WarioWare returns!

Another Monday, another handful of games vying for your hard-earned Nintendo Points! The offerings are all across the board today with new DSiWare apps for musicians and a much-anticipated N64 release on Virtual Console.

While not releasing today, Nintendo slips in the date for the upcoming Club Nintendo release of Grill-off with Ultra Hand. You'll be able to spend 80 of your coins on it this Wednesday.

Let's see what's on tap for this week then, shall we?

WiiWare

WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase (800pts - Nintendo) – There's already plenty of WarioWare on both Wii and DS already, but this is the first time we've seen the zany "microgames" on WiiWare. Not only does it include loads of microgames "out of the box," but you can download games created using the companion DS release WarioWare D.I.Y., changing these single player games into full 1-4 player experiences you can share with people in your lounge. We thought WarioWare D.I.Y. was excellent, so check out our review and know that we will be putting this companion release through its paces soon.

Diner Dash (1000pts - Hudson) – A popular game in the PC space and already released on Xbox Live Arcade, Diner Dash turns running a restaurant in an experience that's essentially a turbocharged version of the arcade classic Tapper. It was just released in Europe last Friday and you can expect our review as soon as we've finished serving those demanding customers!

Virtual Console

Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (1000pts N64 - Square Enix) – This classic strategy title from the N64 marks the first third-party release for that platform on the Virtual Console. The fact that this was a domestic release in North America means it is 200 Points cheaper than in PAL territories, but either way it's a sought-after game that strategy fans will enjoy. It was just released last week in Europe and our review is still in progress, but should hopefully be up soon.

DSiWare

Disney Fireworks (800pts - Disney Interactive Studios) – A simple puzzle game where players are tasked with firing rockets at targets of the same colour in order to trigger fanciful explosions. This seems to be firmly targeted at younger players, so we'll get one of our "young at heart" members of staff to review it soon.

Save the Turtles (500pts - Sabarasa) – A cute and colourful puzzle game where players must, well, save the turtles! Our resident turtle youth advisory committee will get to work reviewing this one right away. In the meantime you may want to read our interview with developer Sabarasa about the game and their future plans.

Super Yum Yum Puzzle Adventures (800pts - Mastertronic) – A fun little game where you must guide Leon the chameleon (clever) through multiple stages of fruit collecting and baby chameleon rescuing. Just released last week in Europe, we've recently published our review and thought it was a good effort from Mastertronic, if a little uneven in places.

Nintendo DSi Metronome (200pts - Nintendo) – More a tool for musicians than a game, this was originally released last September in Japan simply titled, "Metronome," and turns your DSi into a (surprise) metronome! There's a Game & Watch-style game included called "Donkey Kong Metronome" which sees players making sound into the microphone in time to the beat to help Mario jump over barrels. For the most part you'll be using it to keep time, using either included sounds or your own. We'll be reviewing this soon.

Nintendo DSi Instrument Tuner (200pts - Nintendo) – Another tool for musicians, this time turning your DSi into an instrument tuner. It can be used in one of two ways: either you can play into the microphone and have your pitch analysed or play a tone on the DSi and use that as a base reference, adjusting pitch and notation as required. There's also a Game & Watch-style mini-game based upon the NES classic Balloon Fight in which you need to create sounds matching the displayed pitch in order to burst balloons rising from pipes on screen - a true challenge for the musically inclined!

As usual here is the full Nintendo press release for your reading pleasure:

Wario™ may be known as a troublemaker, but this week he deserves a friendly high-five for helping to deliver a mother lode of downloadable fun for Wii™ owners. The new WarioWare™: D.I.Y. Showcase game for the WiiWare™ service lets users with broadband Internet access download all kinds of outrageous content, from music and microgames to four-panel digital comics – some created by users themselves. Meanwhile, a classic RPG has arrived on the Virtual Console™ service, while Nintendo DSiWare™ users will find new ways to tune musical instruments, rescue turtles, launch their own fireworks display and more.

This week also marks the kickoff of Nintendo's WarioWare: D.I.Y. "Big Name Games" series. Several of the industry's most talented game designers are using WarioWare: D.I.Y. software for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems to create their own one-of-a-kind microgames. New microgames will be added every Monday through July 26, all available for download to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of either WarioWare: D.I.Y. for Nintendo DS or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. The series gets underway with inventive new microgames from Super Smash Bros.™ creator Masahiro Sakurai and Metroid™ designer Yoshio Sakamoto. To learn more about the games and view an exclusive behind-the-scenes video featuring Masahiro Sakurai, visit http://www.wariowarediy.com.

And just for Club Nintendo™ members, we've got a little something extra to offer this week. Starting March 31, members can redeem 80 Coins to download Grill-Off with Ultra Hand!™, a wild game for the Wii console that challenges players to cook a variety of meats with an extendable arm. What better way to prepare for barbecue season than some fast-paced grilling drills on your Wii system? For a taste of the action, visit http://grilloff.nintendo.com.

WiiWare

WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: The frantic fun of WarioWare is available for the first time on the WiiWare service! WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase shows off all the different elements found on the WarioWare: D.I.Y. game for the Nintendo DS family of systems. The WiiWare software includes microgames, music and four-panel comics – all with simple controls using only the Wii Remote™ controller. Use the Game Blender and its many modes to play microgames featuring Wario™, ninjas, animals and even classic Nintendo franchises. Check out the Music section to hear or play a selection of songs using a character from Balloon Fight™. In addition to the bevy of preloaded products, you can also receive content from friends, play with products made using WarioWare: D.I.Y. or download games from the NinSoft Store. Let your creativity run wild – even Wario would be impressed with the possibilities for new content!

Diner Dash®
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Use of Alcohol
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Diner Dash, a popular PC action-puzzle game, has landed on the WiiWare service. Guide Flo, an office worker-turned-restaurateur, as she builds up her empire over four unique diners. Go online to face players in head-to-head. If you feel up to the challenge, join up with a friend or another player online for a Team Dash game where your team will take on six other players to see whose diner is the best in town. (Broadband Internet access is required for online play.) Players take direct control of Flo as she runs around to seat patrons, take orders, deliver food, take payment and bus tables as efficiently as possible within the time allowed. Players who are fond of traditional control schemes may also use a point-and-click style with hotkeys to aid Flo in her quest for customer satisfaction, which is reflected in a heart meter that empties as customers lose patience. If the meter empties completely, then the customer will leave the restaurant.

Virtual Console

Ogre Battle® 64: Person of Lordly Caliber™
Original platform: Nintendo 64™
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Language, Mild Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber is a tactical RPG originally released for the Nintendo 64™ system. Featuring a gripping storyline with many possible endings, plus a genre-defining character class system, this strategic epic has rightly retained its place in the hearts of tactical RPG fans for more than a decade. The game tells the story of Magnus Gallant, a recently graduated officer of the Palatinean Army who is assigned to the troubled southern region of his native land. There he witnesses the plight of the lower classes – the victims of a tyrannical ruling elite whose only thought is for the preservation of its own lofty status. With civil war brewing, Magnus is faced with a terrible choice: to betray his own noble origins in the name of liberty, or to turn a blind eye to the evils of his rotten society.

Nintendo DSiWare

Disney Fireworks
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Light up the night with Disney Fireworks! Touch and flick to trigger a dazzling nighttime extravaganza of color and fun. Aim rockets to their matching colors in the sky to set off an explosion and score points. Time them perfectly to improve your Wow Meter and unlock special surprises and rockets. Disney Fireworks comes with five themed environments, original music, 15 challenging levels for each world, high-score tracking and much more.

Save the Turtles
Publisher: Sabarasa
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Save the Turtles takes players to more than 32 of the world's most exotic beaches in a quest to help tiny turtles find their new home. Players must use the stylus to rub and tap the touch screen of the Nintendo DSi system, digging eggs from the sand and lining up cute reptiles while avoiding crabs, seagulls and litter on their way to the safety of the sea. The game features four modes, including a never-ending survival mode called Turtles Forever, plus several unlockable trophies. Give Mother Nature a hand and help save the turtles.

Nintendo DSi™ Metronome
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: The Nintendo DSi Metronome software can be used to help keep tempo –when playing an instrument, for example. It creates a rhythm by playing sounds based on beat and tempo settings, both of which allow a wide range of adjustments. Choose from three metronome designs (including one based on Nintendo's Game & Watch™: Ball title) and record your own sounds for the metronome to use. Or, if you want to take a break, enjoy a unique minigame: Donkey Kong™ Metronome, in which you make sounds into the microphone to match the beat and have Mario™ jump over Donkey Kong's barrels.

Nintendo DSi Instrument Tuner
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: The Nintendo DSi Instrument Tuner software can be used to tune an instrument by aligning tonal pitches. The software offers two methods of handling this: feeding sounds into the microphone to measure the difference with a target pitch, or listening to a sample tone. In addition, the standard musical pitch and notation can be changed, as well as the design of the tuner (choose one of three designs). If you're feeling especially in tune, test your ear by taking on the Tuner Fight minigame's challenge: Pop balloons as they rise from pipes by making tones that match the displayed pitches.

Super Yum Yum Puzzle Adventures
Publisher: Mastertronic
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Super Yum Yum Puzzle Adventures is a multi-award-winning puzzle game starring a chameleon called Leon. Featuring 48 levels across four worlds and exclusive Nintendo DSi features, the game asks players to navigate many hours of mind-bending game play while trying to rescue Leon's babies from the belly of Ms. Tum Tum. Leon must eat his way through fruity, fiendish puzzles, licking fruit to change color and choosing the right combinations of fruit to finish each level.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.