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Japanese Nintendo downloads: Neo Geo, Art Style return

by JC Fletcher { Nov 3rd 2009 at 11:15AM }

This week marks two major events (sort of) for the Japanese Wii and DSi download services. First, both Wii and DSi downloads now go up on the same date. In this case, it's November 4, which is today in Japan. Second, the Neo Geo is back! The last Neo game came out in Japan in July 2008.

On DSiWare, there's more mahjong, more calendar apps, and more Art Style. Digidrive is a remake of one of the original Bit Generations games. It's been released as Intersect in Europe.

Fire Emblem Gaiden (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Fatal Fury Special (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
"Aha! I Got It" Escape Game (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)
Kyoto Students Taishi Higashida Thought Puzzle Inspiration Signed Painting (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Handy Mahjong (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Daily Growing Journal Calendar (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Art Style: DIGIDRIVE (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)

Japanese Nintendo downloads: WiiWare ReBirth

by JC Fletcher { Oct 27th 2009 at 12:44PM }

WiiWare is officially back in Japan, with one of the most content-rich updates we'd ever seen. Just Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth would be enough to make this week remarkable, but Game Arts' Shadow Walker and Bit.Trip VOID are available as well, along with an oddity from D3!

Not enough? How about four Virtual Console games, including a Sonic & Knuckles with the lock-on feature intact? Or a budget DSiWare game about blowing up asteroids to save the Earth?

@SIMPLE Series Vol. 5: THE Judo (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 700 Wii Points)
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Bit.Trip: VOID (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)
Shadow Walker (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Championship Lode Runner (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Face Off (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Rolling Thunder 2 (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Earth Saver (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Puzzle Selection Monthly Crossword House vol. 6 (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Hills and Rivers Remain (DSiWare, 1-4 players, 800 DSi Points)

Japanese Nintendo downloads: Bravo for Bunnies

by JC Fletcher { Oct 6th 2009 at 1:15PM }

Okay, so the two WiiWare games this week were actually released last week. Once again, no WiiWare games are out this week, allowing us the luxury of highlighting the content that didn't make it to the site previously. And how could we let a NEVES sequel or a game based on Toei Animation and Sanrio's Sugarbunnies go by without mentioning them? The Sugarbunnies game manages to out-cute Cooking Mama by setting its cooking minigames in a cartoon bunny world.

As for Virtual Console, we're really beginning to tire of the standard 800 point price for arcade games. Bravoman is cool, but New Rally-X? Really? You shouldn't even pay eight bucks for a New Rally-X arcade machine.

Sugarbunnies Wii: Welcome to Bunnies' Field (WiiWare, 1-2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Hamekomi Lucky Puzzle Wii Return (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)
Fighting Street (PC Engine CD-ROM, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
New Rally-X (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Chouzetsu Rinjin Bravoman (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
atShogi Challenge Spirits (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Ichimoudaijin! Neko King (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
Sleep Timer: Mezamashi Clock (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
6 in 1 Dictionary with Camera Function (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
Itsudemo Bomberman (DSiWare, 1-8 players, 500 DSi Points)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)

Japanese Nintendo Downloads: Galaxian heads to the Tecmo Bowl

by David Hinkle { Sep 29th 2009 at 3:45PM }

Following last week's drought due to the public holiday, Nintendo has turned the download faucet back on in Japan. It's another week free of WiiWare, but there's certainly enough Virtual Console material to make up for it. Outside of a trio of VC Arcade titles, we've got a Super Famicom tactical RPG classic:

Bahamut Lagoon (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Galaxian (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Tecmo Bowl (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points) [VC in Brief]
Märchen Maze (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)

Japanese Nintendo Downloads: Goemon is a hot-blooded man of Edo

by David Hinkle { Sep 22nd 2009 at 2:15PM }

First of all, it's a holiday in Japan this week, so there are no new games for September 22. However, since we failed to update you guys on the releases for September 15, we figured we should probably do that. Sorry for the delay!

Despite the lack of releases this week, we think most Japanese gamers are happy because they totally get to play some Ganbare Goemon. Known in The States as Legend of the Mystical Ninja, the series has had a long affair with Japanese gamers -- which now continues on the Virtual Console!

Ganbare Goemon 3 (Super Famicom, 1 -2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Dragon Saber (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Dragon Buster (VC Arcade, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)

Japanese Nintendo downloads: The Soldier of Argos

by JC Fletcher { Sep 8th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Two weeks in a row and no WiiWare in Japan. Did Nintendo of Japan hire someone on from Nintendo of America's WiiWare team? Whatever happened, the total absence of WiiWare throws attention on the two Virtual Console Arcade titles available today.

Rygar finally arrives on Virtual Console, giving gamers the opportunity to try the original, much more linear version of the classic NES game. It's joined by Dragon Spirit, the epic tale of a warrior who is transformed into a dragon, and then transformed again into a two-headed dragon, while being shot at by hundreds of flying monsters.

Argos no Senshi (Rygar) (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Dragon Spirit (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

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Japanese Nintendo downloads: The worm returns

by JC Fletcher { Sep 1st 2009 at 2:15PM }

After last week's massive update in Japan, WiiWare is taking some time off. That means that the spotlight falls directly on the okay Virtual Console lineup for this week. Earthworm Jim 2 arrives as an import, which demonstrates two really wonderful things about Japan's Virtual Console -- first, that Mega Drive games only cost 600 Wii Points in Japan, and second, that imports don't cost any extra. Nor should they, as they aren't localized and they cost the same to put on a server as anything else.

Also available this week: the arcade version of Xevious, and one of those ridiculous Koei strategy games, this one about Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Taikou Risshiden (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Earthworm Jim 2 (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Xevious (Arcade, players, 800 Wii Points)

Japanese Nintendo Downloads: Escape from Various Locations

by JC Fletcher { Aug 25th 2009 at 5:45PM }

Marvelous's distinctively drab, enticingly bizarre adventure game Discipline launched today in Japan. We're eager to hear if the You Fluid weirdness overpowers the interesting puzzle-adventure concept. Also available on WiiWare: a couple of educational games, one of which is based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar; a haunted-house-themed minigame collection from Gameloft, and D3's room-escape adventure game.

On Virtual Console, Activision's Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is now available, along with Finest Hour, a jetpack-enhanced run-and-gun from Namco.

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Finest Hour (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
@Simple Series Vol. 4 THE Locked Room Escape (WiiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Ghost Mansion Party (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Kodomo Kyooiku Terebi Wii Aiue Oomuzu (WiiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Discipline (WiiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Harapeko Aomushi no ABC (WiiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

Japanese Nintendo downloads: Nothing this week, arcade classics next week

by JC Fletcher { Aug 11th 2009 at 12:00PM }

This week, there are no updates on the Japanese Wii Shop, due to the Obon holiday. Now we know why last week's update was so massive -- it more than compensated for a week off! The Virtual Console, at least, will return next week with four new games. No announcement has been made for WiiWare yet, but we thought we'd share the VC releases.

It's going to be a good week for arcade games! Knuckle Heads, a silly-looking post-Street Fighter II fighting game from Namco, will be available, along with the arcade versions of Bomb Jack and Solomon's Key, two (unfortunately priced) total classics from Tecmo.

Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey-bu! Subette Koronde Dairantou (Famicom, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)
Solomon's Key (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Knuckle Heads (Arcade, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points)
Bomb Jack (Arcade, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points)

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VC/WiiWare Tuesday: An impossibly large update

by JC Fletcher { Aug 4th 2009 at 11:20AM }

This week is certainly the largest single update the Japanese Wii Shop has had since the launch of the Virtual Console back in December of 2006. It's also, sadly, a feat that probably won't be repeated, given the recent decline in selection. But let's not talk about declines when we've got such an incredible increase this month! Four games on Virtual Console -- and good ones, too, like Final Fantasy IV and Pac-Mania, would be remarkable enough, but they are joined by no fewer than nine on WiiWare.

The WiiWare selection includes genuinely interesting content like Bit.Trip: CORE, the one-button Tomenasanner Wii (seen above), and the three Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games; plus genuinely forgettable content like Sandy Beach, and wild cards like dolphin-training game Sea Farm, Derby Dog, which is, yes, a game about racing different varieties of dog, and a brain training game with its most notable feature being that its title translates to "Make your Square Brain Round."

The complete release listings are posted after the break.

Continued →

VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy

by JC Fletcher { Jul 21st 2009 at 3:00PM }

Today is totally Final Fantasy day in Japan. Today, of course, Square Enix announced the upcoming release of Final Fantasy IV on the Virtual Console. That announcement coincided with the release of two downloadable Final Fantasies: Final Fantasy III on Famicom and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years on WiiWare.

Rolling Thunder doesn't really follow the theme at all, but it is awesome -- if you haven't played it, it's kind of a spy-themed Shinobi thing. It's welcome on the Virtual Console even though it's not a Final Fantasy game.

Virtual Console:

Final Fantasy III (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
Rolling Thunder (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (1-4 players, 800 Wii Points)

VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Burning Force, not lighting cigarettes

by JC Fletcher { Jul 14th 2009 at 11:00AM }

The selections on Japan's Wii Shop are all over the place this week. On Virtual Console, two titles are available, including the universally loved Shinobi and Burning Force, a game with which we must admit unfamiliarity. One look at the linked YouTube video, however, cleared that right up. It's like Space Harrier on water, and it looks awesome.

WiiWare this week is loaded with stuff, including the stop-smoking app, a quiz game, a card-battling game, and Reel Fishing. The most interesting WiiWare game in Japan this week is Mobius Drive, an online racing game that looks surprisingly good for a Wii download.

Virtual Console:

Shinobi (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Burning Force (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

Raku Raku Kinen Appli Wii (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Mobius Drive (1-2 players offline, 2-8 players online, 800 Wii Points)
Hirameki Card Battle Mekuruka (1-2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Kentei! TV Wii (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Fish Eyes Challenge (1 player, 500 Wii Points)

VC Tuesday: Flying, boxing, and no WiiWare

by JC Fletcher { Jul 7th 2009 at 9:00AM }

This week, Japan finally gets Super Punch-Out!! on the Virtual Console. The Wii game, for which this SNES release has served as a promotional tool in other territories, isn't out until July 23 in Japan, so Super Punch-Out!! will have to tide over the crowd of Japanese gamers hungry for cartoon violence.

Also available on the Virtual Console: cartoon violence of a different variety and an older vintage, in the form of Namco's 1985 horizontal shooter Sky Kid. And on WiiWare this week: nothing at all.

Virtual Console:

Super Punch-Out!! (Super Famicom, 800 Wii Points)
Sky Kid (Arcade, 800 Wii Points)

Continued →

VC/WiiWare Tuesday: My Life as an Available Game

by JC Fletcher { Jun 30th 2009 at 4:45PM }

Despite being loaded with content, this week's Japanese Virtual Console and WiiWare offerings are unlikely to excite, with one major exception. Square Enix's My Life as a King follow-up arrives in Japan this week, allowing players to run the tower fortress of their dreams! It's joined by a, uh, doll game, and ... a brain training game ... for kids.

Virtual Console this week offers one really cute Namco arcade game, and another Jinguuji Saburo detective game, which we'll never see.

Virtual Console:

Marvel Land (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni... (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

Right Brain Kids Okigaru Right Brain (1-4 players, 800 Wii Points)
Licca-chan Oshare House (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)

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: