New details of Cube remakes for Wii

By Kristan Reed Published 13 November, 2008

Famitsu report suggests effort being made.

Fresh details on Nintendo's forthcoming 'Play It On Wii' range of GameCube re-issues have emerged, revealing that more effort is being invested than may have previously been thought.

A report in the latest issue of Famitsu (translated by IGN) reveals that Donkey Kong Jungle Beat has been tweaked in key areas.

For starters, rather than using the ludicrous Bongo peripheral, the game now controls like a traditional platformer - with movement of Donkey Kong assigned to the nunchuk analogue stick, and jumping mapped to the A button.

Motion controls will also play a part in the punch and jump mechanics, while Nintendo has also taken the opportunity to tweak minor elements such as enemy positioning and mid-level checkpoints.

The re-issue of Pikmin, meanwhile, appears to be a more straightforward motion control update. As expected, you'll be able to control your alien army by pointing the Wii remote, holding down A to pick them up and throw them around, or B to shout out to them.

Release dates were also touched upon in the Famitsu article, with Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat arriving first on 11th December and Pikmin coming on the 25th.

No dates have been confirmed for the rest of the world as yet, but our spies suggest that February/March is a safe bet. More news on pricing and dates when we get them. How much would you pay, Eurogamer reader?

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (46) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Pirotic #1 3 years ago

    So are they releasing the new Animal Crossing under the same 'Play it on Wii' label seeing as it's 95% identical to the GC version.

  • chrisjm #2 3 years ago

    already got them on the cube, so another dissapointment that new wii traditional style games are just rehashes of ones we've already played. at least they are being honest with these unlike animal crossing which is essentially the same.

  • KingOfSpain #3 3 years ago

    GOD I love Pikmin!!! All games should be Pikmin Games!

  • Dan234 #4 3 years ago

    I can't believe Nintendo have passed on the opportunity to launch another controller, Wii bongo drums, tastefully coloured white.

  • JonFE #5 3 years ago

    "For starters, rather than using the ludicrous Bongo peripheral, [DK:JB] now controls like a traditional platformer - with movement of Donkey Kong assigned to the nunchuk analogue stick, and jumping mapped to the A button."

    Shame. In one swift step they removed all the charm the original release had :|

  • mrsquare #6 3 years ago

    "Ludicrous"? Its why the game was so awesome in the first place!

  • whizzedout #7 3 years ago

    WHORES

  • speedjack #8 3 years ago

    Isn't the Pikmin release meant to be both one and two together ?

  • terminalterror #9 3 years ago

    As has been previously stated, the bongo control was the best bit of Jungle Beat. It would still be fun without, but not nearly to the same extent. At least they aren't trying to replicate the bongo control with wiimote and nunchuck shaking.

  • neonemesis #10 3 years ago

    As has been previously stated, the bongo control was the best bit of Jungle Beat. It would still be fun without, but not nearly to the same extent. At least they aren't trying to replicate the bongo control with wiimote and nunchuck shaking.

    Isn't that what they did for DK Jet Race which was originally supposed to use the bongos on the 'cube?

    I want more info on the Power Tennis remake - surely that can't go wrong?

  • krudster #11 3 years ago

    It was fun, but having Tom Bramwell banging bongos on your lounge floor for 4 CONSECUTIVE HOURS while you're trying to work was possibly the most ludicrous thing I've ever seen.

  • TravisTouchdown #12 3 years ago

    For no more than £12.99, I'd buy Pikmin again.

    £19.99 seems like a safe bet though...

  • insincere_dave #13 3 years ago

    It's a shame Nintendo don't have a huge back catalogue of Space Marine FPS games that can retrospectively be reviewed as 10/10 under Eurogamer's new reviewing scheme.

  • sneetch #14 3 years ago

    Not a lot is the answer to how much I'd pay. I already own most of the games they've announced, the only ones I care to own (tbh), and I'm not willing to pay much for a control... well, I was going to say upgrade but it's more a side-grade. I thought the twin-sticks control method in Pikmin was fantastic and allowed very precise control, I can't see the wii remote pointer being much of an improvement.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #15 3 years ago

    I think Nintendo are aiming for the 10 million Wii owners who didn't buy a Gamecube, not people who already own the games.

  • sneetch #16 3 years ago

    @canIdoyabombsforya "I think Nintendo are aiming for the 10 million Wii owners who didn't buy a Gamecube, not people who already own the games."

    Gee, do ya think? Wow, what a revelation, mind if I write that down?

    Of course they are. My point is there is insufficient change to these titles to warrant repurchase, the same with most of the Cube and PS2 ports; if you already have them then there's no reason to repurchase, the controls themselves aren't enough (IMO). If they contained technical upgrades and/or additional content then I might repurchase one or two.

  • Santino #17 3 years ago

    i'd pay £30 for metroid prime 1 and 2 boxset with wii controls, and £50 for a trilogy boxset with a book of the awesome artwork.

  • JonFE #18 3 years ago

    I would probably repurchase both Metroid Prime games if they manage to make them control like MP3 - that way there might be a chance for me to actually play them.

    EDIT: @ Santino: Great minds think alike and all that buzz :)
    Edited by 1 at 13/11/08 @ 11:21

  • Climhazzard #19 3 years ago

    Il be getting metroid prime for sure, was the best game of the last gen imo.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #20 3 years ago

    I've got Pikmin 1, which still works fine on the Wii. But I'd gladly buy Pikmin 2, especially if speedjack's right and it's both games in a bundle.

    But once they add Wii controls onto Pikmin, I don't really see the point in a Wii-only Pikmin 3 ;-)

  • chrisjm #21 3 years ago

    'But once they add Wii controls onto Pikmin, I don't really see the point in a Wii-only Pikmin 3 ;-)'

    and this is the problem. nintendo fans want something new, and im pretty sure they arent going to get it now.
    they are milking their back catalogue, while neglectign their new catalogue (unless your a 5 year old kid or daily mail reading mother).

  • mashk #22 3 years ago

    money for old rope.

  • Chaote-Imagicka #23 3 years ago

    i'd pay £30 for metroid prime 1 and 2 boxset with wii controls, and £50 for a trilogy boxset with a book of the awesome artwork.

    I'd pay £80 for a copy of Metroid Prime 3 with GC controls.

  • jonsaan #24 3 years ago

    Jungle beat was painfully simplistic outside of the control method. Should present no challenge wahtsoever with a joystick no?

  • sneetch #25 3 years ago

    @Britesparc
    "I've got Pikmin 1, which still works fine on the Wii. But I'd gladly buy Pikmin 2, especially if speedjack's right and it's both games in a bundle.

    But once they add Wii controls onto Pikmin, I don't really see the point in a Wii-only Pikmin 3 ;-)"

    I think it is Pikmin 3. I think Pikmin 3 will have a "city" you can visit too. ;)

  • Santino #26 3 years ago

    pikmin 3 was confirmed to be a unique entry into the series not the remakes.

  • itsfuzzy #27 3 years ago

    Oh dear. Is this all we have to look forward to on the Wii. Nothing out on the Wii since Wii Sports, Zelda and Super Mario Galaxy worth buying. All launch titles. Woeful to say the least.

  • Dan234 #28 3 years ago

    Oh dear. Is this all we have to look forward to on the Wii. Nothing out on the Wii since Wii Sports, Zelda and Super Mario Galaxy worth buying. All launch titles. Woeful to say the least.

    It's a stop-gap till the next set of 1st party games in development come out.

  • spacenugget #29 3 years ago

    Europe release date for Wii December 8, 2006
    Europe release date for SMG November 16, 2007.
    How is that a launch title?
    :0/

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #30 3 years ago

    Oh dear. Is this all we have to look forward to on the Wii. Nothing out on the Wii since Wii Sports, Zelda and Super Mario Galaxy worth buying. All launch titles. Woeful to say the least.

    There's quite a bit of stuff coming up in the next few months if you bother to look.

    I really don't think that putting 'normal' controls into Jungle Beat is a good idea as half the charm of the game was the control mechanism. It'll still be a fun platformer, but the skill element will be reduced massively.

  • SlackMaster #31 3 years ago

    Are there that many shit games on the Wii that they have to resort to re-releasing NGC titles?

    Seriously, what are they thinking? They'll probably sell then as individual games rather than a compilation and charge £19.99 a piece. This is a new low for Nintendo.

  • JayScott #32 3 years ago

    It is an admittedly quiet holiday season for Wii but you whingers need to shut the fuck up and buy de Blob. Awesome. And not available on any other console. :)

  • blender #33 3 years ago

    the bongos are NOT ludicrous!!!!!

  • varsas #34 3 years ago

    Oh dear. Is this all we have to look forward to on the Wii. Nothing out on the Wii since Wii Sports, Zelda and Super Mario Galaxy worth buying. All launch titles. Woeful to say the least.

    Zack and Wik??? No More Heroes to name two others...

  • andywilkie35 #35 3 years ago

    I'm currently playing on my Wii for the first time in around 6 months. I'm playing Mario Kart Double Dash with my flatmates bird coz she likes it but rightly doesn't like the new one coz its toilet. So yes I'm playing a gamecube game on my Wii. Worth the price! fucking worth it! glad I bought one!

    oh yeah and whoever mentioned No More Heroes as a reason to buy a Wii, that's a silly thing to say. That game was absolute gash. 100% turd. Absolute dogshit

  • DWJE_216 #36 3 years ago

    never mind about a Pikmin re-make, I want the 'real' Pikmin 3 game for Wii, I hope the good people at Nintendo are working on it.

  • smelly #37 3 years ago

    >seeing as it's 95% identical to the GC version.

    Played it then? Or are you just going by the visuals?

  • smelly #38 3 years ago

    "So yes I'm playing a gamecube game on my Wii. Worth the price! fucking worth it! glad I bought one!"


    I downloaded the original fable on my 360 the other night. So yes Im playing a xbox game on my 360! Worth the price! Fucking worth it! Glad I bought one!

  • kinky_mong #39 3 years ago

    ^ Your argument doesn't work smelly because you didn't already own the original on the first xbox and are now playing that copy on a newer console. You downloaded a new digital copy that you can't play on an original xbox.

    andywilkie35 has bought a new console which has remained redundant for months only to bring it out again to play a game he could have just played on his gamecube.


    I can't wait to see you copy and paste this post but switch a few words around! Ohhh the excitement!!!!11!!!

  • sneetch #40 3 years ago

    @Santino
    "pikmin 3 was confirmed to be a unique entry into the series not the remakes."

    I know, I was being facetious, based that on the previews, movies and interviews I've seen for "Animal Crossing: Let's Milk This Sucker" or whatever it's called.

    Anyone who does not have a copy of Pikmin should definitely pick it up, great game with that fantastic charm that characterises (good) Nintendo games. I have high hopes for Pikmin 3 if and when it shows up.

  • sneetch #41 3 years ago

    @smelly
    ">seeing as it's 95% identical to the GC version.

    Played it then? Or are you just going by the visuals? "

    Good article here, comparing the features of the three versions (Cube, DS and Wii).

    [link url=http:// wii.ign.com/articles/929/929447p1.html
    ]http://wi i.ign.com/articles/929/929447p1...[/link]

    In terms of looks the Wii version is actually closer to the DS version than the Cube version, but all three versions are very similar in terms of content and gameplay. The visuals are actually where the Wii and Cube version differ the most the Wii version being more like the DS version (with the "round" world etc).

    Pity, they've removed the NES games that were in the Cube version, but as they are trying to sell us those separately it's not surprising.

  • electrolite #42 3 years ago

    "andywilkie35 has bought a new console which has remained redundant for months only to bring it out again to play a game he could have just played on his gamecube. "

    Yeah but he thinks Mario Kart Wii and No More Heroes are shit so it's difficult to be that concerend about his opinion, if I'm being brutal. Oh and he uses the word 'toilet' incorrectly.

  • andywilkie35 #43 3 years ago

    i used the word "toilet" to describe a game that was on all counts pretty shit, which I'm sure is right. of course I might have been wrong if your definition of toilet is to describe something good...which would make you a prick.

    and buying Fable on xbox originals is fine but how much did that cost you? about £15ish. the wii cost over £150 so that means once again, smelly has been proven to be a twunt
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/08 @ 00:04

  • Joco84 #44 3 years ago

    £9.99 is what I would pay for a Gamecube game Wii-make

    Games worth Wii-make:

    1. Pikmin
    2. Pikmin 2
    3. Super Mario Sunshine
    4. Metroid Prime
    5. Metroid Prime 2
    6. Rogue Squadron 2
    7. Rogue Squadron 3
    8. Luigi's Mansion

  • kinky_mong #45 3 years ago

    Yeah but he thinks Mario Kart Wii and No More Heroes are shit so it's difficult to be that concerend about his opinion, if I'm being brutal. Oh and he uses the word 'toilet' incorrectly.

    They are shit. Mario Kart Wii has finally pushed the series completely into "If you are good at the game you are punished with constant blue shells and pow blocks" territory, the new courses are poor and they chose crap classic courses as well. The only good thing about it is the online play actually works which is a first for Nintendo, but the rest of the gameplay lets it down.

    As for No More Heroes that really is awful. Two game types that don't gel together at all and are both sub-par.

  • robson_wii #46 3 years ago

    Since the Wii has Gamecube ports it wouldn't surprise me if you could still use the bongos. I think they worked quite well on jungle beat but they did become annoying after about 5 minutes. As for Pikmin, let the 50-odd million Wii owners have a chance to play one of the nicest games from the cube.

    Other updates not mentioned but worth thinking about:
    Eternal Darkness
    Wind Waker