Things were looking alright for a while, but Nintendo of Europe has gone back to their old tricks once again, as this week offers us no new Virtual Console titles. Not to worry too much though, because at least there's 7 downloads spread across the other two services!
On WiiWare, the biggest release is, no doubt, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All, the second game in everybody's beloved courtroom series. Only people without a DS need to apply - It's a straight port of the DS release without any extras, other than Wii remote controls. Like the first game, we thought it was pretty lazily ported, but if you just don't want to buy a handheld to play it, then you still owe it to yourself to give the series a go on WiiWare instead. At 1000 Wii Points, it's also much cheaper than getting the DS version.
Not announced in advance this week was Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 5 - Rise of the Pirate God. The final part of Telltale's latest episodic adventure game, it provides a fitting end to the storyline, while continuing with the fun gameplay and humour the previous parts offered. If you bought all four previous chapters, then, obviously, there's no reason to pass this one up. It costs 1000 Wii Points, as usual.
The last WiiWare release this week is also the least interesting of the bunch. Brain Cadets was already released in North America way back in June last year as "Drill Sergeant Mindstrong." Not only did it take incredibly long to bring it over, but Nintendo has also had the courage to actually increase the price because of it - While other regions paid 800 Wii Points for it, we'll have to pay 1000! And considering the game itself isn't exactly hot, it might be best to pass on it.
DSiWare is no slouch this week with its four new releases, although you might find it hard to get excited about some of them. What some might argue is the only interesting release is Flight Control, a port of an incredibly popular iPhone game - You take the role of an air traffic controller, as you direct planes and other aircraft to the correct landing strips at an increasingly busy airport. It all sounds simple, but it gets hectic very fast. It's also surprisingly addicting, before you know it, you've lost one or more hours to the game! It only costs 500 DSi Points, so what are you waiting for? We'll have a review up soon. In the meantime you can check out our exclusive interview with Firemint.
Downtown Texas Hold'em is the umpteenth card game on Nintendo's download services. Like all the others, it's ultimately nothing really special, and only the hardcore poker players need to apply. It would've been nice for it to have DS Download Play or Wi-Fi, but it lacks both - The only way you're playing with others is if everybody else buys it as well. We didn't think too much of it. It costs 500 DSi Points.
Puzzle to Go Wildlife is a collection of jigsaw puzzles, which form images of various animals. Not much to say here - It's got 25 different puzzles, each of which can be played at three different difficulty levels. If you're a jigsaw puzzle addict and would love to have some around for on the go, then this could be a good purchase. Like every single other DSiWare release this week, it costs 500 DSi Points. We'll review it soon.
The final DSiWare release is Flips: Terror in Cubicle Four, a selection of kids' stories from a previous DS retail title released by EA. Again, there's not really much to say about it - It seems like there's some degree of interactivity, such as taking your photo and having it appear in illustrations, but you should probably only consider buying this if you happen to be a parent with a very young child. A review will be available in a few days. You guessed it, it costs 500 DSi Points as well!
That's all this time, will you be getting anything?
Comments 32
It looks like another bad week for Europe.
VC Burn! ouch Nintendo....again!
Not a very good week in my opinion.
Bad week, meh!
No VC = bad update.
Meh, mediocre. BUT next week Bit.Trip Void and the promised Military Madness:Nectaris!
Where is Castlevania Rebirth
Where is Blaster Master Overdrive
Where is Dark Void Zero
C'mon Nintendo! You CAN do better. I'm still NOT gonna buy Excite bike, so you can move on to the other titles now.
Ho hum. Average. Haven't downloaded anything for about 4-6 months.
I've downloaded Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All, even though it's a lazy port and I've played the DS original. Don't ask me why.
Hmmm it looks like we have 98 games in the EU/AU DSiWare Catalogue!
Hopefully #100 next week!
No. I'd call this a good update for a change. I just got through the first case in Justice For All. I'm enjoying it. A "lazy port" of an 8/10 game (using the first game's DS score) is still an 8/10 score for me. Maybe 7/10 since the graphics aren't as sharp as they would be on the DS. But thats the only drop in score it should have. I wouldn't have downloaded it though if I'd played it before. There's not really any replay value to it once you know the story and worked out the clues. I was expecting something good on VC today; I had 900 points saved. I probably won't save them until next week so I have to think about what game already released I could spend them on.
@ gh0stie, maybe you all will get a 100th free dsiware game from Nintendo next week
on topic- besides Flight control dsiware isnt looking to good this week...........
also it would be nice to know what Ninteys strategy is by not release hardly any VC in EU lately.....
I'll second that, RedBluespot. It's annoying enough that they don't streamline the US/EU release schedules, because that way you'll always get people nitpicking about titles that haven't shown up in their respective region yet.
But it's downright insufferable that there has to be months between similar releases. See Smash Bros in the US and Castlevania Rebirth in Europe, the latter still being absent on the service here.
Its crap-tacular... A dodgy over priced PC port, or a badly scaled GBA port? Er, no thanks Nintendo.
Awesome week for NoE; seven releases and four are Dsiware for a change
@RedBlueSpot: In the virtual video game vault?
Still can't believe you guys got Brain Cadets after so long AND for 200 Points more. 800 Points was already kinda pushing it.
Damn, this is getting rediculous, no VC download AGAIN.
I WANT MY SUPAH MARIO KARTS!
Im getting to the point where I want to blow up Nintendo.
How hard is it to release a game, that you released 15 years ago?
Looks like the only good game released for you Europeans and Australians this week is surpassed by its PC version.
No Virtual Console games = very disappointing update to me
Normally I would be interested in Phoenix Wright (played already the DS version on release, but sold the first two games unfortunately afterwards) and Monkey Island since I'm a big fan of classic point'n'click adventures especially the games of LucasArts (It's unbelievable nowadays that LucasArts was the best game developer on PCs in the '90ies. Their recent games range from mediocre to abysmal). But I have decided to boycott those lousy Wii ports. I'm sure there will be a XBLA-release of "Tales of Monkey Island" soon (or else I could still buy the PC-version).
Not a bad week if you like the new Monkey Island games or Ace Attorney but for me it's a no go. Shame about the VC but surely people still have plenty to play if they downloaded Sonic & Knuckles last week.
No Mario Kart is a downer and the same goes for either version of Master Blaster. Looking forward to the new Military Madness though, will be replaying the TG game this week in preparation.
DSi update is ok with Flighr Control! I will not complain this week. Though no VC games is ridiculous. There are so many games to release before the Armageddon.
@Ristar42. Badly scaled? I thought the graphics were double the size. Badly scaled implies they are 1.3*the DS size or something which ends up distorting the graphics (or its like Sonic Classic Collection where half the screenshots have every 6th line missing butchering the graphics).
Hmm, I'm no expect on the technical meaning of scaling to be honest there, I guess I just meant they are on a screen way too big for their original design. It is 'bad' anyway as shows a proper lack of effort -
My point is, this hardly lives up to Nintendo's own description of WiiWare as 'a host of unique software...created exclusively for download on the Wii'. Still, I guess I just wont buy it, but if people enjoy these ports, then cool.
Flight Control is the best DSi Ware game ever released!
I'm seriously starting to get pissed. I just want Super Mario Kart. Sonic and Knuckles was a great release though.
if people enjoy these ports, then cool.
I do. And I would welcome more GBA ports if they were of good games that I would enjoy playing. Golden Sun, anyone? How about Final Fantasy V Advance? There's no chance of getting the game on the Virtual Console since it was never translated (and there would be a lot of work involved just to give the SNES game the script from the GBA game) but I would enjoy playing it on the TV screen even if it was just the GBA game as if it was played on a GBA Player on Gamecube. The more good games the merrier IMO regardless of how it happens even if it does go against Nintendo's own host of unique software statement. I remember the graphics not being sharp as on the handheld when playing games through the GBA Player but I wouldn't say they were off-putting. So bring on the ports.
this is reasons people hate nintendo......... no vc again........what the world nintendo.........im sick and tired of this no vc week bull crap they give us......its nothin aganst the wii- ware fans....but nintendo should treat wii-ware and vc equal............next week they better give europe 2 or 3 vc games dang it........
Not a bad week for EU IMHO. Pheonix Justice, Monkey Island 5 and Flight Control to be downloaded soonish.
This is whats coming to DSi next week
http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/dsiware/dracula_-_undead_awakening_16012.html
Hopefully Reflection and Pop Island in March
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