Did you ever think you'd see the day?

The world of Nintendo Downloads is often surprising, even for aficionados such as ourselves. Sometimes a long-awaited title appears; others come from out of the blue. Enjoy this week's line-up.

WiiWare

Triple Throwing Sports (Code Monkeys, 500pts) – The follow-up to previous WiiWare release Triple Shot Sports, this is a triptych of – you guessed it – throwing events, packaged together for your consumption. The press release states "Triple Throwing Sports is the most advanced recreational throwing game available for the WiiWare service", a claim we'll put to the test in our upcoming review.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABCs (CYBIRD Co. Ltd, 800pts) – You know the story, but do you know the alphabet? Chances are you do, but combining the world's favourite Lepidoptera larva with learning the alphabet sounds like a winner. We'll get one of our top lexical experts to work on a review right away.

Virtual Console

Aero the Acrobat 2 (Sunsoft, 800pts) – The famed nocturnal big top act returns in this Super NES platformer, just six weeks after it was released across Europe. You can have a look at our Aero the Acrobat 2 review to decide if this VC release is up to par.

DSiWare

Everyday Soccer (Aksys Games, 500pts) – A soccer title that offers the ability to customise teams and players and DS Download Play for gamers who want to take the game to a friend. We'll have a review shortly.

GO Series: 10 Second Run (Gamebridge, 200pts) – A short but sweet portable piece of platforming precision, our GO Series: 10 Second Run will let you know if the game puts a foot wrong.

Nintendo Countdown Calendar (Nintendo, 200pts) – Yes, it's finally here: the day you've all, somewhat ironically, been counting down to. Nintendo's latest DSiWare application is a countdown calendar, helping you to keep track of all those upcoming events by telling you exactly how far away they are. Add school, work and romantic events to your schedule and enjoy all the fun of watching the days count down! Start crossing off the days until our review appears.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: DISCOVER NEW WAYS TO RUN, THROW, KICK AND COUNT DOWN ON NINTENDO SYSTEMS

Sept. 20, 2010

This week's new game downloads for Wii™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems will test players' mettle in a lively mix of activities. For the WiiWare™ service, Triple Throwing Sports can help hone your skills with Olympic-style projectiles, while The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABCs challenges youngsters to grow their vocabulary. The Super NES™ classic AERO THE ACROBAT™ 2 makes its debut on the Virtual Console™ service, offering fun ways to boost your aerial acumen. For the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, Nintendo Countdown Calendar introduces a cool tool for helping to manage your busy schedule. You can also assess your need for speed with GO Series 10 Second Run or go for the goal in Everyday Soccer. Ready? Set? Download!

WiiWare

Triple Throwing Sports
Publisher: The Code Monkeys Ltd.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: Triple Throwing Sports is the most advanced recreational throwing game available for the WiiWare service, immersing players in the world of competitive projectile throwing. Most Olympic events consist of activities that are traditionally derived from hunting and combat skills. Over time these practices have evolved into a variety of competitive sports that include Javelin, Discus, Shot Put and Hammer. As with real-life throwing events, you will have full control over the aim of the projectile. You must also take into account the angle, release point and power - all of these factors can influence the success of your throw.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABCs
Publisher: CYBIRD Co., Ltd.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: EC (Early Childhood)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABCs is an educational game based on the children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It allows parents to help children learn basic English while enjoying a game together. The game consists of four parts, including alphabet flash cards featuring colored letters and pictures by Eric Carle, plus a vocabulary quiz for preschool-aged children that includes numbers, colors, shapes, animal names and simple verbs and adjectives. Young players can also engage in fun activities such as erasing parts of a colored screen to reveal a hidden illustration, or placing a variety of animal stamps on the screen. Finally, parents can use the "To The Parents" option to check their children's progress in remembering vocabulary words. Your whole family is sure to appreciate the colorful illustrations by Eric Carle, internationally renowned as a creator of beautifully illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for children.

Virtual Console

AERO THE ACROBAT™ 2
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Sunsoft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The aerialist extreme, Aero the Acro-Bat, bounds back into the spotlight once again to stop the wicked industrialist, Edgar Ektor! Aero has entered a new realm of enchantment and must now use all of his acrobatic prowess to foil a criminal plot known only as "Plan B." Join Aero as he discovers new friends - and enemies - in a world custom-built for his high-flying adventures. There are 45 levels of acrobatic fun, including Bonus Rounds, Chance Stages and Hidden Chambers. Discover new villains and original digitized character voices. A password feature allows you to return to any level. The Chillin' Snow Boarding Stage adds a new twist to Aero's style, and you'll find new moves and fighting techniques for Aero's attacks.

Nintendo DSiWare

Nintendo Countdown Calendar
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: With Nintendo Countdown Calendar, you can add and track all of your important events in a fun and exciting countdown format. Simply set up your personal profile and then start entering events. Adding events is easy: Choose a date for the event, decide whether it will be an open event (which you name yourself) or a set event (chosen from the School, Work or General Events categories), and select an icon from the wide variety of available options. If necessary, you can set the recurrence of the event or even move the event to the Hidden Events List. From there, the calendar does the rest - just watch the days count down! On subsequent visits to the application, you may see special greetings or suggested seasonal events you can choose to add to your calendar. All events added to the calendar are displayed chronologically, so you can quickly view all of your upcoming events in one place.

GO Series 10 Second Run
Publisher: Gamebridge
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Run like the wind in this unique twist on the classic platform game. Take control of a stick man and run for your life across an obstacle course to reach the goal within 10 seconds. Dash across platforms and avoid various hazards, desperately trying to reach the exit in time. Ten seconds is all you've got. Go flat out over 50 stages and three game modes. Do you have what it takes to reach the finish line?

Everyday Soccer
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play soccer against teams from all over the world. Customize your characters to be normally sized, small, tall or muscular. You can also customize their shirts, shorts and shoes. Take advantage of your players' specific traits as dictated by their body types. Assembling a well-balanced team is the key to becoming world champions. There are many teams to play against, so keep your mind sharp and your kicking foot sharper. Play against friends via DS Download Play and find out who's the true soccer champion!