NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: 11 NEW DOWNLOADS BLAST THEIR WAY TO NINTENDO SYSTEMS

Dec. 14, 2009

The first of this week’s new Virtual Console™ releases gives new meaning to the term “underground legend,” sending players down a mysterious manhole for a classic subterranean adventure. Another fine addition to the Virtual Console section of the Wii Shop Channel features the iconic hero Earthworm Jim in a fun-packed sequel from the SEGA Genesis era. For the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, a slate of five new games includes everything from the pets of LITTLEST PET SHOP™ to animated puzzles, cooking and magic tricks. For fans of the WiiWare™ service, fast-paced stunt driving and Moki-herding mayhem are among the latest arrivals. Whether you’re downloading for yourself or seeking cool, convenient gifts for everyone on your holiday list, look no further than the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi™ Shop for instant gratification.

Virtual Console

Blaster Master™
Original platform: NES™
Publisher: Sunsoft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: The New York sewers were never like this. You’ve fallen down a hidden manhole into a world of creatures so terrifying they’d scare the rats away. You can panic and perish, or blast your way through an endless maze of tunnels in search of secret passages to your escape. Masters of the Caverns lay waiting – prehistoric creatures so powerful and gigantic they literally fill your screen. Load your arsenal and get ready for Blaster Master.

Earthworm Jim 2™
Original platform: SEGA Genesis
Publisher: Interplay
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Superhero annelid Jim and his new sidekick, Snott, are back for an off-the-wall sequel in Earthworm Jim 2. Containing more action than your standard platformer from the Genesis era, each stage has a different style and mission, drawing on game play from different genres, including mazes, trivia contests and arcade-style levels. The game also features music composed by Tommy Tallarico. Do you have what it takes to rescue the Princess?

Nintendo DSiWare

LITTLEST PET SHOP
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Experience your favorite LITTLEST PET SHOP pets in a whole new way on your Nintendo DSi system.  Play catch with your pets and their favorite toys, dress them up in adorable new accessories and keep them happy by brushing and feeding them. You can even throw a little dance party for your pets and help them rock out to cool songs.

Miami Nights
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes, Tobacco Reference, Use of Alcohol
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: You won’t find a more complete life simulation than Miami Nights: Life in the Spotlight. Begin by designing your avatar with an unbelievable level of customizable physical detail. But it’s not your physique that counts. Instead, your life choices and your everyday behavior will influence more than 40 attributes that will make you a unique, progressive individual. The city of Miami is presented to you with no fewer than 30 places to explore. Plus, you’ll be able to customize your entire home and interact with your environment in many ways. The most important part of the game play lies in how you interact with other characters. They will be the ones who’ll help you achieve your goals. You’ll be able to establish and break off different types of relationships with them. It’s up to you to act like a bad guy or sweet girl, make friends or enemies, and choose the best way – honest or otherwise – to make your dreams become a reality.

Bejeweled Twist™
Publisher: PopCap Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Spin, match, explode – it’s a brilliant new way to play. Spin and match explosive gems for shockwaves of fun in this quick-play version of the award-winning PopCap game. Rotate jewels to set up electrifying combos, outwit obstacles like Locks and Bombs, and create high-voltage Flame and Lightning gems. Play the intensely fun Classic mode or take on a friend in the exclusive Nintendo DS Battle mode. No matter how you play, you’ll find endless ways to win.

Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam
Publisher: Virtual Toys
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Have you ever asked yourself what it would feel like to be among the stoves of the best restaurants in the world? Do you want to become the best chef there is, preparing scrumptious dishes? Jump right in and enter the world of Yummy Yummy and its mixture of flavors and aromas. In Yummy Yummy, you’ll have to satisfy the hunger of the most diverse, colorful set of diners: vampires, extraterrestrials, mafia thugs, Vikings and more. Prepare hot dogs, hamburgers, pizzas and Mexican burritos as quickly as you can before your customers get tired of waiting and decide to leave the restaurant without giving you a good tip. Roll up your sleeves, don your chef’s hat and have a great time.

Master of Illusion™ Express: Matchmaker
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Master of Illusion Express titles feature mind-boggling magic tricks that you can perform with your Nintendo DSi system. Learn the illusions, practice up and amaze your friends. Master of Illusion Express: Matchmaker includes two tricks that use your Nintendo DSi system to reveal information about others. Use the Photo Diagnosis trick and stun others by taking two simple photos to pinpoint their exact age. Or have the Matchmaker trick show that another person has favorite dates or favorite foods that are similar to yours. Who knows? You could even land a date or make a new friend.

WiiWare

Stunt Cars™
Publisher: Icon Games Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Stunt Cars takes place on elevated racetracks with very little to stop players from accidentally driving off the side. Turbo can be used to make a car go faster, but it can only be used for a limited amount of time in each race. As you progress through the game’s four championship cups, you’ll unlock special features such as driver achievement awards.

Diatomic
Publisher: Grendel Games
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Diatomic is a fast retro-arcade action game that takes place inside a set of petri dishes. The safe confines of your petri dish are about to be invaded by nine different diatomic creatures that seek to destroy you. Armed with your shield, tail, strategic intelligence and good reflexes, you stand a good chance of defeating the overwhelming odds. You must stay alive during 65 hectic stages spread over five chapters. The high score list shows what kind of player you are. Playing defensively and gaining an all-out defensive high score is harder to pull off than gaining an all-out offensive high score.

Moki Moki™
Publisher: Natsume Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: It’s a mind-bending, gravity-defying puzzler. The Moki are being devoured by the voracious Gromblins, and it’s up to you to guide the hapless little guys to safety. Bend, twist and rotate the environment to herd the Moki through a series of brain-teasing puzzles. Along the way, you’ll have to contend with deadly pitfalls, spinning blades and shifting gravity. Roll Moki down ramps, grab them with hooks and blast them with jets to guide them safely to the portals. Challenge your skills in 100 unique levels.

Rubik’s Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH
Publisher: Two Tribes
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Rubik’s Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH is a 3-D puzzle game with more than 70 challenging levels. Players need to guide Cubes to color-coded exit points. Using the Wii Remote™ controller’s intuitive controls, players herd the colored cubes along by using Conveyer Belts, Warps, Stop Signs, Directional Signs and Splits. RUSH also includes the original Rubik’s Cube as a bonus. Players can attempt to solve one of the four different-sized Cubes alone, compete against a second player or learn how to solve the classic Rubik’s Cube.

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.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: PIRATES, PUZZLES, RATTLERS AND ROLE-PLAYING

“All for one and one for all” is an apt way to describe the latest lineup of downloadable games from the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi™ Shop. Each of this week’s new titles is a single-player affair, but they’re all quite different in genre and style, offering something special for a variety of gaming tastes.

WiiWare™

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 2
Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol Reference, Cartoon Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Guybrush’s adventures continue on the high seas as pox-plagued pirates lay siege to the innocent Mer-People. Between defending the Mer-People and dodging the persistent pirate hunter hot on his trail, Guybrush manages to catch up to his beloved wife and despised arch-nemesis, but the reunion is short-lived. Now Guybrush must focus on eradicating the Pox of LeChuck before more harm can be done. And as the Mighty Pirate draws closer to a cure, the waters will only grow murkier in this thrilling chapter of the epic saga.

3-2-1, Rattle Battle!
Publisher: Tecmo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: 3-2-1, Rattle Battle! is a party game packed with exciting mini-games. Intuitive controls mean that anyone can enjoy playing – just grab the Wii Remote™ and shake it to “rattle.” Great fun for single players, but the party really gets started when you register high scores on Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to see how you measure up against players from around the globe.

Virtual Console™

Phantasy Star™
Original platform: SEGA Master System
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Originally released on the SEGA Master System, Phantasy Star is a pioneer in the role-playing game genre. Alis is the fearless female protagonist out to avenge her brother’s death at the hands of cruel dictator King Lassic. Players must guide Alis and her troops through the sprawling environments of the Agol solar system in an attempt to defeat King Lassic and liberate the people of Agol. Engage in dynamic turn-based combat with dragons, ghouls, giants and magicians by using unique weapons such as glowing daggers, crossbows and magic spells.

Nintendo DSiWare™

Puzzle League™ Express
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: The ever-popular Puzzle League comes to Nintendo DSiWare. As it is with all good puzzlers, the concept is simple: Connect blocks of the same color to clear them from the screen and prevent your stack from becoming too high. There are four single-player modes to choose from: Endless (survive to earn a top score), Clear (eliminate all blocks above the line), Score Attack (score as high as possible in two minutes) and Vs. COM (use items and combos to attack a computer opponent). You can choose from a variety of background music to help get you in the zone, and even play in horizontal or vertical mode by holding the Nintendo DSi system normally or like a book. Whichever way you play, you’re guaranteed maximum fun.

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.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: CUT STRAIGHT TO THE FUN WITH PAPER, PLANETS, PUZZLES, MIND GAMES AND MINI GOLF

Familiar activities get a funky boost with this week’s additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop™. A trio of fresh WiiWare™ titles will have players wrapping their minds around unique puzzles, entertaining brain drills and awesome mini-golf courses. A new Art Style™ game for Nintendo DSiWare™ turns cutting paper into a cool hand-held gaming challenge. And simple things like air and weather conditions become exciting game elements in the latest classic offering on the Virtual Console™.

WiiWare

Drill Sergeant Mindstrong
Publisher: XSEED Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Language, Mild Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Line up and get ready to use your mind. Drill Sergeant Mindstrong is a party game that allows up to four people to play at once. Players become boot-camp trainees under the tough Drill Sergeant Mindstrong, going through mind-boggling, mind-training games. The rules are simple, but concentration and quick thinking are key. Become the top boot of your class and earn promotions based on your efforts. This game is best played with friends and family.

NEVES Plus™
Publisher:YUKES Company of America
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description:Try your hand at the newest puzzle craze to come out of Japan, NEVES Plus! Enhanced for WiiWare, NEVES Plus not only retains all the simple, mind-bending tangram-based game play from the original Nintendo DS™ version, but also includes new multiplayer modes wrapped up in an Egyptian theme. This time, you and up to three others can work together to move, rotate and flip the seven Lucky stones into each of the 500-plus silhouette puzzles. You can also challenge one another in new multiplayer modes such as Versus, Speed, Lucky Number and Party Mode. Whether you play every mode by yourself or with friends, NEVES Plus is set to charm you with harder-than-they-look silhouette puzzles.

Family Mini Golf
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy are back for some mini-golf action. Play through multiple golf courses that contain obstacles ranging from bumpers to speed ramps to fans and more. Up to eight players can play together using a single Wii Remote™ controller. You can download new courses to expand your fun-filled mini-golf experience, creating even more complex and difficult challenges to overcome. Can you conquer all the courses and become the mini-golf champion?

Nintendo DSiWare

Art Style: BOXLIFE™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Climb the corporate ladder in the world of BOXLIFE using your wits and… paper? Use the Nintendo DSi™ stylus to cut and then manipulate the paper into a box shape. Be careful-if you’re not efficient with your cuts, you’ll waste paper and be penalized. R&D mode teaches you new patterns and challenges you to complete various ranks, while FACTORY mode gives you the chance to earn money by making as many boxes as possible from an endless sheet of paper. Success in each mode brings its own reward: Clear ranks to earn a promotion, change your character’s appearance, and use your earnings to acquire new items for your character’s miniature garden. With this game’s stylish graphics and catchy sounds, thinking inside the box isn’t such a bad thing.

Virtual Console

SimEarth™: The Living Planet
Original platform: TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Violent References
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: An entire planet becomes your laboratory in this large-scale simulation game. Players help foster new life and promote its evolution into life forms of higher intelligence. Guide civilization along the path of evolution until it can achieve Exodus, the ultimate goal of settling on another planet. The basic challenge of the game is to maintain a comfortable environment for the life forms by adjusting atmospheric and geological parameters. Small organisms called Prokaryote and Trichordate will grow and evolve into a multitude of life forms. Making a drastic change is a recipe for disaster. The key to success is making small adjustments and watching how the life forms react. SimEarth also includes planets with environments different from Earth, such as Mars and Venus. Try your hand at terraforming these planets with harsh conditions and creating a world where life can thrive.

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.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: PIRATES AND PITFALLS SEND MASTERFUL MIXED MESSAGES

The new Nintendo DSi™ system has been on store shelves for just a week now. Today Activision’s Mixed Messages™ becomes the first third-party downloadable game for the new system. Mixed Messages is a game of electronic telephone that can accommodate a whopping 21 players. On the WiiWare™ side, fans will find a game based on the popular Pop-Up Pirate™ toy that might have players sticking virtual swords into their Mii™ characters. And classic character Pitfall Harry Jr. makes his debut on the Virtual Console.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with a high-speed Internet connection 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 Nintendo Points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems. This week’s new games are:

Nintendo DSiWare™

Mixed Messages (Activision, 2-21 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Nintendo DSi Points): Mixed Messages is the hilarious party game of mixed-up miscommunication. Sketch a picture to capture your friends’ sentence, or try to figure out what in the world they’ve drawn. You might start with, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and end up with “A crazy surfer outruns flying sticks of dynamite while his fans cheer!” Two to 21 players take turns writing sentences and drawing pictures to pass along a message. This isn’t a game about winning and losing – it’s all about the funny miscommunications that happen along the way. You’ll laugh when you see just how wacky things can get. Get together with your friends and mix it up.

Master of Illusion™ Express: Shuffle Games (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 200 Nintendo DSi Points): Master of Illusion Express titles are mind-boggling magic tricks pulled from the popular Nintendo DS™ game. Learn the illusions, practice up and amaze your friends. Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games will boggle your audience members’ minds as they try to figure out how you know exactly what they’re thinking. Also included is the bonus Vanishing Card trick, which the Nintendo DSi system performs for your enjoyment.

WiiWare

Party Fun Pirate™ (TOMY Corporation, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): Based on the popular Pop-Up Pirate toy, players take turns thrusting swords into a barrel that holds your captain captive, trying to see who can insert the most swords into the barrel. Thrust a sword into the wrong hole and you’ll send your captain flying, which means it’s game over for you! Unique Wii features add to the excitement, making for a fun-filled party game. Try swapping out the captain and putting your custom Mii character in the barrel for some real laughs!

Virtual Console

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated T for Teen – Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is a side-scrolling action game in which you play adventurer Pitfall Harry Jr. in search of his father, Pitfall Harry. Pitfall Harry has been taken captive by the dreaded warrior spirit Zakelua: Lord of Evil. Armed with only a trusty sling and his father’s journal, young Harry Jr. must now venture into the unknown to rescue him … before it’s too late! Bungee jump and boomerang your way to safety as you battle through treacherous Mayan jungles, waterfalls and deserted mines. With 13 levels of fast, gripping action, you will need to be attentive and quick – or prepare to die …

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.

ONE WIIWARE GAME AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

March 23, 2009

Are you immune to this season’s rampant basketball fever? If so, the Wii™ Shop Channel invites you and your friends to set up an action-packed tournament of your own with a fresh crop of downloadable games. This week brings an instantly irresistible puzzle game to the ever-expanding WiiWare™ library, plus a pair of classic TurboGrafx16 import titles for the Virtual Console™ – one a vintage vertical-scrolling shooter, the other featuring the beloved Bomberman. Draw up your brackets, grab those Wii Remote™ controllers and shoot for the top spot.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Pop’Em Drop’Em SAMEGAME (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): SAMEGAME is a simple yet engrossing puzzle game where you must clear matching blocks in sets of two or more. Score high by clearing out more blocks at once. If you manage to clear the entire grid, you can keep on playing with a whole new layout. Getting rid of all those blocks is the key to racking up points. Adjust the difficulty level in a one-player game by trying different grid sizes and multiple colors. Up to four players can face off in any one of three multiplayer modes. “Fame Game,” the most straightforward choice, is similar to the one-player version. “Shame Game” turns the tables by forcing players to go for the lowest score. “Blame Game” is a free-for-all as everyone vies for blocks on one big grid. Choose from different block styles, background graphics and music to customize your playing experience.

Virtual Console

Bomberman®’94 (TurboGrafx16, 1-5 players, Rated E for Everyone—Comic Mischief, 700 Wii Points): Bomberman has arrived to restore peace on the planet, which has been split into five parts by an evil hand. In addition to the nine members of the Bomber Family, the character Rooi shows up to lend a hand. Jump on the eggs that appear from destroyed soft blocks and you can ride one of five types of Rooi. Each Rooi has different special abilities—use them well and you’ll ride to victory.

DETANA TWIN BEE (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Cartoon Violence, 700 Wii Points): It’s the popular vertical-scrolling shooter renowned for its cute and comical world. Here come Twinbee and Winbee on a mission to save the planet from evil alien invaders. Standing in their way are six stages full of goofy enemies. Play as Twinbee in single-player mode, or team up with Winbee in two-player cooperative mode. With powerful attacks like Big Shot, or Twin Attack and Burst Attack in two-player mode, there’s plenty of sting in their arsenal. Use your Shot to transform Bells into items with various effects. Stock up on these bad boys to expand your attack range and really have a blast.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND ONE VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAME ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

March 16, 2009

Old-school action is the main attraction at the Wii™ Shop Channel this week. With a wealth of underground buzz already surrounding it, a brand new WiiWare™ title uses vintage-looking graphics and 8-bit sounds to create a rhythm-based game that’s loaded with retro cool. Find out if you have enough skill to create order from chaos in a game that is as mesmerizing as it is challenging. Meanwhile, the latest addition to the Virtual Console™ lineup brings a Commodore 64 classic to the Wii console, proving that fans of international sports events needn’t wait until 2012 to get their track-and-field fix. Even if you’re too young to remember the original days of 8-bit gaming, these awesome titles provide timeless kicks.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

BIT.TRIP BEAT (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): BIT.TRIP BEAT is a rhythm game that brings retro action into the present, letting you use the motion-sensing Wii Remote™ controller to bounce beats. Retro visuals, classic game play, four-player multiplayer and an 8-bit soundtrack will get you in the zone and rock your world. The challenges are mighty, but if you can stay cool as the difficulty increases, you’ll discover the beginnings of the BIT.TRIP saga.

Virtual Console

Summer Games II™ (Commodore 64, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): A thousand athletes. A hundred countries. Billions watching around the world as you enter the stadium, marching confidently among your nation’s strongest, fastest and boldest young men and women. Your gaze sweeps the crowd as you realize the scope of your achievement. You are about to compete against the world’s best athletes in a 3,000-year-old competition. This is the pinnacle of athletic achievement: the Summer Games. Summer Games II challenges your competitive skills with a series of athletic contests for one to eight players. Experience the excitement and realism of eight different events: cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking, rowing and triple jump. Practice each event to sharpen your skills, then choose from the 18 countries you can represent in the competition.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND ONE VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAME ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

In like a lamb and out like a lion, or vice-versa? Whether March finds you digging out from a late-winter blizzard or reeling in the spring thaw, the fun is both mild and wild at the Wii™ Shop Channel. Even the littlest lambs in your household can take part in a cool new family-friendly WiiWare™ game, while strategy-loving gamers will be roaring like lions as they battle evil foes in a classic Virtual Console™ title.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare™

Family & Friends Party (Gammick Entertainment, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Have fun with all your friends and family as you take on some very exciting challenges. This is an interactive board game for as many as eight players of all ages. The goal is to be the first to complete a series of challenges. During each turn, a challenge will be played by one or two players per team depending on the type of challenge you’ve been given. (Other players on your team can still help and support you). There are six different “Single” challenges that must be played cooperatively by members of the same team. Family & Friends Party can also suggest “Versus” challenges, which must be played competitively by all teams at the same time.

Virtual Console™

Ogre Battle™: The March of the Black Queen™ (Super NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): It’s up to you to defeat the Empire. It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since the Zetegenian Empire first conquered the Kingdoms of Zenobia with a wrath of fear and bloodshed. You are the leader of a band of rebels who’ve fought to preserve the last shred of honor in this desperate time of treachery. Manage the ranks of a full-blown rebel army, complete with hundreds of characters, magic items, weapons and mystical Tarot cards. You must succeed in ousting the evil usurpers-your fate, and that of the entire population, depends on it.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

ONE WIIWARE GAME AND ONE VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAME ADDED (AND ONE SURPRISE COMING) TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Outer space meets inner space at the Wii™ Shop Channel this Presidents Day. A new WiiWare™ title will have you soaring across the astral plane, while a vintage NES™ shooter for the Virtual Console™ invites you to battle your way through the innards of an alien creature. Choose a hot new WiiWare game or a Gradius spin-off. It’s what the presidents would have wanted.

In other news, the Wii-kly Update has a fun surprise coming soon for all our fans. We can’t tell you the secret just yet but maybe we’ll offer you some hidden clues. From AZ to NC, if you’re a fan, your applause could rattle your walls, windows, door. You might enjoy this news whether you live in a brick house or Vanderbilt dorm. Even people living along Route 286 in rural Pennsylvania ought to be excited. It’ll feel like a bunch of birthday greetings and, really, who could ask for more? But that’s about all we can say for now, so be sure to check future Wii-kly Updates.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Evasive Space™ (Yukes Company of America, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Launch a one-of-a-kind mission to rescue the stars. The universe is going dark, and it’s up to you, Konki the Stellar Guardian, to set things right. Dr. Dark Matter and his roving band of space thieves have stolen many of the Constellation Stones that make up the heavens. It’s time to suit up, power up, recover the Stones and once again bring light to the night sky. Using the Wii Remote™ controller’s unique pointer capabilities, simply point and thrust Konki through 20 dangerous time- and collection-based missions in the harshest of environments. Navigate through narrow, mazelike astral caves riddled with space worms, steam pipes and mining drills. Explore vast space stations while avoiding turret fire, mines and huge crushing gears. Weave through cluttered asteroid fields and gaseous planetary rings. Evade the hazards, pick up precious items and ship upgrades, and save the Constellation Stones before the night sky is lost forever.

Virtual Console

Life Force (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): This classic shooter, originally ported to the NES in August 1988, is a spin-off of the seminal Gradius series. Pilot the Vic Viper through six stages of intense action, alternating between horizontally and vertically scrolling environments, and take on wave after wave of enemies. Destroy particular enemies throughout the game (which takes place within the body of an enormous alien) to release power-up capsules and equip your ship with your choice of more powerful weapons, extra speed and shields. Utilize the power-ups carefully, though, as a fearsome guardian lurks at the end of each stage and won’t be easily defeated. You can go it alone or bring along a friend to take on the challenge simultaneously. Do you have what it takes to save your planet?

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO WIIWARE GAMES AND ONE VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAME ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Feb. 2, 2009

If you’ve got a taste for the eclectic, check out this lively lineup of additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel. One new WiiWare™ title combines brisk winter sports with pulverizing power-ups, while another blends intuitive puzzle dynamics with various multiplayer options. Meanwhile, a classic Virtual Console™ game invites you to assume the role of a certain adventurous hedgehog. With diverse releases like these, players of all stripes are sure to find something they’ll love.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Snowboard Riot™ (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): This snowboard racing and battle game can be enjoyed by multiple players and is compatible with the Wii Balance Board™ accessory. In an intense scramble for first place, guide your character down the slopes while snatching up items to attack and defend against rivals along the way. Up to four players can battle and participate in various ranking modes via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.

LONPOS (Nintendo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Looking for a puzzle game that anyone can play, but still offers plenty to master? Look no further than LONPOS, with its straightforward premise and large variety of puzzles to solve. Each puzzle revolves around a rectangular playing field of 55 spaces. Using a set of 12 pieces, the goal is to place every piece into the playing field, filling it completely. The higher the level, the more pieces you’ll need to fit correctly into the playing field. Challenge yourself with two single-player modes or bring a friend to compete against or cooperate with. When you think your skills are worthy, use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to check out how you compare with other LONPOS players or download additional puzzles and backgrounds. (Router and broadband access required for online play. For more info, go to www.nintendo.com.)

Virtual Console

Sonic Chaos™ (SEGA MASTER SYSTEM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Play as Sonic or Tails in Sonic Chaos, which was originally made for the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM. Dr. Eggman (a.k.a. Dr. Robotnik) has stolen the Red Chaos Emerald to create nuclear weapons. This has thrown the remaining Chaos Emeralds off balance, causing them to transport to a parallel universe. As a result, Sonic’s home, South Island, is sinking into the ocean. Speed through various levels in your crusade for the six Chaos Emeralds. Perform Strike Dashes and Super-Peel Outs as Sonic, or Spin Dash and Fly as Tails, and restore order in Sonic Chaos.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND ONE VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAME ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Jan. 26, 2009

You’ll find plenty of monsters in your midst this week, courtesy of the Wii™ Shop Channel. A brand new WiiWare™ game invites you to battle an army of deceptively cute creatures, while a classic Virtual Console™ release pits players against ferocious foes and fire-breathing dragons. Think you’ve got what it takes to defeat these outrageous beasts? Grab a Wii Remote™ controller and get busy.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Niki – Rock ‘n’ Ball (Bplus, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): Are you in love with those unforgettable arcade classics where the only goal is to vanquish all opponents to reach the next stage? Niki – Rock ‘n’ Ball is a new interpretation of those games with a completely innovative and unique gaming mechanism. Roll along with Niki through fantastic worlds, find all the ZeLeLi pearls, and liberate your village from cuddly-yet-evil monsters before it’s too late. Timing is everything. Jump in the nick of time to avoid landing amid barbs. Hop across the stages thanks to the realistic gaming physics. Snap on the ZeLeLi amulet, transform yourself into Niki Rock, and force even the most obstinate monster to its knees. Explore all the stages and win valuable medals while dribbling through them, alone or with a friend. Use familiar controls in Retro style, or experience novel controls in the Wii style.

Virtual Console

Wonder Boy™ in Monster Land™ (SEGA MASTER SYSTEM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Alcohol Reference, Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): After the defeat of the evil king, the kingdom of Wonder Land was a paradise…for a time. The peace was broken when a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon struck without warning and took over Wonder Land with a swarm of evil, monstrous henchmen, turning the once-peaceful land into the utterly chaotic Monster Land. Unable to fight, the people now look to Wonder Boy. Realizing that he is Wonder Land’s last hope, Wonder Boy sets out on an incredible journey to rid the country of the monsters and defeat the “invincible” evil dragon. Guide Wonder Boy through various environments and dungeons, and defeat enemies using Special Weapons and Spells.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

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