WiiCade have released version 3 of their Wii Remote API that enables developers to create Flash games using all the buttons on the Wii Remote (well, except “Home”), and the “C” and “Z” buttons on the Nunchuck (but no analog stick control). Control by up to four Wii Remotes is supported, allowing simultaneous multiplayer Flash games on the Wii !! The Flash source code has been released under the free-as-in-freedom LGPL software license to allow any game developer to make use of these great features and allow them to share their homebrew games with the world.

The WiiCade API also allows games to detect the X/Y coordinates of the screen cursors, the distance from television (stab, stab, stab, die dammit!), rotation angle of the on-screen cursor (twist) and auto-detection of connected remotes. Browser features like zooming and scrolling can also be selectively disabled during play of a Flash game, preventing unwanted scrolling at the critical moment. WiiCade is also providing a ’sandbox’ service preconfigured with their server code which allows Flash game developers to quickly and easily test their creations.

The main WiiCade site features a handful of Flash games written specifically for (or adapted to) the Wii. These games fill up the entire screen (almost), and most have legible fonts - they are clearly designed to be played on the Wii, unlike some other lame efforts I reviewed recently. While there are currently only a small number of games available, and some appear more proof-of-concept than fully fledged games, what they lack in quantity is made up for in quality. Many of the WiiCade games use Wii Remote API features; for instance, Bumper Car Madness allows four player to play simultaneously, and the control scheme can be chosen at the start of the game (car follows mouse pointer, or car turns based on WiiMote twist).

Through their forums, the creators of WiiCade are fostering a growing Wii Flash game developer community, so expect to see some high quality offerings in the future.