Deck the halls with downloadable fun this week as Nintendo offers 11 new games to engage and entertain everyone in the household. Among this week’s highlights is the Virtual Console debut of the original Super Smash Bros. game, bringing the total of downloadable games for the WiiWare and Virtual Console services to a fabulous 500 and featuring a host of beloved characters from across the Nintendo universe. New WiiWare offerings include the Earth-conscious action game Eco Shooter: Plant 530 and a sequel to the quiz-lovers’ favorite TV Show King. For Nintendo DSiWare fans, fresh arrivals include hand-held versions of the card-table classic UNO and the pioneering arcade game Dragon’s Lair. For rollicking multiplayer fun, mellow single-player diversions and everything in-between, Nintendo’s got you covered for the holidays and beyond.
Virtual Console
Super Smash Bros.
Original platform: Nintendo 64
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Choose from an all-star cast of Nintendo characters in a frantic melee to prove who will be the ultimate brawler. Utilize the easy-to-learn but hard-to-master controls and battle it out in the single-player mode, earning point bonuses and unlocking hidden characters along the way. Enter VS Mode to take on up to three other players simultaneously. Inflict damage using each character’s unique set of special moves, familiar items and power-ups, eventually winning by knocking your opponents off the screen in one of the interactive stages, each with a Nintendo theme. Need a moment to catch your breath? Polish your skills in Training Mode or destroy targets in Bonus Stages specific to each character. Are you ready to test your mettle against all comers, including the powerful Master Hand?
Ninja Gaiden
Original platform: Arcade
Publisher: Tecmo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol Reference, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 600 Wii Points
Take control of a ninja, master of the Five Ninja Fighting Arts of assassination passed down since the chaotic times of feudal Japan, and enter “Jungle,” a terrifying American city, to crush waves of foes who are part of an assassination syndicate. Use three buttons to execute exciting moves like the Flying Neck Throw, the Hang Kick and the Triple Blow Combination. Each stage is based around popular Western misconceptions about ninja and Japan, making the game world a fantastic mix of ninja and American pop culture. Game settings such as the starting number of player characters and the difficulty level can also be adjusted.
WiiWare
Eco Shooter: Plant 530
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Earth’s empty cans have been brought to life by the Cannoids, an alien race determined to destroy the planet. Only Mack, a technician from the recycling facility Plant 530, stands in their way as Earth’s last line of defense. Step into Mack’s shoes in this guided first-person shooter as he takes on the invading aliens with only his trusty recycle cannon and a can-do attitude. Blast and vacuum (yes, vacuum) your way to victory, keeping in mind that every shot counts. Your ammo also doubles as your health, and every enemy you destroy leaves behind Can Energy that you can vacuum up and use as ammo. Uncomplicated controls (including optional use of the Wii Zapper accessory) give everyone the chance to save the planet, while advanced tactics like consecutive hit combos and the tough Challenge mode give even the best players a run for their money. Are you ready to step up and put a dent in their cans?
TV Show King 2
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Drug Reference
Price: 800 Wii Points
TV Show King is back for a second round. There are 8,000 questions sorted into 12 categories on the program, including general knowledge, sports, movies, music and more. And that’s without counting the questions that you can create yourself. Here’s everything you need to compete with your friends, or with players all over the world thanks to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Pallurikio
Publisher: Playstos Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Jump and roll with Pallurikio, a fast-paced action platformer that’s easy to pick up yet challenging to master. While playing a mysterious board game he found with his friends, Rusty is sucked into a dimensional vortex and finds himself in a mystical and wondrous world where he assumes the aspect of the round and bouncing Pallurikio. Using the Wii Remote controller, make Pallurikio jump and roll and help him find his way through more than 50 enticing levels while surviving all kinds of pitfalls and trickeries in Bakumbala Jungle, the far reaches of Palluro Prime and many other weird settings. Featuring physics simulation, Time Attack mode, collectible cards and space rockets to boot, Pallurikio is a game you won’t want to miss.
Happy Holidays Christmas
Publisher: 505 Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points>
Planning a Christmas party and want to grab guests’ attention? Or want to send greeting cards without the hassle of licking stamps? Here’s the solution: Create and send fun Christmas cards with this unique WiiWare application. Happy Holidays Christmas lets you make fun Christmas-themed e-cards and send them straight to friends’ Wii consoles. Add a tree and decorations; choose frames, stickers and music; then write a message to friends you’ve registered in your Wii Address Book. It might not snow this Christmas, but with this fun new software your holiday is guaranteed to be a happy one.
Nintendo DSiWare
UNO
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Get ready to call out “UNO!” on your Nintendo DSi system. The world-famous card game has been faithfully reproduced for the Nintendo DSi system and features exciting new rules. With a multiplayer mode that can be accessed by local wireless play or with broadband Internet access and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, playing UNO has never been so fun and easy, so be the first to get rid of all your cards.
Dragon’s Lair
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
You play the heroic Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon. Control the actions of the daring adventurer and find your way through the castle of a dark wizard who has enchanted it with treacherous monsters and obstacles. In the mysterious caverns below the castle, your odyssey continues against the awesome forces that oppose your journey to the dragon’s lair. Dragon’s Lair is a fully animated classic arcade game from legendary animator Don Bluth.
Hot and Cold: A 3D Hidden Object Adventure
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
You’re getting warm…warmer…hot! You’ve found Hot and Cold: A 3D Hidden Object Adventure, the new game that puts you on the job of finding people’s missing stuff. A voice in your head tells you whether you’re Hot or Cold when searching for things. Investigate cases all over town using your unique ability, and discover the secret behind the mysterious voice in your head. Throw objects out of your way, maneuver your way through a 3-D world, follow your Hot and Cold meter and more in this unparalleled hidden-object adventure.
High Stakes: Texas Hold’Em
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Hudson proudly presents the definitive Texas Hold’Em game for Nintendo DSiWare with High Stakes Texas Hold’Em. High Stakes allows players of any level to enjoy Texas Hold’Em game play. The popular No-Limit rule set used in many tournaments is included, so anyone can play with the big boys. With the added functionality of DS Wireless Communications, players can compete with others and test their skills. It’s the core Texas Hold’Em experience on your Nintendo DSi system – anytime, anywhere.
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.
