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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 Friday: Hudson Powers Up

by JC Fletcher { Jun 26th 2009 at 6:15PM }

This week in Europe, Hudson Soft has one release on all three Wii download services. That's a pretty impressive feat, even if the individual games don't seem that exciting. We suppose 50 sudoku puzzles for 200 points is nice, and SimEarth is a good game.

The Hudson releases are joined by Taito's Puzzle Bobble/Bust a Move update and by Altered Beast. Now, we love Altered Beast more than most people (by which we mean we love it some), but 900 points for the arcade version? What's that about?

WiiWare:

Puzzle Bobble Plus! (1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Water Warfare (1-2 players offline, 2-8 online, 800 Wii Points)

Virtual Console:

Altered Beast (Arcade, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
SimEarth (Turbografx-16 CD-ROM, 1 player,800 Wii Points)

DSiWare:

Sudoku 50 for Beginners (1 player, 200 DSi Points)

VC Friday: Let's Catch a Kindred Spirit

by JC Fletcher { Jun 19th 2009 at 11:40AM }

This week, the European Wii Shop is granted with a somewhat anticipated new title, and one we're glad is launching there before it does here. We're intensely curious about the platform action title Icarian: Kindred Spirits, and the fact that it's coming out in Europe first means we'll get to read reviews. We hope those 100 soundtrack downloads are claimed by now, by the way!

Also available for download this week: Let's Catch on WiiWare, and some more Brain Training on DSiWare.

WiiWare:

Icarian: Kindred Spirits
Let's Catch

DSiWare:

A Little Bit of ... Brain Training: Maths Edition

VC Friday: Super Virtual Smash Bros.

by JC Fletcher { Jun 12th 2009 at 11:30AM }

Today's Virtual Console release is something really special -- something that only happens on the Virtual Console a couple of times a year: a Nintendo 64 game. And what a Nintendo 64 game! Despite having a day or two to change its mind after announcing, Nintendo of Europe has actually put Super Smash Bros. on the Virtual Console. Now you can play all three Super Smash Bros. games on the same system!

Joining it is Cocoto Platform Jumper, which isa middling platformer from last-gen. And on DSiWare, Sudoku 150! for Challengers, a collection of sudoku puzzles for 500 DSi Points. Also, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing, whose iPhone sequel was announced at Apple's WWDC event, before this game launched. Awesome.

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)

VC Friday: Swords & Soldiers suffer a Magical Pitfall

by David Hinkle { May 15th 2009 at 11:00AM }

Those of us in North America are very jealous today, because Europe receives the very unique and downright good lookin' Romino title, Swords & Soldiers. Not only is it one to keep an eye on based on its art style, but its odd combination of strategy elements and hack-and-slash gameplay also make it noteworthy. We don't know how else to describe it other than unique. Okay, maybe adorable works, too ...

Here's your goodies available for download this week:

Swords & Soldiers (WiiWare, 1 - 2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Sega Mega Drive, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
A Little Bit of ... Magic Made Fun: Shuffle Games (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)

Gallery: Swords & Soldiers (WiiWare)

VC Friday: Travel from Rainbow Islands to Fantasy Zone

by JC Fletcher { May 8th 2009 at 11:45AM }

If we really stretch, we can see a bit of a theme in this week's PAL downloadable releases. Both Fantasy Zone II and Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure are classic franchises known for being super-cute and brightly colored, and both titles feature locations (Islands, Zone) described by very cheery, but intangible, visions (rainbows, fantasies). We said it was a stretch. Okay, here's another, less tenuous connection: both series are totally great.

There's also one of those Master of Illusion/Magic Made Fun tricks this week.

Fantasy Zone II (Sega Master System, 1player, 500 Wii Points)
Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
A Little Bit of ... Magic Made Fun: Deep Psyche (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)

Gallery: Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! (Wii)

VC Friday: Bit.Trip: Beat plus the impossible

by JC Fletcher { May 1st 2009 at 12:45PM }

This week, as promised, Bit. Trip: Beat arrives on the PAL Wii Shop, ready to hypnotize and frustrate another set of Wii gamers. But that's not the only reason this week is special: it's joined by a Virtual Console game. That's right, Virtual Console and WiiWare in the same week. Totally crazy, right? Galaxy Force II, stripped of its brilliant moving arcade cabinet for the Genesis version, comes off as a sort of Space Harrier ... in space. It's not great, but it sure is a Virtual Console game!

It gets crazier: there are also two DSiWare games in the lineup.

Virtual Console:

Galaxy Force II (Mega Drive,1 player, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

Bit. Trip: Beat (1-4 players, 600 Wii Points)

DSiWare:

A Little Bit of ... Dr. Mario (1 player, 500 DSi Points)
A Little Bit of ... Magic Made Fun: Funny Face (1 player, 200 DSi Points)

Gallery: Bit.Trip: Beat

VC Friday: The adventure begins

by JC Fletcher { Apr 24th 2009 at 1:20PM }

Sigh. Enjoy playing Adventure Island: The Beginning this week, PAL Wii owners. We know we'll see it in the US eventually, but it's not today. We've waited so long for a new Master Higgins/Takahashi Meijin game, and we guess we can wait a little longer, but it's pretty painful. Just thinking about rolling around in the jungle on a skateboard, with the wind against our grass skirt and a stone axe in our hand ...

Also available today: Crystal Defenders R1, the Final Fantasy tower defense game, and a DSiWare sports game from Gameloft.

WiiWare:

Adventure Island: The Beginning (1000 Wii Points)
Crystal Defenders R1 (800 Wii Points)

DSiWare:

Real Football 2009 (800 DSi Points)

VC Friday: Mixed Messages about whether this is a Rambo game

by JC Fletcher { Apr 17th 2009 at 9:00AM }

This week on the PAL DSi Shop, Vicarious Visions' Mixed Messages allows players to enjoy a game in which ideas become increasingly warped over time. Kind of like what happened to one of this week's Virtual Console games! Sega of Japan made a top-down commando game and called it Ashura. Sega of America heard "Ashura" as "Rambo" somehow, while Sega of Europe heard "Secret Command." For that matter, miscommunication is one of the only possible explanations for Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars, which is almost too freaky to have been made like that intentionally.

Mixed Messages -- DSiWare -- 500 Points
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars -- Sega Master System -- 500 Points
Secret Command -- Sega Master System -- 500 Points

Videos of each game are available after the break. Write descriptions of them and send them to a friend!

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VC Friday: Bubble Bobble Plus Jealousy

by JC Fletcher { Apr 10th 2009 at 9:00AM }

One week after the launch of the DSi Shop, Nintendo already appears to be ignoring it, but that may be because Europe could turn out to use a (basically) monthly schedule like Japan. Anyway, that doesn't matter. What matters is Bubble Bobble Plus!

Taito's fantastic-looking Bubble Bobble sequel/remake arrives in the West today, and we are super jealous. Enjoy your four-player Bubble Bobble, PALs. We're just going to be over here in North America, playing NES Bubble Bobble like total chumps.

Bubble Bobble Plus -- WiiWare -- 800 Wii Points
Equilibrio -- WiiWare -- 500 Wii Points
Family & Friends Party -- WiiWare -- 1,000 Wii Points

Gallery: Bubble Bobble Plus!

VC Friday: Majora's Mask, DSiWare available in Europe right now

by JC Fletcher { Apr 3rd 2009 at 12:15PM }

This is probably the best day for downloads on Nintendo consoles in years. If you got a DSi today, you've probably already begun perusing the new DSi Shop and downloading some DSiWare, including the two Art Style games available! But even if you didn't get a DSi, you'll probably be happy with the downloadable selection this week. Well, that is, if you didn't get a DSi and you have a Wii. If you've got neither, this might just irritate you.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has arrived! And we don't even have to make any disclaimers about making sure you have space to download it.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask -- N64-- 1,000 Points
Art Style: AQUITE -- DSiWare -- 500 Points
Art Style: CODE -- DSiWare -- 500 Points
Birds & Beans -- DSiWare -- 200 Points
DSi Browser -- DSiWare -- free!
Paper Plane -- DSiWare -- 200 Points
WarioWare Snapped! -- DSiWare -- 500 Points

VC Friday: Insert Coin

by JC Fletcher { Mar 27th 2009 at 11:00AM }

The biggest news about downloadable games for Europe today happened two days ago: the Virtual Console Arcade launched for PAL territories the same time it did for North America, and with the same lineup. In case you're used to ignoring the Wii Shop until Friday, go check it out!

Gaplus -- Arcade -- 500 Wii Points
Mappy -- Arcade -- 500 Wii Points
Star Force -- Arcade -- 500 Wii Points
The Tower of Druaga -- Arcade -- 500 Wii Points

The awesomeness of Virtual Console Arcade sort of dulls the impact of Digital Leisure's Texas Hold 'em Tournament.

Texas Hold 'em Tournament -- WiiWare -- 500 Wii Points

Video footage is after the break, featuring the worst combination of Miis and kinda-Miis ever.

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VC Friday: Super Punch-Out!!

by JC Fletcher { Mar 20th 2009 at 10:00AM }

Yesterday, Nintendo announced that Super Punch-Out!! would be available on the PAL Virtual Console at the next update. Now that the week's Virtual Console update has been posted, we realize that Nintendo meant just Super Punch-Out!! Somehow we think the lack of options will be okay with most of the audience, just this one time.

We love when Nintendo does these themed releases. It was great when Metroid and Super Metroid came out just in advance of Metroid Prime 3, although it might have backfired -- who needs to go buy a new game when you just got Super Metroid?

Video of Super Punch-Out!! appears after the break, to tide you over until the game is downloaded -- which will then, in turn, tide you over until the new Wii game comes out!

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VC Friday: Tabletop Time

by JC Fletcher { Mar 13th 2009 at 10:30AM }

This week's PAL WiiWare update features two games that have already come out in North America, one of which has been out for pretty much forever -- fossil record indicates dinosaurs playing it, T-Rex buried in the midst of awkwardly trying to waggle with its useless forelegs. According to WiiWare World's review, Next Level Games' Jungle Speed actually seems to be a good time, and a much more energetic experience than might be expected from a card game.

As for Family Table Tennis -- we still like the game, but we're a bit sad to say it's up to 800 points now. First, Nintendo says it's going to raise Wii prices, and now a moderate price hike on cheap WiiWare games? Lousy worldwide economic crisis ...