I know a month or so back I recently posted an editorial regarding regional delays for PAL regioners. I spoke about delays to the PAL regions and how we are really sick of Nintendo constantly treating us like crap. I have created this post in hope that the 3 week old monkey thats running Nintendo Australia will get off their fat butt and do something about these issues they are presenting us. Lets begin.

For the last 6 or so months, I have been awaiting a video game for the Wii called Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 to release in Australia. I was sold to this game the second I heard of the game featuring an online mode for up to 32 players, and of course no friendcodes. The game was delayed by Nintendo Australia due to the market "being flooded by other titles" for the Wii (most of which were lame Popcorn Arcade games), so we were forced to wait until early 2008 for this game amongst many others. So this past Thursday, Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 released in Australia and I rejoiced that the wait was over, so I popped the game into my Wii and loaded up.

But what? I'm on the title screen but something isn't right. I am scrolling through all the game modes; we have Arcade, Campaign, Records, Options Multipl..... wait hang on, wheres the Multiplayer Mode? At first, I thought that the game requested that you play through the campaign a bit before you can start to enjoy the online, so I started playing the single player mode. I played through the first mission, returned to the title screen and still no Multiplayer. I was getting annoyed, so I jumped on my computer and searched it up to see what was required to unlock this game mode. After a google and a click, an article showed up on my screen that felt like a punch to the face.

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 Wi-Fi support removed from Australian version

...

"WHAT?"

That was the word I yelled when I read that article. Up until I read that article, I had this strange feeling that I would be enjoying my most flawless Wii multiplayer experience since Mario Strikers Charged Football and what happens? After being forced to wait an extra SIX months for this game, despite the fact the UK got this game the exact same time with Wi-Fi mode included, Australia once again gets the royal screw job by a game developer. I am very VERY disappointed at EA and Nintendo for canceling out the online play in Australia.

But the best part about all of this is that Nintendo Australia's Official Website as well as the booklet for Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 failed to mention this, infact they mention otherwise. Nintendo Australia's MoH: H2 page indicates that the game DOES include Wi-Fi for up to 32 players and that it's out of the box accessible. Well congratulations Nintendo, your ability to be competent with release dates and details about games is really filling me with confidence about the Wii's future success in Australia. What happens if Mario Kart Wii or Super Smash Bros. Brawl roll around and Nintendo Australia just decide to remove online play from them? Nintendo, what exactly do you think your doing? You delay a game because you claim there is enough to keep us going for now, only to release this game six months later, lacking one of its major features and better yet not even telling us about it. You think that because we live in Australia that we just have to sit here and take it, but there are people here who have modded Wii's because you can't keep a fair release date. Many of these people at my school with modded Wii's are telling me all the benifits of having one, and up until now I never gave it a second thought.

Am I the only Australian who went out and bought this game and then soon returned it because it lacked Wi-Fi? No, infact the members over at Aussie-Nintendo have made their anger at Nintendo and EA over this rather clear, with one member writing their own letter of complaint that can be found on the home page. If that wasn't enough, a handful of Aussies have joined the official Australian EA forum and are voicing their up most disgust at EA over their effort to atleast tell the people they had removed the feature before they released the game. Australia is tired of this.

Another thing Nintendo is your lack of interest in the hardcore market right now. Despite all the new games on the Wii one year into its life, all I can recall seeing on TV since the new year begun were ads for Eye Training and, you guessed it, Wii Sports. Nintendo, what exactly is your market strategy here, because all I am seeing from your latest efforts is that you only care about casual games. News flash Nintendo, we hardcore gamers who purchased your blunder GameCube and saved it from pulling a Sega Saturn are being alienated because you choose to delay the hardcore games to make room for games such as Wii Fit and the next Brain Training. Where is Smash Bros? Where is Mario Kart Wii?

As the members of Friendcodes as my witness, I will be IMPORTING my Wii software from now on. I don't care if my Wii needs a MOD chip, I am no longer sitting here and taking this crap from you Nintendo. I urge other Australian gamers to do the same. Importing games from Europe not only gets you games earlier, but its much cheaper as well. I don't know how you've made it this far Nintendo Australia, but if you keep this up, I assure you it won't last.