Topic: Japan Gets W-Packs

[LassePalle]

Nintendo is releasing eleven lovely bundle packs in Japan on July 23.  

According to several retailers in Japan, Nintendo will introduce 11 bundle packs to the Japanese market on July 23. They are called W-Packs (W stands for double). The line of offers spans seven games, available in the following combinations.  

• Kirby Air Ride & Super Smash Bros. Melee
• Kirby Air Ride & Mario Party 5
• Kirby Air Ride & Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
• Kirby Air Ride & Custom Robo
• Super Smash Bros. Melee & Mario Party 5
• Super Smash Bros. Melee & Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
• Super Smash Bros. Melee & Custom Robo
• Mario Party 5 & Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
• Mario Party 5 & Custom Robo
• Custom Robo & Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
• Pikmin & Pikmin 2

Carrying a retail price of 7880 yen ($72) you save 4300 yen  ($40) compared to the games’ individual price tags.  The Pikmin bundle, which comes with five Pikmin figures, is priced at 8980 yen ($83). Below is a picture of the Pikmin bundle.

[Ian Sane]

"Kirby Air Ride & Mario Party 5"

WOW!  It's like my dream game.

Seriously though double packs are a good idea provided you can still get the titles seperately.  The Super Smash Bros. Melee & Mario Kart: Double Dash!! pack is a must own if you don't have those games.  Funny how they do this with original Cube games but with NES ports on the GBA no way.

[WuTangTurtle]

Now if only Nintendo would bring this to other countries, and expand the line a bit, hell they should include 3rd party games.  I know that wouldn't happen but Nintendo needs to help out its 3rd partys.

[Syl]

I'm curious about these... Are they packaged as 2 seperate games bundled together?  Or is it simply 2 disks in the same box?

Either way, some of those bundles are insanely awesome.  All seem to be party-based as well.  

I hope they bring this over here.

[Bill Aurion]

I would assume that each game is in it's own box, but the two cases are packaged together in one bundle...At least, that's how bundle sets are handled here...

[couchmonkey]

I want the Pikmin bundle!  It's totally illogical since the only things I don't own are Pikmin 2 and the figurines, but I still want it.

[StrikerObi]

To clear up Syl's question, these are packaged as two games. Their boxes are stuck together side by side.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Their 2 game boxes plastic wrapped side by side theres a immage of the pikmin bundle on the-magicbox.com

[Ian Sane]

The Pikmin games have such great boxart in Japan.  I love how it's so simple yet it just works so well.  The consistency between both titles helps.  It's MUCH better than the dull US boxart for Pikmin 1 which was just promotional art from E3.  Though realistically I think Japan almost always has superior boxart.  American boxart usually looks too much like an ad with the main character striking some generic action pose.

[JonLeung]

Hmmm, haven't posted in a while...

I'm seen all sorts of double movie packs at HMV, so it's pretty much the same idea.  I don't know how well the double movie sets sell but some of them seem like a really good deal at reduced prices.  But they're not always the greatest movies.  Hopefully no one will think a double pack of games means that they're "bargain bin"-type games, but then again even the most casual gamer knows that Mario Kart is a fun game.  This might convince me to look again at that, and other titles that I've not spent the money on.

[Random_Black_Dude]

I'd be happy if they released the bundle packs here, but sadly I already own most of those...

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Well Nintendo has the Player's Choice lineup.  They don't need to make bundles if they just added more games or slashed prices again internationally.

[Infernal Monkey]

Ooooh, that Pikmin bundle is funky. I remember when NAL did this sort of thing back in the N64 days. *HAZY SCREEN*
Every bundle came with Star Wars Pod Racer. You couldn't escape it! Banjo Kazooie and Pod Racer, Zelda.. and Pod Racer. Mario Kart... and... Pod Racer.

They should of just handed Pod Racer out on the streets.

[KDR_11k]

The only ne of these I'd buy is Kirby & Custom Robo because that's the only bundle without games that I have (or, in MP5's case, don't want)...

[Cubik83]

Great idea, as long as Nintendo releases the bundles outside of Japan. Less isn't always more.