it definitely wasn't packed in w/ golden eye

Yes, but only older versions (Opera is having some sort of licensing problem). But YouTube videos work, as do the games found at WiiCade.com

Ahh, I guess I was just thinking that, because that was the game that spurred me to buy Goldeneye and I picked up a rumblepack w/ the system.

Oh, that's right - I forgot about the fact that all of those controllers lack rumble support. I suppose it's not that big a deal, but I was thinking there were a few games in which the controller rumbled to let you know about a secret item or area, like Paper Mario and one of the Zeldas. I've never played the N64 Zeldas, though, so I may incorrect about that.

You're probably right that they would do all of that at once. Otherwise, what symbol would they use to indicate rumble support (but only with a wired GC controller)?

Dang... I was hoping to play Desktop Tower Defense or Line Rider on my Wii.

Line Rider, last I heard, is coming for the Wii and the DS. I think the DS is a better fit for it myself, though.

I just bought a component cable.
I there anything that I need to change to the system setup to reap the benefits, or does the Wii do it automatically?
Thanks!

Yup, there's a display setup in the Wii Settings. Change to 480p and 16:9 and enjoy.

Thanks the info PJ!

So does the Zelda:OOT VC play any smoother than the GC release? Also anyone know the trade-in value for that at Gamestop? They sell the used copies for $35...

Just downloaded my first VC games last night and had a blast. I'm really enjoying the Wii - I don't think I'll even consider a 360 untill next spring...

Do you have to get a specific SD card (i.e., a Wii-compatible SD card) to copy/save things to?

I just have some generic SD card I bought a year ago...so far, it ain't working.

you might have to format it to FAT32

How?

Here's the general troubleshooting. Not much help unless you have an SD card > 2GB or you've never connected your Wii to the Internet and received updates (unlikely as I think you're dealing with VC titles anyway).
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/sys...ts/sdCards.jsp

Do you have another SD card you can try to see if just a bum card or a compatibility problem?

Connect it to your PC via a card reader of some sort. Then, find the drive letter associated with it and right-click 'format'. It will bring up a little window and the default check should be on FAT32... the other option is FAT which = FAT16. You would then click on the, I think, Format button at the bottom.

Here's one of the new videos that went up on the MP3 Preview Channel yesterday or today. Holy awesome (spoilers?)! I sure hope we get to see some of those Aurora units in this game. I wonder if any of them have gone rogue.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23490.html

No spoilers for me..! two more weeks. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock..

I pre-ordered it from FV. Judging by the week-long delay it took for Strikers to arrive in my mailbox, I may have to go ahead and get this from BB first. My anticipation is too great.

I have not played any of the prior Metroid titles on any Nintendo system. Which one should I start with? The just released VC copy of the NES game? A used Gamecube version of Metroid Prime? Any suggestions welcomed.

I hit the "trade two for one" deal at GameStop and dumped Super Monkey Ball (shit) and Trauma Center (okay, but the girlfriend was done with it). So, thankfully I should be able to pick mine up Monday night. Taking Tuesday off is tempting but it's so close to a holiday as is.. we'll see.

the side scrolling metroids aren't too much like the 3d counter parts. If you are thinking about getting MP3, I'd suggest the first Prime for GameCube

The NES original is really tough. It gives you very little direction, essentially dropping you into a series of corridors that all look the same and letting you figure out where to go. It can be fun if you enjoy making your own maps and if you have a lot of patience, but I personally think it's a little overrated. Super Metroid is much, much better, and if you enjoy the more recent 2D Castlevania games, it's very similar in structure: each new item opens up new areas for you to explore, requiring you to backtrack to previous locations that used to be inaccessible. The first Metroid Prime is also excellent. So my recommendation is to skip the first Metroid and either get Super Metroid next week on VC (if you want a 2D game) or Metroid Prime (if you want a 3D game). Even with the jump to 3D, Metroid Prime still retains the essence of the Super Metroid gameplay, so you really can't go wrong with either one.

What are the odds of seeing Super Mario Bros. 3 on VC more than a week or two before Galaxy hits in November? After Super Metroid on Monday I'll only have one more "reserved" space on my first page on channels. It's obviously reserved for SMB3.

Keep in mind that the MP1 and MP2 controls aren't traditional FPS controls. You can't run around while shooting!! MP3 will be more of a FPS than the last 2 iterations. But, you can get either one pretty cheap these days.

That's because it's not a traditional FPS. Also, I'm not sure what game you played but you can certainly run and shoot in Prime, you just can't free-look while you're moving around. The lock-on feature basically keeps the gameplay as close to Super Metroid as possible without turning it into Quake with a Samus skin pack (which, sadly, is what I referred to the game as for half a year before playing it myself).