Wii Ads in Wave Race 64?
By Jonathan on Monday, August 6th, 2007 at 6:25 PM PST In Nintendo, Nintendo
The version of Wave Race 64 available for download now over the Virtual Console contains several in-game ads for the Wii and the DS. Apparently the original game contained banners for Kawasaki, but the license has since expired. So Nintendo just swapped out the images for the re-release. That or they sent a squad of specially-trained agents back in time to alter the original prototype cartridge before it could be released. Personally, I’m sticking with the time travel theory, since it has a better chance of being made into a movie.
It’s also interesting to note that this shows just how easily these older games can be altered for the VC. That could possibly open it up for some Japanese games that never made it stateside to finally get an English-language release.
Via Siliconera
Its funny that they won’t update any of the graphics, but they can put in some ads so that kawasaki doesn’t get any free marketing.
I like it. It keeps with the N64 feel, actually, better than anything. They could have, no doubt, found some companies willing to have ads put in, with some humor (McDonald’s golden arches made blue waves, perhaps? or just the Pizza Hut guy holding the master sword!)
However, what happened with the N64? You couldn’t escape that dang N logo! It was everywhere!
I think Nintendo is looking back, laughing, and putting some Wii promotion everywhere to give us that feeling of “why is this ad being thrown in my face when I already down the system?”
Used, they changed the ads because if they hadn’t, they could have been sued. It wasn’t about taking the free advertising from anyone, it was about being allowed to have it in the game. It seriously probably took a guy 15 minutes to change the ads, nothing like a graphics update.
This DOES make me happy for the future, though, because I would seriously want some games that never hit American shelves, and though translating them may not happen, this does give me hope. Old Fire Emblem, please!