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VC/WiiWare Friday: Happy Hanabi Festival

by JC Fletcher { Jul 3rd 2009 at 10:15AM }

Nintendo of Europe's Hanabi Festival returns, bringing with it, of course, import games! Fantastic stuff is available this week on Virtual Console: Pulseman, a Mega Man-style platformer from a pre-Pokemon Game Freak, and Ogre Battle, the legendary strategy title from Yasumi Matsuno's Quest.

This week's awesomeness extends to WiiWare, with both Bplus's Bit Boy!!, the maze action game that shuffles between various levels of retro, and Gradius Rebirth, which settles at the 16-bit era. And on DSiWare, the Mario calculator and clock apps arrive. Roll your eyes all you want, but they're surprisingly delightful. Details after the break.

Nintendo also announced Hanabi Festival titles you can expect in following weeks: Bomberman '94, Kirby's Dream Land 3, Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II, MUSHA, Detana!! Twinbee, and the NES Smash Table Tennis!

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VC in Brief: Fantasy Zone II (Sega Master System)

by David Hinkle { Jun 29th 2009 at 3:25PM }

Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (Sega Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
We say: Shmup and Sega fanboys will gobble this up
This week, we've got classic shmup Fantasy Zone II on the Virtual Console. And, just like the first game, it's a whole bunch of colorful fun. Featuring infectious music, pleasant locales, and plenty of coins to collect, it's a solid choice for someone looking for a shmup that isn't Gradius.

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.

NintendoWare Weekly: Water Warfare in for a Reel Fishing Challenge

by David Hinkle { Jun 29th 2009 at 11:25AM }

It wouldn't be Monday without new games to download across Nintendo platforms. This week's highlight is definitely Hudson's first-person soaker, Water Warfare. It's a neat concept, but we really think Hudson could've spent some time tightening up the graphics on level three.

Gallery: Water Warfare

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VC/WiiWare Tuesday: That's Galactic Dancin'

by JC Fletcher { Jun 23rd 2009 at 11:30AM }

This week, Japan gets two arcade games -- both of which have titles starting with the letter G, and both of which are already available on Virtual Console as ports. Galaga '88, Namco's cute, brightly colored, fireworks-filled sequel to Galaga, is definitely something we'd consider double-dipping for. Both the arcade version and the TG16 port (Galaga '90) are great, and the port includes a bit of extra content. And is it okay to like Golden Axe? Because we like Golden Axe.

On the WiiWare front, Hudson launches its second downloadable FPS for the Wii. Unfortunately, it's the dire-looking Water Warfare.

Virtual Console:

Galaga '88 (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Golden Axe (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

Bang Bang Kids (1-2 players offline, 2-8 online, 800 Wii Points)

NintendoWare Weekly: NEVES Plus brings Art Style to SimEarth

by David Hinkle { Jun 22nd 2009 at 4:00PM }

This week's star of the show is undoubtedly WiiWare, which receives the very rare "three-title-update." Playing second and third fiddle are DSiWare and the Virtual Console, which both get the usual one new title. So, without further ado, let's check out what's available to download this week across Nintendo platforms in the latest NintendoWare Weekly.

Gallery: NEVES Plus

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VC in Brief: Space Harrier (Arcade)

by David Hinkle { Jun 15th 2009 at 6:15PM }

Space Harrier (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
We say: Way superior to the Sega Genesis port; fun on-rails shmup
Virtual Console-savvy readers likely remember this video for Space Harrier. Well, that's the bunk Sega Master System version (fun as it may be), and this week, the real deal arcade version arrives. It's superior in just about every way to the Sega Master System version already on the service (including price, sadly). So, if you're going to drop that $8 you earned from mowing lawns and shaving pets on Space Harrier, make sure it's the superior arcade version here.

NintendoWare Weekly: Let's Catch some Towering Toast

by JC Fletcher { Jun 15th 2009 at 10:15AM }

It's an uncharacteristically packed week for WiiWare. Three games are out at once, and we've actually heard of all three. We feel like we're living in Japan! Nintendo didn't skimp on the Virtual Console either, with a new, exciting Virtual Console Arcade title -- well, new in the Virtual Console sense. It's still old.

DSiWare also gets ... well, it's another set of clock and calculator apps. But they're exceptionally cute apps with Mario in them! That's still kind of worthwhile in our opinion. Maybe we just like making Mario coin sounds a little too much. Check after the break for the list of new downloads!

Gallery: Eduardo the Samurai Toaster

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Euro Wii owners: Super Smash Bros. available on Virtual Console tomorrow

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

Finally, the moment you've been waiting for since you lent your copy of Super Smash Bros. to someone who then moved away. If you're in Europe, tomorrow will be a very exciting Virtual Console day: the original Super Smash Bros. will be available for download, according to the Official Nintendo Magazine, for 1,000 points.

Surprisingly, Nintendo isn't taking the opportunity to be lazy and make it a one-game week. Cocoto Platform Jumper will also be up on WiiWare, and both Asphalt 4 and Sudoku 150 will be on DSiWare. We thought we'd mention these here, because they will not get any attention at all this week due to Smash Bros.

VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Super Mario Kart and ... streaming game music

by JC Fletcher { Jun 9th 2009 at 11:30AM }

We were all set to gush over Super Mario Kart and the promise of some charmingly retro party gaming (for two players at a time, of course, which we suppose is part of the retro charm), but Gust disrupted our plans by releasing something on WiiWare that is weird and ill-advised enough to demand our attention. Game Sound Station is a subscription-based music streaming service available on WiiWare -- almost exclusively for listening to Gust game soundtracks. If you'd like to pay for a week of unlimited Atelier and Ar Tonelico game music, here's your chance!

The other WiiWare game, peakvox escape virus, is sort of a Snake crossed with Geometry Wars experience. As a DNA codon, you pick up other DNA around a level to form a chain, carefully navigating your increasingly long chain around enemy viruses. The game has a variety of other modes, including one that turns it into a shooter.

Virtual Console:

Super Mario Kart (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Assault (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

Game Sound Station (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
peakvox escape virus (1 player, 500 Wii Points)

NintendoWare Weekly: Minis March Again, Swords & Soldiers

by David Hinkle { Jun 8th 2009 at 11:45AM }

With all of the excitement of E3 dying down, it's time we got back into the groove of things, and Nintendo knows that best. This week, the DSi gets some Mario vs Donkey Kong love, and WiiWare gets a pair of new titles. The Virtual Console isn't left out in the cold, either, as strategy fans will likely be interested in what Ghengis Khan is up to. So, head past the break and check out what's available for download from Nintendo this week.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Final Fantasy IV, Mighty Flip Champs

by David Hinkle { Jun 1st 2009 at 1:00PM }

Even though we're beginning our hellish descent into the mouth of madness that is E3, Nintendo is still taking the time to unload the downloadable goods to fans. This week, you'll find some fresh DSiWare, and your usual doses of WiiWare and Virtual Console goodies to boot. So, head past the break to check out what's available this week on Nintendo platforms.

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Super Mario Kart races onto Japan's Virtual Console next month

by JC Fletcher { May 29th 2009 at 6:05PM }

The lineup of Virtual Console games heading to Japan next month is fairly light. But we suspect that won't matter at all because it includes Super Mario Kart. Super Mario Kart plus any quantity of other games seems like a nice month! Oh, especially since it also includes Final Fantasy II, which, unfortunately, we don't expect to see on our own Virtual Console.

Other games include another Famicom entry in the Jake Hunter series, adorable Wagyan Land and Mappy sequels from Namco, and the original arcade versions of Altered Beast (!) and Golden Axe (!!).

Famicom:

Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Toki no Sugiyuki Mama Ni
Final Fantasy II

Super Famicom:

Super Wagyan Land (out June 2)
Super Mario Kart

Virtual Console Arcade

Altered Beast (out June 2)
Golden Axe
Hopping Mappy (out June 2)

VC Friday: A 'sleeper' Art Style game

by JC Fletcher { May 29th 2009 at 1:05PM }

This week, another new DSiWare Art Style game appears on the PAL DSi Shop -- one that was overlooked upon its Japanese release, due mostly to the fact that it was released at the same time as the much more eye-catching PiCOPiCT. Somnium has been renamed NEMREM for Europe -- still sleep-themed, but ... weirder.

On the Wii side, the arcade version of Space Harrier is now available on Virtual Console and the "arcade" fishing game Fish 'em All has been added to WiiWare.

Virtual Console:

Space Harrier (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

Fish 'em All (1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

DSiWare:

Art Style: NEMREM (1 player, 500 DSi Points)

NintendoWare Weekly: Adventure Island: The Beginning, Bubble Bobble Plus!, another clock

by Ben Gilbert { May 25th 2009 at 1:00PM }

Another strange week for DSiWare arrives, as Photo Clock appears on the store, doing little more than charging two dollars for limited functionality additions to the DSi. If you were looking for a good alarm for the DSi, this could be your week! Thankfully, American Popstar: Road to Celebrity is picking up the slack and ... wait, American Popstar? What?! Forget it, DSi! We're sticking with the Wii and snagging the remake of an 8-bit classic in Adventure Island: The Beginning instead. As always, jump past the break for all the messy details.

Gallery: Photo Clock (DSiWare)

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Retro Adapter outclasses the Classic Controller

by JC Fletcher { May 21st 2009 at 10:40AM }

Next month, developer Komodo and distributor Innex will one-up (or two-up, we guess) RetroZone's RetroPort Wii controller adapters with their Retro Adapter. Instead of merely allowing you to use a NES or SNES controller with Virtual Console games, the Retro Adapter features ports for NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64 pads in one $20 device. The adapter, being released almost just in time for the release of Majora's Mask on the Virtual Console, purportedly supports true analog control for the N64 controller.

Innex will be demonstrating the product at E3, and we're going to do our best to get all those new games or whatever out of the way so we can spend some time with it.