Beat each other up while swimming!
Another WiiWare boost with three new games.
For some reason, Nintendo chose not to reveal today's releases in advance - Not only did they not put a press release on their press site, but they didn't even send one to journalists through email! We have no idea why, because this is actually a relatively solid week - Definitely not as bad as some past updates.
WiiWare's highlight is the previously announced Spaceball: Revolution, a strange puzzle game from Virtual Toys, who previously released Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam. No, the game has nothing to do with the movie Spaceballs - You must throw balls at a grid (In space!) to light up the squares on it in order to replicate a picture which is shown in the corner of the screen. Naturally, you'll have to deal with increasingly annoying obstacles which are all too keen on bumping into your ball and changing its direction. We thought that while nothing spectacular, it's a pretty fun game and might be worth checking out for its relatively cheap 800 Wii Points price tag.
That's not the only WiiWare game today which has already been released in Europe, though - Texas Hold'em Poker is Gameloft's second attempt at a WiiWare poker game (After the only recently released Sexy Poker), and while a bit more professional, it's still nothing worth writing home about - WiiWare already got Texas Hold'em Tournament a while ago, which is pretty good, and seeing as this one is worse in almost all regards it's really not worth the price of admission. If you want, you can read our review here. It'll cost you 600 Wii Points.
The third and final WiiWare game is also the only completely new one - Mart Racer was announced quite some time ago, but has now randomly been released without any prior notice. In the game, you play as a team of two characters with a shopping cart against two other characters with a shopping cart of their own - The goal is simply to race through the supermarket and pick up all items on your shopping list before the other team does. What makes it a bit more interesting is that it actually has Wi-Fi multiplayer, which sadly isn't seen in too many WiiWare games. The game costs 800 Wii Points, and we'll have a review soon.
As is the norm now, the Virtual Console only has one new offering - Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge is the fourth English Kunio game available for Virtual Console. You might think that you're not familiar with the Kunio series at all, but the truth is that you most likely are - Other games in the series include River City Ransom and Super Dodge Ball. This particular game is like a wacky version of the Olympics - Kunio (Called Crash in this game) and his friends compete against rival teams in a variety of crazy events, such as jumping over rooftops or a swimming race during which you're allowed to beat each other up. Although it is somewhat of a button masher, it's still quite fun to play, and definitely comes recommended. We'll have a review up in a few days.
DSiWare's primary release is the also previously announced Oscar in Toyland, which is a reworking of the Amiga/PC game Trolls. You play as the titular Oscar as he makes his way through various platforming stages to locate his missing "baby Oscars." Although it's a platformer, which DSiWare desperately needs, it's not a really outstanding one - The game's graphics and music feel messy, and there's not a whole lot of variety. It's not truly bad, but we definitely hope DSiWare gets better platformers in the future! It'll run you 800 DSi Points, and you can read our review here.
But DSiWare also gets a second game this time! No, sorry, the Art in the story title doesn't refer to a new Art Style game, but rather to what appears to be a Nintendo-published painting/artwork toolkit called Art Academy: First Semester. We're not sure if this is a North American release of a game Japan already has, but for 800 DSi Points it's quite expensive. Perhaps it's the DS version of Mario Paint everybody always wanted?
That's it this week! Nintendo didn't send out a press release this time, so unfortunately you can't read it for now!
User Comments
1. pixelman
14 Sep 2009, 17:41 BST
Good update. I'm eyeing Spaceball, and Crash n' Boys looks awesome.
2. rustythekid
14 Sep 2009, 17:42 BST
Good update, nothing for me, but overall, sounds pretty cool.
3. Wiiperson11
14 Sep 2009, 17:44 BST
Hmmm Mart Racer looks good
4. VGM
14 Sep 2009, 17:45 BST
Pretty Good Update.
5. ballistikboy
14 Sep 2009, 17:45 BST
What about "Art Academy"? It's also on the 800 pt releases for today.
6. Drake
14 Sep 2009, 17:48 BST
@ballistikboy: Yup, so we noticed, it's added now.
7. ballistikboy
14 Sep 2009, 17:49 BST
There you go. I see you've added it in here now...
Can't wait to try this out!!
8. Hyper Luigi
14 Sep 2009, 17:52 BST
Good update, I thought for a minute we will not get any VC games today.
9. worrybomb
14 Sep 2009, 17:54 BST
Well according to what's current;y in my DSi Shop, not only is DSiWare getting "Oscar in Toyland" today but also a Nintendo app titled "Art Academy: First Semester". It'll cost 800 Nintendo Points to download. Here's the description:
Art Academy is a portable art course that anyone can join to replace the lecture-like structure of art school, or the trial and error on canvas, with a Nintendo DSi system. Art Academy: First Semester will guide you through the basics of using pencil and paints, which draw like the real things. With your own paintbrush set and color palette, you will learn texturing and blending techniques, along with how to depict light and shade. There is also Free Paint mode where you can select photos from your Nintendo DSi Camera Album to draw from. In just a few lessons, you will be discovering your inner artist and creating your own masterpieces, with art skills that you can apply with real-life materials.
10. Jockolantern
14 Sep 2009, 17:55 BST
Mart Racer looks... pretty lame, to be honest. I just downloaded Spaceball: Revolution and from my first runthrough playing it (before succumbing to a Game Over), I quite enjoyed it. Not amazing but definitely a competent reflex puzzler that will be very fun to come back to. I can see it getting quite vindictive on later difficulty levels since you really have to think and shoot ahead.
11. jones2929
14 Sep 2009, 18:02 BST
Crash 'n the Boys is hilarious. Yes, it is a button masher, but the fact that you can break a hurdle on the 400 meter race and use the shards of the hurdle as a weapon against your opponent means instant download for me.
12. Syr
14 Sep 2009, 18:03 BST
Isn't Mart Racer a rip off of that old TV gameshow? It has the exact same premise I believe, though I can't remember the name..
Anyway, I'm stoked I picked up Gradius Rebirth last night instead of waiting to see what came out today! Such a killer game, shame the 6 will scare most people off, it deserves a 7-8 imo.
13. Bass X0
14 Sep 2009, 18:15 BST
How about waiting to get Crash 'n the Boys as your free NES game?
14. KeroKero Cola
14 Sep 2009, 18:16 BST
@Syr You're thinking of Supermarket Sweep. The premise wasn't exactly to race each other, but to collect certain items in a specific amount of time (and yes, you would run around a market with a shopping cart.)
Nothing for me this week, again.
15. KnucklesSonic8
14 Sep 2009, 18:17 BST
Mart Racer is finally here, huh? Definitely not getting it right away at that price...
Yes for Crash 'n the Boys!
16. jpfan1989
14 Sep 2009, 18:19 BST
wow looks like i was 100% correct on my predictions
17. Tony
14 Sep 2009, 18:33 BST
I may be interested in that Art Academy app. ( i assume its not a game) That actually sounds kinda useful and handy.
18. Twilight Crow
14 Sep 2009, 18:36 BST
Not a bad update, any kunio-kun game is welcomed, and Spaceball: Revolution looks great, but I'm saving my last points for Cave Story, which, hopefully, may come out on early october.
19. brandonbwii
14 Sep 2009, 18:48 BST
Nothing too special in the Wares' front, but another solid VC release in as many as 6 weeks.
20. StarFox
14 Sep 2009, 18:50 BST
Art Academy might convince me to get a DSi. I've always wanted to learn how to draw.
21. lockelocke
14 Sep 2009, 19:14 BST
for me, this is the first worthwhile download in forever. Crash N The Boys is one of the best titles for the NES. If a swimming race where piranas and holding someone's head underwater are fair game sounds like fun to you, buy this game. Best 5 bucks ever.
22. gameking23
14 Sep 2009, 19:32 BST
Wow Mart Racer is out now. That was one game I thought we would never see.
23. Cheezy
14 Sep 2009, 19:34 BST
OKish, I'm into Oscar, and will be downloading that...but also, NINTENDO CHANNEL UPDATE!!!
24. warioswoods
14 Sep 2009, 19:39 BST
Art Academy actually sounds pretty great; especially this "First Semester" bit, as that certainly implies they might move on to some truly advanced techniques in subsequent volumes. Next they need a music theory / ear training series on DSiWare, I'd be all over that.
25. Egg miester
14 Sep 2009, 19:40 BST
for the most part i feel like a meh week but i am wondering on mart racer i love the graphics but in a shoping kart game is odd
26. Croz
14 Sep 2009, 19:42 BST
Crash N The Boys looks awesome, shame we in the EU won't get it for a while.
27. Konata
14 Sep 2009, 19:42 BST
How long has it been since we got an NES game?
28. Stuffgamer1
14 Sep 2009, 20:00 BST
@Bass X0: Good idea! I was wondering what I would get with that free NES game, since I've pretty much already bought everything I wanted out of what was already released...
@The Cow: There's no need for that language, Aspberger's or no. I'm sure the SSB64 complainers (besides yourself) will come...just give it time. They usually don't show up in the first 20 posts (neither do you, actually...).
@JTCPingas09: Looks like the last one was WAAAAY back on January 12th, with Castlevania III. Good grief!
29. Aquateen510
14 Sep 2009, 20:09 BST
VC: NO! NO!
As for the others...
There fine...
30. WolfLink22
14 Sep 2009, 20:17 BST
Hey Nintendo Life Staff Nintendo does indeed have a Press Release for this week's Nintendo Downloads. Go to http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=19991 I hope this helps you out.They have it hidden in the News section of Nintendo's Press Room and did not list it on the front page section of their Press Room.
31. KeeperBvK
14 Sep 2009, 20:29 BST
"That's it this week! Nintendo didn't send out a press release this time, so unfortunately you can't read it for now!"
Does anybody even ever do so?
32. MetalMario
14 Sep 2009, 20:35 BST
This update sucks so much. Ew. Just ew.
33. P. D4NG3R
14 Sep 2009, 20:51 BST
Another dissapointing week as usual. Quantity never surpasses quality. Everyone saying this update is good is delusional.
34. Darknyht
14 Sep 2009, 21:00 BST
Looks like an alright attempt. 6 new games is not bad either. Unfortunately I already spent my points on Contra: Rebirth, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (part 1), Phantasy Star, and Sonic (Game Gear/SMS version) last night.
35. longtimegamer
14 Sep 2009, 21:06 BST
@Stuffgamer1- He or someone else must have deleted it. I missed it.
I'm not normally into downloading the track and field games on VC. Though considering the other games these guys made and the fact that you can buy powerups and play dirty to win, I may just pick this up sometime. Plus I don't think I've ever played it, which is another plus. We haven't downloaded too many nes games so far. We have SMB, SMB lost levels, Castelvania 3. Not sure if there's anything else. Definitely not much though.
Edit- Yep, thats all we downloded for NES (Just checked.)
36. Stuffgamer1
14 Sep 2009, 21:08 BST
@longtimegamer: Yep, it's gone, all right. It was nothing but a short rant about SSB64 and how nobody had complained about it yet. Then he cussed NLife members in general out. It's much better deleted, believe me.
37. Ricardo91
14 Sep 2009, 21:16 BST
Fail update is fail.
Admittedly I'm tempted to get Crash n' the Boys, due to the Kunio connection, but I also hate button-mashing games of it's ilk sooo... Maybe not.
38. Bass X0
14 Sep 2009, 21:21 BST
I like to play a kind of Bingo with the new releases by myself. I like to see the lists fill up with game releases on Nintendo Life. If a region gets the full range of games on a console, its a "bingo" at least until more games come out for that console. And when both regions have exactly the same games, its a double bingo. On the WiiWare, I play for longest unbroken chain of releases of games (the release date column) in the A - Z list.
So for me, it really is the more the merrier.
And people do read press releases since we get to find out the game being released hours in advance of them being available on the shop.
39. LEGEND MARIOID
14 Sep 2009, 21:35 BST
Thanks Nintendo. Thanks a lot. America get three wiiware updates and we get one.....AND that's with us having sooooo much catching up to do! Oh, let's not forget two dsiware games and a whole lot of VC! ......but congrats NA-ites anyway I guess
Spaceball Rev is actually not bad. Consider it.
40. WolfRamHeart
14 Sep 2009, 21:49 BST
The Nintendo Channel update is awesome! Crash 'n the Boys looks like a really cool game and a very nice addition to Virtual Console library. Too bad that WiiWare is so meh this week though. Oh well, I got Bowser's Inside Story and Scribblenauts to keep me happy.
41. KnucklesSonic8
14 Sep 2009, 21:56 BST
@JTC: Since February...
42. Miyabi273
14 Sep 2009, 22:26 BST
I really want Crash 'n the Boys! I loved River City Ransom, and I know they're two different styles of games but it looks awesome! If I had a DSi I'd get the game for sure. Mart Racer seems interesting I wouldn't download it but it reminds me of those old T.V. shows where you had to run through the store and collect stuff.
43. odd69
14 Sep 2009, 22:29 BST
Hmm River city Ransom had a level system, does Crash 'n the boys provide the same awesomeness? Wiiware is very bleh this week.We got contra last week,really we can't complain.
44. StarFox
14 Sep 2009, 22:49 BST
I have an idea: how about reserving SMK for Thanksgiving and SSB for Christmas.
45. longtimegamer
14 Sep 2009, 23:19 BST
@Myabi273- Crash N' the Boys is a VC game, not dsi. Thought I'd let you know so you could get going and download it.
46. Jolted85
15 Sep 2009, 00:28 BST
not to bad, didn't expect the kunio game at all, nice week
47. irken004
15 Sep 2009, 02:13 BST
Not too bad, but nothing for me
48. Aenaida
15 Sep 2009, 03:38 BST
I've been wanting to try out the Kunio-kun series for awhile now, but I think I'll start with River City Ransom first. I'll keep this game on my potential purchase list for now.
49. longtimegamer
15 Sep 2009, 03:46 BST
@Aniada- Been awhile, but from what I remember, River City Ransom is a good game.
Anyone know how long Crash n' the Boys is?
50. ballistikboy
15 Sep 2009, 03:56 BST
I am loving Oscar and Art Academy at the moment. Great games! Keep em coming. I want that My Notebook app now.
51. Kevin
15 Sep 2009, 04:06 BST
What a crappy update. Still waiting for Final Fantasy, the more I wait the more I feel either 1 or 4 might be released christmas week.
52. ballistikboy
15 Sep 2009, 05:28 BST
Wow. Mixed opinions on this one...
53. Adamant
15 Sep 2009, 07:56 BST
@longtimegamer: "Anyone know how long Crash n' the Boys is?"
Long? Uh, it's an olympics-style sports game with 5 events, hardly the type of game you judge by the length. Takes roughly 15 minutes to play through, I'd say.
It's also an awesome game, and well worth your money.
(ah yeah, and for people worried about button mashing, there really isn't a whole lot of it. Hammer Throw aside, all the events focus much more on timing and technique than how fast you can hammer a button.)
54. Stuffgamer1
15 Sep 2009, 11:25 BST
Fifteen minutes? Hmm...I'm not sure how that's worth $5. But you know my stance on short, score-based (which I can only guess this title is based on its lack of length) games already, don't you, Adamant?
Either way, it probably IS worth Nintendo's $5 when they reward me for having previously paid for the Internet Channel, so it's all good!
55. Rapadash6
15 Sep 2009, 15:23 BST
Definately a hefty update, but admittingly not much here that excites me. I took this as an opportunity to download Contra Rebirth from last weeks update and I am loving it. In terms of VC it's clear to me now that Nintendo of America wants to seperate their releases from other territories as much as possible which may not be such a bad thing. The likes of Smash, Pilotwings and Mario Kart will all come out here eventually but I guess we should just try to appriciate what they do release in the meantime, I suppose. Still a bit irritating that we have to wait longer but so it goes I guess.
56. MrLopez
15 Sep 2009, 15:58 BST
wow! Crash n the boys! That's unexpected! Awesome!!
57. Adamant
15 Sep 2009, 19:46 BST
@Stuffgamer1: Did you not read the part where it was an olympics-style sports game? How long did you expect it to be?
Hell, it takes more time than Smash Bros 64, which everyone is constanly whining about here, if that puts it into perspective.
58. longtimegamer
15 Sep 2009, 23:03 BST
@Adamant- Well, If it had something other than the events, that might have made it longer. Guess it's just the Olympic type event then. Thanks. I don't usually buy these olympic types games, because they (at least the older ones) don't reallt have much to them and are REALLY short.
The dirty fighting is interesting to me, plus buying power ups "moves?" (like in river city ransom. Which I played quite awhile back, before the wii.) I DID play the dodgeball a LOOONG while back, that was fun. :
59. Adamant
16 Sep 2009, 00:54 BST
Well, it does have something else - the cheating aspect. You collect medals from events, then you trade them in for items in stores to make upcoming events easier. What else are you expecting, really?
And yes, some of the cheating involves buying new moves.
60. Metang
21 Sep 2009, 23:03 BST
Great update.