I admire the heck out of Vblank Entertainment's passion for porting games to outdated platforms.
We got an early heads-up about the developer's latest experiment thanks to an ESRB listing, but now it's official: Shakedown: Hawaii, a free-roaming overhead action game from 2019, is getting a physical Wii and Wii U release this year. This isn't a bit! Designer Brian Provinciano is going through with it.
In Europe, Shakedown: Hawaii is getting a 3,000-copy physical Wii launch on July 9, 2020, priced at $29.99. As he puts it, "the doors hadn't quite closed yet with Nintendo of Europe," so it was feasible.
Wii discs are region-locked, which is partially why a Wii U port of Shakedown: Hawaii – "the next best thing" – came to be. Provinciano says he "didn't want North American players to be left out."
Also, Wii U discs are just pleasant to hold. Love that rounded edge.
Here's the technical rundown on both versions:
The Wii version supports both 50hz and 60hz, and both NTSC and PAL output. It supports the Wii Remote (with shake!), Wii Classic Controller, Wii Classic Controller Pro, and GameCube Controller. I took special care to ensure it parallels the experience of the more powerful platforms, and further optimized it to fit entirely into the Wii system memory. This means that you won't experience any disc load times during gameplay. Once the game boots, you're in!
The Wii U version supports both SD and HD, 4:3 and 16:9. You can play it with the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote, Wii Classic Controller, or Wii Classic Controller Pro. It can be played entirely on the GamePad (with touch!), or on the TV from the comfort of your couch.
Why bother going through all of this effort? "It's just something I enjoy. The older the platform, the more fun it is! The cleverer I need to be! The more ways I'll need to figure out how to optimize things."
If you're interested in the physical edition on Wii, there's an email signup. If you're looking to keep the Wii U flame lit, Shakedown: Hawaii is aiming for an August 2020 launch (and the same goes for Steam).
Ball's in your court, Just Dance.
It's Coming to Wii and Wii U! [Vblank Entertainment Inc.]
