Take to the skies in AiRace

It's a catch-up week on the Wii in North America, though there's some fresh faces on the DSi to get everyone's attention.

Also of note is the premier of the latest Big Name Game microgame for WarioWare D.I.Y created by Alex Neuse of Gaijin Games, who happens to be the designer behind the excellent Bit.Trip series on WiiWare. His game, Fire Bad!, is said to offer a hint at Commander Video's next adventure.

WiiWare

Military Madness: Nectaris (1000pts - Hudson) – Hudson's WiiWare revisit to their TG-16 original finally makes it over. Check out our Military Madness: Nectaris review to find out why we think this is a must-have for strategy fans.

Virtual Console

Zaxxon (800pts Arcade - Sega) – Even when this debuted in the arcades it was overrated, so having to pay 300 points more than Europe probably isn't going help it sell better in North America. Reading our Zaxxon review will probably help make up your mind one way or another.

DSiWare

Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A. (500pts - Gameloft) – More gangland fun on the go from Gameloft. Read our Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A. review to learn why we thought this particular crime didn't pay, despite the street value of your favorite sweets...

AlphaBounce (500pts - Mad Monkey Studios) – Just released last week in PAL territories, this apparent marriage of Arkanoid and RPG is presently being played by one of our resident masonry experts, so expect a review soon.

7 Card Games (500pts - cerasus.media) – Apparently a pared-down version of cerasus.media's 11 Card Games for the PC, it's a mix of multiplayer and solitaire card games for solo players on the go. We'll get one of our resident card sharks to have a go and let you know if it's worth 500 bones or clams or whatever you call them.

AiRace (800pts - Qubic Games) – Race planes on your DSi. The number of players indicates local multiplayer at a minimum; we'll let you know whether that alone justifies the premium price point once our resident air ace puts it through its paces.

PR is in the usual place:

Have you ever wanted to be a king? Maybe the king of Los Angeles? The new Nintendo DSiWare™ game Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A. gives you a shot at becoming Southern California royalty. Over on the Virtual Console™ service, old-school gamers will, like, totally love the chance to become king of the '80s with the gnarly original arcade version of Zaxxon™ available for download.

Meanwhile, Nintendo's WarioWare™: D.I.Y. "Big Name Games" series continues with a new downloadable microgame created by top game designer Alex Neuse of Gaijin Games. Neuse is the designer behind the BIT.TRIP series, which is available exclusively on the WiiWare™ service. He believes meaningful experiences can be delivered through a minimalistic design approach. In his WarioWare: D.I.Y. game, Fire Bad!, you'll get a hint at CommanderVideo's next adventure. New "Big Name Games" will be added every Monday through July 26, all available to download for zero Nintendo DSi Points™ to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of either WarioWare: D.I.Y. for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. Visit the Nintendo Channel on your Wii system today to learn more about these games and to see a video of Neuse discussing Fire Bad!

Nintendo DSiWare

Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A.
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Suggestive Themes, Tobacco Reference, Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Move to the West Coast and immerse yourself in Los Angeles gang life with Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A. Complete 75 different missions that combine the best of action games and driving games.

  • Explore Los Angeles and its famous neighborhoods, including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, downtown, the suburbs and the harbor.
  • A unique feeling of freedom: Drive or walk anywhere in massive, open environments. Feel free to complete missions at your own pace, or just do absolutely anything you want.
  • A thrilling storyline with flashbacks and unexpected developments: Go from rags to riches, connect with relatives and help out their gang until you're living the golden life.
  • Improved driving experience: Drive cars, quads, motorcycles and use the environment to perform unbelievable stunts.
  • Use the inner camera or outer camera to decrease your wanted status, take a new photo of your face and fake your ID card to remain incognito.

AlphaBounce™
Publisher: Mad Monkey Studios
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Drug Reference, Violent References
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: AlphaBounce combines the classical brick-breaking concept with strong RPG features, offering you the chance to explore an endless universe with millions of levels. Discover items hidden in the deepest corners of the galaxy. Use these items to modify your spaceship and improve your firepower. You have been taken prisoner by an evil intergalactic mining corporation and exiled to outer space. With the help of your spaceship, your mission is to blast your way through the bricks in order to find a way back to Earth.

7 Card Games
Publisher: cerasus.media
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Who has the best hand? Take a seat, have a drink and get started: Keep a straight face during poker while you wager the bluff of your life. Put it all on one hit in Black Jack - and take the jackpot. You choose the number of opponents. Prefer something quieter? Then try a Solitaire game like Freecell or Klondike. Whether you prefer a quick round here and there or fun for the entire evening, now you can always have your favorite card games right at your fingertips. The detailed graphics and authentic atmosphere will wow you.

AiRace
Publisher: QubicGames
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: AiRace is a high-octane, adrenaline-fueled air, speed and stunt game for the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL™ systems. AiRace is not your typical hand-held racing - it's high-sky racing at its best. There are no limits to your flight with 360° movement and unique steering with the Nintendo DSi stylus. AiRace offers you a chance to control one of nine planes and compete against AI or human opponents in six exotic locations. With great physics, plane upgrades, on-the-track power-ups and unique maps, AiRace offers a little bit more than your average racing. Now it's time to leave your cars and switch to airplanes.

WiiWare

Military Madness: Nectaris
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: The Military is back for a new generation of recruits. The classic turn-based strategy series Military Madness, aka Nectaris, is exploding onto the WiiWare service. With a new graphical barrage, a new commander unit, online team and vs. multiplayer modes, and a platoon of other new features, this is the maddest game in the series yet.

  • 4-Person Online Multiplayer: Coordinate strategies or taunt foes in team or vs. multiplayer modes for up to four people.
  • A new unit - Commanders: Choose a commander to lead your forces in multiplayer and choose from 20 unique abilities.
  • Multiple command views: Plan out strategy in the overhead map view and watch glorious battles unfold with cinematic camera action.
  • Detailed stat-tracking leaderboards: Increase your rank as you march up the leaderboards on your mission to prove you're the top general around.

Virtual Console
Zaxxon
Original platform: Arcade
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Travel back to a time when a lovable alien phoned home, gas cost a mere 90 cents a gallon and everyone was wearing high-tops, leg warmers and had big hair. This was the early '80s, and this was when video gamers nationwide were wowed by the cutting-edge graphics and sound effects of the first three-dimensional-like intergalactic arcade shooter: Zaxxon. Touted as the first game to put video display in perspective, Zaxxon featured "looks" and "sounds" like actual aircraft flight, allowing players to command their ship just like a real fighter pilot. Dive, bank, fly left and right, and up and down - Zaxxon had it all. Fly through heavily armored space fortresses while strafing fuel tanks, dodging walls and blowing up enemy missiles and gunnery. This game is littered with explosions. Then take the fight to the enemy fighter fleet and destroy the aggressor ships with extreme prejudice. Blasting pixels has never been so fun.

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.