A temporarily free, wacky photo-based fighter arrives on DSiWare, Phoenix Wright serves justice on WiiWare, and Virtual Console content is once again non-existent.
This week the Nintendo Downloads update features some very unique games, as well as the return of some beloved franchises. On DSiWare, Nintendo's Photo Dojo leads the lineup. Using the DSi's cameras, players take pictures of themselves and other players in different fighting poses and use them for their playable character in this simple but wacky fighting game. You can even use the DSi's microphone to record yells and sound effects.
NWR staff member Neal Ronaghan recently participated in a Nintendo-hosted Photo Dojo tournament, and will be visiting Nintendo's Headquarters in order to take on champion Bill Trinen. Expect coverage of this event in the coming days. In the meantime, from now until June 10 the game is available for free. Afterwards, Photo Dojo will be available for 200 DSi Points ($2).
The other notable DSiWare release this week is Earthworm Jim. Developed by Gameloft, Earthworm Jim is an action platformer that first started its life on the Super Nintendo in the mid 90s, remaining a popular franchise throughout the decade. Players use various weapons as well as Jim's head to jump and swing through obstacles. Earthworm Jim can be downloaded for 500 DSi Points ($5).
From Digital Leisure comes Chess Challenge! For 500 DSi Points ($5), players will be able to compete with their friends using DS Wireless play in various chess challenges.
The final DSiWare release this week is Flips: The Enchanted Wood from Electronic Arts. This is an educational title taking place in a fantasy world. For 500 DSi Points ($5), players will take on various story-based challenges and interact with the colorful characters.
WiiWare sees only two titles this week. From Capcom comes the third Phoenix Wright game, Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations. The game is a port of the Gameboy Advance/DS title and is the final chapter in the Phoenix Wright storyline (the fourth game, Apollo Justice, would star a new attorney). The title presents players with five cases, and as in previous Phoenix Wright titles they must investigate crime scenes and talk to suspects in order to gather information that can be used in court. The title will set players back 1,000 Wii Points ($10).
The final release this week is the WiiWare version of Chess Challenge! Like its DSiWare counterpart, the game can be downloaded for 500 Wii Points ($5). Chess gurus can compete with other players by posting their best times via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
For the second week in a row, no games were released on Virtual Console.
In addition to the weekly downloads, Nintendo has updated the "Big Name Games" section of WarioWare D.I.Y's downloadable game collection. This week's game comes from Jason Schreiber of Powerhead Games, best known for their DSiWare series Glow Artisan.
PHOTO DOJO LEADS A FIST-PUMPING LINEUP OF NEW DOWNLOADABLE GAMES
May 10, 2010
Admit it: You've always dreamed of quitting your job and roaming the
countryside as a legendary kung fu warrior. Thanks to the new Photo
Dojo™ game for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, your dream is finally
within reach. The game features customization options that let you add
your entire body and voice to wild kung fu matches. It puts you right
into the middle of a hilarious fighting game. Best of all, it's
available for a whopping zero Nintendo DSi Points™ now through June
10. That's right – ZERO! Don't wait – 200 Nintendo DSi Points will be
required for download starting June 11.
After you download Photo Dojo, be sure to keep an eye out for some of
the other big games Nintendo is releasing during the next month. We're
starting off this week with a hand-held version of the classic
Earthworm Jim. Not to be overruled, a new Phoenix Wright™ Ace
Attorney™ title serves up some justice for the WiiWare™ service.
Meanwhile, the "Big Name Games" section of the WarioWare™: D.I.Y.
series keeps on growing, packed with new downloadable microgames from
the industry's most talented designers. This week's addition comes
from Jason Schreiber of Powerhead Games, creator of the award-winning
Glow Artisan for the Nintendo DSiWare service. 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 and to get a look at Jason Schreiber's awesome
new microgame.
Nintendo DSiWare
Photo Dojo
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Violence
Price: Zero Nintendo DSi Points through June 10, 2010; 200 Nintendo
DSi Points starting June 11, 2010
Description: Welcome to Photo Dojo, where you create a dojo filled
with ruthless (or humorous) fighting machines using images of you and
your friends. Use the Nintendo DSi system's built-in camera to take
pictures of yourself and your friends in various poses, then use the
built-in microphone to record sound effects and dialogue to give your
warrior a voice. Choose one of the four available fighting styles,
name your character and you're done. Better yet, repeat the simple,
step-by-step process and create a lineup of up to eight fighters.
Complete your game setup by customizing backgrounds and choosing from
three awesome soundtracks, then prepare for battle. Two players can
share one Nintendo DSi™ system to face off against each other in a
one-on-one grudge match, while single-player mode offers the chance to
pick your favorite fighter and take on relentless opponents of your
own creation. If you're ready for some seriously offbeat kung fu
action, Photo Dojo's unique twist on the side-scrolling beat-'em-up
genre lets you use your imagination to set the stage for a fun-filled
fight to the finish.
Earthworm Jim
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: The classic action platformer you used to play on the
Super NES™ system is back in a remake that offers the essence and core
game play of the original, plus a never-before-seen feature available
exclusively on the Nintendo DSi system. Play as the grooviest
earthworm in the galaxy. Run, gun, swing from hooks with your head,
launch cows, bungee jump and rocket through speed levels in a dozen
crazy universes. Earn bonuses with facial-expression-based challenges
that track your face using the system's built-in camera. Put on a
smile, frown or make a variety of other faces to mimic Jim.
Chess Challenge!
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Patience will be key if you want to score big in Chess
Challenge! Perfect your chess skills by playing against the computer
in multiple difficulty modes, or play against your friends in either
shared or wireless play via DS Wireless Play. Start by practicing with
some casual games, then work your way up in fully Elo-rated matches.
You'll even be able to track all of your game-play stats – win, lose
or draw. Chess Challenge! will keep both novice and expert players
glued to the screen for hours.
Flips: The Enchanted Wood
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Jo, Bessie and Fanny move to the country and find an
Enchanted Wood right on their doorstep. In the wood stands the magic
Faraway Tree, and in that tree live the magical characters that soon
become their new friends: Moon-Face, Silky the fairy and Saucepan Man.
Together they visit strange lands (the Roundabout Land, the Land of
Ice and Snow, Toyland and the Land of Take What You Want) that lie at
the top of the tree. Get ready for exciting adventures – and narrow
escapes! The Flips series brings modern classics to the Nintendo
DSiWare service. Readers can collect, solve, interact and learn as
they progress through the various stories and challenges.
WiiWare
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Blood, Mild Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Phoenix Wright is back as the third game in the popular
Ace Attorney hand-held franchise comes to the WiiWare service. As
Phoenix Wright, you'll play through five shocking new cases in
first-person perspective. The game features two unique modes of play.
In Investigations Mode you'll survey crime scenes, interview witnesses
and gather evidence. You'll then present findings, listen to
testimonials and examine witnesses in Court Mode. TRIALS AND
TRIBULATIONS also includes the "Psyche-Lock" feature that allows
Phoenix to use a line of questioning to reveal inconsistencies in
witness testimony.
Chess Challenge!
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Patience will be key as you face the best players from
around the world in Chess Challenge! for the WiiWare service. Perfect
your chess skills by playing against the computer in multiple
difficulty modes, or use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to start climbing
up in the worldwide rankings (broadband Internet connection required).
Win online matches and see how your rating stacks up against
competitors around the world by viewing the online Leaderboard. If you
don't have time to play your friends in a live chess game, Chess
Challenge! also lets you play with up to five different Wii Friends
using WiiConnect24™. With full Mii™ character support you can really
bring your games to life. Start by practicing with some casual games,
then work your way up in fully Elo-rated matches. With all of these
game-play options, you're in for some serious chess action.
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.
