Even more impressive-looking than the original!

This week's a mixture of catch-up games and new ones - Who would've thought that all five announced Domo-kun games for DSiWare would be released at the same time? Of course, today also sees the North American release of LostWinds 2, the fantastic sequel to the WiiWare launch game, as previously announced.

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias is everything a good sequel should be - More of the same, just improved in almost every way. Carrying on from the ending of the first game, this time, Toku is looking for his mother on top of a snowy mountain. Once again, you must run around a Metroid-like system of linked rooms, solving puzzles along the way by using your wind powers. The game is a bit longer and more challenging than the first, which means anybody who complained about the length of the original should be more happy with this one. As it's been out in Europe for a while, you can already read our review, or you can read our interview with Frontier frontman, David Braben. The game costs 1000 Wii Points.

WiiWare's other offering is a quirky shooting gallery game which has been out in Japan for a while, but is only now being released in the west. Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem sees you shooting down dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures as you go through the stages of human evolution - First you'll be playing as a monkey, but as you go on you'll slowly evolve into a human, and your weapons will likewise become better. It's only 500 Wii Points, so we have hope for it. We'll review it soon.

You might be familiar with Domo-kun - The furry brown mascot of Japan's NHK television station strangely became more popular in North America than he is in his homeland. That's why he stars in not one, but five new DSiWare games. In Crash-Course Domo, you participare in a bicycle race. In Hard-Hat Domo you must solve construction site puzzles to climb up each building. Pro-Putt Domo is a golf game, Rock-n-Roll Domo is a rhythm game, and White-Water Domo is a kayaking game. All of the games look pretty fun, and for 200 DSi Points each you should be able to find one you like. We'll review all of them over the course of the week.

On Virtual Console you can check out another Tecmo offering. The arcade version of Rygar is radically different from the NES one, and doesn't consist of much more than the titular Rygar running to the right, jumping over platforms and cutting down hordes of enemies with his strange Diskarmor weapon. It's not too bad, but most players will likely find it too hard and will want to wait for the inevitable release of the cult classic NES version. You can read what we thought here.

8 new games, including an entire series of titles in one go! Are you getting anything? More from Nintendo's press release:

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: DISCOVER NEW LOSTWINDS, NUMEROUS DOMO GAMES AND A TRUE ARCADE CLASSIC

Oct. 19, 2009

Eight is great for gamers this week as Nintendo adds eight new titles to its ever-growing library of downloadable games. First on the list is LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, a follow-up to one of the most popular releases on the WiiWare™ service. Next, Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem makes survival of the fittest the law of the land. Meanwhile, Nintendo DSiWare™ welcomes Domo™, a strange creature who hatched from an egg. Also known as the popular mascot of Japan's NHK television station, Domo stars in five separate new Nintendo DSiWare games. Topping it off is RYGAR™, a 1980s arcade gem making its Virtual Console™ debut.

WiiWare

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
Publisher: FRONTIER
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias is a sequel to the award-winning WiiWare launch title LostWinds. Enril the Wind Spirit returns to protect and guide young Toku by powering his jumps, aiding his glides and smashing his enemies. An evil adversary binds the fate of Toku's mother, Magdi, and the ancient Melodia civilization. To save Magdi, Toku and Enril must face new foes, enlist friends old and new, and wield incredible new powers - including the ability to switch the very seasons themselves - as they explore the diverse, richly interactive Chilling Peaks and Melodia City areas of the magical land of Mistralis. This enchanting, exhilarating, explorative game play experience is bursting with new ideas that make exceptional use of the Wii Remote™ controller. The awesome power of the Wind is back in the palm of your hand.

Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Crude Humor, Mild Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Battle for the future in a world governed by the law of the jungle. As you move through the stages, your character evolves and your weapons and shooting abilities change. First, throw weapons by hand, then proceed to use tools and different types of projectiles. A cooperative two-player mode is also available. The controls are simple: Move the character with the control stick, adjust the crosshairs with the Wii Remote controller and shoot down targets while dodging enemy attacks. Getting hit by an enemy bullet or touching an enemy close to you will count as a miss. With each miss, you'll lose one heart; losing all hearts will end the game.

Nintendo DSiWare

Crash-Course Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: In Crash-Course Domo, you'll guide Domo across the finish line in six increasingly difficult bicycle races. Steer Domo around other racers and patches of rough terrain, pedaling as fast as his stubby legs will allow.

Hard-Hat Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Hard-Hat Domo, Domo is a construction worker trying to get to the top of a building. Match ladder colors to floor colors - using cans of paint, if necessary - to earn points and continue climbing higher. Reach the top floor to clear each of the four levels of difficulty.

Pro-Putt Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Pro-Putt Domo, Domo hits the green in an effort to win the world putt-putt golf championship. Domo competes to finish with the lowest number of strokes in either the nine-hole Small Classic or the 18-hole Big Open tournament. Along the way, he'll collect coins and earn bowls of meat-and-potato stew while avoiding bunkers and water hazards.

Rock-n-Roll Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Rock-n-Roll Domo, you'll control Domo as he takes the stage in search of fortune and fame. Hit the right notes in rhythm (using the touch screen, if desired) to rock the house. If your timing needs work, use the mixer to practice songs. Complete five different songs at a series of increasingly larger venues to help Domo become a superstar.

White-Water Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Take control of Domo as he hops into his kayak and races the river rapids in White-Water Domo. Jump and paddle as you steer Domo through the treacherous rapids in an effort to cross the finish line as quickly as possible. Finish with one of the top three times to proceed to the next stage.

Virtual Console

RYGAR™
Publisher: Tecmo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: The year is 19XX A.D. and the human race has been brought to its knees by the resurrected ancient Beast Lord. The people have brought legendary warrior Rygar back to life in order to save the human race. Armed with Diskarmor, a weapon that extends, you'll also make full use of your jumping abilities to venture through and clear all 27 stages. Appearing at arcades in 1986 as a side-scrolling action game, RYGAR received high acclaim for its beautifully rendered graphics, including waterfalls and a setting sun. As extra features, players can collect the five Powers of Indra to obtain special bonuses or gain 1,000,000 bonus points for finding hidden items. Also, the number of lives and the level of difficulty can be altered.

[source press.nintendo.com]