JJtheTVnewsguy

If you loved Final Fantasy IV (Final Fantasy II on the Super NES and Wii Virtual Console), you will likely enjoy this direct sequel. To get the complete experience, you will need to invest a lot of time and Wii points; after downloading and completing the main game on the WiiWare shop, you'll be prompted to go back and buy the several follow-up chapters for about 300 points each. I found the game fun and challenging, but there is a lot of "grinding" involved, and it can get quite tedious. Attempting to reach 100 percent completion, as I did, will take a couple dozen hours (and I stretched it out over several months). A good story and engaging characters kept me interested, but really there's not a whole lot new to see here. I marvel at the fact this game was originally released on mobile phones in Japan; I have no idea how one would play through such a lengthy old-school RPG on a tiny screen with tiny buttons! (Long train rides, I guess?)

It's Bomberman! Everything you would expect is packed in this WiiWare title, and of course it really is best played with friends at home or online. I did find the graphics to be a bit hard to see on my smaller HDTV with the 16:9 setting, but your results may vary on larger displays. Challenging and fun; a good starter for new players and longtime fans of the Hudson franchise.

If you liked the original arcade or previous console ports of Arkanoid, you'll be right at home here. A generous difficulty setting makes this version accessible to everyone; beginners should have no trouble with the easiest setting, while veterans will probably want a little more out of the hardest. Straightforward, no-frills ball-and-paddle action; Arkanoid Plus! is a good buy if you don't already own another Breakout clone on your mobile phone, handheld or consoles.

It's hard to do Tetris wrong, and Tetris Party does a lot of things right. As the name implies, this edition of the classic puzzler is geared toward multiplayer, both local and online. Easy to pick up and play, even for the Tetris novice in your household. A handful of play options add decent solo replay value as well. One of the strongest WiiWare titles to date.

A solid version of the classic puzzler Dr. Mario for a good price. Online multiplayer is included, along with a twist on the original making use of the Wii Remote motion controls. The graphics and music are heavily inspired by the Nintendo 64 edition, but with a polished look and feel appropriate on Wii. Addictive fun!

This game was fantastic... when I bought it for my Super NES back in 1993. Absolutely nothing has changed, except it's on a Wii disc. Granted, all three Super Mario Bros. titles we grew up with are outstanding, and the "Lost Levels" offers an absurdly difficult challenge to pros, but it just feels like Nintendo was very lazy with this release. An inclusion of Super Mario World or maybe a few minor graphical enhancements would have been nice. Bottom line, every Wii owner should own copies of Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 and 3, whether here or on Virtual Console; the VC versions are cheaper and more faithful to the originals and get the nod here.