California Games to hit Wii

Monday 21August 2006
An updated version of seminal sports game California Games has been confirmed for release on Wii, DS and PSP next year. California Games will also include bonus features from Winter Games and Summer Games. A refreshed Impossible Mission will also be released.

California Games was a huge success for original developer Epyx in the late '80s, spanning over 10 platforms including Atari's doomed Lynx handheld and Sega's Mega Drive. The new game aims to preserve the magic of the original hits, and both Impossible Mission and California Games will be largely unchanged from the old school originals.

Developer System 3 says it will be a big supporter of Nintendo's next-gen console, with both titles due to hit Wii shortly after launching on handhelds - but they won't be released for PS3 or 360. "The way the controllers work and the whole idea of it actually works a lot better than if it's on PS3 or 360", says Mark Kale, founder of System 3.

Impossible Mission will be released on PSP and DS in the US next January, with California Games following in May, before both games hit Wii soon afterwards. UK launch dates have yet to be confirmed.

Ben Richardson is a former Staff Writer for Official PlayStation 2 magazine and a former Content Editor of GamesRadar+. In the years since Ben left GR, he has worked as a columnist, communications officer, charity coach, and podcast host – but we still look back to his news stories from time to time, they are a window into a different era of video games.