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News: chick chick BOOM Blows Up WiiWare Next Week

chick chick BOOM Blows Up WiiWare Next Week

Costs 800 Points

It looks like chick chick BOOM is just about ready to hatch, as developer tons of bits has announced the game will take flight on WiiWare next Friday, October 29th, for 800 Points. To celebrate the announcement, there's a brand new trailer showing off the game's ship environment including a giant enemy crab, making it a winner in our book. If you want to know more about the game,..

News: Soccer Up! Revives Arcade Football for WiiWare

Soccer Up! Revives Arcade Football for WiiWare

Like Sensible Soccer, but with Miis

There's a real shortage of sports games on WiiWare, or quality ones at least, but the real surprise is that there's not a single soccer game available on the service so far. EnjoyUp wants to change that, with its upcoming Soccer Up! bringing fast-paced football to the service for the first time. Formerly known as EnjoyUp Soccer, Soccer Up! takes its cues from..

Nintendo Download: 22nd October 2010 (Europe)

22nd October 2010 (Europe)

Nice and early this week

Europe comes through with a bumper crop of downloadable delights for release this Friday. Shall we see what they are? WiiWareMy Starry Night (Hudson, 500pts) – Known as My Planetarium in North America, this is essentially My Aquarium for stargazers, with around 20,000 stars, planets, asteroids and more for your observation, education and maybe even a little entertainment..

News: Broken Rules Feels Let Down by Nintendo's Online Strategy

Broken Rules Feels Let Down by Nintendo's Online Strategy

Co-founder Felix Bohatsch explains the issues he has with the Wii Shop Channel

Let's face facts: Nintendo could have implemented a more robust online service for the Wii. If not only for the gamers, then at least for developers and itself. Ironically, limitations are probably what encourages alternative gaming concepts but no one wants to work with restrictions, either pre- or post-release..

Features: NES Homebrew Is Where The Heart Is

NES Homebrew Is Where The Heart Is

How two indie developers are keeping the system kicking after all these years

It’s nigh impossible to overstate the importance of the Nintendo Entertainment System in video game history: its popularity pretty much single-handedly revived the home game console market in the US, which had crashed a few years before the NES’s October 18th, 1985...

Interviews: Frozen Codebase - Jam City Rollergirls

Frozen Codebase - Jam City Rollergirls

Jammers, blue shells and water bombs - welcome to roller derby

Some games have thrilling stories of inspiration: a childhood nightmare overcome, fresh eyes on a new hobby. Jam City Rollergirls does not have quite such noble origins: it's the offspring of the fast-paced sport of roller derby and lots of drinking. We chatted to developer Frozen Codebase about the game, its fans and hitting players..

Nintendo Download: 18th October 2010 (North America)

18th October 2010 (North America)

Happy holidays and mystic quests

The past two weeks have seen high profile downloadable releases in both shapely and spiny forms, so whilst this week lacks a true flagship title it does offer two new Nintendo-published titles and the scheduled Virtual Console download. WiiWareThruSpace (Nintendo, 800pts) – Formerly known as the far more descriptive ThruSpace: High Velocity 3D Puzzle, this is all..

News: Jam City Rollergirls Screens and Video Skate In

Jam City Rollergirls Screens and Video Skate In

WiiWare gets physical

Jam City Rollergirls could be one of WiiWare's biggest breakout hits: roller derby has a fanatical, rapidly expanding fanbase, and the revelation of this WiiWare roller derby title generated plenty of interest outside the usual download audience. Now we have the first screenshots and footage of the game in action, that interest could grow even higher. A cross between roller..

More Impressions: Super Meat Boy

Super Meat Boy

A game with a lot of Meat on its bone!

For anyone that's followed the independent gaming scene over the years, you know all too well how much talent and creativity many of these games feature. And now with digital download services like Nintendo's WiiWare and Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade, many of these indie developers are finally getting the chance to shine and offer up their wares to console..

Nintendo Download: 15th October (Europe)

15th October (Europe)

Sonic returns, and brings some other stuff

As was previously announced, today sees the anticipated European release of the first episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. It's accompanied by the next titles in the GO and Music On series, as well as some other stuff. Unfortunately, there's no Virtual Console game, but that's to be expected now! DSiWareGO Series: Pinball Attack! (Gamebridge, 500pts) – The..

News: Cave Story Update Now Available

Cave Story Update Now Available

Bugs in WiiWare platformer have been zapped

Owners of Cave Story might remember that the game had a few minor glitches in its original release, but the nice folks at Nicalis have addressed these issues and the game can now be updated via the Wii Shop Channel. Some of the issues addressed are: Menu..

News: Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas Takes Aim at WiiWare Next Week

Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas Takes Aim at WiiWare Next Week

Zallag's driving follow-up on the way

Okay, so Racers' Island: Crazy Racers didn't quite live up to our expectations, but next week sees combative successor Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas swerve to Europe for a more reasonable 800 Points. Essentially transplanting the game's drive-and-shoot gameplay to an arena setting, it still supports 8 player action via sharing the Remote and Nunchuk between..

News: BIT.TRIP FATE Coming October 25th

BIT.TRIP FATE Coming October 25th

CommanderVideo fires up for fifth entry in the series

The nice folks at Gaijin Games have just announced that their fifth entry in the popular BIT.TRIP series BIT.TRIP FATE will be hitting the North American WiiWare service on October 25th and will only set you back a paltry 800 Wii Points. "BIT.TRIP FATE is like the Empire Strikes Back of the BIT.TRIP series." said Alex Neuse, CEO of..

News: Enter Miffy's World for 1000 Points this Friday

Enter Miffy's World for 1000 Points this Friday

Cute little bunny gives WiiWare a hug

That lovable white bunny Miffy is about to give us a glimpse into what life's like as an adorable children's character when Miffy's World comes to WiiWare this Friday for 1000 Nintendo Points. Players control Miffy, of course, undertaking a range of errands including delivering party invitations, building a bird house and more. There's also a number of puzzles..

News: Stand Back, This chick chick BOOM Video is About to Go Off

Stand Back, This chick chick BOOM Video is About to Go Off

Duck and cover

chick chick BOOM is notable for two things: one, a fast-and-loose approach to capital letters, and secondly for offering the cutest virtual chicks this side of Sexy Poker. Developer tons of bits has just sent over the first gameplay video that shows off the intriguing turns-based battle system in action. Taking a few cues from Worms, chick chick BOOM changes things up by including..

Nintendo Download: 11th October 2010 (North America)

11th October 2010 (North America)

Sonic the Hedgehog returns!

A good array of titles this week, with the 2D return of Sonic the Hedgehog taking top billing of course. DSiWare fans can get a pinch of Sonic creator Yuji Naka's latest platforming adventure, Ivy the Kiwi?, but there's also sports and puzzle games if platforming isn't your thing. Let's do it to it! WiiWare: Sonic the...

Nintendo Download: 12th and 13th October 2010 (Japan)

12th and 13th October 2010 (Japan)

WiiWare and DSiWare together again

It looks like the heady days of surprise Japanese Virtual Console releases are well and truly behind us as there's only one VC release scheduled for the rest of the month and it's not happening next week. Instead there's a pair of WiiWare titles, which were starting to get as rare as hen's teeth. DSiWare is sparse...

Nintendo Download: 8th October 2010 (Europe)

8th October 2010 (Europe)

Three for DSiWare, one each on WiiWare and VC

In an unexpected turn of events, the press release for this week's European Nintendo Download turned up early, but who's complaining? Well, anyone hoping to grapple with Shantae: Risky's Revenge and Cave Story, but at least next week sees the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, so there's a definite bright side. DSiWareDatamine (Enjoy Gaming,..

News: Aya and the Cubes of Light Gets Speed Boost

Aya and the Cubes of Light Gets Speed Boost

Leads to slight delay

The first footage of upcoming WiiWare puzzler Aya and the Cubes of Light drew criticism from some readers due to its slow pacing, and developer Object Vision noticed. The outcome? The game will receive a speed increase, among other improvements. It also looks likely that the game will feature mid-level checkpoints in response to beta testers' requests. Sadly these improvements..

Interviews: Sega - Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

Sega - Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

We chat about the hedgehog's 2D return

It's nearly here: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is released on WiiWare in North America on October 11th, with a European release following on Friday October 15th. With the game now finished and so very nearly here, we caught up with Ken Balough, Digital Brand Manager for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, to pose some questions about the hedgehog's impending..

News: Bit.Trip FATE Soundtrack Available For Sale Before the Actual Game

Bit.Trip FATE Soundtrack Available For Sale Before the Actual Game

Full game aiming for Oct. 18 release in North America, says Gaijin

Sometimes, it seems, waiting is difficult. Like waiting for the next entry in a favourite game series. After the last time we parted ways with CommanderVideo in Gaijin Games' phenomenal Bit.Trip RUNNER, the return of the Atarified hero in Bit.Trip FATE seems like it can't come soon enough. Sure, you can bide your time reading our..

Podcast: NLFM Episode 9: Halloween Hootenanny

NLFM Episode 9: Halloween Hootenanny

You don't need to be the master of unlocking to access these horror treasures

Boo! It's a regular fright fest in this episode of NLFM as we queue up some of our favorite horror game tracks. BEHOLD! the wonders of mad science gone wrong! GASP! at the children of the night! WONDER! how Chuck D. Head doesn't need more painkillers! RUN! from the Scissorman! Dare you listen? Dare you not? In case you've..

Nintendo Download: 4th October 2010 (North America)

4th October 2010 (North America)

Shantae arrives!

No messing around this week, let's get straight to the good stuff. DSiWareShantae: Risky's Revenge (WayForward, 1200pts) – The genial genie finally returns in this highly anticipated release. The price point may seem steep, but WayForward assures us this one is packed with enough content to keep you going for ages. Our full review will be up later this week. Rummikub (Games..

News: Racers' Island: Crazy Racers Racing Crazily to North America on Monday

Racers' Island: Crazy Racers Racing Crazily to North America on Monday

1000 Points stateside

Whilst Zallag released Gods vs. Humans to European WiiWare fans today, next Monday sees its first title, Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers reaching North America. At 1000 Points it's 200 Points cheaper than its European counterpart, but still boasts the same mixture of racers, islands and craziness. You can read our Racers' Island: Crazy Racers review to see what we made of this..