WiiNintendo

Today seems like it will be a great day for Nintendo’s downloads. On WiiWare, we get the highly anticipated Wii Motion Plus fighter game Rage of the Gladiator and a 3-sport shooting game called Triple Shot Sports. We recommend RotG over TSS, though. On the Wii Virtual Console, we get the original TurboGrafx-16 CD game Castlevania Rondo of Blood. For the DSiWare market, we get 4 titles, which makes sure there should be at least one that will excite you.  Zoo Frenzy seems to be a zoo simulator with mini-games, 101 MiniGolf World is exactly what it sounds like with up to 8-player support, Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs – Fight for Survival pits your dinosaur up against others as you fight to the death, and Car Jack Streets seems to be a top-down GTA-clone. What will you pick? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences. As always, you can check out the official press release below, where we have embedded gameplay videos to help you out.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GAMING

March 15, 2010

How tough do you think you are? This week’s roster of new downloadable games from Nintendo gives you several ways to prove it. Now available for the WiiWare™ service, Rage of the Gladiator puts players face-to-face with flurry of fearsome foes, enhancing the motion-control action with support for the Wii MotionPlus™ accessory. Meanwhile, Wii™ owners with a taste for classic gaming can test their mettle against bloodthirsty vampires in CASTLEVANIA RONDO OF BLOOD for the Virtual Console™ service. Other fresh releases challenge you to excel as a sharpshooter, a prehistoric beast or a criminal mastermind. Whichever setting you choose, just be prepared to step up and show your stuff.

WiiWare

Rage of the Gladiator
Publisher: Ghostfire Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Alcohol Reference, Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Rage of the Gladiator is a fantasy-based fighting game in which you must fight for your life in the arena. One of the most gorgeous WiiWare games ever, it features amazing 3-D graphics, animation, lighting, shadows and special effects. Full voice acting means each boss has its own personality and taunts you mercilessly. Discover insane finishing moves: Summon a fiery meteor or savage tornado, or transform into a hulking colossus 10 times your normal size. Customize your character and specialize in skill trees – Offense, Defense or Magic – to gain new powers. You’ll also enjoy epic, blood-pumping music by legendary composer Sean Beeson. For added replay value, unlock Challenge Mode and encounter tougher bosses with new abilities. The game also supports the Wii MotionPlus accessory.

Triple Shot Sports
Publisher: The Code Monkeys Ltd.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Triple Shot Sports is one of the most advanced recreational shooting games available for the WiiWare service, immersing players in the world of competitive target shooting. Most competitive events consist of activities that are traditionally derived from hunting and combat skills. Over time, these practices have evolved into a variety of competitive sports that include Archery, Pistol Shooting and Free Rifle. As with real-life shooting events, you will have full control over the aim of the weapon. You must also account for prevailing weather conditions and the athlete’s breathing pattern, as these factors can influence the accuracy of your shot.

Virtual Console

CASTLEVANIA RONDO OF BLOOD
Original platform: TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM
Publisher: Konami
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: This is the 10th action-packed installment in the ever-popular CASTLEVANIA series, which depicts the epic struggle between the Belmont clan and the dark forces of Count Dracula. An instant classic, this title is recognized far and wide for its beautifully rendered world, outstanding game balance and haunting CD-quality music. The player takes control of RICHTER, the clan’s ultimate Vampire Killer, guiding him through a total of nine stages filled with treacherous traps and hidden secrets. Using your legendary whip – passed on from generations of Belmonts – and a powerful selection of Item Crash attacks, it’s up to you to destroy Dracula and his evil horde. What’s more, rescuing MARIA at some juncture in the game allows you to use her as a playable character for even more vampire-slaying fun.

Nintendo DSiWare™

Zoo Frenzy
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) –Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Create the zoo of your dreams and try to maximize your profit by managing tons of parameters. Enjoy five fun mini-games to train and support your animals: Feed them, heal them and even play soccer- or hockey-themed games with them. Your best-trained pets will go back into the wild to fight dangerous monsters and find cute new animals for your zoo. Enjoy use of the Nintendo DSi™ system’s built-in microphone and camera – wake up the hero by shouting at him, and see yourself in the game.

101 MiniGolf World
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: 101 MiniGolf World is one of the first-ever 3-D miniature golf games for the Nintendo DSiWare service. Your stylus becomes the putter for an incredibly fun mini-golf experience. Play more than 100 challenging holes solo or with up to eight players on one system. Send your ball flying through loops, pipes, arches, extreme ramps and mind-blowing obstacles. Enjoy a combination of real golf rules and wacky mini-golf fun.

Battle of Giants™: Dinosaurs – Fight For Survival
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Long before mankind stepped into the world, the Earth was a harsh environment dominated by dinosaurs. Every species of dinosaur had to fight to survive in this hostile environment. Travel through the hostile lands as one of three breeds of dinosaur while battling giant enemies to save your kind. Create and customize your own unique dinosaur. Explore four mysterious territories and discover buried fossils to complete your mission. Enhance your dinosaur’s abilities and compete against your friends in epic duels.

Car Jack Streets
Publisher: Tag Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Language, Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: A critically acclaimed game with high-octane action, innovative real-time game play, stunning visuals and an awesome soundtrack, Car Jack Streets will take you to the limit. The Italian mob is calling in your gambling debt of $1 million. Attempt a wide variety of criminal and legitimate jobs to earn as much cash as possible, but remember to avoid attracting attention from the cops and other gang members. Do you have what it takes to stay alive, pay your debt and rise to the top of the criminal underworld?

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]

Today, it is all about the fantasy games for Nintendo.  On the Virtual Console, we get the SNES classic Final Fantasy 2 (which is actually Final Fantasy 4 in Japan and on DS).  For WiiWare, we get the interactive puzzle-platformer Max & the Magic Marker and a top-down shooter called Dracula – Undead Awakening.  The DSiWare lineup increases by four. A card game called Elemental Masters, a Spanish-learning game called 4 Travelers – Play Spanish, a handheld version of Dracula – Undead Awakening, and another Flips book entitled The Bubonic Builders all come to DSiWare today. Be sure to check out the official press release from Nintendo (below) where we have embedded gameplay videos and screenshots.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: WITH FANTASY GAMES THIS GOOD, WHY SETTLE FOR REALITY?

March 8, 2010

Sometimes realism is overrated. Don’t we all need a regular jolt of fantasy to keep our imaginations alive and kicking? For Wii™ owners, this week’s new game lineup is set to deliver exactly that. Max & the Magic Marker for the WiiWare™ service imagines what would happen if your own artistic creation turned against you, while the Virtual Console™ service features a big dose of otherworldly action with the classic FINAL FANTASY® II. Browse all the latest downloadable games for the Wii and Nintendo DSi™ systems to help keep your imagination fueled to the max.

We’ve also got some free bonus inspiration for you this week: At last September’s Penny Arcade Expo, Nintendo invited professional artists to create one-of-a-kind animations using the Flipnote Studio™ application for the Nintendo DSi system. The results are now online and ready for viewing at the Flipnote Hatena site (http://flipnote.hatena.com), including cool clips from top comic artists like Eric Jones, Christina Strain and Mike Choi. Check them out and treat your brain to extra helpings of creative juice.

WiiWare

Max & the Magic Marker
Publisher: Press Play
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: One day Max gets a mysterious marker in the mail. Not knowing better, the first thing he draws is a wacky, purple monster. As soon as the marker leaves the paper, the monster comes to life and jumps off the paper and into another drawing. With the monster on the loose and messing with Max’s drawings, Max has no choice but to go after it. Armed with the magic marker, you must help Max track the monster through 15 inventive and challenging levels. You’ll need more than good will and quick reflexes to tackle the challenges ahead. Draw freely inside the game to help Max defeat enemies, overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. As you draw stairs, seesaws, balloons, surfboards and whatever else you can think of, your creations will interact with the physical environment, making every session unique.

Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

Virtual Console

FINAL FANTASY II
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Follow the dark knight Cecil – Lord Captain of Baron’s elite force, the Red Wings – as he embarks on a fateful journey riddled with trials, betrayals, friendship, loss and self-discovery. Plagued with uncertainty over his monarch’s motives, can Cecil turn away from the path of darkness and destruction?

Nintendo DSiWare™

Elemental Masters
Publisher: lbxgames
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: In this fantasy card game, stand your ground in a quest filled with magic and adventure, and experience a thrilling combination of strategy and role-playing. Choose your character, build up your army in your card deck and fight the mystical creatures of Elendior. With thoughtful use of your cards, you’ll obtain the monsters of your enemy and support your attacks by using arcane spells and the rules of dark magic. Dive into this captivating story in the quest mode or duel with your friends in multiplayer mode. More than 100 creatures in numerous maps are waiting for you.

4 TRAVELLERS™ – Play Spanish
Publisher: AGENIUS Interactive
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Whether played alone or together with friends, 4 TRAVELLERS can teach you new words in Spanish. The game is suitable for both young and old, and no previous knowledge is necessary. The more you play, the more your Spanish vocabulary increases. You can also play and learn with the game’s unique learning mode. The game is perfect to bring on your trip, with more than 240 carefully selected words included specifically for this occasion.

[Sorry, no screenshots or gameplay video available at the time of posting.]

Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

[Above images thanks to NintendoLife.]

Flips: The Bubonic Builders
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Flips Interactive Books are the fun new way for kids to read. The builders are in to replace the girls’ toilet block, but they’re more interested in cups of tea and instant noodle snacks than doing any work. James suspects foul play, but Alexander and Lenny are doubtful until a strange accident hammers the truth home. How will the three friends stop St. Sebastian’s from being reduced to rubble?

[Above image thanks to NintendoLife.]

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]

This week, we get the much anticipated Mega Man 10 released for WiiWare.  Also available for WiiWare is Dart Rage (your basic dart game) and Happy Hammerin’ (an evolution of the classic whack-a-mole).  Nintendo does not forget the Wii Virtual Console this week, as they bring out the NeoGeo classic fighter Fatal Fury Special.  For those interested in new games on the go, Nintendo brings 4 new titles in Let’s Golf (which has already seen success on the iPhone/iPod and PSP market), Globulos Party (a kid-friendly mini-game party), VT Tennis (VirtualToys tennis simulation game), and Flips: Terror in Cubicle Four (the first in a series of interactive books coming from EA).  Be sure to check out the official press release below where we, as always, embed gameplay video and screen shots.

Nintendo Download: March is Mega Month for Nintendo Game Downloads.

The number 10 can mean a lot of things: perfection, loud volume or, in the case of this week’s downloadable game lineup, the return of a true gaming icon. Fans will thrill to see the legendary blue bomber landing on their Wii™ console with the arrival of Mega Man™ 10 for the WiiWare™ service. Elsewhere, players can test their skill at tossing darts, bashing moles, conquering the tennis court or tackling exotic golf courses. Whether you’re stocking up on living room-ready titles for your Wii console or grabbing on-the-go games via the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, March is off to a truly magnificent start.

WiiWare

Mega Man 10
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Fans of all ages can enjoy the newest entry in this historic 8-bit franchise. As a special service to new players, there’s an Easy Mode – a first for a Mega Man game. This new feature means novices and longtime fans alike can all have a shot at making it to the end of a Mega Man game. Also, you can now play as Proto Man and try Time Attack Mode from the beginning, or watch play-through videos from players all over the world.

Dart Rage
Publisher: JV Games Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Grab your Wii Remote™ controller and prepare for the ultimate game of darts on your Wii console. Dart Rage features the most realistic throwing system available today. With pixel-perfect accuracy and no buttons to push, you’ll be completely immersed in the game’s realism. Dart Rage puts you in the spotlight as you compete against friends, the computer or both. With four great games to choose from – including 301-901, Cricket, Poker and American (Baseball) darts – Dart Rage has plenty of options to keep the game fresh. There’s also a VS mode in which multiple players can compete at the same time in a race to the finish. Rock out to a sizzling soundtrack as a commentator announces your every shot.

Happy Hammerin’
Publisher: GAMEBRIDGE
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Happy Hammerin’ is a party game suitable for friends and families. Compete against each other by bashing moles using the Wii Remote controller. Use the Wii Remote like a hammer and let off some steam as you frantically try to bash the moles popping up all over the screen. Play against the CPU or go head-to-head with up to four players. (Additional accessories are required for the multiplayer modes and are sold separately.) Players can challenge themselves in three different modes: Mole Adventure (1-2 players), Mole Marathon (1 player) and Party Battle (1-4 players). Mole Adventure consists of four stages with three difficulty types. The faster you bash, the more points you get. With broadband Internet access, register your scores online and compete against the best mole bashers from around the world.

Virtual Console™

FATAL FURY SPECIAL
Original platform: NEOGEO
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: Originally released in 1993, this fighting game pits 15 different fighters against each other. The cast includes the original eight characters from Fatal Fury 2, as well as three new characters (Billy, Axel and Laurence) and a new boss (Wolfgang). Also, three characters from the original Fatal Fury (Duck, Dan and Geese) have returned to the fight. Building on the appeal of the previous game with two-line battles, special moves and powerful finishers, this game is truly worthy of its “special” distinction. And if certain special conditions are met, special guest Ryuu Sakazaki will make an appearance.

Nintendo DSiWare

Let’s Golf
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Grab a club, take a swing and pray for a birdie in Let’s Golf. Discover a fun-filled experience that’s accessible to anyone. Choose from four customizable characters and play 45 holes in three beautiful 3-D locations: Fiji Beach, the English Countryside and the Scottish Lochs. Enjoy easy-to-learn controls that even let you blow into the microphone to add spin to your ball. Take photos with your Nintendo DSi™ system’s built-in camera and add them to your personal profile. For the most fun, play Hot Seat Multiplayer with friends on a single Nintendo DSi system and see who’s the best.

[Video below is from PSP version of Let's Golf.]

Globulos Party
Publisher: GlobZ
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Globulos Party is a collection of mini-games that are very simple to understand and fun to master. The 20 games are: 4-Square, Arena, Basket, Bomber, Bomber-King, Croquet, Darts, Darts-King, Soccer, Funky-Soccer, Ice Hockey, Monster, Pétanque, Pinball, Rally, Football, Snooker, Sumo, Tic-Tac-Toe and Volley. Enjoy more than 15 hours of solo fun and nearly unlimited game play with the three multiplayer modes.

VT Tennis
Publisher: Virtual Toys
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: VT Tennis is an ace of a tennis game for the Nintendo DSi system. Using the innovative stylus and touch-screen controls, train your budding tennis star to serve, lob and smash his way to victory with precision swipes in all directions. Advance your player statistics in this fast-paced tournament of game modes, featuring Quickmatch, Tennis School and World Championship. The objective is to reach No. 1 in the world rankings. To do this, players will have to unlock courts as they compete in championships all over the world. At the start of career mode, players will find themselves in last place in the rankings. From this moment on, you must battle your way up. You can play on all types of surfaces – grass, clay, hard courts and wood – and learn the best techniques for winning each tournament on the different surfaces. Seventeen tough courts, each more difficult than the last, stand between you and your final victory.

Flips: Terror in Cubicle Four
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: There’s something strange going on with the loo in cubicle four of the girls’ toilet. It’s spewed green goo on Stacey’s shoes and almost had new boy James for lunch. Can he and his friends, Alexander and Lenny, flush out the cause of the trouble, or will the terrifying toilet plague the school with problems forever?

[Images below from NintendoLife.com]

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the WiiShop 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 has decided to pass along some games that somehow honor Presidents Day in the US.  According to them, on WiiWare, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All, Art of Balance, and WarMen Tactics do just that.  On the handheld side of things, we get Spotto!, Spaceball: Revolution, Scrabble Classic, Real Soccer 2010, and Prehistorik Man.  If that wasn’t enough, in honor of Sonic 4 coming out soon, we get Sonic and Knuckes for the Wii Virtual Console. One important feature about S&K is that it features “Lock-On” technology, which allows you to play Knuckles in Sonic 2 and 3, as long as you have them also downloaded on your Wii Virtual Console.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: NEW GAME DOWNLOADS FOR WII AND NINTENDO DSI PACK A PRESIDENTIAL PUNCH

Feb. 15, 2010

In honor of Presidents Day, let’s take a moment to reflect on the qualities that make a great leader, plus some exceptional games you can use to nurture them. Problem-solving skills are a must, both in the Oval Office and in the new Phoenix Wright™ Ace Attorney: JUSTICE FOR ALL game for the WiiWare service. A way with words is essential, too, as you’ll discover in Scrabble™ Classic for the Nintendo DSiWare service. Real Soccer 2010 proves the value of teamwork, while Spotto! ™ highlights the importance of facing fearsome threats head-on. And while we’re not sure how effective a hedgehog would be as commander-in-chief, the SEGA classic Sonic & Knuckles™ – now available to Wii™ owners via the Virtual Console™ – demonstrates real bipartisan appeal.

WiiWare

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney®: JUSTICE FOR ALL
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Phoenix Wright is back as the second game in the popular Ace Attorney hand-held franchise comes to the WiiWare service. As Phoenix Wright, you’ll play through four shocking new cases in first-person perspective. The game features two unique game play modes. In Investigations Mode, you’ll survey crime scenes, interview witnesses and gather evidence. You’ll then present findings, listen to testimonials and examine witnesses in Court Mode. JUSTICE FOR ALL also includes a new “Psyche-Lock” feature that allows Phoenix to use a line of questioning to reveal inconsistencies in witness testimony.

Art of Balance
Publisher: Shin’en Multimedia
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Grab your Wii Remote™ controller and build a balanced stack in this physics-based puzzler, featuring 100 levels that challenge not only your skills but also your imagination. The game is easy to pick up and hard to put away. Play alone or invite a friend to grab a second Wii Remote controller and drop in at any point for co-op play. There’s even a dedicated two-player split-screen “versus” mode for extra fun.

WarMen Tactics
Publisher: CALARIS
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: In the year 2013, civil unrest across the globe has prompted world leaders to merge the police and military into a single force called the Department of Control. This force is opposed by a resistance made up of former military members who refused to join the Department. Marco is one of them, and the game tells his story. Join Marco as he is deployed on a mission to destroy scrambler devices placed around the city. Created to reflect the realities of urban warfare, the game requires players to take cover behind walls and other obstacles as they strive to defeat enemies and advance to the next post.

Nintendo DSiWare

Spotto!
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Meet Spotto, a plucky duck on a mission. Ill-behaved ghosts have kidnapped Chikkie Wowwow, President Wowwow’s daughter. Spotto, being the world’s foremost Bombirdier, must follow these ghosts to a haunted house and use his trusty bombs to blast the baddies. Take control of Spotto, adjusting his aim with the stylus and trying to toss bombs into the ghosts’ mouths in 50 “explosive” stages. Along the way, you’ll avoid obstacles (or use them to your advantage), find powerful Super Bombs to inflict even more damage and even encounter a frighteningly large ghost or two. With multiple modes of play and numerous solutions for successfully blasting ghosts to pieces, this is one haunted house you’ll want to visit often.

Spaceball: Revolution
Publisher: Virtual Toys
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Spaceball: Revolution will put your intelligence and skill to the test as you solve puzzles in a futuristic environment. Copy the figures that appear on the top screen, using energy balls that make the boxes correctly change color. It won’t be an easy task. Different obstacles will be thrown into your path, challenging you to polish your aim and think rapidly. Fifteen different levels are waiting for you in Spaceball: Revolution. Are you up to the challenge?

Scrabble Classic
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Scrabble, one of the world’s most popular board games, is enjoying a tremendous surge in popularity, both online and in the real world. Scrabble for the Nintendo DSiWare service allows you to play this exciting game in both Single Player and Multi-Player modes.

[Above photo is from the retail version of Scrabble for Nintendo DS.]

Real Soccer 2010
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Real Soccer is back for the most exciting season yet. Choose from more teams than ever before and compete in new stadiums around the world. Lead your team to victory on the field and make tactical decisions as the coach.

[Above video is from the iPhone version of Real Soccer/Football 2010.]

Prehistorik Man
Publisher: Interplay
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Life is hard for Sam the Prehistorik Man. With three-and-a-half hours of work each week, there’s barely time to fit in all the sleeping, eating and cave-painting that needs to be done. When greedy dinosaurs guzzle his village’s winter food source, Sam gets mad. Armed with his best club and his powerful hunter’s voice, Sam needs your help to proceed through 22 levels of food-gathering and dinosaur-bashing. With fast-paced action, hundreds of secret areas, weapons and unlikely vehicles to find, you’ll need to be smart. Well…smarter than Sam, anyway.

Virtual Console

Sonic & Knuckles
Original platform: SEGA Genesis
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Sonic, the world’s fastest hedgehog, continues his adventures in this fourth installment of the Sonic The Hedgehog™ series. This time, he buddies up with his former enemy, Knuckles the Echidna, in order to defeat the evil Dr. Eggman (a.k.a. Dr. Robotnik). At the end of Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Dr. Eggman’s ultimate orbital weapon for global domination, the Death Egg, was badly damaged in an epic battle with Sonic. The Death Egg, losing power rapidly, hurtled back down to the planet below and crash-landed on the mysterious Angel Island again. Now Sonic and Knuckles must put a stop to Dr. Eggman once and for all before Eggman and his no-goodniks find the secret to Angel Island’s floating power, the Master Emerald. This game features Lock-On Technology, which allows you to play as Knuckles in other Sonic titles available for the Virtual Console, including Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic The Hedgehog 3, as long as these titles are part of your Virtual Console library.

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]

What a week for the download services on Nintendo consoles! Today, we get 10 titles.  On the WiiWare side, we’ve got 4 new titles — Blaster Master Overdrive, Tomena Sanner, Bloons, and Hubert the Teddy Bear Winter Games. On the handheld side, we get 5 new DSiWare games — Oscar in Movieland, Link’n'Launch, Fieldrunners, Sudoku4Pockets, and Extreme Hangman.  On the Wii Virtual Console, we get 1 classic NES game — Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom. As always, be sure to check out the official press release below, where we have embedded gameplay videos and screen shots.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: DEADLY VIRUSES AND HEROIC VEGETABLES MAKE FOR A MEMORABLE WEEK

Feb. 8, 2010

From pulse-pounding action to mind-bending puzzles and beyond, this week’s lineup of new downloadable games offers a dizzying variety to satisfy players of all stripes. New additions for the WiiWare™ service include the sci-fi adventure of BLASTER MASTER™ OVERDRIVE and the speedy fun of Tomena Sanner, plus a pair of family-friendly games to help parents and their kids brighten up the dog days of winter. For the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, new attractions include the rocket-powered puzzles of Link ‘n’ Launch™ and the tower-defending thrills of Fieldrunners. And lest you should think cucumbers are only good for snacking, the Virtual Console™ debut of Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom lets Wii™ owners enjoy a quirky classic from the NES™ era.

WiiWare

BLASTER MASTER OVERDRIVE
Publisher: SUNSOFT
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: BLASTER MASTER OVERDRIVE is an action-adventure game that takes place on an Earth infected by an aggressive, polymorphic virus. Poor, defenseless animals worldwide have been turned into flesh-eating, hemoglobin-swilling terrors. Fortunately, the world has Alex, who happens to be one of the world’s foremost biologists and specializes in viral mutation profiles and genetic manipulation. Every studious biologist facing imminent global annihilation needs a sweet ride, and Alex is no exception. He has S.O.P.H.I.A., a shape-shifting, gas-guzzling, projectile-spewing paean to destruction on four wheels. Things look grim, but with Alex and S.O.P.H.I.A. on the case, the world just might have a chance.

Tomena Sanner
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Businessman Hitoshi Susumu is behind schedule and in quite a rush. In fact, once he starts running, he won’t stop! Dashing past samurais, T-Rexes, cowboys and all manner of wacky obstacles, Mr. Susumu must get to the goal as fast as he can for the ultimate 2-D dance party. Tomena Sanner is a high-speed side-scrolling action game with a unique timing-based control system that’s as challenging as it is fun. As they fly, jump and dance over the many zany obstacles, players need to time their moves to keep their speed up and perform awesome tricks. Using just one button on the Wii Remote™ controller, players of all ages and skill levels will be able to play and help Mr. Susumu get to his goal. Four players can compete to see who is the fastest at running through the bizarre and comical world of Tomena Sanner.

Bloons®
Publisher: Hands-On Mobile
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Bloons is an exciting puzzle game based on the simple fact that popping balloons is fun. Pop your way through dozens of puzzling levels in this exciting puzzle adventure. Each level will have a different arrangement of balloons. Using the darts you’re given, try to pop as many as you can. Look out for special balloons, blocks and darts, and have fun discovering what they do. You can pick up and play for a few minutes or spend hours working your way through the game’s 70 levels. As an added bonus, there’s also a level editor that allows you to create your own balloon puzzles.

Hubert The Teddy Bear Winter Games
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1-16
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Hubert The Teddy Bear is a party game in which players confront crafty bunnies. Outsmart them in eight winter activities including snow fight, sleigh ride, Christmas tree decoration, fishing, catching a bunny and more. Create a teddy bear and customize it to fit your own style. Choose its name and gender and dress it up by combining elements from plenty of clothes and accessories. Play solo or engage your family and friends by competing in one of the multiplayer modes. As many as 16 players can take part in one competition. Thanks to the balanced levels of difficulty – kid, youngster and adult – everyone can enjoy the game. This collection of casual winter sports provides a new experience for the whole family.

Nintendo DSiWare

Oscar in Movieland
Publisher: Virtual Playground
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Following his Oscar in Toyland escapades, Oscar now plays the leading actor in sensational worlds of hit movies and TV shows. From Sci-Fi to Cartoon, Western to War, Horror to Jurassic and more, this is a game not to be missed. Oscar in Movieland features eye-popping graphics, parallax scrolling backgrounds and fabulous game play. This jump-and-run game is easy to play and packed with hours of fun and nonstop action. Use Wings to Fly, Springy Boots to Jump, and Oscar’s secret weapon – his magical Yo-Yo – to swing on and zap enemies in some of the craziest platform levels you’ll ever play.

Link ‘n’ Launch
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Take your puzzle-solving skills to new heights in Link ‘n’ Launch, a puzzle game in which you must move tiles to create a path that connects fuel to your rocket, blasting it through space. Complete the basic training mode to learn how to play Link ‘n’ Launch, and then buckle in for the ride through the robust Missions and Puzzles modes. Missions mode has you propelling the rocket through space to reach the target planet within a three-minute time limit, while Puzzles mode challenges you to clear all fuel and pipe tiles from the screen. In both modes, not only do you need to create a path to keep your rocket fueled, but you’ll also have to account for immovable tiles and special tiles that upgrade your rocket or give you additional time to complete the level, all while keeping your rocket’s flight path within the established boundaries. The launch countdown has begun – are you prepared?

Fieldrunners
Publisher: Subatomic Studios
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Descend into the world of Fieldrunners, one of the most anticipated and visually stunning games in mobile tower defense history. Defend and control the field with a diverse selection of upgradeable towers, using a wide array of tactics and strategies against countless waves of unique land and air combatants. Enjoy hours of entertainment and replayable challenges. Do you have what it takes to dominate the fieldrunners and rise to the top as the ultimate tower defense master?

Sudoku 4Pockets
Publisher: 4Pockets.com
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Sudoku 4Pockets offers you 3,600 puzzles, and your assistant Kiku will be there to guide you through each of the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced skill levels. The aim of sudoku is to complete a grid of nine-by-nine squares with the numbers 1 through 9 in each square, row and column. As you play, Kiku will guide you: She can tell you if you’ve entered an incorrect number, offer you hints and explain the moves and terms as you play. The simple-to-use number entry makes it easy to select numbers and add possible number candidates to aid your thought process. Whether you’re new to sudoku or an advanced player, you can have fun playing and learning on your quest to become a sudoku master.

Extreme Hangman
Publisher: Gamelion
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: There’s never been a Hangman game like this before! The world’s favorite time-killer game takes an absurdist twist of comical proportions. Taking place in various settings, the game challenges players to save the Hangman from his enemies by guessing hidden words correctly. When players guess incorrectly, he is put one step closer to being shot, strangled, erased or hanged by his enemies. Play a single-player game or challenge your friend to a duel. Extreme Hangman features seven different settings with fun animations, over 2,000 words in various categories, and three difficulty levels.

Virtual Console

Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom
Original platform: NES
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence, Tobacco Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Featuring a cast of cute characters and an endearing sense of humor, this unique title has gained a dedicated following since its release on the original NES system. The wicked Minister Pumpkin, a nobleman in the Salad Kingdom, has rebelled and kicked King Broccoli off the throne. Worse yet, he has kidnapped Princess Tomato and, with the help of the treacherous Farmies, proceeded to abolish all truth, justice, sweetness and light from the Salad Kingdom. Players take on the role of the brave Sir Cucumber, hero of the kingdom, and set out on a quest to rescue the princess and topple Minister Pumpkin. Progress through multiple locations using set commands (such as MOVE, LOOK and TALK) while winning bouts of Finger Wars (Rock-Paper-Scissors), collecting information and items and heeding helpful clues from your faithful companion, Percy (a persimmon). If you fail, the entire Salad Kingdom will be tossed into frenzy. Sir Cucumber, your princess awaits!

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]

Today, Nintendo packs out the DSiWare service with 5 new titles, WiiWare gets 3 new games, and the Wii Virtual Console lineup increases by 1.  It seems to be heavy on card games this week, as both WiiWare and DSiWare get 5 in 1 Solitaire. DSiWare also gets Downtown Texas Hold’em.  Along with that, we also get True Swing Golf Express, Legends of Exidia, and Move Your Brain Rollway Puzzle (which uses the DSi cameras for motion controls). The other 2 WiiWare titles are the 5th and final chapter of Tales of Monkey Island and a puzzle game similar to Zuma called Tumblebugs 2. As for the new only retro game for Virtual Console, we get Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. As always, check out the official Press Release from Nintendo below, where we have embedded gameplay videos.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: SWING TRUE, BET BIG AND VANQUISH EVIL WITH NEW GAME DOWNLOADS

Feb. 1, 2010

Golf fanatics who can’t hit the real-life links again till springtime will be especially pleased with this week’s new downloadable game lineup. True Swing Golf Express for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service delivers deep fairway action that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. Another Nintendo DSiWare release, Legends of Exidia, offers a timeless clash between good and evil that RPG enthusiasts won’t want to miss, while Move your Brain Rollway Puzzle lets players tilt and turn their Nintendo DSi™ system to complete fun puzzle challenges. For the WiiWare™ service, the fifth and final Tales of Monkey Island chapter brings an outrageous adventure series to a memorable close this week. Poker, solitaire, intrepid insects and a SEGA Master System classic help to round out a diverse and inviting set of new arrivals.

Nintendo DSiWare

True Swing Golf Express
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Tee off with power, drive with accuracy and putt with precision. True Swing Golf Express is a realistic golf simulation that makes full use of the Nintendo DSi touch screen to offer in-depth control over your actions. Vary shot power, apply topspin or backspin and more, all with a touch of the stylus. Beginners and experts alike can choose from two main modes. Round mode offers play across 3-, 9- or 18-hole courses, each with varying difficulty levels and some in an exciting tournament setting. Challenge mode puts a unique spin on golf with a wide selection of special tasks to complete. Completing these tasks in Challenge mode allows you to improve your character’s skills and unlock new courses in Round mode. The fairway awaits!

[Gameplay video is for full version available for Nintendo DS.]

Legends of Exidia
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: An army of demons called Morgost has invaded Exidia, defeating Princess Sofia and capturing the Orb of Spell. The Morgost’s dark intentions include the resurrection of the almighty Daraka. Listen only to your courage and help Sofia drive back this threat. As a fearless warrior, you’ll fight the most evil of creatures. With every quest, you’ll get closer to discovering the source of the plague.

DOWNTOWN TEXAS HOLD’EM
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1-5
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Go all-in with EA’s DOWNTOWN TEXAS HOLD’EM. Sharpen and show off your poker skills in two exciting game modes and take on up to 20 players in authentic showdowns. Put on your best poker face and challenge friends who also have a Nintendo DSi system and a copy of the game to a multiplayer match. Start with a practice game, play a round of classic poker, then jump into turbo tournament to win the grand prize. Buy your way into gambling halls and casinos, each with its own unique background, realistic tables, cards and chips.

[Sorry, no gameplay video available at the time of posting.]

Move your Brain Rollway Puzzle
Publisher: Assoria
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Help the ball of Move your Brain Rollway Puzzle to find the way out of each level. To do so, you must solve riddles and use your dexterity to escape enemies without falling. Move your Brain Rollway Puzzle uses the Nintendo DSi system’s built-in camera to detect your movements. While playing, tilt the system to move the ball. Collect gold coins to open certain passages, activate switches to set off mechanisms, use catapults to jump over walls or use bumpers to climb ramps. Time to complete each level is limited, so hurry up!

5 in 1 Solitaire
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Now you can take five of the most popular solitaire games with you on the go. 5 in 1 Solitaire features the always-popular Klondike, Spider and FreeCell games as well as the unique Golf and Gaps versions of solitaire. Each of these versions has a unique style of play that’s easy enough for novice players to enjoy but will also challenge experts. You can also view tutorials for each game, track your scores and view gaming stats to see your progress.

[Sorry, no gameplay video at the time of posting. However, you can check out the WiiWare version video posted below.]

WiiWare

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 5
Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol Reference, Cartoon Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Here’s a shocking series finale that’s sure to shiver your timbers. With the Monkey Island world in tatters at the conclusion of the fourth Tales of Monkey Island chapter, we were left to wonder: Who can save the Caribbean?! LeChuck is revealing surprising new characteristics yet again, Guybrush has met a shocking fate and Elaine must confront the ultimate evil with everything at stake. This adventure takes you far beyond the stormy isles as you experience the Rise of the Pirate God.

Tumblebugs 2
Publisher: Gameshastra Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: There’s a battle brewing in the backyard, and only you can save the day. Tumblebugs is the hit action-puzzler in which Black Bugs round up and trap the peaceful underground Tumblebugs. Now the Black Bugs are back – meaner, faster and nastier. They’ve crashed the garden party and are rounding up the colored beetles. Once again it’s Tumble to the rescue, but this time she’s got backup. Call on your friends to help you battle your way through 89 stunning new levels. Thrilling new power-ups can also help you free bugs like never before.

[Gameplay video is from the PC version.]

5 in 1 Solitaire
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Now you can play five of the most popular solitaire games on your Wii™ console. 5 in 1 Solitaire features the always-popular Klondike, Spider and FreeCell games as well as the unique Golf and Gaps versions of solitaire. Each of these versions has a unique style of play that’s easy enough for novice players to enjoy but will also challenge experts. You can also view tutorials for each game, track your scores and view gaming stats to see your progress.

Virtual Console™

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World™
Original platform: SEGA Master System
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: What do you get when you combine the monumental SEGA classics Alex Kidd in Miracle World™ and Shinobi™? Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, of course! Though never released in Japan, this game has it all: Alex Kidd, kidnapped princesses and evil Dark Ninjas, all played to a rockin’, remixed Shinobi soundtrack. Run, jump, swim and slash your way through 12 stages teeming with monstrous foes from the world of Shinobi, plus some more lighthearted ones from Alex Kidd. Just don’t let the barracudas turn you into sushi!

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]

With another 7 titles, Nintendo sure is pushing their download service, especially on the WiiWare and DSiWare side of things. As for Virtual Console, we still get only 1 game. On DSiWare, there will soon be 3 interesting new games for download — NUMBER BATTLE, AiRace: Tunnel, and Escapee: GO! For WiiWare, we also get 3 — UNO comes with WiiSpeak compatibility, bittos+ is a new puzzle game, and Aha! I Found It: Hidden Object Game speaks for itself. The lone Wii VC game is Lucas Arts’ SNES title Goul Patrol, which features 2-player co-op play. Be sure to check out the official press release below where we have embedded gameplay videos and trailers.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: LOOK OUT FOR NUMERO UNO WITH NEW GAME DOWNLOADS FROM NINTENDO

Jan. 25, 2010

You needn’t be bilingual to appreciate the first of this week’s fantastic downloadable game offerings. Like the classic card game upon which it’s based, the new UNO™ game for the WiiWare™ service is all about inclusive, social fun that anybody can pick up and enjoy. Other fresh WiiWare fare includes the inventive puzzle title bittos+ and the hidden-object game “Aha! I Found It!” The Nintendo DSiWare™ service welcomes a trio of diverting hand-held delights this week: the strategy-based NUMBER BATTLE™, the arcade-style AiRace: Tunnel and the action-packed Escapee GO! Last but not least, Virtual Console™ fans should prepare to vanquish spooky specters with the arrival of a true Super NES™ classic, Ghoul Patrol™.

UNO
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Get ready to call “UNO” on your Wii™ system! The world-famous card game is faithfully reproduced for the Wii console with some exciting new rules. Thanks to a multiplayer mode (additional Wii Remote™ controllers required) that’s playable on one Wii console or online via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection (broadband Internet access required), UNO has never been so fun and easy.

bittos+
Publisher: MACHINE
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The next big thing in casual gaming, bittos+ is all about rotating, moving and placing game pieces onto a game board to make squares and, more importantly, squares within squares. Playing bittos+ provides hours and hours of entertainment for the whole family, with boatloads of challenge and replay value for even the most avid gamer. With luscious environments, multiple modes to unlock, game styles to suit every mood, multiple real-time reactive control methods, in-game Awards to collect and high-score boards for the entire your household, bittos+ is a new game-play experience that will sweep you away.

“Aha! I Found It!” Hidden Object Game
Publisher: Ateam Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: A hidden-object game for everyone has come to the WiiWare service. Try to find 12 particular items among a crowd of on-screen objects as fast as you can, from big fish to tiny earrings, easy-to-find items to well-hidden ones. Unlike most other hidden-object games, this one lets you play along with friends and family (additional Wii Remote controllers required) and compete to see who’s best at finding the hidden objects in each stage. With 10 stages and more than 277 different items, there’s plenty of searching fun to enjoy. Also, with items changing position each time you play, you can enjoy each stage again and again.

Nintendo DSiWare

NUMBER BATTLE
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: From Japan comes NUMBER BATTLE, a board game that invokes the ancient art of feng shui while challenging players to clear the playing field. Take turns against human or computer opponents to reach a target score by placing numbered tiles on the board and linking the arms of each tile in various ways. Watch for the Winds of Change to possibly blow over the board during a battle, resulting in special squares that will score bonus points or affect game play in new ways. Items that aid you in your pursuit of points can also be found, but they’ll cost you points and must be placed strategically. Go it alone in the main Story or Puzzle modes, or battle against up to three opponents from around the world via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (broadband Internet access required). You can even learn from your past with History mode, which shows the moves recorded during previous contests. This unique combination of puzzle and strategy elements results in an exciting battle of wits. Can you guide your Warrior to victory?

[Sorry, there were no videos or screenshots at the time of posting.]

AiRace: Tunnel
Publisher: QubicGames
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: AiRace: Tunnel is an invitation to the newly started Project Tunnel. It was created to examine the quickness and attentiveness of aviation rookies. Think you’ve got the skills? Put your reflexes to the test and see how swift, precise and predictive you are. Maneuver your aircraft safely through specially created tunnels that are full of traps. Be careful: Your plane will speed up with every second, making each turn and each barrier harder to navigate. It’s not just a game, it’s a challenge.

Escapee GO!
Publisher: Gevo Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Escapee GO!, players take on the role of Claire, who awakens with no memory of who she is. Save for her name, all information about her has been destroyed. In its place, something within her has changed. Hunted down by an unknown enemy, she must find a way to escape her pursuers using her newfound powers. Will she be able to survive? Using her heightened senses, Claire is able to detect enemies before they come into visual range. During her daring escape, Claire will find mysterious items that can temporarily enhance her abilities, allowing her to level the playing field.

Virtual Console

Ghoul Patrol
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: LucasArts
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The main attractions at the library’s Goblin exhibit have come to life! As the Ghoul Patrol, you’ll go back in time and de-spook an encyclopedia of zombified historic dudes. Vaporize garbage-can ghosts and ninja spirits, rescue bug-eyed librarians and wigged-out pirates, dodge flying books and adolescent-eating plants, and ultimately put the beastly spirit back in the history books.

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]

Another 7 titles are available for Nintendo Download starting today. For WiiWare, we get the popular Japanese arcade game Muscle March and a brain puzzle game for the younger audience called The Amazing Brain Train. For Virtual Console, we continue the trend of only one game, which is the ninja game Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi. DSiWare puts up big numbers with 4 brand new titles for America — a space-themed tower defense called Starship Defense, the previously forgotten Capcom game Dark Void Zero, the dual-screened game Chronos Twins (similar to the already released WiiWare game), and a game similar to Nintendogs called Me And My Dogs – Friends Forever. Check out the official press release below where we have embedded gameplay video and screenshots.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: NINTENDO ASKS EVERYONE TO MUSCLE MARCH IN FORMATION

Jan. 18, 2010

There’s a lot to say about this week’s downloadable games. You can check out the brain-training power of The Amazing Brain Train! or the cute puppies of Me And My Dogs: Friends Forever. Fans of more traditional games can protect their space fleet from waves of enemies in STARSHIP DEFENSE™ or explore the dual temporal world of Chronos Twins. Retro gamers will certainly like the ninja stylings of Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi™ on the Virtual Console™ service or the chance to try out the Nintendo DSiWare™ title Dark Void™ Zero, a mythical long-lost game from Capcom’s vaults.

And then there’s Muscle March.

A bunch of bodybuilders (and a polar bear) clad in bikini briefs chase after protein-powder thieves who can bash through walls at will. Strike your best bodybuilder poses to catch the thief and make the protein powder yours again. This surreal experience is best shared among friends, so start flexing!

WiiWare™

Muscle March
Publisher: NBGI
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Muscle March is a quirky Japanese action game stuffed full of macho bodybuilders. The all mighty protein powder has been stolen, so it’s up to Tony and his muscle-bound crew to catch the thieves. Choose from a variety of perfectly molded superstars and bring these terrible villains to justice. As the thieves attempt escape, they will smash through walls while making a variety of poses. You must match these poses to fit through the holes and catch up to the thieves. The protein powder will be yours again! Flex your muscles by yourself or with up to three friends in turn-based macho excitement. Posing for a few minutes not enough? Enjoy Endless Rush mode until your muscles bulge and explode! Muscle March will also be the first WiiWare title to offer a polar bear in tight swimwear!

The Amazing Brain Train!
Publisher: Wahoo Studios
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: All aboard! Power up your intellect and embark on an epic quest aboard The Amazing Brain Train! Fueled by your mental energy, Professor Fizzwizzle’s Brain Train will take you on a brain-boosting adventure. Put your mighty mind to the test and see how far you can go.

Nintendo DSiWare™

STARSHIP DEFENSE
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: STARSHIP DEFENSE takes the tower defense genre into outer space. Defend your space fleet from wave after wave of enemy attacks by equipping a variety of weapons and using a combination of strategic skills and resource management. Attach weapons to your ships using the touch screen, making sure to place them for maximum effect when planning your defense. If you don’t, the relentless nature of your enemies could overwhelm you. Increase your chances of success by using energy collected from defeated enemies to install new and more powerful weapons, destroying particular enemies to obtain weapon upgrades, and watching for rare power crystals that unlock advanced attacks, including a devastating black hole. And if you still find yourself in trouble, select an SOS card to call on a special kind of assistance. You’ll have to defend your fleet across 30 intense sectors, some with specific challenges, while advancing your rank from lowly recruit all the way to fleet admiral. Are you up to the challenge?

Dark Void Zero
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: As the ’80s were drawing to a close, the developers at Capcom began work on a top-secret project that aimed to set new standards for the platformer genre. That game was called Dark Void. Alas, Capcom suspended development on Dark Void as it began to evaluate the SNES™. Before long, the game was shelved and drifted, unnoticed, into the annals of gaming history. Dark Void became a legendary “lost project” at Capcom. Now, nearly 20 years later, Dark Void is back! To commemorate the game’s humble origins, Capcom has commissioned this recreation of the original 8-bit classic, now re-titled Dark Void Zero, on the Nintendo DSi™ system. You play as Rusty, the first human born in the Void, who must take on the Watchers in a quest to stop their domination of Earth. With the aid of Nikola Tesla and his state-of-the-art rocket pack, Rusty must take down the Watchers and their minions across three intense levels of action and intrigue.

Chronos Twins
Publisher: EnjoyUp Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Enter into the original world of Chronos Twins, where you’ll live a fantastic adventure full of innovative ideas never seen before in any game. Thanks to its Dual Gameplay game system you’ll be able to control Nec in two temporal scenarios at the same time. Chronos Twins mixes action, platforms, adventure and puzzles to challenge your intelligence and ability. If you like games with a real challenge, there’s no doubt that Chronos Twins is the game you’re looking for.

Me And My Dogs: Friends Forever
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Have you always dreamed of having a cute dog to cuddle? Thanks to Me And My Dogs: Friends Forever, you can have up to three of the cutest pups imaginable at the same time and take them with you everywhere you go. Choose from friendly Labradors, playful Chow Chows and smart Beagles. Like real dogs, you’ll have to take care of them, feed them, wash them and give them lots of love. Play with them at the park and teach them lots of tricks or train them for competitions at the stadium. You can even call them like in real life thanks to the microphone.

Virtual Console™

Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
Original platform: Genesis
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Easy to play, hard to master, Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi, first released in 1987, is the sequel to the original Shinobi arcade game, and is one of the only games in the Shinobi series to feature true arcade-style game play. Play as Joe Musashi, the master ninja known to his enemies only as “The Shinobi.” This battle is not one you must fight alone, as this is the first game in the Shinobi series to feature your ninja attack dog, Yamoto, who will charge foes on command, leaving them open to a powerful drop kick. Use your mastery of ancient ninja technique to topple the crime syndicate – the Neo Zeed Corporation – and free the foreign dignitaries they have taken hostage in New York City. Good luck, and may the ninja spirits help guide you in your journey.

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]

Today, we get 7 games for the Nintendo Download service. On the Wii Virtual Console, we get the Sega Genesis version of the mahjong-like Shanghai II: Dragon’s Eye. For WiiWare, we get 3 titles — the popular DS game Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney, a new “dual gameplay” title called Chronos Twins DX, and the creative shadow-puppet-like game ShadowPlay. For our handheld game desires, Nintendo has given 3 games for DSiWare — Touch Solitaire, which contains 2 versions of solitaire for only 200 points; a straightforward billiards game called Jazzy Billiards, and a handheld version of the already released for WiiWare game, Word Searcher. As always, check out the official press release below, where we have embedded gameplay videos.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: WHEN YOU SEE THIS WEEK’S DOWNLOADS, YOU WILL HAVE NO…OBJECTION!

Jan. 11, 2010

Courtroom intrigue with everyone’s favorite Ace Attorney leads this week’s Nintendo Download. For the first time, players can use the Wii Remote™ controller to help them balance the scales of justice. Six other games join this week’s lineup, including some temporal adventures and a puzzle game based on shadows, not to mention new twists on solitaire, billiards and word searches. A classic Genesis mahjong video game rounds out the list.

WiiWare™

Phoenix Wright™: Ace Attorney
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Meet Phoenix Wright, the rookie defense lawyer new to the scene with the wildest cross-examination skills in town. Take on four intriguing cases to reveal dramatic, stunning and even comical court proceedings. Use the Wii Remote controller to investigate the crime scenes, question witnesses and present shocking evidence.

Chronos Twins DX
Publisher: EnjoyUp Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Enter into the original world of Chronos Twins DX to live a fantastic adventure full of innovative ideas. Thanks to its Dual Gameplay game system, you’ll be able to control Nec in two temporal scenarios at the same time. Chronos Twins DX mixes action, platforms, adventure and puzzles to challenge your intelligence and ability.

ShadowPlay
Publisher: Deep Fried Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to ShadowPlay. Let your imagination run wild when light meets everyday objects to create fascinating shadows. Play and experiment, make a monster out of a pineapple, a dolphin out of a banana – the only limit is your imagination. ShadowPlay challenges players by transforming shadows into more than 100 exciting, unique puzzles. As more challenging puzzles are unlocked, players will have to find more creative ways to solve problems. You will never look at a slice of pizza the same way again! Winning a round will allow players to advance to the next level as well as score another item to use in the Free Play Mode, where you can unleash your imagination and create your own shadow art. Family and friends can also jump in to help tackle a puzzle at any time using Local Co-op Mode. ShadowPlay will provide tons of brain-racking fun for players of all ages. How do you ShadowPlay?

Nintendo DSiWare™

Touch Solitaire
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Touch Solitaire features two of the most popular versions of the world-famous card game – Spider and Klondike – with simple touch-screen controls and an easy-to-understand interface. In Spider, the aim is to arrange cards in piles of a single suit from King down to Ace, thereby removing the pile from play. When all cards are removed, you win the game. The goal of Klondike is to arrange cards from Ace to King in piles, one for each suit, on the four foundations. You win when all cards have been moved to the foundations. Various difficulty levels are available for Spider and Klondike, allowing beginners or experts to enjoy the game at their own pace.

Jazzy Billiards
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Challenge intelligent computers or even your friends to a traditional game of 9-ball while enjoying mind-soothing music with Jazzy Billiards. Take advantage of the intuitive stylus mechanic to aim and hit the cue ball with varying strength to sink the other balls. Defeat your opponents by being the first to sink the 9-ball. Jazzy Billiards’ Stage Mode features nine different stages, each with an opponent of ascending difficulty. Find out how many computers you can defeat in a row with Challenge Mode, or challenge your friends to a game of 9-ball in Versus Mode.

Word Searcher
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: You’ll need a sharp eye and a quick mind to complete these 100 themed word search puzzles. Word Searcher contains fun words from multiple categories including anatomy, world cities and U.S. presidents. Packed with a huge assortment of subjects to choose from, there’s sure to be a puzzle anyone will enjoy. Help improve your vocabulary, memory and problem-solving skills with these challenging puzzles. Keep track of, and try to beat, your own play-through times again and again as words are scrambled every time you play. Get your thinking cap on and conquer all 100 today.

(Above image from WiiWare version of Word Searcher.)

Virtual Console™

Shanghai® II: Dragon’s Eye
Original platform: Genesis
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The ancient pastime of mahjong solitaire is reinvented as an interactive video game where each tile you remove may be your last. Discover enchanting music, fun animation and exciting obstacles that are built in to this intriguing board game that will keep you engaged for hours. This classic title challenges you to clear the board by removing matching pairs of tiles. Play the traditional Shanghai® II or take the game to a new dimension with Dragon’s Eye. Don’t let the simple rules deceive you – the depth and intricacy of this challenge will become your new obsession very soon.

(The above video is from the Super NES version of the game.)

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]

Four days into the new year, and we have 7 new downloadable games for our Wii and DSi. The Wii Virtual Console gains one game from the SNES days — Final Fight 3. As for new WiiWare titles, we get 3 — a Pipe Dream-like game called Heron: Steam Machine, a 4-player dart game called Pub Darts, and Fast Draw Showdown (a console version of the classic arcade fast-draw games). On the handheld side of things, with DSi, we also get 3 new titles — Trajectiles seems to play like the old Missile Command games of old, Animal Puzzle Adventure has you sorting animals to their respective barns, and Hells Kitchen Vs. puts you in a cooking competition with Chef Ramsey breathing down your virtual neck. Check out the official press release below where we have embedded videos and screenshots of the games.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: A NEW DECADE BRINGS SEVEN NEW DOWNLOADABLE NINTENDO GAMES

Jan. 4, 2010

Should old acquaintance be forgot? We can’t remember. But what we can remember is that this week’s downloadable lineup from Nintendo asks a lot of questions. The Nintendo DSiWare™ service wonders if you can master missiles with Trajectile™, lead animals to their proper pens with Animal Puzzle Adventure or match wits with TV chef Gordon Ramsay in Hell’s Kitchen Vs. The WiiWare™ service puts you in charge of maximizing your rubber duckie output with Heron: Steam Machine, asks you to aim for the bull’s-eye with Pub Darts and wonders if you have an itchy trigger finger with Fast Draw Showdown. Finally, Final Fight™ 3 on the Virtual Console™ service makes you wonder if the fight is ever really final.

Nintendo DSiWare

Trajectile
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Trajectile is a puzzle game that’s as much about firepower as it is about brainpower, requiring you to line up your shot and launch a flurry of missiles at enemy targets. Three types of missiles are at your disposal, each one with its own characteristics – but all of them can bounce off walls on their path to smash, blast or drill through enemies and blocks. Along the way, you’ll find item blocks just waiting to be destroyed so that you can obtain special power-ups … and cause even more destruction. Be careful though, as missile type and position are predetermined and you get only a limited number of launches per stage. Complete multiple classes containing numerous individual stages, earning medals when you clear stages in fewer than the given number of turns. Are you ready to take aim at becoming a Trajectile master?

Animal Puzzle Adventure
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Animal Puzzle Adventure is a simple puzzle game where you have to lead various animals to their respective barns placed on the map, while avoiding pitfalls and cliffs and using the objects on the field to your advantage. There are 10 stages per level with a total of five levels, creating 50 stages in all. After clearing a stage, you unlock a piece of a photo. Once you clear all 10 stages in a level, the wallpaper for that level becomes unlocked and you can then view it in the gallery. With so many puzzles to unravel, you’ll find yourself immersed in the puzzle-riffic world of Animal Puzzle Adventure.

Hell’s Kitchen Vs.
Publisher: Ludia
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hell’s Kitchen Vs. is based on the U.S. TV phenomenon where world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring chefs through rigorous culinary tests. The game recreates the show’s pressure-cooker atmosphere as two players battle head-to-head in an arcade-style kitchen challenge. Try to conquer your opponent in each time-management test, while taking the heat of Gordon Ramsay judging and rating your performance at every stage of the game.

WiiWare

Heron: Steam Machine
Publisher: Triangle Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Heron: Steam Machine is a game about a factory where rubber duckies are being produced by a large steam engine. On this steam engine, there are four different gauges which you will have to watch carefully. By connecting the pipes, you will earn points and relieve some of the pressure, keeping the machine running just a little bit longer. If one of the gauges reaches its maximum, the machine will eventually blow up, and the game is over. If you were lucky enough to achieve a high score, make sure you enter your name in the list so other players can compete with you. In Multiplayer, you are able to cooperate with friends in maintaining the steam machine. When you play with two, three or four players, the screen is divided into sections with different background colors. Each player is able to solve his or her own part of the puzzle. Players are restricted to their own section of the screen, so you will have to work together to make the pipes fit properly. (Additional accessories are required for multiplayer play and are sold separately.)

Pub Darts
Publisher: Big Blue Bubble Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Pub Darts is a simple darts simulation which uses the Wii Remote™ controller’s unique controls to mimic dart-throwing motion. The game is set in a local pub where the players will settle in to play some of their favorite dart games, including 501, Cricket, Around the Clock, Killers and Baseball. Controls function just like throwing a real dart. Players are able to create their own personal profiles, including selecting their avatar image from a collection of creative characters and the design they would like displayed on the dart flights.

Fast Draw Showdown
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Alcohol Reference, Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: When it comes to fast draw there’re only two types of people: the quick … and the dead! Now you have the chance to find out where you stand, or lie, as the case may be. You’ll go up against the best quick draws in the business, including one of the world’s fastest, Wes Flowers. Unholster your Wii Remote controller and show ‘em who the fastest draw really is, in this live-action shooter. You can even take on a friend in multiplayer modes, and see which of you has the quickest draw. You’ll need some serious speed and awesome accuracy to take on these gunslingers … so get ready for some real fast draw action.

Virtual Console

Final Fight 3
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Following the defeat and subsequent disappearance of the Mad Gear Gang, a small group known only as “Skull Cross” is responsible for a new uprising of vandalism, terrorism and death. The government of Metro City is at a complete loss. Metro City’s mayor, Mike Haggar, and Guy are prepared to take on the new gang, but before they can act, the door bursts open, revealing Lucia, Cody’s old friend. “Metro City is under attack!” she shouts, “Skull Cross is loose, and they’ve got something up their sleeves.” But before any of them can move, a mysterious man appears in the doorway. “My name is Dean,” he says. “I know Skull Cross inside-and-out, and I hate them more than anything. I can help you, and you can help me. We must go!” All four fighters vow to bring Skull Cross down. It will be a tough assignment, and may even be their final fight!

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]

The Examiner.com editor, Shui Ta, gives us his Top 5 VC Games of the year:

5. Earthworm Jim 2 (Sega Genesis)

The 16-bit gaming era was filled with many great 2D platformers. Earthworm Jim 2 is one of the best in the genre thanks to its quirky one-of-a-kind humor in addition to the diverse gameplay. So while the game may be insanely hard at times, the experience (especially the excellent soundtrack) is well worth the trials and tribulations in this classic Virtual Console game.

4. Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen Quest (Super Nintendo)

Before working on Final Fantasy Tactics, acclaimed game designer Yasumi Matsuno was responsible for another classic strategy role-playing game on the Super Nintendo, Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen Quest. This Virtual Console title features a deep class system to go along with the epic real-time strategy battles. The original retail product was considered to be a rare product. Fortunately, the 2009 Virtual Console release makes it readily available to gamers at a more affordable 800 Wii Points. .

3. Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64)

Nintendo has produced plenty of mascots throughout their long history. Super Smash Bros. brings the most iconic characters together. While the fan service is nice, the simple yet deep fighting system really shines with this Virtual Console game. Fights can also get chaotic thanks to environmental hazards and random items appearing on the field. While the sequels may be better, Super Smash Bros. still manages to be a fun and addicting experience.

2. Super Mario Kart (Super Nintendo)

Back in 1992, Nintendo decided to create an arcade racing game based around the universe of Mario with Super Mario Kart. That ended up being a brilliant decision as the game revolutionized mascot kart racers thanks to its creative track design, fun power-ups and cast of iconic characters. With two-player multiplayer support to boot, Super Mario Kart is one the best racing games available on the Virtual Console.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (Nintendo 64)

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask had to follow what many still considered to be the greatest game of all-time in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Instead of trying to replicate the same experience, the sequel took several risky leaps by adding a time limit to the equation. While this resulted in increased difficulty, it also makes the game feel fresh and unique compared to the later sequels that followed. Although it is debatable if the sequel ended up as good as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, there is no debate that The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is the best Virtual Console game released in 2009.

Honorable Mentions:
Blaster Master
Final Fantasy
Kirby’s Dream Land 3
Phantasy Star
Pilot Wings
Super Punch-Out!!
Zombies Ate My Neighbors

What Games would you add or delete from this list?

[Source]

Prepare for ‘10 with 10 New Downloadable Games from Nintendo

With only a few days left until the end of 2009, Nintendo is already uncorking 10 new games to help you ring in the New Year. Thanks to the ever-expanding WiiWare™ service, you can keep it spooky with a captivating Castlevania title, bulk up sumo-style with Eat! Fat! FIGHT! or customize crazy creatures with RABBIDS LAB. The Virtual Console™ service welcomes the high-flying classic PilotWings™, while a new edition of the timeless pioneer adventure The Oregon Trail® arrives on the Nintendo DSiWare™ service. No matter which of these 10 terrific titles you choose, hoist your Wii Remote™ controller or Nintendo DSi™ stylus and join us in a toast to a fabulous 2010. Cheers!

WiiWare

Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Another 100 years have passed since the death of Count Dracula, but his curse has emerged once again within the realms of Transylvania. Play the role of the ultimate gothic hero from the long lineage of vampire hunters, the Belmont clan, and rid the universe of Dracula’s legion of darkness and doom. Based on the classic 1989 original Castlevania: The Adventure, this WiiWare version will allow players of a new generation – and older fans – to experience one of the most popular games within the storied Castlevania timeline from a new perspective.

Eat! Fat! FIGHT!
Publisher: TECMO
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Forget about being healthy. Here’s a game that celebrates eating, getting fat and fighting. Hold the Wii Remote controller horizontally and tilt it left, right, up or down to perform all kinds of lifts and throws just like in real sumo. There are also hidden moves like suplexes and scrapbusters thrown in for fun. Use all the moves you learn in tournaments around the world to reach the peak of sumo and become a yokozuna. In ONE PLAYER mode, play eating or sparring mini-games to make your wrestler stronger and change his look. You can also use your own Mii™ character’s face on your wrestler. In TWO PLAYER mode, take on another person using default wrestlers or the wrestlers that you have created. (Additional accessories are required for two-player mode and are sold separately.) Chow down, bulk up and fight on to become the strongest sumo wrestler ever.

RABBIDS LAB
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: A raving Rabbid is stuck inside the Wii Remote controller. Come play with him. First, try interacting with him by moving the Wii Remote or pressing the buttons and seeing how much he loves it. Once you’ve gotten to know the crazy guy, it’s time to change his appearance in the Lab. Mess with his head and place seasonal accessories on him, or change his look entirely with the painting module. When you’ve made your raving Rabbid completely unique, you can take a photo and send it in a Wii™ message to show your Wii Friends (broadband Internet connection required).

The Magic Obelisk
Publisher: GAME ARTS Co., Ltd.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: The Magic Obelisk is an action-adventure game in which you become Popo, a light spirit. Your mission is to guide Lukus, a tree spirit, to each stage’s goal while moving only within the shadow. You can help him do this by shining your light near the mysterious magic obelisks, allowing you to create and connect shadows to solve tricks and gimmicks along the way. Join Lukus as he travels through a light-filled realm filled with quirky creatures and spirits, trying to find the perfect spot to become a tree. Experience meaningful encounters and partings, climb hills, cross rivers and traverse a vast desert on your way to the very edge of the world.

Virtual Console

PilotWings
Original platform: Super NES™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Join the Flight Club to take to the skies and experience a variety of aerial activities. Take off and pilot a biplane through rings along a predetermined flight path, or drift serenely in a hang glider, catching thermal currents to gain altitude. In either case, just be sure to stick the landing. Looking for more speed? Strap on the rocket belt to blast your way around an obstacle course. If that’s not enough, reach maximum velocity as you tackle a skydiving lesson at 3,800 feet. Complete specific objectives within a set time limit to score points (and maybe even a bonus chance) and obtain certification in eight different lessons. Your goals will become more challenging, and weather conditions will make controlling your vehicle more difficult as you progress. If you succeed, you will be rewarded with the opportunity to pilot an attack helicopter on a daring rescue mission. It’s time to earn your wings.

Nintendo DSiWare

The Oregon Trail
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence, Use of Tobacco
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Westward, ho! Your favorite pioneering adventure game takes you on an exciting, historic, side-scrolling adventure with your Nintendo DSi™ system. Take the Oregon Trail experience further than ever before with all of the decision-making and problem-solving fun of the original game plus additional challenges. Leave your mark on America’s history. Take a picture of yourself at each landmark with the Nintendo DSi system’s built-in camera. You’ll have your portrait and party’s name printed in the Daily Oregon Trail newspaper in the game. Play eight skill-based mini-games that will impact your resources: Hunting, Fishing, River Crossing, Rafting, Wagon Repairing, Telegraph, Berry Picking and Gold Panning. Random events faced by real pioneers – such as disease, bandits and hitchhikers – and side missions add more excitement to your westward trek.

SUDOKU SENSEI
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Introducing 100 “Super Hard Puzzles” for the hardened sudoku veteran. All puzzles are skillfully designed for a level of satisfaction that computer-generated puzzles just can’t offer. You can play through puzzles to learn about rules and controls in Tutorials mode. Other handy features include Write Mode and Temp Number for an easier, more enjoyable sudoku experience.

Glow Artisan
Publisher: Powerhead Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Solve mind-bending puzzles in this unique and colorful game. Use your wits and ingenuity to solve more than 100 puzzles and earn more than 300 medals. Play Time Trial, Randomizer and Multiplayer modes for an endless supply of new challenges. Create new puzzles with the built-in editor or use the Nintendo DSi Camera application to turn your photos into puzzles.

Master of Illusion™ Express: Psychic Camera
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Master of Illusion Express titles include mind-boggling magic tricks that you perform with your Nintendo DSi system. Learn the illusions, practice them and amaze your friends. Your audience will never look at your Nintendo DSi system the same way again after Master of Illusion Express: Psychic Camera proves that it has psychic powers. Astound others by taking their picture and revealing an item (such as a card, picture, letter or number) that they’re thinking about.

Arcade Hoops Basketball
Publisher: Skyworks Interactive, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: From Skyworks comes the slickest basketball game for the Nintendo DSi system. See how many baskets you can sink in a fast-moving 45 seconds, using only your stylus and, of course, your lightning-fast hand-eye coordination. Arcade Hoops features your choice of three rockin’ soundtracks, state-of-the-art 3-D graphics and thrilling, high-speed game play for the most fun possible in under a minute. Advanced hoopsters can move on to the progressive level, where a moving basket provides an additional challenge – plus the chance to rack up even more points. For the real pros, there’s 3 Point mode, where speed and accuracy are a must as you shoot “threes” from downtown.

*Video above of iPhone version

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.