14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo and LucasArts have announced they have entered into a partnership designed to bring Super Star Wars, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi to the Virtual Console service of the Nintendo Wii. The videogames were initially released on the Super Nintendo and arrived way back in 1992.
The first game in the series, which is set to be released soon, is based on another Star Wars themed title that came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Master System, the Game Boy and the Game Gear in 1991. It is essentially a platformer in which the gamer can play as a variety of characters from the movie while facing all the threats from the intergalactic saga. There are some levels where a landspeeder can be piloted or an X-Wing can be flown around.
In honor of the three games coming to the Wii, Nintendo has launched a contest on the Check Mii Out Channel, where anybody can create a Star Wars-themed Mii character in order to win prizes. There are also polls related to the science fiction series on the Everybody Votes Channel.
Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts, stated that “Virtual Console on Wii is a great way to make these games available to our fans again, and it's an awesome opportunity to expose our classic console titles to an entirely new audience.”
Recently, he also hinted that X-Wing and TIE Fighter videogames might be revived by his company and the Wii could be one of the most interesting platforms to see them ported to. Don't be too surprised if they show up, with slightly redone graphics and motion controls, on the WiiWare service.
The Virtual Console and the WiiWare are Nintendo's attempts at digital distribution and they usually offer a host of games each week for a low price, some of them banking on their nostalgia value.