DSiWare News
Review Inchworm Animation (DSiWare)
Animazing!
When Flipnote Studio burst onto the DSiWare scene back in 2009, it quickly became one of the most popular releases on the service, although it is worth noting that the title was available free of charge. Sites dedicated to hosting the animation creations began popping up across the Internet and remain active almost two years later. Now...
Review Valet Parking 1989 (DSiWare)
A crash course in parking
The DSiWare service certainly has the ability to surprise with its diverse variety of genres and concepts. Developer Zordix AB is throwing its hat into the ring with Valet Parking 1989. The title is self explanatory, and the concept of valet parking has been envisioned as a time management puzzle game with a distinctly 80s...
Review Music On: Learning Piano Volume 2 (DSiWare)
Beautiful harmony or sour note?
Abylight has already released seven Music On titles for the DSiWare service that teach basic instruction for such musical instruments as the keyboard and the guitar. While the Spanish studio has already released one title covering the piano, it's obviously decided that the instrument needed a follow-up with the...
Nintendo Download 25th April 2011 (North America)
DSiWare gets the lion's share
Put the excitement about the new Nintendo console out of your mind for a while and enjoy the Monday tradition that is the Nintendo Download. Most of the focus is on DSiWare this week, with one title on WiiWare and no Virtual Console outing due to the release of Mega Man X last week. DSiWare: Inchworm Animation (Flat...
News AfterZoom Mixes Pokemon, Augmented Reality, Chemistry
Abylight returns to DSiWare
Augmented reality is all the rage these days, but it's not just the preserve of the 3DS: DSiWare has a few AR games up its sleeves too, with Abylight's AfterZoom the latest to emerge. Players will use the DSi's camera to search out microscopic organisms, zooming into every day objects to see what tiny creatures can be...
Review Hellokids - Vol. 1: Coloring and Painting (DSiWare)
A decent artist's toolbox
With the free title Flipnote Studio available on DSiWare, it's kind of hard to really create anything that would be able to top it. Hellokids - Vol. 1: Coloring and Painting, however, does offer some decent options and might be fun for younger kids. The main draw for the young ones is probably the colouring mode, in which...
Nintendo Download 22nd April 2011 (Europe)
Is it a good Friday?
It's certainly a quiet Friday, with one new title for WiiWare and a pair for DSiWare. Read on to find out what's vying to take your Nintendo Points away from you this week. WiiWare: Ubongo (Korner Entertainment, 800pts) — The popular board game comes to WiiWare courtesy of Korner, the same team that brought you Fireplacing...
Review Successfully Learning English: Year 2 (DSiWare)
Vocabu-scary or the definition of fun?
After four entries in the Successfully Learning Mathematics WiiWare series, Tivola is now turning its attentions to studying English, and this time Freddy the Vampire flies – at night, of course – over to DSiWare instead. It’s time to start a new class, but will this help young gamers learn their ABCs?...
News This Zoonies - Escape from Makatu Trailer is the Mane Attraction
We're not lion
Zoonies - Escape from Makatu is coming to DSiWare next week, and anyone wanting to see the game in action will be pleased to find the official launch trailer below. The physics-based puzzle platformer finds Leo the lion stranded in the jungle after a plane crash, after which he must escape from the dangerous Tubas warriors and their...
Review Escape Trick: The Secret of Rock City Prison (DSiWare)
Far more frustrating than fun
Despite the system's unique touchscreen feature, we've seen very few point-and-click adventures for the system. Intense Games hopes to remedy that situation with the release of its mystery adventure Escape Trick: The Secret of Rock City Prison on DSiWare. Combining a story full of plot twists with point-and-click puzzle...
Nintendo Download 18th April 2011 (North America)
Take on Mega Man X
After the news that Mega Man 5 is coming to Virtual Console, we have the unexpected arrival of Super NES Blue Bomber outing Mega Man X. Virtual Console: Mega Man X (Super NES, 800pts) — Run, jump, blast: it's Mega Man in the 16-bit era, and the first Super NES entry in the series to arrive on Virtual Console. Look out for our...
Awesome ink
All right, let’s be serious for just a minute. Who here hasn’t dreamed about the glitzy and glamorous lifestyle that comes with being a tattoo artist? Well, now you can finally fulfill your fantasy with the release of Art of Ink from Sabarasa for DSiWare. Though it’s obviously not a completely accurate representation of life in...
Some folks call it a Slingo
Remember Slingo, the popular, fun and highly addictive internet game that had you wasting most of your work hours trying to get the high score? Well, thanks to MumboJumbo, this incredible browser game is now available on DSiWare in the form of Slingo Quest, a reincarnation of the classic with a few extra surprises...
Review Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From The Abyss (DSiWare)
Non-stop grind
There's nothing quite like a good dungeon crawler to waste away an afternoon. All that hacking and slashing and magicking and looting and leveling — when these gel together, why, yes, please. These are all traits found in Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From The Abyss, but sadly the glue keeping the game together lacks a very vital...
Nintendo Download 15th April 2011 (Europe)
Head back to Adventure Island
Hudson hero Master Higgins resurfaces on Virtual Console in Adventure Island II, alongside new titles from Ludia and Tivola. Virtual Console: Adventure Island II (Hudson, NES, 500pts) — Master Higgins is back with his trusty axe, four dinosaurs and an evil witch to take down. This NES platformer brings back fond...
Review 3D Twist & Match (DSiWare)
Not a perfect match
There are quite a few games on DSiWare which started off as part of another title but have been released seperately. However, there's also quite a few games that seem like they really should've been part of something else, and 3D Twist & Match undoubtedly falls into the latter category. The sole objective here is to rotate...
News We Just Hooked a Big Bass Arcade Trailer
You should see the one that got away
Big John Games has just dropped us a line (sorry) to let us know its frantic fishing game Big Bass Arcade has passed Nintendo lotcheck and is swimming its way upstream to the DSiWare shop. The creators of Thorium Wars have changed theme slightly to create a pick-up-and-play fishing title, with a range of locales,...
A slippery slope downwards…
If there is one thing missing from the video game world, it’s a snowboarding game starring goblins and dragons, and Enjoy Gaming is aiming to fill the void with Trollboarder. It’s been marketed as the ‘craziest snowboard game in history’, but is this zany fun or an experience that will drive you mad? The premise...
Nintendo Download 11th April 2011 (North America)
Ink, birds, slingos and prisons
It's that time on a Monday again: here's the delicious downloadable delights dished out today, hoping to separate you from the numeric currency locked away within your DSi and Wii consoles. WiiWare: Play with Birds (Games Farm, 500pts) — A mix of avian-themed minigames that takes you through the life of a cartoon...
News Get Animated at Inchworm Animation's Impending Release
Approved, dated and priced
Five years in the making, Flat Black Films' animation software Inchworm Animation is finally approved and penned with a release date. A hot contender to Flipnote Studio's reputation as the premier animation application available at the DSi Shop, Inchworm Animation certainly packs a punch in the functionality department,...
Review GO Series: Captain Sub (DSiWare)
Diving to the murky depths
DSiWare has seen quite a few ‘GO’ titles during its lifespan, and the latest in the series is GO Series: Captain Sub. This title marks another departure in the series with a combination of puzzling, shooting and exploration. The question is whether this game is worth the expedition undersea. The premise of the game is...
Review Absolute Baseball (DSiWare)
Foul balls
What happens when you take baseball, America’s favorite pastime, and mix it with Japan’s favorite pastime, the turn-based RPG? You get Tasuke’s newest DSiWare game, the Frankenstein-esque genre crosser titled Absolute Baseball. While the idea here is nothing less than genius, does an RPG in which you take control of a baseball...
News Sony CEO Refers to Nintendo Handhelds as "Babysitting Tools"
Don't get him started on the issue of self-respect
Some Sony executives have positive things to say about the company's rivals, and some don't. Sony president and CEO Jack Tretton is without doubt a person that falls into the latter category. Speaking to Fortune, Tretton refers to Nintendo's handheld offerings as the "Game Boy experience",...
News There's a Touch of Virtual On to this New DSiWare Game
Called "Battle of Elemental"
There aren't enough games that pit giant weapon-packed robots against each other and there never will be, but even after several years we've still got a soft spot for Sega's Virtual On series. This arena-based robot combat title has never quite conquered the mainstream, but its influence is keenly felt in several titles,...
Nintendo Download 8th April 2011 (Europe)
One of the most unique weeks ever
WiiWare has seen some odd releases over the years — step forward Muscle March, Tomena Sanner and Fireplacing — but the bar has been raised with this week's download. Read on in astonishment. WiiWare: Physiofun: Pelvic Floor Training (Kaasa, 1000pts) — Pelvic floor exercises are designed to help strengthen the...
News Zoonies - Escape from Makatu Breaks Out on 29th April
Zoological platformer for DSiWare
Kiloo Games just got in touch to announce the European release date for Zoonies - Escape from Makatu, a new puzzle-platformer for DSiWare. Leo the lion will touch down on 29th April for 500 Nintendo Points. After bailing out of his crashed plane deep in the jungle, Leo finds himself hunted down by the Tuba tribe and...
Review Dancing Academy (DSiWare)
Uh-oh, I’m dancing with my stylus
Tivola’s ‘Academy’ series of games is becoming a prolific presence on DSiWare. In consecutive months we've had Model Academy and Beauty Academy. These titles have targeted pre-teen girl gamers and the latest entry, Dancing Academy is no different. We’re dusting off our dancing shoes to determine whether...
A fairy solid puzzler
We've seen a fair share of puzzlers on DSiWare, so any time a new title from the genre is released, it's generally met with a cautious approach, especially considering the number of mediocre releases we've seen so far. Having initially made its rounds on the PC and Mac, A Fairy Tale makes its way onto DSiWare and brings all of...
Nintendo Download 4th April 2011 (North America)
Here's your Bonk
Banishing the memory of last week's poor showings on the Nintendo Download, this week offers up a bumper crop of games, with Virtual Console, DSiWare and WiiWare all receiving fresh new games to play. Virtual Console: Super Bonk (Super NES, 800pts) — A platformer so classic it's practically prehistoric, Super Bonk takes the...
Domo arigato, DodoGo! Robo
With two games already available on DSiWare — DodoGo! and DodoGo! Challenge — you'd be forgiven for thinking that each DodoGo! game is simply a level pack expansion to the previous game. This was true for the second title, Challenge, but things are a bit different here, as while the first two titles were very similar...
Nintendo Download 1st April 2011 (Europe)
Will you be an April fool?
This week's North American Nintendo Download was underwhelming to say the least, and its European counterpart absolutely blows it out of the water. Let's see what treats await. Virtual Console: Brawl Brothers (JALECO, Super NES, 800pts) — We've already got Rival Turf on Virtual Console, and now its successor reaches the...
News First Antipole Screenshots Flip DSiWare On its Head
Defying gravity
Saturnine Games just sent over the first screenshots of its upside-down platform puzzler Antipole for DSiWare, revealing a little more about the gravity-flipping title. Like all good games, the ultimate aim in Antipole is to prevent a robot invasion. Thankfully your mysterious main character has the ability to reverse gravity,...
Review Simply Minesweeper (DSiWare)
Simply, Minesweeper
Engine Software doesn't exactly have a track record of making amazing games for DSiWare, all of its output has at the very least always been mediocre at worst and average at best. The studio has previously released Simply games for Mahjong, Sudoku and Solitaire, all of which were quite functional, but ultimately all very basic...
News Nintendo Clarifies Stance on Garage Developers
Loves them really
There was something of a storm in a teacup around Reggie Fils-Aime's recent comments that Nintendo isn't interested in garage developers. As long-time fans of WiiWare and DSiWare will know, some of the services' better titles have originated from semi-professional coders or small development teams. Now Nintendo of America's...
Nintendo Download 28th March 2011 (North America)
No new WiiWare this week
We often talk about rarities in the Nintendo Download, but here's a truly surprising event: this week's download sees no new WiiWare title available for download. There's a pair of demos, two DSiWare titles and no Virtual Console outing, making a pretty underwhelming week for those with Nintendo Points. WiiWare Demos: Dart...
Nintendo Download 25th March 2011 (Europe)
Dodos, Wallies, maths
It's new game overload in this week's Nintendo Download, with no fewer than four brand new titles appearing on European shores, a stark contrast to the most recent North American Nintendo Download. What's on offer for European download fans? Scroll down and don't waste another second waiting. DSiWare: DodoGo! Robo (Neko...
News 99Bullets Trailer Pops In, Blows Up DSiWare
DSiWare gets blasted
EnjoyUp's forthcoming retro shooter 99Bullets intrigues with its combination of limited lives and bullets, and now you can see the game in action thanks to the first trailer. Each time you take a shot, you lose a life but the game continues until your stock of 99 bullets/lives is fully depleted. It's an intriguing take on the...
Podcast NLFM Episode 18: Rageful Streets and Happy Dinosaurs
Missed weeks? What?
Remember when we said NLFM was going to be weekly? Well, we kind of fudged that for the past couple of weeks. Sorry! But we're back with a fiery fever in this episode, where gangsters are punched, pianos diddled and dinosaurs remembered. 1. MONSTER! MONSTER! — Penny Arcade2. Yuzo Koshiro — Go Straight (Streets of Rage 2,...
Nintendo Download 21st March 2011 (North America)
Playing catch up
A rare occurrence in this week's Nintendo Download for our North American chums: all the games in the line-up are already available in Europe, so you'll likely already know if you're after any of the new titles or not. Let's delve in and see what's available. Virtual Console: Natsume Championship Wrestling (SNES, 800pts) — Step...
Down the rabbit hole
These days, with the recent release of Paul’s Shooting Adventure and Paul’s Monster Adventure, it seems as though Agetec is trying to claim the title of "most bizarre games available on DSiWare". Keeping the tradition alive, now the company's released Rabi Laby, a hybrid puzzle platform game that has players...
News Reggie: We're Not Interested in "Garage Developers"
Only wants proper indies, thanks
Whether or not Nintendo has nothing to fear from mobile games, or whether Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's comments about low value games were accurate, the debate about Nintendo's relationship with small game developers is ripe for analysis. What's the company's official stance the matter, though? Nintendo of...
Three in one
With so many puzzle games on DSiWare already, it's kind of hard to invent a completely new concept for your game. So why not combine the concept of several other games into one? Shapo is pretty much a combination of Lonpos, Tetris and Art of Balance, with key elements from each coming into play during the game. There's a classic and...
Nintendo Download 18th March 2011 (Europe)
Take on Final Fantasy III
As we revealed recently, SquareEnix is backing Virtual Console with a pair of classic RPGs, kicking off this week with the one and only Final Fantasy III, also known as Final Fantasy VI. Virtual Console: Final Fantasy III (Super NES, 900pts) — This is an excellent chance for Wii owners in Eur
Review 5-in-1 Mahjong (DSiWare)
Overlooking this would be mah-wrong
cerasus.media specialises in telling you exactly what you're getting and giving it to you with no frills. It's questionable that they'd apply that strategy to game that already has four versions available in the DSi Shop, three of which are also priced at 200 Points. Yet 5-in-1 Mahjong is probably the best of the...
Review Beauty Academy (DSiWare)
This could get ugly...
Recently, we at Nintendo Life reviewed Model Academy from developer Tivola. As a team with plenty of modelling experience between us, we felt well qualified to judge the merits of this title. Tivola have wasted no time releasing a follow-up title, Beauty Academy, and as regular patrons of beauty salons we once again take it on...
Review Plants vs. Zombies (DSiWare)
Plants vs. Zombies Lite!
PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies has been released on quite a number of platforms already, so it certainly wasn't a surprise to see the game make an appearance recently on Nintendo's DS system. But what does seem a bit surprising is that only two months later the company has now chosen to release a slightly stripped down version...
News Cave Story DSiWare Headed to European Lotcheck Soon
Could the wait almost be over?
For all of you European Cave Story fans, Nicalis has just informed us that the DSiWare version will be submitted to Nintendo's lotcheck within the next two weeks and hopefully will see a release in European territories soon after. It's been a bit of a long wait for European gamers, but hopefully that wait will soon be...
Nintendo Download 14th March 2011 (North America)
They're coming!
It seems North America is getting quite the variety of download releases this week, although the Virtual Console is taking a vacation. The mulltiformat smash hit Plants vs. Zombies finally arrives on DSiWare and the extremely long-awaited WiiWare puzzler Liight has finally made its way to a release. There's also yet another WiiWare...
Review Puzzle to Go Sightseeing (DSiWare)
Still no new sights to see here
We originally only got two Puzzle to Go games before the series took a break for about a year, but since its return we've now already very quickly gotten three more of them, including this newest release, Sightseeing. It should now come as absolutely no surprise that this instalment is once again pretty much exactly...
JellyCar or SmellyCar?
JellyCar 2 is a tricky one. It's a quality driving-platforming game with a variety of content; and while that really should be all that matters, the fact is you can download the game for $4 cheaper on an iOS and get more content. Paying more for less stinks. That's obvious. But if the DSi is all you've got, the fact remains:...
Nintendo Download 11th March 2011 (Europe)
Here comes the Lilt man... LILT!
It's Friday again, and as usual there is a veritable smorgasborg of downloadable goodies for you to consider including Gaijin Games' lilt line on WiiWare. There are no Virtual Console games this week, but you can look forward to Final Fantasy III next week. Oh yus! WiiWare: lilt line (Gaijin Games, 500pts) —...
Review GO Series: Earth Saver (DSiWare)
Simple and fun, though not earthshaking
We've already seen about half a dozen GO Series releases on DSiWare, each offering up an experience that revolves around simplicity from both a visual and gameplay standpoint. While the results from have been mixed, there have been a couple of releases that caught our attention and proved quite accessible and...
Review Monster Buster Club (DSiWare)
Will the kids win or get busted?
The gargantuan success of the DS and subsequently the DSi has meant that the little handheld has become a prime device for games based on children’s television and film. The latest in the list of games targeting this audience has arrived on DSiWare, Monster Buster Club. Does this collection of mini games bring...
Review My Little Restaurant (DSiWare)
Diner Dash meets... Diner Dash
There's really no point in beating around the bush about it: My Little Restaurant is Diner Dash in disguise. In fact, if it wasn't for the different sprites, the two would be virtually indistinguishable. But while it's hard to sing praises to something so unoriginal, the fact still remains that as of now there's no...
Nintendo Download 7th March 2011 (North America)
Bomberman Hero!
It's a right royal knees-up on the Nintendo Download front this week, with everything from third-party N64 games to a double helping of Series games — one from G.G and one from GO — and much more. Hold onto your hats! Virtual Console: Bomberman Hero (Hudson Soft, N64, 1000pts) — A single-player Bomberman game, this one splits...
Nintendo Download 4th March 2011 (Europe)
Holding out for a Hero?
It's an auspicious day in Virtual Console history, as the service receives only its second third-party N64 game in the West, after Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber. It's certainly the highlight of what is otherwise a rather underwhelming download this week. Virtual Console: Bomberman Hero (Hudson Soft, N64, 1000pts)...
More polarising than magnetic
Magnetic Joe first became popular as a mobile game back in 2006, using its simplistic control scheme and colourful visuals to garner a fairly decent audience over the years. Now the game has come to Nintendo's DSiWare service, and it remains very similar to its original incarnation. However, the "ball rolling"...
News Nintendo Names Cynthia Gordon New Corporate Affairs VP
Denise Kaigler's replacement commences next month
As Nintendo's range of hardware expands, so too does its family of employees. The company has announced the hiring of Cynthia Gordon, a strategic communications professional with over two decades of consumer-brand experience, as Nintendo of America's Vice President of Corporate Affairs. Gordon will...
Nintendo Download 28th February 2011 (North America)
BIT.TRIP's over
CommanderVideo finally reaches the end of his journey as BIT.TRIP FLUX reaches WiiWare, casting a long shadow over this week's download. WiiWare: BIT.TRIP FLUX (Aksys Games, 800pts) — Gaijin Games brings the BIT.TRIP series to a close with this sixth title, which contains plenty of elements fans of previous releases will recognise...
Review Remote Racers (DSiWare)
Ready, set, no
Last year saw the release of both AiRace: Tunnel and AiRace, two fun and highly regarded aircraft racing games from QubicGames. This year, the folks who brought you those two gems are back and have taken to the ground with their latest release: Remote Racers. Taking on the role of miniature vehicles in big environments, does this...
Review Faceez: Monsters! (DSiWare)
Faceez of evil
After last year's photo-fiddling app Faceez, Neko Entertainment has returned with a sequel of sorts, with a new twist. The question is, is this series worth revisiting? You wouldn't expect this to be anything but a short, fun experience for 200 Points, and thankfully it turns out to be just that, making great use of the DSi camera in...
Review Puzzle to Go Planets and Universe (DSiWare)
Not even if it was the last game on the planet
Tivola has three Puzzle to Go games under its belt already, with almost a year between the second and third instalments. The first two games were, understandably, very similar, but with almost a year between those and the third game, you'd think the team would've taken the time to refine some of the...
News DSiWare Users Going Back to BASIC with PetitComputer
INPUT "Insert subheading here:"
DSiWare releases have not only included the traditional games we expected to see, but also the growth of design-orientated applications aimed at users who enjoy creating as much as they do playing. From music applications to animation software, DSi owners have enough creative input to work on relatively advanced...
Review Arctic Escape (DSiWare)
Like Lemmings, but in formal wear
Arctic Escape revolves around guiding a group of adorable little critters past obstacles and away from fatal hazards, herding them in an orderly fashion through an exit so that the next stage can load and you can do it all over again. Sound familiar? It should: it's the gameplay formula that made the Lemmings series...
Nintendo Download 24th February 2011 (Europe)
All is FLUX
The critically-acclaimed BIT.TRIP series reaches its sixth instalment today with CommanderVideo's final appearance: BIT.TRIP FLUX. Let's see what else is available this week. WiiWare: BIT.TRIP FLUX (Aksys Games, 800pts) – The conclusion to the BIT.TRIP saga, this takes its cues from series-starter BIT.TRIP BEAT with some brand new...
Review Pucca Noodle Rush (DSiWare)
Soba, so good
Korean cartoon character Pucca has appeared in two downloadable games in the last few weeks: first there was WiiWare adventure Pucca's Kisses Game and now DSiWare has got its own cutesy noodle simulator with Pucca Noodle Rush. It may not be the tastiest dish on the DSiWare menu, but those with an appetite for restaurant-based time...
Review G.G Series: Drift Circuit (DSiWare)
Slow-motion sickness
When it comes to the G.G Series, the plan is simple: choose a particular genre of gaming and produce an entertaining playing experience using not only a simplified musical and visual theme, but also a very basic set of play controls. So far that formula has worked well enough, but now this idea has been incorporated into the...
Nintendo Download 21st February 2011 (North America)
Faxanadu leads the charge
It's been two weeks since we last saw a Virtual Console game, which means it's time for another one, this time in the shapely side-scrolling form of Faxanadu on NES. There's also a couple of WiiWare demos and some DSiWare puzzle games of course, as well as headline WiiWare download... well, we won't spoil it. Virtual...
News Push Your Parking Skills to the Limit in Valet Parking 1989
We're not making this up
Monday sees the release of Remote Racers, a 3D racing game on DSiWare that joins the likes of Asphalt 4: Elite Racing, Ferrari GT Evolution and more in bringing speed to the service. If you're one of the few gamers who thinks you'd have more fun parking cars than driving them, hold onto your Nintendo Points until Valet...
Review Hip Hop King: Rytmik Edition (DSiWare)
Rapper's delight
As the third entry in Cinemax's musical series following last year's Rytmik and Rytmik: Rock Edition, Hip Hop King: Rytmik Edition will be familiar to anyone who's dabbled with the series' previous releases; naturally, though, the soundscape here is vastly different. Where the original favoured electronic dance samples and the...
At least they're endangered
Hey, kids! If you like pandas, disorientation, horrible graphics, pressing buttons that only sometimes work, and games ported so lazily that they completely disregard the limitations of the console you're playing on, then Panda Craze is for you! Panda Craze finds you controlling Tik-Ling, a panda who must climb ladders...
News Rev Up for Remote Racers on DSiWare Next Monday
Vroom vroom indeed
QubicGames, the team behind AiRace and sequel AiRace: Tunnel, is bringing a land-based racer to DSiWare next week in the form of Remote Racers. The official PR calls it "the greatest 3D racing game in some time", which isn't necessary a tough feat on DSiWare considering the last racing game to hit the shop was Ferrari GT...
Nintendo Download 18th February 2011 (Europe)
Get bowled over
It's an unusual occasion in the Nintendo Download this week: this week's games are all brand new for Europe, with not a single catch-up title for North America. Virtual Console receives its first-ever wrestling title and there's cricket, babies, noodles, monsters and celestial bodies too. Let's get to it. WiiWare: Cricket Challenge...
Review Treasure Hunter X (DSiWare)
Between a rock and a hard place
We've seen a rash of games on the various download services take a page or two from the games of years gone by, some better than others. Treasure Hunter X attempts to capture a bit of the magic of some of the classic computer games like Boulder Dash and Lode Runner and build a unique gaming experience around it. But...
News Teyon Plots an Arctic Escape for DSiWare on Monday
500 Point penguin puzzler
Picture the scene: you want to set out on an exciting journey with zany penguins, but international law prohibits you entering the animals' habitat, even if it is in order to lead them safely through 100 frosty levels by issuing commands such as walking, jumping or waiting. You know that without you they have no chance of...
News Man Arrested for Blackmailing Nintendo with Stolen User Data
Crime doesn't pay
Come on, people. It's one thing to steal the data of Nintendo users, but it's another thing to attempt to blackmail Nintendo with it. Police in Spain have arrested a man in the southern province of Malaga suspected of stealing the user data of Nintendo gamers, who allegedly then tried to blackmail Nintendo with the...
Review Model Academy (DSiWare)
Are you pretty enough?
The life of a photogenic model is well known amongst the Nintendo Life team, and now Tivola is giving all DSi owners a chance to live the dream with Model Academy, a simulation game that sees you progress from girl in the mall to World Supermodel. The question is, does this title provide a fun experience, and can you walk the...
Podcast NLFM Episode 17: Love Fest 2011
Love is in the air for this Valentine's Day special
Ho ho ho! Happy Valentine's Day, citizens of Earth! Let Nintendo Life be your love muffin this year with a very special NLFM dedicated to all things lovey-dovey-goo-goo. If the music of this episode doesn't melt your ice-cold heart even a little then we'll only be hurt just a tad. 1. Shōgo Sakai...
Nintendo Download 14th February 2011 (North America)
From Redmond with love
According to corporate thinking, today's the day you're supposed to show your special somebody how much you love them. That seems to be the thinking behind this week's Nintendo Download too, with the Big N showering you with the gaming equivalent of chocolate, roses and a Hugh Grant movie. WiiWare: Pucca's Kisses Game (BigBen...
Review Shawn Johnson Gymnastics (DSiWare)
Not even Shawn Johnson can save this one
Despite nearly 350 current releases on the DSiWare service, we've seen only a handful of sports titles. Now with the release of Shawn Johnson Gymnastics, Zoo Games is looking to cash in on this lack of sports titles by offering up not only a fairly well-known name in the gymnastics world, but also the first...
Nintendo Download 11th February 2011 (Europe)
Genies, models, dolphins, viruses, fires and hip hop
There can be only one headline title this week, leaving all others in the shade. Shantae: Risky's Revenge finally reaches Europe after a lengthy wait, letting gamers all over the continent see why this is the best game DSiWare has to offer. DSiWare: Shantae: Risky's Revenge (WayForward, 1200pts)...
Interviews WayForward - Mighty Milky Way
Sean Velasco talks Mighty Milky Way
We've already seen WayForward release some of the best DSiWare titles the service has seen to date, but now the company is getting set to release the pseudo-sequel to their first DSiWare hit Mighty Flip Champs. And while Mighty Milky Way shares many of the traits of its predecessor, it's actually a completely...
News EnjoyUp's 99Bullets Blasting DSiWare, Retro Style
8-bit bang
DSiWare has a decent array of shooters, ranging from bizarre baby blaster Paul's Shooting Adventure to classic outing X-Scape, and EnjoyUp Games wants to get a piece of the gunplay action with its own handheld take on the genre: 99Bullets. There's a definite retro feel to the game that'll be familiar to players reared on arcade shooters,...
Will you catch puzzle fever?
Gold Fever is a title that has arrived on the DSiWare scene with very little known about it. Developer Tik Games LLC has only released one title on the DSi download service, Rocks 'N’ Rockets released late last year, and latest title Gold Fever is a puzzle game that borrows elements of various classics to tickle your...
Podcast NLFM Episode 16: Adventurous Adventures
Zelda, Dragon Quest, Terranigma and more
Didn’t we have some fun though? Remember when the podcast was sliding into the fire pit and I said "Goodbye" and you were like "NO WAY!" and then I was all "We pretended we were going to murder you"? That was great. 1. Sick YG — Ain't That Funny (MadWorld, Wii)2. Miyoko...
Nintendo Download 7th February 2011 (North America)
Things that make you go... hmmm
Another week and another download to entice you to part with your hard-earned Nintendo Points. What wonders await in the world of WiiWare and beyond? Let's find out. WiiWare: Spot the Differences! (Sanuk Games, 500pts) – A pleasingly to-the-point title for this WiiWare release, it does what it says on the tin, and...
Review 101 Dolphin Pets (DSiWare)
The water's fine
Some of us are old enough to remember when all you could do with a virtual pet was feed it when it beeped, play "guess the number" and wait for it to eventually die. We've come a long way since then, arriving now at 101 Dolphin Pets, Teyon's follow-up to its more ferocious shark-based smorgasbord of 101 Shark Pets. The...
News Reggie Defends High Download, Retail Price Point
Calls cheap, "disposable" iOS titles "one of the biggest risks today in our industry"
A common thread among discussions of downloadable DSiWare as it compares to competing platforms, particularly iOS devices, is its relatively high price tag. While games available in the App Store often retail at $1 or $2, the majority of those in the DSi Store come...
News Shantae Not Coming to Australian DSiWare Next Week
Down, under, over and out
The other day we reported on Shantae's European release date but we were unsure if that release date applied to Australia. Now we are sure: it doesn't. The official Shantae Twitter account broke the bad news that the game will not reach Australia on Friday, February 11th, the date the download hits European download stores...
Review All-Star Air Hockey (DSiWare)
Floaty puck action for one
What's the most endearing aspect of Air Hockey? Is it the rapid pace? The frantic mix of offence and defence? The unique floatiness of the puck? The smell of Chuck-E-Cheese pizza baking in the background? No; like most pseudo-sports found in arcades and questionable bars, the magic of Air Hockey lies in the spirit of...
Nintendo Download 4th February 2011 (Europe)
DSiWare abound
It's another clearly DSiWare-oriented week this time, with four new titles released on the service. WiiWare and Virtual Console only get one game each, along with another WiiWare demo. WiiWare: Pucca's Kisses Game (Bigben Interactive, 1000pts) – What seems to be a platformer game, based on the surprisingly popular franchise which...
News Shantae Finally Reaches Europe Next Friday for 1200 Points
You can soon exhale
Fed up of waiting for Shantae: Risky's Revenge to reach Europe? Circle this date on your calendar, then: Friday, February 11th, and put aside 1200 DSi Points for the game as well. In case the whole Shantae excitement has passed you by, be sure to read our Shantae: Risky's Revenge review to find out why this is the only DSiWare...
News Second Spirit Hunters Inc. Developer Diary Burns Brightly
Do want?
It's been a while since we saw anything of Nnooo's upcoming augmented reality spirit-catcher Spirit Hunters Inc., but now the Aussie developer has unleashed a second developer diary revealing more about the game's battle mode. The video goes in-depth on the different moves, statuses and abilities you'll be able to find in the game, but...
Review Boom Boom Squaries (DSiWare)
All the right angles?
Pitched as a spin-off title from WiiWare platformer Furry Legends, DSiWare puzzler Boom Boom Squaries is very similar to Flash and iOS game Chain Reaction: you tap the touchscreen to cause a small explosion that detonates any enemies it touches, causing a chain reaction. Boom Boom Squaries has a few variations on this theme,...
Review Puzzle to Go Baby Animals (DSiWare)
A puzzle best left unsolved
It's been almost ten months since the last time we received a Puzzle to Go game. We've clearly stated our complaints about the previous two games in our past reviews, but have the developers taken the time to improve this latest outing? When you first start you'll notice that the menus look, expectedly, exactly the same...
Review Ferryman Puzzle (DSiWare)
Is this ferry on choppy waters?
Ferryman Puzzle is the latest release from Engine Software, a developer that, aside from the Just Sing! games, has focused on DSiWare in the form of basic titles with a budget price point. The concept here will be familiar to those who have stumbled across it in Professor Layton games: you are a ferryman tasked with...
News Hip Hop King Brings the Beats Back on February 11th
800 Points for Rytmik 3
Rytmik covered dance, Rytmik: Rock Edition was – you guessed it – based on rock, and the third entry in the series has a similarly self-explanatory name. Rytmik: Hip Hop King is set to drop on European DSiWare on February 11th, for 800 Nintendo Points, with a North American release to be announced. Like previous releases,...
Podcast NLFM Episode 15: They Might Be RPGs
FInal Fantasy makes its NLFM debut, along with a sweeping Bionic Commando remix
Gather round, children! Zip it, listen! NLFM is back and bringing the big guns, with a killer Bionic Commando remix, lurvely NES medley by way of PiCTOBiTS, and an almighty power with a huge sword chopping woodland critters. What more could you want? What more??? 1. Star...
Nintendo Download 31st January 2011 (North America)
Mahjong, air hockey, dolphins, diaries and tarot cards
It's North America's turn for a bit of a catch-up with Europe in this week's Nintendo Download, but there are still a few interesting titles here that might take your fancy. DSiWare: All-Star Air Hockey (Skyworks Interactive, 200pts) – A handheld version of the classic arcade pastime, this...
Review Digger Dan & Kaboom (DSiWare)
Dig it
Digger Dan & Kaboom, right off the bat, has a lot going against it. For one thing, its title sounds like the name of some rejected Disney Channel cartoon trying to channel the success of Bob the Builder, and its awful CG concept art isn't doing much to combat that notion, either. Combine that with the fact that this game came completely...
