WiiWare News
News Dive: The Medes Islands Secret "Like an Underwater Metroid," Says Developer
Comparison holds water, no multiplayer due to size limits
Intriguing concepts on WiiWare are ten-a-penny – or, in US dollars, a dime-a-dozen – but the idea of setting a platformer entirely underwater is a new one on us, and new comparisons to classic Nintendo platform-shooter Metroid pretty much earmark Dive: The Medes Islands Secret as one to...
News Lead the Meerkats Through Europe on May 28th
North American date still to be announced
As the press release quite rightly states, "Finally a Meerkat game for the Nintendo´s WiiWare Service!" Those Europeans awaiting this auspicious day have but three short weeks to wait, as Lapland Studio's Lead the Meerkats has just been announced for a release on May 28th. Not only can you enjoy...
Kung Fu Fail
No wonder people hate the Wii. It's been four years since the world's first real stab at a motion-based console launched, bringing the excellent Wii Sports along to define the grammar of the innovative controller. It didn't take long for me-too developers to begin pumping out cheap minigame compilations that totally ignored why Wii...
News Chillingo Contaminating Our Download Services with Sneezies
Uh oh, we're in trouble...something's come along...
It seems the relatively compact nature of a Nintendo download game is proving to be an enticing prospect for developers who have worked on titles for the iPhone (and the plethora of electronics that begin with a lower-case 'i'), and the publisher of the WiiWare and DSiWare versions of Dracula:...
News Puzzle Agent to Inspect WiiWare
New Telltale pilot on the way
When done right, episodic adventure games on Wii can be fantastic: brimming with intrigue, plot twists and great characterisation, they're up there with the Wii's best. Nobody knows this more than Telltale Games, responsible for bringing us the Tales of Monkey Island games as well as the not-quite-so-good Strong Bad...
Feature The Making of Furry Legends - Video 2
Learn more about the game's production
A week ago we brought you the first making of video from our exclusive series behind the scenes at Gamelion Studios in Poland. This time we're taking you deeper into the production process with producer Lukasz Szczepanski, as he talks more about the planning that went into the game and the importance of the...
Podcast Episode 15 - This Nintendo Life
Brand new segment debuts!
It's been a longer gap than usual between podcasts but May's episode is now available, fresh from the oven and made with only the freshest ingredients. Chop up a delicious arrangement of news and reviews, add a dash of Kim Wild's Wii Fit Plus and mix in Zach Kaplan's new retro feature This Nintendo Life. Bake for thirty...
News BIT.TRIP RUNNER to Race Across Europe on May 14th
Out in the US three days later
Each of Gaijin Games' previous releases in the BIT.TRIP series have taken at least a month to make it across the pond, with the last release, BIT.TRIP VOID, taking three months. Seemingly stricken with deep regret, Gaijin's making amends by bringing BIT.TRIP RUNNER to Europe first, even if only by a few days. In just...
News Mega Man 10 DLC Round-up Part Two
We take a look at what was added this time
As of last week, Mega Man 10 is now "complete": all announced DLC has been released, and it doesn't look like we should expect more. This second and last update came with three extra stage to play as Mega Man only – two additional Special Stages and an Endless Stage, which was also downloadable...
Nintendo Download 3rd May 2010 (North America)
Zombies, funk, but sadly no funk zombies for WiiWare; and five more for DSiWare. Virtual Console, where art thou?
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...
News Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers Zooms to WiiWare
A whole island of crazy characters awaits
Zallag recently announced its upcoming WiiWare title, Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers, to support play by up to eight competitors at a time with a focus on colourful characters and weapons. Each racer favours a specific tool of destruction, which from their descriptions we gather means that specific tools are...
A drain on your brain... or on your lifespan?
Brain Drain asks you to look at a pattern of objects, then scrambles those objects and tasks you with the job of unscrambling them. It's rather like having your Mom throw all of your stuff on the floor and then tell you to pick it up. Some people enjoy this sort of treatment, masochists and puzzle fans...
News Teyon Releases Teaser for Heavy Fire: Special Operations
A special treat for on-rail shooter fans
We previously reported Teyon's announcement of upcoming light-gun WiiWare shooter set in the Middle East, Heavy Fire: Special Operations. Now Teyon has released a teaser for the game that you can watch below, with more information available if you head over to the official site. The site describes it as...
News Go 8-bit Over the Official BIT.TRIP CORE Soundtrack
Retro gamers get your wallets out
Fans of the BIT.TRIP series not only enjoy the retro gameplay courtesy of Gaijin Games, but the audio design is some of the best the genre has to offer. Following on from the release of the BIT.TRIP BEAT soundtrack, the BIT.TRIP CORE soundtrack is also now available to purchase. The BIT.TRIP CORE soundtrack features...
News First Look: Pearl Harbor Trilogy - 1941: Red Sun Rising
Legendo have released a new trailer complete with gameplay footage for this ambitious WiiWare game.
Pearl Harbor Trilogy – 1941: Red Sun Rising is the first title in a trilogy of air-combat action games for the Wii™. In the premiere game, which will be available soon on WiiWare™, players will be dropped into the cockpit of famous World War II...
Nintendo Download 30th April 2010 (Europe)
Catching up with North America
It seems pretty much all the releases featured this week have already been seen in North America, though there is something new in the form of some additional DLC for Mega Man 10 and Simply Solitaire for the DSi. Since some of these releases only came out Monday in North America we don't have reviews up for them all...
Review 5 Arcade Gems (WiiWare)
Gems? More like paste.
The term "arcade" has seemingly come to be synonymous with a game that has a "pick-up-and-play" feel to it, just as arcade games of old. Of course the motivation of manufacturers of these arcade machines was to encourage players to drop coins on games they hadn't seen before, in the hopes they would enjoy...
Feature The Making of Furry Legends - Video 1
The first in our series of exclusive behind-the-scenes documentaries
Earlier this month we brought you exclusive First Impressions of Furry Legends: Chapter One and an interview with its creators, Gamelion Studios. As the game nears its release for WiiWare we're teaming up with Gamelion again to bring you a series of exclusive behind-the-scenes...
Review The Will of Dr. Frankenstein (WiiWare)
You don't want to inherit anything from this!
Enjoy Gaming seems to enjoy bringing us smaller versions of games they've released at retail. System Flaw Recruit was their first time doing this, and now they've done it again. The Will of Dr. Frankenstein is a prequel to The Island of Dr. Frankenstein, a Wii game that has, curiously enough, been...
Interviews Shin'en Multimedia - Jett Rocket
New game details as well as exclusive screenshots of the WiiWare 3D platformer
One look at upcoming WiiWare platformer Jett Rocket is all you need to see that it's not quite like anything else on the service. A 3D platformer with graphics to rival many full retail releases, it certainly has a lot of promise. We caught up with Shin'en Multimedia CEO...
Competition Cave Story Win a Wiimote Compo Winner
The lucky winner is finally announced.
After a fantastic response to our Cave Story Win a Wiimote Compo, we'd like to announce that Iain P. (Bakajin) is our lucky winner. The exclusive Cave Story Wii Remote should be on its way to you very soon. We'd like to offer our sincere congratulations to him and take this opportunity to thank everyone who...
Nintendo Download 26 April 2010 (North America)
Arcade minis, puzzling and fighting on Wii; driving, tower defence, shooting and more on DSi
Whilst the Wii has the usual 3-release week (two WiiWare and one Virtual Console) the DSi has six new releases this week in North America – whew! Also of note is the next entry in the WarioWare D.I.Y. Big Name Game series, this time from Edmund McMillen of...
News Sid Meier's Pirates! Pillaging Its Way Onto Wii
No buckle shall go unswashed
The ESRB recently outed the highly regarded Sid Meier's Pirates! as an upcoming Wii (or, possibly, WiiWare) title. Originally developed for Commodore 64, MicroProse released the PC version in 1987 and, in 2004, Atari published the Firaxis-developed remake. 2K Games then took the reins, porting the title to the Xbox and...
News Nintendo's Upcoming U.S. Release Schedule Gets Updated
Metroid: Other M and Sin & Punishment: Star Successor get pushed back
Summer is slowly on its way and with it, brings the annual wave of big releases. Sadly though, the pace at which the tip of this wave is arriving is rubbing off on some highly anticipated games. Nintendo has just informed us that whilst some titles have been marked with release...
Nintendo Download 27 & 28 April (Japan)
World Game Parade comes to a close, bountiful VC and lots of DSiWare, next week in Japan
WiiWare: Katamuki Spirits (500pts - Marvelous) – Whilst it may have a fancier sounding name, this is of course DK Games' Equilibrio re-badged as the final entry in Marvelous Entertainment's World Game Parade. We certainly thought it was a fun marble rolling...
News Flowerworks Coming to PAL Land
WiiWare floral fireworks game getting extra features for European/Australiasian release
The folks at Nocturnal have just let us know that their WiiWare debut, Flowerworks is coming to PAL territories with a new subtitle: Follie's Adventure. Flowerworks was something of a pleasant surprise when it was released last December in North America, so we're...
News Jett Rocket Trailer Melts Your Face with Graphical Afterburners
Shinen boldly goes where WiiWare has never been
We know that some WiiWare games look good. Some might even look really good, but so far there hasn't been a game that looks quite as eye-popping as Shin'en Multimedia's Jett Rocket. Until now, that is. You've already seen screenshots and the first teaser, and like us you were probably wondering exactly...
News JV Games Announces Frat Party Games: Pong Toss Pro
Not just for amateurs anymore
You may remember Frat Party Games: Pong Toss, released on WiiWare over a year ago. We gave the game a pretty unfavourable review, but instead of giving up, its developer has gone back to reassess, tweak and fix what went wrong with its debut release. The new WiiWare game, Frat Party Games: Pong Toss Pro, will be...
News An In-Depth Look at Dive: The Medes Island Secret
Designer dives into the game's details with dswii.es
Recently, DSWii.es sat down with José A. Giacomelli of Cosmonaut Games to talk about its upcoming WiiWare release, Dive: The Medes Island Secret. Among the topics discussed were the dynamics of a platformer based underwater, the length of gameplay (ten non-linear levels clocking in at an...
News Kaasa Health to Release Balance-Based WiiWare Game and Mat
Stop falling down all the time with the help of this new title
We've received word that German company Kaasa Health is developing a new series of balanced-based fitness games for WiiWare and a newly designed fitness mat for placement atop the Wii Balance Board. The products were developed in conjunction with therapists and doctors from the Dr...
Nintendo Download 23rd April 2010 (EU)
Doctors for the Wii, worms, fish, notebooks and watches for the DSi this week in Europe
There's only a couple of brand new games for Europe this coming Friday, with most of the DSiWare offerings and the Virtual Console release being catch-up titles with North America - though we welcome them to the European DSi and Wii Shops all the same. DSiWare:...
"Blame it on the (robot) boogie"
Robots pretty much go with everything and afros are no exception. After getting a bit of time with a pre-release build of Fugazo's WiiWare debut, Frobot, we'd have to say the hairstyle is as fresh on a machine as it is a human being. Navigating menus displaying a fun '70s look to the "Single Playa" game,...
Nintendo Download 19th April 2010 (North America)
The Blue Bomber returns to North America, and he's bringing some high school drama, postcards, puzzles and more Game & Watch titles with him
It's another big retro week for North America, with four titles that are either older than you or will make you remember just how old you are. WarioWare D.I.Y. players also have a new Big Name Game coming their...
Nintendo Download 20th & 21st April (Japan)
Ivy the Kiwi makes a multi-platform assault
After last week's slim pickings this week actually provides some choice on both Wii and DSi on the download front, including the first free app from Nintendo on the DSi since the Wii no Ma media viewer was released last May. Better still all of these are brand-new releases, without a catch-up title in...
News NEVES Plus: Pantheon of Tangrams Set for EU WiiWare
Known simply as NEVES Plus in the U.S. and Lucky Puzzle in Japan
It's been a while since the game got its American and Japanese release, but European puzzle fans can now stop wondering whether it will appear on the Wii Shop Channel or not as Abylight has informed us NEVES Plus: Pantheon of Tangrams is doing just that. The game will be localised in...
News Interplay Straps In with Descent for WiiWare
Relive the classic PC game this fall
PC gamers might remember the flurry of Doom clones that just seemed to never end in the mid-90s. While a lot of them didn't try to break with the winning formula too much or only put a mild spin on it, where others put enough spin to make you motion sick and, at first, disoriented. Interplay's Descent was one of...
News Everybody Do the Robot to this Robox Trailer
DreamBox Games releases the first trailer for its WiiWare platformer
You may remember when Dreambox Games unveiled its debut title back in February with a batch of screenshots that grabbed fans of 2D platformers' attention. Rightly so too, with its beautifully hand-drawn visuals and unique art-style, the screenshots definitely earned the game some...
Nintendo Download 16th April 2010 (Europe)
Mega Man, Mr. Driller, gladiators and more
There's a little bit for everyone this week, as all three services get at least one good to great title. DSiWare obviously steals the show again with the usual four releases, while WiiWare gets two and the Virtual Console gets its usual one. Keep in mind these games won't be available until midnight...
News Rage of the Gladiator Coming to Europe on Friday
And there's even a fun contest to go along with it!
Ghostfire Games has just announced that their WiiWare fighting release Rage of the Gladiator will be coming to the European WiiWare service this Friday. To further sweeten things up a bit, they're even going to be giving away a free copy of the game to one lucky European gamer each and every day to...
Interviews Gamelion Studios - Furry Legends
We get answers from the Producer and Game Designer
We've already told you what we thought based on our playtime with WiiWare rollerball adventure Furry Legends, but we still had plenty of questions, so we sat down with Game Designer Adam Kramarzewski, Producer Lukasz Szczepanski and Gamelion VP Sebastian Szczygiel to get some answers. Nintendo Life:...
Interviews Farbs and Christophe Kohler - Fishie Fishie
We chat with the original creator and WiiWare developer about the recently released title
Not too long ago we had the chance to have a chat with Farbs, original creator of Fishie Fishie, and Christophe Kohler, the developer who picked the title up and made adjustments for its WiiWare release. We asked them a few questions about the title and they...
News Dive: The Medes Islands Secret Surfacing on WiiWare Soon
Cosmonaut Games releases a gameplay trailer for the 2D adventure platform game
The WiiWare range of games have certainly given us some of the most stylish and original games available and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. Cosmonaut Games has let us know that their upcoming Dive: The Medes Islands Secret is now in its testing phase and a...
News Noitu Love 2's 'Devolution' Path on the WiiWare Service
Golgoth Studio shows their love of 2D gaming
When the WiiWare service was launched, the remit was to make it easier for independent developers to bring their creations to the Nintendo platform and thus, making it possible for more people to enjoy their games. In keeping with that philosophy, Golgoth Studio is proud to announce that it is working in...
Nintendo Download 12 April 2010 (North America)
Mad shooting for the Wii, Gangs, cards, planes and brick-breaking for the DSi this week in North America
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,...
News Mega Man 10 DLC Round-up Part One
We take a quick look at the first two available pieces of DLC
If you're a massive Mega Man fan you're no doubt aware that Mega Man 10 got its first two pieces of extra downloadable content this past week. As we took a look at Mega Man 9's DLC, we figured, why not do it for 10 as well? Here's our thoughts on the DLC available now: Bass Mode - 200 Wii...
Review Zombie Panic in Wonderland (WiiWare)
Beware the zombies of luuurve
Love and zombies aren't normally associated with each other — except possibly a love of eating brains — but in Akaoni Studio's Zombie Panic in Wonderland the titular enemies are all about hugging people to death in the fairy-tale setting of Wonderland. In the main Story mode you'll find yourself in the role of...
Review Learning with the PooYoos - Episode 2 (WiiWare)
Another little game for your littlest ones
Game consoles are perhaps too grown-up for your pre-kindergarteners to fully understand, and it doesn't help that there aren't many games geared toward very young children in the Wii Shop, but Lexis Numérique is slowly working to change that. Learning with the PooYoos: Episode 2 is a continuation of the...
Nintendo Download 13th & 14th April 2010 (Japan)
Scribbling and monster fish for Wii, with a bit of zookeeping for the DSi next week in Japan
Japan's release schedule this year has calmed quite a bit from the dozen-plus release weeks seen last year, but even so next week is more akin to some of the droughts seen in Europe and North America in the past with only three downloads across both Wii and...
Nintendo Download 9th April 2010 (Europe)
More DSiWare madness, and a few Wii downloads too
Nintendo really seems to love DSiWare all of a sudden, because it seems to be getting more games than both other services combined every single week now. This time there's not four or five new games available for it, but a whopping six! The Virtual Console gets a classic long overdue in Europe, while...
First Impressions Furry Legends
All the way from Poland!
Recently an intrepid Nintendo Life reporter made the long and arduous journey to visit Polish developer Gamelion, the chaps behind DSiWare hit Extreme Hangman, to check out their upcoming WiiWare roll ‘em up Furry Legends. With the first instalment currently awaiting approval from Nintendo there was plenty to get our teeth...
News Laying Down the Commandments with Gods Vs Humans
From the makers of The Boarding School Black Lagoon
Following on from initial tidbits revealed last month, the symbiotic relationship between the created and the creator is about to be explored by gamers as Zallag teases with further game details and a trailer for its upcoming WiiWare title, Gods vs. Humans. Spanning 80 levels, players will take on...
News Teyon Announces Heavy Fire for WiiWare
Lightgun action in the war-torn Middle East
Teyon has just sent word that their new WiiWare game Heavy Fire: Special Operations is well into development. When we first reported on Teyon's upcoming releases it wasn't clear what kind of game Heavy Fire was going to be, but it's now been revealed to be a lightgun-style shooter set in an unnamed...
News Zombie Panic in Wonderland Rising Soon in Europe
Make 'em dead again this Friday
It's not unusual for a WiiWare game to be eternally delayed, and Spanish developer Akaoni Studio's Zombie Panic in Wonderland has fallen into that trap. Once set for a worldwide December 2009 release, it then slipped into March 2010, but here we are in April and most of us still don't have our hands on it. It looks...
Review Fishie Fishie (WiiWare)
All-you-can-eat fish feeding frenzy
Fish have been a staple of games ever since Herman Melville adapted Moby Dick for Babbage's legendary Difference Engine and the posthumous sequel, Moby Dick 2: Queequeg's Revenge, was published for the PDP-11 . Certainly on WiiWare we've seen some real blockbusters centred around our finny cousins, prompting many...
Nintendo Download 5th April 2010 (North America)
Fish, learning and shooting for the Wii, more Game & Watch and Drilling action on the DSi this week in North America
The Virtual Console continues its streak of not being terrible lately with a lovely import that'll shoot right to the top of shmup fans' to-do list for the week, WiiWare goes educational and aquatic, and today's DSiWare offerings...
Podcast NLFM Episode 5: Dark Side of the Mario
Shake your plumber bootie
It's been a while, space cats, but NLFM is back with another mighty handsome selection of the finest chip and game music around. This time we're going to listen in on what makes Mario groove, go East/West (who knows?!) with the Kusagari and see just how epic one man can make the NES. NLFM generally focuses on music from...
Review Grill-Off with Ultra Hand! (WiiWare)
You get what you pay for
For a video game rewards programme, Club Nintendo is dishearteningly light on actual video games. Apart from arguably overpriced Game & Watch DS collections and a year-end bonus for Elite members in the form of Doc Louis' Punch-Out!!, rewards have mostly been items such as posters and playing cards. But now, for a mere...
Carrying the standard for a forgotten genre
Back in the early 80s the "maze" game was a popular genre both in arcades and on home consoles, featuring a fixed screen and expected mechanics of navigating a character around hazards whilst collecting objects. Once platforming and adventure games took off, the maze game all but vanished; even...
Nintendo Download 6th & 7th April 2010 (Japan)
Plant barbering, plane piloting, kanji, colouring and adventuring next week in Japan
Next week is pretty much a catch-up week for Japanese Wii and DSi owners, with only a couple of brand-new titles for DSi, neither one of which is a game. WiiWare: Bonsai Barber (800pts - Nintendo) – It's hard to believe this plant-barbering simulator hasn't...
News La-Mulana Test Play 5 Video
More of the WiiWare title in action
We just recently showed you the fourth Test Play video of La-Mulana and now Nicalis has just sent over yet another video of the game in action. You can check out the brand new video below and we'll keep you posted on any further developments.
Nintendo Download 2nd April 2010 (Europe)
The original Mario Kart! Oh, and some other stuff.
It took quite a while, but one of the most wanted Virtual Console games has finally been released in Europe, after hitting both North America and Japan last year. This week's WiiWare and DSiWare releases consist almost exclusively of games already released in North America as well, with just one...
News Rage of the Gladiator Giveaway
Win your very own copy of the game
Ghostfire Games have just announced that they're running a contest to give 15 lucky gamers a free copy of their newest WiiWare release Rage of the Gladiator. All you have to do is Twitter their account with your Wii Code and one winner will be chosen each day to receive a copy of the game. You can check out the...
News Fishie Fishie Is Getting Ready to Splash Out on WiiWare
New "one-button action" game from DK Games
We've just been sent a trailer from developer DK Games about its upcoming WiiWare title Fishie Fishie. You might remember the developer for its ball-rolling game Equilibrio, which was recently selected by Marvelous Entertainment to be part of the World Game Parade of European WiiWare titles being published...
News New Jett Rocket Shots Blast Off
WiiWare to receive its best-looking game yet
Shin'en Multimedia has already proven its ability at creating great-looking and addictive WiiWare titles, with the superb Art of Balance available now, but the company looks set to exceed its own high standards, as these new shots of Jett Rocket show. Boasting a distinctly Super Mario Galaxy-inspired...
Review WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase (WiiWare)
A nice little added bonus.
We've just recently seen the release of WarioWare D.I.Y. for the DS system which lets players design, play, and share their own unique microgame creations. But for those who feel like enjoying even more of the same, not to mention the ability to play and share their creations on their television screens, Nintendo has just...
Warmed-up leftovers
From the description you might think Diner Dash is a throwaway mini-game: guide office block refugee Flo through her dream job of running her own chain of restaurants with gameplay centred around seating customers, keeping them happy and getting big tips. It's best not to write it off as it's actually quite a fun game (think...
Nintendo Download 29th March 2010 (North America)
Wario, cafe table waiting and medieval battles on Wii; fireworks, turtles, fruity puzzles and music tuners for DSi
Another Monday, another handful of games vying for your hard-earned Nintendo Points! The offerings are all across the board today with new DSiWare apps for musicians and a much-anticipated N64 release on Virtual Console. While not...
News Select Downloadable Games Available for Purchase on Nintendo's Web Site
Bypass the spacebucks for select titles
If you've done any game downloading on your Wii or DSi then odds are you've wound up spending more up front than what your game cost thanks to Nintendo's own Point currency. If you're not a fan of having spare points rattling around in your account, or perhaps just prefer having honest-to-goodness real money...
News La-Mulana Test Play 4 Video
More of the game in action!
Our good friend Tyrone Rodriguez of Nicalis has just sent over the newest test play video for their upcoming WiiWare action/platformer La-Mulana. You can see just how far along the game is in development in the many levels and boss fights that are shown throughout the trailer. You'll also get a look at the selection menu...
Nintendo Download 30th & 31st March 2010 (Japan)
Bit Boy!! grows up and more MSX on Wii; Sims, role-playing and puzzling for DSi
Marvelous Entertainment continues its World Game Parade this week on WiiWare, and Virtual Console buffs who're into the import scene may want to check out the MSX titles on offer that have come out of nowhere (we do like VC surprises, yes we do). DSiWare is a bit light...
News Grill-Off with Ultra Hand! Coming to US Club Nintendo
WiiWare game cooks its way out of Japan
The US branch of Club Nintendo, home of posters, cards and, uh, bookmarks, is set to broaden its range a little more with a quirky, bite-sized nugget of a WiiWare game. There's no set release date for it, although we can reasonably expect it to be "soon," and the game will go for 80 coins. Previously...
Nintendo Download 26th March 2010 (Europe)
This Hanabi Festival's final game, with some nice things on WiiWare and DSiWare as well.
As previously announced by Nintendo, the Hanabi Festival wasn't over just yet. This week brings us one last import game, and it's quite a highly anticipated one, at that. They could've just left it at that and called it a day, but they've also added a second,...
Now this is more like it!
The independent gaming scene has always been a flourishing part of PC gaming over the years, but very few people were ready for the splash one indie game designer's title would make on the industry when he released it in 2004. It took Daisuke Amaya, aka Pixel, five long years to complete Cave Story, but its unique...
News Furry Legends Teaser Trailer Born, Suitably Cute
Upcoming WiiWare title goes episodic
Gamelion Studios' upcoming Furry Legends has been a bit quiet recently, but the studio has just sent over a new teaser trailer showing the title is coming along nicely. Although it doesn't show much, the spherical cow is almost certainly the cutest thing you'll see on the Internet today. If it's not, you should...
Nintendo Download 22nd March 2010 (North America)
Underground stories, street racing, tower defence and Game & Watch in this week's update
No love for the Virtual Console this week, but we hope that the retro-stylings of the long-awaited Cave Story will satisfy even the most jaded fans of Nintendo's classic gaming archive. Meanwhile on the DSiWare front we have a surprise street racing game with...
Interviews Pixel Talks Cave Story
Cave Story creator answers a few of our questions.
With the upcoming release of Cave Story from Nicalis on Monday, we thought we'd take a minute to speak to the creator of the game to find out what it was like to bring his much-loved PC classic to the WiiWare service. Pixel was kind enough to take a few moments to answer a couple of our questions...
Review Triple Shot Sports (WiiWare)
Shooting pain? Get relief fast - don't play!
In the promotional literature, developer Code Monkeys claim that Triple Shot Sports is "the most advanced recreational shooting game available for WiiWare." Well, with its presentation of Olympic shooting events it's certainly unique, but the only thing we found to be really "advanced"...
News Cave Story to Cost 1200 Wii Points
Time to get those Wii Points ready!
Our good friend Tyrone Rodriguez of Nicalis has just informed us that Cave Story will cost 1200 Wii Points when it makes its North American debut on Monday. That means you'd better get those points ready to go and you'll even have enough for a nice Super Nintendo game left over. Not too shabby considering you're...
News New Diner Dash Screenshots
Order up!
The guys over at Hudson were kind enough to send over a fresh batch of screenshots of their upcoming WiiWare release Diner Dash for you to enjoy. The game is set to hit the European WiiWare service on March 26th for 1000 Wii Points. Diner Dash will come to life in 3D on new generation consoles when players have the option to take direct...
Nintendo Download 23rd & 24th March 2010 (Japan)
Frogs, romantic sagas, galactic brawling, shogi, mahjong, monsters and prison breaks next week in Japan
WiiWare: Frogger Returns (500pts – Konami) – A Japanese catch-up title that's been out for a few months in North America and just last month in Europe. We thought it was good fun and a nice return to form for a franchise that has spent a lot...
Nintendo Download 19th March 2010 (Europe)
More Hanabi Festival, plenty of DSiWare and one lonely WiiWare game
Several people were disappointed Nintendo of Europe didn't start off the latest Hanabi Festival with a certain vampire-slaying game last week, but there's no need to complain any more - It's out now! It brings with it a rather tedious little NES import, which might also mean this is...
News Cave Story Promotional Painting
A little Cave Story swag arrives!
The kind folks over at Nintendo are trying to do a little extra to promote the upcoming release of Cave Story from Nicalis - so much so that they sent out a promotional kit today to various media sites. We were lucky enough to be one of the sites to receive this kit and inside we found an absolutely beautiful canvas...
Review Rage of the Gladiator (WiiWare)
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Ghostfire Games' Rage of the Gladiator makes no bones about paying homage to Nintendo's classic arcade boxer Punch Out!!, using similar mechanics based around recognising enemy attack patterns to battle through a bevy of foes. Whilst its shoes are...
News Mecho Wars Nearing Its WiiWare Release
Luc Bernard thanks the fans for being so patient
Since the announcement of the turn-based strategy game's impending release on the WiiWare and DSiWare services, it's become clear that Mecho Wars is definitely a title to look forward to. Since its development started last Summer at Flying Tiger Entertainment, the game seems to have shaped up pretty...
More frantic Frobotic action!
The good folks over at Fugazo have just sent over the latest video of their upcoming WiiWare title Frobot in action for all to see. In this new video you can check out many of the new levels and boss battles to better get a taste of what you can expect when the game hits the WiiWare service later this year. We'll keep...
Review Military Madness: Nectaris (WiiWare)
Tactical Mutually Assured Destruction
They say the moon is a harsh mistress — especially when it's home to prisoners building a super weapon to destroy Earth! This is the setting of Military Madness: Nectaris, a tactical strategy game which originally appeared on the Turbo-Graphx-16 as Military Madness (and in its native Japan as Nectaris). This...
Nintendo Download 15th March 2010 (North America)
Gladiators, vampires, shooting, dinos, zoos and golf this week
Fans of the classics will be pleased to see the TG-16 CD entry in the Castlevania series as well as a new take on the Punch-Out formula and a surprise target shooter on Wii, whilst the DSi gets a range of sim-style games: zoo, dino and gangster and a golf game for good measure. WiiWare:...
News Art Of Balance Leaning Towards Europe
Shin'en Multimedia announces release date and pricing
Following the game's American release last month, this WiiWare puzzler will have you stacking various blocks to form a stable construction will be available on the Wii Shop Channel in a couple of weeks. Think you've got steady hands and fast reflexes? Art of Balance will see if you do. If you're...
News Lilt Line Zipping to WiiWare
Gaijin Games enters the publishing fray
Gaijin Games has the whole retro-abstract aesthetic on WiiWare locked down with their BIT.TRIP series (although maybe not so abstract anymore), and now they're further tightening their vice-like grip on it by stepping into the publishing game with an iPhone-to-WiiWare conversion of developer Different Cloth's...
Nintendo Download 16 & 17 March 2010 (Japan)
Racing punch-up, Zombie Wonderland and karate
The Virtual Console Arcade gets a surprise release (always nice) and there's a couple of interesting WiiWare games to tide over Wii owners; add in some intesting titles on the DSi and you get a pretty good week for Nintendo downloading overall. WiiWare: Pokosuka Racing (500pts - Recom) – At first we...
Nintendo Download 12th March 2010 (Europe)
The Hanabi Festival kicks off, but sadly not with its most anticipated game.
It seemed quite likely that Nintendo of Europe would be starting the fifth Hanabi Festival with some Castlevania goodness, but as it turns out, this is not the case! At least there's two different import games instead, one of which is another highly recommended title...
The future is announced
While some developers are churning out WiiWare ad nauseum, the developers of the critically acclaimed World of Goo have yet to treat us to another game since the release way back in 2008, leaving the corporations free to gobble up most of those Nintendo Points. All this is now set to change, with the announcement of a new...
Competition Help Icon Games Develop Stunt Cars 2
Enter their competition where you can have your suggestions implemented and win a collection of prizes
For game developers, striking that balance between keeping the idea as close to their conception as possible whilst also taking gamer feedback and suggestions into consideration must be a difficult thing to achieve. Logically thinking, obtaining...
Interviews Akaoni - Zombie Panic in Wonderland
They'll huff and they'll puff and they'll eat your brains
Spanish developers Akaoni Studio are hard at work on their WiiWare debut Zombie Panic in Wonderland, a promising shooter that couldn't possibly have a more self-explanatory name. We caught up with Jose Manuel of Akaoni to see how the game is shaping up, if zombies can love and whether fast...
Nintendo Download 8th March 2010 (North America)
Markers, Dracula, Fantasy and Spanish this week
WiiWare: Max & the Magic Marker (1000pts – Press Play) – The novel platformer makes its North American debut today. We thought it was a very good addition to the platforming line-up on WiiWare, so if that kind of game floats your boat get your points ready! Dracula: Undead Awakening (1000pts...
First Impressions Astro Bugz Revenge
Buggle Bobble
Please note that these impressions are based upon playing an alpha version of the game code. Changes are certain to be made prior to the final game release. If a developer is going to make a puzzle game that uses a well-established mechanic – such as matching three objects of the same colour – it's important to put a new spin on...
Interviews Dreambox Games - Robox
New details and screens on this gorgeous WiiWare platformer
Spanish developer Dreambox's first release, Robox, was revealed just last week and has already captured our attention with its lush visual style and interesting concept. We tracked down Dreambox art director Julio Romon to learn a little more about their upcoming platformer, and he was...
Nintendo Download 9th & 10th March 2010 (Japan)
Capcom and Nichibutsu classics on Wii, Gameloft, G.G. Series and Kanji Training on DSi
DSiWare doesn't hold any surprises, but it's nice to see more VCA releases and of course Capcom fueling the retro-fires. WiiWare: Rockman 10 (1000pts - Capcom) — By now we hope everyone knows this is what we know as Mega Man 10 outside of Japan. We though it was...
News BIT.TRIP RUNNER Gameplay Trailer
Check out that platforming action!
Gaijin Games has just announced that they now have an official YouTube channel and to kick things off they've uploaded the brand new trailer for their upcoming WiiWare title BIT.TRIP RUNNER. You can check out the full trailer below and don't forget to keep an eye on their YouTube page from time to time to see what...
The seminal indie game finally comes to Nintendo
Cave Story is like a Cinderella tale of indie game development, arriving at a time when the conventional wisdom was that the days of a lone programmer creating a complex and compelling game were behind us; it proved that the old spirit of the 8-bit era is still alive and well in the 21st century...
