Virtual fish for the win! Sheesh!

Not much love for Groovin' Blocks.

This makes the comment I read on Gamefaqs the other day seem quite relevant after all. This is what the poster said:

"I had to sell my Wii system because the casual stench emitting from the console was making me puke!"

That's weird, mine smells like cornflakes.
But if people like tossing balls into a cup, or watching virtual fish, more power to them!
Let's not forget, people do enjoy these games. Just look at the scores!

Why won't SPOGS go away already

UK Chart:
1) My Aquarium
2) Defend Your Castle
3) My Pokemon Ranch
4) Wild West Guns
5) TV Show King
6) StrongBad Episode One
7) FFCCMLAAK
8) LostWinds
9) Cocoto Fishing Master
10) Pop
11) MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade
12) SPOGS Racing
13) Dr Mario / Germ Buster
14) Critter Round Up
15) Pirates: The Key of Dreams
16) Block Breaker Deluxe
17) Star Soldier R
18) Toki Tori
19) Actionloop Twist

Come this Friday, we'll have a complete list

@x.SuperMario.x: that link is extremely worrying - and proof that Amercans do have the IQ of a chimp

@Dazza: I'd only consider that if the first SSR sold well. Which it didn't.

this is what i think the top 20 should be
1- Strong Bad
2- Dr. Mario RX online
3- Defend your Castle
4- Lostwinds
5- Helix
6- FFCC My life as king
7- Wild West Guns
8- Toki Tori
9- Star Soldier R
10- Magnetica Twist
11- Midnight Pool
12- My Aquarium
13- Pirates-Key of Dreams
14- Pop
15- Block Breaker Deluxe
16- Protothea
17- Cocoto Fishing Master
18- TV show King
19- Family Table Tennis
20- V.I.P. Casino; Blackjack

sigh but its not.

I hold no ill will towards people who want to buy those types of games. But #1 on the chart. Come on! I'll also admit, I've never been terribly fond of the "hardcore" and "casual" gaming labels, but I found that comment a bit funny when I saw the guy post it on GFs.

@ Corbie
I am trying to stop using the terms hardcore and casual all together. Sometimes I have to to communicate with other people but they are hollow terms to me now.
I read some of this guy's essays and agree with a lot of what he says.
http://malstrom.50webs.com/birdman.html

Also, do you guys think that price may have something to do with WW sales? Both Defend your Castle and My Aquarium are 500 points.

@WiiloveitOnline
Nice to see Toki Tori is not last in the UK yet. Though it is a tough game to sell and unfortunately very niche. The few friends and family I convince to try it are turned off from it when they do

@x.SuperMario.x: that link is extremely worrying
Nahh, people just enjoy those games.
Most non-gamers would have more fun with a simple game, rather than Star Soldier R or Toki Tori.
There's nothing wrong with them, they just have a preference.

Look at the link I gave, Carnival Games got an average score of around 4.5 out of 5.
So no matter what you, I, or review sites might think, it's still enjoyable to some people.
And can we poke fun at them for buying what they like? Not really.

We need the next SBCG4AP...

@x.SuperMario.x
This was the user review from your link I agreed with the most:

"Save your money and treat the kids to something they'll remember."

That is why I buy my little sister good games that give her many hours of play versus unmemorable games like Horsez, Babiez and Carnival Games. I got her Pokemon Diamond for her birthday and she has already gotten more time and enjoyment out of it than several of the games she asks for or our parents get her. Pikmin, Zelda and Monkey Ball are other ones she gets more out of than lower caliber games. BTW - She's 10

Here's the review I like the most.

Here is a game that allows your kids to play all those carnival games they bug you about at the amusement parks.

Using the same WII principles of throwing and aiming, your child can play over 25 different games from ring toss, ball toss, dunk tank, balloon darts, hole in one, shooting gallery, and spilled milk just to name a few of the choices.

My boys are 6 and 8 and love it! The 8 year old finds them challenging, the 6 year old finds them difficult but not so hard that he doesn't want to play.

Recommends this product? Yes
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Most of those customer reviews are good, so who are we to say they should buy another game?
But then, people being happy makes me all giddy inside.

It seemed that a number of the negative reviews came from older Wii gamers. 40+ range.

People love to watch fish... very relaxing. At least, this week that's what they like.

I'm impressed with Defend Your Castle. Launch title, STILL one of the most downloaded titles! Amazing. Strong Bad should start to fall soon, but will be replaced by... Strong Bad! (ep. 2) Actually, part 2 could boost sales of part 1 for those who missed it, but more likely only a portion of purchasers will be continuing... We'll see.

@ Stratos- Old people are never happy.

@x.SuperMario.x
I can't decide if I want to be a grumpy old man or a jolly one.
Though following VC seems to make a lot of people grumpy old men. When people complain about SMRPG or Earthbound not being released and still complain when SMRPG does come they are being grump grumps.
@ Peznaze
I think that seeing the top 5 all being SBCG4AP episodes would be very entertaining.

Well I am surprised at My Aquarium but no resentful feelings there. They're directed at SPOGS completely blocking Blocks from the charts- a first!

What the hell!? last week, SPOGS was only 2 weeks away from dropping off the charts, and then it rises 2 positions!
Then Groovin' Blocks, which looks at least decent, doesn't even put a dent in the charts. God I still hate this country!

@Mr. Cheez
Give it some time. It can take a week for new titles to make a major move up the charts.

Man, I can't believe that for the first time ever, a new game hasn't made it onto the charts. I also can't believe that My Aquarium is number 1. I mean, it's not a bad game necessarily but it didn't seem like an instant-buy to me. What a strange week....(oh, and did I mention that Spogs should just go die?)

Ha! I just bought My Aquarium yesterday. What have I done!!!???

@Stratos. We young people have less patience.

I don't mind My Aquarium selling well. With all the casual players out there playing with their Wiis (teehee), not to mention those gamers who don't have the time or money for a real aquarium, I'm sure they'd enjoy a virtual one.

But #1 is a bit ridiculous.

WHAT? My Aquarium took the Top 1?
Pong Toss is still in the top 10? (At least it was literally taken down a peg...)
My Pokémon Ranch is #4?
My Life as a King does worse than Pong Toss?

(What a surprise...)

By the way, Pokémon PLatinum is not compatible with My Pokémon Ranch...
...yet. (But still, I can imagine people downloading My Pokémon Ranch as a complement to Pokémon Platinum and subsequently getting angry at the incompatibility... )

i kinda figured my aquarium would be up there but not that high xDDD
i guess since itz only 500 points =]

I'm sad that Groovin' Blocks didn't make it. I downloaded it this morning (316 blocks, wow) and found it incredibly enjoyable. It was a bit hard to get used to, but once I got the hang of it, it turned out to be the best eight dollars I've spent. I would have gladly payed the usual ten dollars to obtain this gem of a puzzler.

I hope more people will give Groovin' Blocks a try. It's been one of the better surprises, for me personally, so far on the WiiWare service. It's just a shame it didn't make the Top 20 list in its first week out of the gate.

I am not surprised that My Aquarium is number 1. It's a good buy for 500 points! I love me fishes

I'm just glad to still see Defend Your Castle so high up

Why does Spogs jump to 17? Oh I know! Casual player don't read review and say "Lets download a bad game we know nothing about called Spogs!" Where is Toki Tori? Nobody cares?

5 dollars? Ya, why not. Imma gonna go buy My Aquarium, seems like a peaceful game, and by these charts, its the most popular game. See? This is how I decide whether or not on buying a game.

Ehh.. Real life fish just isn't my thing.. so virtual ones would be even worse >_>...
Idk how people enjoy it.. but maybe theres something I'm missing

I'm guessing how it has something to do with just relaxing. Like my friends have it going while they are doing their homework. I dunno how it would work exactly, but I guess it's sort of like Nintendogs for fish. Except, you cant really do as much with fish as you can do with dogs.

Groovin' Blocks ain't up there...a bit disconcerting. It seems weird that it wouldn't even show up on the Top 20 list this week; the game should've attracted quite a few puzzle fans. Perhaps the lack of sales is the result of the game's rather poor preview on the Nintendo Channel. It doesn't quite sell the game well, in my opinion at least.

A fishy screensaver makes #1 - how ironic - Must be the casuals again!
And some of us are still waiting for the review on Groovin' Blocks...

@yoshifu94: you think Dr Mario should be at number two and TV Show King right near the bottom? DM is frustrating, but TV Show King is really quite an amusing party game. I'd say that you've got most of them wrong.

As for My Aquarium, it's been 1 here for ages, and is most likely to be so good because of the low price and universal appeal.

@StarDust: I don't see the irony you mention. I see why you'd think it as weird, but not ironic. Explain.

Can somebody else post their local charts as well soon. I often find many other countries seem to get their sales right - in particular Canada and that place WiiBoy lives (sorry - I forgot the country). And for once, I suppose I'm asking Negative Zero (Canada) to post his charts - rather than the other way around!

Wel i'd buy my aquarium sine I love aquatic life but I"VE GOT 80 BLOCKS LEFT!!! sighs... lets hope nintendo realy does make a storage device since I do like VC and WW games

@WiiloveitOnline

I'll post the Canadian rankings for ya! (as of 5 minutes ago )

1- My Aquarium
2- Strong Bad
3- Defend Your Castle
4- Dr. Mario
5- Pokemon Ranch
6- FFCC: MLAAK
7- Wild West Guns
8- Midnight Pool
9- Helix
10- TV Show King
11- Lostwinds
12- Family Table Tennis
13- Cocoto Fishing Master
14- Gryostarr
15- Spogs (ugh!)
16- Pirates: The Key of Dreams
17- Block Breaker Deluxe
18- Magnetica Twist
19- Groovin Blocks
20- V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack

I'm happy to see Groovin Blocks on the list, seems like a well made title. I'm thinking that people are getting sick of so many WiiWare puzzlers and unfortunately Groovin Blocks' sales might suffer. Virus was saying that the Nintendo Channel Video isn't too hot, that could be it too. I might download it soon, I like techno music but I just bought Helix. Not the biggest puzzler fan, but I gotta support the good devs as opposed to garbage like Spogs, I can't believe it's number 15 in Canada. We usually avoid the crappy games better than our American brothers .

On a side note, I decided to stop being a creeper and actually sign up and post instead of lurking in the shadows 24/7. Props to the admins (and posters, the comments are half the fun!), I check this site almost every day. VC-Reviews too! I downloaded Ys and Helix recently due to these sites and they are both really amazing games. I usually check IGN and they slammed Helix pretty hard, glad I didn't listen to them . Cya!

Man these weekly Top 20 lists are so stupid. Make it a Top 10 list instead. All the topic creator does each week is complain about how some games are really high on the list and others aren't even there.

Hi everybody! This is Francois from Empty Clip. Thanks everyone for the good word! We're really happy to see that people who play the game have very good comments on Groovin' Blocks. It's just a bit hard to convey how different we are in screenshots and even video, but it's catching on.

As far as the list, it was only updated today, but Groovin' Blocks did claw its way into the top 20. We'll see how it works out after a full week!

I got My Aquarium . . .I haven't really given it a chance though DX. I've only gotten on ac ouple times, fed a few fish. . need to play some more with my other tanks.

Hiya Empty Clip! Any idea when GB is coming to Europe - with some many games coming our way over the next few weeks, it's hard to make a guess any more!

@xSJx: Nice. Surprised to see Dr Mario's still doing so well, and the only bad thing about your top ten appears to be MPR - if only Magnetica sold better everywhere!