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NintendoWare Weekly: Rayman, Stop Stress, Shinobi, Street Fighter Alpha 2

by David Hinkle { Dec 7th 2009 at 10:30AM }

There's some classic platforming to be had in both Rayman and Shinobi in this week's Nintendo downloads, and even a way to deal with Jack's overabundance of stress in Stop Stress: A Day of Fury. There's over ten titles in all, so cruise past the break for the full list.

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Sunsoft kicks off American return with Blaster Master on Virtual Console

by JC Fletcher { Dec 4th 2009 at 6:45PM }

Sunsoft is coming back, with the help of Victor Ireland's Gaijinworks. The publisher plans to bring its brand back to prominence initially by re-releasing classics. The first? Blaster Master on Virtual Console. Sunsoft plans to launch the NES action title this month.

Through its new website, the company plans to offer prizes and "exclusive, limited edition premiums," which reminds us of Ireland's former company, the swag-heavy Working Designs. More game launches will be announced soon. "This first Wii release is a great start," Ireland said. "But there is one upcoming announcement in particular that will demonstrate just how serious (Sunsoft CEO Kiharu) Yoshida-san is about rebuilding the Sunsoft console gaming brand here."

[Via NeoGAF, GameSetWatch]

European Nintendo downloads: Earthworm Jim 2, holiday games

by JC Fletcher { Dec 4th 2009 at 1:45PM }

This week, the European Wii and DS Shops' halls are decked, with one festive, holiday-themed game each! Happy Holidays: Christmas on WiiWare is, like the Halloween WiiWare release, a program that lets you put together and send e-cards. Yep.

Just Sing! Christmas Songs on DSiWare is pretty much what it sounds like: a karaoke game in which you just sing Christmas songs. Two of them. Just watch the trailer (via GoNintendo) after the break.

Oh, also, Earthworm Jim 2 on Virtual Console. Neat!

Earthworm Jim 2 (Mega Drive, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Mahjong (WiiWare, 500 Wii Points)
Happy Holidays: Christmas (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
A Little Bit of ... Magic Made Fun: Matchmaker (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Just Sing! Christmas Songs (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
myNotebook: Red (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)

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Japanese Nintendo downloads: King of Fighters '95, Kamenin Merchant

by JC Fletcher { Dec 1st 2009 at 1:15PM }

Today, for those Japanese gamers who like King of Fighters games but didn't purchase the Orochi Collection disc -- or the Neo Geo Online Collection Complete Box sets, King of Fighters '95 is available on the Virtual Console. SNK Playmore's business model is so strange -- these Virtual Console releases seem to actively compete with the company's retail collections.

Also available: two cute Namco arcade games, including Rompers, an obscure game about pushing walls over on enemies. DSiWare features a Tales of Graces spinoff, a calendar that lets you mark upcoming events, and a Picross variant with surprisingly nice sprite work.

The King of Fighters '95 (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
Ordyne (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Rompers (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Ponjan Wii (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Ato Nannichi? Kazoeru Nintendo DSi Calendar (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Kamenin Merchant (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Kaiten Illust Puzzle Guruguru Logic (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)

VC in Brief: The Combatribes (SNES), Solomon's Key (VC Arcade)

by David Hinkle { Nov 30th 2009 at 9:45PM }

This week's Virtual Console update offers two delectable titles -- Solomon's Key is a very unique action/puzzler hybrid, whereas The Combatribes features a wonderfully bad story and the demon clowns of Coney Island. Life doesn't get much better than this, folks!

Solomon's Key (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 600 Wii Points)
The Combatribes (SNES, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)

Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.

Final Fight 3, Metal Gear headline Japanese Virtual Console lineup next month

by JC Fletcher { Nov 30th 2009 at 1:00PM }

Metal Gear kept Japanese Wii owners waiting last month, as publisher D4 Enterprises missed the game's announced November release window. The tactical espionage action progenitor has snuck into December's lineup, along with another November refugee, Yie Ar Koutei no Gyakushuu.

December will also see the arrival of Final Fight 3 for SNES, which features Guy and Haggar along with two new characters, all doing what they do best: punching people, eating garbage, and destroying lots of barrels. Of course, no Virtual Console schedule is complete without shmups, and December will see two: Ordyne, an adorable side-scroller from Namco, and Zaxxon, a classic Sega shooter with a confusing perspective. See the list after the break.

[Via Andriasang]

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NintendoWare Weekly: Tales of Monkey Island, Bookworm, The Combatribes

by David Hinkle { Nov 30th 2009 at 12:00PM }

If you thought last week's NintendoWare Weekly update was huge, well ... you'll probably think the same thing about this week's update! That's mostly because Nintendo provides quite the overweight offering this time, with a total of ten new titles available for your post-Thanksgiving download. Loosen that belt and make some room for more by heading past the break for the full list of this week's releases.

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Japanese Nintendo downloads: MSX games, Eco Shooter, and 16 more

by JC Fletcher { Nov 24th 2009 at 1:01PM }

There's an incredibly diverse selection of games on the Japanese Wii and DSi Shops today -- 12 different games on Wii, and 6 on DSi. Think of this as Nintendo's online version of the holiday rush.

Most interesting among the multifarious offerings: a few forgotten Konami MSX games on VC, and 530 Eco Shooter on WiiWare. That's ... an Intelligent Systems-developed shooting game about shooting cans. The cans are alive and move around. It's weird. Also weird: Nintendo's Neratte Spot! for DSiWare, which is about throwing bombs into the mouths of fish.

The whole list is after the break, because it's crazy long.

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VC in Brief: Super Mario Kart (SNES), A Boy and His Blob (NES)

by David Hinkle { Nov 23rd 2009 at 9:15PM }

This week's Virtual Console update is delicious on two different fronts. For one, it's delicious in that we wish we could have some of those jelly beans the Blob in A Boy and His Blob is snacking on -- well, except for the ketchup ones. Even we don't like those!

Secondly, it's delicious because ... uh, we may not have thought that far ahead, But, hey, Super Mario Kart! Have you been adequately distracted from our mental lapse? Check out the video above!

Super Mario Kart (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

NintendoWare Weekly: Bit.Trip Void, Super Mario Kart, A Boy and His Blob

by JC Fletcher { Nov 23rd 2009 at 10:00AM }

Nintendo celebrates Thanksgiving by dropping a massive feast onto the table of every Wii and DSi owner in North America. The next Bit.Trip game is now available on WiiWare, DSiWare receives another heaping serving of Electroplankton, and Virtual Console welcomes ... Super Mario Kart. We guess when Nintendo said "by year's end" it meant "next week." See the full, seasonally appropriate bounty after the break.

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Report: Mario Kart, Pilotwings and Smash Bros. coming to Virtual Console by year's end

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 21st 2009 at 4:30PM }

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo revealed to them that a few oft-requested classic titles will be added to the Virtual Console within the coming weeks. According to the report, the festivities will kick off this coming Monday, when Super Mario Kart (which has been available in Japan for approximately forever) will be added to the storefront for the standard price of 800 Wii Points ($8).

Later in the holiday season, Nintendo will also reportedly drop the original Pilotwings onto the platform, then shortly after that, will also toss Super Smash Bros. into the mix. No prices have been announced for these two titles, but according to the Gamespot article, both will be released by the end of the year. That's just great. It's not like we're already drowning in huge, time-draining blockbusters. Now we've got to start perfecting our drifting and shell-flinging once again. We appreciate the gesture, Nintendo -- but your timing is rotten.

VC in Brief: Street Fighter II' Champion Edition (TG16) and Indiana Jones (SNES)

by David Hinkle { Nov 16th 2009 at 7:45PM }

This week, the Virtual Console dumptruck has unloaded two new games onto Wii consoles. One is a fighting game with a superior version already on the service, while the other is a pretty good Factor 5 joint for the SNES. If you fancy yourself an Indy fan (not that kinda Indy), then you'll definitely want to check out the video above.

Actually, you should probably just watch it anyway. You know, just to be safe.

Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Street Fighter II' Champion Edition (TG16, 1 - 2 players, 700 Wii Points)

NintendoWare Weekly: WiiWare demos, Pokemon Rumble, Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures

by David Hinkle { Nov 16th 2009 at 11:30AM }

This week, we get our first taste of Nintendo's new WiiWare demos. Surprisingly, it didn't take Nintendo that long to flip the switch for North America, considering the company revealed the long-overdue feature -- and day-one annoyance -- only earlier this month. And on top of the free trial versions of select WiiWare titles (five total this week!), there are also two new Virtual Console titles to enjoy, as well as three new DSiWare games. Hit the break for the full list.

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European Nintendo downloads: My Zoo, Ninja Gaiden, Rock N' Roll Climber

by JC Fletcher { Nov 13th 2009 at 1:15PM }

Today, on the European Wii Shop, Hudson follows up its surprisingly successful My Aquarium with more animals to take care of. Also on WiiWare, Nintendo's still-weird Balance Board-equipped Rock N' Roll Climber, whose rock-climbing/air-guitar concept, and whose non-standard apostrophe use we'll never get used to.

The big draw for us is the arcade brawler version of Ninja Gaiden, which seems fresh to us after 20 years of dodging eagles in the NES game.

My Zoo (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Rock N' Roll Climber (WiiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Ninja Gaiden (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
A Little Bit Of .... Nintendo Touch Golf (DSiWare, 800 DSi Points)

Japanese Nintendo downloads: Street Fighter II', Panel Connection

by JC Fletcher { Nov 10th 2009 at 11:45AM }

There's no WiiWare this week in Japan, but there is the best 8-bit adaptation of Street Fighter II ever. Not that the PC Engine version has much competition outside of pirate Famicom cartridges and the terrible Game Boy port. But the PC Engine's SF2 holds up respectably against even the Genesis and SNES versions. It's joined on Virtual Console by a pair of tank games from Namco.

DSiWare offers a Chinese vocabulary learning tool and a new puzzle game by Intelligent Systems. Panel Connection involves setting panels into a grid to create an uninterrupe\ted exhaust path for a rocket.