WiiWare News
Nintendo Download 5th March 2010 (Europe)
"Retro" delights from Capcom, along with plenty of other things.
There's quite a lot to downloads to pick from this week. The Virtual Console makes yet another return after being nowhere in sight the past two weeks, while Capcom has released not one, but two new "retro" games at once. Also finally available in Europe is the third...
First Impressions Bit.Trip RUNNER
8-bit run amok!
RUNNER is the fourth and next entry in Gaijin Games' six-part Bit.Trip series and we've been fortunate enough to spend some time with the latest build, which has just been sent off to Nintendo for final approval. Though this preview is based on the "final" version of RUNNER, we want to emphasise that changes are still...
News Triple Shot Sports Hits The WiiWare Bullseye
Represent your home country in three Olympic disciplines
Every now and again, we'll see a title that was once an exclusive to a particular platform make the jump onto another. The latest example of this is The Code Monkeys' shooting game, which launched on the iPhone a couple of weeks ago, and is now scheduled for release on WiiWare. Triple Shot...
News Shin'en Introduce Jett Rocket for WiiWare
Shin'en announce their next WiiWare project, taking to the skies with Jett Rocket
Jump and run and fly! Let Jett Rocket explore the beautiful planet of Yoroppa and find out why it has been attacked by the evil 'Power Plant Posse'. Ride the ocean on your Jet Boat, parachute from giant cliffs, speed through arctic regions on your Jet Snowboard or...
News Cosmonaut Take The Plunge With "Dive"
Dive: The Medes Islands Secret will be the second WiiWare title from Spanish developer Cosmonaut Games (5 Spots Party)
“It was in the Great Medes Monastery, in 1412, where Martin I “The Human”, leader of an Order of the Temple and long-time resident of the island, was buried. The secrets of the Order were also buried with him, where they would...
News Rage of the Gladiator to Cost 1000 Wii Points
The game goes on sale before it's even released!
You might recall that we posted an article about the upcoming release of Ghostfire Games' Rage of the Gladiator WiiWare title being released on March 15th and costing 1500 Wii Points. Well Ed Roman, CEO of Ghostfire Games has just told us that they've spoken to Nintendo and managed to convince them to...
News Bass Coming to Mega Man 10
New playable character is on the way
Capcom has just announced that a new playable character for Mega Man 10 will be available for download on April 5th for 200 Wii Points. The game already has Mega Man and Proto Man available as playable characters, but those looking for a little something else can drop 200 Wii Points and add a whole new edge to...
News Rage of the Gladiator Coming March 15th
Get your gladiator gear ready!
Ghostfire Games has just announced that their upcoming WiiWare fighter Rage of the Gladiator will be released on the North American WiiWare service on March 15th for 1500 1000 Wii Points. We'll keep you posted on any new developments with the game and of course we'll have a full review of the title shortly after its...
These darts be angry
Dart games have traditionally been pretty plain affairs. Pub Darts on WiiWare was as basic as it could get and left us with a bland and forgettable taste in our mouths. Developer JV Games may not have left the best taste among WiiWare connoisseurs after some beginning duds in Frat Party Games: Pong Toss and Incoming!, but their...
More classic Mega Man gaming goodness.
With the release of Mega Man 9, Capcom was able to successfully recreate the classic 8-bit feel of the Mega Man series for game fans to enjoy, this time allowing the game to be downloaded on Nintendo's WiiWare service. Not only did the game bring back many of the unique gameplay mechanics of the earlier titles,...
News Konami Updates Gradius Rebirth
Konami's retro Gradius title gets an upgrade.
Konami has just released an update to their Gradius Rebirth WiiWare release that tosses in a few new twists to the package. Among the new additions are some graphical improvements, remixed soundtrack tunes, and a few other goodies worth checking out for those who own the game already. All you have to do...
News Gods vs Humans Strikes WiiWare
Out of the heavens and into the Shopping Channel
It can be quite fun to be human, what with all the guilty pleasures it entails. Then again, being an all-powerful God could be a little more satisfying, given the ability to crush lands and slay man without the fear of arrest. Well, all these dark fantasies can soon be fulfilled with Zallag’s...
News Creating La Mulana Room Guardians
Find out where bosses really come from.
The official La Mulana Blog has just released a new post regarding the creation of Room Guardians for the game that should be of interest to fans of the game and those who are curious about the upcoming WiiWare release of La Mulana. If you've ever wondered how they create and put together the bosses for video...
Review Dracula: Undead Awakening (WiiWare)
Undead a go-go
Dracula: Undead Awakening is a nice example of how to port an iPhone game to the Wii properly: make sure the graphics are up to scratch and Wii-ify the controls. If you're unaware of the iPhone original, it's like a horror film version of Williams' arcade classics Robotron: 2084 or Smash TV, or the more recent Geometry Wars: players...
News Nintendo Download 1st March 2010 (North America)
March is Mega Month!
This week Mega Man 10 debuts in North America, much to the delight of retro-gaming fans eager to get more 8-bit styled platforming goodness out of their Wiis. Of course let's not ignore the other WiiWare offerings or the fact that the NEO GEO is back on the Virtual Console following a short hiatus. DSi Owners have a couple of...
News WiiWare Leads Indie Awards Category
Three out of five ain't bad
Direct2Drive has announced the five finalists for the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival, to be held March 11th at the Games Developers Conference, with three of the games being WiiWare titles. Max and the Magic Marker, NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits and Super Meat Boy have all been nominated for the Direct2Drive Vision...
News Dreambox Games Unveils its Debut Title
See the first screenshots from the upcoming WiiWare title Robox
Freshly cut screenshots of Robox have been released, and it certainly looks like a compelling platformer from the creative team based in Valencia, Spain. If the various layers of background look as good in-motion as they do stationary, we should be in for a real treat. Our protagonist...
First Impressions Fantasic Cube
Hey, you got your Columns in my Quarth!
Fantasic Cube is very much an old-school puzzle game, but a decent one and more full-featured than most of the puzzlers we've seen lately. There are three single player game modes on offer and two-way multiplayer either locally or over Wi-Fi connection with friends or random strangers. The primary game mode is...
Nintendo Download 2nd & 3rd March 2010 (Japan)
Another light week for the Wii and the usual assortment for DSi to start the month off
Japan seems to have settled very much into a release schedule like other territories, which will hopefully send some green-eyed monsters off to bed (well, except Virtual Console fans). WiiWare: Aqualiving: Television de Nagameru Sakana Tachi (800pts - Nintendo)...
Nintendo Download 26th February 2010 (Europe)
The Virtual Console is still nowhere in sight, but at least there's Castlevania!
Believe it or not, this is the sixth week of this year in which we haven't gotten any new Virtual Console games. The amount of weeks in which we have is actually lower! Nintendo partially makes up for it by releasing a ton of games on the other services, but the...
News Teyon Announces 101 Minigolf World Release and Other Upcoming Downloads
Latest DSiWare game gets a publication date and new DSiWare and WiiWare titles revealed
Teyon is really ramping up their output on the DSiWare and WiiWare fronts, announcing that their third DSiWare game, 101 Minigolf World, will be coming to the North American DSiWare Shop on the 15th of March. In addition they unveiled the names of five other...
Review Family Go-Kart Racing (WiiWare)
A pit stop on the road to hell
The family that just can’t get enough of each other is back in their eighth outing on WiiWare. By now, Aksys has had plenty of time to figure out what works and what doesn’t in this series of games. And it was becoming pretty obvious that if these games have a fault (and they’re all pretty flawless) it’s that...
News WiiWare and DSiWare Release Dates Announced
Download services keep on rolling!
Nintendo has just announced the release schedule for their DSiWare and WiiWare services at their Media Summit in San Francisco and it looks like the Nintendo digital download services are about to really heat up. You can check out the full press release on these releases below and we'll have new screenshots on some...
News Cave Story Coming March 22nd
The long-awaited WiiWare release is finally dated!
Cave Story fans can now breath a sigh of relief as Nicalis has just announced that Cave Story will be released in North America on March 22nd. It seems the wait is finally over. You can check out the official press release below for more information and we'll have some new screenshots up soon...
When there's no more water in the well, the dead will walk the Earth
You know what they say: if you can’t beat ‘em, take what they did and put a fresh coat of paint on it. In this case it’s Gevo Entertainment taking on Wii Sports Resort’s sword-fighting modes with a mythical Chinese folklore twist. This is by no means a bad thing...
News WiiWare Market Grows to Nearly $60M USD in 2009
WiiWare sales are projected to overtake that of Virtual Console in the coming year. Games WiiWant? Apparently so
It's interesting to see how both the Virtual Console and WiiWare services have been utilised by today's gamers. The act of acquiring a game via download is something that was previously only common-place in a market like the PC. Now, all...
Interviews EnjoyUp Games - Chronos Twins
EnjoyUp Games talk Chronos Twins.
With the recent release of Chronos Twins on both the DSiWare and WiiWare services, we thought it might be a good time to try to get some more information out of EnjoyUp Games about the titles they've created during their years in the gaming industry. Julio Moruno, Lead Game Designer on Chronos Twins, was kind enough...
Home improvements needed
Mouse House is the latest game to make the jump from iPhone to WiiWare. Not all of these transitions are very successful, but Mouse House is a basic enough puzzle game that it survives the leap intact and without bringing any shame upon developers Plaid World Studios. Unfortunately, in the competitive WiiWare marketplace,...
News Super Meat Boy Coming to Xbox Live Arcade
Red meat is heading into the red ring!
Well Meat fans, hold onto your shorts. It seems our beloved and much-anticipated WiiWare release Super Meat Boy is going to be doing a little moonlighting on another download service. We've just learned that Super Meat Boy will not only be making an appearance on Xbox Live Arcade, but it's going to debut there...
Nintendo Download 22nd February 2010 (North America)
Ghost slaying, mouse housing, flight controlling and fish finding this week!
North America is clearly the territory to envy thus far this year with weekly updates featuring a variety of downloads for the Wii and DSi. Whilst retro-gamers will bemoan the absence of any Virtual Console releases this time around, there's still a bevy of budget WiiWare...
News GhostSlayer Trailer Appears to Spook You
Get your slay on with this new trailer
Gevo Entertainment producer Lim Ming Jie has just e-mailed us here at Nintendo Life to let us know about the new trailer for the upcoming WiiWare game Ghostslayer. It's looking especially delicious, and when we get our hands on it in just a few hours we certainly hope the gameplay matches up with the footage!...
News ONM Cross-Examines Capcom on Ace Attorney
Gamers get their questions answered
Coinciding with Friday's European launch of the fifth game in the series, a recent ONM Asks session saw Shu Takumi (Creative Director of the Ace Attorney series) and Motohide Eshiro (Producer of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth) answering some questions on the popular quirky courtroom puzzle games...
News Castlevania: The Adventure is Reborn in Europe Next Week
Get your Belmont on
Good news, vampire slayers. The release date for Konami's WiiWare undead party Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth has snuck onto the Nintendo Channel in Europe (spotted by Nintendaan), revealing that you'll be able to take on Dracula and his cronies on February 26 for 1000 Wii points. Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth is the...
Nintendo Download 23rd & 24th February 2010 (Japan)
Another light release week, but a surprise VCA release takes us higher
This year Nintendo seems to be taking a more leisurely release pace than its overseas arms. Whilst this can be disappointing for importers, it certainly seems more fair and we have to think that game publishers will be happy to have less competition than in those massive release...
News Rage of the Gladiator - Amit the Snake Charmer Trailer
Check out the game's newest bad boy!
Ghostfire Games have just released the newest boss gameplay trailer for its upcoming WiiWare fighter Rage of the Gladiator for all to enjoy. In this video you'll get to meet Amit the Snake Charmer. Not only is he a ferocious fighter, but he also has the ability to transform himself into a snake for a more...
Nintendo Download 19th February 2010 (Europe)
Another no-show for the Virtual Console.
Things were looking alright for a while, but Nintendo of Europe has gone back to their old tricks once again, as this week offers us no new Virtual Console titles. Not to worry too much though, because at least there's 7 downloads spread across the other two services! On WiiWare, the biggest release is, no...
Review Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All (WiiWare)
“Sustained!”
This second game in the Phoenix Wright series brings more of the same intriguing puzzle solving game play mixed with addictive storytelling that made the first game a runaway success when it was released. And like the first game, Phoenix’s second outing is one of the best experiences to be had on a handheld. But as we pointed out...
Review Art of Balance (WiiWare)
Who would have thought stacking could be so much fun?
Shin'en, probably best known for their Nanostray shooters on the Nintendo DS, decided to toss their hat in the increasingly crowded ring of WiiWare puzzlers. Instead of rehashing another dumbed-down clone of an existing idea, however, they've instead taken the basic idea of stacking and built one...
News Mouse House Coming to WiiWare
Grab the cheese - win the prize!
Big John Games have just announced that their new WiiWare puzzler Mouse House will be coming to the North American WiiWare service on February 22nd for 600 Wii Points. You can check out a snippet from the press release that gives a bit more information about the game below and we'll have a full review of the game...
News Frobot Multi Playa Gameplay Video
Check out the game's multiplayer mode in action!
The guys at Fugazo have just sent over the newest gameplay video of their upcoming WiiWare title Frobot in action. This new video features the game's Multi Playa mode, chock full of hectic and intense multiplayer action. You can check out the video below and we'll have more information on Frobot as it...
First Impressions And Yet It Moves
We take this gravity puzzler for a spin
And Yet It Moves is heading to WiiWare, fresh from its critically-acclaimed PC appearance, so we were naturally curious how it would stack up on the Wii. If you've not played the PC demo yet, here's a brief summary to get you up to speed. And Yet It Moves is a side-scrolling platform game that puts you in...
News Dimps Revealed As Sonic 4 Developer
Sonic Team not involved, say Sega
Sega's highly-esteemed internal development studio Sonic Team may be named after the character it helped to create but it will apparently have nothing to do with the production of the upcoming Sonic 4. Coding duties have instead fallen to Dimps, the team which helped Capcom make Street Fighter IV. While this news...
News GhostSlayer Slicin' and Dicin' WiiWare Next Week
Get Ready
Gevo Entertainment has revealed to Nintendo Life that its upcoming supernatural slasher GhostSlayer has been given a North American release date. Players will be able to go blade-to-ectoplasma with the ancient spookies on February 22nd. Players take on the role of a GhostSlayer to fight off the hordes of the Ghost Queen in this...
Podcast NLFM Episode 4: The One With Datarock
There's a Norwegian, Dark Void Zero, de Blob, Mega rap and the aural debut of Sega's 16-bit beast — what more could you possibly want?
Welcome to another jolly good episode of NLFM, the chip and game music podcast from Nintendo Life. We're joined in this bumper-length episode by special guest Fredrik Saroena, one half of the retro-soaked Norwegian...
First Impressions Monsteca Corral
Round 'em up, move 'em out
So far we haven't been told much about Onteca's upcoming WiiWare title Monsteca Corral, so when the developers offered us to see the game in action for ourselves we jumped at the chance. It's tough to describe Monsteca Corral in traditional genre terms, but it's perhaps closest to a real-time strategy game, although it...
Review WarMen Tactics (WiiWare)
Shockin' awful
Here at Nintendo Life we pride ourselves on reviewing every downloadable game and application released for the Wii and DSi. As a reviewer this may mean reviewing games in genres you might not regularly play, and there's also the risk of playing a bad game; sometimes a really bad game. WarMen Tactics is one of the latter, a game that...
News Nintendo Download 15th February 2010 (North America)
Phoenix Wright, Art of Balance, Spaceball, Sonic and more in another big update!
Nintendo of America is certainly putting out a lot of original content for the Wii and DSi this year. This week we have four downloads for Wii and five for the DSi, so hopefully you'll be able to find something of interest. WiiWare: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: JUSTICE...
We chat about Bplus' Japanese debut: the evolution from Bit Boy!! to Bit Man!!
Bplus games seem to be the Marmite of WiiWare, invoking strong feelings of love or disdain from gamers in our forums, but whichever side of the fence you're on, you have to be impressed that they've been selected as one of the first participants in Marvelous...
Nintendo Download 16th & 17th February 2010 (Japan)
Japanese downloads go on a diet
There's still something being offered in each category next week, but this has to be one of the lightest Japanese download weeks we can remember with only four games on offer across both platforms. WiiWare: Diner Dash (1000pts - Hudson) — Hudson is pretty good about doing worldwide releases close together so you...
Interviews Gevo Entertainment - GhostSlayer
Take a lesson in ghostbusting from the game's producer
Upcoming WiiWare release GhostSlayer wants to put the power to vanquish spirits in your hand, and we've had a word with Lim Ming Jie, the game's producer, on exactly how they intend on doing so. What's the premise of GhostSlayer? Who are these ghosts and why do they need slaying? Lim Ming Jie:...
News Mega Man 10 Coming March 1st
Capcom's latest retro-fest is almost here.
Capcom has just announced that their upcoming WiiWare release of Mega Man 10 will be hitting North America on March 1st for 1000 Wii Points. In a new blog entry on Capcom's Unity Blog, you can check out all of the new Mega Man moves detailed complete with screenshots and artwork. Or if you'd rather just...
Nintendo Download 12th February 2010 (Europe)
Increasing the amount of games ever so slowly.
Nintendo of Europe's planned games for today seemed almost set in stone since last week, but over the past few days we suddenly got a handful of extra games to complement update, bringing the total amount of new things this week up to seven. Still not quite as much as elsewhere, but at least they're...
Review Hubert the Teddy Bear: Winter Games (WiiWare)
Teddy bear Christmas comes early
WiiWare has seen a surprising number of mini-game collections come its way, probably due to the simple nature of the genre and the greater likelihood of standing out as part of a weekly download release than on a store shelf crowded with such titles. Hubert the Bear: Winter Games makes a decent addition to the genre...
We do some Happy Hammerin' with the game's director
Agenda's WiiWare bash 'em up Happy Hammerin' has been out in Europe for a month or so now, bringing joy to anyone who enjoys smacking moles with hammers. One such bash-fan is the game's director, Akimoto-san, who very kindly answered our questions. Nintendo Life: First of all, can you give us a...
News Marvelous Entertainment Announces World Game Parade
Western indie games heading for the Land of the Rising Sun
Marvelous Entertainment is launching a new "World Game Parade" label for WiiWare in Japan, bringing over indie games from Western developers which might not otherwise have seen the inside of the Japanese Wii Shop. The release dates haven't been announced yet, but the first four...
Review Blaster Master: Overdrive (WiiWare)
A blast from the past gets a makeover
Over the years, Sunsoft's NES Blaster Master release has become a favourite among fans of the console. Not only has it gone on to become a true cult classic for the system, it's also been called one of the most innovative gameplay experiences of the 8-bit era. Now Sunsoft is back and after having recently...
We get ready for the European Overturn release with this Q & A!
With Overturn: Mecha Wars finally on its way to European shores, we took the time to catch up with Studio Zan's CEO, Makoto Sunaga, and fire off some questions about the robot battling title. Nintendo Life: First of all, could you give us a brief introduction to Studio Zan?Sunaga-san:...
News Eduardo the Samurai Toaster Soundtrack Set Free, Is Toasty
Includes new bonus songs not in the game
Along with a relaunched Web site for the rather good WiiWare release Eduardo the Samurai Toaster, developer Semnat Studios has made the game's full soundtrack available for free. Composed by Raymond Gramke, the album includes all nine tunes from the game as well as seven bonus tracks too hot for original...
Floats like a lead bloon
Balloons have a proud history on game consoles, stretching all the way back to Circus Atari on the venerable Atari VCS and Nintendo's Joust clone Balloon Fight. There's just something about popping balloons that tickles a part of our inner children it seems and it's an activity that generally translates well to video games...
Nintendo Download 8th February 2010 (North America)
Another big update for North America: blasting, dancing, balloons, rockets and more this week!
The big North American updates keep on coming. This week there's four new WiiWare releases, five new DSiWare releases and a quirky NES adventure game. WiiWare: Blaster Master: Overdrive (1000pts - Sunsoft) -- The announcement of the original NES classic...
News Blaster Master: Overdrive Coming to WiiWare on Monday
A blast from the past is back!
Sunsoft has just announced that their brand new WiiWare title Blaster Master Overdrive will be hitting the North American WiiWare service this coming Monday for 1000 Wii Points. You can check out the snippet of information from Sunsoft's official web site, along with 6 new screenshots of the game in action. BLASTER...
News Art of Balance Coming Soon to North America
Release date and pricing set.
Shin'en Multimedia have informed us that their upcoming WiiWare title, Art of Balance is coming to the North American Wii Shop on the 15th of February and will be retailing for 800 points. Naturally we'll give it a full review at that time, but for now you can read our first impressions and feast your eyes on a new...
Nintendo Download 9th & 10th February 2010 (Japan)
A revamped PC Engine game comes to WiiWare, more Mega Man on the VC and a DSiWare gaming assault next week in Japan!
The Wii only has two downloads next Tuesday, but they're both hotly anticipated releases for strategy and retro fans. DSiWare is where the real download action is though, with no less than seven releases - all of which appear to be...
When the bugs come tumbling down
Originally released on the PC, the first and second Tumblebugs games were relatively well received. However the series failed to attain the mass popular appeal of similar games such as Zuma and Luxor as well as others. Tumblebugs is not even the first in this genre on WiiWare: that distinction goes to Magnetica...
Nintendo Download 5th February 2010 (Europe)
Two anticipated titles finally arrive.
The Virtual Console seems to be in full swing in Europe again, after a rather lackluster period - We got Street Fighter Alpha 2 last week, and we're getting Sonic & Knuckles the next. The space inbetween isn't empty either, because Capcom has chosen to release two games in a row. Meanwhile, on WiiWare,...
Review 5 in 1 Solitaire (WiiWare)
Tethered to a television is not the way to play
Just like sudoku, crossword puzzles, word searches, and other public-domain fare as WiiWare, Digital Leisure's 5-in-1 Solitaire will have you tied down in front of a television after having plunked down your Nintendo Points for games available for free on the internet or, worse yet, that came...
News Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Coming to Wii
A return to 2D side-scrolling action of old - now with trailer!
Sega has just announced that Project Needlemouse is in fact a return to the 2D Sonic side-scrolling action of the 16-bit era. The game will be called Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and will be released on XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare this Summer. Below is a snippet of the interview conducted...
News Europe Finally Gets Overturned on February 12th
Mecha madness hits WiiWare shortly
Until now, European fans of giant robots have been crying into their Transformers pillowcases about the state of the Wii's 'bot back catalogue, their tears ever saltier by the long delay in seeing Overturn: Mecha Wars reach European shores. Originally announced for a European release last April, Gamebridge has just...
News GhostSlayer Jumps Out, Goes "Boo"
MotionPlus at the ready!
It's typical, isn't it? You wait months for a first-person, MotionPlus-utilising WiiWare title and then two come along at once. Not long after our hands-on with Rage of the Gladiator, Gevo Entertainment just emailed to let us know about its future WiiWare release GhostSlayer. Like Rage, MotionPlus is optional for...
News More Viral Survival Details Break Containment
Get your shots here
We first brought you news on NIS America's upcoming WiiWare game back in December, and now we've been infected with some screenshots and an official press release. Viral Survival (JP title: Escape Virus) is an "escape" action game where you control a DNA unit and dodge through enemy virus attacks. If you save a...
Review Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 5 (WiiWare)
Another episodic adventure comes to an end.
It took a surprisingly long time, but the fifth and final chapter of Guybrush's latest adventure has finally hit WiiWare. Every previous chapter has been building up towards this supposedly epic conclusion, so was the long wait worth it? Considering this is the fifth and final part, spoilers for the series...
Podcast Episode 12 - Fragile Dreams and Reviews Round-Up!
Plus first impressions and news too
Yes, it was but one month ago we all gathered around the soft glow of our audio devices to discover who won the Nintendo Life Game of the Year Awards. This month we look forward, with audio recaps of our recent previews of Art of Balance, Rage of the Gladiator and Calling, as well as a podcast exclusive preview as...
Nintendo Download 1st February 2010 (North America)
Cards, golf, adventures and bug puzzles this week
Looks like the download scene in North America is ramping back up again with a hefty five new titles on DSiWare, and four downloads on Wii including a new Virtual Console release. WiiWare: Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 5 (1000pts - Telltale Games) - The saga of Guybrush Threepwood comes to a...
Nintendo Download 2nd & 3rd February 2010 (Japan)
WiiWare catch-up, a couple MSX ports and a sprinkling of DSiWare in Japan next week
The slow start to the year continues to be slow, but at least there's some quality releases to be had. WiiWare: Excitebike World Race (1000pts - Nintendo) – Better late than never for this well received update to the Famicom classic. Virtual Console: Quarth (800pts...
News Cuddle up to This Hubert's Winter Games Video
Not an official Olympic product
With the 2010 Olympic Winter Games just round the corner, it was almost inevitable that some sort of winter sports game would take an upcoming WiiWare release slot. Still it is a bit icy outside and winter sports can be fun. At least it’s not a naff Christmas game, eh? We reported the announcement of this title not...
Nintendo Download 29th January 2010 (Europe)
One single Virtual Console game in three weeks. Again.
But don't feel let down again, because it's actually quite a solid week this time. With DSiWare still being almost completely taken up by Electroplankton rereleases, there's only one real "new" game for each service, but all of them are (or seem to be) good picks. Possibly to tie in...
News WiiWare Demo Program Demo Ending This Month
Hurry hurry hurry!
It had a good run, but Nintendo's temporary WiiWare demo program is coming to an end on January 31st. If you haven't got ahold of the freebies yet then you'd better act fast. According to Official Nintendo Magazine UK, Nintendo sent out a message to online Wii owners that the temporary program will end in three days. Originally...
News Last Flight Bloodies Up Facebook
Talk to Bloober Team ahead of the game's launch
If you're in the market for a bloody good time on WiiWare (groan) you're probably looking forward to Bloober Team's Last Flight, the cartoon-style slasher due out in the near future. Well, you'll probably also be interested in the launch of its new official Facebook page, which just launched today...
News Excitebike Screeches to Europe Next Friday
The wait is just about over
Lucky US gamers have been carving up the dirt in Excitebike World Rally for months now, but there's now a confirmed date for European gamers to join the fray - February 5th. With Eco-Shooter 530 releasing tomorrow and now Excitebike (newly subtitled World Challenge in Europe), it's a good time to be a WiiWare fan. Here's...
News Mega Man 10 Box Art Released
It's box art minus the box.
In case you haven't seen it yet, Capcom has just released the official box artwork for their upcoming WiiWare release Mega Man 10. As you can see, the box art is a bit less cheesy than its predecessor Mega Man 9. There was even a group of t-shirts given away recently with this very artwork on them. We'll keep you posted...
Interviews NinjaBee's Brent Fox
Co-owner talks Amazing Brain Train, WiiWare and more!
With The Amazing Brain Train now available across the US, we had a chat with Brent Fox, NinjaBee's Art Director and co-owner. What does he make of WiiWare, and what are NinjaBee's goals for 2010? Here come your answers! Nintendo Life: Introduce us to the concept of The Amazing Brain Train. What...
A little bit here and a little bit there...
With as many puzzle games as there are in Nintendo's WiiWare shop it's impressive that companies are still developing more. Even more impressive is how many of them are fun and original, and Unconditional's bittos+ is definitely one to add to the "good" pile. At first glance you might think it's...
First Impressions Rage of the Gladiator
Unleash Hell!
Rage of the Gladiator may not be ready to step into the WiiWare ring just yet, but when Ghostfire Games invited us to a little sparring session with their first-person fighter we accepted immediately. We came away battered and bruised, but still very impressed with how Rage is shaping up. Each of the game’s three control methods...
Review "Aha! I Found It!" Hidden Object Game (WiiWare)
Flawed by fuzziness
It took Ateam Inc. almost a year to bring their last WiiWare offering to the west after its initial Japanese release, but their next reached our shores within a matter of months. "Aha! I Found It!" Hidden Object Game brings with it the promise of good old-fashioned 'find the hidden object' family fun for up to four...
Review Max & the Magic Marker (WiiWare)
A beautiful piece of art or a worthless doodle?
Games involving drawing seem to be incredibly popular nowadays. With the DS's touch screen and Wii Remote's pointer both allowing rather precise drawing, it's pretty obvious to see why. Although it's a bit late to the party, Max & the Magic Marker keeps things pretty basic: it's a fairly...
News Get In The Groove With Kung Fu Funk
Kicking for the Kung Pow of WiiWare party games
Be patient, young grasshopper, for in time you too will be able to get funky with the best of them. Yaks will sing, moves will be danced and parties will be had when Stickmen Studios unleashes Kung Fu Funk upon WiiWare. We've got no screens or a release date outside of "the near future," but...
Nintendo Download 25th January 2010 (North America)
Cards, blocks, numbers and ghouls in this week's update
Looks like a decent update from Nintendo of America this week with three for WiiWare (including a long-awaited card game), three for DSiWare and another LucasArts title on the Virtual Console for good measure. WiiWare: UNO (1000pts - Gameloft) – A bit overdue perhaps, but finally you can play...
Nintendo Download 26 & 27 January 2010 (Japan)
More Phoenix Wright, more N64, more DSiWare anime photo frames!
It's still a small update, but after a mini-break WiiWare has returned along with the first new N64 game in nearly a year on the Virtual Console. Not to be left out there are five new releases for Japanese DSiWare -- though only two are games; one being a new puzzler from Nintendo...
Nintendo Download 22nd January 2010 (Europe)
The Virtual Console gets abandoned again.
You've got to wonder what's going on over at Nintendo of Europe. For the second time, we've now gone two weeks in a row without a VC title, despite knowing that there's still plenty of them upcoming. Come on, NoE! Just like last week, there's really only one noteworthy title - The rest is completely...
News Gaijin Games Reveals First BIT.TRIP RUNNER Details
Dozens of stages, new characters and a special musical guest
Gaijin Games is anything but lazy. Their acclaimed BIT.TRIP series is nary a year old with three entries under its WiiWare-shaped belt. Not ones to rest on their laurels, the Santa Cruz developers are hard at work on the next entry in their retro metaphysical saga: RUNNER. On the latest...
Review The Amazing Brain Train (WiiWare)
All aboard, kids!
Back in 2008, indie developer Grubby Games created a collection of cute, quirky mini-games for the PC designed to amuse as well as stimulate your brain. It went on to be chosen as a 2008 PAX 10 winner, and though it did not capture the Audience Choice Award as well, it obviously turned enough heads for an eventual console release...
News Astro Bugz Revenge Gameplay Trailer
Check out the zany puzzler/shooter in action!
Sudden Games LLC has just announced its brand new WiiWare puzzler Astro Bugz Revenge that should be hitting the service later this year. They've also been kind enough to send over the first official gameplay trailer of the game in action that you can check out below as well. We'll keep you informed of...
Weird doesn't even begin to describe it
Someone has stolen your stash of muscle-pumping creatine! Quick, assemble the burliest speedo-clad men, women and polar bears in town, chase the thief through walls and bury them under a pile of men! Dash, pose, flex! Muscle March is the kind of game that doesn't really need a review because everything you...
News WiiWare Devs Call for More Advertising From Nintendo
Service needs more promotion, awareness, money
Although Nintendo UK has just started on a high-profile advertising campaign to draw more awareness to the Wii's online features and WiiWare titles, for many developers it's something that should have happened years ago. Until now, Nintendo's efforts to promote the Wii's online capabilities have been...
First Impressions Super Meat Boy - Part 2
We take the latest build for a spin.
As the agonizing wait continues for Team Meat's upcoming WiiWare release Super Meat Boy, we can't help but turn into a bunch of giddy schoolgirls each time we're fortunate enough to get our hands on a new preview build of the game. We had only just begun to wipe the grin off of our faces since the last preview...
News Hubert the Teddy Bear Gives WiiWare a Hug
Cutesy Winter sports ahoy!
The UK may finally have shaken off most of its snow, but there's still time to have some Winter fun, as Teyon announces Hubert the Teddy Bear: Winter Games is heading to WiiWare in the near future. Here comes their press release, rolling down a snowy hill, skating over an icy pond and pirouetting gracefully into view...
News Gaijin Games Wants To RUN With Your Art
Open call for fan art for next TRIP
Want your art to be featured in a popular video game but lack a game job? Well, you might be able to weasel your way in yet as developers Gaijin Games are taking fan art submissions for use in the upcoming fourth series entry, BIT.TRIP RUNNER. According to Gaijin's Web site, the art in question should be...
Nintendo Download 18th January 2010 (North America)
Brawn, brains, twins, dogs, ninjas and platform games "risen from the dead" -- this week has it all!
A nice update for North America this week as we see a game many thought would stay in Japan, a new brain teaser and a catch-up title for the Genesis on the Virtual Console. DSiWare is no slouch though with a selection of strategy and platform games...
First Impressions Art of Balance
We get to grips with this blocky beauty
Puzzle games are ten-a-penny on WiiWare, varying from the boring to the brilliant. Attempting to nestle nicely into this overcrowded genre comes Art of Balance, a physics-based block-stacker from the developers of DS shooter Nanostray. Having had chance to sit down with Art of Balance for a few hours it’s...
News Muscle March Coming to WiiWare on Monday
The excruciating wait is finally over.
Namco Bandai has announced that its quirky WiiWare title Muscle March will be hitting the North American WiiWare service on Monday, January 18th. As if this amazing news wasn't enough, the 800 Wii Point price tag of the Japanese release has been dropped by 300 Points to a very manageable 500 Wii Points. If you...
