Official Weekly Nintendo Downloads Thread

[JSoup]

Summer is around the corner i won't be surpise if noa will start to thin out,the vc release again.

Then by the fall it picks up again.

It would make better sense to do it the other way around. Not much is released between the end of Spring and the start of Fall, it's a dead zone where the least amount of money possible is made.

But, ho, what's this?! Here comes Nintendo in the middle of Summer, sporting a bag full of yesteryear classics!

[old_skoolin_jim]

NOA probably just wants to be sure people have their $2k monies set aside for Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the 23rd... Figure if a kid gets an allowance of $10/week, 5 weeks of no releases = a kid with $50 saved looking for a hot new game, and BOOM!
NOA makes $2k monies themselves.

[chrisbid]

are there any heavy hitter releases left? i love the obscure/rare/import titles, but the masses arent nearly as interested in them.

[Leo_A]

NOA probably just wants to be sure people have their $2k monies set aside for Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the 23rd... Figure if a kid gets an allowance of $10/week, 5 weeks of no releases = a kid with $50 saved looking for a hot new game, and BOOM!
NOA makes $2k monies themselves.

Not many of those kids are going to be buying things like old arcade titles, Commodore 64 titles, NES titles, etc.

So I'd hope that wasn't their reasoning.


are there any heavy hitter releases left? i love the obscure/rare/import titles, but the masses arent nearly as interested in them.

Plenty of major titles aren't on it. About the only thing that has a decent amount of coverage has been Nintendo's own back catalog.

[BetaWolf47]

are there any heavy hitter releases left? i love the obscure/rare/import titles, but the masses arent nearly as interested in them.

Bunch of Genesis and a decent handful of C64 and SMS titles. Plenty of NES and SNES series are still missing their second halves as well.

[Rickstilwell1]

Bunch of Genesis and a decent handful of C64 and SMS titles. Plenty of NES and SNES series are still missing their second halves as well.

Yoshi's Island, Kirby Super Star, Breath of Fire 1, Final Fantasy III (6), Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Super Mario All-Stars, They need to make super scope and zapper games playable with the point and click of a wiimote, they don't have any Game Gear exclusives yet under the Master System label like they mentioned I don't think, they could add 8-bit Game Boy if they wanted to, Nintendo 64 has less releases than anything else Nintendo branded, They could add in the Dragon Warrior series now that square enix is allowing the Final Fantasy series to be released, they could always add Sega CD and 32X emulation for the few gems on those systems.

There's a ton they could do but I'm wondering that since they are taking it so slow, they don't plan on changing the game system any time soon. PS3 is the same way with its PS One re-releases. 100 games down, "OVER 900!!!!!!" more possibilities to choose from and they've uploaded a lot of generic titles when they could have chosen better ones.

This either shows they're sticking to their current console for a long time, or that the same download shops will be used with the next gen systems.

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows.

Looksley's Line Up
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Looksley the rabbit needs your assistance to finish the story he's writing. Guide him through a world based on famous fairy tales and folk stories from around the globe, helping him to gather inspiration by finding hidden items along the way. In this unique take on hidden-picture games, you'll move the Nintendo DSi system to change your view of various 3-D dioramas. Peer deeply into the scene as you shift the system, watching as layers within the diorama move to reveal previously unseen letters and objects. As you collect these letters and objects, you'll meet new characters and spell words that will open additional stages with more sets of hidden items to find. Particular stages contain secret pictures, testing your observation skills even further. Scour each scene's incredible depth and detail as you lend Looksley a hand in completing his masterpiece. Players of all ages will love this visual puzzle challenge and be amazed to see that even the same spot can look different from another angle.

Frogger Returns
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Frogger is coming to a Nintendo DSi system near you! Frogger Returns takes the heart-pounding challenge of arcade Frogger and moves it into the next dimension. Classic top-down 2-D game play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups to dodge and use. Four stages take the original journey of Frogger from highway to home through a new adventure. Use multiple modes to attack your top scores, race against the clock or just get Frogger to his home pad.

A Topsy Turvy Life: Turvy Drops™
Publisher: TECMO KOEI GAMES
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn the Nintendo DSi system upside down and draw blocks on the touch screen to fill spaces in this topsy-turvy take on puzzle games. Play "Endless Mode" to see just how many points you can get as the blocks on the bottom screen fill faster and faster. The more blocks you clear at once, the higher your score. Play "Puzzle Mode" to test your brain against 30 mind-bending puzzles. Clear all the blocks within the specified time and turn limits. Can you solve the puzzles before time is up?

Flips: More Bloody Horowitz
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Anthony Horowitz, the best-selling creator of Alex Rider, gives horror a whole new look in this mischievous collection of macabre tales, exclusive to the Flips series. Including three new stories – each with its own unique feature, such as illustrations and sound effects – Flips: More Bloody Horowitz finds Horowitz at his most wicked. The Flips series brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service, allowing readers to collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through the various stories and challenges.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23625

[JSoup]

Today's Virtual Console releases are as follows.

Kirby Super Star
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: That awful King Dedede is at it again – he's stolen all the food in Dream Land. It's up to Kirby™ to get it back and ultimately save Pop Star from being overtaken. In what may be the most diverse adventure yet for the round, pink hero, Kirby journeys through six main games and two minigames, finishing with the ultimate showdown in The Arena. Each game offers its own story and style of platforming action, as well as unique environments and an assortment of enemies. Swallowing an enemy allows Kirby to copy the abilities of that enemy, granting him the power to perform special attacks and giving him a new hat to don. In a strategic twist, Kirby can now give up an acquired ability and use it to turn an enemy into a helper. The helper will follow Kirby around and automatically fight as his ally or offer a second player the chance to join in the game by controlling it. There's never a dull moment as Kirby dashes, flies and swallows enemies in his battle against King Dedede, Dyna Blade and Meta Knight.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23625


I guess a few weeks of no games is worth getting this.

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Discover the fastest, most exhilarating action-platformer to hit the WiiWare service. Race across the moon, kicking down crystal walls and sliding under chomping moon-slugs. Bound through the Robotic Mines and face off against the MinerMech. Dash through the Big City on a quest to find friends and defeat the final boss together. RUNNER is the fourth entry in the award-winning and critically acclaimed BIT.TRIP series. You control CommanderVideo as he runs, jumps, slides and kicks. With exciting modern and retro challenges, you can move through more than 50 levels of addictive game play. Chiptune supergroup Anamanaguchi makes a guest appearance. Join CommanderVideo on his most epic journey yet!

Blood Beach
Publisher: Coresoft Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: You are hopelessly outnumbered and have no choice but to fight and win. Just you, your guns and the thin stretch of Blood Beach stand between you and the entire Japanese Imperial Navy. You have an impressive arsenal of weapons, including the M2 BMG, 40mm M1 and, of course, your Thompson SMG. But the Imperial Japanese Navy will hit you with everything they can muster – "Zeros," "Bettys" and even Takao-class battleships – in their methodical and relentless push to recapture the Solomon Islands. High scores can be saved for Easy, Normal and Hard levels of difficulty.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23625

[Rickstilwell1]

Today's Virtual Console releases are as follows.

Kirby Super Star
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: That awful King Dedede is at it again – he's stolen all the food in Dream Land. It's up to Kirby™ to get it back and ultimately save Pop Star from being overtaken. In what may be the most diverse adventure yet for the round, pink hero, Kirby journeys through six main games and two minigames, finishing with the ultimate showdown in The Arena. Each game offers its own story and style of platforming action, as well as unique environments and an assortment of enemies. Swallowing an enemy allows Kirby to copy the abilities of that enemy, granting him the power to perform special attacks and giving him a new hat to don. In a strategic twist, Kirby can now give up an acquired ability and use it to turn an enemy into a helper. The helper will follow Kirby around and automatically fight as his ally or offer a second player the chance to join in the game by controlling it. There's never a dull moment as Kirby dashes, flies and swallows enemies in his battle against King Dedede, Dyna Blade and Meta Knight.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23625


I guess a few weeks of no games is worth getting this.

Oh yeah. I was afraid they would skip this just because of that DS remake. I'm glad they didn't skip out.

[Leo_A]

Oh yeah. I was afraid they would skip this just because of that DS remake. I'm glad they didn't skip out.

That's promising, I didn't think they'd be releasing it because of the DS rerelease of it.

I hope we eventually get Super Mario All-Stars if they see a declining number of sales of the NES titles. I'd even be willing to pay a premium for it if they're afraid of losing sales dollars by selling for $8 what costs $20 on the NES side of the Virtual Console.

[sixwayshot]

Today's Virtual Console releases are as follows.

Kirby Super Star
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: That awful King Dedede is at it again – he's stolen all the food in Dream Land. It's up to Kirby™ to get it back and ultimately save Pop Star from being overtaken. In what may be the most diverse adventure yet for the round, pink hero, Kirby journeys through six main games and two minigames, finishing with the ultimate showdown in The Arena. Each game offers its own story and style of platforming action, as well as unique environments and an assortment of enemies. Swallowing an enemy allows Kirby to copy the abilities of that enemy, granting him the power to perform special attacks and giving him a new hat to don. In a strategic twist, Kirby can now give up an acquired ability and use it to turn an enemy into a helper. The helper will follow Kirby around and automatically fight as his ally or offer a second player the chance to join in the game by controlling it. There's never a dull moment as Kirby dashes, flies and swallows enemies in his battle against King Dedede, Dyna Blade and Meta Knight.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23625


I guess a few weeks of no games is worth getting this.

This is kinda out of left field, what with the DS version being out. No matter. I may snag this one because my cart needs a new battery...

[JSoup]

It does seem a bit strange that this would be available when there is a newer version out (somehow, I think Nintendo would prefer money from the newer, more expensive one).

Then again, Final Fantasy 4(2) is on the block for release through VC, when we already have a GBA port and a DS remake on the market.

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows.

Metal Torrent
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Prepare for a high level of intensity as you pilot a solo ship deep into enemy space in this vertically scrolling shooter. Battle wave after wave of relentless attackers aiming to do one thing - destroy you! Your goal, beyond mere survival, is simple: Get the highest score possible and earn bragging rights in online leaderboards. Two powerful fighters are at your disposal: the Accipiter and Bateleur, tailored for beginner or expert players. Progress through eight phases of action and take out enemies by tactically using your weapons: an unlimited-fire blaster weapon available to both ships and an energy-consuming special weapon unique to each craft. Absorb energy cubes from destroyed enemies to replenish your energy gauge and increase your score. Collect a series of consecutive cubes to create a chain and boost your score even higher. Choose from pattern or random modes to vary the level of challenge, but the real indication of skill comes from competing with players around the world for the highest score possible. Use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to upload your score to the online leaderboards to see where you stack up or even view replays of top-ranking players' games and study their secrets. Do you have what it takes to be the best?

World Poker Tour Texas Hold 'Em
Publisher: Hands-On Mobile
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play like the pros in World Poker Tour Texas Hold 'Em on the Nintendo DSiWare service, the official game tested and approved by the experts at the World Poker Tour. Whether you're just learning to play or you're an old-school player wanting to hook some fish, Texas Hold 'Em has tables for all players. Choose to play solo in two unique tournaments designed specifically for the Nintendo DSiWare version or use a local wireless connection and play with your friends and take down monster pots. The action is in your hands in one of the most authentic poker games ever brought to the Nintendo DSi system.

Real Crimes: Jack the Ripper
Publisher: Virtual Playground
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Blood, Mild Sexual Themes, Violent References
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Real Crimes: Jack the Ripper - the fabulous, chart-topping hidden-object game with amazing graphics is now available on the Nintendo DSiWare service. One of the first and best games of its type, Jack the Ripper features numerous atmospheric 3-D locations and oodles of hidden objects to find. The realism of the scenes and the accuracy of the storyline will fascinate all ages from young teen to adult. Travel back to 1880s London to help Scotland Yard's detectives solve the crime of the century. Visit world-famous landmarks such as Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace. Search crime scenes and solve mini puzzles in your hunt for clues. Was Jack a doctor, a royal prince, a barber or something else? Was he mad? This game will tell you. Enjoy hours and hours of game play in this truly absorbing game. Whether you are an experienced player or a newbie, once you start your investigation, you will be on an adventure you won't want to stop - until you discover Jack the Ripper's true identity, that is.

Advanced Circuits
Publisher: BiP media
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Whether with a train, a car or a tank, are you ready for a new challenge? This brain-boggling puzzle game will put your powers of deduction to the test. Complete the circuits by connecting squares on the game board with pieces of track. Some pieces of track are already shown on the board at the beginning of the game to give you a head start. There is only one solution to each puzzle. The rules are simple but the challenges are tough.

Challenge mode features 60 predefined game boards of increasing difficulty.
Free Play mode lets you select the game board size and practice on any number of randomly generated puzzles.
72 awards to be won.
Also features a tutorial, hints and tips and even the solution if you feel like giving up.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23803

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows.

ArtStyle: light trax
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Art Style: light trax takes racing to whole new (and very surreal) levels as you control a white beam of light moving perpetually forward while your viewpoint shifts between 2-D and 3-D perspectives. Start by choosing one of the two main modes of game play, each with its own distinct goal. In light tours mode, you vie with other light beams for the most points in a three-course racing tour. Watch out for obstacles, use items and strategically use your dash ability to finish first. In freeway mode, your objective is to set a high score by traveling the greatest distance within a set amount of time. Mastering the intricacies of each setting is crucial: you'll have to alternate between them in order to progress through the game and unlock all of its modes. With precise controls packed in and a driving techno soundtrack, Art Style: light trax offers an experience unlike any other. Are you ready to compete in a mind-bending race at the speed of light? Games in the Art Style series feature elegant design, polished graphics and pick-up-and-play controls, creating an experience focused purely on fun and engaging game play. For more information about Art Style: light trax and other games in the Art Style series, please visit artstyle.nintendo.com.

Manic Monkey Mayhem
Publisher: The Code Monkeys Ltd.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Controlling one of eight monkeys, you will do battle with up to seven others across eight differently themed landscapes. In single player, battle through three increasingly difficult campaigns of missions ranging from survival to coconut fights, or have a one-off battle against the clock as a team or in a standard deathmatch. Connect additional Wii Remote™ controllers (each sold separately) to battle against up to three additional players or compete against anyone or your friends using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Connect an optional Wii Balance Board™ accessory to add more mayhem to the fun.

Viral Survival™
Publisher: NIS America
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Viral Survival is an "escape" action game where you control a special DNA unit and dodge through enemy virus attacks. If you save a friendly DNA unit they will connect to you, creating a tail. The more you save, the higher point total you will accumulate. There are also four other game modes, including one where you can shoot the enemy down and compete for number of kills, and a time attack mode to save 128 DNA units in the shortest time possible. For all five game modes your score can be ranked online. Try your best to become number one in the world.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23803

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases this week.

[Cobra Commander]

Are they planning to scrap VC or something?

[JSoup]

Might being in the process of licencing games or something. According to Wikipedia, there are only 10 confirmed future VC releases.

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows.

X-Scape
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Your journey through the universe of X-Scape begins as you wake from 10 years of cryosleep, only to find yourself unexpectedly thrown into a fearsome battle against an evil empire bent on your destruction. You'll travel to numerous planets in the Kiisa system and engage in a wide variety of challenges (including optional side quests) in your fight for survival. At your command is VIXIV, an advanced battle tank able to deftly maneuver on land or in the air while loaded with an array of formidable weapons. To help with advice or upgrades to VIXIV's abilities, you've also got your highly capable support bot, VIX-529. Use the touch screen to pilot VIXIV in one of two modes: tunnel mode and free-movement mode. In tunnel mode, you'll navigate through narrow, dangerous tunnels that connect planets. Successful completion of tunnel mode opens free-movement mode, which allows you to freely roam the surfaces of planets and take up missions. Presented in 3-D with a stylishly retro graphic presentation, X-Scape combines continuous action with an epic story to create an experience that's sure to keep players on the edge of their seats.

Hero of Sparta
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Blood, Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: You wake up alone on an unknown beach to find your boat and entire fleet missing. It's the beginning of an epic odyssey to find out just what game the gods are playing with you, King Argos. Your fate now lies in their hands. Battle like the fierce Spartan warrior you are to avoid a tragic death as you journey through mythical lands and even probe the depths of the Underworld. You will fight the most phenomenal monsters from mythology, defy Minotaurs and the Cyclops, and challenge the gods themselves. Unleash your hero's special powers by performing combos to defeat legions of enemies in thrilling fights. You'll have fabulous equipment and four mythic weapons to upgrade: draw your mythic swords, axe and shield. Fight, explore and solve puzzles - this is more than a basic hack-and-slash. Use the exclusive camera feature to collect epic pictures and become a real hero yourself.

A Topsy Turvy Life: The Turvys Strike Back™
Publisher: TECMO KOEI GAMES
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn your Nintendo DSi™ system upside-down and play as the Imperial Armada out to destroy the Earth Defense Force in this topsy-turvy take on arcade shooters. You control the unsung forces of arcade shooters past with three kinds of ships, including giant bosses. Draw a line to send the fighters down. Touch the guards to make them shoot. Make your boss ship fire multiple weapons, including an enormous blast that destroys everything in its way. Two players can even battle each other on one Nintendo DSi system. Will the Earth Defense Force win again? Or will the Imperial Armada find victory at last?

Telegraph Sudoku & Kakuro
Publisher: Sanuk Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play number puzzles from the Telegraph like you've never played them before. Discover a whopping 500 puzzles of multiple types. You're in for many hours of game play. The game includes Sudoku (classic 9x9 sudoku grids with four levels of difficulty), Mini-Sudoku (easier 6x6 grids), Sudoku-X (9x9 grids in which the diagonals must also be filled with all numerals from 1 to 9), Jigsaw Sudoku (9x9 grids with uncommon box shapes) and Kakuro. With its handy interface and intuitive controls, Kakuro transfigures the classic pen-and-paper experience. Notable features include registration of best times in the Hall of Fame, interactive hints to prevent you from getting stuck and an Autosave option to stop and resume a puzzle at any time.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23905

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows.

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex follows Ben Tennyson as he finds himself in the middle of Hex's villainous plan to control the Earth. Using the powers of the Omnitrix, players can transform Ben into 10 different alien forms including Big Chill, Spider Monkey and, for the first time ever, Lodestar. Choose from 10 different aliens to platform your way through 15 levels, completing puzzle challenges along the way. Fight menacing villains and bosses in Ben's newest adventure. Experience the world of Ben 10 Alien Force with 3-D characters set in a vibrant, 2-D-styled environment.

Voodoo Dice
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Mixing action and puzzle mechanics in a 3-D world, Voodoo Dice is an innovative, challenging puzzler that invites you to solve puzzles in unique and interesting ways. Encounter a funny and original universe with great style and distinctive vibes. Travel between different maps, defeat your enemies and solve enigmas.

Robocalypse™ - Beaver Defense
Publisher: Vogster Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor, Suggestive Themes
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Set in a world of wisecracking, battling robots, Robocalypse - Beaver Defense offers madcap weaponry and uproarious destruction in a "tower defense"-style game. Players must create and strategically position towers to annihilate waves of enemy robots, while player-controlled Hero robots act as mobile weapons units, bringing heavy firepower to all areas of the battlefield. Players can experience the hilarious Story Mode or face the Beaver's never-ending supply of robots in Survival Mode.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23905

[JSoup]

Today's Virtual Console releases are as follows.

Wild Guns™
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Natsume Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Discover the wildest West you've ever seen in this action-packed third-person shooter. The Kid gang and their army of robots have taken over the town. The only ones who can stop them are Clint, a tough-as-nails bounty hunter, and Annie, a beautiful-but-deadly woman with a serious score to settle. Blast your way through villainous outlaws, diabolical robots and towering, screen-filling bosses. Play by yourself or with a friend at your side in the two-player co-op mode. You'll need a sharp eye and quick-on-the-draw reflexes. Fortunately, you've got plenty of moves to help you survive the hail of bullets heading your way. You can dive-roll, jump, double-jump, rope enemies with a lasso and clear the screen with explosive special attacks. Blast apart just about everything in the environment to find guns, bombs and other hidden power-ups. It's up to you to bring justice back to town - or whatever's left of the town when the gun smoke clears.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23905

[BetaWolf47]

I sure hope this drops the price or rarity of the cart!

[calgon]

Are they planning to scrap VC or something?

The slow trickle seems to happen every other month or so, then we'll get something like Final Fantasy II or Rondo of blood. I like to try and forget about it so when I check the shop channel every month or so there's something good (usually)

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows.

Flametail
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: The year is 2099, and the solar system is littered with space junk. Our best hope for a tidier cosmos is to send the Flametail incinerator pod from planet to planet for a little fiery cleanup. Take control of the Flametail pod and start winding your way through obstacles, then watch as your flaming tail ignites blocks of troublesome debris and eventually eliminates them. Be careful not to work yourself into a dead end, and don't let the hazard line that follows you catch up to your tail or reach any leftover garbage. Luckily, you can find useful items (such as bombs or score multipliers) along your path and earn special power-ups (like radar or a missile) by collecting letter panels to spell particular words. Effectively burn up the floating garbage in the game's two modes - Space Tour and Time Limit - and earn new graphics and other surprises as you progress. The straightforward controls make it possible for anyone to take on the job of restoring space to pristine condition. Do you have what it takes to make your way to the outer reaches of the solar system?

Don't Cross The Line
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Don't Cross The Line is a puzzle game in which the player must connect lines to various boxes, from one identical box to another, without crossing the lines they draw in the process. There are roughly 50 stages in all. Depending on how quickly you complete each stage, you'll be awarded with a bronze, silver or gold award. To unlock additional stages, players must achieve a certain ranking in previous stages. Can you outwit the puzzles at hand and receive gold awards all around?

Fire Panic
Publisher: Playtainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: As a futuristic firefighter in Fire Panic, you face the continuous challenge of extinguishing more and more fires that keep flaring up. To do this, use your Nintendo DSi™ stylus to mark the fastest route for your fire engine to reach each blaze. The engine will follow the line you draw and automatically douse each fire it passes along the way. It's a thrilling experience every time you play.

Flips: The Magic Faraway Tree
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Jo, Bessie and Fanny take their cousin Rick on an adventure he'll never forget to the magic Faraway Tree, where he meets Moon-Face, Silky the fairy and Saucepan Man. They visit all the different lands at the top of the Faraway Tree, including the Land of Spells, the crazy Land of Topsy-Turvy and the Land of Do-As-You-Please, where the children ride a runaway train. The new Flips range brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service. Readers can collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through various stories and challenges.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23935

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows.

Reel Fishing Challenge II
Publisher: Natsume Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Reel Fishing is back! This sequel to the smash-hit fishing game takes you to a pristine new freshwater environment teeming with fish that look and move just like the real thing. You'll go after these wily lunkers with a huge variety of lures and refined controls that provide the most natural and realistic fishing action yet. You'll need every advantage you can get as Reel Fishing Challenge II's 30 varied missions put your angling abilities to the ultimate test. This stunning, true-to-life fishing experience will have you hooked.

Lead the Meerkats
Publisher: Lapland Studio
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Animated Blood, Mild Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: In Lead the Meerkats, you are a young meerkat with a lot to accomplish. You've been separated from your pack, and the time has come for you to form your own meerkat pack. Are you ready for the challenge? Name your pack and its meerkats. Dig burrow networks and enlarge your territory. Forage for food and grow your pack size. Stay on guard and be ready to make quick decisions. Run to the safety of the burrows or fight your enemies. Go head-to-head with a rival meerkat pack. Lead your pack to victory and rule the savanna. Lead the Meerkats is the first game to simulate the exciting life of meerkats, offering fun game play for animal lovers of all ages.

Zoo Disc Golf
Publisher: Sonalysts, Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Each zoo enclosure is a "hole" in the Zoo Disc Golf course. The objective of the game is to get your disc into each "goal" using the fewest number of throws - the "goal" being the Emergency Animal Control station in each enclosure. A throw of the disc is equivalent to a stroke in golf and counts as one point. Available characters are the Rockhopper Penguin, Kangaroo, Panda and Meerkat. The Zoo Disc Golf course is made up of 18 holes. Each player is allowed a maximum of 10 strokes on each hole. When players reach 10 strokes, they move to the next hole with those 10 points added to their score.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=23935

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases today.

[BetaWolf47]

Shadow of the Ninja (NES) today! Even though it's a blatant ripoff of Ninja Gaiden, it's a really good one!

http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24021

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows.

A Kappa's Trail
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Step into the world of a kappa, a mythical river spirit famous in Japanese folklore, as he tries to make his way to the human world. In addition to the challenging main game, you'll find three different minigames to further improve your kappa-related skills. You'll start your journey in Kappa Cove, a good place to go exploring, practice getting around and munch on a few fish. The intuitive controls are all handled with the stylus (draw a trail and the kappa will follow it), but the helpful Chumfish is more than willing to teach you the basics. Once you begin your path down the Kappa Trail, you'll encounter coins to collect, boulders to shatter and various mini-kappas that can help you in specific ways. Just be sure to avoid the Devil Hand. If you need a break, you can collect paintings or cassettes from the Chumfish Shack, count plates at a sushi restaurant or test your mettle in the treacherous Trial of Tiles. With its cute graphics and charming story, your time with the kappa will certainly be memorable. Who knows what you'll find as you make your way through A Kappa's Trail?

Telegraph Crosswords
Publisher: Sanuk Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Drug Reference, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play crossword puzzles from the Telegraph like you've never played them before. Discover 500 puzzles of multiple types. You're in for many hours of game play. With its handy interface and intuitive controls, this game transfigures the classic pen-and-paper experience. Notable features include:
• A huge selection of quick puzzles, cryptic puzzles and general-knowledge puzzles.
• Registration of best times in the Hall of Fame.
• Interactive hints to prevent you from getting stuck.
• Auto-save function so you can stop and resume a puzzle at any time.

Flips: Silent But Deadly
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: When Mr. Watts, the science teacher, turns up for class and tries to open his briefcase with his teeth, James, Alexander and Lenny realize he's not quite himself. The friends investigate and uncover a plot so dangerous that the life of every pupil and teacher is at risk. How will they foil the plot and restore Mr. Watts to normal? The new Flips range brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service. Readers can collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through various stories and challenges.

Music on: Electronic Keyboard
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Get creative and spend relaxing moments transforming your Nintendo DSi™ system into a complete electronic keyboard with a great variety of instruments and rhythms. This is the perfect way to have fun and impress your friends with your musical creations. Whether you're already an expert or just taking your first steps, Electronic Keyboard will help you capture your inspiration wherever you are. Features include:
• Automatic accompaniment function with chord recognition
• Up to eight user-definable chords
• Five different styles, each with four variations
• Independent drum, bass and chorus parts
• Six-octave keyboard (two visible)
• Pitch-bend function
• 16 instruments
• Integrated sequencer
• Metronome
• Recording and replay option

16 Shot! SHOOTING WATCH
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Back in the 8-bit glory days, Hudson's own "Master Higgins" (a.k.a. Takahashi Meijin) made a splash in the gaming world with his astonishing trigger-finger speed of 16 shots per second. Can you break the Master's record? A graph analysis feature breaks down your stats and indicates your weak spots. Use it effectively to improve your trigger-finger performance. If you get a high score, you can leave a customized signature using the touch screen. Get your family and friends to compete for some serious rapid-fire fun.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24021

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows.

Bejeweled 2
Publisher: PopCap Games, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Get set to play the world's No. 1 puzzle game, now available for the Wii console. Match sparkling gems three at a time to make them burst in showers of color and points. Match four or more to create flashy power gems that boost your score and your mood with brilliant cascades and combos. Soar to gem-matching heights in Classic mode, or speed through matches against the clock in Action mode. For even more dazzling fun, bump up your brain waves with multi-faceted Puzzles, or enter the Zen state of Endless play. Every match is high-carat fun!

Arcade Sports™
Publisher: Icon Games Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Arcade Sports consists of a selection of four full-featured arcade sports games including Air Hockey, Bowling, Pool and Snooker. The following modes are available:
• PRACTICE: This mode allows you to play a practice game and brush up on your skills.
• VERSUS MATCH: Play a one-on-one "friendly" match versus any of the game opponents in any game type.
• SEASON MODE: Season Mode is a series of linked tournaments with 10 tournaments of mixed game types. The objective is to make it to the top of the rankings. Play through each event in turn. After each one, you'll be awarded a world ranking position and achievement rewards.
• MULTIPLAYER: Arcade Sports allows up to two players to compete head-to-head in a versus match on one Wii console.

Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to the town of Sunnyville! Search local yard sales on your mission to find hidden treasures and objects. Use your fantastic finds to decorate your dream home in a competition to win the illustrious "Superstar Homes Magazine Contest!" Beat the clock or play at your own pace, searching for hundreds of items hidden in fun locales. Enjoy nonstop challenges in this expansive seek-and-find game.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24021

[JSoup]

Better than nothing, I guess.

[BetaWolf47]

Better than nothing? It's a great game!

[JSoup]

Better than nothing? It's a great game!

Well, there are many other games I'd rather have access to, but, fair enough. I haven't played it before, but I'll give it a shot.

[Beefy Hits]

Where's my Rock 'N' Ball, Rollerball, or Pinball Quest?

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows.

Art Style: Rotozoa™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points™
Description: Control a circular creature-like organism known as a rotozoan and nimbly make your way through level after level of primordial ooze. Comprised of only three distinct parts (colored sides, tentacles and life force), the focus of your rotozoan life is simple: grow your tentacles. After playing a few levels and learning the basics of your microscopic world, you begin to unlock additional modes of play and the ability to choose the number of tentacles on your rotozoan. Each mode has its own specific purpose: reach a particular length with your tentacles or grow them to the greatest length possible. In either mode, growing your tentacles means absorbing enemies known as goobugs by touching them. There's just one catch: Successfully absorbing a goobug depends on matching its color to your tentacle. Also, longer tentacles can more easily come in contact with incorrectly colored goobugs (causing damage to the tentacle and decreasing your life force), and the goobugs themselves multiply and begin adapting to your movement. Luckily, objects such as the restorative heart item and special attack-enabling cyclone item can be found floating in the ooze to help your rotozoan survive. With atmospheres ranging from peaceful to intensely challenging, Art Style: Rotozoa offers a wide variety of levels. Victory can only be achieved through quick, precise movement and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Are you ready to take on the goobugs? Games in the Art Style series feature elegant design, polished graphics and pick-up-and-play controls, creating an experience focused purely on fun and engaging game play.

The Tales of Bearsworth Manor: Chaotic Conflicts™
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: A crumbling mansion is home to a most peculiar picture book. Gather your courage and open the door to this odd, unsettling and slightly scary tale. Turn the tide of frantic battles by using the Wii Remote™ controller to throw animated paper bears into the picture book's unusual pages. Use all the tools at your disposal to defend the shining blue jewels found within against Kina, the mysterious young boy residing in the mansion. Thirty exciting and challenging stages await you.

The Tales of Bearsworth Manor: Puzzling Pages™
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: A crumbling mansion is home to a most peculiar picture book. Gather your courage and open the door to this odd, unsettling and slightly scary tale. Solve innovative puzzles by using the Wii Remote controller to throw animated paper bears into the picture book's unusual pages. Grab all the red candies found inside, carefully place your bears and cleverly manipulate the unique environments. Delve into the unfolding drama of Pina, the mysterious young girl residing in the mansion. Thirty exciting and challenging stages await you.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24186

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows.

Spin Six
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Spin Six is a puzzle game in which you rotate numbered panels to line them up and make them disappear. The real challenge lies in your ability to create chains of uninterrupted changing or elimination of panels and to connect many chains to score big points. Puzzle mode offers nearly 200 puzzles to solve, either in the One-Turn or Chain categories, while Time Attack mode allows you to challenge yourself to see how quickly you can eliminate a set number of panels. If you're more into points, the goal of Score Attack mode is to see how many points you can score within a set time limit (make the Spinnerator appear and get into Fever Time to really maximize your score!). Chain Challenge mode is all about the number of chains you can make without interruption. Give Spin Six a whirl to discover its multiple modes and deep yet easy-to-master game play.

Puffins: Let's Fish!
Publisher: Other Ocean Interactive
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Dive into the deep blue sea and fill your belly with delicious fish in Puffins: Let's Fish! This action game has you swimming the beautiful ocean in search of a puffin's favorite meal: the elusive capelin. But watch out! The ocean can be a dangerous place, and you're not the only one hunting for food. Sharks, jellyfish and other fearsome predators are just waiting to take a bite out of you. It's an all-you-can-eat feast with two different and exciting modes across 18 underwater stages. Take a deep breath, jump in and come out with a full belly!

Mega Words
Publisher: Digital Leisure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: It's time to put on your thinking cap and see how many of the hundreds of puzzles you can solve in Mega Words. Three classic puzzlers are included in this puzzle pack: Word Scrambler, Anagram Hunt and Hangman. There's no need for erasers here! These portable editions feature extensive dictionaries to challenge novices and expert players alike. See how fast you can unscramble words, sharpen your vocabulary and stretch your mind with Mega Words.

Super Swap
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Can't get enough of swapping puzzle games but want something different? Swap till you drop with Super Swap, an exciting blend of arcade action and matching fun. Drag colorful blocks in one of four directions to connect three or more blocks and clear the board. As new blocks fall, you'll have to move fast to keep the stack from reaching the top. Experience plenty of twists and never-before-seen game play as you make combos, collect special power-ups and gain additional points in four different game modes. With so much fast and furious puzzling fun, you'll never want to stop the swapping!

Legendary Wars: T-Rex Rumble
Publisher: Interplay
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In a dark corner of prehistory, a tiny tribe of humans fights for the future of mankind. Struggling to survive, these ancestors of humanity desperately search for food and the means to defend their village. The human race teeters on the brink of extinction. Only inspired leadership can save them. Command more than 20 men to defend your village and simultaneously manage the constant search for food. Lead your warriors against hordes of dinosaurs in real-time battles. Control your tribe's actions to efficiently gather resources and boost their numbers. Gather knowledge to increase their power. Enlist the help of a powerful Shaman and direct his magic to heal your men and confound your enemies. Do all this using a new style of interface to intuitively group your men and issue orders with simple drags of your stylus. Under your leadership, the human race has a fighting chance.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24186

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases today.

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows:

Jett Rocket
Publisher: Shin'en Multimedia
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Jump and run and fly. Let Jett Rocket explore the beautiful planet of Yoroppa and find out why it has been attacked by the evil Power Plant Posse. Visit tropical islands, poisonous swamps and freezingly cold glaciers. Ride the ocean on your Jet Boat, parachute from giant cliffs, speed through arctic regions on your Jet Snowboard or skyrocket with your Jet Turbine. You will need everything you've got to fight back and save Yoroppa. Just be Jett Rocket in this epic futuristic full 3D action adventure.

Pong Toss Pro – Frat Party Games®
Publisher: JV Games Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Language
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Born on college campuses, Pong Toss is the ultimate party-game favorite. Now Pong Toss Pro takes it to the next level by featuring a completely redesigned throwing system for complete accuracy and improved graphics. Also new to Pong Toss Pro is Tournament Mode. You can have a four-, eight-, or 16-team bracket play in Pong Toss & Speed Pong. Pong Toss Pro features six regulation tables and the ability to modify simple house rules. Rock it with a high-energy rock soundtrack; listen to the announcer commenting on your play. Rule the table with Fireball bonuses for consecutive shots. In Speed Pong, up to three challengers can compete at the same time. Speed and strategy are the keys to this fast-paced game. Jack up your opponents by using a slew of power-ups that will slow them down. The first one who sinks the last cup wins it all.

Robin Hood: The Return of Richard
Publisher: Nordcurrent
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: While Richard, the true King of England, is absent from his throne, his country rages in chaos. England has been invaded, and enemies burn and destroy local towns and villages. After the house of expert archer and hunter Robin Hood was burned down, he, together with a group of free archers like himself, hides in Sherwood Forest and begins his fight for justice. The fate of the people now lies in your hands. Help Robin to defeat the villains and restore peace in this shooting game.

Features:

Complete 12 levels, defeating numerous enemies and visiting different locations in medieval England
Search for hidden objects to get bonus points
Fight with super villains, such as the Sheriff of Nottingham
Replay the game to improve your score in the High Score Table

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24301

[JSoup]

Today's Virtual Console releases are as follows:

Mario Tennis
Original platform: Nintendo 64
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: The Mushroom Kingdom welcomes another sport to its lineup in the Nintendo 64 smash Mario Tennis. In addition to the bright graphics and intuitive, but incredibly tight, controls that all Mario™ games are known for, a cast of 16 Nintendo characters (including the first introduction of Waluigi™) is ready to take to the court. Along with the ability to unnerve an opponent by varying shots and precisely target their destination, each character has specific attributes in categories such as speed, power and control, all of which combine to offer multiple play styles to choose from. A variety of game modes ranging from a standard tournament to the crazy, item-filled Bowser Stage will keep you – and up to three of your friends – running around the court for quite some time. Whether trying to unlock all the secrets in single-player mode or challenging friends with some intense fun in multiplayer mode, this is a game that definitely holds its serve.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24301

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows:

Maestro! Green Groove
Publisher: Neko Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Blood, Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hello. Do you like music? Do you like platforms? Do you like pink bird-like things? Do you like the jungle? You'll love Maestro! Green Groove edition! So jump in and enjoy this wonderful feeling of being a virtuoso using your heart, stylus and voice. Everything you do is music – EVERYTHING! Hit the spiders to play some drums, shoot the fruit to bring out the melody, pinch the strings to play the tune and so on. Challenge the mischievous Staccato the Spider in a melodious battle in which the most talented one will win. For those of you who have no fear, once you have finished the adventure, you can activate the SING/WHISTLE mode to bug everyone around you with your precious talents. And for the talented ones, there is an improvisation mode in which you'll play the levels with the instruments and at the speed of your choice. Enjoy, Maestros from all around the world!

Date or Ditch
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Think you're a real Casanova? Let's see how you act in real-life situations when you face a whole gamut of dates, from romantic to wild. Date or Ditch is an absorbing dating adventure for both guys and girls, testing you through an evolving scenario. Discover unique game play mixing social simulation, hilarious face-to-face conversations and fun quizzes. Randomly meet someone at a party, go to the movies together, invite your date to dinner and more. And a surprise visit from your ex may spice up your love story a bit. Enter even deeper into the game thanks to the exclusive camera feature: Add your photo within the game and change your face according to your feelings. In real life, make sure you are compatible with your date by taking the Love Test: Based on your names and appearance, are you made for each other? Love has always been a game. We just made it more fun.

Animal Color Cross
Publisher: Little Worlds Studio
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Get hooked on colorful puzzles. The goal of the game is to reconstruct a mysterious animal image that lies beneath the grid. You just need to fill in each square of the grid with one of the appropriate colors available. To solve the puzzle, you can simply deduce the right color by using the numbers written around the grid. Don't worry, a short tutorial shows you the basic rules within a minute. Puzzle-solving champs, sudoku fans or even kids can enjoy the game. You can play 72 individual grids in up to 50 hours of game play. Players can select among eight levels presented as geographical zones including Europe, Oceania, North Pole, Pacific, North America and South America to discover local fauna. Enter a new world filled with fancy colored pixel art.

Ancient Tribe
Publisher: CIRCLE Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In the ancient world of Savage, you play the god of an ancient tribe in this real-time strategy game. Expand your village by guiding its inhabitants on the hunting grounds to find food and resources. Use them to upgrade your village and increase its population. When the primitive tribe develops to a certain level, they will build a temple to pay tribute to your mightiness. You can recruit new troops and research new classes of tribal people by upgrading the existing tribe's equipment and technology. Besides improving your tribe you can improve your godly powers by sacrificing some of your tribesmen and resources. On the hunting ground your tribe will explore forests, deserts, volcanoes and frozen lands. They will meet various kinds of beasts such as boars, elephants and even dinosaurs. You can help trap and tame them so your tribe can ride on them as part of your army and hunting troop.

Brain Drain™
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Brain Drain is a funny and challenging puzzle game. You have to place the elements of a scrambled puzzle according to a given model. Select four elements at a time with the stylus and spin them to move the elements to the right positions. Some puzzles may feature malicious game effects that will slow you down during your puzzle solving. There are three game modes to choose from:

Challenge: 200 fixed puzzles with preset best times to solve and beat.
Race: A stream of puzzles and best time tables to beat in four difficulty levels.
Random: Relaxed, random puzzling that continues endlessly.

Battle of Giants™: Mutant Insects – Revenge
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: After the defeat of the Mutant King, the Mutant Queen rose up from the core of the Earth and forced the remaining giant insects into submission. Now it is your job to locate and free the Scorpion Champion, the only giant insect with the ability to defeat the Mutant Queen. Complete 10 new missions, defeat your enemies and liberate the Scorpion Champion! Customize your giant insect with tribal stripes, equip it with special powers and enhance your abilities. Challenge your friends to duels of supremacy on the Nintendo DS™ system. Are you strong enough to win this Battle of Giants™?

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24301

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows:

QuickPick Farmer
Publisher: Dancing Dots
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: It's time to shear your sheep, but a wolf named George is prowling around your farm, and he's hungry. Hurry up and put the wool in the barns for safekeeping. Use the stylus to round up identical sheep, shear them, collect the balls of wool and catapult them into the barns. If George is getting too close to your flock, fire a ball right at his muzzle to chase him away and gain some time. Experience 30 crazy levels, a nonstop mode, striped sheep, spotted sheep and a goofy wolf. Test your powers of observation, your reflexes and your tactics in the wacky world of QuickPick Farmer.

Soul of Darkness
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Enter a fascinating gothic world as the mysterious and powerful Kale. Try to save your beloved's life and soul by freeing her from an evil vampire's clutches. Explore dark woods, caves, huge castles and impressive cathedrals under the full moon's light. Master and upgrade your sword and spear, and learn how to control your powers. Use the Fire and the Ice or transform into your enemies to overcome the numerous obstacles in your way. Face and defeat foes such as werewolves, succubae, gargoyles and zombies. Exclusive camera features let you use your environment to gain power-ups and upgrades. Good or evil - be the sole master of your destiny!

SteamWorld Tower Defense
Publisher: Image & Form
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Welcome to Cowbot County, home of the robotic master race of SteamWorld! As the sheriff, you must stop the human invaders in their mad hunt for gold. Build attack robots next to the roads they roam, then watch the invaders go down. Use your robots' special skills to your advantage in this original tower defense variation where strategy and execution are equally important. There's an Easy mode for rookies, but everyone will find a unique challenge in the great Western reaches.

101 Shark Pets
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Choose from more than 101 baby sharks or simply adopt them all. Discover their personalities as you feed, clean and care for your new pets. Bring out each pet's talents by training sharks in a variety of fun and wacky activities. Enter your shark into pet shows and earn money to buy exciting upgrades, including toys, food, clothes and accessories. The more tricks you teach and the more games you play, the more fun you'll have!

Hello Flowerz
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Welcome to Hello Flowerz, the gardening game where you have fun with flowers. Sow your favorite flowers and look after them every day, helping them grow into healthy, beautiful flowers. Use your flowers to create wonderful bouquets and enter them in regular competitions. Landscape your own gardens, transplant flowers and arrange various items. Put on your gloves, grab your tools and start showing off your flowers!

Flips: The Folk of the Faraway Tree
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Jo, Bessie and Fanny have a visit from their snooty friend Connie. Connie won't believe in the Faraway Tree and the magical people who live there: Moon-face, Silky the fairy and Saucepan Man. There's only one way to prove her wrong. Together the children climb the tree and visit some of the lands at the top of it, such as the Land of Secrets and the Land of Treats. And after a few adventures, Connie learns to be a nicer person altogether!

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24331

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Today's WiiWare releases are as follows:

Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising
Publisher: Legendo Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Violence
Price: 700 Wii Points™
Description: Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising is the first title in a trilogy of air-combat action games for the WiiWare service. Take off from aircraft carrier decks and historic military bases as you conduct covert strikes, engage in furious dogfights and fly search-and-destroy missions. Pilot the most prolific fighter, bomber and torpedo-bearing aircraft of the World War II Pacific Theatre. Featuring two campaigns spanning the early years of the Pacific War, you can play as the United States Naval Air Force or the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force. You can also choose to practice your combat skills in the Avenging Ace or Survival dogfight modes.

Cruise Party
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Simulated Gambling
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Welcome aboard! Here you'll find four fabulous games to satisfy your appetite for gambling: Slot Machines, Roulette, Black Jack and "Video" Poker. Once on deck, you will be able to choose between Competition mode and Quick Play mode. If you beat a record, you'll have to enter your name in order to appear in the high scores table. Beware of bankruptcy!

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24331

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases today.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24331

[Icarus Moonsight]

Metal Torrent, anyone played it?

[JSoup]

Yesterday's WiiWare releases are as follows:

Toribash
Publisher: Nabi Studios
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Toribash is an online fighting game where you make all the moves. Use precision motion controls to create any move you want – the only limit is your imagination. Manipulate your fighter's joints for maximum impact and take out your opponents with precise hits. Boost your joints for added speed and strength to hit harder, then grab your opponents and slam them to the ground. Fight online and challenge players around the world using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection (broadband Internet access required). Want to make your own fight movies? Just jump into the replay editor. You can enter replays at any point in time and review your fight to catch that mind-blowing move you missed. When you're done, share with your buddies through WiiConnect24™.

Balloon Pop Festival
Publisher: UFO Interactive
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Balloon Pop Festival is a revolutionary puzzle game that's suitable for all ages. Point the Wii Remote™ controller at the screen to aim and link a series of balloons to create satisfying combos. Watch as the festival is beautifully animated, releasing different graphical elements to represent each month. The goal of the game is to score as much as you can before balloons cross the line on the bottom. Each festival has different graphical elements, animation and character costumes. The more you do through the festival, the more you will unlock graphics for playing other modes.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24425

[JSoup]

Yesterday's DSiWare releases are as follows:

Primrose
Publisher: Sabarasa
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Take your time, set your own pace, establish your own goals and adapt your play style however you like. Primrose rules are easy: There are no time limits, no levels, no arbitrary objectives and no constraints. Just place pairs of tiles on a game grid and attempt to corral groups of tiles with pieces of a different color. Surrounded tiles disappear and surrounding tiles change colors, allowing chain effects to trigger combos for massive points. You can play long matches and try to keep up with increasing levels of difficulty, or just go all out on a huge single-move combo for millions of points.

Pop Island – Paperfield
Publisher: odenis studio
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Discover a fresh, fun universe with easy pick-up-and-play control themes. Join your team and race, surf or fly on three new islands. Get a maximum of flags to win in the "Race for flags" or "Capture the flag" modes. With the new "Magic Shooters" team, take control of eight land, sea and air vehicles (including tanks, hovercrafts and planes) or animals (surfing penguins, eagles and black cats). An impressive graphics engine runs fast and smooth at 60 frames per second. In Solo Mode, rack up points and unlock new playable vehicles and maps. Use DS Download Play to share Pop Island – Paperfield and compete joyfully with up to seven friends. If you own Pop Island on your Nintendo DSi system, you can get three new maps and four vehicles, including a helicopter and a submarine.

Music on: Retro Keyboard
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn your Nintendo DSi system into a full electronic keyboard with a carefully chosen selection of sounds and rhythms from the mythic computers and consoles of the 1980s. Whether you're already an expert or taking your first steps, Retro Keyboard will help you capture your inspiration wherever you are. Features include an '80s-inspired interface and a selection of keyboard, console and computer sounds from the '80s, plus rhythms inspired by the first generation video games. You can also enjoy an automatic accompaniment function with chord recognition, up to eight user-definable chords, a six-octave keyboard (two octaves visible), pitch bend function, 16 instruments, an integrated sequencer, metronome, recording and replay options.

24/7 Solitaire
Publisher: cosmigo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: 24/7 Solitaire features 24 variations of the most widely known and best-loved single-player card games including Klondike, Freecell, Spider, Pyramid, Yukon and seven versions of Peg-Solitaire. Most games have custom game play options so you can enjoy the game with your favorite rules. On-screen instructions can help you learn new Solitaire variations. Statistics are available for players who love to track their wins. Save your game status at any time. The game's style and interface have been designed for easy, intuitive operation with the stylus or the control pad. Sit back, relax and enjoy the endless challenge and fun of this Solitaire game collection.

4 TRAVELLERS™ – Play French
Publisher: AGENIUS Interactive
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Challenge your family and friends in a new digital board game while learning your first words in a new language together. Compete in a foreign hotel where the goal is to acquire objects, money and friends. Strategy and fast learning are essential. The game is suitable for players young and old, and no previous knowledge is necessary. The more you play, the more your French vocabulary increases. The game is perfect to bring on your trip, including more than 240 carefully selected words.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24425

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases yesterday.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24425

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows:

AquaSpace
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points™
Description: Turn your television into a virtual aquarium with AquaSpace. You can simply relax and watch the fish or take the opportunity to read detailed information about them, such as scientific names and habitats, using the illustrated encyclopedia. If you want to get up close and personal with the fish, you can send your Mii™ character on a dive to swim with them, feed them or hunt for trivia icons to discover fish-related facts. Choose from eight aquarium themes and spruce them up with dozens of different fish and a variety of decorations, wallpaper and plant life. You can also change the background music by taking your pick from a selection of songs or using the sound of water. Then, once everything is set up, you can view your aquarium from a variety of camera angles (including a fish-eye view). Visit every day and watch your aquarium change – your fish will grow, and new fish may be born. Life continues in your aquarium even while the Wii console is turned off.

Furry Legends
Publisher: Gamelion
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Language
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: The legend starts here. Furry Legends is a dynamic platform adventure with the most fur ever seen in games. Solve fun, physics-based puzzles in a fantastic 3D world called Furland. It's a humorous and weird place populated by funny creatures you've never seen before, including five-eyed crabs, round cows, crazy rabbits and the lovely Furballs. Players control fluffy characters, each with a different set of special skills, such as the ability to manipulate time. Save the Furballs from their doom and keep Furland safe from Lord Squarie. Are you ready for a crazy adventure? Can you save Furland and its lovely Furballs? Try the furriest game of the century!

HoopWorld™
Publisher: Virtual Toys
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Long ago, a lost civilization called the Elders, who worshipped the magical power of Nature, built a network of sacred temples around the world. Millennia have since passed, and the temples now lie in ruins. But their energy still resonates from the land, attracting adventurers from distant lands. Drawn by the unknown force, friends have begun to rebuild the ruins into ball courts, knowing only that they must relive the time-honored test of the spirit of the Elders: the game now known as basketball. HoopWorld is a three-on-three basketball game with an arcade twist. Unique characters and beautiful natural locations set the stage, while fighting and random power-ups keep the game fast and rough. Choose your favorite team and basketbrawl across the globe to become the undisputed world champions. Play on your own or with a friend and see if you can beat the leaders of the HoopWorld global ranking.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24613

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows:

Petz Kittens
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: The cutest newborn kittens are here, and they need someone to care for them and love them. Adopt your very own kittens, bond with them and help them grow into strong and healthy cats. Choose from a variety of popular cat breeds including Siamese and Persian. Give your adorable baby kittens lots of loving care: Feed them warm milk, keep them clean and warm, and help them grow. Your kittens make cute faces and react in surprising ways when you play fun games with them, such as peek-a-boo or balloon games.

Scrabble Tools
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Scrabble, long one of the world's most popular board games, is enjoying a tremendous surge in popularity, both online and in the real world. Scrabble Tools for the Nintendo DSi system helps players hone their skills by strengthening their vocabulary, pattern recognition and point strategies through fun interactive training exercises.

Hospital Havoc
Publisher: Hands-On Mobile
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Do you have what it takes to run your very own heart-pumping hospital? Help your doctor navigate through the havoc by admitting, diagnosing and treating some of the wackiest patients ever encountered. A comically fun time-management and strategy game, Hospital Havoc presents a challenging campaign with three levels of difficulty to choose from, plus 20 career levels, 19 possible illnesses, three-to-six bed conditions, 11 challenging scenarios (including zombies!), continuous play and rousing replay ability. Personalize your doctor and nurse, and utilize various power-ups and medical machines to help send those patients home.

Happy Birthday Mart
Publisher: Pixel Federation
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Have you ever dreamed of having your own shop where you sell the goods to your friends? You can make that dream come true in Happy Birthday Mart, and it's no ordinary store. Animals come here to buy gifts for their friends. Manage and serve your customers, clean up and fix broken shelves. Happy Birthday Mart offers tons of fun in six different stores with 12 animals and 24 minigames. You can play the minigames through a separate menu screen.

Crazy Sudoku
Publisher: dtp entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play sudoku on the go using your Nintendo DSi system. The game features five levels of difficulty, offering a fun challenge for beginners and pros alike. Choose from two different grid sizes: 9x9 or 6x6. Use the handy Note feature to add comments to each and every cell and solve even the hardest puzzles. Try challenging a friend with the brilliant two-player mode.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24613

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases today.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24613

[Famidrive-16]

Wtf!!!

[BetaWolf47]

That's three weeks in a row? Bad sign x_x

[old_skoolin_jim]

Dagnabbit Nintendo! We want new old games already!

[Famidrive-16]

Today's game is Aero the Acrobat (SNES version) for 800 points.

[JSoup]

Today's game is Aero the Acrobat (SNES version) for 800 points.

Not bad, not bad. I only ever got to play a bit of this game as a kid (and it was the Genesis version).

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows:

Dive: The Medes Island Secret
Publisher: Cosmonaut Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: During the past five centuries, hundreds of ships flying every ensign have succumbed to the power of the ocean. Merchant boats, pirate ships, navy vessels – all have ended up covered in coral at the bottom of the ocean. All of them guarded secrets that remained hidden... until now. In Dive: The Medes Islands Secret, you are John Sanders, a treasure hunter and experienced diver who spends months planning and documenting a major expedition to locate and recover several ships of different ensigns around the world.

Heavy Fire: Special Operations
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Join an elite army unit in Heavy Fire: Special Operations, an arcade shooter for the WiiWare service. Play challenging missions in the Middle East from the ground, Humvee or Blackhawk. You will need a quick trigger finger to finish extremely dangerous levels. Rise through the military ranks and accumulate more powerful weapons with different features and controls. Replay the game to improve your best score and submit it to the world rankings. Make combos and smash the environment to get more points. You can take out enemies in a single-player mode or with a friend in multiplayer mode. The Wii Zapper™ accessory is supported but not required.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24660

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows:

Face Pilot™: Fly With Your Nintendo DSi Camera!
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: With the innovative game Face Pilot: Fly With Your Nintendo DSi Camera!, you can soar through the sky in a hang glider from the comfort of your sofa. Not only will you put your face into the game with the Nintendo DSi Camera, but Face Pilot: Fly With Your Nintendo DSi Camera! also tracks your head movements to give you complete control of your glider. Simply tilt your head sideways to steer left or right, lean back to climb and bend forward to dive. Choose from two play styles and fly through three different types of game play: bursting all of the balloons in a variety of courses, throwing balls at targets for a high score and trying for a fast time in the high-speed challenge. Also, look out for hidden medals that help to unlock new courses and even new gliders. If you're looking for a truly unique and inventive game, schedule a flight to experience Face Pilot: Fly With Your Nintendo DSi Camera! for yourself. The only thing missing is the wind in your hair!

Crystal Monsters
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: There are two kinds of people in this world: those who can see monsters (called Neo-Seeds) and those who can't. Neo-Seeds wield extraordinary power and battle using tamed monsters in grand tournaments. As a Neo-Seed who has just discovered his ability, you're about to set off on an amazing journey to collect more than 160 monsters and become the greatest Monster Breeder. Explore a vast world, meet new friends and rivals, and engage in dynamic battles that require skill and strategy. Master the nine elemental types, train your monsters through battle, teach them new moves, use team attacks and fuse them together to unlock their true potential. You can even customize three of your favorite monsters by putting friends' faces on them using the built-in camera.

Puffins: Let's Race!
Publisher: Other Ocean Interactive
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Get ready to challenge the speediest puffins on the island for the title of Fastest Flyer in Puffins: Let's Race! Race against the clock or go head-to-head with your opponents in a battle to the finish line. Use cleverly placed power-ups like the squawk shot to get ahead of the pack and claim victory. Race through four different game modes on eight different tracks to prove your skill, or challenge up to three of your friends via local wireless play. Do you have what it takes to become the race champion of Puffin Island, or will you be left behind with the rest of the flock?

Petz® Hamsterz® Family
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Adopt your very own family of hamsters! Care for them, teach them fun tricks and unlock new toys and accessories to give them lots of love! Care for your hamsters by feeding them, playing with them and keeping them clean and warm. Discover your hamsters' unique personalities – watch them react with cute and funny facial expressions. Teach your hamsters fun activities like bowling or running on ramps and watch them progress. Earn coins that can be used to unlock new toys and accessories for your lovable hamsters.

Absolute BrickBuster
Publisher: Tasuke
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Classic brick game action is here on the Nintendo DSi system. There are two modes of play: Free Play and Challenge. Pick one of eight characters and set special items to play at your own pace in Free Play Mode. The special items include different balls with special attributes, expandable paddle and paddle tilt. There are 10 stages in all. Each even-numbered stage gives you a mission, the result of which will determine the level of the next two stages. In Challenge Mode, different levels of missions are given – clear them to advance in the game.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24660

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows:

Fantasy Slots: Adventure Slots and Games
Publisher: Big John Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 700 Wii Points™
Description: Players can bring the exciting "Slots" experience home. Choose from six adventure-themed, five-reel bonus slots, or try your luck with classic Cherries or Diamonds slots. Win big jackpots and earn access to VIP suites. Players can use their winnings to purchase vibrant merchandise to customize their suites. As players progress, they can win multiple awards and achievements. Five-reel bonus slots include Gold Rush, Power of Zeus, Pirate Cove, Wild Safari, King Arthur's Excalibur and the Rising Sun. Classic three-reel slots are Diamonds and Cherries. Additional features include: High Roller Suites, where you can live like a VIP while customizing your own high roller suite with items such as artwork, pool tables, trophies and furniture; Bonus Games, offering six great games that can be played separately to challenge your nerves and increase your winnings; and Unlockables with achievement trophies that are tracked and awarded for exceptional play.

Deer Captor
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Deer Captor is a shooting game that offers an immersive hunting experience. Choosing from a rifle or crossbow, players can put their marksman skills to the test as they try to capture a variety of wildlife such as deer, hares and kites in the comfort of their living rooms. Aim for a high score in Instant Mode, where the objective is to capture as many animals as possible within a set time, or test your mettle in Mission Mode, where you must complete a series of objectives to advance to the pinnacle of the hunting world. Play against your friends and family in friendly competition, or post your single-player score to online leaderboards for nationwide bragging rights. (A broadband Internet connection is required for online play.)

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24791

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows:

Match Up!
Publisher: Digital Leisure
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Flip, match and…kaboom! How fast can you find the right set in Match Up!? No matter how old you may be, Match Up! will have you captivated for hours. Reveal shapes, colors and hidden bonuses with a new take on a childhood favorite. You'll need quick hands and a sharp mind to beat the clock and disarm the explosive cards riddled throughout the game. Not quite ready for the explosive action? Start with the engaging classic concentration play and see if you can level up.

BlayzBloo: Super Melee Action Battle Royale
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Blayzbloo: Super Melee Action Battle Royale pits Ragna, Rachel, Jin, Noel, Taokak and others against one another in five stages of rumble-and-tumble brawling action to see who's the best. There's also a Free Battle mode you can play to your heart's content. Use items in battle to pummel your opponent into oblivion. Drive attacks and special moves may also come in handy to finish off your opponents. Do you have what it takes to become the best Blayzbloo brawler?

Hints Hunter
Publisher: CIRCLE Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hints Hunter is an easy, casual game that you can play anytime and anywhere. The objective is simply to find hidden keys by working out the meanings of the hints in each level. You can play using only the stylus. Most of the hints are helpful and may require you to think about the time of day, game functions like clicking or dragging, or the principle of opening or closing. Be sure to observe the smallest details very carefully, including the name of a level or even a tiny flower.

Petz Dogz Family
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: There's a whole family of dogs you can adopt and love! Take care of them, discover their unique personalities and teach them fun tricks. Choose from favorite breeds such as golden retrievers and Labradors. Give your dogs the best care. Feed them, groom them and discover their individual personalities – some will be funny, others will be shy. Engage in fun activities with your pups – including playing with a flying disc and running obstacle courses – to turn them into talented dogs.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24791

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases today.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24791



August isn't off to a good start. >_>

[Malon_Forever]

How hard is it to have 1 game per week?

[JSoup]

How hard is it to have 1 game per week?

Sadly, it seems that it's becoming rather difficult. :/
Guess Nintendo is just waiting for the Christmas season to start.

[Rickstilwell1]

stupid copyright issues. it shouldnt be necessary for the same company to need permission from third parties to re-release the same games on another of their systems if they already had permission the first time. But its just the way the legal issues work.

Unfortunately we will probably never see The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy or Bignose the Caveman, two of the very few good unlicensed games for the NES.

And then when it comes to first party stuff like Yoshi's Island for SNES there shouldn't be an excuse for delays.

I wonder if Nintendo has some kind of internal upload limit policy and WiiWare is just hogging the show right now.

[Leo_A]

stupid copyright issues. it shouldnt be necessary for the same company to need permission from third parties to re-release the same games on another of their systems if they already had permission the first time. But its just the way the legal issues work.

Unless it's a first party title that is Nintendo owned or Nintendo was the publisher and retains those rights years later for all consoles (Typically not the case with those rights ending after a few years and being tied to a specific platform, such as R.C. Pro-Am that Rare developed and owns which Nintendo published on the NES; with Nintendo now holding no publishing rights even to produce it as a NES cartridge due to the agreement expiring many years ago), it isn't theirs to release.

They can't rerelease something that doesn't belong to them. A 3rd party title is developed by a third party and published by a third party after passing Nintendo's certification and with Nintendo recieving a slice of the pie with the necessary fees. It doesn't become Nintendo's property to do with as they please.



And then when it comes to first party stuff like Yoshi's Island for SNES there shouldn't be an excuse for delays.

They don't want to pay for development or haven't gotten around to emulating the Super FX chip. So don't count on seeing Yoshi's Island, Star Fox, Star Fox 2, and Stunt Race FX anytime soon. And with us down to approximately 1 release a month, it's extremely doubtful that delay is even the right word to describe the situation for these titles. It doesn't appear to even be in the pipeline with the future of the service itself even being in serious doubt these days.

[YoshiM]

It doesn't appear to even be in the pipeline with the future of the service itself even being in serious doubt these days.

Where'd you hear this?

[Icarus Moonsight]

I could see it as a logical explanation of going from a release plan of three-a-week, to two/one-a-week to a slow trickle.

[Leo_A]

It doesn't appear to even be in the pipeline with the future of the service itself even being in serious doubt these days.
Where'd you hear this?I could see it as a logical explanation of going from a release plan of three-a-week, to two/one-a-week to a slow trickle.

Exactly

And I thought the sentence prior to what you quoted fully explained my statement as simply my personal opinion based upon observation anyways (Statement quoted below).


And with us down to approximately 1 release a month, it's extremely doubtful that delay is even the right word to describe the situation for these titles.

I think we can all agree that the program is certainly not as healthy as it once was. I don't see how you can consider it's status currently as anything but in doubt with the slow decline in releases and the schedule of approximately 1 title a month that we now have.

[Malon_Forever]

How much money does it cost for Nintendo to put up a game on the VC? Seems like a easy way to make money to me.

[Leo_A]

For Nintendo, just the ESRB review fee and miscellaneous cost like preparing a virtual manual.

That's why a high percentage of their 1st party content that doesn't rely on outside IP has been released with few notable exceptions. I suspect the little that remains will continue to slowly trickle out (Such as Pilotwings 64 for a future N64 release) to fill the few holes that remain.

I suspect when all is said and done, every 1st party Nintendo release that doesn't involve licenses that would have to be renegotiated and/or acquired (Such as Earthbound) and titles that used special hardware (Zapper titles, Mario Paint, Super FX titles, etc.) will be out on the service. They're certainly already close to that point now.

The only possible exception that comes immediately to mind is Super Mario All-Stars which they're selling for a total of $12 more as standalone NES titles. But the recent release of Kirby's Super Star, despite the fact that there is a full priced DS release on store shelves, gives hope even for that. If the sales of the 4 NES titles ever decline enough where they think there's more money to be made releasing the SuperNes ports to get double dippers then the potential loss of $12 for people looking to buy those 4 titles for the first time on the VC, I'm sure even that will be released.

For a third party, you have those same fixed cost plus whatever fees Nintendo charges and likely a percentage from each sale. Profit margins are slim enough to keep most publishers away apparantly. And a majority of titles from a console like the NES would have a tough time even paying for their ESRB reviews (Which is why you'll certainly never see titles like The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy or Bignose the Caveman be rereleased).

Nintendo is also controlling to a very high degree what and when content is released. Capcom for example has publically stated that they submitted their entire nonlicensed NES/SuperNes backcatalog to Nintendo early in the console's lifespan and we've only seen a fraction of that content released to date (And there's also the well known refusal to release Bionic Commando that also demonstrates the lack of freedom a VC publisher has). That lack of freedom must also be a deterrent to potential publishers I would think.

[JSoup]

The only possible exception that comes immediately to mind is Super Mario All-Stars which they're selling for a total of $12 more as standalone NES titles. But the recent release of Yoshi's Super Star, despite the fact that there is a full priced DS release on store shelves, gives hope even for that if the sales of the 4 NES titles ever decline enough.

I'm sure you meant Kirby's Super Star, but a Yoshi game of similar awesomeness would be welcome.

[Leo_A]

That's what I meant of course. :)

[BetaWolf47]

What is this... I don't even...
http://ds.ign.com/objects/053/053885.html

[chrisbid]

i noticed this last year, with a slower release schedule over the summer. things will pick up again as xmas approaches

[Leo_A]

I doubt there is a huge increase in Virtual Console purchases during the holidays (Although there is no doubt a bit of an increase with people recieving Wii points cards as gifts).

And it's not like we went to a 1 release a month schedule last summer. So I'm not so sure I agree with your confidence that it's just a temporary slow down.

[joedick]

It doesn't appear to even be in the pipeline with the future of the service itself even being in serious doubt these days.

Possibly, but I'm not sure I buy that right now. We've been getting VC releases every 3-4 weeks for a while now, it's realistic to say that this is now the regular release schedule. Maybe Nintendo is taking a long-term view with the VC: they want to carry it over to the next system, so they are spacing out the releases to ensure content 5-10 years down the line. A bit optimistic, I know, but I can hope!

[Leo_A]

Possibly, but I'm not sure I buy that right now. We've been getting VC releases every 3-4 weeks for a while now, it's realistic to say that this is now the regular release schedule. Maybe Nintendo is taking a long-term view with the VC: they want to carry it over to the next system, so they are spacing out the releases to ensure content 5-10 years down the line. A bit optimistic, I know, but I can hope!

Well that line you quoted is specifically about Nintendo's handful of Super FX titles.

Clearly the Virtual Console is slowing down or they wouldn't be slowing down their releases to try to bring more attention to each individual title. I don't see Nintendo paying the development cost now to bring Super FX compatibility to their emulator for something like Yoshi's Island when they didn't when the service was booming compared to today's reduced pace of Virtual Console releases.

That makes about as much sense to me as the people that think Sony will develop and release a Playstation 2 emulator for the Playstation 3 once the platform is discontinued. If they were ever going to make that investment, they would've done it when it economically was most beneficial (When the service was so successful it was getting 2-3 titles a week) and not when it's going to just be a mere footnote in the latter days of the system's lifespan.

Of course I'd love to be wrong. I've been rebuying my favorites for benefits like save states in games that didn't have a save function in the past or just had passwords, the clarity of component video, avoiding sometimes finicky cartridge saves, etc. So I'd be first in line to buy Star Fox, Star Fox 2, Yoshi's Island and Stunt Race FX if they ever appeared.

I really doubt they got to the 90% or greater mark for 1st party NES/SNES/N64 content and suddenly decided to slow things down to spread out their releases of their few remaining titles like the Mario Party games and Pilotwings 64. And they certainly aren't doing it to spread out 3rd party content. They've barely scraped the service for great 3rd party classics. Even from Virtual Console supporters like Capcom, there are still dozens of classics with no licensing issues that would be available to rerelease.

And I can guarantee you that your Virtual Console library won't transfer to a WiiHD (Heck, you can't even transfer it to another Wii). So I'm sure the plans if they exist for a Virtual Console on a future platform isn't playing a role in decisions regarding releases on the current service since they're going to be starting over again anyways. Again, I'd love to be wrong but I'm just giving my realisitic opinion of the possibility.