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DSiWare Katamari Damacy puzzler, DSiWare/WiiWare Mr. Driller in Japan soon
The latest issue of Famitsu reveals two new titles for Japan's DSiWare download service, both from Namco Bandai. Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy is a falling-block puzzle game starring the cast of Namco's classic rolling-stuff-up game, seemingly involving animals between the blocks and a black hole in the distance. In classic Katamari style, we have no idea. But it says Katamari Damacy in the title, so we're inclined to FREAK OUT -- while also being a bit sad about the milking of the series. Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy will be out in Japan on March 25 for 500 Nintendo Points. In more easily-accessible news, Famitsu also revealed two more Mr. Driller games. Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits was Namco's first DS game; now the company is returning to the well for its inaugural DSiWare title, and throwing in a WiiWare version as well! Mr. Driller for DSiWare (whose full title we can't read in the Famitsu scan) includes a mission mode, time attack, and a Dristone mode, featuring less oxygen to pick up, and more special powerup items around the stage. This mode was removed from the North American release of Drill Spirits. The game comes out in Japan next Wednesday for 800 Points!Mr. Driller World looks like a basic implementation of Mr. Driller on WiiWare, with a tutorial mode and some kind of "simple" play -- possibly a new control scheme. It'll be out Tuesday in Japan, also for 800 Points.
DS Daily: Moved by Moving Memo Pad?
Of all the games and minigames released as part of Nintendo's early DSiWare lineup in Japan, the star is an unlikely little program called Ugoku Memo-chou, or Moving Memo Pad. The cute drawing program allows users to create animations and add sound -- and, most importantly, to put those animations on the Internet to share with their friends and the community at large.Does the idea of (basically) a hand-drawn YouTube appeal to you? We've sort of gauged your relative interest in the DSi hardware previously, but what do you think about this program? Useless fluff or a genuine killer app? Or just fun?%Gallery-33263%
Eight new DSiWare games hit Japan this week
Silently, so as not to disturb anyone, Nintendo has added eight new DSiWare games to their Japanese website, all of which come out on the 28th! As in two days from now. The games include: Solitaire DSi (200 Points) Nintendo DSi Tokei, a clock app that can display photos (200 Points) Hobonichi Rozenzu, a travel guide to Japan (500 Points) Art Style: PiCOPiCT, a chiptunes puzzle game! (500 Points) Art Style: SOMNIUM, a puzzle game about sliding rows of slots to match up with same-colored spheres (example screens here) (500 Points) Chotto Panel de Pon, a mini version of Planet Puzzle League (500 Points) Chotto Suujin Taisen, a Japanese board game (500 Points) Chotto Asobi Taizen: Jikkuri Trump, a card game (500 Points) If you have a Japanese DSi, we are officially totally jealous. Think of us while you're totally not appreciating Art Style: PiCOPiCT as much as we would be. It's clearly the standout of the group, featuring new arrangements of 8-bit Nintendo classics by chiptune superstars YMCK!
DS Daily: Uno or U-nooooo?
Gameloft has acquired the rights to the Uno card game for, well, pretty much everything, but most importantly DSiWare. Chances are, the DS version will be similar to the iPhone release, which is apparently pretty good, but lacks the theme decks and online infrastructure (i.e. Xbox Live friends lists and such) of the Xbox 360 game.Uno decks themselves are a classic, and the Xbox version has done very well, but will the success transfer to other platforms? Will people be as interested in playing online on the DSi as they are on Xbox Live, or does the online service make the game? Could it be a killer app for DSiWare?
Gameloft adds Uno to DSiWare
Gameloft has revealed the first part of their DSiWare strategy -- along with a new move in their mobile, PSP, PS3, and WiiWare strategies. Through a partnership with Mattel, they'll release a version of the card game Uno on all those platforms we just said. Is this the first official announcement of any specific DSiWare game for release outside Japan? We think so!Gameloft's president, Michel Guillemot said that "This agreement is the first step towards a long and successful relationship between Mattel, one of the world's premier toy companies and Gameloft, the global leader in video game development," which means we can expect more Mattel properties to be released on pretty much every platform. Uno is a big deal on the Xbox 360, becoming so successful that other companies release theme packs for the XBLA game. Will DSi players care as well?
Nintendo to let users upload DSi animations
When Nintendo launches the Japanese DSiWare store on December 24, Ugoku Memo Chou (Moving Memo Pad) will be available for the price of free. We've already posted a trailer of the software in action, but now we have more examples of what can be done with the program, courtesy of Nintendo and web company Hatena.The two have combined to create Ugoku Memo Hatena, a site where budding DSi animators can upload their creations to be watched by others the world over. Users will also be able to view uploaded content within Moving Memo Pad itself, and edit and repost videos. Nintendo says it is discussing the possibility of bringing a version of the site to other regions.We've posted half a dozen of the (Nintendo-made) videos that are currently on the site past the break (they autoplay, so we advise not viewing these anywhere you'll be disturbing the peace). They're only a few seconds long each, but we find some of these to be quite charming and quirky, even if they're not hugely sophisticated.%Gallery-39579%
DS Fanboy's DSiWare screen round-up
Thirteen DSiWare titles will be released to Japan's DSi Shop on December 24, so we thought we'd construct a one-stop post where you can gawk at games most of us can't have. Past the jump, you'll find screens for all launch titles, as well as the price and size of each. How would you spend the free 1,000 DSi Points you get with the system? Because we love the series, we'll kick proceedings off with a look at A Little Dr. Mario (500 DSi Ware Points, 29 blocks required): %Gallery-39567%
DSi Shop opens Christmas Eve, new trailers available right now
Nintendo has released a new video advertising the downloadable offerings on the Japanese DSi Shop, which will become available starting December 24. This new trailer gives us a better look at a few of the games we knew about, and introduces a few we didn't. Thrillingly, we now have names for two of the Art Style games: Aquario and the very cool-looking Decode. There's a brief look at the Brain Age DSiWare games; Utsusu! Made in Wario, the 500-point WarioWare game that uses the DSi camera; and the separate WarioWare minigames like Paper Plane and Bird and Bean. Awesome new stuff includes Chotto Dr. Mario (A Little Dr. Mario), a 500 Point downloadable Dr. Mario game; single magic tricks from Magic Taisen/Master of Illusion; and Chotto Asobi Taisen Odegaru Trumps, which contains a small variety of card games from Clubhouse Games. Combined with the known offerings, this is the whole launch lineup, and it's all Nintendo! After the break, you can see a longer trailer for the downloadable Brain Ages, and a really, really cool look at Ugoku Memo-chou, the flipbook/notepad software. %Gallery-36348%
Gameloft planning DSiWare and hybrid DS/DSi games
When WiiWare launched in May, mobile publisher Gameloft was one of the first companies to support the service with the quiz game TV Show King. They've since followed with a few other games. According to a GameDaily interview with Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president of publishing, Gameloft is planning to do the same thing with the upcoming DSiWare service for the Nintendo DSi. In discussing these plans, he shed a little light on the DSi-specific software situation, about which we have previously heard nothing.One of Gameloft's angles of attack: retail DS cartridges that work in both the DS and the DSi, "with the DSi version taking advantage of additional options like the cameras and advanced sound capabilities." We weren't sure that was possible, or allowed by Nintendo.The retail carts are secondary for the company, however, as de Vallois says that Gameloft plans to be "much more aggressive with the DSi Store than at retail." Aggressive about releasing Tokyo City Nights and Midnight Pool?%Gallery-36348%
New Art Style, WarioWare on DSiWare shop starting December, plus first look at Made in Ore
Nintendo buried some awesome news in the slides for their financial briefing today. With just one day until the Japanese launch of the DSi, we finally get a brief look at some upcoming downloadable DSiWare software. Nintendo plans to release six Art Style puzzle games on the service, for 500 points each. Of the four games shown in screens, all are brand new. One features a flat surface being folded into cubes, one looks like sort of a flat Rubik's Cube, one features a little guy walking around and specifying where to drop cubes, and one features three columns of colored blocks that the player shifts around.A brand new WarioWare will be available from the shop at launch for 500 Points. Utsusu! Made in Wario (Take a Picture! Made in Wario, basically) uses the camera to involve your pictures (and your live motions!) in microgames.In addition to Utsutsu!, minigames from previous WarioWare titles, like Paper Plane, will be available as separate downloads from the DSi Shop for 200 Points each. Also on the way: a Japanese train line map and guide software.It's not a DSiWare game, but Iwata also showed off a bit of Made in Ore, (at about 44 minutes), which is a full-on WarioWare microgame creation utility! You can draw sprites, create music, and even design the logic of the in-game elements, saving your microgames to virtual Famicom cartridges. There will even be a WiiWare game, Asobu! Made in Ore (Play! Made in Me), that allows you to upload your games to the Wii and play them with friends! Allow us to be absolutely clear: this is the greatest event in human history.To see the DSiWare stuff, scroll to the "DSiWare" slide (using the second button) and start the video (third button) to look at the footage for yourself, or head to Vooks for a series of screen captures![Via NeoGAF]
