Meet your FATE!

October has been a good month for fans of downloadable games, with Shantae: Risky's Revenge, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and now BIT.TRIP FATE to round out the month with a bang.

WiiWare

BIT.TRIP FATE (Aksys Games, 800pts) – The fifth BIT.TRIP title takes on another new genre: the shoot 'em up. With more of the same chiptunes, retro graphical stylings and hardcore gameplay, this one promises to be another excellent addition to the series. We'll be bringing you a world exclusive review of BIT.TRIP FATE in a very short time, so stay tuned to Nintendo Life later today to see how this one shapes up.

My Planetarium (Hudson, 500pts) – Already available in Europe under the name My Starry Night, this aims to do for stargazing what My Aquarium did for fish. We're presently plotting our review and will have it ready shortly.

DSiWare

Go! Go! Island Rescue (Connect2Media, 500pts) – A port of the popular iPhone puzzler, as Robbie the firefighter your job is to protect the hapless "Darwins" from a number of disasters, including rampaging fires. The original title is well-regarded so hopefully this one can set DSiWare alight too.

Spot the Difference (Enjoy Gaming, 500pts) – You should be able to guess what this one's about, but if not our Spot the Difference review might make things a little clearer for you. It's not a bad little title if you know what to expect: lots of difference-spotting.

GO Series: Defense Wars (Gamebridge, 200pts) – The second bite-sized entry in the GO Series, Defense Wars is a nice little twist on the standard tower defence genre. You can tackle our GO Series: Defense Wars review for more information.

Flashlight (Kaasa Solution, 200pts) – We were beginning to lose hope of ever seeing this DSiWare classic reach North America, but after six months of European exclusivity it's time to turn on the lights. You can read our illuminating Flashlight review and then remind yourself never, ever to purchase this game. We suffered so you didn't have to.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: NEW BIT.TRIP FATE AMONG DOWNLOADABLE TREATS FOR NINTENDO SYSTEMS

Oct. 25, 2010

Wanna treat yourself to some new games? There's no trick to it. Just visit the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop to browse and download hundreds of instantly enjoyable games for Wii™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. The latest additions to the WiiWare™ service include BIT.TRIP FATE, a new entry in the acclaimed series that blends retro aesthetics with modern gaming thrills. New for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, Go! Go! Island Rescue! invites you to endure a disaster-laden vacation, while GO Series Defense Wars challenges you to protect your base against heavily armed enemies. No matter what you plan to wear on Oct. 31, these new downloads will keep you grinning like a jack-o'-lantern.

WiiWare

BIT.TRIP FATE
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: BIT.TRIP FATE is an on-rails side-scrolling shoot-'em-up that finds CommanderVideo riding the vibe to discover his fate. CommanderVideo will need a little help from the friends he made in BIT.TRIP RUNNER to thwart the Mingrawn Timbletot, who has mutated the world into an ugly technological nightmare. Join forces with the Junior Melchkin, CommandgirlVideo and others to increase CommanderVideo's power and save the world. Whether you play in single-player mode or team up with a co-pilot, you'll need a steady hand to navigate the vibe and aim your blasters at the twisted souls out to destroy you.

My Planetarium™
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Alcohol Reference, Violent References
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: My Planetarium is a game that allows you to observe celestial bodies from the comfort of your living room using the Wii Remote™ controller. Choose from three main modes. Observation Mode contains approximately 20,000 celestial objects up to stars of the 7th magnitude. Changeable settings include the ability to display the latitude and longitude of constellations and choose how fast time elapses. In Planetarium Mode, you can take 11 different tours that cover subjects such as stars, nebulae, constellations and other celestial objects. The Celestial Guidebook contains detailed information and mythology on celestial objects and constellations as well as a helpful glossary of astronomy terms used in observation. Enjoy a deep look into the stars and mysterious objects that fill the night sky. (Information on celestial objects is up-to-date as of June 2010.)

Nintendo DSiWare

Go! Go! Island Rescue!
Publisher: Connect2Media
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Comic Mischief, Tobacco Reference
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: This is the worst vacation ever! The hotels are collapsing, the robot waiters are going berserk and the picturesque volcanoes are exploding. You'll be lucky to make it out alive, let alone get a suntan. It's time to scramble the Rescue Squad! Take control of a squad of brave firefighters who must save the hapless Darwins from all manner of disasters, including fire, floods and rampaging robots. To do this, you must throw the Darwins around the levels until they reach a fire exit. Luckily, some of the Darwins bounce, so don't worry too much if you drop some of them. And you can always rewind time in case of any fatal accidents. With more than 50 levels of unique, laugh-out-loud game play spread across four colorful zones, panic rooms and bonus levels, Go! Go! Island Rescue! will have you smiling for hours.

Spot the Difference
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Photos are displayed on both screens. You must select the areas on the bottom screen where you see a difference and find all differences in a limited amount of time. If you manage to discover the differences within the time limit, you'll be rewarded with Cups according to your performance. There are Bronze, Silver and Gold Cups to be won. The game features 160 different photos from established photographers, with more than 1,000 combinations of differences to find in the images. Choose between one-player and multiplayer modes. The multiplayer mode is a turn-based mode in which each player must spot the differences in the same image.

GO Series Defense Wars
Publisher: Gamebridge
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Defend your base by taking control of a mini-arsenal of weapons and fighting off wave after wave of enemy attackers. Use the stylus to fire bullets and bombs at oncoming enemies. Arm your base with guns, cannons and tanks in preparation for the onslaught, then attack with everything you've got. Your mission is to survive. Good luck!

Flashlight
Publisher: Kaasa
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: When it's dark, people need a simple source of light. Flashlight changes the dual screens of your Nintendo DSi system into a flashlight with added features. You can change the color and the intensity of the light. Use your Nintendo DSi system to read under a blanket or to get a serious source of light while taking night hikes. Flashlight could also be helpful in other situations, such as using the warning light when your car has broken down.