Crazy good selections from Nintendo this week, folks. There’s some kick ass classics to go along with games you’ve never heard of. Oh, and a notebook. Yep.
DSiWare is blowing up this week, mostly because of the classic Ubisoft platformerRayman(800 Nintendo DSi Points). No Rabbids here. This DSi version sports new features that use the DSi cam and screens, too.
Other offerings include the perverted soundingBall Fighter(500 DSi points), the kinda nasty sounding (well, it’s a stretch, but work with me)Pop Island(also 500 points) and the no-fun nameArmy Defender(200 DSi points). Finally,myNotebook: Red(200 points) is the DSi app of your dreams. Jot down things, just like you’d do with paper and pencil! “With five ink colors, you’ll always be able to make your notes and doodles look stylish.”
As for WiiWare, there’s some goodies.Shinobi(800 Wii Points) has always been my jam, as hasStreet Fighter Alpha 2(also 800 points).Stop Stress: A Day of Furysounds pretty interesting, as doesFlowerworks. There’s some puzzle gaming here withMAGNETIS, and for our own Chad Concelmo,My Dolphin.
I’ll be buying a few of these this week. What are you getting?
RaymanPublisher:UbisoftPlayers:1ESRB Rating:E (Everyone)Price:800 Nintendo DSi Points™Description:The legendary firstRaymanadventure is now available from the Nintendo DSiWare service. Play as Rayman and try to save his amazing world from the evil Mr. Dark. Discover a charming universe with colorful landscapes and meet funny characters who’ll help Rayman through his quest. Experiment with his abilities as you punch, hang or fly in the air and choose between two difficulty levels. Take advantage of new features in the Nintendo DSi version, such as the Nintendo DSi Camera, map selection on the touch screen and the ability to play against time to win bonuses.
Ball FighterPublisher:TeyonPlayers:1-2ESRB Rating:E (Everyone)Price:500 Nintendo DSi PointsDescription:Ball Fighteris a puzzle game in which you take aim and blast groups of dropping spheres to create matches and clear the board. You can make chains to earn additional points or to make the game more difficult for an opponent. When you destroy spheres in a multiplayer mode, they will be added to the opponent’s board, making his or her task more difficult. You can find special bonuses like a Brush, a Rocket Launcher or a Bomb, which can be used to destroy spheres or to paint a line of them with the same color. You’ll find a variety of single-player modes, including Arcade, Survival, Brain Breaker and Player vs CPU, plus the unique multiplayer mode, all playable on one Nintendo DSi system.
Pop IslandPublisher:odenis studioPlayers:1-8ESRB Rating:E (Everyone) – Comic MischiefPrice:500 Nintendo DSi PointsDescription:Discover a joyful universe where playing is always a pleasure withPop Island. Colorful and fun,Pop Islandis an action-packed capture-the-flag game. Pick a team to join, then run, jump and spin your way around the island in an attempt to collect the priceless flags hidden throughout it. Become a surfing penguin, a flying fish or a waterskiing crocodile as you go all out for victory, unlocking 12 more joyful animals as you rack up points across eight different planets. You might even end up competing as a skateboarding mammoth. Playing alone is plenty of fun, but the madcap action reaches a new level when your friends get involved. By sharing the demo of the game via DS Download Play, up to seven more people with their own Nintendo DSi systems can use a local wireless connection to join you for some head-to-head or cooperative action. With plenty of power-ups, you’ll need to concentrate on capturing more than just the rival team’s flag to claim victory.
ARMY DEFENDERPublisher:MINDSCAPEPlayers:1ESRB Rating:E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon ViolencePrice:200 Nintendo DSi PointsDescription:Army Defenderis an action shooter in which players must defend their base against enemy attacks by controlling a machine gun tower designed to eradicate enemy waves. As the player levels up, the enemy becomes more and more numerous and well-equipped. Attackers include soldiers, tanks, paratroopers, helicopters, jet fighters, bombers and elite commandos. Depending on the enemy type (red or green), players must switch between ammunition colors. The machine gun tower will fire where the player taps the touch screen. Power-ups are made available on a regular basis when a super bomber delivers them onto the base. When a power-up is retrieved, players will be able to upgrade their tower for a limited amount of time. Upgrades include flamethrowers, rocket launchers or concussion grenades that will help contain enemy progression.
myNotebook: Red™Publisher:NnoooPlayers:1Price:200 Nintendo DSi PointsDescription:myNotebookallows you to take notes wherever you are. Just pop open your Nintendo DSi system and jot down your thoughts. Make a list and cross it off, or even play your favorite pen-and-paper games (games not included). you’re able to even personalize your notebook by drawing on the cover and changing the paper type with 18 unlockable squared and lined paper styles. Use the pen or pencil to make your notes or doodles, then erase the bits you don’t like. With five ink colors, you’ll always be able to make your notes and doodles look stylish.
WiiWare™
My DolphinPublisher:T&S Ltd.Players:1ESRB Rating:E (Everyone)Price:500 Wii Points™Description:You are a dolphin trainer. Use the magical stick (Wii Remote™and Nunchuk™controllers) to perform in lifelike dolphin shows. Teach your dolphin tricks and have fun watching your dolphin swim and play elegantly with different scenes, music and angles. This game lets you train your dolphin, compete in dolphin shows and watch your dolphin swim freely. Using Nintendo®Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play, you can become friends with other dolphins that have different colors and personalities. You can also buy new toys such as rings and balls for your dolphin to play with.
MAGNETIS™Publisher:YULLABYPlayers:1-4ESRB Rating:E (Everyone)Price:500 Wii PointsDescription:MAGNETISis all about attraction. Connect the magnets to create electric explosions. Solving this frantic puzzle will require quick thinking and foresight. Anticipate connections to generate massive chain reactions to win the highest number of points. To get rid of blocks and score points, you must create lines by connecting left and right magnets of the same color by using conductor blocks. The longer the line, the more points you’ll get. Team up with as many as three friends in cooperative mode or play against them in battle mode and compete for the highest score.
Stop Stress: A Day of FuryPublisher:AbylightPlayers:1ESRB Rating:T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, ViolencePrice:800 Wii PointsDescription:Jack’s dreams have become a nightmare, and only you may help him to get out. Climb into the skin of the most stressed-out man in the world, grab the baseball bat and prepare to let off more steam than ever before. Destroy everything around you, beat a path through traffic or at the office, and face off against incredible hallucinations. How far will a day of fury take you?
Flowerworks®Publisher:Nocturnal EntertainmentPlayers:1ESRB Rating:E (Everyone)Price:1,000 Wii PointsDescription:While our heroine Follie is traveling to meet her auntie with a cargo of mystical Flowerworks seeds, her ship is pulled off course and crash-lands in a particularly dull area of the planet Elilia. Explore with Follie and help her recover her seeds to transform the world from drab to fab. You’ll encounter strange inhabitants, some of whom will help Follie in her quest. Others, such as naughty garden gnomes, will hinder it.Flowerworksis a single-player adventure which combines blooming flowers, colorful fireworks, exploration and a whole lot of fun. The game will have the whole family immersed in no time, but be warned: Becoming aFlowerworksmaster is not for the faint of heart.Flowerworksincludes Adventure, FreePlay and Tutorial game modes, with three difficulty settings in a 20-hour adventure.
Virtual Console
Street Fighter Alpha 2Original platform:Super NESPublisher:Capcom USAPlayers:1-2ESRB Rating:T (Teen) – Animated ViolencePrice:800 Wii PointsDescription:Street Fighter Alpha 2explodes with lightning-fast game play and amazing innovations. Quick Move Reversals, Alpha Counters and the incredible Custom Combo System create a new standard for all games to fight by. Push your talents to the limit as you discover new hidden moves and reversals for every character. Neutralize opponents’ attacks with high and low Alpha Counters and execute incredible Custom Combos to create your own rapid-fire assaults. All your favorite warriors are back for more. Previously hidden characters Dan, Akuma and Bison are joined by five new fighters: Rolento, Gen and Sakura, plus classic favorites Dhalsim and Zangief.
Shinobi™Publisher:SEGAPlayers:1ESRB Rating:E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild ViolencePrice:800 Wii PointsDescription:Here’s a bit of helpful advice to all you criminal organizations out there: If you’re going to hatch an elaborate plot that involves kidnapping children, don’t kidnap children who have ninjas for parents. That was the big mistake that a group called Zeed made when it went after the offspring of the Oboro clan. Now Joe Musashi is on the hunt to rescue the young hostages and take out Zeed’s leaders, the Ring of Five. As you scour each stage, leave no children behind – Joe can’t proceed to the next level without freeing them all. With an unlimited supply of shuriken, his sharpened katana and his deadly fists and feet, Joe will show Zeed why you don’t mess with family.
