Monday, August 31, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 8/31/09

Here are the WiiWare, Virtual Console and DSiWare games that will be released this Monday, August 31st.

WiiWare™:

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 2
Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol Reference, Cartoon Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Guybrush's adventures continue on the high seas as pox-plagued pirates lay siege to the innocent Mer-People. Between defending the Mer-People and dodging the persistent pirate hunter hot on his trail, Guybrush manages to catch up to his beloved wife and despised arch-nemesis, but the reunion is short-lived. Now Guybrush must focus on eradicating the Pox of LeChuck before more harm can be done. And as the Mighty Pirate draws closer to a cure, the waters will only grow murkier in this thrilling chapter of the epic saga.

3-2-1, Rattle Battle!
Publisher: Tecmo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: 3-2-1, Rattle Battle! is a party game packed with exciting mini-games. Intuitive controls mean that anyone can enjoy playing – just grab the Wii Remote™ and shake it to "rattle." Great fun for single players, but the party really gets started when you register high scores on Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to see how you measure up against players from around the globe.

Virtual Console™:

Phantasy Star™
Original platform: SEGA Master System
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Originally released on the SEGA Master System, Phantasy Star is a pioneer in the role-playing game genre. Alis is the fearless female protagonist out to avenge her brother's death at the hands of cruel dictator King Lassic. Players must guide Alis and her troops through the sprawling environments of the Agol solar system in an attempt to defeat King Lassic and liberate the people of Agol. Engage in dynamic turn-based combat with dragons, ghouls, giants and magicians by using unique weapons such as glowing daggers, crossbows and magic spells.


Nintendo DSiWare™:


Puzzle League™ Express
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: The ever-popular Puzzle League comes to Nintendo DSiWare. As it is with all good puzzlers, the concept is simple: Connect blocks of the same color to clear them from the screen and prevent your stack from becoming too high. There are four single-player modes to choose from: Endless (survive to earn a top score), Clear (eliminate all blocks above the line), Score Attack (score as high as possible in two minutes) and Vs. COM (use items and combos to attack a computer opponent). You can choose from a variety of background music to help get you in the zone, and even play in horizontal or vertical mode by holding the Nintendo DSi system normally or like a book. Whichever way you play, you're guaranteed maximum fun.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Nintendo Update- 8/24/09

Here are the WiiWare, Virtual Console and DSiWare games that will be released this Monday, August 24 at 9:00 PCT.

Virtual Console:

Super Empire Strikes Back
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: LucasArts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Pursued across the galaxy, Rebel forces now marshal new strength on the remote ice world of Hoth. Though tracked by probe droids, attacked by ice monsters and confronted by an army of gigantic Imperial Walkers, you must not give in. You are the Alliance's only hope. Learn the ways of the Force, then test your skills in this fast-paced, action-packed sequel to the hit game Super Star Wars.

WiiWare:

Mr. DRILLER W
Publisher: NBGI
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Mr. Driller W is the newly updated version of the exciting game that challenges players with level upon level of frantic underground drilling action. Experience more than 20 varied stages and missions. Drill through a seemingly endless onslaught of colored blocks while avoiding falling obstacles and strategically managing your air supply. Multiple degrees of difficulty now challenge everyone from novices to hardcore Mr. Driller veterans. A tutorial will even help first-time players learn the rules quickly and easily. Vibrant graphics, engaging game play and loads of characters make this a modern twist on a gaming masterpiece.

Nintendo DSiWare:

Pop+ Solo
Publisher: Nnooo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Pop bubbles, build chains and try to keep the timer alive in this awesome puzzle/shooter. Pop your way through 16 waves of bubbles in Adventure, Normal or Advanced modes. Race against the clock in a one-, two- or five-minute run. Try the new Bonus Round mode, where each bonus round can be played in three, five or 10 rounds of increasing difficulty. Or just chill out in the relaxing Chill mode with no score or time pressures to worry about. Pop+ Solo comes to the Nintendo DSi system with eight modes and five bonus rounds, plus plenty of new badges to collect. Adventure mode introduces some new elements to the game with mines, golden fish, jets of water and four boss battles. The new Challenge mode lets you create and customize your own challenges to play again and again.
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.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 8/10/09

Here are the Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare games that will be released this Monday at 9:00 PCT.

WiiWare:

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits
Publisher: Over The Top Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii PointsTM
Description: Experience the awesome story of Nyx, an enigmatic winged girl who must descend from heaven in search of her missing friend, Icarus. Fly over the ruins of ancient Greece and avoid falling into blazing sands or perishing in the claws of cruel harpies and hydras. You will need the help of Zeus and other benevolent gods from Olympus to summon their powers. They will let you cast rays, modify the scenery and control winds as you wish. By making your own wrist movements and pointing to the game screen, you will be able to achieve these and many other feats. Fly, aim and shoot using your Wii RemoteTM controller. Play with a friend and maximize your abilities: While one controls Nyx, the other will control the powers from the gods.

Rock N' Roll Climber
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Prepare to "rock out" like never before in Rock N' Roll Climber. Climb rocks using the innovative control scheme, which has you controlling your character's movement using the Wii Remote and NunchukTM controllers. If you want an even more immersive experience, optional support for the Wii Balance BoardTM is also available. Make your way up an array of courses, ranging from the Pop level's indoor rock wall to the Heavy Metal level's waterfalls (watch out for those moss-covered rocks - they're slick). In addition to the sense of accomplishment you'll feel upon reaching the top, you might just be rewarded with your own guitar.

Virtual Console:

Super Star Wars
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: LucasArts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Risk your life as a Jedi Knight. Join Luke, Han and Chewbacca in their fierce war against the Evil Empire. Battle treacherous aliens. Pilot two vehicles in high-speed, first-person 3-D sequences. Rip through the desert in Luke's landspeeder. Clash with aliens in the Mos Eisley Cantina. Blast menacing boss monsters and Imperial stormtroopers. Attack TIE fighters in the trenches of the Death Star. Fight your way through the wastelands of Tatooine to the hostile streets of Mos Eisley and beyond. Grab your blaster, strap on your lightsaber and take on the fight for galactic freedom.

Nintendo DSiWare:

Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Language
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi PointsTM
Description: This edition of the popular Brain Age series offers players a mix of new and familiar exercises, all with an artistic focus. Test your spelling in Word Attack, enjoy literary cIassics in Reading Aloud and tune your musical skills in Piano Player. A new Themes mode challenges you in drawing, photography and voice acting and lets you share your creativity with friends and family. And if you need a break, the always-enjoyable Virus Buster makes its return. Prepare for another round of training your brain in minutes a day.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 8-3-09

Here are the Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare games that will be released this Monday at 9:00 PCT.

WiiWare:

OVERTURN
Publisher: Studio Zan Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii PointsTM
Description: OVERTURN is a futuristic robot-versus-robot fighting game. Choose from eight different robots to pilot and master, using various close-range and long-range weapons to blast away enemies in six single-player tournaments. Unlock secret modes and up to 12 new weapons. Customize your robot's color and weapons to prepare for your next battle. Then take the action online to play in a two-player Versus battle or a four-player Battle Royale match. Search the world for Friends or other players who are online and ready for battle. Players with the optional Wii Balance BoardTM can use it to control their robots by shifting their weight.

Sexy PokerTM
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature) - Simulated Gambling, Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Get your pulse racing with a game of strip poker against a selection of six lovely manga-styIe women who may wind up in nothing but swimsuits or underwear when the final hand is dealt. Choose the cIassic Texas Hold'em Poker to be thrilled as the bets increase, or try the Black Jack game for a mix of chance and strategy. Discover the girls' personalities: they'll bluff you! Enter the photo gallery to see the pictures you've unlocked by playing and winning. If you're good enough, Emi, Sakura and their seductive girlfriends will bet their clothes to stay in the game.

Virtual Console:

TECMO BOWL
Publisher: Tecmo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Released in 1987, the football game that took America by storm is back. This arcade version required a custom-made dual-screen cabinet and was popular for its large characters and intense graphics. The game is filled with great action as players take control of receivers and running backs, quickly moving the controller to break a tackle. Play alone or with up to four players in a two-on-two match. Experience the best moments of both competitive and cooperative play, finding holes in your opponent's defense, then savor the thrill of receiving a pass thrown by your teammate. In addition, game options such as play time, team division and difficulty level can be adjusted.

Nintendo DSiWare:

Art StyIe: precipiceTM
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi PointsTM
Description: The sky is falling in the form of cubes in the action-oriented Art StyIe: precipice. Watch for the telltale shadow to avoid seeing your character get crushed by a falling cube while climbing the stacked cubes to ascend to the floors above. Push, pull or shove cubes to make your climb easier. Try to gain extra points by stepping on five cubes in a row on the same floor. In addition, you'll encounter special cubes that can either be helpful or harmful to your effort. Choose from either TEN FLOORS mode, which challenges you to reach the tenth floor while scoring as many points as possible, or TOWER mode, which gives you the chance to climb as high as you can. Do you have what it takes to make it to the top, or will you be crushed?

Monday, July 27, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 7/27/09

Here are the WiiWare, Virtual Console and DSiWare games that will be released this Monday, July 27, 2009.

WiiWare:

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 1
Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Join Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate, in this first chapter of an epic five-part saga, filled with humor, romance and piratey swashbuckling. When a showdown with the demon pirate LeChuck goes up in flames, Guybrush gets marooned on a strange island. How will he escape? Where is Guybrush's beloved wife, Elaine? And what's up with the voodoo pox spreading through the isles? Jump into Tales of Monkey Island today to find out!

The Three Musketeers: One for All!
Publisher: Legendo Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Cartoon Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: The Three Musketeers have been imprisoned by the treacherous Count Xavier and his sinister lieutenant, Count Orsini! Well, almost - take on the role of Porthos, famed member of the Musketeers, to save the day in this swashbuckling platform adventure inspired by the cIassic novel. Swing the Wii Remote™ to launch blistering sword attacks on your foes, avoid fiendish traps and discover hidden collectables. Packed with frenetic fencing, heroic leaps and fun puzzles, this is one adventure no aspiring hero will want to miss.

HB Arcade Cards
Publisher: HB Studios Multimedia
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: HB Arcade Cards is a great collection of fun and easy-to-play card games. The collection of games included in this title includes: Rummy, Hearts, Euchre, Canasta, Cribbage and the always-cIassic Solitaire. Each game comes with an interactive tutorial to show you the rules and basic game play. You'll need to be clever to outsmart your opponents, and you can even team up with a computer partner to play Euchre and Cribbage. You can play HB Arcade Cards using a Mii™ character from your Wii™ console, or play with one of our four new characters. HB Arcade Cards has lots of styIe and flare, and will keep you coming back for more. Remember, it's never the same game twice.

Nintendo DSiWare:

Sudoku Student
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Sudoku Student brings you the first Nintendo DSiWare sudoku experience with all the features you'd expect. For "students" of sudoku who are just getting their feet wet, Sudoku Student comes with a full tutorial. Once you've completed the tutorial, jump into simple and easy-going sudoku puzzles. Designed for entry- to beginner-level players, you'll find just the right amount of challenge to keep you hooked.

Virtual Console:
Nothing! Again (2 weeks in a row).

These games will be made available at 9:00 PCT.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 7/6/09

This week we see the highly anticipated sequel to one of the best WiiWare games available, along with a splattering of different released for every other service.
WiiWare:

BIT.TRIP CORE
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii PointsTM
Description: BIT.TRIP CORE continues the BIT.TRIP saga in this retro-arcade-styIe game. BIT.TRIP CORE adds up to an exciting action/rhythm game that's best played while zoning out on the tunes and letting the visuals swallow you whole. The experience is inspired by games from the '80s, but with a modern twist. The game play is entirely new to the series, leaving the single-axis controls of BIT.TRIP BEAT behind in favor of the ability to control two axes. If the difficulty gets you down, grab a friend and play cooperatively with two-player multiplayer. Make it to the end and you'll have journeyed one step further to completing your BIT.TRIP.

BUST-A-MOVE Plus!
Publisher: TAITO
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: BUST-A-MOVE Plus! is a simple but hugely addictive puzzle game in which you must try to burst a multi-colored mass of bubbles with your very own bubble launcher. Every time you make a group of three or more bubbles of the same color, they pop. There are two game modes available: 1P Puzzle (players tackle the game's 135 stages in pursuit of a new high score or best time) and Battle (players take on friends or computer-controlled opponents). If that doesn't satisfy your passion for popping, there are a total of 270 extra stages waiting for you in the two add-on-content packs, available for purchase on the WiiTM Shop Channel. BUST-A-MOVE Plus! is simple to get into and deep enough to keep you coming back for more.

Heracles Chariot Racing
Publisher: Neko Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The famous Heracles has taken on a challenge like none he has ever faced. Our hero will have to beat his opponents in a race across mythological kingdoms and be the first to reach the top of Mount Olympus. You can play as Heracles and help him return the sacred trophy, or play as one of the other varied mythological characters from Satyr to Poseidon and claim the prize for yourself. Race through three racing cups across 10 courses set in five mythic landscapes. Use awesome fantasy weaponry to defeat your opponents: tridents, fireballs, Zeus's lightning rods and more. Get your friends together for intense two-to-four-player split-screen multiplayer action in Championship, Single Race or Battle mode.

Virtual Console:

California Games
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1-5
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to California, home of the most radical sports in the world. You're about to hit the beaches, parks and streets of the Golden State to go for trophies in everything from surfing to bike racing. California Games gives you the hottest sports and the most aggro competition. You even have to pick your own sponsor. So pull on those kneepads - you're about to get into the most fun you've had since Mom hid your skateboard. California Games is going to take you from surf to the turf, from the pipe to the parks.

Nintendo DSiWare:

Art StyIe: BASE 10TM
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi PointsTM
Description: Art StyIe: BASE 10 is a game of numbers. Your goal is simple: create combinations equaling 10 by sliding numbers around the playing field. Move them horizontally or vertically, but be careful not to create an unusable non-number in the process. Choose from one of three modes: eliminate a set amount of numbers as quickly as possible in ZEROSUM MODE; get rid of prearranged groups of numbers in as few moves as possible in PUZZLE MODE; or continue removing numbers until your game is over in INFINITE MODE. In addition, you can challenge an opponent to a two-player wireless battle in VS MODE and see whose number-crunching skills reign supreme. If you think you're a master with numbers, the straightforward yet challenging world of Art StyIe: BASE 10 gives you the opportunity to prove it in a unique way.

Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: For the racing elite, the world is their racetrack. Choose among 28 dream cars and motorcycles from the world's most prestigious manufacturers. Then race your way through eight of the most renowned cities, fully rendered in 3-D. Control your speed machine with either standard or touch-screen controls for precision driving. Photos taken with the Nintendo DSiTM Camera can be used as your personal icon or can appear throughout the various environments, including the garage where you can customize and tune your vehicles. From New York to Shanghai, Paris to Dubai, you'll weave a course through busy streets in six kinds of races plus four-player Multiplayer mode. Avoid police, demolish competitors and pass the leader to win. You'll need to floor it at every straightaway and push every drift to the limit to stay one step ahead and become the ultimate VIP of urban racing.

These games will be released Monday, July 6, 2009 at 9:00 PCT.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Last Day of the Club Nintendo Year- Today!

Just a reminder to everyone who has been using Club Nintendo in the United States, the "year" ends tonight at midnight, so make sure you have registered everything you need to reach the 600 coins for Platinum Status.

The coins will not disappear at the start of a new year (July 1), but your status will be reset back to the original (nothing) status. So it is also advisable to NOT register anything else today if you have already reached Platinum Status. The coins you register past that will not add to your status, and you will not be helping yourself for the next year. So just kick back and wait til tomorrow to start registering again.

So what do you get for reaching Platinum/Gold status? Something, and that's the best I can tell you. In other countries Nintendo has given out things such as calenders, gold Wii steering wheels, classic controllers, Mario hats, and many other specialty prizes. What America will get for it's first Club Nintendo year has still yet to be seen.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 6/29/09

Here are the games that will be added to the Wii Shop and Nintendo DSi Shop on Monday June, 29, 2009.



WiiWare:

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

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

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

Virtual ConsoleTM:

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

Nintendo DSiWare:

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

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Nintendo Power Review Scores

Here are the Wii and DS scores from the latest issue of Nintendo Power.

Little King's Story (Wii) - 9.0
Virtua Tennis 2009 (Wii) - 7.0
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Wii) - 5.5
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (DS) - 8.0
Mega Man Star Force 3 (DS) - 6.0
Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits (DS) - 7.0
The Bigs 2 (Wii) - 6.0
Dawn of Discovery (DS) - 8.5
Overlord: Minions (DS) - 7.0
Overlord Dark Legend (Wii) - 7.0

Little Kings Story continues it's pace of great scores and Dawn of Discovery and Devil Survivor also score very well in this issue.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 6/22/09

Here are the games that will be released this Monday, June 22, 2009 at 9:00 PCT.

WiiWare:

Drill Sergeant Mindstrong
Publisher: XSEED Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Language, Mild Violence
Price: 800 Wii PointsTM
Description: Line up and get ready to use your mind. Drill Sergeant Mindstrong is a party game that allows up to four people to play at once. Players become boot-camp trainees under the tough Drill Sergeant Mindstrong, going through mind-boggling, mind-training games. The rules are simple, but concentration and quick thinking are key. Become the top boot of your cIass and earn promotions based on your efforts. This game is best played with friends and family.

NEVES PlusTM
Publisher:YUKES Company of America
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description:Try your hand at the newest puzzle craze to come out of Japan, NEVES Plus! Enhanced for WiiWare, NEVES Plus not only retains all the simple, mind-bending tangram-based game play from the original Nintendo DSTM version, but also includes new multiplayer modes wrapped up in an Egyptian theme. This time, you and up to three others can work together to move, rotate and flip the seven Lucky stones into each of the 500-plus silhouette puzzles. You can also challenge one another in new multiplayer modes such as Versus, Speed, Lucky Number and Party Mode. Whether you play every mode by yourself or with friends, NEVES Plus is set to charm you with harder-than-they-look silhouette puzzles.

Family Mini Golf
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy are back for some mini-golf action. Play through multiple golf courses that contain obstacles ranging from bumpers to speed ramps to fans and more. Up to eight players can play together using a single Wii RemoteTM controller. You can download new courses to expand your fun-filled mini-golf experience, creating even more complex and difficult challenges to overcome. Can you conquer all the courses and become the mini-golf champion?

Nintendo DSiWare:

Art StyIe: BOXLIFETM
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi PointsTM
Description: Climb the corporate ladder in the world of BOXLIFE using your wits and... paper? Use the Nintendo DSiTM stylus to cut and then manipulate the paper into a box shape. Be careful-if you're not efficient with your cuts, you'll waste paper and be penalized. R&D mode teaches you new patterns and challenges you to complete various ranks, while FACTORY mode gives you the chance to earn money by making as many boxes as possible from an endless sheet of paper. Success in each mode brings its own reward: Clear ranks to earn a promotion, change your character's appearance, and use your earnings to acquire new items for your character's miniature garden. With this game's stylish graphics and catchy sounds, thinking inside the box isn't such a bad thing.

Virtual Console:

SimEarthTM: The Living Planet
Original Platform: TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Violent References
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: An entire planet becomes your laboratory in this large-scale simulation game. Players help foster new life and promote its evolution into life forms of higher intelligence. Guide civilization along the path of evolution until it can achieve Exodus, the ultimate goal of settling on another planet. The basic challenge of the game is to maintain a comfortable environment for the life forms by adjusting atmospheric and geological parameters. Small organisms called Prokaryote and Trichordate will grow and evolve into a multitude of life forms. Making a drastic change is a recipe for disaster. The key to success is making small adjustments and watching how the life forms react. SimEarth also includes planets with environments different from Earth, such as Mars and Venus. Try your hand at terraforming these planetswith harsh conditions and creating a world where life can thrive.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

5 Companies Nintendo Should Buy? Your Thoughts?

I have been thinking about this topic quite a bit lately, the Wii and DS continue to pull in the cash, and with the recent E309 under its belt, Nintendo has succeeded in fully supporting each branch (core and casual) of gamers.

With that covered, and profits still souring, who would you want Nintendo to buy up and consume into a first party studio?

Recent Purchases/Funded Studios:
Monolith Soft. (Baten Kaitos, Disaster: Day of Crisis)
Project Sora (Founded by the creator of Super Smash Bros, and his team)
Retro Studios (Metroid Prime series)

Other development studios are likely owned by Nintendo (such as Grezzo Games), but those are the official ones that have been announced via press release.

Here are the 5 studios I would hope Nintendo adds to their ranks.

5. Cing & Town Factory
I imagine these two can be had for a fairly small sum, and they have already had strong relations with Nintendo in their short life span. Nintendo will be publishing their newest Wii game (Another Code R) in all territories (as of this writing). They have also worked together on the Hotel Dusk games for the DS and the previous Trace Memory game.
That was all Cing, Town Factory is the developer who was pulled in to help out with the development of Little Kings Story (the other Wii game they have produced). Little King's Story has received amazing reviews so far, and I would love to see what these two could do together (with Nintendo's funding as an added bonus).

4. Sega
Now Sega is a different animal when it comes to money and how much it may cost to grab them, as it would likely cost a very large chunk of profit to carry over and incorporate someone as big as Sega. This would be a financial risk that I fear Nintendo would never take, but if they did the payoffs could be huge.
The payoffs would come in multiple fashions, Nintendo could inject some of its own developers into Sega and push them more towards a Nintendo quality development studio. Then Nintendo gets to happily relinquish many games from the competitors (no Virtua Fighter, Sonic, Golden Axe, Valkyria Chronicles for anyone), those titles being exclusive to Nintendo would be huge, and with the rights of something like Sonic placed in Nintendo's hands you have a large quantity of potential.
Overworks(Valkyria Chronicles), Prope (Lets Tap), Smilebit (Panzer Dragoon), would all be included in the deal, and Nintendo would also grab a large share of the arcade game business.


3. Treasure
Not an unlikely choice, as Nintendo has bought out Monolith Soft. shortly after announcing that they were creating a game together. Treasure would work in the same style as that purchase, with Sin and Punishment 2 being developed by Treasure and Nintendo as we speak.
Treasure's cost? Likely nothing near that of Sega, but a large enough sum to warrant a slight concern, but I believe that Treasure could be put to work on some core games, filling in a need that Nintendo does not necessarily "need", but could improve on.
Nintendo would also relinquish full control over the Sin and Punishment franchise, along with stakes in Gunstar Heroes and Mischief Makers, and the rights to Ikaruga.
Out of this list I would place Treasure as one of the more likely studios to be bought out by Nintendo in some form.

2. Factor 5
You could probably find the employees of Factor 5 in court these days, after claiming that the studio did not pay them for 2 months and then laid them off unfairly.
Still, Factor 5 is Factor 5, and they have an uncanny knack for making the best out of nothing in the graphics department. Factor 5 could likely be had for extremely cheap (as it would only be the name, and then rehiring of the employees), and I'm sure most of them would be happy to get on with life after Factor 5's sudden close, so working for Nintendo is probably a step in the right direction for many of them.
Grabbing Factor 5 also means grabbing the Turrican series, a welcome addition to a genre Nintendo is lacking in (as of now, at least). Factor 5 could also be the perfect developer for Star Fox, perhaps handing the rains to them for a long period of time and allowing them to create something like Rogue Squadron with it would be a good thing for that franchise.
Factor 5 has also worked with Nintendo before, and were once considered a second party studio until their departure to create Lair for the PS3. Still, the relationships should hold true on most levels, and I'm sure Factor 5 would be forgiven and accepted, if the right price and opportunity came along.



1. Whoever Nintendo Decides They Want
Might sound like a lame answer, but it is the best one available to us as Nintendo fans. Perhaps they have looked at the 4 I mentioned above and have already decided that they are not worth the trouble, or maybe they are not willing to work for Nintendo and would not be a good choice in keeping the company nice and together. Perhaps Nintendo has already found a slate of developers they want to buy, and they are signing the papers right now, or maybe they are completely content with what they have (and lets face it, they have quite a bit). Whichever way it turns we will have to trust that Nintendo can continue to produce quality games for the DSi and Wii, and whatever comes after those, it's the best we can hope for and the most we can say in the matter.

What studios would you want Nintendo to buy? Comment below.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Nintendo Downloads 6-08-09

This week sees a slate of quality titles for all 3 services, one of the better weeks we have had in a while in terms of quality across the board.

Nintendo DSiWare:

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

WiiWare:

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

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

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

Friday, June 5, 2009

E3 09- New Super Mario Bros. Wii Media Blowout

Here is the compilation of information and videos for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, formally announced at E3 2009.

Gametrailers:
Debut Trailer
Conference Footage
Developer Walkthrough

Gamespot:
Stage Demo Presentation
Gameplay Video
Hands-On Impressions
Screenshots

IGN:
Preview Video
Call To Arms: Name the Toads!
Screenshots

Looks to be a major Nintendo game, as expected.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

E3 09- Red Steel 2 Media Blowout

Here is the E3 09 Media Blowout for Red Steel 2, tons of videos and interviews from the show floor.

Gametrailers:
E3 Ubisoft Conference Trailer
Developer Walkthrough Part 1
Developer Walkthrough Part 2
Press Conference Demo Part 1
Press Conference Demo Part 2

Gamespot:
Red Steel 2 Hands-On

IGN:
Wii MotionPlus Bundled With Red Steel 2
Red Steel 2 Interview

(Will be updated a little more throughout the week)

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers Site Opens

Check out Square Enix's new site for Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers. Doesn't contain a ton of things, but a very nice background song and a bunch of information about the main character. You can also pre-order the game off the site(but when does it release??).

Site

No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle Details

Some more details from GoNintendo, quite a bit of good information in these short sentances.

- Travis' ranking has dropped to slot 51
- he still lives in a motel, and still loves anime and wrestling
- Santa Destroy is being remade into a tourist hot-spot, which makes it look completely different
- Bishop is having trouble with some gunmen
- Sylvia has invited Travis back to the world of the assassin
- dual-wielding beam katanas
- new character: Nathan Copeland - ranked 50th, and a fan of Travis
- new character: beam-wielding school girl that may be related to Travis
- new trailer around May 30th

Santa Destroy being remade sounds like a great idea to me, hopefully with much more going on in the city this time.

1 Year of WiiWare Releases- A Look Back

A neat little video from Nintendo showcasing some of the best titles to come out on WiiWare over it's first year. Quite an impressive slate when you consider how young the service actually is, and it will only get better.

1 Year WiiWare Anniversary Video:

Monday, May 25, 2009

Nintendo Downloads- 5/25/09

This week we see 2 major games for WiiWare, a classic on the Virtual Console, and DSiWare gets some of the Popstar Life.

Nintendo DSiWare:

American Popstar: Road to Celebrity [Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Comic Mischief, 800 Nintendo DSi Points™]: This is your enthralling and interactive success story as a young hopeful in the music milieu. The adventure begins when you get the chance to audition at your Hollywood high school. But the road to celebrity isn't an easy one: Your secret crush is also auditioning, and so is your evil rival. This unique mix of music-themed gaming and social adventure will let you show your talents to the world, take your best photo with the Nintendo DSi system's built-in camera and meet lots of people who may help you build your career. You're about to become the greatest pop star in the world. Talk, share activities and be friendly or unfriendly with numerous characters. Customize your character's name and appearance, and develop skills and personality through your actions. Four musical mini-games include Guitar, Singing, Drums and Dance. Record your voice, take your own photos and sign autographs.

Photo Clock [Nintendo, 1 player, 200 Nintendo DSi Points]: Photo Clock allows you to enjoy the photos taken with your Nintendo DSi Camera application in a new way. Watch your images appear on the top screen of your Nintendo DSi system according to your chosen display settings (specific photos or all photos; in order or randomly displayed). Select from either an analog or digital clock, using the system's internal clock or offsetting the time however you like. Program up to three alarms – with snooze functionality for those who need it – and assign them a preset ring or use a sound created in Nintendo DSi Sound. Experience all the enjoyment of a photo album while ensuring you won't lose track of the time.
____________________

WiiWare:

BUBBLE BOBBLE Plus! [TAITO, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Comic Mischief, 600 Wii Points™]: BUBBLE BOBBLE Plus! is a simple yet exhilarating action game where you control the bubble-blowing dragons Bub and Bob, trapping enemies in bubbles and then popping them. You can play all 100 of the Standard Mode rounds, which faithfully recreate the nostalgic arcade game, or try 100 new Arrange Mode rounds, which allow up to four players to play on stages with exciting new features such as new enemies and stage layouts. There are also Super Mode rounds for you to enjoy. Determine the true ending by solving puzzles hidden on each stage to defeat the final boss. In Ranking Mode, players with broadband Internet access can use the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection service to compete with players from around the world. Enjoy an additional 100 rounds and face off against new boss characters by purchasing "Expert Mode 1" and "Expert Mode 2" add-on content.
ADVENTURE ISLAND® The Beginning [Hudson Entertainment, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Cartoon Violence and Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points]: ADVENTURE ISLAND The Beginning comes to the Wii console with exciting new skills and elements. Learn how to use new skills while exploring Adventure Island from coast to coast. Search for Golden Melons hidden throughout the stages and mini-games. When obtaining Golden Melons, you'll be able to purchase various items to help you on your adventure. These items can increase your attack power or enable you to reach places you couldn't get to before. Fulfill certain requirements while playing in any of the modes to achieve a "Master Higgins Feat" and you'll be awarded a Master Higgins costume.
____________________

Virtual Console:

Clay Fighter™ [Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen – Comic Mischief and Mild Cartoon Violence, 800 Wii Points]: In this zany 2-D fighter, it's just another day for a humble traveling circus troupe when a meteor crash-lands in their camp. The otherworldly orb, made entirely out of interstellar clay, contaminates all the circus employees, turning them into bizarrely superpowered versions of themselves. Choose from among the unique clay creatures, such as Bonker, the cheerfully manic clown, or Blue Suede Goo, the mild-mannered Elvis impersonator turned violent vocalist. Master their "Claytalities," like the operatic Helga's deadly high note and Bad Mr. Frosty's fists of snowball fury!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Nintendo Downloads- 5/18/09- 300VC Games

One of the best Virtual Console updates you could ever ask for(and this is only one game) has come out today on the milestone of the 300th Virtual Console game to be released. So what game was allowed into the Virtual Console to reach this milestone? Read below to find out.

Virtual Console:

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask [Nintendo 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points™]: Link™ must save the world! This time, he finds himself trapped in Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule that is doomed to destruction in just three short days. Link must race to recover the Ocarina of Time (which allows him to manipulate time in multiple ways), defeat challenging bosses in dungeons spread across Termina and discover the key to the mystery of Majora's Mask. Along the way, he'll obtain new weapons and items and help other characters (some strangely familiar) in their everyday lives. In addition, Link must use a wide assortment of masks scattered throughout Termina, each with its own specific use or power. Never before have three days offered so much in the way of action, mind-boggling puzzles and depth. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is an adventure unlike any other!

Nintendo DSiWare:

Art Style™: PiCTOBiTS™ [Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Nintendo DSi Points™]: Your goal in Art StyIe: PiCTOBiTS is simple: clear large blocks that fall from above ("megabits") by combining them with "bits" (square blocks) of the same color. Add in the ability to pick up bits and place them anywhere on the touch screen, and you'll quickly find that strategy is critical to your success. By clearing the bits, you gradually reveal each stage's hidden game character - look for favorites from cIassic NES™ titles - and earn coins that can be spent to unlock DARK stages or to listen to the game's soundtrack in MUSIC mode. This grand mix of familiar elements and new game play leads to the uniquely enjoyable experience that is PiCTOBiTS.

WiiWare:

CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 [SQUARE ENIX, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points]: In CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2, you must deploy various units, such as Fencers and Black Mages, to stop waves of encroaching monsters from escaping the area with your party's crystals. There are many types of units to choose from: Some specialize in powerful short-range attacks, some wield far-reaching magicks and still others are equipped with bows, enabling them to bring down aerial foes. Deploy units in strategic locations to take full advantage of their traits. Each time an enemy breaches your defenses and reaches a map's exit, your party will lose crystals. When all your crystals are gone, the game is over. CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R2 offers several new, challenging maps containing multiple entrances and exits. It also introduces three varieties of Power Crystals, allowing you to enhance the abilities of your units, while new jobs, including Flintlock and Tinker, set the stage for even more complex strategies. Can you defend all the maps without losing a single crystal?

Silver Star Chess [Agetec, Inc., 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Suggestive Themes, 500 Wii Points]: Silver Star Chess has two modes: 1-Player and 2-Player. 1-Player mode allows you to play a chess match against the computer opponent. 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can select one of five different computer opponents, as well as turn the background music off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. Also, during the match, you can redo your last move, save the game at any point or resign from the game. After the match has ended, you can review each move made during the match. While reviewing the match in this way, you can resume that match at any point.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Nintendo Downloads- 4/13/09

Here are the DSiWare, WiiWare and Virtual Console downloads for this week, sadly Majora's Mask is still MIA in America.

Nintendo DSiWare™:
Mixed Messages (Activision, 2-21 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Nintendo DSi Points): Mixed Messages is the hilarious party game of mixed-up miscommunication. Sketch a picture to capture your friends' sentence, or try to figure out what in the world they've drawn. You might start with, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" and end up with "A crazy surfer outruns flying sticks of dynamite while his fans cheer!" Two to 21 players take turns writing sentences and drawing pictures to pass along a message. This isn't a game about winning and losing - it's all about the funny miscommunications that happen along the way. You'll laugh when you see just how wacky things can get. Get together with your friends and mix it up.

Master of Illusion™ Express: Shuffle Games (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 200 Nintendo DSi Points): Master of Illusion Express titles are mind-boggling magic tricks pulled from the popular Nintendo DS™ game. Learn the illusions, practice up and amaze your friends. Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games will boggle your audience members' minds as they try to figure out how you know exactly what they're thinking. Also included is the bonus Vanishing Card trick, which the Nintendo DSi system performs for your enjoyment.

WiiWare:
Party Fun Pirate™ (TOMY Corporation, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone - Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): Based on the popular Pop-Up Pirate toy, players take turns thrusting swords into a barrel that holds your captain captive, trying to see who can insert the most swords into the barrel. Thrust a sword into the wrong hole and you'll send your captain flying, which means it's game over for you! Unique Wii features add to the excitement, making for a fun-filled party game. Try swapping out the captain and putting your custom Mii character in the barrel for some real laughs!

Virtual Console:
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated T for Teen - Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is a side-scrolling action game in which you play adventurer Pitfall Harry Jr. in search of his father, Pitfall Harry. Pitfall Harry has been taken captive by the dreaded warrior spirit Zakelua: Lord of Evil. Armed with only a trusty sling and his father's journal, young Harry Jr. must now venture into the unknown to rescue him … before it's too late! Bungee jump and boomerang your way to safety as you battle through treacherous Mayan jungles, waterfalls and deserted mines. With 13 levels of fast, gripping action, you will need to be attentive and quick - or prepare to die …

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

All New Raving Rabbids Game Headed To Wii- A Platformer...?

According to Nintendo Power it is indeed true, the rabbids are getting another Wii game...but its not a mini-game collection this time around, it's a platformer.

- action/adventure game
- Rabbids have decided they want to go home, but they don’t know where home is. For whatever reason, they decide that the Moon is their destination
- Rabbids goal is to collect enough junk to build a tower to reach the moon
- control two Rabbids at once: one sits inside a shopping cart, another pushes
- push cart into various junk to collect it
- some items require extra steps to collect
- use ‘BWAH!’ attack to scare clothing off of NPCs, then collect to add to your tower
- other items are used to give rabbids new abilities, power-ups for their cart

-GoNintendo

Anyone else find it extremely odd that all these Wii games get announced on April First?
Read the entire article here.

Exclusive Silent Hill Heading To Wii

-No, this is not an April Fool's joke.-

According to IGN, Konami today cleared up the rumors that had been circling around the web about a remake of Silent Hill on the PS2 coming to the Wii. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will be far removed from its PS2 brother, according to Konami.

Some quotes from the IGN article:


This is a reimagining of the first Silent Hill," says producer Tomm Hulett in his Nintendo Power interview. "It's not a remake or a port. That's an important distinction. It really feels like a new game."


Another major element within the game is that it watches you, and will actually react to how you play. Your behavior dictates the action, so to speak, with the game always aiming to not only get into the protagonist's head, but "Your head" as well, according to Hulett.

-IGN
So it has been confirmed that it is an all new Wii game, not a port or remake, and it is also quite different from its brothers. Sounds interesting enough to make me want more info.
Read the IGN article here.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

My Life as a Darklord(Sequel) Announced For WiiWare

A sequel to the WiiWare title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as A King was announced today during Nintendo's keynote.

My Life As A Darklord appears to feature many of the same elements as the previous game, except for the town building elements(which have not been confirmed or denied as of now). A new twist this time is that will be playing as a Darklord, and trying to destroy the world instead of save it.

You will be playing as a girl this time around, a villainess, the daughter of the Darklord(who I believe was the main antagonist in the previous game?), it also appears that this game will have some RTS elements.

My Life as a Darklord will be released later this year for WiiWare.

Arcade Games Coming To Virtual Console

Along with the plethora of other announcements today(Zelda DS, Storage Solution), Nintendo has also announced a new system for their downloadable games service, the Arcade.

The first games to come out for the Arcade will be Space Harrier(Coming Soon), Gaplus(Available Now), Star Force(Available Now), Solvalou(Coming Soon), The Tower of Druaga(Available Now), Mappy(Available Now) and of course, more will be coming in the future.

Announcement Video:


The Virtual Console family continues to grow.

The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS) Announced

In a surprising turn of events Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks(tentative title) for DS today, showing off a short video(pictures below) and announcing that it would be available later this year for the DS.

The game will feature the same basic graphics styles as The Legend Of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass for the DS had. The new twist for this game is that, instead of a boat like Phantom Hourglass had, you will be using a train to maneuver around the world(see video below). It's an interesting concept, and one that could turn out to be a ton of fun come Winter 09.

*UPDATE*
Here is the official announcement trailer, shown at the press conference today.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Announcement Trailer:

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

GDC 09: Iwata To Announce Some Stuff Tomorrow?

According to GoNintendo he will be announcing games for multiple platforms(including Virtual Console...GBC/GBA downloadable games confirmed?).


In terms of highlights coming out of this show, I’d say Nintendo’s Iwata keynote is the one that you’ll really want to watch (Jeremy will be live blogging it tomorrow morning). I thought he was just going to be talking about Motion Plus and DSi, but it turns out he’s going to be announcing quite a few new games — for Wii, Wiiware, and Virtual Console (and this won’t just be Nintendo titles, but also third party stuff). I’ve already heard about a few of them (including one that makes me all giddy…I can’t wait for tomorrow now).

-GoNintendo

Sounds like fun, and I will be bringing you all the updates as soon as I recieve them tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Rumor-GBC/GBA Games to Hit DSiWare?

Read that once more, let your head absorb the thought of it, and then cheer in happiness.

According to Kombo.com Nintendo announced that GBC/GBA games will be hitting DSiWare (no specific date was given, but as long as it is coming I will live with the thought). This news was announced last night during a Club Nintendo event for those who had reached Platinum level(though I don't remember getting an invitation...so what gives?).

So how will the DSi hold GBA games that would take quite a large chunk of memory? It wont, an SD card will. It has been said that the DSi will be compatible with SD cards of 2GB or more, and that you will be able to play your games directly off of the SD card you saved it on, something the Wii is lacking even 2 years after its release.

The (slightly) unfortunate news out of this is that the games will be region locked, which isn't a surprise at all but for those who really wanted a Japanese game that never got to America...your probably not going to find it on DSiWare.

Also confirmed at the event was the rumored 1000 Nintendo Points for buying a DSi and logging into the DSi Shop, that's all true, and you get your $10 present in the exact way listed.

Read the Kombo article here.

Nintendo Channel Updates 3/23/09

Here are the new videos and demos that were released on the Nintendo Channel today.

Videos:
Wii:
–Punch-Out!! - Teaser
–Carlos Henriquez of JLCO talks and plays Wii Music
–EA SPORTS Active Info Video
–Virtual Tennis 2009 Teaser Video
–MadWorld Sports Video 3

DS:

–Pokémon Platinum Launch TV Spot
–Liv Tyler Plays Zelda
–GTA: Chinatown Wars Sniping Clip
–Lux-Pain Video 2
–Final Fantasy: Echoes of Time Tribes Video 2
–Gardening Mama Info Video
–Imagine Family Doctor Info Video

WiiWare:
–Developer’s Voice - Bit.Trip Beat
–Pop ‘Em Drop ‘Em Samegame Info Video

Other:
–What is Club Nintendo?
–Digest Video

DS Demos: (Expire 03/29)
–Personal Trainer: Cooking Mac & Cheese Demo
–Monsters vs. Aliens
–TrackMania DS
–Avalon Code

I will be hopping on later to watch that Punch-Out!! Teaser and to try the Avalon Code demo.

Virtual Console/WiiWare Releases 3/23/09

WiiWare:

Pop'Em Drop'Em SAMEGAME (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): SAMEGAME is a simple yet engrossing puzzle game where you must clear matching blocks in sets of two or more. Score high by clearing out more blocks at once. If you manage to clear the entire grid, you can keep on playing with a whole new layout. Getting rid of all those blocks is the key to racking up points. Adjust the difficulty level in a one-player game by trying different grid sizes and multiple colors. Up to four players can face off in any one of three multiplayer modes. "Fame Game," the most straightforward choice, is similar to the one-player version. "Shame Game" turns the tables by forcing players to go for the lowest score. "Blame Game" is a free-for-all as everyone vies for blocks on one big grid. Choose from different block styIes, background graphics and music to customize your playing experience.


Virtual Console:
Bomberman®'94 (TurboGrafx16, 1-5 players, Rated E for Everyone—Comic Mischief, 700 Wii Points): Bomberman has arrived to restore peace on the planet, which has been split into five parts by an evil hand. In addition to the nine members of the Bomber Family, the character Rooi shows up to lend a hand. Jump on the eggs that appear from destroyed soft blocks and you can ride one of five types of Rooi. Each Rooi has different special abilities—use them well and you'll ride to victory.

DETANA TWIN BEE (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Cartoon Violence, 700 Wii Points): It's the popular vertical-scrolling shooter renowned for its cute and comical world. Here come Twinbee and Winbee on a mission to save the planet from evil alien invaders. Standing in their way are six stages full of goofy enemies. Play as Twinbee in single-player mode, or team up with Winbee in two-player cooperative mode. With powerful attacks like Big Shot, or Twin Attack and Burst Attack in two-player mode, there's plenty of sting in their arsenal. Use your Shot to transform Bells into items with various effects. Stock up on these bad boys to expand your attack range and really have a blast.

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

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Nintendo To Release New 1000,3000 Points Cards

Wii points will soon be a thing of the past, as they will be relabeled as Nintendo Points and released alongside the DSi(or perhaps slightly before). This isn't just a simple rebranding of the name though, also coming with the name change will be 2 new point values, 1,000 and 3,000.

The 2,000 point card will still exist though, and will be sold along with it's new brothers upon release of Nintendo Points.

Unfortunately the cool 5000 point card won't be in America anytime soon.


These new point cards will be sold at retail stores April 5(the same day the DSi will be released in America).

Nintendo Points will work with the DSi and Wii, but they will not be shared between the two(so if you put 2,000 in the Wii, it stays in the Wii, and you will never be able to get them too the DSi).

Nintendo Points Usage Graph:


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