Nintendo has finally revealed a budget line of Wii games known as “Nintendo Selects” titles. These are best-selling games from the earliest years of the Wii that will be sold at a discounted price of $19.99. You should be able to pick up the Nintendo Select series starting May 15th.
You can tell a game is part of the cheaper line of top-quality first-party titles by the gold “Nintendo Selects” banner in the upper left hand corner of the game box as well as the red-carpet-style coloring, the box is red instead of white. Which should all easily make these games stand out.
Only for titles have been inducted into the Nintendo Selects line-up for the debut:
Additionally, a Nintendo Selects Mario Kart Wii system bundle that includes the game “Mario Kart Wii” along with a Nintendo Wii game system will also be debuting alongside the “Nintendo Selects” line-up, in both Black and White and retailing for $150. Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort will no longer be included though, replaced with Mario Kart Wii. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is additionally rumored to be tapped for the Nintendo Selects line, although it wasn’t officially announced and may happen at a later date.
Update:
The “Wii Nintendo Selects” discount line of games has been officially announced by Nintendo for North America. Here is the full press release:
Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Wii system to $149.99 and including a Mario game with the Wii hardware. Starting May 15, the newly priced Wii system will come in either black or white with the Mario Kart Wii game and a matching colored Wii Wheel accessory, replacing the previously included Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort games.
Also on May 15, Nintendo launches the new Nintendo Selects collection of Wii games, a set of popular games that millions of people have already experienced, at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The four must-own games in this collection are The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers and Wii Sports, which is available for the first time as a separate software purchase. Parents and video game fans can now easily expand their library of fun, family-friendly Wii games.
“From the day it launched, Wii has let players of all ages and experience levels have fun with one another,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The new suggested retail pricing for both the hardware and select games will help create more of these magical moments for even greater numbers of people.”
With Mario Kart Wii now included with the Wii hardware, players will be able to enjoy fun go-kart racing with Mario and all his Mushroom Kingdom pals right out of the box. The Wii Remote Plus controller, Nunchuk controller and Wii Wheel included in the package will all match the hardware, meaning they will be either black or white. The new black Wii Wheel will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $9.99.