during 2008.Of the 268 million games sold in the U.S. last year, 132 million (49%) were for Nintendo platforms, compared to 86 million (32%) for Sony consoles, and 50 million (19%) for Microsoft. Furthermore, the Wii software tie-in ratio isn't looking too shabby: an even six games per system, an identical figure to that of the PlayStation 3.For more statistics that make us want to joyously high-five a bobcat, hit up Gamasutra.