For this week only, GameStop is offering those who buy a DSi one free game. The problem is you only get to choose out of a selected five. The good news is the games are not that bad. After purchasing a DSi for 169.99 or DSi XL for $189.99, you can choose one of the following: Pokémon Platinum Version, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky, Style Savvy, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracker, Super Mario 64 DS.

Remember, this offer only runs from July 18-24. So, if you were thinking about purchasing either DSi, this could be the best time to do so. Be sure to click here to check out the offer for yourself.

Everyone’s been made aware recently of Nintendo’s newly speculated 3DS approaching the market. That said, most people are probably refraining from spending their hard-earned cash on Nintendo’s current handheld consoles – the DSi and the DSi XL. However, if you’re Japanese and have a strong urge to pick up the dual-screen portable console, you’re more than likely going to because of a nice little announcement from Nintendo having to do with a price drop on both iterations of the DSi, and a couple of new additions to the DSi XL’s color palettes (blue, yellow, and green).

The regular-sized DSi drops in price on June 19 from ¥18,900 ($205.55) to ¥15,000 ($163.13), while the DSi XL drops from ¥20,000 ($217.51) to ¥18,000 ($195.76). Want some better news? Yes? Ok. The DS Lite is now “open price.” What that means, for all of you out there with a bewildered look on your faces, is that retailers can price the device at their discretion.

No mention of whether or not this will affect other territories has been made, but, knowing Nintendo, this might occur in the near future.

[Siliconera]

Although we already knew that there was a follow up in the works to the award winning Scribblenauts. What we didn’t have a time frame or a title, however thanks to a press release today, we now have both. Normally sequels have some sort of numerical value added to the title. I was expecting something along the lines of Scribblenauts 2 or maybe even II in roman numerals. Heck, If they wanted to be funny, maybe it could have even been Scriblenauts Too. 5th Cell, the creators of the game have other ideas.

Super Scribblenauts will be the name of the follow up, and it is anticipated to ship this fall for the Nintendo DS. Why does adding the word “super” to the title make it seem that much cooler I do not know, but we will definitely get to the bottom of this at E3 where the title is expected to be shown. In the mean time check out the latest screenshots of the sequel below!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We’re only a few weeks, days, and hours away from the biggest blow out in the gaming industry. The Electronic Entertainment Expo (better known as E3) is the super bowl of gaming, as anything and everything that matters for the next year will be unveiled at the Los Angeles convention center June 14-17. Make sure to tune in to DualShockers as we will be providing non-stop coverage throughout the week as well as covering all three keynotes…LIVE. In case you’re at work or just away from a TV and don’t have access to G4TV or Spike TV (for the 360 conference) make sure to keep your browser on DualShockers for complete access to E3 2010. You can even subscribe to our E3 RSS feed HERE. Now please watch the clip below and try not to smile, I dare you.

Starting Monday, May 10th, Nintendo’s Photo Dojo – a new DSi Ware title – will be available and free for a month. Photo Dojo allows gamers to take pictures and audio of themselves and friends, and add the images to a quirky side scroller and against matches with friends. You can go to Nintendo’s website for a video and more details of the game, but for the price (and especially if you have the DSiXL) it sounds like a good deal – and it looks fun too!

It may not be the real deal 3D experience quite yet, but this video shows off some great Pseudo-3D features for an upcoming DSiWare title, achieved by use of Head Tracking Technology from the Nintendo DSi’s camera. Take a look at the video and see for yourself and tell us what you think Nintendo has up their sleeve for their DS family in the coming years.

The result is similar to what people have been able to produce with the Nintendo Wii in home-brew projects, but now it is being used for entire games. Whether this will be the type of 3D planned for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS as well or will this form of visuals be exclusive to the DSi is not made clear but one thing is for sure, Nintendo is taking a strong approach at being 3D-ready and even existing Pseudo-3D will be a helpful tool in conveying to gamers what 3D can do for their games.

For more information on the game being shown check out Nintendo’s official website listing.

WiiWare

Zombie Panic in Wonderland
Publisher: Akaoni Studio
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Suggestive Themes, Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points^™
Description: A sudden wave of zombies is attacking Wonderland. To save your friends from the spell of the “amorous zombies,” you’ll have to solve the mystery of the “scented dwarves” in time and put an end to the evil power hidden in the castle in the northern city. Game features include cut scenes, music with lyrics, seven playable characters, hidden levels, final bosses, multiple weapons, nonstop zombie attacks, explosions, demolitions and fire.

Kung Fu Funk^™: Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting!
Publisher: Stickmen Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Kung Fu Funk is an off-the-wall 1970s kung fu movie-themed party game. Challenge up to three of your friends to see who has what it takes to become the ultimate kung fu master. There are many trials to overcome in three zany game modes. True to any kung fu movie, you start by learning the Zen arts – a chilled out stage to get you familiar with the controls. Once your skills are fully waxed, enter the kung fu training movie montage, which consists of insane mini-games. Once your skills are honed, enter the ultimate battle as the instructor in your own disco kung fu dojo.

Nintendo DSiWare

BLOONS^®
Publisher: Hands-On Mobile
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: BLOONS is an exciting puzzle game based on the simple fact that popping balloons is fun. Pop your way through dozens of puzzling levels in this exciting puzzle adventure. Each level will have a different arrangement of balloons. Use darts to try and pop as many as you can. Watch for special balloons, blocks and darts, and have fun discovering what they do. BLOONS is a great game that you can pick up and play for a few minutes while you’re queued up at the store, or sit on the couch for hours as you work your way through 70 included levels. As an added bonus, there’s also a level editor that you can use to create your own balloon puzzles.

Sokomania
Publisher: CINEMAX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Several crates have been placed on the playing area. Players must control a figure that can push the crates forward. The aim is to get all the crates to their designated places. Players select the episode they want to play and the level they wish to start at. Only completed levels (highlighted in green) and the first unfinished level in each episode are accessible. By repeating previously finished levels, players can try to finish them with fewer crate movements. But be warned: Those movements are added to the total movement number of the actual game, so for the best (i.e., the lowest) number of movements, it’s advisable to finish the game in one run.

Bounce & Break
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming Ltd.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In this Zen world, you will play in four different universes. Each universe is divided into four seasons. The best two scores are saved in the Top Ranking table. Be the best player to enter this Hall of Fame. There are two different game modes: classical and orientation. Depending on which mode that has been selected, the game’s rules will change slightly. There are many different bonuses that can be collected during the game.

1001 Crystal Mazes Collection
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Give your brain a workout with 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection, the deceptively simple jewel logic game. It’s easy to learn but hard to master. Your task is to push the crystals forward to their target destinations one at a time. It sounds simple, but be careful. You can push your jewel into an impossibly locked position if you don’t plan ahead. As the mazes get harder and the crystals pile up, you’ll need clever thinking to clear the labyrinth. With more than 1,000 jewel-filled puzzles, this fun collection will challenge your mind and push your skills to the limit.

Capcom has revealed that the Mega Man Zero Collection has been scheduled for a release date of June 8 in North America. The title will contain all four Zero games previously released on GameBoy Advance onto one DS cart. The package will cost a nice handsome price of $29.99.

Check out the latest trailer below.

If you have been planning to pick up a DSi, this should be the perfect time to make your purchase.

Starting April 25, Nintendo World in New York City will be offering White Nintendo DSi systems bundled with Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story for $169.99. You’re basically getting the game free. And this isn’t just a free shovelware game, this is Mario & Luigi! One of the best handheld games of 2009. That’s around a $35 value.

The offer can also be found on Amazon.

Set to release Fall of 2010 in Japan, CoroCoro magazine has released screenshots for the latest iterations of Pokémon. Where can they go after every color on the planet has been used? Well, of course you go with the absence of color and the totality of color, Black version and White version.

The game looks as if to feature much more 3D and looks to be sporting taller buildings. The Pokémon Center is also said to have had a face lift. The only thing that disappoints is the battle system looks just about the same. When can we have 3D battles!? Anyway, check out the screens below:

[the-magicbox]

If you can recall back to this time almost four years ago, Apple had just announced their plans to enter the cellular phone market. Way back then, the iPhone was supposed to be a mere stepping stone for Apple into the mobile market. When it was first announced at Macworld 2007, Steve Jobs himself had stated that if they had sold 1 million phones in their first year, he would consider it a success. Another milestone was to make up for 10 percent of the smartphone market in the U.S. Fast forward to the present day and Apple has managed to sell over 50 million phones in only four years time, and the iPhone makes up 65 percent of mobile internet traffic. Mission Accomplished.

Along the way, they’ve managed to break ground in another major market as well. Since, the introduction of the App Store, the iPhone has become home to over 50,000 different games and entertainment applications. A space that was originally started as an outlet for low budget, gimmicky titles created by small indie developers, is now becoming the latest and probably most profitable avenue for big name development houses and publishers alike.

Apple’s entrance into mobile gaming has experienced what is undoubtedly the biggest growth in the shortest amount of time in gaming history. And for a while now, Apple has played the “nice guy” card by just playing it cool with a “yeah, our device has games too, it’s not a big deal” attitude. Well that has all changed as of today. During Apple’s iPhone OS 4.0 presentation, Scott Forstall (iPhone Software President) had a rather interesting slide during his presentation. Just take a quick look at it below.

Scott Forstall's face screams out "It's not even fair!"

Now, this isn’t the first time Apple calls out its competitors, as they’ve done it previous years with very clever attacks towards other cell phone manufacturers, such as RIM and Palm. However, this is the first time that they have singled out both the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS as direct software competition. And with numbers as good as they have, why wouldn’t they?

With that one chart not only does Apple make consumers re-evaluate the value of both the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP as viable gaming/media devices but they also make developers and publishers re-think their own strategies between the three platforms. Why put the extra effort, time, money and resources into developing for two very different platforms/architectures when you can have your title reach an even bigger audience? An audience with absolutely no manufacturing costs that need to be taken into account. Additionally, at the same time your title will make a home for itself in a library of over 50,700 games.

While Sony and Nintendo have both taken into account Apple’s presence in the market by delivering their own digital download stores, it feels as though it was done at a snail’s pace. Maybe it’s the certification process, or maybe it’s the development kit availability? Although, recently Sony has addressed those issues with its introduction of Minis. Even then, Sony’s answer to the Apple app store comes at a price of paying nearly five times the price of what’s currently available in the App Store.

It’s unknown what both Sony’s and Nintendo’s next moves will be in the digital title arena, especially considering that neither have eclipsed certain key price points in their respective online stores (PSN and DSiWare). What we do know is that Apple smells blood, and they’re probably a lot closer than most gamers think to really start putting a dent, not only in Sony and Nintendo’s sales numbers, but in the number of titles that will be produced for either handheld.

Hope you all are ready for a handheld console war, as Apple has just thrown the first punch. All I need to hear next is that they plan to attend and/or have an event during E3. When that happens, I can bury my DS and PSP in the yard.

Views: 352]]> http://dualshockers.com/2010/04/09/its-on-apple-calls-out-sony-and-nintendo-directly/feed/ 39 http://dualshockers.com/2010/04/05/nintendo-downloads-classics-and-kids-week/ http://dualshockers.com/2010/04/05/nintendo-downloads-classics-and-kids-week/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:24:16 +0000 Jon Ireson http://dualshockers.com/?p=22053 Nintendo heads up another week of downloadable goodness for the Wii Ware and DSi Ware platforms, as well as virtual console for the Nintendo Wii, by bringing us more of the family-friendly games we come to expect (and for some families rely on) to keep those little chaps happy as well as some retro action for mom and dad. For parents of kids not yet in the reading stages of learning you can pick up Learning with the PooYoos: Episode 2 which will take kids of ages 3 and up through an interactive learning environment filled with cuddly animals, numbers, letters, shapes, colors, and more. Read on for full details and price breakdown of the classics and other kid-compatible games coming to Nintendo’s digital distribution platforms this week!

Classic game enthusiasts will be happy to learn that IRONCLAD has made its way from the past platform of NEOGEO to join us in this gen on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. This title features strong two player shoot-em-up action circa 1996. IRONCLAD takes players through monstrous battles as they blast their enemies with upgradable blast weapons and a charged attack from their Iron Clad ship. There is also three types of melee weapons for close-range battling in addition to other great aspects that D4 Enterprise hopes make this game all around great even to this day. The classic Game & Watch series is even coming strong again for DSiWare this week. Here are the all important details on this week’s Nintendo Update.

WiiWare

FISHIE FISHIE
Publisher: DK GAMES
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to FISHIE FISHIE, a game that can be played with just one button. You’re going to experience something extraordinary that will really test your reflexes. The game contains a series of tutorials that will teach you not only how to control your fishie, but also how to use the various game modes. In FISHIE FISHIE, you are a fish that must eat all the time. You also have to finish several different game modes as quickly as possible. Every second counts. To win, you’ll have to get through more than 100 levels spread over seven game modes: Story, Soccer, Capture the Star, Survival, Skill and a large competition. Play solo or allow up to four people to play on the same screen.

Learning with the PooYoos: Episode 2
Publisher: Lexis Numérique
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: EC (Early Childhood)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to the world of the PooYoos, the first fun, poetic trainer for children aged 3 to 6. With the PooYoos, a merry band of adorable baby animals, children will have fun while learning the basics: numbers, letters, lateralization, shapes, colors and more. Children get to dance with their new friends and earn lovely interactive rewards. With two levels of interactivity, children of any age and development level can enjoy activities based on plants and music. This game was designed for children who have not yet grasped reading. The instructions are spoken in French, English or Spanish, depending on the language setting of the Wii console.

Virtual Console™

IRONCLAD
Original platform: NEOGEO
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: IRONCLAD is a side-scrolling shoot-’em-up originally developed by SAURUS in 1996. You operate a warship and team with the mighty Iron Clad in order to fight the Iron Mask Republic and save the Kingdom of Chop. The biggest appeal of this game comes from discovering all the ways you can attack your enemies. Your weaponry includes three main blast weapons upgradable by collecting more items, a charged attack you can use when Iron Clad is attached to your ship, three types of melee weapons you can brandish to show off your strength in close-range combat, a bomber that clears all enemy bullets, and shooting patterns that change based on whether the Iron Clad is attached or disconnected from your ship. A vast array of weaponry lies waiting to become part of your arsenal. You can even select the stages you want to play, feeding your hunger for combat and allowing you to see different endings for each play-through.

Nintendo DSiWare

Game & Watch: Manhole
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Move quickly and use your manhole cover to prevent the pedestrians from falling through the holes. Pedestrians appear from the left on the upper path and from the right on the bottom path. Earn a point every time a pedestrian walks safely over a covered manhole, or receive a mistake icon for every pedestrian who falls down an uncovered manhole. Receive three mistake icons and it’s game over!

Game & Watch: Helmet
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Tools are falling from the sky! Help the worker at the construction site move from the building on the left to the office on the right while avoiding the hammers, wrenches and pliers dropping from above. Earn five points for entering the office and one point for every three tools that hit the ground. Receive a mistake icon each time the worker gets hit with a falling tool. Receive three mistake icons and it’s game over!

Game & Watch: Vermin
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: It’s time to clean up the neighborhood. Move the player to the left or right and hit the moles that pop out of holes in the ground. Moles appear from four holes in GAME A and from five holes in GAME B. The moles in GAME B move faster than those in GAME A, and they also appear more frequently. Earn one point for each mole hit, or receive a mistake icon for each miss. Receive three mistake icons and it’s game over!

Mr. DRILLER: Drill Till You Drop
Publisher: NBGI
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Drill till you drop with the latest version of Mr. DRILLER, created exclusively for the Nintendo DSi system. Featuring the classic game play that the series is known for, Drill Till You Drop has three different game modes and more than 40 stages of nonstop drilling action. Go underground with Mission mode and dig into various locales with deeper and more challenging goals. Race against the clock to reach the goal in Time Attack mode. Drill through a labyrinth of stones to collect the rare and precious Dristones in the Dristone mode, exclusive to the Nintendo DSi system. Choose from six different drillers, drill through a seemingly endless onslaught of colored blocks, avoid falling obstacles and strategically manage your oxygen on the go.

Calling all Pokéwalker users! A new Route is available for download from April 1 through May 5. It’s the Yellow Forest Route and it will be full of our favorite Pokémon… Pikachu!

This special Route full of Pikachus will only be available via special distribution on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. There are a few steps in order to get the new route, so take your time, take it slow, and you should be fine. All the steps can be found by clicking here. Enjoy your cute new Pikachus!

GameStop is once again having a trade up offer for the latest piece of hardware. Not sure how long this has been going on, but GameStop is offering those who would like to upgrade their DS’s to a DSi XL can do so with GameStop’s offer.

Those who trade in their DSi will get a DSi XL for $99.99. And those who trade in their DS lite will get the DSi XL for $129.99. People who have the original DS are out of luck as there is no offer for those at all. I remember last year they had a trade in offer for DSi and my original DS got me $50 off the DSi. It was a good deal, considering the fact that my original DS was almost 5 years old.

I like breaking down deals for you guys, so here is what you’re getting if you’re planning to upgrade with GameStop’s latest offer. The DS lite is currently on sale for $129.99. The DSi is on sale for $169.99. The DSi XL will be $189.99. All these facts are considering you bought these systems at full price. If you trade in your DS lite, you are getting about $60 back. That is less than 50%. If you trade in your DSi, you are getting about $90 back. That is a little over 50% back.

In my opinion neither of these deals are too great, especially since a DSi can easily sell for more than $90 elsewhere. Also, trading in a DS lite to get the DSi XL for $129.99 is like buying another brand new DS lite. That’s 2 DS lites for one DSi XL. Hmm… not worth it.

Do yourself a favor next week and do it yourself… WarioWare Do It Yourself that is. WarioWare D.I.Y. releases March 28, alongside the DSi XL conveniently enough. So, if you’re planning to drop big bucks on the new hardware, you might as well go all the way and pick this title up too.

WarioWare D.I.Y will come with 90 already made microgames for you to unlock and  play through. however, this title is not about that, D.I.Y will be mostly driven by the creativity of the players. Players will be able to use already made animations, artwork and music to create their own microgames. But what’s the fun in that? Players will also have the freedom to use their own artwork, animation, and music while creating their microgames from scratch.

Now what can you do with all of your newly created microgames? Well there are extensive features to share and swap microgames with others. Nintendo explains:

WarioWare: D.I.Y. for Nintendo DS offers several ways for players to share content on the go. Using a local wireless connection, they can swap microgames they’ve created on their own Nintendo DS system. For users with broadband Internet access, Nintendo will make new microgames available for download after launch and will occasionally challenge players to create microgames based on a given theme. A broadband Internet connection also enables players to upload items to their online Storage Crate and share those items by exchanging friend codes with other WarioWare: D.I.Y. users.

Additionally, players who download WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase for WiiWare releasing March 29, will unlock more features, modes and microgames. Seems like WarioWare is back in full force after the last Wario title strayed away from the minigame scene.

Activision has announced that two Build-A-Bear Workshop titles will be arriving to Nintendo’s systems in under two weeks. The titles are Build-A-Bear Workshop: Friendship Valley for Wii, and Build-A-Bear Workshop: Welcome to Hugsville for DS. We don’t know what game of the year 2010 is just yet, but cutest titles of the year will definitely be going to these two.

Both games will be available March 23, 2010. The Friendship Valley promises players with the choice of 13 characters to become their friend, and to decorate their “Cub Condo.” Very cool. You can also participate in various mini-games and meet new friends. Welcome to Hugsville will resemble more of the real life Build-A-Bear experience, as players will create their new friend. Afterward, players can play through 8 mini-games, some of which allow them to construct their “Cub Condo,” or build their own vehicle.

“Visiting a real life Build-A-Bear Workshop store is great fun for any family,” said David Oxford at Activision Publishing. “We want to bring this world to life on Wii™ and Nintendo DS™, building on the elements that made the brand so popular.”

“We are pleased to be working with Activision to introduce these exciting games for Build-A-Bear Workshop and Nintendo fans,” said Maxine Clark, founder and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. “Build-A-Bear Workshop: Welcome to Hugsville and Build-A-Bear Workshop: Friendship Valley encourage friendship and creativity while allowing families to share in the Build-A-Bear Workshop experience from home.”

Enjoy the screenshots below! =)

Now can someone explain to me what a “Cub Condo” is? It is better than a regular condo?

Last week we told the readers Nintendo’s digital distribution system is getting heavy attention in the month of March. This week’s theme is clearly Fantasy with the upcoming release of Final Fantasy IV, renamed Final Fantasy II back in the Super Nintendo days, to the Wii’s virtual console is a great way to kick off another week for Wii download gamers. Read more for all the WiiWare and DSiWare details.

Continuing the fantasy theme this week in Wii Ware we have Dracula: Undead Awakening a port from PlayStation Portable that brings players to their most dangerous battle against the undead. As vampire hunters they will encounter zombies, ghouls, and even Dracula himself. This title is also available for Nintendo DSi Ware.

I highly recommend Final Fantasy II myself, especially if you have played the recent cell phone to Wii Ware sequel, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.  Regardless if you have enjoyed Final Fantasy IV (II) in the past on the Super Nintendo or not, I believe the depth of the story and solid Role Playing game play are worth their weight in Wii points. Check out the full list below of titles below!

WiiWare

Max & the Magic Marker
Publisher: Press Play
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: One day Max gets a mysterious marker in the mail. Not knowing better, the first thing he draws is a wacky, purple monster. As soon as the marker leaves the paper, the monster comes to life and jumps off the paper and into another drawing. With the monster on the loose and messing with Max’s drawings, Max has no choice but to go after it. Armed with the magic marker, you must help Max track the monster through 15 inventive and challenging levels. You’ll need more than good will and quick reflexes to tackle the challenges ahead. Draw freely inside the game to help Max defeat enemies, overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. As you draw stairs, seesaws, balloons, surfboards and whatever else you can think of, your creations will interact with the physical environment, making every session unique.

Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

Virtual Console

FINAL FANTASY II
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Follow the dark knight Cecil – Lord Captain of Baron’s elite force, the Red Wings – as he embarks on a fateful journey riddled with trials, betrayals, friendship, loss and self-discovery. Plagued with uncertainty over his monarch’s motives, can Cecil turn away from the path of darkness and destruction?

Nintendo DSiWare

Elemental Masters
Publisher: lbxgames
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: In this fantasy card game, stand your ground in a quest filled with magic and adventure, and experience a thrilling combination of strategy and role-playing. Choose your character, build up your army in your card deck and fight the mystical creatures of Elendior. With thoughtful use of your cards, you’ll obtain the monsters of your enemy and support your attacks by using arcane spells and the rules of dark magic. Dive into this captivating story in the quest mode or duel with your friends in multiplayer mode. More than 100 creatures in numerous maps are waiting for you.

4 TRAVELLERS – Play Spanish
Publisher: AGENIUS Interactive
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Whether played alone or together with friends, 4 TRAVELLERS can teach you new words in Spanish. The game is suitable for both young and old, and no previous knowledge is necessary. The more you play, the more your Spanish vocabulary increases. You can also play and learn with the game’s unique learning mode. The game is perfect to bring on your trip, with more than 240 carefully selected words included specifically for this occasion.

Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

Flips: The Bubonic Builders
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Flips Interactive Books are the fun new way for kids to read. The builders are in to replace the girls’ toilet block, but they’re more interested in cups of tea and instant noodle snacks than doing any work. James suspects foul play, but Alexander and Lenny are doubtful until a strange accident hammers the truth home. How will the three friends stop St. Sebastian’s from being reduced to rubble?

Nintendo is going hard for march in digital distribution. Your Wii and DSi stores are about to be hit with, what Nintendo expects to be, hit after hit! Lets take a look at what they have in store for the month of March. Read more for the full scoop.

Starting off the nice fat list of Nintendo download games to be dropped this month, Mega Man 10 from Capcom certainly takes precedence as one of the more anticipated titles.  For people that don’t know this game is a long-lasting 2D, Side Scrolling, Action Platformer series that has stayed true to its 8-bit roots (most of the time) throughout the years.  Part 10 looks to broaden its audience with the first time ever Easy mode for a Mega Man title.  There is also a new playable character Proto Man, time trials, and play-through video sharing online internationally!

Other notable releases this month from Nintendo include Dart Rage bringing everything from 301-901, Cricket, Poker, and Baseball games of darts to the Wii including VS mode for multiplayer pwnage.  For the Virtual Console players can get Fatal Fury Special this month.  A game primarily based on beating people to a pulp will also feature a special guest Ryuu Sakazaki if “special conditions are met”!  Nintendo adds new titles at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays.  Sounds like a great time to have a Wii if you like downloadable mini-experiences with multiplayer as much as me.  Check out the full list below people!

WiiWare

Mega Man 10
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points

Dart Rage
Publisher: JV Games Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference
Price: 600 Wii Points

Happy Hammerin’
Publisher: GAMEBRIDGE
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points

Virtual Console

FATAL FURY SPECIAL
Original platform: NEOGEO
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points

Nintendo DSiWare

Let’s Golf
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points

Globulos Party
Publisher: GlobZ
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

VT Tennis
Publisher: Virtual Toys
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Flips: Terror in Cubicle Four
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

The latest entry of Capcom’s Ace Attorney series has arrived on Nintendo DS. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth released on February 16, 2010, and looked to steer the series in a new direction.

If you aren’t familiar with the previous Ace Attorney titles, they are heavily text-based games that take place in various areas, but usually in the courtroom. You interrogate, press for clues, and present evidence to shut people (usually liars) up. Every so often you go out to the scene and gather information through some point and click mechanics. They are all pretty great games that have already brought the series this far. So, how does Miles Edgeworth stack up?

Miles Edgeworth departs itself from the previous titles, but not by much. The first noticeable difference is the fact that you play with Miles Edgeworth instead of Ace Attorney poster boy, Phoenix Wright. The game also removes itself from the courtroom and mostly takes place in various crime scenes.

New gameplay elements are introduced with this go around in the world of Ace Attorney. “Logic” mode allows you to combine two pieces of information to create a new piece of information to move forward with the crime. For example (and this is not an in-game example for the sake of spoilers): You combine “the window is broken” with “there is a brick next to a broken window,” so therefore “someone broke the window with a brick.” Of course, they’re a little more difficult to connect than that, and if you mess up you take a hit to your “truth” meter or health bar. It is a new and refreshing feature for the series, and makes you feel like you’re pretty darn smart.

Another new element is the way you go about investigating the crime scenes. A refreshing thing to see in an Ace Attorney game is the ability to walk around. That along with pointing and clicking various areas, and examining objects embodies the investigative aspect of the game. The previous Ace Attorney titles were very much just dialogue progression with some pointing and clicking. With Miles Edgeworth you feel much more involved, which is definitely a good thing.

With all that said, the core gameplay is very much the same, with very much the same flaws. Miles Edgeworth may have moved out of the courtroom, but only in setting alone. You interrogate people, find flaws in their testimonies, and present evidence when needed. The whole system is based on trial and error. For each line of text in a person’s testimony you can: ignore it, press for more information, or present evidence. You’re allowed to press as much as you want, but not presenting evidence, which is usually the necessary step to stump the guy/gal. You end up losing part of your “truth” meter, and this one of my main issues with the game. Something that makes perfectly sense to you can be the total opposite direction the game is going. You present evidence that can make sense, but because the game isn’t in line with your thought process you’re going to be punished for it. You just have to start guessing and hope it’s a hit rather than a miss.

I consider the testimonies half, if not most, of the game. For it to be almost exactly the same as the previous titles is a huge letdown. The formula is very linear and very frustrating. The new investigative aspect of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is great, and steps towards the right direction for the series. But the Ace Attorney series needs a serious reboot.

Title: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth Review

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: Available Now

MSRP: $29.99

Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was provided to DualShockers Inc by the publisher for reviewing purposes.