Here are some Nintendo downloads for you to enjoy if you get off on that sort of thing. Bejeweled 2 is arguably the biggest title, heading to WiiWare for 1,000 Wii Points. Arcade Sports also appears for 800 Wii Points and some other crap. On the DSiWare we have some game about a river spirit, and on the Virtual Console, there's Shadow of the Ninja. 

That's all fun for you, isn't it? Why not download them, or choose instead to look at a fancy painting of a man? Why not indeed?

No More Teachers, No More Books – Give These Great New Games a Look

School may be out, but there’s no shortage of interesting subjects for you to learn about: Fascinating spirits, dazzling gems and stealthy ninjas are all ready to be discovered in this week’s lineup of new game downloads for Nintendo® systems. Guide a mythical spirit through a series of puzzling trials as he attempts to make his way to the human world in A Kappa’s Trail for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service. Experience a famous puzzle game on America’s top-selling home console with Bejeweled® 2 for the WiiWare™ service. A total of nine new games are now available for download, but that’s not the only big news this week. The annual E3 Expo kicks off in Los Angeles on June 15, and Nintendo is inviting fans with broadband Internet access to watch a live video stream of its E3 Expo presentation. Go to e3.nintendo.com at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, June 15, and watch all of Nintendo’s announcements as they happen.

You’re also invited to check out the latest addition to the “Big Name Games” section of the WarioWare™: D.I.Y. series, which features downloadable microgames from some of the industry’s most talented figures. This week, the team at EnjoyUp Games takes the spotlight with a new Chronos Twins microgame. New “Big Name Games” will be added every Monday through July 26, all available to download for zero Nintendo DSi Points™ to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of either WarioWare: D.I.Y. for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. Visit the Nintendo Channel on your Wii™ system today to learn more about these games.

Nintendo DSiWare

A Kappa’s Trail

Publisher: Nintendo

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief

Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Step into the world of a kappa, a mythical river spirit famous in Japanese folklore, as he tries to make his way to the human world. In addition to the challenging main game, you’ll find three different minigames to further improve your kappa-related skills. You’ll start your journey in Kappa Cove, a good place to go exploring, practice getting around and munch on a few fish. The intuitive controls are all handled with the stylus (draw a trail and the kappa will follow it), but the helpful Chumfish is more than willing to teach you the basics. Once you begin your path down the Kappa Trail, you’ll encounter coins to collect, boulders to shatter and various mini-kappas that can help you in specific ways. Just be sure to avoid the Devil Hand. If you need a break, you can collect paintings or cassettes from the Chumfish Shack, count plates at a sushi restaurant or test your mettle in the treacherous Trial of Tiles. With its cute graphics and charming story, your time with the kappa will certainly be memorable. Who knows what you’ll find as you make your way through A Kappa’s Trail?

Telegraph Crosswords

Publisher: Sanuk Games

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Drug Reference, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes

Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Play crossword puzzles from the Telegraph like you’ve never played them before. Discover 500 puzzles of multiple types. You’re in for many hours of game play. With its handy interface and intuitive controls, this game transfigures the classic pen-and-paper experience. Notable features include:

A huge selection of quick puzzles, cryptic puzzles and general-knowledge puzzles.

Registration of best times in the Hall of Fame.

Interactive hints to prevent you from getting stuck.

Auto-save function so you can stop and resume a puzzle at any time.

Flips: Silent But Deadly

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Players: 1

Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: When Mr. Watts, the science teacher, turns up for class and tries to open his briefcase with his teeth, James, Alexander and Lenny realize he’s not quite himself. The friends investigate and uncover a plot so dangerous that the life of every pupil and teacher is at risk. How will they foil the plot and restore Mr. Watts to normal? The new Flips range brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service. Readers can collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through various stories and challenges.

Music on: Electronic Keyboard

Publisher: Abylight

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Get creative and spend relaxing moments transforming your Nintendo DSi™ system into a complete electronic keyboard with a great variety of instruments and rhythms. This is the perfect way to have fun and impress your friends with your musical creations. Whether you’re already an expert or just taking your first steps, Electronic Keyboard will help you capture your inspiration wherever you are. Features include:

Automatic accompaniment function with chord recognition

Up to eight user-definable chords

Five different styles, each with four variations

Independent drum, bass and chorus parts

Six-octave keyboard (two visible)

Pitch-bend function

16 instruments

Integrated sequencer

Metronome

Recording and replay option

16 Shot! SHOOTING WATCH

Publisher: Hudson Entertainment

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Back in the 8-bit glory days, Hudson’s own “Master Higgins” (a.k.a. Takahashi Meijin) made a splash in the gaming world with his astonishing trigger-finger speed of 16 shots per second. Can you break the Master’s record? A graph analysis feature breaks down your stats and indicates your weak spots. Use it effectively to improve your trigger-finger performance. If you get a high score, you can leave a customized signature using the touch screen. Get your family and friends to compete for some serious rapid-fire fun.

WiiWare

Bejeweled 2

Publisher: PopCap Games, Inc.

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 1,000 Wii Points™

Description: Get set to play the world’s No. 1 puzzle game, now available for the Wii console. Match sparkling gems three at a time to make them burst in showers of color and points. Match four or more to create flashy power gems that boost your score and your mood with brilliant cascades and combos. Soar to gem-matching heights in Classic mode, or speed through matches against the clock in Action mode. For even more dazzling fun, bump up your brain waves with multi-faceted Puzzles, or enter the Zen state of Endless play. Every match is high-carat fun!

Arcade Sports™

Publisher: Icon Games Entertainment

Players: 1-2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 800 Wii Points

Description: Arcade Sports consists of a selection of four full-featured arcade sports games including Air Hockey, Bowling, Pool and Snooker. The following modes are available:

PRACTICE: This mode allows you to play a practice game and brush up on your skills.

VERSUS MATCH: Play a one-on-one “friendly” match versus any of the game opponents in any game type.

SEASON MODE: Season Mode is a series of linked tournaments with 10 tournaments of mixed game types. The objective is to make it to the top of the rankings. Play through each event in turn. After each one, you’ll be awarded a world ranking position and achievement rewards.

MULTIPLAYER: Arcade Sports allows up to two players to compete head-to-head in a versus match on one Wii console.

Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville

Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes

Price: 500 Wii Points

Description: Welcome to the town of Sunnyville! Search local yard sales on your mission to find hidden treasures and objects. Use your fantastic finds to decorate your dream home in a competition to win the illustrious “Superstar Homes Magazine Contest!” Beat the clock or play at your own pace, searching for hundreds of items hidden in fun locales. Enjoy nonstop challenges in this expansive seek-and-find game.

Virtual Console™

Shadow of the Ninja™

Original platform: NES™

Publisher: Natsume Inc.

Players: 1-2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Fantasy Violence

Price: 500 Wii Points

Description: Get ready for furious side-scrolling, platforming ninja action. The mad emperor, Garuda, has the city trapped in his diabolical claws. Only two brave ninja warriors dare to stand against him. They move as silently as shadows in the snow, swift and graceful as the wind, and strike with the explosive fury of razor-clawed tigers. Playing solo or cooperatively with a friend, you’ll slice, bomb and shuriken your way through Garuda’s army of vicious soldiers, agile ninjas and monstrous robots. Use your ninja skills to hang from moving platforms, leap over lethal pitfalls and dodge diabolical traps. Collect deadly power-ups to give yourself an edge against the overwhelming odds. It’ll take all of your platforming prowess to navigate the game’s 13 intense levels and bring some old-fashioned ninja justice to Garuda.

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.

This week, Nintendo is releasing a whole mess of downloadable titles, and there is even a Virtual Console game!  On the WiiWare side of things, you can get Bejeweled 2, Arcade SPorts, and a yard sale game with mild blood.  DSiWare gets a game with a kappa, some crosswords, another Flips story, a keyboard, and an app that lets you track how fast you can press buttons.

Nintendo DSiWare

A Kappa's Trail
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Step into the world of a kappa, a mythical river spirit famous in Japanese folklore, as he tries to make his way to the human world. In addition to the challenging main game, you'll find three different minigames to further improve your kappa-related skills. You'll start your journey in Kappa Cove, a good place to go exploring, practice getting around and munch on a few fish. The intuitive controls are all handled with the stylus (draw a trail and the kappa will follow it), but the helpful Chumfish is more than willing to teach you the basics. Once you begin your path down the Kappa Trail, you'll encounter coins to collect, boulders to shatter and various mini-kappas that can help you in specific ways. Just be sure to avoid the Devil Hand. If you need a break, you can collect paintings or cassettes from the Chumfish Shack, count plates at a sushi restaurant or test your mettle in the treacherous Trial of Tiles. With its cute graphics and charming story, your time with the kappa will certainly be memorable. Who knows what you'll find as you make your way through A Kappa's Trail?

Telegraph Crosswords
Publisher: Sanuk Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Drug Reference, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play crossword puzzles from the Telegraph like you've never played them before. Discover 500 puzzles of multiple types. You're in for many hours of game play. With its handy interface and intuitive controls, this game transfigures the classic pen-and-paper experience. Notable features include:
• A huge selection of quick puzzles, cryptic puzzles and general-knowledge puzzles.
• Registration of best times in the Hall of Fame.
• Interactive hints to prevent you from getting stuck.
• Auto-save function so you can stop and resume a puzzle at any time.

Flips: Silent But Deadly
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: When Mr. Watts, the science teacher, turns up for class and tries to open his briefcase with his teeth, James, Alexander and Lenny realize he's not quite himself. The friends investigate and uncover a plot so dangerous that the life of every pupil and teacher is at risk. How will they foil the plot and restore Mr. Watts to normal? The new Flips range brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service. Readers can collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through various stories and challenges.

Music on: Electronic Keyboard
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Get creative and spend relaxing moments transforming your Nintendo DSi™ system into a complete electronic keyboard with a great variety of instruments and rhythms. This is the perfect way to have fun and impress your friends with your musical creations. Whether you're already an expert or just taking your first steps, Electronic Keyboard will help you capture your inspiration wherever you are. Features include:
• Automatic accompaniment function with chord recognition
• Up to eight user-definable chords
• Five different styles, each with four variations
• Independent drum, bass and chorus parts
• Six-octave keyboard (two visible)
• Pitch-bend function
• 16 instruments
• Integrated sequencer
• Metronome
• Recording and replay option

16 Shot! SHOOTING WATCH
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Back in the 8-bit glory days, Hudson's own "Master Higgins" (a.k.a. Takahashi Meijin) made a splash in the gaming world with his astonishing trigger-finger speed of 16 shots per second. Can you break the Master's record? A graph analysis feature breaks down your stats and indicates your weak spots. Use it effectively to improve your trigger-finger performance. If you get a high score, you can leave a customized signature using the touch screen. Get your family and friends to compete for some serious rapid-fire fun.

WiiWare

Bejeweled 2
Publisher: PopCap Games, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Get set to play the world's No. 1 puzzle game, now available for the Wii console. Match sparkling gems three at a time to make them burst in showers of color and points. Match four or more to create flashy power gems that boost your score and your mood with brilliant cascades and combos. Soar to gem-matching heights in Classic mode, or speed through matches against the clock in Action mode. For even more dazzling fun, bump up your brain waves with multi-faceted Puzzles, or enter the Zen state of Endless play. Every match is high-carat fun!

Arcade Sports™
Publisher: Icon Games Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Arcade Sports consists of a selection of four full-featured arcade sports games including Air Hockey, Bowling, Pool and Snooker. The following modes are available:
• PRACTICE: This mode allows you to play a practice game and brush up on your skills.
• VERSUS MATCH: Play a one-on-one "friendly" match versus any of the game opponents in any game type.
• SEASON MODE: Season Mode is a series of linked tournaments with 10 tournaments of mixed game types. The objective is to make it to the top of the rankings. Play through each event in turn. After each one, you'll be awarded a world ranking position and achievement rewards.
• MULTIPLAYER: Arcade Sports allows up to two players to compete head-to-head in a versus match on one Wii console.

Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to the town of Sunnyville! Search local yard sales on your mission to find hidden treasures and objects. Use your fantastic finds to decorate your dream home in a competition to win the illustrious "Superstar Homes Magazine Contest!" Beat the clock or play at your own pace, searching for hundreds of items hidden in fun locales. Enjoy nonstop challenges in this expansive seek-and-find game.

Virtual Console™

Shadow of the Ninja™
Original platform: NES™
Publisher: Natsume Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Get ready for furious side-scrolling, platforming ninja action. The mad emperor, Garuda, has the city trapped in his diabolical claws. Only two brave ninja warriors dare to stand against him. They move as silently as shadows in the snow, swift and graceful as the wind, and strike with the explosive fury of razor-clawed tigers. Playing solo or cooperatively with a friend, you'll slice, bomb and shuriken your way through Garuda's army of vicious soldiers, agile ninjas and monstrous robots. Use your ninja skills to hang from moving platforms, leap over lethal pitfalls and dodge diabolical traps. Collect deadly power-ups to give yourself an edge against the overwhelming odds. It'll take all of your platforming prowess to navigate the game's 13 intense levels and bring some old-fashioned ninja justice to Garuda.

This looks like a really good week for new downloadable titles from Nintendo!  On WiiWare we are getting BIT.TRIP RUNNER and Blood Beach (It looks like Beach Head).  The Virtual Console gets Kirby Super Star.  And DSiWare gets Looksley's Line Up, Frogger, Turvy Drops, and More Bloody Horowitz. 

Nintendo DSiWare

Looksley's Line Up
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Looksley the rabbit needs your assistance to finish the story he's writing. Guide him through a world based on famous fairy tales and folk stories from around the globe, helping him to gather inspiration by finding hidden items along the way. In this unique take on hidden-picture games, you'll move the Nintendo DSi system to change your view of various 3-D dioramas. Peer deeply into the scene as you shift the system, watching as layers within the diorama move to reveal previously unseen letters and objects. As you collect these letters and objects, you'll meet new characters and spell words that will open additional stages with more sets of hidden items to find. Particular stages contain secret pictures, testing your observation skills even further. Scour each scene's incredible depth and detail as you lend Looksley a hand in completing his masterpiece. Players of all ages will love this visual puzzle challenge and be amazed to see that even the same spot can look different from another angle.

Frogger Returns
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Frogger is coming to a Nintendo DSi system near you! Frogger Returns takes the heart-pounding challenge of arcade Frogger and moves it into the next dimension. Classic top-down 2-D game play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups to dodge and use. Four stages take the original journey of Frogger from highway to home through a new adventure. Use multiple modes to attack your top scores, race against the clock or just get Frogger to his home pad.

A Topsy Turvy Life: Turvy Drops™
Publisher: TECMO KOEI GAMES
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn the Nintendo DSi system upside down and draw blocks on the touch screen to fill spaces in this topsy-turvy take on puzzle games. Play "Endless Mode" to see just how many points you can get as the blocks on the bottom screen fill faster and faster. The more blocks you clear at once, the higher your score. Play "Puzzle Mode" to test your brain against 30 mind-bending puzzles. Clear all the blocks within the specified time and turn limits. Can you solve the puzzles before time is up?

Flips: More Bloody Horowitz
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Anthony Horowitz, the best-selling creator of Alex Rider, gives horror a whole new look in this mischievous collection of macabre tales, exclusive to the Flips series. Including three new stories – each with its own unique feature, such as illustrations and sound effects – Flips: More Bloody Horowitz finds Horowitz at his most wicked. The Flips series brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service, allowing readers to collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through the various stories and challenges.

WiiWare

BIT.TRIP RUNNER
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Discover the fastest, most exhilarating action-platformer to hit the WiiWare service. Race across the moon, kicking down crystal walls and sliding under chomping moon-slugs. Bound through the Robotic Mines and face off against the MinerMech. Dash through the Big City on a quest to find friends and defeat the final boss together. RUNNER is the fourth entry in the award-winning and critically acclaimed BIT.TRIP series. You control CommanderVideo as he runs, jumps, slides and kicks. With exciting modern and retro challenges, you can move through more than 50 levels of addictive game play. Chiptune supergroup Anamanaguchi makes a guest appearance. Join CommanderVideo on his most epic journey yet!

Blood Beach
Publisher: Coresoft Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: You are hopelessly outnumbered and have no choice but to fight and win. Just you, your guns and the thin stretch of Blood Beach stand between you and the entire Japanese Imperial Navy. You have an impressive arsenal of weapons, including the M2 BMG, 40mm M1 and, of course, your Thompson SMG. But the Imperial Japanese Navy will hit you with everything they can muster – "Zeros," "Bettys" and even Takao-class battleships – in their methodical and relentless push to recapture the Solomon Islands. High scores can be saved for Easy, Normal and Hard levels of difficulty.

Virtual Console

Kirby Super Star
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: That awful King Dedede is at it again – he's stolen all the food in Dream Land. It's up to Kirby™ to get it back and ultimately save Pop Star from being overtaken. In what may be the most diverse adventure yet for the round, pink hero, Kirby journeys through six main games and two minigames, finishing with the ultimate showdown in The Arena. Each game offers its own story and style of platforming action, as well as unique environments and an assortment of enemies. Swallowing an enemy allows Kirby to copy the abilities of that enemy, granting him the power to perform special attacks and giving him a new hat to don. In a strategic twist, Kirby can now give up an acquired ability and use it to turn an enemy into a helper. The helper will follow Kirby around and automatically fight as his ally or offer a second player the chance to join in the game by controlling it. There's never a dull moment as Kirby dashes, flies and swallows enemies in his battle against King Dedede, Dyna Blade and Meta Knight.

Section: Gaming News, Originals, Features, Lists, Handhelds, iPhone & iPod Touch & iPad, Updates, Apple App Store

The Apple App Store gaming update is Gamertell’s weekly look at the previous week’s Apple App Store game releases. We cover them all - good and not so good - in their respective categories with a breakdown of the great games and the free games right where you want ‘em, at the top and in your face. The list is available every Monday, right as you are about to start that long work week.

Multitasking, a unified inbox, Game Center, iBooks for iPhone, and iAds. Was iPhone 4.0 everything you people dreamed of? To be honest, the unified inbox is good enough but that’s just me.

For gamers, though, the biggest news from the 4.0 press conference was that Apple will be implementing the Xbox Live-like multiplayer service, Game Center. How this affects current multiplayer services like OpenFeint and Plus+ remains to be determined but hopefully this won’t mean having to keep track of three different services. Guess we’ll know come June 2010.

Until that time, here are some games for your 3.2 devices which includes notable apps: Brothers In Arms 2: Global Front FREE, VH1 Classic Presents: Intellivision and ESPGALUDA II.

What’s Free

James Cameron’s Avatar LITE
“Try out the lite version of James Cameron’s Avatar™ and embark on a fantastic journey of redemption and discovery two decades prior to the film’s events. As the first experimental avatar, experience the amazing powers your new body bestows. Will you use those powers to save the Na’vi, or will you work with the humans to destroy their world?”

BrainDread Lite
“BrainDread : The brainfrying spacegame! is a fun way to train and improve your short-term memory and hand-eye coordination.”

Greatest Tank Battles
“Think you’ve got what it takes to go head to head with history’s greatest tank aces? Well, here’s your chance to try! Based on the hit television series of the same name, this game puts you in the commander’s turret – giving you the chance to test your bravery as you try to OUT THINK, OUT MANEUVER and OUT GUN your enemy. It’s time to take YOUR shot at rewriting history’s Greatest Tank Battles.”

Neander Block Lite
“return to a prehistoric past and immerse yourself in the constantly shifting world of neander block…
look out for patterns of three and when the time is right, swap the correct elements for a life-sustaining boost!”

Crash For Cash Free
“Destroy millions of dollars in high-end exotic cars with this high octane physics game! The premise is simple, it’s raining exotic cars and the more you crash the more you cash in! Unlock new cars as your cash flow rises and bask in the glory of brilliant streamer effects, pulse pounding explosions, and hollywood- style “crash time” slow-mo! As the number of car models rises so does the challenge. When a match can’t be made it’s time to use the “Tap Bomb” feature and begin strategically eliminating cars from the playing field. Delete the wrong cars or delete too many and your cash flow takes a hit. How much cash can you crash for?”

The WaterBomber
“Waterbomber is a skill game for iPhone and iPod Touch where you fly a water bomber. You mission is to extingsh the fire which devastates forests. Depending on your skill, you can get bonuses to help you in your task.”

Brothers In Arms® 2: Global Front FREE
“The highly acclaimed Brothers in Arms series returns for its most compelling battle yet amidst the fires of WWII. Try out Brothers in Arms® 2: Global Front FREE and take part in a mission in the Pacific.”

Miracle Stone Lite
“The heroine is a five-year old girl. She found a mysterious stone in the forest. As soon as she touched it, she was transported to a parallel world… where the God of Constellations challenged her to a duel for the stone! Defeat the God of Constellations to get jewels. Collect twelve jewels to get back to the real world. Miracle Stone is very different to other falling block puzzles, as it involves swapping blocks that have been stacked. It’s simple to get the “simultaneous clear” and “combo” actions standard to falling block games, so even beginners can get big thrills. Not only that, there are special actions such as Miracle Stones and Bombs that take the game to the next level of fun.”

VH1 Classic Presents: Intellivision
“Download Intellivision and prepare to be transported back to the dawn of the video game era! Astrosmash, Night Stalker, Thunder Castle – all classics of early console gaming – and now available for the first time on iPhone! VH1 Classic has brought back six of the original Intellivision games. These classic games show what the early days of gaming were all about: Great game-play, fun graphics and awesome, retro sounds. You’ll be addicted after the first play!”

Popnus2 Free
“Popnus2 is an addictive match3 puzzle game that breaks the mold with an innovative and simply twist, freedom of movement. Challenge your mind poping all the nus (pearls) or feel the adrenalin surviving frantic bomb blasts or a rain of nus (pearls). Test your skills with the challenges, only for iPhone - iPodTouch - iPad”

Pocket Legends (3D MMO)
“Pocket Legends” is a ground-breaking and unique Mobile MMORPG, or ‘massively-multiplayer online role-playing game’ where you can join thousands of players from around the world. Play with your friends and make new friends online. Cooperate to undertake wild adventures in endless dungeon campaigns! Play with anyone, anywhere, anytime!”

Earth Is Gone LITE
“In the not-too-distant future…BOOM, BAM, SHAZAM! Earth is gone, but you are not! You are forced into life as a mercenary, fighting for your life against your enemies. Dodge enemy bullets in your ship and destroy them as fast as possible. Let’s see how long you can last.”

Titan Wars
“The Gods are at war and the World is in chaos. Will you defy your fate and become a legend, or disappear into the annals of ancient history? Create your own legend in Titan Wars, a FREE Massively Multiplayer Online game for the iPhone and iPod Touch.”

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom: Rainbow Ride Lite
“The Greedy King has taken the color crystals from the Crystal Kingdom and hidden them! Dora needs your help to ride on a magic shield to collect all the crystals and bring color back to the Crystal Kingdom! Join Dora on this easy-to-play adventure in which you tilt your phone left and right to steer Dora along a twisty rainbow slide. Ride over crystals to collect them, and count along with Dora with each recovered crystal! ¡Fántastico! Then, kids can explore their creativity with a special coloring book application with in the game that lets them use the color crystals to color the Crystal Kingdom via a touch screen coloring book. It’s one colorful adventure!”

Star Jim Galaxy Hero
“The combination of gorgeous, arcade-style graphics, intelligent adversaries, a fun story and ease of playing makes Star Jim perfect for any player who wants to enjoy a fun and addictive adventure and always come back for more! Battling against the malicious Craken, a plucky hero with a jetpack is making his way through different galaxies and stellar lands jumping around and catching shiny stars. His ultimate goal? To restore light to the Universe. Jumping and bouncing at high speed from platforms to space and grabbing stars, our hero saves the world from endless darkness and it’s most fearsome enemy – the dark Craken – a sinister one-eyed creature that whizzes around it its ancient flying saucer and controls an army of mind-controlled aliens, galactic helicopters and weird-looking killing balls. In every level the player has to gather the 24 stars available in a specific order while dodging a multitude of threats. The player can collect the stars randomly but he will miss out on the big bonuses he can gain by figuring out a strategy to gather them in the perfect order.”

Table Touch Football Lite
“Table Touch Football is a unique spin off of the paper / flick football game. The goal of the game is to flick a football downfield to try and intersect the endzone (classic game) or intersect a touchdown circle (original, completions game) to make a score. Battle your friends or the cpu in 4 unique and challenging game modes. Post your scores to the online high scores table and compete against players from across the globe.”

What’s New

Action

Earth Is Gone: Price: $3.99
“In the not-too-distant future…BOOM, BAM, SHAZAM! Earth is gone, but you are not! You are forced into life as a mercenary, fighting for your life against your enemies. Dodge enemy bullets in your ship and destroy them as fast as possible. Let’s see how long you can last.”

Vertigo Rogue: Price: $4.99
“Vertigo Rogue is an original, fast-paced arcade style action game that puts you in the seat of a heavily armed helicopter taking on a range of land, sea and air based enemies. As an ex-con mercenary fighter pilot about to retire and settle down, you are whirled into a sinister plot where you are forced to enact the role of a flying mafia hitman in a city where the on-going conflict between 7 criminal organizations is about to spin out of control in a frantic, explosive climax.”

Super Robot War: Price: $0.99
“The war is begin！ Lead your robot to bring a victory on the war field in more than 200 missions, conquer the war with 12 differents robot and 5 type of upgrades.”

Silent Swords ZERO: Price: $2.99
“The prequel to the first stealth action game for the iPhone and iPod touch, Silent Swords ZERO goes back in time to reveal more about the story of the Little Black Ninja. Who is he? What is he looking for? Why are the Silent Swords so special? All the answers lie hidden under the cold white snow in this thrilling new installment of the Silent Swords saga.”

Adventure

Paranormal Agency: Price: $2.99
“Use your supernatural ESP to rid the city of malevolent spooks and spirits in this eerie Hidden Object game! Detective Heather Mills has the amazing ability to see ghosts and other mysterious entities that are not visible to other people. When spooky ghosts and weird creatures start showing up in local homes, it’s up to Heather and her agency to get to the bottom of this macabre mystery and look for reasons behind recent poltergeist attacks on innocent citizens. Help Heather hunt for hidden items in locations all over the city and find out who is behind the attacks. Featuring over 50 levels and variety of hidden object challenges, Paranormal Agency is a thrilling, and chilling, interactive examination of the unexplained. Start your search today!”

Babylonian Twins - The Quest for Peace in Ancient Iraq: Price: $2.99
“Join the twin princes of Babylon, Nasir and Blasir, in their quest for peace in ancient Iraq. A digital masterpiece of authentic Mesopotamian art like nothing you have seen before in one of iPhone’s richest and fastest puzzle platforming experience.”

Arcade

Gold Runner 99: Price: $0.99
“You are a yellow player and must collect all the gold in a level while avoiding green guards who try to catch you. After collecting all the gold, you must travel to the top of the screen to reach the next level. You can dig holes into floors near your location to temporarily trap green guards and may safely walk atop them. Over time, floors dug into will regenerate, filling in these holes. A trapped guard who cannot escape a hole before it fills is consumed, immediately respawning in a random location at the top of the level. Floors may also contain tarp doors, through which you and green guards will fall, and solid blocks, through which you cannot dig.”

ESPGALUDA II: Price: $4.99
“Now you can play the arcade hit and Xbox360 shooting sensation ESPGALUDA II right at your fingertips on iPhone and iPod touch! Dodge and weave through the waves of bullets as they fill the screen, and go for a high score!”

Sketch Nation Shooter: Price: $0.99
“Have you ever wanted to create your own iPhone or iPod Touch game? Now you can and it only takes a few minutes! Watch your drawings come to life in an instant! Now you can make a game from your drawings in just a few minutes. All you need to do is draw a player, enemies, a boss and even a level if you feel adventurous, take their picture and play.”

Tiny Arcade: Price: $0.99
“Hot Retro Action! An upright console in the palm of your hand, Tiny Arcade is the hot retro action suite of games for your touch device. Fight your friends Head to Head with the pocket version of Space Duel (Space Duel is also available for the iPad!), challenge them to Volley, or practice your fighting style solo in Survival! The slick, simple retro graphics of an 80s arcade game have been re-created to stunning effect for your touch device. Tiny Arcade lets you discover the satisfying simplicity of early arcade games - the sound, the style… the fun you can have when a triangle challenges a circle in a fight to the death! Retro-fun for all your Friends and Family!”

Geometry Runner - Ultimate Addictive!: Price: $0.99
“Geometry Runner is a 3D fast-paced experience unlike any other. The game’s visually stunning graphics and unique gameplay style will easily appeal to both experts and casual gamers. As you maneuver through the tunnel, you’ll have to dodge an ever-increasing amount of obstacles. But it’s not as simple as it sounds,so watch out!!!”

AlienCities: Price: $1.99
“AlienCities is a classic arcade city bombardment game with many new features. Blue ugly and stinky aliens have take over major cities on Earth. It is up to you to eliminate the treat by destroying their green stinky buildings they have build. This won’t be an easy task as your resources are limited an the stinky ones can repair their homes while you destroying them.”

Circus Chuck: Price: $0.99
“All 5 stages with 2 forms of control to choose from. You can enjoy classic game stage if you are a hardcore classic game fan or you can test out your skills on our endless mode to see who has the best skill around the world using Open Feint support.”

Board

Press Your Luck™: Price: $2.99
“Big Bucks, No Whammies! The classic 80s game show makes its iPhone™ debut. You are one of three contestants competing to collect “spins” by answering trivia questions, and then using your spins on the Big Board full of cash and prizes. The person who amasses the most in cash and prizes at the end of the game wins, but avoid the dreaded Whammies along the way, they will steal all of your cash and prizes.”

BackgammonCoach: Price: $1.99
“BackgammonCoach is an application for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad which allows you to play backgammon against the computer and obtain mathematical indications about the best possible moves. It is an excellent partner to play against and improve your backgammon skills at the same time.”

Card

NOTHING

Casino

GodoReel: Price: $1.99
“Enjoy the New-Style Three-Line slot game.”

Dice

NOTHING

Educational

NOTHING

Family

Pocket Elves: Price: $1.99
“LOT OF FUN! Pocket Elves is lovely done game inspired by such titles as Pocket God and Pocket Devil. Torture your elves, play with Easter Bunny or Santa, launch fireworks and have fun with explosions!”

Baby BeatBox: Price: $0.99
“Baby BeatBox is a memory building game that uses images and sounds to create a random sequence of patterns that a player must duplicate.”

Music

Classic Country Music Game Show: Price: $0.99
“Classic Country Music Game Show lets you answer trivia questions in a game show format against two other contestants featuring songs that have charted or sold in the top 100 for country music during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s with over 5000 song titles featuring country bands and artists.”

80’s Music Challenge: Price: $0.99
“So, you think you know your ‘80’s music? The ‘80’s music lyrics challenge will put you to the test! Simply touch the start button to start the quiz. You’ll be shown an incomplete lyric with four possible answers. Choose the correct word or phrase to complete the lyric and move on. Loaded with tons of challenging song lyric questions straight out of the decade that brought us the Rubix Cube, Max Headroom, Day-Glo clothes and Atari. If you love the ‘80’s, then you’ll love this app.”

Puzzle

911 Heaven: Price: $0.99
“911 Heaven is a must-have app for the Porsche 911 enthusiast. It includes photos and data spanning from 1956 to 2010. Each car has a photo with key data that includes engine size, horsepower, transmission, curb-weight, top speed and much more. We also included a few non-911 Porsches that are some all time classics. This is a wealth of information at your finger tips!”

Extreme Expose It! The Ultimate BMW E46 M3 2001~2006: Price: $1.99
“You must reveal the image hidden behind the mask. You control the icon by swiping up, down, left or right anywhere on the screen. Create and connect your exposure lines to other ends of the frame. There are BADDIES in the area so watch out! Avoid them when drawing your exposure line across the screen.

KENKEN Pro By Will Shortz: Price: $0.99
“Play the hit puzzle game anytime/anywhere with KENKEN® Pro By Will Shortz. Easy to learn and difficult to master, KENKEN Pro takes the typical number puzzle to the next level with a fun and challenging analytical element. The latest edition of the popular iPhone game features a streamlined interface, tons of new puzzles and a tutorial by puzzle master Will Shortz. In KENKEN players unravel the puzzle by entering the correct number within a 3 x 3 to 9 x 9 sized grid. Like Sudoku, each number can only be used once per row. However, KENKEN Pro ups-the-ante by incorporating basic math functions into the solution. So, while each number can only be used once per row, it must also equate to the numerical value of its respective cage. If it sounds difficult, it’s not. KENKEN is featured in the New York Times and published in more than 70 other periodicals around the world. The game is also a popular math teaching tool for educators worldwide.”

BLACKOUT!: Price: $2.99
“BLACKOUT is a match game with a mission. Time is running out and only you can save the city from blackout! In this illuminating new puzzle game, you must connect chains of subterranean crystals to clear a path of liquid energy that lights the city. Charge your crystal meter, trigger power surges and unlock special effects to score maximum points.”

Pony Surprise: Price: $0.99
“Prepare to saddle up with an adventurous, fun-loving pack of ponies as you enter the world of Pony Surprise. This puzzle adventure is sure to please whether you’re in the mood for a quick trot or a lengthy gallop around the pasture. Hone your puzzle solving skills and reflexes with action packed levels. Unlock colorful surprises to show to your friends! Pony Surprise is a great ride for gamers of all ages and levels of experience. We hope to provide you with tons of fun, so don’t hesitate to contact us with ideas, suggestions, or a bit of pony praise!”

Racing

Monster Trucks Nitro 2: Price: $2.99
“Live out your fantasy with Monster Trucks Nitro II as you drive big-engine, 4-wheel drive beasts over enormous obstacle courses. The game rolls out advanced game physics, breathtaking 3D graphics, more trucks, all new levels, and global high scores. Monster Trucks Nitro II is the adrenaline-fueled, action-packed, heart-thumping sequel to worldwide best-seller, Monster Trucks Nitro.”

Motor Stunt Xtreme: Price: $1.99
“Motor Stunt Xtreme is a motor stunt game in which the goal is to reach the finish as fast as possible.
You’ll have to perform dangerous stunts and big jumps to get across canyons, valleys and all kinds of obstacles. Tilt you iPhone or iPod Touch left and right to pull off front- and backflips but make sure you always land (safely) on your wheels! Move your device back and forth to keep your balance on the narrow surfaces you’ll need to get across. Compare your times with your friends or the rest of the world using the Agon online leaderboards. Challenge your friends in the online friends list and make sure you are fastest! Earn awards for each level you complete without falling flat on your face and publish your biggest triumphs directly on Facebook or Twitter!”

Motorcross Madness - Bike Riding: Price: $0.99
“Navigate your motorcycle on the highway avoiding cars and busses along the way. Using the accelerometer, or your finger, tipping the unit back and forth moving back and forward and side to side to avoid the on coming racing traffic.”

Role Playing

The War Of Genesis3 Episode1: Price: $4.99
“‘The War of Genesis3’ was a big hit at that time. It consists of four CDs. To as a iPhone and iPod Touch game, the game is divided up by episodes. The first episode (Ep1) is about ‘Sivan Schimitar’. User can lead great wars to victory by using various abilities and items strategically.”

Simulation

NOTHING

Sports

Hockey Nations 2010: Price: $3.99
“Hockey Nations 2010 is a full arcade simulation of the sport featuring 14 national teams from around the World. Hockey Nations is the first full scale 6 on 6 Hockey game for the iPhone & iPod Touch.”

Fists For Fighting (Fx3): Price: $2.99
“Put gloves on and use his fists to achieve your goal. In Fx3 take the role of different fighters, each fighting for different reasons and giving everything of whether to beat all their opponents.”

Strategy

NOTHING

Trivia

NOTHING

Word

WordFuz: Price: $1.99
“WordFuz has been designed to be fun and educational. In WordFuz you choose languages where you want to translate words in. The game uses words where you’d come in contact with if you would learn the language. This makes it a very easy app to practice your vocabulary before you go on a holiday for example. Being given a word in one language and having to translate that word into multiple other languages really puts your brain to the test. Take it to the next level by trying to play on a high difficulty with little time to answer.”

WordFactory: Price: $1.99
“The objective is to position the falling tiles so that they clear from the playing board, but to clear the tiles you must make words.”

iPhone / iPod Touch Links for the Week

AppleTell: [Free apps roundup for April 9th, 2010] [Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad product news - April 9, 2010] [Appletell reviews three familiar Konami games for iPhone, iPod touch] [iPhone OS 4.0 Multitasking] [iPhone OS 4.0 introduces Game Center] [iPhone OS 4.0 introduces Folders]

Full Story » | Written by Kris Rosado for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Update: Game Room PC is now functioning correctly and playable on our end.

The server issues that afflicted this morning's launch of Game Room have been resolved on Xbox 360 but not PC, meaning some but not all can access the retro game marketplace.

Available as a free download through Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live, Microsoft and Krome Studios' Game Room presents a virtual arcade filled with an ever-growing library of old classics from Atari, Intellivision, Konami and others.

Each of those classic games can purchased for use on one platform...

EA's infernal new action adventure takes on 2K's anticipated dystopian shooter follow-up, while Square Enix brings Star Ocean: The Last Hope to the PS3.

As has been the trend during the first part of 2010, the second week of February sees a handful of high-profile games march largely alone to retail shelves. This week, the games in question come from Electronic Arts and its one-time acquisition target, Take-Two.

Dante's Inferno sets out to prove the scythe is mightier than the pen.

From EA and Dead Space developer Visceral Games comes Dante's Inferno for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (A PSP edition is expected to arrive later this month.) Like the epic poem it's based on, the game follows a descent through the nine circles of hell--limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, violence, heresy, fraud, and treachery.

Rather than seeing the protagonist as a passive visitor, the game reimagines Dante as a fierce scythe-wielding warrior who must slay all manner of demonic creatures to rescue his ladylove Beatrice. A demo for Dante's Inferno is available through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Take-Two's highly acclaimed BioShock franchise returns on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC this week, though Irrational Games has handed off development to a new studio--or should that be, studios. 2K Marin has taken the reins on the single-player campaign of BioShock 2 and Digital Extremes is crafting the multiplayer component. Support is also being provided by 2K Australia, 2K China, and Arkane Studios.

The single-player campaign is set 10 years after the events of BioShock, with players putting on the diving boots of one of the hulking Big Daddies. The game will feature new plasmids, areas, and opponents, including the dreaded Big Sister. The multiplayer component is set before the first game, allowing gamers a glimpse of life in Rapture as things started to go wrong in the undersea utopia.

One other notable release this week is Square Enix and Tri-Ace's Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International for the PS3. Released as a timed Xbox 360 exclusive in February 2009, the Japanese-style role-playing game is the fourth proper installment in the Star Ocean franchise. The Last Hope is set after World War III and follows humankind as it makes its way into outer space. For an idea of what to expect, check out GameSpot's review of the Xbox 360 installment.

For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun--WII--D3Publisher

FEBRUARY 9, 2010
BioShock 2--X360, PS3, PC--2K Games
Dante's Inferno--X360, PS3--Electronic Arts
The Daring Game for Girls--DS--Majesco Games
Data East Arcade Classics--WII--Majesco Games
Rock Blast--WII--UFO Interactive
Samurai Rising--IP--Trippert Labs
Scene It? Twilight--DS--Konami
Shiren the Wanderer--WII--Atlus Co.
Sniper-X--IP--Trippert Labs
Square Logic--PC--MumboJumbo
Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International--PS3--Square Enix
Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll--WII--Sega
World Cup of Pool--DS--Aksys Games

FEBRUARY 10, 2010
Bookworm Adventures--DS--PopCap
Darwinia+--X360--Valve Software
Windchaser--PC--Got Game Entertainment

FEBRUARY 11, 2010
No new releases announced.

FEBRUARY 12, 2010
World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars--X360--THQ
Zorro: Quest for Justice--DS--505 Games

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Land a Dell Mini 10 and throw an OCZ Agility SSD in it for killer performance. Celebrate your acquisition and ingenuity by stopping off at DQ for a Blizzard, unless you're currently stuck in an actual blizzard.

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If a deal looks too good to be true, investigate the store and see if it's a good, reputable place to buy. Safe shopping!

[Thanks TechDealDigger, Dealzon, Logic Buy, GamerHotline, Cheap College Gamers, CheapStingyBargains and TechBargains.]

If you're like me, you have a sh*t ton of various game compilations on your shelves. I love old games. The classics, if you will. But there's too many discs and carts, and it's a big hassle to dig them all out. This one for this system, that one for that other system, some on your portable, and so on. They're all mismatched, and you'll probably never play all of the games on them, anyway. And who's going to play them with you?

Microsoft killed several birds with one stone with Xbox Game Room. Now you'll have your own arcade that you can fill with the games you like, leaving the duds out. You'll get games that come straight from the ROM, with all the original options (or dipswitches) available to you. And instead of going at your old favorites alone, you can invite friends over to your arcade and play with them. You can also visit their arcades and try out their games. Best of all, you can have all your games in one place. Sell those old compilations.

Hit the jump for our impressions of Game Room.

It turns out that they've been working on this for awhile. We were told that they almost showed off Game Room at last year's Tokyo Game Show. At the last minute they decided to hold back and fill it out a bit more. Besides, they could pimp it at the 2010 CES keynote. They did, as you've probably heard.

It's nearly ready for launch now. We got our hands on the near-final version, trying out some of the classics and checking out what the arcade looks like.

Little green flag-like markers hover over your cabinets in your arcade if you have the high score on a game. If you're anything like me, you'll want to keep them green. Your friends can do their best to knock you down the list, changing the flag color and giving you something to obsess over. Of course, they'll have to own the game to take your score down. Friends can visit your arcade at any time they wish, even if you're not online, invited or not. They'll be able to try out your games once for free, but will have to pay for them if they'd like to play any more. There's a trial $0.50 option to play once more, but with these games costing $3, you'd probably be better off buying them.

Your arcade can be customized fully with art and decorations. We're not clear on how this works yet, but we saw some neat themed areas. One looked like Pitfall. Another looked like a Western movie, complete with cactus decorations. We're told that even your arcade cabinets can be customized, though no details were available yet on how.

It appears that each game company has its own sort of separate room in your arcade. For example, your Konami purchases will be in a Konami room, Atari in an Atari room. It seems that there will be multiple floors to give space for all the partners Microsoft is working with for Game Room. There are 30 games lined up now, but they say they have 1,000 planned, and are in talks with several more unannounced makers of classic games. Namco Bandai is not confirmed as a partner yet, but Microsoft said that they're in talks with "just about everyone." You can't have a classic arcade without Dig Dug, folks.

Games are displayed in windows so that you can see your arcade in the background. If you're playing a two-player game, you'll see the avatars of the two playing off to the side. This kind of helps convey the feeling of being in an arcade.

Microsoft says that seven new games will be coming every week. That sounds promising and potentially expensive. I asked if there would be enough room for that one guy who's going to buy all of the titles. "There would have to be," I was told. We'll see.

I'll see you in my arcade this Spring.

Section: Gaming News, Consoles, Wii, Handhelds, DS, Updates, Nintendo Downloads, Web-Sites, Official-Sites

Greek Mythology, Pokemon, WarioWare and funky new colors for controllers - it’s Nintendo press release time, kids! The big N has unveiled its master list for early 2010 games and accessories across the Wii, DSi and DS, and its a real doozy. Thankfully, the highlights are fairly obvious - Glory of Heracles is a hotly anticipated mythology-based RPG set to arrive on January 18th, WarioWare: DIY will allow gamers to actually make their own crazy minigames on March 28th, and, oh yeah, there are a couple of those Pokemon games coming out on March 14th ( HeartGold and SoulSilver, to be precise). And, lest you feel too limited by Wii’s controller options, we’re getting new colors for our Wii-motes very soon:

“To bring a little color to the winter months, Nintendo will release two new colors for its Wii Remote controller. Starting Feb. 14, the controller will come in Pink or Blue and will be bundled with a Wii MotionPlus accessory. Along with the current White and Black versions of the controller, now every player in four-player matches can have his or her own color.”

Valentines Day? Pink and blue? A little obvious, eh, Nintendo?

The full list of new products, via press release:

Wii
     
Publisher | Game | Available
2K Sports   Major League Baseball 2K10   March
Activision   How To Train Your Dragon   March 23
The American Game Factory, Inc.  Build-A-Bear Workshop Friendship Valley   March 17
Atlus U.S.A., Inc.  Shiren the Wanderer   Feb. 9
Capcom   TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS   Jan. 26
City Interactive USA   Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII   Feb. 16
Chicken Riot   Feb. 9
Collision Studios   City Builder   February
D3Publisher   Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun   February
Deep Silver, Inc.  Let’s Play Ballerina   March
Let’s Play Garden   March
Disney Interactive Studios   Alice in Wonderland   March
Hudson Entertainment   Rooms: The Main Building   Spring
Calling   Spring
Konami   Walk it Out   Jan. 10
Yu Gi Oh! Duel Trancer   Q1
DanceDanceRevolution   Q1
Majesco Entertainment   Data East Arcade Classics   January
The Daring Game of Girls   February
Pizza Delivery Boy   March
Nintendo   Endless Ocean: Blue World   Feb. 22
SEGA of America   Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll   Feb. 9
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing   March
SouthPeak Games   Sled Shred featuring the Jamaican Bobsled Team   Feb. 1
Fast Food Panic   Jan. 5
Storm City Entertainment   Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral   February
UFO Interactive Games, Inc.  Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo   Q1
Rock Blast   Q1
Jaja’s Adventure   Q1
Ubisoft   No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle   late January
Sleepover Party   Jan. 12
Racquet Sports   March
Red Steel 2   Q1
XSEED Games   The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces   Jan. 5
FRAGILE DREAMS: FAREWELL RUINS OF THE MOON   March 16
   
WiiWare
     
Publisher | Game | Available
Akaoni Studio S.L.  Zombie Panic in Wonderland   Q1
Broken Rules   And Yet It Moves   Q1
Capcom   Phoenix Wright:Ace Attorney   January
Mega Man 10   March
Ghostfire Games   Rage of the Gladiator   Q1
Hudson Entertainment   Military Madness: Nectaris   Q1
Nabi Studios   Toribash   Q1
Nintendo   WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase   Q1
Press Play ApS   Max & the Magic Marker   Q1
Team Meat   Super Meat Boy   Q1
   
Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi
Publisher | Game | Available
2K Sports   Major League Baseball 2K10   March
Activision   Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief   Feb. 2
How To Train Your Dragon   March 23
Aksys Games   World Cup of Pool   Feb. 9
The American Game Factory, Inc.  Build-A-Bear Workshop Welcome to Hugsville   March 17
Atlus U.S.A., Inc.  Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey   March 10
Capcom Entertainment, Inc.  Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth   Feb. 16
City Interactive USA   Animal Country: Life on the Farm   Feb. 16
Art of Murder   March 16
Deep Silver, Inc.  Let’s Play Flight Attendant   March
Let’s Play Ballerina   March
Let’s Play Garden   March
Disney Interactive Studios   Sonny With a Chance   Spring
Alice in Wonderland   March
GameMill Publishing   Escape the Museum   Jan. 12
Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace   Feb. 9
Hudson Entertainment   Rooms: The Main Building   Spring
DECA SPORTS   Spring
Konami   Scene It! Twilight   Q1
Puzzle Chronicles   Jan. 10
Majesco Entertainment   Super Speed Machines   February
The Daring Game for Girls   February
Dawn of Heroes   February
ATV Revolution   March
Nintendo   Glory of Heracles   Jan. 18
Pokmon HeartGold Version and Pokmon SoulSilver Version   March 14
WarioWare: D.I.Y.  March 28
America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking   March 28
Natsume Inc.  Squishy Tank   February
Cheer We Go!  March
PopCap Games   Bejeweled Twist   Q1
SEGA of America   Sands of Destruction   Jan. 12
Infinite Space   March
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing   March
Sonic Classic Collection   Spring
SouthPeak Games   Crime Scene   Feb. 1
Dementium II   Feb. 2
Fast Food Panic Jan. 5
Sushi Go Round Feb. 1
Montessori Music   March 1
Storm City Entertainment   Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral   February
Myst   February
ATV Quad Kings   March
T.A.C Heroes: The Big Red One   March
TECMO   Monster Rancher DS   March
AGAIN   March
Telegames, Inc.  Puzzle Overload   Spring
Solitaire Overload Plus   Spring
THQ   Daniel X: The Ultimate Power   Jan. 12
Tomy Corporation   Lovely Lisa and Friends (enhanced Nintendo DSi content)  February
Ubisoft   Imagine Reporter   Jan. 20
Imagine Party Planner   Jan. 13
Imagine Sweet 16   Feb. 10
Imagine Gymnast   March 10
XSEED Games   KORG DS-10 Plus   Jan. 19
Ragnarok DS   Feb. 16
   
Nintendo DSiWare
     
Publisher | Game | Available
EA   Downtown Texas Hold’em Poker   Q1
Surviving High School   Q1
Gameloft   Legends of Exidia   Q1
Let’s Golf   Q1
Real Soccer 2010   Q1
Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A.  Q1
Nintendo   Trajectile   Jan. 4
Number Battle   Jan. 25
Starship Defense   Jan. 18
Touch Solitaire   Jan. 11
X-Scape   February
Link ‘n’ Launch   February
Subatomic Studios   Fieldrunners   Q1
WayForward   Shantae: Risky’s Revenge   Q1

Site [Nintendo]

Full Story » | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

[_{Editor's Note: We're not just a (rad) news site -- we also publish opinions/editorials from our community & employees like this one, though be aware it may not jive with the opinions of Destructoid as a whole, or how our moms raised us. Want to post your own article in response? Publish it now on our community blogs.}]

The Nintendo Entertainment System -- now there is a console that is almost universally lauded by gamers.

If you were born in the '80s, chances are you owned and loved an NES. It was the first taste of digital entertainment for many as well as the re-introduction of gaming to those disillusioned by the Atari age. It's no surprise that gamers today will gloss over the console's faults, negligible as they were when considering the joy the hardware provided.

The problem with waxing nostalgic is that we've built up the NES as a pillar of perfection. It's one thing to recognize it as a terrific device with its share of flaws, but it's another to act oblivious of its shortcomings. Returning to those old games nearly two decades later, I wonder how we as children were able to put up with such flagrant insults to our patience and sensibilities.

Regardless, I can't help but love the NES. This predicament has torn me apart, literally. My mind has been fractured into dueling personalities -- one who has bought into the myths and lies of the NES and one whose frustrations over the machine's inadequacies has left him an acrimonious husk of a man.

I have a habit of arguing with myself. Frequently. 

Hey! Wanna know what was awesome?

No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway.

The NES! Only the best game system EVER!

Aww, Christ. You best take off those retro goggles before you run headlong into a brick wall.

What? You gotta admit, Nintendo was on the ball back then. They really cared about quality, much more so than today.

And here we go.



That's why the Seal of Quality was soooo amazing! Every game I owned as a kid had that Seal and every one of them was a masterpiece. If only Nintendo would bring it back, then maybe...

Horseshit.

E-e-excuse me?

You heard me! Horseshit! The Seal didn't mean squat except that Nintendo had other companies by the balls! You'd have to be completely fuckin' Looney Tunes to honestly believe that the Seal kept bad games off the system.

I really wish you would tone down the language and...

Oh, bite me, you damn Boy Scout!

Now wait, wait. Nintendo brought the Seal to prevent another flood of shovelware like the one that sunk Atari. Third parties were only allowed to publish five games a year. It was in their best interest to make sure those games weren't shoddy.

There were those unlicensed games from companies like Tengen and Wisdom Tree, but you can't fault Nintendo for policy violators. Did you ever play Bible Adventures? Nintendo had no control over that.

Oh, I'm not talkin' about Bible Adventures. I'm talkin' about assholes like LJN, a company that did everything in its power to destroy our favorite comics and movies. These were all games stamped with your precious Seal of Quality!

Those were isolated incidents and not reflective of the...

Isolated, my ass! There were enough for the Angry Video Game Nerd to make a career out of ripping them a new one! My God, man! YOU'VE personally played this shit! Is your memory so poor that you can't even remember the kind of... the kind... of...

SUPERMAN 64!

That wasn't an NES...

Superman 64 had the God damn Seal of Quality! End of discussion!

Oh, stop. Those were ISOLATED INCIDENTS. They couldn't compare to the hundreds upon hundreds of good games we were blessed with from Capcom and Konami and especially Nintendo. Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, the list goes on.

First of all, "hundreds upon hundreds"? If I recall, you owned less than thirty games. That you would believe there were "hundreds upon hundreds" of good games tells me somebody read Nintendo Power as though it were Holy Scripture.

Second, the big companies were not exempt from peddling some really nasty shit. That Metal Gear port was a joke, and the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a migraine.



Ninja Turtles wasn't that bad.

Oh, really now?

Let's not leave out the big dog itself, Nintendo. All those self-titled, throwaway sports titles... Jesus, Urban Champion! Way to uphold the standards of quality, Nintendo! Way to set an example for others to follow!

Whoa! Now that's being harsh. You are cherry-picking a small handful of games that, frankly, no one remembers. Despite those minor missteps on Nintendo's part, think of how many of their games went on to become legends, spawning long-lasting franchises and setting industry trends for years to come.

I like how little by little you are admitting that everything wasn't all peaches and cream.

You call that bad? If you measure the output against what comes out for Wii...

NO! Don't you fuckin' change the topic! Focus!

It's true, though! It's only fair to bring up the comparison. In contrast, the NES was leagues ahead in variety and scope. Whatever slate of substandard software may have existed, it wasn't enough to spoil the entire platform. Are you really trying to convince me that all these classics, many of which you loved as well, don't account for anything?

Yeah, it was fine back then. When we were young and too stupid to see how we were being screwed over.



WHAT? How was something like Zelda... I don't get you. You are just pulling excuses out of thin air, trying to find the most asinine reasons why these games suddenly aren't good anymore.

I have excellent reasons! You brought up Zelda? Wandering aimlessly, bombing every fuckin' wall, burning every fuckin' bush, accidentally tripping over the entrance to the next dungeon? That's not exploration, that's busy work!

The game allowed you to make discoveries for yourself. Rather than excessive hand-holding, it gave you the power to approach the adventure in your own unique manner.

Funny, that sounds a lot like lazy design to me.

You can't expect people to pick up on this shit. There is no logic! How am I supposed to know to bomb THIS specific wall? Where are the clues? Where? How are you supposed to magically guess the Lost Woods puzzle? It was a scam to get you to buy the strategy guide, to squeeze every last penny out of you!

It's the same story with Metroid. Oh, eeeeeeveryone instinctively knew to shoot up at the ceiling to uncover the secret passage. Thanks for not keeping me in the dark, assholes!

What you are complaining about is old-school challenge. All the tools are at your disposal, but it's up to you to use them wisely.

Games used to be truly interactive. You would have to write down passwords, plot your own maps, all outside of the game. It was a marriage of the real and virtual environments that heightened the experience. Everything today is delivered in-game, everything needs a tutorial, and nothing is allowed to be too confusing.

Consider the letter from StarTropics. In the game, you needed a password and the only way to obtain it at the time was to take a letter packaged in the game box and submerge it in water, unveiling a secret code. The act of necessitating a physical artifact in order to progress is a means of engaging the player that no one does anymore except for maybe Hideo Kojima.

Even little touches, such as the notes pages in the backs of manuals, helped to bring the game off the screen and into reality.

Do you know anyone who used those damn notes pages? At all? No, you don't. Everyone scrawled on notebook paper and stuffed it in the back of a fuckin' dresser drawer, never to be seen again.



I'm glad you mentioned passwords, though. A password is supposed to be a secret keyword which upon speaking will grant access to whatever it is being hidden. NES passwords, on the other hand, are ridiculous strings of pictograms and Germanic runes that extend for miles. What is so special about a game that I have to memorize a random sequence of the junk that appears when your printer jams up and you have to waste ink on useless test pages? I just want to go to level 3, I'm not trying to enter the codes for the Presidential Football!

Why are they so damn long? Remember that scribble stuffed in your drawer? Better fetch that out! The passwords are written on it! God help you if you wrote them in pencil 'cause then you'll really be fucked!

Not every game had passwords, and few were ever as cumbersome as you make 'em out to be.

What's wrong with keywords that describe where you want to go, huh? To go to the ice level, enter "CHILLOUT." To go to the lava zone, enter "HOTSTUFF." Instead, it's "AZCskIl2$%-picture of a rabbit boning a squirrel-the back arrow-the Prince symbol." The hell, people? These games aren't so complicated that you should need a degree in cryptography to prevent players from brute forcing the game. We are going to find out the passwords one way or another, so why the needless hassle?

In The Goonies II, if you entered the code wrong, you couldn't just go back and erase it. No, you had to start aaaaall the way from the beginning. I can't erase the offending character? No? I copied the notes exactly! Maybe I wrote an 'L' instead of a '1' or left out an umlaut or some bullshit.

Now who's cherry-picking?

If everyone could just jump to the end, these games wouldn't be any fun, wouldn't provide any replay value. The longevity comes from retrying the games until you've mastered the mechanics. No one was instantly good at Contra or Ninja Gaiden. These games were short, like you said. Kids didn't have much disposable income, so individual games had to last them for months. It's not like the arcade where you can just pop in another quarter and you're good to go.

That's just it! The NES was NOT an arcade machine! Why did the games play like they were designed to suck your quarters? Unlike the arcade, a lot of games gave no option to continue or continues were limited. It's frustrating.

You mean Nintendo Hard?

You damn right I mean Nintendo Hard!

Hey! Games didn't pander to you! I liked that! True tests of endurance and skill!

Oh, you would say that.

I just don't see what the big deal is! Today's games are far too forgiving. You aren't playing games anymore. Essentially, they are interactive movies. Modern games could use an injection of old-school challenge.

Where's the line? Where the hell does a game stop being challenging and start bending you over the chair? Repeating the same level over and over and over again, relying on trial-and-error and rote memorization is as much about developing skill as playing the lotto is about making a sound financial investment!

Try to jump over a pit in any Mega Man and some beady-eyed nut sack pops up and drags you down with it. The entire series is built around these little "surprises" to keep you on your toes, but even after memorizing the enemy placements and boss patterns you are still dying because of your lack of superhuman reflexes.

But in the end...



You know, I downloaded The Lost Levels for Virtual Console and am convinced that it is the thumbscrew of the Famicom Disk System. You think you are going to play a traditional Mario game but instead you get roped into a circus of torture. It demands absolute perfection, mastery of every skill gleaned from the original Super Mario Bros., just to make it to end of a world without scooping your eyes out with salad tongs. Lovecraft couldn't have imagined such horrors!

Literally, the only hope you have is to exploit the infinite 1-up trick in the first level, but you'll burn through all of those lives before you even smell Bowser's ass in World 8. On top of that, you've got poison mushrooms and reverse warp zones just to demonstrate how low the game will sink to screw you over.

I just think that...

And these are supposed to be the GOOD games! NES developers didn't give a shit! They wanted kids to burn. Did they have some kind of vendetta? It was a fuckin' arms race to see who could make children cry the hardest. That was their big angle! And kids swallowed it!

It was an excuse to produce substandard software with the shittiest controls under the protective umbrella of "challenge." Well, FUUUUUUUUUCK YOU, princess!

You really should...

What the hell is wrong with people? This is what you reminisce over? Is this love affair with archaic game mechanics is some kind of badge of machismo? "Ooooooh! It's sooooo retro! It's sooooo good! Those were the days, weren't they? Hyuck, hyuck!" Then you stand around in a circle with goofy grins on your faces and reach out to grab one another's...



ENOUGH! Relax!

Don't tell me to...

Why are you getting so worked up? You are acting like an infant over, what? Video games? C'mon!

Okay, I concede that maybe nostalgia gets the better of some people, but you are just marking everything off blindly. What's your agenda? Are you arguing for the sake of arguing?

But...

Shut it down!

Whatever the case, we both have fond memories of playing the NES. We wouldn't have enjoyed ourselves so much if we had felt we were being cheated. Sure, some stuff doesn't hold up, but that's because it was a starting block for today's innovations.

Even so, the library was dominated by some really questionable design decisions, issues that have nothing to do with the technological era and everything to do with poor judgment. You wanna deal with that? Fine. Games have evolved for a reason. Does anyone really want to keep playing the same garbage for two decades straight?

Of course not, but that holds true for any piece of hardware. Really, you seem angry that your memories of the past aren't how you recall. You want the NES to still be as good as you dream it was. Am I right?

I suppose.

So what seems more foolish? Convincing yourself that the NES was a big scam or letting yourself get caught up in the trip, allowing yourself to return to those games, and continuing to enjoy their simple pleasures?

Maybe, I dunno. The problems are just so apparent now. I don't think I'll be able to overcome them. I wish I could still share your enthusiasm.

Fair enough. See? That wasn't so bad, was it?

I guess.

Friends?

Blow me.

A pair of March Pokemons and a February deep-sea diving sequel were among the highlights of the DS and Wii games listed by Nintendo today for release in early 2010. Third-parties have some possible gems for Wii too.

Highlights include:

-Strong support from Capcom with Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom on Wii, Phoenix Wright on WiiWare and Ace Attorney Investigations on DS. Plus,Megaman: the sequel to the download-only Mega Man 9.

-Strong support also from Ubisoft, with Red Steel 2 and No More Heroes 2 serving as two of the biggest releases for hardcore gamers on the Wii for the early part of the year.

-A curious pair of WarioWare WiiWare and DS games, called WarioWare D.I.Y. that allow gamers to make their own WarioWare games.

-Pokemon remakes, an Endless Ocean sequel and lots of DSi games from Nintendo.

The full rosters follows, though bear in mind that these quarterly lists from Nintendo often include only estimated line-ups and dates for third-party games.

Wii

2K Sports
Major League Baseball 2K10 - March

Activision
How To Train Your Dragon - March 23

The American Game Factory, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop – Friendship Valley - March 17

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Shiren the Wanderer - February 9

Capcom
TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS - January 26

City Interactive USA
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII - February 16
Chicken Riot - February 9

Collision Studios
City Builder - February

D3Publisher
Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun - February

Deep Silver, Inc.
Let's Play Ballerina - March
Let's Play Garden - March

Disney Interactive Studios
Alice in Wonderland - March

Hudson Entertainment
Rooms: The Main Building - Spring
Calling - Spring
Walk it Out - January 10

Konami
Yu Gi Oh! Duel Trancer - Q1
DanceDanceRevolution - Q1

Majesco Entertainment
Data East Arcade Classics - January
The Daring Game of Girls - February
Pizza Delivery Boy - March

Nintendo
Endless Ocean: Blue World - February 22

SEGA of America
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll - February 9
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - March

SouthPeak Games
Sled Shred featuring the Jamaican Bobsled Team - February 1

Storm City Entertainment
Fast Food Panic - January 5
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral - February

UFO Interactive Games, Inc.
Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo - Q1
Rock Blast - Q1
Jaja's Adventure - Q1

Ubisoft
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle - Late January
Sleepover Party - January 12
Racquet Sports - March
Red Steel 2 - Q1

XSEED Games
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces - January 5
FRAGILE DREAMS: FAREWELL RUINS OF THE MOON - March 16

WiiWare

Akaoni Studio S.L.
Zombie Panic in Wonderland - Q1

Broken Rules
And Yet It Moves - Q1

Capcom
Phoenix Wright:Ace Attorney - January
Mega Man 10 - March

Ghostfire Games
Rage of the Gladiator - Q1

Hudson Entertainment
Military Madness: Nectaris - Q1

Nabi Studios
Toribash - Q1

Nintendo
WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase - Q1

Press Play ApS
Max & the Magic Marker - Q1

Team Meat
Super Meat Boy - Q1

Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi

2K Sports
Major League Baseball 2K10 - March

Activision
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - Feb. 2
How To Train Your Dragon - March 23

Aksys Games
World Cup of Pool - Feb. 9

The American Game Factory, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop - Welcome to Hugsville - March 17

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey - March 10

Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth - Feb. 16

City Interactive USA
Animal Country: Life on the Farm - Feb. 16
Art of Murder - March 16

Deep Silver, Inc.
Let's Play Flight Attendant - March
Let's Play Ballerina - March
Let's Play Garden - March

Disney Interactive Studios
Sonny With a Chance - Spring
Alice in Wonderland - March

GameMill Publishing
Escape the Museum - Jan. 12
Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace - Feb. 9

Hudson Entertainment
Rooms: The Main Building - Spring
DECA SPORTS - Spring

Konami
Scene It! Twilight - Q1
Puzzle Chronicles - Jan. 10

Majesco Entertainment
Super Speed Machines - February
The Daring Game for Girls - February
Dawn of Heroes - February
ATV Revolution - March

Nintendo
Glory of Heracles - Jan. 18
Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version - March 14
WarioWare: D.I.Y. - March 28
America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking - March 28

Natsume Inc.
Squishy Tank - February
Cheer We Go! - March

PopCap Games
Bejeweled Twist - Q1

SEGA of America
Sands of Destruction - Jan. 12
Infinite Space - March
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - March
Sonic Classic Collection™ - Spring

SouthPeak Games
Crime Scene - Feb. 1
Dementium II - Feb. 2
Fast Food Panic - Jan. 5
Sushi Go Round - Feb. 1
Montessori Music - March 1

Storm City Entertainment
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral - February
Myst - February
ATV Quad Kings - March
T.A.C Heroes: The Big Red One - March

TECMO
Monster Rancher DS - March
AGAIN - March

Telegames, Inc.
Puzzle Overload -Spring
Solitaire Overload Plus - Spring

THQ
Daniel X: The Ultimate Power - Jan. 12

Tomy Corporation
Lovely Lisa and Friends (enhanced Nintendo DSi content) - February

Ubisoft
Imagine Reporter - Jan. 20
Imagine Party Planner - Jan. 13
Imagine Sweet 16 - Feb. 10
Imagine Gymnast - March 10

XSEED Games
KORG DS-10 Plus - Jan. 19
Ragnarok DS - Feb. 16

Nintendo DSiWare

EA
Downtown Texas Hold'em Poker - Q1
Surviving High School - Q1

Gameloft
Legends of Exidia - Q1
Let's Golf - Q1
Real Soccer 2010 - Q1
Gangstar 2: Kings of L.A. - Q1

Nintendo
Trajectile - Jan. 4
Number Battle - Jan. 25
Starship Defense - Jan. 18
Touch Solitaire - Jan. 11
X-Scape - February
Link 'n' Launch - February

Subatomic Studios
Fieldrunners - Q1

WayForward
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Q1

Which games are you excited about?

Very little activity the week before Christmas. Blaster Master's on the Virtual Console on Monday; Konami Classics brings six arcade oldies-but-goodies to the Xbox 360. After that? Ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent.

This week's piddling count: five for PC, four for Wii, two for DS, two for Xbox 360.

Monday (Dec. 14)
Blaster Master (Wii)
Brukkon (PC)
Diatomic (Wii)
Manga Fighter Season 2 (PC)
Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH (Wii)
Twin Sector (PC)

Tuesday (Dec. 15)
Europa Universalis III: Heir to the Throne (PC)
EverQuest Underfoot (PC)
Konami Classics Vol. 1 (360)
Konami Classics Vol. 2 (360)
Reader Rabbit Kindergarten (DS)

Friday (Dec. 18)
Playmobil Circus (Wii)
Playmobil: Pirates (DS)