Archive for the ‘Wiiware’ Category:
WiiWare demos coming
Nintendo has revealed that the company plans on offering demos for their downloadable-only Wii games from WiiWare. Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata told investors during a Q&A session that the feature is in development, and will be tested with demos of a few selected titles, before demos are rolled out to cover most of the lineup. Nintendo hopes that the demos will increase sales in the WiiWare store, as it’s currently trailing competitors from Microsoft (Xbox Live) and Sony (PSN).
Tags: wiiware demo
Contra ReBirth PAX 2009 trailer
The twelfth Contra game is coming out in the United States in only two days, so we’re all getting excited for some side-scrolling action. Contra ReBirth is much like Contra 4; old school 16-bit action. Remixes of songs from previous titles in the series are also featured in the game.
European and Japanese residents can already grab the title if you’re wondering. ReBirth was developed by M2 exclusively as a WiiWare title.
Nintendo updates services, adds My Life as a Darklord
If you’ve played Square Enix’s WiiWare exclusive My Life as a King you’ll be glad to hear that the game’s follow-up, My Life as a Darklord, has recently hit the service.
This game will apparantly take the empire-building elements from My Life as a King and adapt them in a darker way. Players will be pitted against an onslaught of adventurers from who they must protect a tower from with an arsenal of traps and monsters.
There are two more WiiWare titles along with a DSiWare title included in this same update all of which you can read more about after the break.
Monkey Island Coming To Consoles
In addition to having their hands in every Star Wars game ever made, LucasArts has some original properties that have nothing to do with lightsabers, bathrobe-clad keepers of the peace and aliens both annoying and endearing. One series involved pirates, a smidgen of swashbuckling and a boatload of humor: the adventures of wanna-be buccaneer Guybrush Threepwood and his friends/enemies/random other comic relief characters.
Originally it was a PC adventure series of the old fashioned point-and-click variety, with some simple inventory puzzles. The games ranged from simple 2-D pixellated art to 3-D extravaganzas with voice acting and music. Now the classic series is being brought back in a two-pronged sales attack. First there’s an entirely new, episodic series being brought to the PC and WiiWare called Tales of Monkey Island. The first of five episodes will be released in the next few weeks with Guybrush Threepwood accidentally unleashing a voodoo pox in his battle against his nemesis, the zombie pirate LeChuck.
Later this summer The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition will be released for the Xbox 360 and PC. It’ll feature the same storyline as the original with the benefit of upgraded HD visuals, soundtrack, voice acting and a hint system.
Weekly Nintendo Update is unexciting, but includes a clock
Nintendo has just released details on exactly what this week’s update, spanning the DSiWare, WiiWare and Virtual Console services, includes.
Well, most importantly we have Clay Fighter for the Virtual Console which made its original debut on the Sega Genesis in 1994. This is the classic 2D fighter in which the developers photographed actual clay models and then digitized them to make for the game’s graphics.
Other than that, we have ADVENTURE ISLAND The Beginning and BUBBLE BOBBLE Plus! for WiiWare and American Popstar: Road to Celebrity and Photo Clock for DSiWare. Yeah, we weren’t kidding when we said this weeks update is unexciting.
You can read more about the update including the pricing for all above mentioned titles in the press release after the break. More »
Contra Rebirth coming to WiiWare?
Now, there has been no official word from Konami regarding the release of a Contra: ReBirth, but if a Japanese product listing on their official website is to be believed, this game may actually be on its way.
The listing has the game priced at 1000 Wii Points and from the looks of the above screenshots will be a more modern take on the hugely popular 1987 title Contra.
If you can decipher Japanese, which I can’t, head over to the product listing and see what information you can come up with.
Weekly Nintendo Update – 5/4
With the introduction of DSiWare comes the introduction of almost useless applications – Both additions for the DSi are based around Animal Crossing and get this; they are a clock and a calculator, nothing more. Both applications are priced at 200 DSi Points and do everything you would expect a clock and calculator to do.
On the Wii side of things, it gets a bit more exciting:
WiiWare
Penguins & Friends – Hey! That’s My Fish! (Gammick Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points™): The penguins are hungry and need your help. Catch all the fish you can before someone steals them from you. Strategy is fundamental in this exciting game. Keep moving ahead of the other penguins so you don’t get trapped, and try to get to the ice floes that hold more fish. One to four players can play Penguins & Friends at the same time, provided they can handle the polar cold. The board is made up of ice blocks with a set number of fish under them. The ice blocks are hexagonal and form a structure like a beehive. The starting position of the ice blocks can change, creating different game boards.
Virtual Console
Tower Toppler™ (Commodore 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Weird things are happening on Planet Nebulus. Someone or something has begun building huge towers on the sea floor without a construction license. Your mission is to ascend each of the eight cylindrical towers, passing various obstacles along the way, and to trigger the tower’s destruction mechanism to demolish the evil threat. Praised upon its original 1987 release for its graphical innovation, this is considered to be the most outstanding game from Hewson. Don’t miss out on this classic favorite.
Four New Games Hit DSi, Wiiware This Week
Continuing their weekly tradition of adding new games, Nintendo today updated their online DSi and Wii shops with four new titles.
DSi gamers can look forward to Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics ($15) and Paper Airplane Chase ($2). The former, as the title suggests, is a collection of five card games while the latter lets your glide your virtual paper plane through increasingly tricky slalom courses.
Wii gamers can look forward to Cocoto Platform Jumper ($7) and Nobunaga’s Ambition ($8) – the latter is a SNES game. Both are action games and let players take control of their character and destroy their enemies, though the latter lets players decide between economic sanctions or unleashing ninja assassins. Sounds like fun times!
Weekly Nintendo Update – 4/20/09
Nintendo has recently released details on their weekly update for the DSi and WiiWare services, along with the Virtual Console.
This week, Mario will make his debut on the DSiWare starring in Dr. Mario Express. If you’ve played the previous Dr. Mario titles you’ll be familiar with the Tetris like gameplay. The game will hit the service for 500 Nintendo DSi points.
For everything else included in the update read on:
Nintendo DSiWare
Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 200 Nintendo DSi Points): Master of Illusion Express titles offer mind-bending magic tricks pulled from the popular Nintendo DS™ game. Learn the illusions, practice up and amaze your friends.Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche asks a series of pointed questions and reveals a startling truth.
WiiWare
CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R1 (SQUARE ENIX, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points™): In CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R1, you must deploy various units such as Soldiers and Black Mages to stop wave after wave of encroaching monsters from escaping the area with your party’s crystals. There are many different types of units to choose from, some specializing in powerful short-range attacks, some wielding far-reaching magicks, and still others equipped with bows that enable them to bring down aerial foes. Deploy units in strategic locations to take full advantage of their traits. Each time an enemy breaches your defenses and reaches a map’s exit, your party will lose crystals. When all your crystals are gone, the game is over. CRYSTAL DEFENDERS R1 comes complete with a plethora of exciting stages, each varying in layout and difficulty. Can you defend them all without losing a single crystal?
Virtual Console
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Cartoon Violence, 900 Wii Points): The once-quiet town of Xenobia is under attack from fierce and gruesome monsters. As Leo, it’s up to you to save Xenobia from danger as you navigate through a series of worlds in a race against time. Use your sword and jumping abilities to battle foes. Watch for power-ups that will increase your health and add to the amount of time you have to complete your missions. Go it alone or play co-op with a friend who can take the role of Priscilla. Do you have what it takes to save the world?
Wii Releases New Motion Controls This Summer
For the many gaming addicts hooked on to Wii, watch out for more peripherals coming your way as Nintendo has announced the release of two new motion controls to make your gaming experience better.
The new Wii MotionPlus accessory will hit U.S. retailers on June 8, taking the motion-sensing controls of the popular Wii system to new levels of precision and performance. What’s more, these control enhancements will be on vibrant display when the Wii Sports Resort game launches on July 26, offering a beach-themed follow-up to the groundbreaking Wii Sports game.
Wii Sports comes packed with the Wii console. It grew into a worldwide phenomenon and continues to attract millions of new players to the world of video games. Each Wii Sports Resort game comes packed with a single Wii MotionPlus accessory.
When used with specially designed games, Wii MotionPlus tracks players’ movements in finer detail and with greater accuracy than ever before, building upon the innovative wireless function of the motion-sensing Wii Remote controller. Even the slightest twist of the wrist or turn of the body is replicated exactly on the TV screen, allowing users to become even more immersed in Wii game play. Designed for easy attachment to the Wii Remote controller, the Wii MotionPlus accessory will be offered at an MSRP of $19.99.
Wii Sports Resort takes the inclusive, fun and intuitive controls of the original Wii Sports to the next level, introducing a whole new set of entertaining and physically immersive activities. With the deep control enhancements of Wii MotionPlus, veteran Wii users and newcomers alike can enjoy unprecedented gaming precision as they cruise on a water scooter, duel with swords, throw a Frisbee and much more. Wii Sports Resort and Wii MotionPlus will be offered together at an MSRP of $49.99.
(Source) Press
Weekly Nintendo Update – 4/13/09
It looks like we’ll have to change the name from Weekly Wii Update to Weekly Nintendo Update as Nintendo has recently announced they will being updating the DSiWare service along with the WiiWare and Virtual Console services.
Retro gamers will be happy to hear that Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure, which originally made its debut on the Sega Genesis, was added to the Virtual Console this week for 800 Wii Points. Other than that, we have puzzle and party games added for both the Wii and DSi which you can read about below:
Nintendo DSiWare™
Mixed Messages (Activision, 2-21 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Nintendo DSi Points): Mixed Messages is the hilarious party game of mixed-up miscommunication. Sketch a picture to capture your friends’ sentence, or try to figure out what in the world they’ve drawn. You might start with, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and end up with “A crazy surfer outruns flying sticks of dynamite while his fans cheer!” Two to 21 players take turns writing sentences and drawing pictures to pass along a message. This isn’t a game about winning and losing – it’s all about the funny miscommunications that happen along the way. You’ll laugh when you see just how wacky things can get. Get together with your friends and mix it up.
Master of Illusion™ Express: Shuffle Games (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 200 Nintendo DSi Points): Master of Illusion Express titles are mind-boggling magic tricks pulled from the popular Nintendo DS™ game. Learn the illusions, practice up and amaze your friends. Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games will boggle your audience members’ minds as they try to figure out how you know exactly what they’re thinking. Also included is the bonus Vanishing Card trick, which the Nintendo DSi system performs for your enjoyment.
WiiWare
Party Fun Pirate™ (TOMY Corporation, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): Based on the popular Pop-Up Pirate toy, players take turns thrusting swords into a barrel that holds your captain captive, trying to see who can insert the most swords into the barrel. Thrust a sword into the wrong hole and you’ll send your captain flying, which means it’s game over for you! Unique Wii features add to the excitement, making for a fun-filled party game. Try swapping out the captain and putting your custom Mii character in the barrel for some real laughs!
Grand Slam Tennis cover revealed
EA has recently revealed the cover art for the upcoming Wii Motion Plus touting Grand Slam Tennis.
If you follow tennis, or have some knowledge in the field, you’ll recognize John McEnroe, Roger Federer and Serena Williams, three of the most prominent names in tennis.
Serena Williams herself expresses her enthusiasm for being picked:
“It’s very exciting to be on the cover of EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis. This game not only shows EA’s enthusiasm for tennis but for also women’s tennis. I know from experience how tough and gratifying it is to win all four Grand Slams so I hope people will enjoy the Grand Slam experience that is offered in this game.”
Grand Slam Tennis is currently under development by EA Canada and is slated to hit shelves for the Wii on June 18th.
Read (Kotaku)
Weekly Wii Update – 3/16/08
Yep it was inevitable, another update from Nintendo for the Wii’s WiiWare and Virtual Console services. Hey, it is Monday after all.
This week we are greeted with the Commodore 64 tite, Summer Games II for the Virtual Console and the beat makin’ BIT.TRIP BEAT for WiiWare.
More information, straight from Nintendo, below:
WiiWare
BIT.TRIP BEAT (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): BIT.TRIP BEAT is a rhythm game that brings retro action into the present, letting you use the motion-sensing Wii Remote™ controller to bounce beats. Retro visuals, classic game play, four-player multiplayer and an 8-bit soundtrack will get you in the zone and rock your world. The challenges are mighty, but if you can stay cool as the difficulty increases, you’ll discover the beginnings of the BIT.TRIP saga.Virtual Console
Summer Games II™ (Commodore 64, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): A thousand athletes. A hundred countries. Billions watching around the world as you enter the stadium, marching confidently among your nation’s strongest, fastest and boldest young men and women. Your gaze sweeps the crowd as you realize the scope of your achievement. You are about to compete against the world’s best athletes in a 3,000-year-old competition. This is the pinnacle of athletic achievement: the Summer Games. Summer Games II challenges your competitive skills with a series of athletic contests for one to eight players. Experience the excitement and realism of eight different events: cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking, rowing and triple jump. Practice each event to sharpen your skills, then choose from the 18 countries you can represent in the competition.
Weekly Wii update – 3/9/09
Nintendo has recently released information regarding their usual slew of updates for the Wii’s Virtual Console and WiiWare services.
This week, we have a glactic shooter from Konami for WiiWare and a classic platformer which originally made its debut on SEGA.
More information on both below:
WiiWare
Gradius ReBirth (Konami, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Blast your way through levels filled with alien spaceships and otherworldly creatures in this retro side-scrolling shooter. Pick your weapons carefully and upgrade them to create a devastating arsenal of space-aged weapons that will aid you in your challenging mission. Players can post their high scores to worldwide leader boards via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection and see where they rank against all the other Gradius ReBirth players. Test your skills with Gradius ReBirth and see if you have what it takes to beat this action-packed arcade shooter.
Virtual Console
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars™ (SEGA MASTER SYSTEM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, Crude Humor, 500 Wii Points): In this platformer from the 1980s, help Alex Kidd in a race against time to find the 12 missing zodiac signs hidden in six challenging levels-including toyland, the robot factory and an outer-space level-all complete with crazy enemies.
And no, I have no idea if the 8-bit minion in the above screen shot of Alex Kidd: The Last Stars is nude or not, you be the judge.
Read (Nintendo)
Weekly Wii update 3/2/09
Today is Monday, you know what that means, right? New releases for both the Virtual Console and Wiiware thanks to our good friends over at Nintendo.
This week we are graced with Ogre Battle for the Super Nintendo, and Family & Friends Party, developed by Gammick Entertainment.
Sound fun? More info on both of the above mentioned games below:
WiiWare™
Family & Friends Party (Gammick Entertainment, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Have fun with all your friends and family as you take on some very exciting challenges. This is an interactive board game for as many as eight players of all ages. The goal is to be the first to complete a series of challenges. During each turn, a challenge will be played by one or two players per team depending on the type of challenge you’ve been given. (Other players on your team can still help and support you). There are six different “Single” challenges that must be played cooperatively by members of the same team. Family & Friends Party can also suggest “Versus” challenges, which must be played competitively by all teams at the same time.
Virtual Console™
Ogre Battle™: The March of the Black Queen™ (Super NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): It’s up to you to defeat the Empire. It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since the Zetegenian Empire first conquered the Kingdoms of Zenobia with a wrath of fear and bloodshed. You are the leader of a band of rebels who’ve fought to preserve the last shred of honor in this desperate time of treachery. Manage the ranks of a full-blown rebel army, complete with hundreds of characters, magic items, weapons and mystical Tarot cards. You must succeed in ousting the evil usurpers-your fate, and that of the entire population, depends on it.
Read (Nintendo)