Namco planning spring We Ski trip

Less than a week after it announced it was bringing its multiplatinum Tales franchise to the Wii, Namco Bandai has unveiled another title for Nintendo's console--We Ski. According to the publisher, the game will arrive in North America in the "spring," around the same time snow at real-life ski resorts begins to melt.

Released earlier this year in Japan as Family Ski, We Ski aims to re-create the experience of hurtling down a snow-covered mountain slope. As revealed during last month's Game Developers Conference, the game will achieve that goal by being the first third-party game to support the Wii balance board, which will be released bundled with Wii Fit on May 19.

We Ski will also feature a single massive mountain ski resort with a range of runs, from green to double black diamond. Players can either use the Wii Nunchuk and Remote by themselves or in combination with the board "for additional realism," according to Namco. Events include such downhill staples as freestyle skiing, moguls and slalom, with night skiing and photograph contests thrown in for good measure. Players can either import their Mii avatars into the game or create all-new characters with dozens of accessories, such as skis, poles, goggles, and other assorted snow gear.

Unfortunately for fans of other means of downhill conveyance and would-be virtual Shaun Whites, Namco informed GameSpot there will be no snowboarding options in the game.