The "Play on the Wii" series of classic Gamecube remakes for the Wii is proving to be more than a simple porting exercise, as Famitsu has now revealed that both Pikmin and Mario Tennis will see changes in transition to their Wii incarnations.

As a Wii game, Pikmin will feature a new day-by-day saving mechanism. The feature will allow you to restart play from any day of your choice, according to IGN.

Predictably, Mario Tennis has been totally converted to function with the Wii remote, allowing for full Wii Sports-style control over swings. In addition to a Wiimote-only mode, the game will also support a Wiimote/Nunchuk controller combination for a full range of character movement.

Both titles are due out in Japan over the next two months. The North American debut of the "Play on the Wii" lineup has not yet been announced.

Nintendo today confirmed that a Pikmin sequel is still on the way after the announcement of a Pikmin re-release had some questioning an earlier statement by creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

"It's not the Pikmin that Mr. Miyamoto referred to, no," said Nintendo of America sales VP Cammie Dunaway in an interview with IGN.

When asked about the future of the Pikmin franchise during this year's E3 conference, Miyamoto simply stated, "We're making Pikmin." While it was generally assumed Miyamoto was confirming a full Pikmin sequel, the vagueness of the phrase lead to some confusion after yesterday's announcement of a Pikmin re-release on the Wii.

Clarified Dunaway: "Mr. Miyamoto referred to a new Pikmin, as opposed to the classics that are being rereleased on Wii."

Nintendo has announced that it will re-release games from its GameCube console on the Wii with enhancements to take advantage of the Wii Remote controller.

Nintendo of Japan announced during its Fall 2008 conference that Pikmin and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat will be among the first to get remakes under the "Play on Wii" label and will release in December in Japan for under $40.

Pikmin, for example, takes advantage of the Wii Remote by using the remote to point the cursor on screen. The 'A' button will throw the adorable plant-like creatures whereas the 'B' button will blow the whistle to round them up.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, on the other hand, uses the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to replicate the GameCube's Bongo accessory.

Meanwhile, Wii-vamped editions of Chibi Robo!, Pikmin 2, Mario Tennis GC, Metroid Prime, and Metroid Prime 2 Dark Echoes will hit next year, according to IGN.

Captain Olimar, protagonist of Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto-designed Pikmin series, is the latest character to be revealed as a playable character in the upcoming Wii fighter Super Smash Bros. Brawl. As usual, the announcement was made by series designer Masahiro Sakurai on the game's official site. Olimar fights with the aid of his small, plantlike Pikmin companions, which he picks from the ground. A snippet of newly-arranged Pikmin music from Brawl is available on the site.

Along with the Olimar reveal, this week's updates contained details on Multi-Man Brawl, a single-player challenge that pits a character up against... Read more

While this happened 2 days ago, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Pikmin for the Nintendo Gamecube are now out in stores. The games were two of the more eagerly anticipated games for the Gamecube. I've also written up review pages for them.