WiiNintendo

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD – IT’S NO REEL FANTASY: WATER, SUDOKU AND SILVER STARS CAN BOOST YOUR SKILLS

June 29, 2009

This week’s new downloadable games include a trio of WiiWare™ titles – two built around water-themed challenges and one designed to keep your mental chops in top shape. For Virtual Console™, you’ll find a memorable SEGA character making his return in a classic single-player sci-fi adventure. Rounding out the lineup is a new Nintendo DSiWare™ title that’s sure to have sudoku fans reaching feverishly for the nearest stylus.

WiiWare

Water Warfare™
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Water Warfare is a comical first-person shooter that uses water guns to battle and soak opponents. A map with a particular theme – Playground, Beach, Plaza or Nature Park – is generated automatically when the game begins, so you can think up new strategies each time you engage. Game modes include Single Player Missions, CPU Match and 2-Player Split Screen. On top of that, players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to battle with up to eight players from around the world, or participate in Ranking Mode.

Reel Fishing® Challenge
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Reel Fishing Challenge offers a fun and challenging experience for novice fishers and master anglers alike. Put your skills to the test and discover new types of fish in the challenging mission mode, or relax and enjoy the game at your own pace in free play mode. No matter which mode you play, the game’s beautiful graphics and natural setting bring the fishing experience to life. Choose from a variety of lures to attract and hook the game’s numerous fish. Each fish looks and moves like the real thing – it’s the closest you can get to real-life fishing without putting on your waders.

Silver Star Reversi
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Silver Star Reversi has two modes: 1-Player mode allows you to play a match against the computer opponent, and 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can choose from five different computer opponents, turn the background music on or off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. During each match, you can also redo your last move, save the game at any point, or resign from the game. After a match has ended, you can review each move and resume the match from any point you choose.

Virtual Console™

Fantasy Zone™ II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Original platform: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ten years have elapsed since Opa-Opa restored peace to the Fantasy Zone. Now history is repeating itself, and the planets that make up the Fantasy Zone once again find themselves attacked by the mastermind of the Nenon planet forces. This mastermind is secretly constructing a huge fortress in the Fantasy Zone and aims to put an end to their ambitious plans. Just as he did 10 years ago, Opa-Opa must do battle to save the Fantasy Zone.

Nintendo DSiWare™

SUDOKU MASTER
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: SUDOKU MASTER offers 150 unique puzzles that beginners and experts alike will enjoy. A handful of tutorials will help you learn the rules and controls as you go, and handy features like Write Mode and Temp Numbers make Sudoku pleasantly user-friendly. Feeling confident? Then try your hand at Title Mode to work your way up from Rookie to Sudoku Master. All puzzles were created by Sudoku veteran NIKOLI Co., Ltd., and tips from Sudoku godfather Maki Kaji are offered between games.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop™ and the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

[Nintendo PR]

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: CUT STRAIGHT TO THE FUN WITH PAPER, PLANETS, PUZZLES, MIND GAMES AND MINI GOLF

June 22, 2009

Familiar activities get a funky boost with this week’s additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop™. A trio of fresh WiiWare™ titles will have players wrapping their minds around unique puzzles, entertaining brain drills and awesome mini-golf courses. A new Art Style™ game for Nintendo DSiWare™ turns cutting paper into a cool hand-held gaming challenge. And simple things like air and weather conditions become exciting game elements in the latest classic offering on the Virtual Console™.

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NINTENDO DSI MOBILE TOUR TAKES CREATIVE HAND-HELD FUN FROM COAST TO COAST

June 22, 2009

The portable fun of the new Nintendo DSi™ video game system will be on full display in cities nationwide this summer as the Nintendo DSi Mobile Tour rolls through festivals and special events from coast to coast.

Throughout the summer, consumers across the United States will be invited to climb aboard a customized, interactive tour bus loaded with Nintendo DSi systems and software. Nintendo ambassadors will be on hand to show visitors the variety of entertainment and creative social fun offered by Nintendo DSi. Consumers will experience the system’s built-in cameras, sound-manipulation features and downloadable video games. Attendees also can enjoy access to a wealth of downloadable Nintendo DSiWare™ games from the online Nintendo DSi Shop. Visitors can print their original Nintendo DSi souvenir photos on the bus or store them online and download them from home after the event.

Some scheduled stops for the Nintendo DSi Mobile Tour include Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisc. (June 25-29), the Rothbury Festival in Rothbury, Mich. (July 2-5), the All Good Music Festival in Masontown, W.Va. (July 9-12), and the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago (July 17-19). For a full list of tour dates and details, visit NintendoDS.com/news.jsp.

[Nintendo PR]

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: MARIO CALCULATES THE TIME NEEDED TO CATCH TOASTED RAINBOWS IN SPACE

June 15, 2009

Nintendo’s downloadable content this week features the first-ever kitchen appliance with martial arts training. Throw in some rainbows and a game of catch, and you have a pretty interesting WiiWare™ lineup. But that’s not all: There are Mario-themed Nintendo DSiWare™ applications and a classic arcade game for the Virtual Console™. Let’s get to the details:

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This is a new segment I am simply titling “DS Demo Review,” where I will share short reviews for the DS demos available on the Nintendo Channel.  I hope to do this most weeks, but please forgive me if I miss one or two.  I will also only be reviewing the new titles posted each week.  So, the games that are on there every week (i.e. Brain Age, Flash Focus, etc.), I will not be reviewing.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
I love the Ice Age movies.  I usually don’t like movie games.  This one seems to be no different.  There is only one level, which is the 2.5/3D side-scrolling type.  You play as Buck (the weasel), but you can also play as Scrat and Sid in the full game (according to the “thank you screen” after I completed the level).  The first time through, I eventually stuck due to a glitch and died.  The second time through I did not mess with attacking any enemies, and only hopped my way through.  It was really easy.  The controls are ok.  B is jump, which was essentially all I ended up needing.  The other buttons are attack buttons.  Based on the demo, I’m going to have to say, this game is not worth picking up…even if you are a big fan of the movies.

Ant Nation
This demo starts off with a slideshow of drawings telling the story.  Apparently, there are some alien ants that have come, and a professor is asking you to use some ants to defeat the alien ants.  You then begin the tutorial.  It tells you your basic job, which is basically to defeat those alien ants with your ants and various other items (shoe, torch, water, etc.).  This is essentially a digital ant farm RTS.  After a bit, I got stuck on the torch tool, and couldn’t select anything else…so I started torching ever ant that came out of the hole, and finally getting the “game over” screen.  I guess I wasn’t supposed to kill those ants.  Overall, this seemed pretty boring.  However, I’m not an RTS fan, so some of you might enjoy this.

MySims Racing
This game is very similar to Mario Kart DS.  It even includes item boxes and power slides.  You get one track in this demo, and when you are done, you can restart or exit to the menu.  It was quite fun, and the added speed boosts (similar to nitrous, which you gain by doing power slides) make it similar to a Need for Speed title.  The full game is playable online, but I’d recommend sticking with Mario Kart DS if you’re looking for a good kart racer on the DS.  However, if you are a big fan of Mario Kart and the Sims or Sim City, this will be a great pick-up.

Miami Law – Demo Vol. 2
This is based off of the TV show with the same name.  The demo involved 2 modes.  The first had you analyze one figure and choose its match.  I found this very similar to some puzzles on Professor Layton.  However, there was only one figure to match, and then it took you back to the title screen.  The second mode involved a shootout, where you fired at your enemies by pointing at them with the touchscreen.  This seemed to be an on-rail shooter in just one area.  After you killed all your enemies in that area, you were taken back to the title screen.  This game seems like an interesting hybrid of puzzle and shooter, but that’s all I could gather.  The controls were ok, but could be better.  Overall, this was a very short demo.  I did not really get a good feel for how the overall game would be.

To discuss this game and more, head to our forums.

LEGO® Battles, a new real time strategy game for Nintendo DS™, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is now available at retail stores nationwide.  Produced by TT Games and developed by Hellbent Games, LEGO® Battles the latest game in the award-winning LEGO videogame line-up combines elements of three classic LEGO toy themes–LEGO Castle, LEGO Pirates, and LEGO Space–and offers a new LEGO “build and battle” experience that players can play alone in Story and Free Play modes, as well as with two other friends in Multiplayer mode.

Boasting 55 playable characters and 30 vehicles, fans will encounter pirate swordsmen fighting side-by-side with aliens, dragons battling ninjas, pirate ships launching broadsides against space crafts, and many other unique combinations.

LEGO® Battles is rated “E” for Everyone and is available for Nintendo DS for $29.99.   For more information and additional downloads please visit http://www.legobattles.com/.

[PR email]

To discuss this game and more, head to our forums.

New Videos:
Wii:
–Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 – Live Tournament
–Indiana Jones & the Staff of Kings – Co-op
–EA Sports Active – 30 Day Challenge
–JU-ON: The Grudge Teaser Video
–Drawn to Lift: The Next Chapter for Wii Video
–Marvel Super Hero Squad Teaser Video

DS:
–The Legendary Starfy TV Spot
–Personal Trainer: Walking – Family Challenge #2
–My Slice of Rhythm Heaven #3
–Flower, Sun, and Rain Info Video
–Petz Fashion: Dogz and Catz TV Spot
–Littest Pet Shop Friends – Teaser Video (Nintendo miss spelled it Littlest)
–G.I. Joe The Rise Of Cobra Info Video
–Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!

WiiWare:
–Swords & Soldiers Info Video
–Fish’em All Info Video

Other:
–Digest Video

New DS Demos: (Expire 06/14)
–Personal Trainer: Cooking Lasagna Demo
–Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
–Ant Nation

Nintendo Download: March, Fight and Fish Your Way to World Domination

June 8, 2009

With this week’s additions to the Nintendo DSi Shop™ and Wii™ Shop Channel, fun truly comes in all shapes and sizes. A new Mario vs. Donkey Kong™ title on Nintendo DSiWare™ features miniature versions of the world’s most famous video game icon, while a pair of fresh WiiWare™ releases invite players to wield a fishing rod or storm a sprawling battlefield. For king-sized thrills, the latest Virtual Console™ offering lets players don the boots of one of the world’s biggest warriors.

Nintendo DSiWare

Mario vs. Donkey Kong™: Minis March Again!
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Thanks to the runaway success of Super Mini Mario World, Mario™ and Pauline have expanded their toy-filled theme park and invited everyone to the opening celebration – everyone, that is, except Donkey Kong, who was too late to get in. Donkey Kong decides to crash the party and kidnaps Pauline along the way. Can Mario and his Mini Marios rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong’s clutches yet again? Make sure to explore the Construction Zone, where you’ll find all the tools needed to make your own original levels. You can then share your masterpieces or download levels created by others, via a local wireless connection or with broadband Internet access and Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.

WiiWare

Swords & Soldiers
Publisher: Ronimo Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Rewrite history as you take control of the brutal Vikings, the devious Aztecs or the crafty Chinese in their global quest to win the favor of the Gods. Swords & Soldiers is a side-scrolling strategy game that lets you control an entire army and wield devastating magical abilities. Demolish your enemy’s castle at the end of these two-dimensional battlefields and lead your troops to victory. Featuring hours of single-player campaign game play and challenging skirmishes, the game also offers frantic local multiplayer matches that let you take the fight to your friends. If that still isn’t enough for you, there are several unlockable challenge modes that will test your abilities even further.

Fish’em All!™
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Here’s an arcade game with real coin-op flavor. Jack and Walter are two old fishermen in a fantasy world. They’ve found places where crazy fish leap out of the water all day long – perfect for fishing. It’s a shame the other strange creatures aren’t going to make things easy. In this surreal action game, you’ll experience the excitement of the great arcade classics on your Wii console. Hold on tight to your controller and fish ’em all, featuring nine colorful scenarios, three game modes (Arcade, Challenge and Fishtris) and one- or two-player action.

Virtual Console

Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: KOEI
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: In Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf, unite the scattered Mongol tribes under your banner and conquer the world as Genghis Khan. Choose from two riveting scenarios: Mongolia and all of Eurasia. It’s up to you to take your fledgling empire from humble beginnings on the Mongolian plateau and expand your borders across the land. As your rivals look enviously upon your domain, you must struggle to weather the assaults of your opponents and carve out a living for your people. Engage in diplomacy to forge alliances and organize your troops to defend the prosperity of your empire. If you can manage to spread the borders of your empire to the corners of the world, all will pay homage to your might.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

[Nintendo PR]

To discuss these games and more, head over to our forums.