Namco was pretty quick off the mark with the release of Family Ski which made it one of the first third-party balance board compatible games available after the global release of Wii Fit. While it was a fun game and a welcome break from the games that came with Wii Fit, there was an obvious omission - no snowboarding support. The good news is that Namco is set release a sequel to this already popular title and this time snowboarding is included.

Details are a little sketchy at the moment and while the game is rumoured for release in Japan on November 13th, there's still no mention of a US/European release date. The good news however is that the game is on Namco's lineup for the Tokyo Game Show this month so hopefully we'll find out a bit more there. Until then, here are a few screenshots to wet your appetite.

It's been just over 4 months to the day since we first mentioned RTL's forthcoming balance board compatible titles Biathlon 2009 and WinterSports 2009 (also to be published by Conspiracy as Ski and Shoot and Winter Sports 2). The Conspiracy titles are expected to be released in the middle of November and I've been told by RTL that their release date in Germany/Austria/Switzerland is 27th November 2008. Details on these titles are available on the RTL Games website but it is in German so for those of you who don't sprechen Deutsch, here's what you need to know.

RTL Biathlon 2009 / Ski and Shoot

Thanks to it realistic and detailed gameplay, RTL's Biathlon 2009 is set to be the new benchmark in the popular biathlon genre. This third release of the succesful sports series was redeveloped from the ground up with improved graphics, more effects and sounds and optimised control. With five new courses you can enjoy a true winter atmosphere as you challenge real stars of the sport as virtual opponents. With support for both the Wii Balance Board and Wii Zapper, RTL Biathlon 2009 promises an even more intense gaming experience. Other features include:

• A sophisticated single player career mode with extended character management
• 20 different courses in 15 countries
• Thrilling multi-player modes including 4-player hotseat and 2-player splitscreen

RTL WinterSports 2009 / Winter Sports 2

The highly succesful WinterSports series now has a worthy successor in the form of WinterSports 2009 - The Next Challenge which takes the series to new heights. For added variety, two entirely new sports have now been added in the form of Snowboarding and Biathlon. And now with an expanded career mode and a challenging campaign with over 40 missions, you can compete in 18 disciplines in 10 action sports including Alpine Ski, Ski Jump and Bobsledding.

It seems that RTL Sports and development partner, Hamburg-based 49Games, are next to jump on the Wii board express with the announcement that the next versions of their biathlon and winter sports titles will include Wii balance board support.

Details are still sketchy but RTL Biathlon 2009, the cross-country skiing/target shooting game will utilise the Wii board for skiing while RTL Winter Sports 2009 will presumably use the Wii board for numerous events including snowboarding. The games are scheduled for European release in Autumn.

We Ski was originally released in Japan as Family Ski and is scheduled for launch in the US on May 13, which will make it the only other Wii Balance Board game available when Wii Fit finally does hit the shelves.

We Ski is a family-oriented game that will take you to the Happy Ski Resort where fresh powder, groomed runs, multiple trails and state of the art facilities await you. The game features 14 courses with runs from beginner to advanced plus there's over a dozen other activites including a Ski School. You will be able to use your own Mii character or create a new one which you can kit out with skis, gloves, outfits and other accessories which you can buy with points earned in the game.

For trailers, screenshots and more information visit WeSkiPatrol.com, the official We Ski website.

We Ski is available from Amazon.com.