Revolution Portal: Because it won’t be televised.

Tomonobu Itagaki, the head of Team Ninja, has taken the side of the ratings board when it comes to titles like Manhunt 2 on Wii. He believes that the organizations classifying what is offensive, or too violent, is a great thing for the industry.

“First of all, it’s very difficult to classify what people find offensive or what people find to be too violent only in words - in rules and regulations,” he recently told Kikizo.

“The second point is, that being said, I don’t believe the adage that the artist should be able to express whatever he wants is necessarily applicable in this case, because we’re creating entertainment. And entertainment shouldn’t include things that make people feel uncomfortable or extremely upset.

“The third would be that people out there that want to create something that is very far removed from societal norms and the moral sensibilities of the general public … They’re unfortunate, and I don’t want to be grouped in with that group of people.”

Even though he’s had to trim some decapitations in PAL territories because of the ratings board, he doesn’t have any hard feelings.

“I understand that from a player’s perspective, it might look like there are these organisations out there that are keeping the creators from creating what they want to, but I never feel like I’m being censored in the strictest sense,” he admitted.

Last month we reported that Wii was going to seeing a return of Samba De Amigo, the Dreamcast classic that used unique maraca peripherals.

Today, SEGA has finally confirmed the Nintendo Wii news, and as expected, the Wiimote and Nunchuck will take the place of the maracas.  This is terrific news, considering gamers will not have to shell out any extra pesos on external baggage that would only work for a single title.

“The Wii’s controllers enable players to enjoy Samba De Amigo’s unique gameplay without having to purchase an expensive peripheral,” said Rick Naylor, Director of Marketing at SEGA. “Between the music, the quirky art style, and the maraca-shaking players, the game is as much fun to watch as it is to play.”

Expect the game to hit the shelves in Spring 2008.

Capcom is finally doing a sports title, and they’ve picked the Wii as the platform of choice for We Love Golf. 

Producer Hironobu Takeshita recently talked about the Wii title and what it makes it special.    

“The most special feature of this game is the way the Wiimote actually becomes a club and we wanted to make it feel just like one. You know, a lot of games on other consoles use buttons or more traditional controls but from the moment you grip the Wii Remote when playing We Love Golf, you can tell it’s something different,” he explained.

“There are moments in this game when you hold it exactly like a golfer would - particularly when putting on the green because golfers in real-life hold the club up to judge the green and in WLG, you have to do exactly the same thing. It’s things like this that make it unique.”

It’ll be a blast to see what Capcom can do with the genre…but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen those “unique” features also included in Wii titles like EA’s Tiger Woods ‘07 and Techmo’s Super Swing Golf.

The Wii VC Monday has arrived and with it comes three new titles that all involve some sort of action.   Whether it be ninja star throwing, epic struggles against the Imperial Federation, or blasting through armies of deadly Obbellon fighters, this is a stronger Wii Shop lineup than most.

And now, without further adieu, the trio:

Gate of Thunder (TurboGrafx16, 800 Wii Points ): The legendary sci-fi shooter is back! Gate of Thunder is a horizontal side-scrolling shooter that places you in control of special undercover agent Hawk, whose mission is to stop the deadly army of Obbellon fighters. Jump into the action as Hawk gets aboard his ship, the Hunting Dog, and heads out toward the enemy. Blast through stages while effectively using all three of the weapons at your disposal and receiving support from ally Wild Cat ships. Switch through equippable power-up options on the fly to change the direction of your attack. You’ll have to blast in front of and behind you to survive all seven stages. Hard-core shooting-game fans looking for a challenge can select HARD or DEVIL mode to experience even more intense action!

Metal Marines (Super NES, 800 Wii Points): Set in the near future, most of Earth’s land has been disintegrated in the chaos of the Anti-matter War. This real-time strategy game portrays the Colonies’ Allied Force - the Metal Marines - in their epic struggle against General Zorgeuf and the Imperial Federation, who are bent on world domination. Commanding the Metal Marines across a series of battles, the player must strategically allocate resources, ready supplies, manage funds and move troops in an effort to outwit and outmove the opponent. The real-time battle system rewards split-second decisions and adaptability in the struggle for military superiority. Unlike most turn-based strategy games, Metal Marines engrosses the player in a fast-paced and frantic battle in which both sides advance simultaneously. A constant eye must be kept on enemy movements to maintain a formidable defense and not miss the perfect chance to strike. Strategic foresight and quick judgment hold the key to victory.

Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (NES, 500 Wii Points): In Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, a new villain, Ashtar, is revealed. Take on the role of Ryu Hayabusa and rescue Irene Lew, a former CIA agent, from Ashtar. Destroy the Sword of Chaos, a weapon of great power forged from the bone of a demon. Use techniques such as the Fire Wheel or the Windmill Throwing Star and attack while holding on to walls and ladders. Use the most innovative technique of all - the ability to create Shadow Clones, orange shadow versions of Ryu that will constantly follow him, repeating previous actions (moving or attacking) in a delayed cycle. Once again defeat henchmen, creatures and bosses with new fighting techniques and even more weapons as you progress through multiple stages on your way to destroying Ashtar, Jaquio and the Realm of Chaos.

While most of us lament the recent news that the Smash Bros. Brawl won’t be hitting Wii until next February, Perrin Kaplan has a different way of looking at it.

She thinks that it’s good for Super Mario Galaxy, a Wii title which deserves its own special time in the sun.

“And Super Mario Galaxy honestly deserves a time of its own. I think having two huge titles like that right next to each other is great for people that are hardcore gamers,” she said in an interview with Wired.

“But for people who are just entering, and they’re only going to choose one, MG is a great game for people who want to really get in depth, and then come next year, Smash Bros. is another really great product for that. So I think having those piled up on each other wouldn’t have been bad — we’d have sold every last unit — but I think this’ll be even better for the consumer.”

That is what we refer to as looking at the glass half full.