Gamecube games passed on as Wii games in Phillipines.

As reported on http://www.gameops.net/ early this week, Philippine's shops are passing pirated Gamecube games as Wii original games. These Gamecube games are ripped and pressed onto DVD, complete with Wii looking sleeves.

Many such stores there are passing these older Gamecube games as the current ones, like Metriod Prime Echoes (second in the series) as Metriod Prime Corruption (the real one coming out end Aug 2007!!), and even available are titles as Resident Evil Zero, Zelda compilations and Metal Gear Solid (the Gamecube remake of the PS1 game).

There is another problem to this issue: if you dont have a Gamecube controller, how will you play the Gamecube games? You need the Gamecube controller as you cant use the Wiimote/Nunchuk as Gamecube games controller, and you need a Gamecube memory card to save those games. So these merchants are not being very kind to the Wii buyers in the Philippines. This is if you bought these Gamecube games thinking they are Wii games, you cant play them without the Wii controllers, effectively buying shiny drinks coasters at Peso250 (RM17) each.

I have yet to see these Gamecube games being passed off as Wii games here in Malaysia, but will keep a keen eye on them. Be careful so you don't buy Gamecube games passed on as Wii games.

Below are the sleeves of Gamecube games being sold as Wii games (courtesy of http://www.gameops.net/):-

Metriod Prime: Echoes

(2nd in the series, not the latest)

Resident Evil Zero

(This is the Gamecube remake of the PS1 game, this is not Resident Evil 4, the Wii remake of the PS2 game.)

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

(This is the 2004 remake of the 1998 PS1 game, no Metal Gear Solid was released for Wii)

The Legend Zelda: Wind Waker

(not the Wii version, called The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)