nintendoware-weekly
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NintendoWare Weekly: Monster World IV
While we wait for Sega's "Monster World Collection" to debut the previously Japan-only (and acclaimed!) Monster World IV on PSN and XBLA, Sega went ahead and deposited the game on Wii Virtual Console today, causing even more surprise than other, increasingly rare, VC releases.If you have the Wii Points kicking around, you can build a pseudo-complete Wonder Boy collection now – bolstered by Sega's simultaneous release of the arcade version of Wonder Boy in Monster Land. At least one version of each game in the series is available.In non-interactive news, Dinosaur Office returns to Nintendo Video tomorrow.
NintendoWare Weekly: Amoebattle, Super Hang-On
Two new Virtual Console games in as many weeks? What is going on? On top of the VC release of Super Hang-On, Amoebattle makes its way to DSiWare and Bird Mania 3D takes flight on the 3DS eShop.We rather liked the iPhone version of Amoebattle. Its real-time strategy controls should translate to the DS and 3DS just fine.
NintendoWare Weekly: An actual Virtual Console game
After two weeks of absolutely nothing in new Wii downloads, Nintendo dropped a new Virtual Console game on us. And not just any new Virtual Console game, Super Street Fighter II ... with online play. Even after being released in Japan last November, and being announced locally by Capcom the same month, it's still surprising to see extra functionality. It's still surprising to see a Wii Virtual Console game.
NintendoWare Weekly: 3D Classics: Kid Icarus
For the second week in a row, there's nothing new to download on Wii. No WiiWare, no Virtual Console, not even a demo. Troubling!Meanwhile, on 3DS, the highlighted game is something that's actually been available at GameStop for almost a month, and elsewhere as a pre-order bonus: 3D Classics Kid Icarus. If you didn't think the 3DS game was bizarre enough, you should check out this nicely updated version of the NES original to see how weird Nintendo can get.Nintendo would also like you to know that a new season of Dinosaur Office will premiere on Nintendo Video tomorrow.
NintendoWare Weekly: Ketzal's Corridors, Anne's Doll Studio: Tokyo Collection
This week's content dump from Nintendo features a pair of titles for handheld fans. Ketzal's Corridors is the big release, similar to WiiWare's ThruSpace. It's a sort of on-rails Tetris experience – if you've ever seen Brain Wall, then it's kinda like that. It's joined by Anne's Doll Studio: Tokyo Collection, a game about dressing up dolls.On the video side, there's a new 3D video for Death Cab for Cutie's "Underneath the Sycamore."
NintendoWare Weekly: Colors! 3D
Colors! 3D is the heartwarming story of how an unofficial, homebrew DS app "graduated" into a for-real downloadable 3DS eShop game. It's also an app that allows you to draw and paint on your 3DS, and share your drawings online with the Colors! 3D gallery.Other new content on 3DS this week includes a video interview with Warren Spector about the two new Epic Mickey games, and "The Rifle's Spiral" by The Shins (available tomorrow).
NintendoWare Weekly: Mutant Mudds demo
The most noteworthy digital release this week on Nintendo systems is a demo of a game that came out in February. Yes, that means it's a really slow week, but to be fair Mutant Mudds is very worth trying.DSiWare's sole release is '90s Pool, which, as far as we can tell, is "'90s" only because the words "'90s Pool" are on the top screen at all times. Where's Luke Perry? Where's the Ace of Base cover music?
NintendoWare Weekly: Zombie Slayer Diox
Another original release comes to 3DS eShop this week, in the form of UFO Interactive's (other) rock vs. zombie game, Zombie Slayer Diox.If actual games don't interest you today, free entertainment abounds, with music videos on Nintendo Video and a Swapnote "inspired by" Uggie the dog going out to everyone using that delightful free program. Why, yes, we are checking our Swapnotes while writing this.
NintendoWare Weekly: Game Gear, Samurai Shodown IV
It's the Virtual Consoliest day of 2012! Between the Wii and 3DS, there are four new Virtual Console games you can buy today. On 3DS, of course, that means Game Gear support has arrived. On Wii, it means Samurai Shodown IV, originally for Neo Geo.There's also some free entertainment to be found on the 3DS Nintendo Video service, where a 3D Kid Icarus anime is probably being delivered to you over SpotPass right this second.
NintendoWare Weekly: Crush3D demo, Metroid
Nintendo's actually doing a pretty good job with these 3DS demos! Today on the eShop, you'll be able to get a sample of the upcoming puzzle adventure Crush3D. You know, in case our preview wasn't quite vividly descriptive enough to paint an accurate picture in your brain.If you missed the Ambassador Program, you can now buy the NES classic Metroid on 3DS as well.
NintendoWare Weekly: Nintendogs + Cats demo, 2 Fast 4 Gnomz
If we were to design a Nintendogs + Cats demo, it would go something like this: you walk into a virtual pet store to meet a new puppy, wearing an adorable bow. The proprietor lets the pup out of its cage to play with you, and the dog can't hide its excitement to run and play with all the toys in the room. It barks happily and licks the screen to simulate licking your face.Its barks sound just enough like your name, but just different enough, that you question what you heard.Then, after you choose to exit the demo, the virtual puppy goes back into its cage, whimpering. The last thing you see before you close the 3DS lid is your puppy's paw up against the screen. Occasionally you'll receive a note via SpotPass telling you that the little scamp still looks out the window whenever a car the same model as yours drives by.We didn't design the real demo.
NintendoWare Weekly: Metal Gear Solid 3D demo, Strider
The Metal Gear Solid 3D demo arrives today, accompanied by relatively big news on the Virtual Console! The first NES Ambassador game for 3DS is now available for purchase by non-Ambassadors! Super Mario Bros. is on the eShop now for five bucks. And if you already have it through the Ambassador Program, you can get a free update to add multiplayer and save states!There's also news for the Wii's Virtual Console: the Genesis version of Strider can be purchased today. We hadn't heard about a Genesis VC game in a while, so we looked into it. As far as we can tell, this is the first Genesis game on Wii in North America since Sonic & Knuckles, on February 15, 2010. It's been two years and a day since the last Genesis VC release.In fact, this appears to be the first Wii Virtual Console release of any kind since The Ignition Factor six months ago. Enjoy it! This doesn't happen very often.
NintendoWare Weekly: BurgerTime World Tour, Maru's Mission
The XBLA/PSN reimagining of BurgerTime needed a little more time on the grill before hitting WiiWare, but now MonkeyPaw Games is ready to serve BurgerTime World Tour to a hungry audience on a plastic tray all right these food metaphors are falling apart. We'll have to warn you about this week's 3DS eShop game, lest you get unreasonably excited. Maru's Mission is not about Maru the cat. It is a cute-looking ninja action game, though. But not about Maru. Sorry!%Gallery-146918%
NintendoWare Weekly: Mutant Mudds, Mario & Sonic, Flush the Goldfish
As promised, another 3DS demo is available on the eShop, this time for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It may not have zombies, but then, it may have Waluigi. Renegade Kid's Mutant Mudds, its first self-published project, is also up on the eShop this week, offering challenging platforming and shooting and some dramatic 3D effects.DSiWare features a sequel to the indie game Flipper; though if you played it, you still won't recognize Flipper 2: Flush the Goldfish. The original was an isometric puzzle game about reshaping environments ... and the sequel is a side-scrolling action game that uses one contextual button!%Gallery-145712%
NintendoWare Weekly: Resident Evil Revelations demo, Stonekeep
3DS demos have finally arrived in North America! Or, at least, they will in a couple of hours when the eShop updates. You'll have the opportunity to check out Capcom's classic-style Resident Evil Revelations at no risk -- other than the usual risk of terror-soaked pants, we suppose. In WiiWare news, remember when Interplay was going to revive Stonekeep for WiiWare? Well, that's happened. You can see the results above.
NintendoWare Weekly: Zen Pinball 3D, 101 Pinball World
Well, this is awkward. Zen Pinball 3D launches on the 3DS eShop today ... and so does the DSiWare game 101 Pinball World. If you really love handheld virtual pinball, this is like the best day ever! Elsewhere, The Learning Company and Gamelion bring the third installment of the surprisingly episodic WiiWare Carmen Sandiego series. And if you care to check Nintendo Video on your 3DS this Saturday, you can get a 3D Kirby cartoon.
NintendoWare Weekly: VVVVVV, Bionic Commando
Two games hit the eShop today, and they both seem worthwhile! Terry Cavanagh's devious puzzle platformer, VVVVVV, is now playable on the go, courtesy of Nicalis. Bionic Commando is also made portable, courtesy of ... the Game Boy version Capcom made years ago. On DSiWare you can get Cake Ninja, though you'd probably hate yourself for buying such an outright Fruit Ninja clone. Get it only if you're lacking a conscience, much like its developers.
NintendoWare Weekly: Mighty Switch Force, Tetris [update: Swapnote]
Sure, you can download Tetris just about anywhere these days, but you couldn't download Game Boy Tetris. Today, the Game Boy's killer app arrives on the 3DS eShop, nostalgic music and all. It's accompanied by a much less familiar game: WayForward's brand new Mighty Switch Force. So, it's kind of an excellent day for the eShop! Meanwhile, amateur chiptuners can try out a new music program on DSiWare designed for arranging retro-style music.%Gallery-142339% Update: Despite not mentioning it this morning, Nintendo also released the drawing/messaging app Swapnote for 3DS. That's free on the eShop right now!
NintendoWare Weekly: Blaster Master: Enemy Below, Carmen Sandiego
A relatively obscure sequel to a very popular NES game appears on the 3DS eShop this week: Sunsoft's Blaster Master: Enemy Below for Game Boy Color. It's time to return to the world of upside-down space trucks and floating cyborg head things. WiiWare offers a new Carmen Sandiego game (what?) about math (what?) and DSiWare shows it is possible to offer a retail DS game as a download -- though that functionality has so far been almost the exclusive domain of tiny publishers. For example, today we have Elite Forces: Unit 77 from Gammick Entertainment, and a game in the spirit of a retail DS release: a new sequel to 2007's WordJong.%Gallery-141882%
NintendoWare Weekly: Pushmo
Nintendo brings another original, downloadable 3DS game to the eShop, inspiring ... not quite cautious optimism, but a cautious lessening of pessimism. Intelligent Systems' Pushmo is a puzzler about pulling stacked 3D blocks into and out of the screen to make climbing paths. It makes sense for a puzzle game on 3DS! On WiiWare, we finally have the opportunity to try out RedLynx's MotoHeroz without paying $15 for the privilege.%Gallery-141347%
