Pesky Zombies

WiiWare brings the funk and sees some long-awaited zombie killing action, and DSiWare has a bumper week with five titles full of crazy, balloons, mazes and other stuff we're not entirely sure of. Virtual Console fans can resume the weekly tradition of crying in the corner as the service gets benched again.

This week's WarioWare D.I.Y. Big Name Game is from Todd Lewis of 5TH Cell, developer of Scribblenauts, who has created a microgame called Fly Home!

WiiWare

Zombie Panic in Wonderland (Akaoni Studio, 1,000 points) – Too amorous for Europe alone to contain, these fairytale zombie fighters have finally blasted their way over to North America. We thought this one turned out to be quite fun in an irreverent, over-the-top kind of way in our Zombie Panic in Wonderland review, so feel safe in grabbing this one if you're looking for some arcade fun. Those zombies won't shoot themselves, you know.

Kung Fu Funk: Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting! (Stickmen Studios, 500 points) – Challenge your friends to see who really wears the 'fro in this 1970's-themed party game that handily reminds you that everyone is fighting, as opposed to kung fu knitting or napping. Oh, and there are singing yaks too. Somehow.

DSiWare

Bloons (Hands-On Mobile, 500 points) – Grab a monkey, fling some darts, pop some balloons. Sounds bulletproof, but we found the WiiWare version to be lacking. Hopefully this portable edition fares better.

Sokomania (CINEMAX, 200 points) – Also out in Europe already, this puzzle game has you sliding boxes around a warehouse to fit them in designated areas. While the premise was intriguing, we found the package to be quite sloppy in our Sokomania review.

Bounce & Break (Enjoy Gaming Ltd., 500 points) – Based on the name, we're assuming this one is a Breakout-type game. The press release description fails to actually describe the premise other than that "in this Zen world, you will play in four different universes." Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you think about it.

1001 Crystal Mazes Collection (Teyon, 500 points) – The value proposition is off the chart for this logic puzzle game. With 1001 puzzles for 500 points, that amounts to about half a point per puzzle. Teyon released a trailer of this one last week, and we'll put it through its paces to see if it's a steal worthy of Thomas Crown.

Crazy Golf (dtp entertainment AG, 500 points) – This four-player golf game promises seven courses with six holes all goofy-like. How crazy is Crazy? News at 11.

As always, you may giggle uncontrollably while reading the official press release:

Stay Motivated in May with Marvelous New Game Downloads

What’s your motivation? It all depends on which of this week’s downloadable games you choose to play. In Zombie Panic in Wonderland for the WiiWare™ service, the goal is survival. In both Sokomania and 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, you’re driven by a need to arrange objects in their proper places. With seven new titles added to the ever-growing library of downloadable games from Nintendo, players can be motivated and mesmerized in more ways than ever.

Also this week, the “Big Name Games” section of the WarioWare™: D.I.Y. series continues to offer new downloadable microgames created by the industry’s most talented designers. The latest addition comes from Todd Lewis of 5TH Cell, developer of the award-winning Scribblenauts. 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 watch a video of ace designer Todd Lewis working on his original microgame, Fly Home!

WiiWare

Zombie Panic in Wonderland
Publisher: Akaoni Studio
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Suggestive Themes, Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: A sudden wave of zombies is attacking Wonderland. To save your friends from the spell of the “amorous zombies,” you’ll have to solve the mystery of the “scented dwarves” in time and put an end to the evil power hidden in the castle in the northern city. Game features include cut scenes, music with lyrics, seven playable characters, hidden levels, final bosses, multiple weapons, nonstop zombie attacks, explosions, demolitions and fire.

Kung Fu Funk™: Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting!
Publisher: Stickmen Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Kung Fu Funk is an off-the-wall 1970s kung fu movie-themed party game. Challenge up to three of your friends to see who has what it takes to become the ultimate kung fu master. There are many trials to overcome in three zany game modes. True to any kung fu movie, you start by learning the Zen arts – a chilled out stage to get you familiar with the controls. Once your skills are fully waxed, enter the kung fu training movie montage, which consists of insane mini-games. Once your skills are honed, enter the ultimate battle as the instructor in your own disco kung fu dojo.

Nintendo DSiWare

BLOONS®
Publisher: Hands-On Mobile
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: BLOONS is an exciting puzzle game based on the simple fact that popping balloons is fun. Pop your way through dozens of puzzling levels in this exciting puzzle adventure. Each level will have a different arrangement of balloons. Use darts to try and pop as many as you can. Watch for special balloons, blocks and darts, and have fun discovering what they do. BLOONS is a great game that you can pick up and play for a few minutes while you’re queued up at the store, or sit on the couch for hours as you work your way through 70 included levels. As an added bonus, there’s also a level editor that you can use to create your own balloon puzzles.

Sokomania
Publisher: CINEMAX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Several crates have been placed on the playing area. Players must control a figure that can push the crates forward. The aim is to get all the crates to their designated places. Players select the episode they want to play and the level they wish to start at. Only completed levels (highlighted in green) and the first unfinished level in each episode are accessible. By repeating previously finished levels, players can try to finish them with fewer crate movements. But be warned: Those movements are added to the total movement number of the actual game, so for the best (i.e., the lowest) number of movements, it’s advisable to finish the game in one run.

Bounce & Break
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming Ltd.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In this Zen world, you will play in four different universes. Each universe is divided into four seasons. The best two scores are saved in the Top Ranking table. Be the best player to enter this Hall of Fame. There are two different game modes: classical and orientation. Depending on which mode that has been selected, the game’s rules will change slightly. There are many different bonuses that can be collected during the game.

1001 Crystal Mazes Collection
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Give your brain a workout with 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection, the deceptively simple jewel logic game. It’s easy to learn but hard to master. Your task is to push the crystals forward to their target destinations one at a time. It sounds simple, but be careful. You can push your jewel into an impossibly locked position if you don’t plan ahead. As the mazes get harder and the crystals pile up, you’ll need clever thinking to clear the labyrinth. With more than 1,000 jewel-filled puzzles, this fun collection will challenge your mind and push your skills to the limit.

Crazy Golf
Publisher: dtp entertainment AG
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Welcome to Crazy Golf, where seven different courses with six different holes will put your skills to the test. Guide your ball to the hole, navigating tricky corners and avoiding wacky obstacles along the way. Accurate controls give you complete control over the ball. Play alone or challenge your friends in multiplayer mode and show them who’s the true champ.

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.