Finally, the samurai toaster gaming niche has been satisfied!

WiiWare seems to be the main focus this week, with a whole three new games for it. DSiWare gets two more non-games, while VC has to do with just one game.

On WiiWare, you can get Eduardo the Samurai Toaster, from Semnat Studios. This promising game was first announced at the start of the year and looks to be quite similar to games such as Metal Slug and Contra, although perhaps slightly easier. With great graphics, features, 4-player co-op and a very decent price (800 Wii Points) we think it'll do just fine, but if you want to know for sure wait until we review it. In the meantime, why not read the interview we did shortly after the game's initial announcement?

Sega's Let's Catch has already been out in Japan for a while. It doesn't seem to be much more than a bunch of minigames in which you throw balls by flicking your Wii remote, but maybe there's a surprising amount of hidden depth to the game? There better be for 1000 Wii Points! We'll review it in the next few days. And if you're wondering, yes, the game is related to Let's Tap - If you own Tap you'll unlock some stuff in Catch.

The third and last new WiiWare game isn't much of a surprise. It's Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, the WiiWare remake of the classic arcade game. Once again, you play as Bubby and Bobby (The human forms of Bub and Bob from Bubble Bobble) as you make your way up various vertical stages and defeat enemies by creating rainbows. Sadly, it's not nearly as good as Bubble Bobble's recent WiiWare outing, as our review will tell you. Just continue to hope for a VC release of the arcade or NES version!

DSiWare doesn't have much interesting stuff this week - It's the second themed clock/calculator set, this time featuring Mario. At least they're slightly better than the Animal Crossing variations! Mario Calculator doesn't have much going for it other than the Mario theme, but Mario Clock actually has some interactivity - You can actually run and jump around as Mario and collect coins, and there's a few easter eggs scattered throughout. The Mario Clock and Calculator will run you 200 DSi Points each - Decide wisely! We'll naturally review both of them soon.

VC just gets the one new game, but it's not exactly a "new" one. At least it's (finally) the best version of a game which is already available! The arcade version of Space Harrier was the first and is still the best version of Sega's original shooter, with naturally much better graphics and sound than its Master System port has to offer. For fans of the game this is no doubt a great release, but for those wondering what all the fuss is about it might be best to read our review, as the game is not that easy to get into if you've never played it before.

Six games! Are you getting any of them? More from Nintendo's press release:

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: MARIO CALCULATES THE TIME NEEDED TO CATCH TOASTED RAINBOWS IN SPACE

June 15, 2009

Nintendo's downloadable content this week features the first-ever kitchen appliance with martial arts training. Throw in some rainbows and a game of catch, and you have a pretty interesting WiiWare™ lineup. But that's not all: There are Mario-themed Nintendo DSiWare™ applications and a classic arcade game for the Virtual Console™. Let's get to the details:

WiiWare

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
Publisher: Semnat Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Fight your way through 13 diverse locations on your own or with up to three friends in this frenetic and stylish side-scrolling action game. Play as Eduardo and his fellow toaster buddies as you fire an assortment of pastries at all kinds of dastardly food products. Hop onto laser-mounted scooters and fly across the screen in rocket packs, and learn to cooperate with your teammates or simply annoy each other in an awesomely fun way by throwing each other around the screen. The choice is up to you.

RAINBOW ISLANDS™: TOWERING ADVENTURE!
Publisher: TAITO
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: In Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, players control the rainbow-magic-wielding Bubby or Bobby as they climb the seven seamless areas of a tower reaching the heavens while defeating enemies with their rainbow powers. Bosses controlled by the scientific genius Dr. Crescent await players at the end of every area. Race through every area within the allotted time to meet the rainbow-colored Holly's Comet. There are three game modes: Story mode, which tells the tale of Holly's Comet; Challenge mode, where players attempt to climb as high as they can; and Time Attack, where players select an area and see how fast they can climb it. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is an exhilarating action game where you use rainbows to climb into the heavens.

Let's CATCH™
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Play catch with friends in multiplayer party games and compete for high scores using your Mii™ character and others. Choose from six different single and multiplayer modes such as Speed Catch, which tests your ability to catch a fastball, and Bomb Catch, an elimination party game for up to four players. Select from a variety of characters or use your Mii character to play other favorite catch games. Unlock special features when you own both Let's TAP and Let's CATCH.

Nintendo DSiWare

Mario™ Calculator
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: N/A
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Mario and Luigi™ take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers. Mario Calculator features the full functionality of a traditional calculator, including a Memory key and the ability to display up to 13 digits, and adds a layer of atmosphere reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros.™ Use the Unit Converter to turn one unit of measure into another (such as length, weight, volume, age and others), or track the history of calculations you've performed with ease. Listen to the Mario-related sounds and watch the coins fly as calculations are performed. Now, back to adding up those high scores...

Mario™ Clock
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn back time and enjoy a bit of classic game play based on the original Super Mario Bros. with Mario Clock. Help Mario and Luigi collect more coins than ever (POW block anyone?) while they run through a variety of stages. Gather enough coins and you'll be treated to another scene bound to bring back fond memories for many. Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system's internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like. Program up to three alarms (with snooze functionality for those that need it) and assign them a Mario-related sound or use one created in the Nintendo DSi™ Sound application. You'll find yourself thinking "Just a few more coins..." in no time!

Virtual Console

Space Harrier™
Original platform: Virtual Console Arcade
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: "Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get ready!" This is the greeting given to you as you start Space Harrier, but you don't have much time to take this advice. Even as the words are being spoken, your Harrier warrior is already charging into battle. Toting a huge laser gun under his arm, the Space Harrier can either run along the checkerboard ground or freely fly through the sky. Either way, he's always heading forward into the hostile 3-D world. As you progress, hordes of strange creatures and robots fly toward you. Fast reflexes are required to dodge their incoming fire. Environmental hazards can be a problem, too. Take care not to run into any trees or stone structures. If you need a bit of a morale boost, just defeat a boss, and the narrator will remind you that "you're doing great!"

[source press.nintendo.com]