When I looked at the list of downloadable content this week for Nintendo, I was shocked to see eight titles listed for the three "platforms" available. For so long, the Big 'N' was releasing one title a week on each platform: WiiWare, DSiWare and Virtual Console. Many people, including myself, asked why Nintendo was holding back, especially in light of the fact that first party titles haven't exactly been busting down retail doors in a short period of time. Unfortunately, when looking at what the public received, you begin to understand why the big push.
Looking at the DSiWare selections this week, your attention is drawn immediately to the first party photo application, Sparkle Snapshots. For 500 DSiWare points ($5), you can play around with your DSi photos and embellish them to send them to your friends over Nintendo Wi-Fi. With so many small applications being sold by Nintendo using licensed characters, I am curious as to why Nintendo did not attempt to license this with the soon-to-be-released Style Savvy. I also hope there is functionality to print directly to a networked printer or wirelessly send your creations to your Wii. It just seems there are a lot of opportunities being missed by Nintendo to tie the DS/DSi and the Wii together...like a single ID for your Wii, DS/DSi and your Club Nintendo account where your friends and shop points carry from one platform to the other and...oh, who am I kidding?!?
The other two offerings include a tower defense game in Viking Invasion and an action/adventure game by Ubisoft entitled Battle of Giants™: Dragons – Bronze Edition. I couldn't make heads or tails of the latter game or what is going on, but good luck with that.
Continuing onto WiiWare, the only title of the three worth noting is Aksys Games' Family Card Games. While this is the eighth offering in the Family... series, this is the first time Aksys is making use of Nintendo Wi-Fi to embrace online leaderboards and playing with individuals across the Internet. I applaud Aksys for taking advantage of the technology as well as not raising the price to do so.
Speaking of raising prices, two titles grace us on Virtual Console: Fighting Street (TGX 16) and R-Type (Sega Master System). Fighting Street being an arcade port of Capcom's original Street Fighter. Instead of the usual 600 WiiWare price point ($6), this TurboGraphix 16 title is 800 points ($8). Looking at the dated graphics and the fact you can find better nostalgia and bang for your buck by dropping an extra hundred points on Fatal Fury or Fatal Fury 2 from the Neo Geo. As for R-Type, if you are a fan of shooters, you cannot beat picking this up at 500 WiiWare points ($5). No, that's it, just go get it.
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NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: THIS WEEK'S DOWNLOADABLE LINEUP TRULY SPARKLES Nov. 2, 2009 Why just take photos with your Nintendo DSi™ system when you can have access to a virtual photo booth? Sparkle Snapshots™, a new Nintendo DSiWare™ application, lets you customize pictures with fun extras like fancy frames and stamps. On the other hand, if you're more of a fan of Nordic pillaging and/or dragons, you're going to want to check out this week's Nintendo DSiWare offerings of both Viking Invasion and Battle of Giants: Dragons – Bronze Edition. Three fun WiiWare™ games are added to the ever-growing library, including Carnival King, which turns your TV into a carnival midway. And the Virtual Console™ delivers its usual quality classics, including Fighting Street®, a port of the original arcade version of STREET FIGHTER. Nintendo DSiWare Sparkle Snapshots Viking Invasion Battle of Giants: Dragons – Bronze Edition WiiWare Carnival King "Aha! I Got It!" Escape Game Family Card Games Virtual Console Fighting Street R-TYPE™ |
