Were you guys aware that Nintendo includes firmware updates in their first party Wii games? cause I rented Super Paper Mario and nothing happened. it was just a game lol. because I have my Wii always connected online and I update it as soon as each update is available. he on the other hand, has no way to connect, therefore has no way to update. or so we thought.....he went and picked up Super Paper Mario as well and when he turned on his Wii it updated to the current software, minus compatibility with the final version of the internet channel. (probably cause that was here after the game went gold) this is extremely clever thinking on Nintendo's part wouldn't you say?

- Ghost Of Hyrule

Clever, and pretty much standard practice these days. Microsoft and Sony have been doing this for a while with the Xboxes and PSP, respectively. It makes sense for games to carry system updates because there may be certain things in a particular game that requires an up-to-date console firmware, or to just make sure everyone's console is as compatible as possible. That's not to say that games in the future won't work on older Wii firmwares, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Now that it's been announced that SMB: The Lost Levels is being released next month on the Virtual Console in its native country, what are the odds that the game will be released in other parts of the world in a similar time frame? The Lost Levels is a true challenge even for the best of gamers, and it's a gem that most people missed outside of Japan. What are your thoughts?

- Metalmayer555

I'm going to give the true Super Mario Bros. 2 a good chance of coming to Virtual Console by itself. Sure, Nintendo could put Super Mario All-Stars on the service and we could all download it for 800 or 1000 Points, but Nintendo being Nintendo, it would probably favor to release the games individually and get all money the it can out of it.

Nintendo would, however, need to do some tweaks to the ROM before doing so, if it was to bring over the NES version. The game wasn't dubbed "The Lost Levels" until it was re-released on the SNES, so to my knowledge there is no NES game that is called that. That may be a trivial thing, however. We'll see it eventually come to America in either its original NES or grouped SNES forms.

I got a pair of thrustmaster gamecube controllers that work on my gamecube but not on the wii.. does this mean that my wii is broken or the wii does not accept gamecube controllers made by a different company?

- HB
Australia

Option two seems logical. If you have any regular GameCube controllers available, try those to confirm that your console isn't on the fritz. Otherwise it seems that those third party controllers won't work on the Wii, or at least the two particular controllers you have.

Do you think that Nintendo will stop this friend code stuff? I see that you put a friend code page for the new pokemon game, but doesn’t the other person need your code? I think that the friend codes are a pain. I tried to play animal crossing: wild world online but I can’t because I have no friend codes, and I don’t know how to get them for that game. Some games you don’t need friend codes to get on Nintendo WFC. (Like Mario Kart DS) Do you think Nintendo will stop the friend codes (I know they are for safety) but they can find another way to keep players safe.

PS: I want to work at NintendoWorldReport

- Nintendo's biggest fan

The idea of our friend codes subforum is for you to find players for online DS games. You post your friend code in a game thread, like the Pokémon thread, and then you add other people's friend codes to your system. If they want more friends, they'll add you in to their system. Presto, you've found some opponents! As a bonus, you can post in the forums after registering and make even more friends in the NWR community!

Anyway, the friend code stuff is here to stay. The system has been pretty much accepted on the DS, given the nature of the handheld. When you turn it off, you lose everything except your system settings, so there would be no realistic way to store any persistent login data. Not that it would matter, because even though the Wii is capable of that, and each system has a friend code on its own, it appears that we'll still need to do the friend code thing for every game. If this is targeted to make it "easier" for non-gamers to play games online, I'd like to hear Nintendo's reasoning behind it.

P.S. Hold that thought...

Hey, guys, I just heard about the Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition and it caught my interest. I have always had an irrational fear of the undead and unnatural creatures featured in the Resident Evil series, but RE4 looks awesome... and for $30, I was wondering if you guys think I should get it or not.

PS, I have never played a RE game before.

Thanks, and great podcast.

- CaptainFrog

Well, let me give you an endorsement. After playing through RE4 the first time, I held on to it in the hopes that I would come back to it and play it again. I demanded to be played through a second time, really. Then, Capcom announces the Wii edition, releases a trailer and a lot of info on it and goes and gets me all excited about the game again. I promptly traded in my GameCube RE4 and will be getting the Wii RE4 the moment it comes out. Why? I want to play through what is one of the greatest games of all time again with Wii controls that reportedly feel terrific. And I'll be more than happy to buy the same game a second time to experience it.

So yeah, you should probably get it. For the love of all things on this earth, get it. You'll kick yourself for not playing it in 2005. After you play through it, you should thank Capcom for giving you a third chance to right your wrongs!

I read that Red Octane may create a DS version of Guitar Hero. Now I personally would love to see it made, but I can’t see how you would control the game. How could a touch screen work? Maybe a mini guitar. That also is hard to see. This will be a challenge Red Octane. What do you think? What could you see in the future if they do make this game?

- Master Guitar

The first thing I thought of when envisioning a DS Guitar Hero is to use the stylus to "pick" at individual strings as the notes come down. It would be impossible to hold the DS like a guitar (you couldn't see the screens) or play it like one (only one touch point is recognized at a time). Making it a more traditional music game with a Guitar Hero theme, music and branding seems like the logical way to go.

Do you guys have any idea what the maximum supported capacity of the nintendo mp3 player is? I don't know anyone who has it so i can't ask!

- plugabugz

I believe that the biggest card you can put in it safely is 1GB. At least it should be, since that's the largest capacity that was supported with the Play-Yan Media Player, which is the same device as the MP3 Player, except the 'Yan has video playback capabilites, too.

I have a couple of rather simple questions. My first question is that is it possible for two people to use the same classic controller. I own one wiimote and one classic controller. If I want to play two player Super Mario World, I figure I should be able to use the same controller for two different people, but I have had no luck. Is this even possible?

My second question is that I'm currently looking at buying a new pc, and I would like to use the monitor for my new pc as my tv and to play my consoles on. What kind of monitor would I need? Would a tv tuner satisfy my needs if I use say a vcr or a RF Modulator with it?

- Animeprince62
West Virginia

First answer: No. A classic controller plugged in to a Wii remote is still one controller. If you want to play a two player game, you'll need either two classic controllers and two Wii remotes to plug them in to. Alternatively, you could use a GameCube controller. And in case you didn't realize, SNES games like Super Mario World can't be played with the Wii remote alone, since there aren't enough buttons on it to do the job.

Second answer: If you're looking to get a new monitor, one with direct video inputs would be a good one to get. Many newer flat-panel monitors have composite, S-Video and/or component video inputs, and is really the best way to go if you want to sit down at your computer desk and play games. Running the signal through the actual computer almost always results in some display lag, which is not good for gaming.

Watch out, though. If you get a widescreen monitor, be aware that the aspect ratio of PC displays (16:10) are slightly different than those of television displays (16:9). Should you play a game on a widescreen computer monitor, the picture will be slightly stretched. Some people don't mind this, but if you're picky it will totally screw you over.

Dear Oldbag,

I'm very, very interested in NYKO's Wiimote charging station, and it seems like a great product. The only question I still have, and the only reason I wouldn't pay the $40, is: do the included battery packs work like a DS or 360 pad battery pack, in that they don't ever "run out" like stand-alone rechargeables? All NYKO's site tells me is that they're NiMH batteries, and they do look like the sort of battery I'm looking for...but I thought I'd play it safe and ask a professional.

- Low Battery
Dying Wiimote, PA

NiMH is the modern standard for portable rechargeable power. Just about every type of rechargeable gaming device uses NiMH, so you'll be fine with it.

However, you should know that there is no such thing as a battery that doesn't run out. Even rechargeable batteries eventually "tire out" and need to be replaced. It doesn't happen until after many, many drain and recharge cycles and several years of use, but by then you'll have outlasted the usefulness of the product.

I haven't heard any mention of it yet, but while playing Super Paper Mario last night I found an oven on the second level (I think) of FlipTown while I was getting the Spicy Soup for Peach. It looks exactly like a DS but when I try to interact with it I get the message "Awaiting Data Upgrade" (or something similar).

Do you think Super Paper Mario is hiding some DS connectivity element? Or is Nintendo just taunting us? Sorry for my lack of exactness in details but I'm at work and not in front of my Wii.

- Captain N

There's no Wii-DS connectivity in Super Paper Mario. This issue was actually brought up in an MTV interview with the SPM localization team, and it turned out to be just one big miscommunication. The DS inside the Flipside kitchen (and somewhere similar) is actually your recipe guide, and it doesn't turn on until later in the game. You can find upgrade cards for it scattered about, however. It's just that there's no need for your personal DS to do it.

I bought the Wii, GameCube, and N64 on their respective launch days. The GameCube and N64 are regarded by just about everyone as being less successful than the Wii, but I was happier during the first months of those systems’ lifetimes. With the GameCube, I was in heaven with Rogue Leader, Wave Race Blue Storm, R.E.Make, and Eternal Darkness, to name a few. For the N64, it was Mario 64, Wave Race, Shadows of the Empire, Mario Kart, Turok, and Star Fox. Granted, some of those games had glaring flaws, but they certainly kept me occupied and deserved a spot in my game library.

Now we all know the Wii is kicking ass and taking names. But after playing through Zelda, I have no desire to play anything else. Granted, I haven't played all the games for the Wii, but I hadn’t played every game for the GameCube or N64, either. Beyond a two-day rental, the current Wii library just doesn’t interest me.

It must be the controller and ease of use that’s selling the Wii, because the games surely cannot be. Besides Galaxy, Corruption, and Brawl (three admittedly huge games), what is there? Okay, I’ll probably buy Umbrella Chronicles, but it’s hardly a killer app. RE4 Wii Edition is good news, but in my opinion it’s not the must-have that R.E.Make for the GameCube was. Hey Capcom, if you won’t bring RE5 to the Wii, how about remaking RE2 for the Wii using the RE4 engine? Now THAT would be a system seller.

Am I being too hard on the Wii? Am I just getting too old (I’m 35)? Will someone tell me why the Wii is selling so well? Because there are about half a dozen games I’d rather play on my newly purchased Xbox 360 than anything on the Wii right now.

- DarkPat
Seattle

As evidenced by the empty store shelves, people are still lining up to buy one this far out from launch. The reason why it's so popular is because there are a lot of people who have never thought of buying a video game system before are doing it with the Wii, a system that is way cheaper than the rest and comes with a free game. On that basis alone, why wouldn't it be doing well?

However, you're saying that there aren't enough games to satisfy you. You're more than happy to get games on other systems. I'm the same way, honestly. After Zelda, Excite Truck and Wii Sports, I really didn't play much on my Wii until Super Paper Mario came out. (I was, however, still using it a few times a week to check out the Everybody Votes Channel. Why is it so addicting?) Most of my time was spent with my PS2 and PSP.

But think about all of those games you, and just about everyone else who is reading this, wants: Metroid Prime, Resident Evil, Super Smash Bros. Those are big names in the gaming world, but I'd bet you a dollar that a random person who has never played games before wouldn't know what you were talking about.

That's the big reason why a lot of people in the gaming community are confused over the Wii's success. Everyone is assuming that gamers are the primary audience of the console. News flash, people: The Wii is doing so well because Nintendo is getting people who have never played video games before to see the light and join the party. There are more people that don't play video games in the world that do, right? So doesn't it make more sense for Nintendo to cater to those that don't play games?

So to answer your question, are you being too hard on the Wii? No, I don't think so. There's a lot of stuff that we want, and were promised (SSBB online at launch), that we haven't got yet. Of course a lot of people are going to be upset. However, everyone else needs to realize that although the hardcore set of consumers is and always will be very important to Nintendo, the company's ultimate goal is to make the system appeal to people who are not like us. That "us" encompasses millions of people, don't forget. A lot of things Nintendo is doing seems backwards, but as you can see with the success of the DS, it knows what it's doing.

For now, we'll need to be patient. We'll get what's coming to us in due time.

That's it for this mailbag. We might be back next week, we might not be. If you want to increase the chances of seeing another update next Sunday, you'd best get to sending in some questions. You can do that using the link below. Whatever you do, don't send in the same-old same-old. I'm getting tired of answering the same boring stuff over and over again. You people do read all the mailbags, right?

Until next time.