News Article

Nintendo Download: 15-16 September 2009 (Japan)

Posted Sun, 13 Sep 2009 by Sean Aaron

You will believe a penguin can fly...off a cliff.

You will believe a penguin can fly...off a cliff.

The magic numbers next week are 3-3-4 as WiiWare makes a reappearance in Japan.

After a wee holiday from the Japanese download service, WiiWare has come back with three new titles along with three Virtual Console titles and four DSiWare titles for happy downloaders everywhere.

WiiWare
Minna de Tobikome Penguin Diving Hooper Looper (500pts - Agenda-Game) – A "racing" game involving diving penguins, as you would expect. The game seems to use the remote on its side, with tilting "Wii Wheel"-style controls directing your penguin's path through seven different dives. The goal in the dives is simple: to go through various rings on your descent in an attempt to get the best possible score whilst hitting a final target in the water (as opposed to planting your head in dirt). You dive from seven locales including various icebergs, down a waterfall, through the depths of a cave and even from another planet down to earth. Also features local splitscreen multiplayer for up to four players and wi-fi leaderboards.

Happy hippos in your lounge!

Happy hippos in your lounge!

F・O・R・T・U・N・E: Fortune Hoshi no Furi Sosogu Oka (1000pts - Cybird) – The genre for this game is listed as "Action Adventure Astrology" and indeed fortunes do seem to play a role in this game, which sees you controlling a little witch who travels to different village locations. What you do there isn't terribly clear beyond speaking to people in town and casting spells.

Animal Life (500pts - Hudson) – Known in the West as My Zoo, this game seems to put the player in the role of zoo keeper or patron. You can simply observe the animals or you can interact with them, clean their paddocks and even breed them and raise the offspring by hand. There are eight animals to start with and additional species to purchase as DLC.

Virtual Console
Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishijyuurokubei no Karakuri Manji Katame (Super Famicom 800pts - Konami) – The third entry in the popular Goemon series from Konami. It's regarded by fans as one of the best games in the series, though it's a bit of a departure from the previous games by featuring a strong RPG component. There's a lot of chatting to villagers in Japanese to progress the story, so importers beware!

Dragon Bustin' makes me feel good!

Dragon Bustin' makes me feel good!

Dragon Saber (Arcade 800pts - Namco) – Sequel to Dragon Spirit. This game was slightly more forgiving in difficulty than its predecessor and allowed for a second player to join in for co-op play. It has never been released on a compilation outside of Japan, where it appeared in the Namco Museum R (Encore) compilation for the Sony Playstation. There has already been a PC Engine port on the Japanese Virtual Console for some time, but the higher resolution graphics and better animation will make the original arcade game the version to get.

Dragon Buster (Arcade 800pts - Namco) – The last of the first run of Namco's Virtual Console Arcade offerings, Dragon Buster is a 2D action game where you control a hero with a sword on a quest through a series of dungeons with the ultimate goal of rescuing the princess. Seen previously in the West as part of the Namco Museum Volume 2 for the Sony Playstation, this title also has a Famicom port on the Wii Virtual Console, though as with Dragon Saber the arcade version is the definitive one.

DSiWare
G.G. Series Z・ONE (200pts - Genterprise) – A side-scrolling shooter where the player is trying to navigate through a maze of blocks and enemy turrets. It's not clear if the blocks can be destroyed, but from screenshots it looks like Arkanoid-meets-Gradius.

Alice Destroys Wonderland

Alice Destroys Wonderland

G.G. Series Wonder Land (200pts - Genterprise) – Another entry in Genterprise's cheap-and-cheerful series of arcade games for DSiWare. As the title suggests this is an Alice in Wonderland-themed bullet hell shooter!

Asoberu Ehon Mind Ten (500pts - Nintendo) – A board/card game from Nintendo for 1-4 players. From watching video it's not really clear what the object is, but there are characters that look like Victorian block prints having animal heads and colourful poker chips in rows. If anyone has a clue, please fill us in!

Saikyoo Silver Star Go (500pts - Silver Star Japan) – The classic game of Go on your DSi for one or two players.

Tags: Downloads, Japanese Releases, Virtual Console, DSiWare, WiiWare.

User Comments

protozone.quadrant

1. protozone.quadrant United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:01 BST

japan gets the best games...
we should getat least one of the games they have (bullet hell games would be nice)

JimJam707

2. JimJam707 United Kingdom 13 Sep 2009, 18:06 BST

God. Sure wish I was Japanese

warioswoods

3. warioswoods United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:08 BST

Those Genterprise DsiWare offerings look great -- miniature retro-style arcade games for 200 pts each? That's exactly what DSiWare needs over here.

double sunday

4. double sunday United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:11 BST

why does japan get everything and we are just left with the leftovers

Cheezy

5. Cheezy United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:12 BST

10...they got 10...

pixelman

6. pixelman United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:16 BST

Dragon Buster looks awesome. Any chance we'll see an NA release?

LEGEND MARIOID

7. LEGEND MARIOID United Kingdom 13 Sep 2009, 18:31 BST

Penguin racing. Reminds me of Super Mario 64, lol. Insta-download

Objection_Blaster

8. Objection_Blaster United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:36 BST

10 games? We're lucky to get that many in 3 weeks...

jpfan1989

9. jpfan1989 United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:45 BST

Does anyone else think that that penguin looks like it could be Piplup wearing a helmet?

minial100

10. minial100 Canada 13 Sep 2009, 18:46 BST

That penguin game looks awesome!

No No No Wrong Way

11. No No No Wrong Way United States 13 Sep 2009, 18:47 BST

@jpfan1989 - That's what I thought as soon as I saw it.

12. 13 Sep 2009, 18:57 BST

pengiun wiiware game looks awesome! Hope it gets released globaly soon.

Sean Aaron

13. Sean Aaron United Kingdom 13 Sep 2009, 19:08 BST

I'll probably pick up the penguin game -- before anyone comments on the text in the fortune game I'm trying to get that sorted. Looks like some stream of consciousness I neglected to edit!

Blue Protoman

14. Blue Protoman United States 13 Sep 2009, 19:33 BST

I want those G.G. games for DSi. :(

Ratengo

15. Ratengo Sweden 13 Sep 2009, 19:35 BST

I read the WiiWare titles as Animal Life: Doubutsu Fureai Seikatsu, F・O・R・T・U・N・E: Hoshi no Furi Sosogu Oka and Minna de Tobikome! Penguin Diving: Hooper Looper. Since I already have Agenda's two earlier WiiWare games 'Tataite! Mogupon' and 'Hajiite! Block Rush', I will also pick up Penguin Diving on Tuesday alongside two new downloadable stories in 'Yomi Kikase Asobi Wii' for 500 points each. :)

Blue Protoman

16. Blue Protoman United States 13 Sep 2009, 20:35 BST

Nintendo hates U.S.

redflicky

17. redflicky United Kingdom 13 Sep 2009, 20:39 BST

Where is Sonic & Knuckles?

KDR_11k

18. KDR_11k Germany 13 Sep 2009, 21:09 BST

I'm not even going to try complaining about it, Japan ALWAYS gets more games than the west, even when it comes to retail games.

odd69

19. odd69 United States 13 Sep 2009, 22:29 BST

LOL i complain nearly everytime Japan's VC day rolls around. It's nice to see other people agree. Why can't we just all get along and play what everyone plays.

Kafei2006

20. Kafei2006 Belgium 14 Sep 2009, 01:36 BST

I just ordered all 4 super famicom goemon games + the puzzle spin off starring ebisuamru. I should receive them within two weeks ^^.

RurouniTeeter

21. RurouniTeeter United States 14 Sep 2009, 03:57 BST

Ganbare Goemon 3: Shishijyuurokubei no Karakuri Manji Katame - WANT!!!... No fair... Just no fair...
Oh well...
What can I do...
@17. redflicky
Up your butt or online to buy or download a rom of it! :D

Stuffgamer1

22. Stuffgamer1 United States 14 Sep 2009, 05:41 BST

"...for happy downloaders everywhere." Yeah, everywhere IN JAPAN! I want Goemon...and that's it, really, out of this selection. But I'd gladly accept the rest being released here all at once simply to increase the rate of our releases. Yeah, like THAT'LL happen. :(

Sean Aaron

23. Sean Aaron United Kingdom 14 Sep 2009, 07:32 BST

Well I'm not in Japan and I'm happy!

vonseux

24. vonseux Brazil 14 Sep 2009, 16:22 BST

i dont mind NOT getting theese games =p

GoldJumper

25. GoldJumper Brazil 14 Sep 2009, 16:58 BST

I wish Nintendo released the Virtual Console Arcade Games from japan in usa. I waiting for: Solvalou, Xevious, Rolling Thunder 1 and 2, Burning Force, Cyber Sled and Star Blade.

KnucklesSonic8

26. KnucklesSonic8 Canada 14 Sep 2009, 18:18 BST

My Zoo in Japan first, hm? Like I didn't see that comin'. Wonder how the Penguin game will turn out.

Stuffgamer1

27. Stuffgamer1 United States 14 Sep 2009, 20:12 BST

@Sean Aaron: Says the guy with the imported Japanese Wii. We can't all afford that kind of thing, y'know! I wouldn't want to go that route anyway, because I don't actually KNOW Japanese, which would make playing Goemon a real pain in the butt. Remember, I'm the guy who was pissed that Do Re Mi Fantasy wasn't translated...I'm pretty darn sure Goemon has a better story.

Kafei2006

28. Kafei2006 Belgium 14 Sep 2009, 22:01 BST

@Stuffgamer>believe me. It does. Goemon 3 is more of an adventure game than a platformer for the most part (much like Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon on the N64 except here it's a mix between overhead and sidescrolling 2D instead of 3D). You can talk to everybody you come accross in the streets, which makes this goemon game the first one in the series where you could do that. So yes, it definitely has a better storyline than Do Re Mi Fantasy

Sean Aaron

29. Sean Aaron United Kingdom 14 Sep 2009, 23:13 BST

@Stuffgamer1: Yeah I know, but I don't know Japanese either (of course I wouldn't buy a game like Goemon as a result...) -- yet!

I'll be picking up the penguin game tomorrow and treating y'all to some first impressions (I'm also thinking of taking a shot at that Derby Dog game...who knows?).

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