Wii price drop and budget games on the way

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From May 15 onwards, the Nintendo Wii will be available for $149 (€149/£129) with a line of Nintendo Selects games retailing for $19 (€24/£19).

The new Wii bundle, available in black or white, replaces the previous Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort packages with Mario Kart Wii and an additional Wii Wheel accessory. A Wiimote Plus and nunchuck controller still feature in the bundle.

Common to the Nintendo Selects range in both regions are Wii Sports and Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City.

The initial European line-up, launching May 20, also includes Warioware: Smooth Moves and Mario Strikers Charged, while North Americans benefit from budget-label versions of Mario Super Sluggers and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

The price-drop comes ahead of Nintendo's June 7 presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, at which they are to lift the lid on the Wii's successor, currently known as Project Café.

A day earlier, Sony will be providing further details on their new NGP handheld, while Microsoft are certain to talk up the Xbox Kinect and may even touch on a new home console of their own.