Wii Sports Resort is a new collection of fun sports games that anyone can pick up and play.• This sequel to the popular Wii Sports™ makes use of the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which gives players the most responsive and realistic experience possible. The Wii MotionPlus accessory, which is included with Wii Sports Resort, plugs into the base of the Wii Remote™ controller and, combined with the accelerometer and sensor bar, provides an experience that gives players an even greater sense of immersion.

• Just as with Wii Sports, people will love competing against friends and family. As the competition heats up, Wii Sports Resort is as much fun to watch as it is to play. First-time players will find it easy to pick up a Wii Remote and jump into the action.

Fact is, those old games your mum keeps telling you to chuck out could be worth a small fortune, and because Nintendo’s been in the business since the year dot, it’s your NES, SNES and import games that are most likely to be worth eBay gold.

We could’ve filled the entire list with antique Game & Watch titles alone (they’re manna from heaven for collectors), but for the sake of balance here’s a list of some of the most valuable games across Nintendo’s entire portfolio.

So before you throw out any ‘junk’ boxes from the loft, best check they don’t contain any of these 25 rare classics.
Harvest Moon (SNES, US) - £60The SNES version of Harvest Moon is still considered the best among fans of the whimsy-heavy farming/courting sim. It doesn’t come up very often on eBay, and when it does you can expect to pay at least £60 for a good boxed copy. The N64 version was released soon after, accounting for the SNES game’s initial lack of popularity.

Banjo-Tooie (N64, PAL) - £60

Rare’s first Banjo-Kazooie game was extremely popular, but Banjo 2 got stuck in development and ended up coming out towards the end of the N64’s lifespan. Although you may be able to pick up a copy cheaper, a good boxed version will set you back at least £50, and sealed copies have been known to go for as much as £100. You’ll probably see these prices rise when more news of Banjo-Kazooie 3 on Xbox 360 emerges.

Dracula X (SNES, US) - £70

The final Castlevania game released on SNES wasn’t as popular as previous iterations, but the series has gained great cachet with gamers more recently, especially since prices for Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night skyrocketed on PS1. Dracula X is unlikely to go down in value.

Sin & Punishment (N64, jpn) - £70

While the version released on Virtual Console has adversely affected the original’s price, this N64 classic is still a jewel in the crown for any Nintendophile. This Treasure shooter was designed for the N64 analogue stick and is always best played on its host hardware. A good investment and a collectable game you’ll actually bring out from time to time.
Naruto: Clash of Ninja (GameCube, PAL) - £75

Although it’s worth very little in America and Japan, the PAL release of Naruto Clash Of Ninja didn’t see wide distribution and it’s been known to fetch up to £75 on eBay. Expect other GameCube titles such as Chibi-Robo and Baten Kaitos to increase in price because of their limited numbers.

Earthbound (SNES, US) - £80

This Japanese hit was released in the US but failed to make much of an impression. Now it’s lauded for its RPG in-jokes and humorous take on American culture. Again, rumours abound that EarthBound is to be re-released on Virtual Console, which may bring the price down on this US import.

Paper Mario (N64, PAL) - £80

Another rare PAL gem. Though Paper Mario continues to be one of the most popular titles on Wii’s Virtual Console, collectors will still fork out good money for this great mix of platforming and puzzling in its original guise. Until recently, copies of this SNES classic could still be found in many second-hand game stores.

Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh - (N64, jpn) - £80

If you thought the Dreamcast version of Bangai-O was good, you should check out the original N64 version with its sublime analogue controls. Only 10,000 copies were released in Japan and it’s been going up in price ever since. Find a mint, boxed copy and you’ll have collectors knocking your door down.

Chrono Trigger (SNES, US) - £90

Chrono Trigger isn’t rare by any standards - indeed, thousands of copies are on the market. However, the game is so good, and has built up such a reputation, that people are willing to pay upwards of £100 for a sealed, boxed SNES copy. You can even get it as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles for PS1, but still the collectors pay big money for it. Rarity isn’t really the main consideration, we guess.
Ninja Gaiden Trilogy (SNES, US) - £150

Even though this comprises all three of the Ninja Gaiden games released on NES with a graphical update, it didn’t sell very well when it first came out in 1995. But since the next-generation Ninja Gaiden games were released, Tecmo’s star has risen, enhancing the price of this cart considerably.

Final Fight 3 (SNES, PAL) - £180

The PAL version of Final Fight 3 is a hidden treasure waiting to happen. Let’s face it, unless you’re a collector you’re unlikely to know its true value and this is your best chance of picking up a gem at the local car boot sale. A naked cart is probably only worth £40, but if you can find a good boxed copy then you’re likely to achieve £180 to £200. And it’s a decent game, too, containing two extra characters in Dean and Lucia Morgan.

Space Invaders (Virtual Boy, jpn) - £200

A good boxed copy of Space Invaders on Virtual Boy can now fetch £200. It’s notable because it’s one of the better games on the system, and so long as you don’t play it too much (giving yourself a much-warned-about migraine) you’ll get some fun out of it. Virtual Boy games have shot up in price in the last five years and this trend doesn’t look like abating. It may be a good investment for the future…

The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak (NES, US) - £200

As the NES drew to the end of its lifespan, publishers began releasing their games exclusively to game rental companies, bypassing traditional game shops. The Flintstones II is typical of this, and although it’s a little easier to track down in Europe than elsewhere, it can still demand high prices. United States copies can go for £200, though finding ex-rental games in good condition is like finding a joke in an episode of My Family.
Starfox Super Weekend/Donkey Kong Country Competition Carts (SNES, US) - £200

These two separate carts were manufactured specifically for use in Blockbuster in-store competition promotions. Only about 2,500 were made of each but they were initially sold off in stores for a knock-down price. Because of their rarity you can expect to see them sell on eBay for around £200, depending on what kind of condition they’re in.

Rendering Ranger R2 (Super Famicom, JPN) - £200

This run-and-gun classic came from the makers of Turrican, so Lord knows why a game of such pedigree was only released in Japan. It’s unusual for a rare game in that it’s actually very playable today. A cart-only copy might still sell for £80, but find it boxed and complete you’re looking at a sum of £200.

Fire Emblem Thracia 776 Collectors’ pack (Super Famicom, JPN) - £200

Thracia may sound like a disease you’d pick up in a Bulgarian brothel but this is actually a super-rare Fire Emblem collectors’ pack. As it was only released in Japan in limited numbers, you’re unlikely to find it at the local car boot, but it shows that you should always keep your eye out for limited edition releases - and keep all the gubbins that comes with them.

Bubble Bath Babes (NES, US) - £250

Panesian was a company that produced several adult titles for the NES, including Peek-A-Boo Poker, Hot Slots and Bubble Bath Babes. For obvious reasons the games didn’t get Nintendo’s seal of approval and ended up being distributed via mail order catalogues or rental shelves, hence their scarcity. Interestingly, they didn’t come in NES boxes but VHS-style cartons, so many are still undetected. The limited graphics make the sauciness factor rubbish, though.
Mountain Bike/Speed Racer Combo (SNES, US) - £300

This SNES combo underlines the fact that combining two or more games onto one cart for a limited print run is always going to have rarity potential. Good boxed copies have generally only come out of Nintendo’s own warehouses and if you can find one with the strange LifeFitness Bike peripheral then you’re looking at a price in excess of £1,000. It’s a cart that will always go up in value, but it’s worth around £300 today.

Myriad six in one (NES, US) - £350

This is the rarest unlicensed NES game and consists of six titles: Bookyman, Adam And Eve, Cosmos Cop, Magic Carpet 1001, Balloon Monster and Porter. Its rarity is due to the fact that Myriad Games put out fewer than 1,000 carts and they were individually numbered. Games collectors speculate that there are only 100 left in existence, but only 15 have ever surfaced.

Virtual Bowling (Virtual Boy, JPN) - £400

Only 22 games were ever released on Virtual Boy, although some collectors believe there could be rare prototypes hidden away that didn’t make it to retail. Virtual Bowling is actually a pretty good bowling sim, offering practice and tournament modes, but the lack of a save battery means your scores are wiped when you switch off. Fortunately, passwords save the day. Not to be mistaken for Nester’s Funky Bowling, which is much more common.
Flagman (Game & Watch) - £450There are plenty of rare Game & Watch titles we could have listed, including the obvious competition-only Super Mario Bros YM-901 (just trips off the tongue), or the eminently collectable The Legend Of Zelda Game & Watch, but it’s likely to be the less well known titles that will surface down at your local flea market. A boxed Flagman could bag you a small fortune.

Stadium Events (NES, US) - £500

Though common in PAL territories, Stadium Events is one of the NES’s most collectable games in America. Although it’s a terribly average fitness game, its value is due to Bandai printing a test run of the game that was sold in Woolworths stores for a very short period before Nintendo bought the rights. Rumours suggest there are only 10 complete copies on the market, and even unboxed Stadium Events carts can sell for £400.

Virtual Lab (Virtual Boy, jpn) - £500

It’s all too easy to look back on the Virtual Boy debacle and laugh, especially at the poor souls who thought it looked cool to wear a pair of heavy, red goggles and bellow, ‘come on Mario, you can do it!’. But who’s laughing now? Some Virtual Boy games are fetching massive prices, including this J-Wing developed Japanese puzzle game. The fact ‘Nintendo’ is charmingly spelt ‘Nintenndo’ on the back of the box only adds to its value.

Balloon Fight Crystal (Game & Watch) - £600

This has to be one of the rarest Game & Watch titles, and boxed, good condition units have been known to fetch up to £600. Released towards the end of the series’ run for the Crystal Screen range, Balloon Fight’s simple gameplay is reminiscent of Williams’ Joust and has since gone on to make an appearance in Animal Crossing.

Playing with your head: some of Nintendo’s more imaginative fans have speculated that the next console will translate brain activity into movement.

Fans around the world are salivating over how far the concept of motion-sensitive accessories might go: a full body suit that would capture a player’s every movement is one suggestion, as is the possibility that Nintendo would dispense with the television as its chief means of displaying games and favour projecting everything on to the inside of a mask. There is even talk of a mind-controlled console that could take the form of a claw-like unit strapped to the head, which would translate brain activity into movement.

And amid the adulation, some gamers, too, are wondering whether the Wii has reached its limits. Its graphics are perfectly good, but the machine’s lack of computing horse-power is evident when its games are compared with those on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.

I like the concept of granting players a taste of the connection created when you play music with another person, but the lack of a discernable goal in what I played did feel slightly aimless, at least in the jam mode. Sure I could see where I was supposed to play, but wasn’t really penalized (even in terms of sounding all that bad) if I just rocked out in my own world arms flaying wildly.

 Over 60 instruments will be available: A vast variety of string, woodwind, brass, and percussion options; the piano, too. For instance, the Nunchuk and Wii remote let you glide an invisible bow back and forth at your shoulder to play violin, strum invisible space to play guitar, or rattle away when you play tambourine. Various buttons perform a range of flourishes, both visual and musical.

Word is that the game will include about 50 songs, including public domain folk songs (I played Twinkle Twinkle), and more modern licensed content (I also played the Mario theme song, but expect some real songs you’d hear on the radio, too). Nintendo says it’s not really thinking about downloadable content, instead focusing more on letting players use their imagination to change up the style of songs provided. A death metal version of Yankie Doodle? You got it!

Four players can jam in your lounge room at once. You can also use WiiConnect24 to save an instrument jam as a video and share it with a friend. They can then record a musical part over it and send the combined piece back to you. Up to 6 parts can be layered, six melodic and two percussion.

Speaking of percussion, Wii Music has an absolutely rock’n, free form Drum mode. And you know how most real-life drummers hate being told when to smack skin in Rock Band? Well, they’re going to absolutely love this while non-drummers will have to go back to drawing board (or, mercifully, drum lesson mode in this case). Case in point: I rock out at Hard on drums in Rock Band. Here, I couldn’t even put a basic fill or loop together. That’s because Wii Music features a full virtual 5-piece (8 counting cymbals) drum kit that you control using the Nunchuk, Wii Remote AND–if you have one–the Wii Balance Board.

Your left foot on the Wii Balance Board opens and closes the hi hat, while your right foot operates the kick drum. The Nunchuck (in your left hand) and Wii Remote (in your right) essentially operate either side of the kit and the D-Pad or analog stick control which tom you strike. Drum mode is what will sell Wii Music, particularly what I’m told Nintendo has planned for the drum lessons.

Finally, Wii Music’s Orchestra mode has also already been demonstrated. You’ll be able to control a Mii character orchestra and gain rank as a conductor rated as passionate, graceful or methodical.

But like I said, I think it’ll be all about the drums. Isn’t it always?

ALL-STAR MODE

Unlock all bonus characters to unlock All-star mode.

BOSS BATTLE MODE

Successfully complete SSE (Subspace Emissary) mode

to unlock Boss Battle mode.

“MORE RULES” OPTION

Get 200 KO’s in standard Brawl mode to unlock the

“More Rules” option at the bottom of the “Rules” menu.

RANDOM STAGE SELECTION

Unlock all Forty One stages. Random selection is

available from the start of the game. However,

once all Forty One regular stages are unlocked,

you can exclude any stage from the random function.

EXTRA EVENTS

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock

the corresponding event:

Co-op Events 9 to 13

Unlock R.O.B. and successfully complete the Subspace

stage in SSE (Subspace Emissary) mode.

Co-op Events 14 to 20

Successfully complete ten Co-op events and unlock

all hidden characters.

Co-op Event 21

Successfully complete all 20 Co-op events.

Events 11 to 20

Successfully complete Five of the first  Ten events.

Events 21 to 28

Unlock R.O.B. and successfully complete the Subspace

stage in SSE (Subspace Emissary) mode.

Events 29 to 40

Unlock all hidden characters.

Event 41

Successfully complete all 40 events.

EXPERT GHOSTS

Defeat a normal course ghost with a time at least seven seconds faster

to unlock the expert ghost for that course.

ALTERNATIVE TITLE SCREEN AND ENDING SEQUENCE

Get a “One Star” rank or better in all Cups, including those in Mirror

Mode to unlock an alternative title screen and ending sequence.

SPECIAL CREDITS

Win all trophies in a class to view the credits and see a congratulations

screen featuring your Mii with Mario and Peach. Win all Grand Prix Cups

to get another congratulations screen featuring your Mii with all the racers.

QUICK START

When the countdown starts, wait until the “2″ begins to disappear, then

hold 2 to get a boost at the start of the race.

QUICK RECOVERY

When you fall into an obstacle, press 2 precisely when you land to

get a temporary boost.

PROFILE NAME STARS 

One star profile name

Earn a “One Star” rank in all Grand Prix races.

Two star profile name

Earn a “Two Star” rank in all Grand Prix races.

Three star profile name

Earn a “Three Star” rank in all Grand Prix races.

You can add a star next to your profile name on the results screen

and the Wi-Fi races by completing all Grand Prix races with a

certain rank:

MUSCLE WORKOUT CHALLENGES

Successfully complete the indicated task to

unlock the corresponding challenge:

Jackknife Challenge

Get a “Four Star” rank in the 10 Second Workout

and 20 Second Workout.

Parallel Stretch Challenge

Get a “Four Star” rank in the 30 Second Workout

and 60 Second Workout.

Pressup Challenge

Get a “Four Star” rank in the 6 Reps and 10 Reps.

STAMPS

Successfully complete the indicated task to

unlock the corresponding stamp:

OK

Attend 2 Body Tests.

Star

Attend 5 Body Tests.

Heart

Attend 6 Body Tests.

ALTERNATIVE FIT PIGGY COLOURS

Accumulate the indicated amount of training

time to change the colour of your Fit Piggy:

Bronze

10 Hours

Silver

20 Hours

Gold

40 Hours

JOGGING ALTERNATIVE COURSES

There are at least three alternative courses

to take in the Jogging mini-game, one for

each length of course (Short, Long and

Island Lap). To access these, enter the

Jogging mini-game as normal, and start

Jogging. When you see a single dog

overtake your character, run past your guide

so that the “Oh! You’ve passed your

guide!” message appears. It will then read

“Now follow the dog” and take you on an

alternative course. The dogs appear as

follows:

Short Course

As you run towards the single house with a

Mii inside.

Long course

Immediately at the start.

Island Lap

Immediately at the start.

Accumulate the indicated amount of time in your Fit Piggy to unlock the corresponding bonus:

AEROBICS

Rhythm Boxing

1 hour 40 minutes

AEROBICS

Super Hula Hoop

30 minutes

BALANCE

Penguin Slide

1 hour 30 minutes

BALANCE

Snowboard Slalom

2 hours

BALANCE

Tightrope Tension

15 minutes

BALANCE

Zazen

3 hours

MUSCLE

Arm & Leg Lift

2 hours 40 minutes

MUSCLE

Parallel Stretch

1 hour 50 minutes

MUSCLE

Rowing Squat, Single Leg Twist

10 minutes

MUSCLE

Sideways Leg Lift

1 hour 10 minutes

MUSCLE

Single Arm Stand

3 hours 50 minutes

MUSCLE

Tricep Extension

2 hours 30 minutes

YOGA

Bridge

3 hours 40 minutes

YOGA

Chair

2 hours 15 minutes

YOGA

Cobra

3 hours 30 minutes

YOGA

Crocodile twist

4 hours

YOGA

Downward Facing Dog

3 hours 10 minutes

YOGA

King Of The Dance

3 hours 20 minutes

YOGA

Palm Tree

1 hour 20 minutes

YOGA

Shoulder Stand

4 hours 10 minutes

YOGA

Standing Knee

45 minutes

YOGA

Sun Salutation

10 minutes

YOGA

Triangle

2 hours 50 minutes

ULTIMATE BALANCE TEST

Choose your Mii to reach the statistics screen. Notice the balance board character running on a treadmill in the background. Select him with the Wii-mote to participate in the Ultimate Balance Test.

EASY COINS

Enter the “Balance Mode Games” menu, and select “Marble Drop Game”. Intentionally allow time to run out to fail the first challenge. You are given one coin for every one minute of game play (win or lose), and the time used to fail Marble Drop is rounded up to a one minute value. Thus, you will get one coin for failing. Simply press ‘A’ to continue and fail again for another coin.

ADVANCED ACTIVITIES

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding activity:

Free Jogging

Successfully complete the Island Lap several times.

Free Step

Play Step Plus Aerobics several times.

Step Plus Aerobics

Play Step Aerobics several times.

Tightrope Advanced

Successfully complete Normal Tightrope.

Tightrope Super Advanced

Successfully complete Advanced Tightrope.

Here is a guide so you know who everyone is and where they came from.

MARIO - Starred along side Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong. First known as ‘Jumperman’.

DONKEY KONG -  First appeared as the villain in the Donkey Kong  coin-op.

DIDDY  KONG - Diddy debuted in SNES Donkey Kong Country.

LUIGI - Mario’s younger bother joined in the fun in the coin-op Mario Bros.

PEACH - First appeared in Super Mario Bros. Then known as Princess Toadstool.

BOWSER - The king of the Koopas began his reign of terror Super Mario Bros. on NES.

DR MARIO - In 1990 Mario was playing doctor in this GB and NES puzzler.

YOSHI - Debuted in Super Mario World on SNES and has been in Mario games since.

WARIO - Mario’s arch enemy made his entrance in the GB’s Super Mario Land 2.

LINK - Hero of the Zelda series, Link has starred in over a dozen adventures since 1986.

ZELDA - Member of Hyrule’s royal family and regular captive of the evil Ganondorf.

GANONDORF - The dark demon is the main antagonist of the Zelda series.

YOUNG LINK -  Raised by Kokiri in a forest, Young Link is the infant alter-ego of Link.

TOON LINK - This cel-shaded Link is the star of Wind Walker on GameCube. 

SHEIK - In Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda disguises herself as Sheikha.

SAMUS - Samus Aran, star of the NES game Metroid in her Varia Power Suit.

SAMUS ARAN ZERO SUIT - Samus shed her Power Suit for Metroid: Zero Mission.

KIRBY - Star of 19 games Kirby is able to run, walk, float and inhale enemies!

KING DEEDE - Appears as a regular boss in the Kirby series.

META KNIGHT - Kirby’s main rival first appeared in 1993’s Kirby’s Adventure.

MARTH - This young Lord-class knight is the first hero of the Fire Emblem series.

ROY - This lead character from the Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade on GBA.

IKE - Son of a mercenary, Ike is the hero of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on GameCube.

NESS -  The young lad with psychic powers is the hero of the SNES RPG Earthbound.

LUCAS - This timid hero of Mother 3, a GBA game never released outside of Japan.

POKEMON TRAINER - Based on Ash Ketchum from the anime TV series.

PIKACHU - Central character of the Pokemon anime show and main mascot.

JIGGLYPUFF - One of the GB originals, this Pokemon can sing others to sleep.

MEWTOO - Cloned from Mew, this Pokemon is bigger and has physic powers.

PICHU - A pre-evolved version of Pikachu, this is an electric-type Pokemon.

LUCARIO - Evolved from the Riolu, this mind-reading Pokemon is found on the DS.

FOX McCLOUD - Leader of the Star Fox team from the game Star Wing.

FALCO LAMBARDI - Expert pilot and close friend of Fox McCloud.

WOLF O’DONNELL - Star Fox 64 introduced the Star Wolf team and his leader.

R.O.B. - Robotic Operating Buddy was a plastic peripheral sold with the NES.

ICE CLIMBERS - Popo and Nana made their debut in Ice Climbers on The NES.

PIT - The angelic star of 1986 game Kid Icarus.

SOLID SNAKE - Konami’s stealth operative first appeared in Metal Gear on MSX2.

CAPTAIN OLIMAR - The standard space traveller is star of Pikmin on GameCube.

SONIC - Sega’s mascot scurried into gaming legend in Sonic The Hedgehog.

MR GAME & WATCH - The 1980 Game & Watch mascot.