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European Nintendo downloads: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Dracula: Undead Awakening

by JC Fletcher { Feb 26th 2010 at 2:15PM }

This week, European Wii and DSi owners can download the same game on either system: a ported version of Chillingo's iPhone shooter iDracula: Undead Awakening. Unfortunately, it's hitting on the absolute worst day ever to release a WiiWare game about fighting Dracula.

Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Reel Fishing Challenge (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Dracula: Undead Awakening (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Bird & Bombs (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Dracula: Undead Awakening (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Electroplankton: Marine-Crystals (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Electroplankton: Varvoice (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Zoo Frenzy (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)

European Nintendo downloads: Sonic & Knuckles, Frogger Returns, Overturn

by JC Fletcher { Feb 12th 2010 at 3:15PM }

It's a return of two classic mascots on the Wii this week, sort of. A good Sonic the Hedgehog game -- and, in fact, one that is kind of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -- is up on the Virtual Console, with Lock-On tech intact; and Konami's Frogger is doing what he does best (almost dying in traffic). And also there's a game about robots shooting each other, but that doesn't really fit into the theme.

Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Frogger Returns (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)
Overturn: Mecha Wars (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Electroplankton: Rec-Rec (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Electroplankton: Lumiloop (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Sudoku 4Pockets (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Let's Golf (DSiWare, 1-2 players, 800 DSi Points)

European Nintendo downloads: Max and the Magic Marker, Electroplankton

by JC Fletcher { Jan 22nd 2010 at 11:44AM }

As we predicted (based on having been told exactly what to predict), Max and the Magic Marker is available on WiiWare in Europe today. Those of you with doodling on the brain now have an adventure waiting for you on the Wii Shop Channel! Those of you with simulated historical conflict resolution in mind will also have something to do: shoot at video clips in Fast Draw Showdown. Additionally, on DSiWare, Nintendo continues to dole out single Electroplankton instruments.

The full list of release for the week follows:

Fast Draw Showdown (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Max and the Magic Marker (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Electroplankton: Trapy DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Electroplankton: Nanocarp (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)

European Nintendo downloads: Phoenix Wright, Electroplankton

by JC Fletcher { Jan 15th 2010 at 1:30PM }

The Wii port of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney arrives in Europe today, after being panned by US media for being a lazy port. We don't think "lazy port" is a strong enough term for what is essentially a GBA game running in emulation. But, because it's Phoenix Wright running in emulation, and its story is unaltered by the change in presentation, we personally don't care. It's not like anyone expected anything to be changed or added.

In other "things that used to be retail DS games" news, on DSiWare, Nintendo offers two more Electroplankton segments this week. Hudson also presents the hardest sudoku puzzles yet.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Electroplankton: Beatnes (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Electroplankton: Hanenbow (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Sudoku Sensei (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi 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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NintendoWare Weekly: Excitebike World Rally, Electroplankton, Cybernoid, and more

by JC Fletcher { Nov 9th 2009 at 11:00AM }

It's a very exciting day for Nintendo downloads, thanks to one very thrilling two-wheeler. But Excitebike World Rally is far from the only offering this week. In fact, there are multiple games available for WiiWare, Virtual Console, and DSiWare, which seems like a rare feat for Nintendo of America. Head past the break to see if any of the other new games excite you.

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Electroplankton makes weird noises on Japanese DSiWare this week

by JC Fletcher { Jul 6th 2009 at 2:00PM }

Nintendo continues to release bite-size portions of old DS games as DSiWare games, which may rankle some, but we think its latest broken-up DS game makes a lot of sense. The company plans to release Electroplankton in Japan as ten individual 200-point downloads, each consisting of one of the "plankton" instruments from the "game."

This Wednesday, Tracy, Hanenbon, Nanocarp, and Beatnes will be available on Japan's DSi Shop. On July 22, Rec Rec and Lumiloop will be released. Finally, in August, Sun Animalcule, Luminaria, Marine Snow, and Volvoice will be available.

This could be the perfect venue for creator Toshio Iwai to release future musical toys. Could Electroplankton continue this way, with new instruments being released periodically? It's probably not wise to hope for anything that isn't a segment of an existing game, but it's possible!

DS Daily: Dual Screen Songs

by JC Fletcher { Nov 10th 2008 at 9:00AM }

Thanks to powerful, feature-rich music creation software like Korg DS-10 and Jam Sessions and weird musical toys like Electroplankton and Axe, the DS has become a multifaceted instrument for electronic music.

If you've been using your DS for music, we'd love to hear about it! And, of course, hear it. But also, we'd like to talk about the experience. Is it enjoyable or frustrating? Is the portability convenient enough to positively affect your musical life? Is the software powerful enough for you to accomplish anything?

Gaming to Go: Electroplankton

by David Hinkle { Oct 13th 2008 at 3:10PM }

"Wha? Who is this impostor in my beloved column," you ask? Well, I kindly asked Matt if I could step in and guest write the column this week. Luckily, Matt is a fan of not working and allowed me to do so. I imagine he's sitting on a beach right now, complaining about the salt in his drink.

So, Electroplankton. Many of the longtime readers will know it's one of my favorite DS games. But, what's it all about? Well, it's a pick-up-and-play music game by Toshio Iwai, where you can create a variety of looped tracks for your listening pleasure. And utilizing the headphone jack, you can take your musical creations and export them to your computer or some other device for saving. For those who crave an overall goal or some end to work to, then Electroplankton might not be the game for you. The game may seem a bit shallow to those that aren't intrigued by the prospect of simply making music, but I assure you it's a charming and fun game, and one that is perfect for gaming on the go for any lover of the quirky and unique. If there's one thing you can say about Electroplankton, it's that there isn't any other game on the planet like it.

NEXT >>

Gallery: Electroplankton

Tick tock of the clock ringing in your ears? Tell your timepiece to shove it! We live busy lives, but remember this: there's always time to game. Check back with Gaming to Go every week for the latest and greatest titles you should spend your precious few minutes with. And if you're looking for more original content from DS Fanboy (bless your heart), then check out our Point/Counterpoint feature and Bury the Shovelware.

DS Daily: Favorite Nintendo game?

by David Hinkle { Aug 27th 2008 at 9:00AM }

We all love Nintendo. And they've shown a ton of support for their handheld system, offering up great Nintendo titles for us to play. Whether it's New Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, or even Elite Beat Agents, they've provided us with hours of entertainment.

Given that, which is your favorite Nintendo game on the platform? Do you absolutely love Electroplankton (we do)? Is Animal Crossing your favorite? Out with it!

DS Daily: On display

by Chris Greenhough { Jul 31st 2008 at 9:00AM }

DS game packaging is some of the best yet in Nintendo's history, largely because it abandons the flimsy, easily torn cardboard boxes of the past, but also because the games look very pretty lined up together. With this in mind, how do you display your games?

Do you have them proudly sitting on a shelf for the world to see, or tucked away in a box? Do you use a dedicated DS game rack? Maybe your DS collection isn't even on display, but haphazardly scattered all over your living environment (that's a display of sorts, we guess). Are you, like this gamer, constantly frustrated by PAL region and NTSC region game boxes not lining up perfectly due to their slightly different dimensions and colors, or how rogue games (like Electroplankton) insist on not conforming? Or am I just incredibly anal?

BAFTAs postponed, no chance for Nintendo love in 2008

by Alisha Karabinus { Apr 17th 2008 at 9:00PM }

No BAFTA game awards this fall? How can this be? The last two years, Nintendo has picked up a few awards and a little bit of sweet, sweet recognition, and we're not sure we want to face a 2008 without the same treatment. The British awards, which lauded Wii Sports in 2007 and Electroplankton and Brain Age in 2006, suffered some problems last year and will be postponed until 2009. Due to the awards' schedule, games that weren't yet released or finished were being considered, and one of the games up for an award last year ultimately wasn't released in 2007. Sounds like the changes are necessary, but an award-free year is a sad proposition indeed.

Maybe they'll make it up to us next year.

Electroplankton fuels bands

by David Hinkle { Feb 27th 2008 at 3:00PM }

Using a DS (with a copy of Electroplankton), along with a pair of iPhones, the above trio manage to create some pretty melodious tunes. It's not really the kind of music we would rock out to on our own time, but we must admit that this video is still really impressive.

Also, it reminds us of the end credits to the Hulk TV show.

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Wiimote makes music pretty

by Candace Savino { Oct 22nd 2007 at 11:44PM }

Using Nintendo products as musical tools has become a recent trend, but we're certainly not complaining. Our only gripe about this new Electroplankton-esque Wiimote application is that we can't download it for ourselves. Of course, the mission statement behind the project known as "wiiwiiwiiwii" isn't "to satisfy those selfish bastards over at Wii Fanboy." Rather, the four fellows who created this program have goals that are slightly more profound, like exploring the relationship between sounds and visuals.

The way in which this application translates Wiimote signals into sounds and images is slightly confusing, but we'll pretend that we know what we're talking about. Essentially, a Mac uses Bluetooth technology to synthesize audio from the Wiimote's signals. The Mac then sends the information to a PC, where a program called "vvvv" makes ambient shapes from the sound patterns (ala Electroplankton). Pretty spiffy, if you ask us.

You can check this website to watch videos of the project in action, but if you just want to know how it works and see the people behind it all, we provided some handy pictures after the jump.

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DS Fanboy Favorites: Jason's top five

by Jason Wishnov { Apr 19th 2007 at 10:00AM }

All this week, the DS Fanboy staff is letting you in on a few of their favorite titles. Each day, a different member of the staff will present their personal top five DS games along with a snapshot of their gaming paraphernalia and habits, in an effort to provide our readers with a little more information on the tastes and personalities of our writers.

It's odd; in the past two years, I've played my DS more than any other system, console or otherwise. However, I very rarely play outside of the comfort of my own room. Sure, I have the ten minute bus ride to campus everyday, and an hour break between classes, but the bus ride is relaxing and the hour I spend on campus, playing chess with some friends. It's really a testament to the quality of the library on the DS, that it would stand against the heavy-hitting consoles without the added advantage of portability.

I'm a bit of a Renaissance gamer, playing titles far and wide. Sure, I've grown tired of the World War II shooters, but if a game is innovative and/or well-crafted, I'll give it a shot. I also like bunnies and salsa dancing and figure skating; I'm so macho.

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