In case you missed it at the Nintendo press event, Animal Crossing City Folk was just announced. The game will come with the WiiSpeak mic accessory, which lets all the players in the room chat with each other at once. It also will be a fully persistent world, where your players continue their lives, even when you are gone. More info when we get it.

Mega Man 9 is playable on the E3 Expo Floor, but the 1UP guys are not able to get into the showroom just yet. So, in the meantime, they spoke with producer Hironobu Takeshita about the game. The game is done in a retro style, even though it is a new adventure. They go through some gameplay specifics, and more. Hopefully we will get some new video soon.

Apparently, the response of the Wiimote was not fast enough for 1:1 game interaction. Most of us knew that, but now it is confirmed. Nintendo has jsut announced the WiiMotionPlus add-on for the Wiimote. This device, which plugs into the end of the Wiimote, supposedly adds 1:1 interaction functionality to the motion control. We will learn more at Tuesday's E3 briefing, according to Nintendo.

Some regular news for you, here ios the list of Wii Virtual Console and WiiWare titles available for download this week. Donkey Kong 3 and Major League Eating are among the titles. Click read more for the full info.

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Enjoying a nice hot dog, tending to your flowers-not exactly the hallmarks of an adventurous lifestyle, right? Think again. This week's additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel feature action and excitement in unlikely settings, from super-charged eating contests to a greenhouse that's been invaded by a certain world-famous ape. We've also thrown in a classic scrolling actioner for those who prefer a more familiar brand of fist-flying combat. For WiiWare™ lovers and Virtual Console™ devotees alike, it's a great week to get some unexpected kicks.

Sir Howard Stringer, the CEO of Sony, played the Wii recently and spoke with Bloomberg.com. He then went on to call the Wii an "expensive nice game device," and touted the PS3 as the best Blu-Ray player out there. Expensive? Oh boy.

`I don't see it as a competitor. It's more of an expensive niche game device. We're selling a lot of PlayStation 3s now and it's still the best way to buy a Blu-ray player.'

The latest issue of NGamer has some information on the two new Wii games, Animal Crossing and Punch Out! Apparently, Animal Crossing has been finished for a while, and features heavy use of the Wii WiFi connection. It is not an MMO, though, to be clear. As for Punch Out!, the balance board will be used in conjunction with the Wiimote to stick and move. Stay tuned, more info when we have it.

Apparently, a new patent has shown up from Nintendo which seems to be a pad that fits with the Wiimote, and mimics a Gamecube pad. This is certainly something that Nintendo might reveal at E3, and many gamers still use their Gamecube pads with their Wii. It might even be the Classic Pad 2.0. Rumor mill for now, but you can read the patent info here, or click the link for the image.

Nintendo has revealed this week's shop channel games. Spogs Racing, and the SNK classic King of the Monsters, are available for download now. Spogs racing features pick-up-and-play controls, all-new racing vehicles and "Crash N' Grab" instant upgrades. Sounds like it is worth checking out, if you have room left on your Wii memory, that is. Click read more for the full info.

PRESS RELEASE

July 7, 2008 - This week's additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel are bigger, stronger and faster. It's all about excess with these electrifying titles. A new WiiWare™ offering puts you behind the wheel of a high-octane racer with no regard for speed limits. A classic Virtual Console™ game transforms you into a larger-than-life beast with a massive appetite for mayhem. Whichever you choose, there will be no skimping on the action.

Konami has confirmed a new Castlevania fighting game is in the works for Wii. Called Castlevania Judgment, the game "pits several generations of the Belmont clan against a host of characters that span the franchise's 22-year history." Sounds like it would be great. Or stink. Stay tuned!

It was the initial week in the UK for both Battlefield: BC and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Super Smash beat out BF on the NPD charts, with Lego Jones pulling in third. Super Smash became the third biggest UK Wii game launch, with Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii taking the top 2 spots. This week's list was a big change from last week's apparently, with seven of the ten games not returning to the top 10. For the complete list click read more.