Spring into action!

After a short delay the Nintendo Download is available, and sadly brings with it no surprises, meaning August ends with more of a whimper than a bang.

WiiWare

Tales of Elastic Boy: Mission 1 (600pts, Lexis Numerique) – A platformer from the creators of the PooYoos games, this was released in Europe last week, so our review will be available very soon.

DSiWare

Music On: Learning Piano (200pts, Abylight) – The third in the Music On series following Electronic Keyboard and Retro Keyboard, this new instalment takes a different approaching, attempting to teach the fundamentals of reading sheet music through fifteen classical pieces. We'll soon find out if this is worth a standing ovation or is simply A Musical Joke.

Cosmos X2 (500pts, Saturnine Games) – An old-school side-scrolling shoot 'em up, Cosmos X2 could plug a big gap in the DSiWare line-up. With a range of weapons upgrades and separate energy bars for each weapon on offer, you can be sure our upcoming review will shoot from the hip.

myNotebook: Pearl (500pts, Nnooo) – The second colour of Nnooo's improved personal jotter series, Pearl is slightly more pearlescent than the previous release, but still features the same increased page count, clock and battery meter as its carbon cousin. You can read our myNotebook: Carbon, Pearl and Tan review to see what we thought.

The Nintendo press release is here to get you all fired up, supposedly.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: GET FIRED UP FOR FALL WITH ALIEN BATTLES, COLORFUL DOODLES AND MUSICAL GREATS

August 30, 2010

Newly available on the WiiWare™ service, Tales of Elastic Boy – Mission 1 truly stretches the possibilities for console adventure. On the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, you'll discover epic space battles in Cosmos X2, create customized notes with myNotebook: Pearl™, and learn to play timeless melodies with Music on: Learning Piano. Whether you're headed back to school or simply flipping another calendar page, these new offerings will help freshen up your gaming regimen as you head into fall.

WiiWare

Tales of Elastic Boy – Mission 1
Publisher: Lexis Numerique
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 600 Wii Points™
Description: Tales of Elastic Boy offers a totally innovative and unique style of game play that takes full advantage of the Wii Remote™ controller. To fulfill your quest and save your planet, you'll have to travel through many lands, defeat various enemies, meet unexpected friends and solve tricky puzzles. Play in single-player mode or with your friends and discover funny games. Use your stretching arms to swing and punch, roll as fast as you can or jump onto your enemies. Based on a powerful physics engine, Tales of Elastic Boy offers a truly original and entertaining gaming experience that's easy to learn but challenging to master.

Nintendo DSiWare

Cosmos X2
Publisher: Saturnine Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Pilot the Cosmos X2 to defend your planet against an alien invasion. Battle your way through the solar system to the alien home world to defeat their army. Equip your ship with two weapons of your choice and switch between them at any time during battle. Your active weapon takes damage when your ship gets hit. Defeating enemies regenerates energy in your inactive weapon. The key to your survival lies in finding a balance in your weapon usage. Battle your way through six levels of action and test your skills with three difficulty levels. Three bonus modes provide additional challenges.

myNotebook: Pearl
Publisher: Nnooo
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: myNotebook allows you to take notes wherever you go. Just pop open your Nintendo DSi system and jot down your thoughts. Make a list and cross it off, or play your favorite pen-and-paper games (games not included). You can even personalize your notebook by drawing on the cover and changing the paper type with 24 different unlockable paper styles. Use the pen or pencil to make your notes or doodles and then erase the bits you don't like. With five ink colors, you'll always be able to make your notes and doodles look stylish. myNotebook also includes 128 pages to write on and the ability to export your pages to your Nintendo DSi Photo Album.

Music on: Learning Piano
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: An entire orchestra follows your performance of 15 great classics. By playing each day, your ability may increase. Earn the bronze, silver and gold medals for each song, completing each different level. A simplified music score is shown on the upper screen and a full piano keyboard appears on the touch screen, guiding beginners note by note on their first steps. Learn works by famous composers including Beethoven, Pachelbel, Bach, Strauss and Verdi.