Developer A Different Game has announced that its augmented reality game, Ghostwire has been delayed in hopes of finding a publisher.

Ghostwire, which allows players to use the DSi’s cameras to hunt for ghosts in real world locations was originally scheduled to release later this year, but has slipped because the company has been unable to find a publisher for the creative title.

A spokesman from A Different Game comments that the game has not been canceled and points out that a new website for the game has been unveiled along with Twitter and Facebook accounts.

If the seemingly 14 different permutations of the television drama CSI aren’t enough to satiate your crime solvin’ fix, Ubisoft and CBS Consumer Products will attempt to give you your fill with two CSI related games this fall.

The first game, CSI: Fatal Conspiracy features five new connected cases written by the same writers from the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Gamers will experience an authentic crime-solving videogame with real CSI characters, heart-pounding interrogations and enhanced graphics. A unique story structure that unveils the truth piece by piece brings a new level of suspense and intrigue to the top-selling franchise.

Developed by Telltale Games, CSI: Fatal Conspiracy will continue the crime-solving gameplay of Ubisoft’s CSI video game series and bring it to a whole new standard, and it will be available in October for the Wii, Xbox 360, Windows PC and PS3.

The second game, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Unsolved! will be exclusive to the Nintendo DS and DSi. According to the press release, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Unsolved! will make the most of the DS touch screen for an improved pick-up-and-play experience. Players will get to join forces with their favorite CSI characters from the show and solve five original murder mysteries, such as the death of a young pop star on stage or the discovery of a mummified body in the desert.

For more on these games, check out the official websites.
Here and here.

It’s a new month, but more importantly a Monday! That means we get to see what special goodies Nintendo has released for us this week. The centerpiece of this week’s release for Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare is, naturally, the series finale of  Tales of Monkey Island. Chapter Five focuses on the Rise of the Pirate God and is sure to please fans of the series thus far. Any poker fans might also like to know that DSiWare also received Downtown Texas Hold ‘Em. I’ve never been a fan of online poker,  but for those of you who want to teach the basics to someone this game might be for you. Check out the press release below to see if there’s anything which piques your interest.

Nintendo DSiWare

True Swing Golf Express
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Pointsâ„¢
Description: Tee off with power, drive with accuracy and putt with precision. True Swing Golf Express is a realistic golf simulation that makes full use of the Nintendo DSi touch screen to offer in-depth control over your actions. Vary shot power, apply topspin or backspin and more, all with a touch of the stylus. Beginners and experts alike can choose from two main modes. Round mode offers play across 3-, 9- or 18-hole courses, each with varying difficulty levels and some in an exciting tournament setting. Challenge mode puts a unique spin on golf with a wide selection of special tasks to complete. Completing these tasks in Challenge mode allows you to improve your character’s skills and unlock new courses in Round mode. The fairway awaits!

Legends of Exidia
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: An army of demons called Morgost has invaded Exidia, defeating Princess Sofia and capturing the Orb of Spell. The Morgost’s dark intentions include the resurrection of the almighty Daraka. Listen only to your courage and help Sofia drive back this threat. As a fearless warrior, you’ll fight the most evil of creatures. With every quest, you’ll get closer to discovering the source of the plague.

DOWNTOWN TEXAS HOLD’EM
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1-5
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Go all-in with EA’s DOWNTOWN TEXAS HOLD’EM. Sharpen and show off your poker skills in two exciting game modes and take on up to 20 players in authentic showdowns. Put on your best poker face and challenge friends who also have a Nintendo DSi system and a copy of the game to a multiplayer match. Start with a practice game, play a round of classic poker, then jump into turbo tournament to win the grand prize. Buy your way into gambling halls and casinos, each with its own unique background, realistic tables, cards and chips.

Move your Brain Rollway Puzzle
Publisher: Assoria
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Help the ball of Move your Brain Rollway Puzzle to find the way out of each level. To do so, you must solve riddles and use your dexterity to escape enemies without falling. Move your Brain Rollway Puzzle uses the Nintendo DSi system’s built-in camera to detect your movements. While playing, tilt the system to move the ball. Collect gold coins to open certain passages, activate switches to set off mechanisms, use catapults to jump over walls or use bumpers to climb ramps. Time to complete each level is limited, so hurry up!

5 in 1 Solitaire
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Now you can take five of the most popular solitaire games with you on the go. 5 in 1 Solitaire features the always-popular Klondike, Spider and FreeCell games as well as the unique Golf and Gaps versions of solitaire. Each of these versions has a unique style of play that’s easy enough for novice players to enjoy but will also challenge experts. You can also view tutorials for each game, track your scores and view gaming stats to see your progress.

WiiWare

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 5
Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol Reference, Cartoon Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Pointsâ„¢
Description: Here’s a shocking series finale that’s sure to shiver your timbers. With the Monkey Island world in tatters at the conclusion of the fourth Tales of Monkey Island chapter, we were left to wonder: Who can save the Caribbean?! LeChuck is revealing surprising new characteristics yet again, Guybrush has met a shocking fate and Elaine must confront the ultimate evil with everything at stake. This adventure takes you far beyond the stormy isles as you experience the Rise of the Pirate God.

Tumblebugs 2
Publisher: Gameshastra Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: There’s a battle brewing in the backyard, and only you can save the day. Tumblebugs is the hit action-puzzler in which Black Bugs round up and trap the peaceful underground Tumblebugs. Now the Black Bugs are back – meaner, faster and nastier. They’ve crashed the garden party and are rounding up the colored beetles. Once again it’s Tumble to the rescue, but this time she’s got backup. Call on your friends to help you battle your way through 89 stunning new levels. Thrilling new power-ups can also help you free bugs like never before.

5 in 1 Solitaire
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Now you can play five of the most popular solitaire games on your Wiiâ„¢ console. 5 in 1 Solitaire features the always-popular Klondike, Spider and FreeCell games as well as the unique Golf and Gaps versions of solitaire. Each of these versions has a unique style of play that’s easy enough for novice players to enjoy but will also challenge experts. You can also view tutorials for each game, track your scores and view gaming stats to see your progress.

Virtual Consoleâ„¢

Alex Kidd in Shinobi Worldâ„¢
Original platform: SEGA Master System
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: What do you get when you combine the monumental SEGA classics Alex Kidd in Miracle Worldâ„¢ and Shinobiâ„¢? Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, of course! Though never released in Japan, this game has it all: Alex Kidd, kidnapped princesses and evil Dark Ninjas, all played to a rockin’, remixed Shinobi soundtrack. Run, jump, swim and slash your way through 12 stages teeming with monstrous foes from the world of Shinobi, plus some more lighthearted ones from Alex Kidd. Just don’t let the barracudas turn you into sushi!

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 Cardâ„¢ 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.

This week’s Nintendo Download has released several seemingly lack luster games for our entertainment. The one which seemingly stands out is bittos+, which looks like a trippy puzzle game that anyone can enjoy. For those of you who haven’t seen the trailer we released a few weeks ago, check it out here. For information on the other releases of this week, just read the press release below. While not all the games may seem appealing, there are a fair amount of puzzle games. If you’re looking to challenge your brain a little be sure to read the list carefully.

Nintendo DSiWare

NUMBER BATTLE
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Pointsâ„¢
Description: From Japan comes NUMBER BATTLE, a board game that invokes the ancient art of feng shui while challenging players to clear the playing field. Take turns against human or computer opponents to reach a target score by placing numbered tiles on the board and linking the arms of each tile in various ways. Watch for the Winds of Change to possibly blow over the board during a battle, resulting in special squares that will score bonus points or affect game play in new ways. Items that aid you in your pursuit of points can also be found, but they’ll cost you points and must be placed strategically. Go it alone in the main Story or Puzzle modes, or battle against up to three opponents from around the world via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (broadband Internet access required). You can even learn from your past with History mode, which shows the moves recorded during previous contests. This unique combination of puzzle and strategy elements results in an exciting battle of wits. Can you guide your Warrior to victory?

AiRace: Tunnel
Publisher: QubicGames
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: AiRace: Tunnel is an invitation to the newly started Project Tunnel. It was created to examine the quickness and attentiveness of aviation rookies. Think you’ve got the skills? Put your reflexes to the test and see how swift, precise and predictive you are. Maneuver your aircraft safely through specially created tunnels that are full of traps. Be careful: Your plane will speed up with every second, making each turn and each barrier harder to navigate. It’s not just a game, it’s a challenge.

Escapee GO!
Publisher: Gevo Entertainment
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) — Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Escapee GO!, players take on the role of Claire, who awakens with no memory of who she is. Save for her name, all information about her has been destroyed. In its place, something within her has changed. Hunted down by an unknown enemy, she must find a way to escape her pursuers using her newfound powers. Will she be able to survive? Using her heightened senses, Claire is able to detect enemies before they come into visual range. During her daring escape, Claire will find mysterious items that can temporarily enhance her abilities, allowing her to level the playing field.

Virtual Console

Ghoul Patrol
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: LucasArts
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) — Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The main attractions at the library’s Goblin exhibit have come to life! As the Ghoul Patrol, you’ll go back in time and de-spook an encyclopedia of zombified historic dudes. Vaporize garbage-can ghosts and ninja spirits, rescue bug-eyed librarians and wigged-out pirates, dodge flying books and adolescent-eating plants, and ultimately put the beastly spirit back in the history books.

WiiWare

UNO
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Pointsâ„¢
Description: Get ready to call “UNO” on your Wiiâ„¢ system! The world-famous card game is faithfully reproduced for the Wii console with some exciting new rules. Thanks to a multiplayer mode (additional Wii Remoteâ„¢ controllers required) that’s playable on one Wii console or online via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection (broadband Internet access required), UNO has never been so fun and easy.

bittos+
Publisher: MACHINE
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: The next big thing in casual gaming, bittos+ is all about rotating, moving and placing game pieces onto a game board to make squares and, more importantly, squares within squares. Playing bittos+provides hours and hours of entertainment for the whole family, with boatloads of challenge and replay value for even the most avid gamer. With luscious environments, multiple modes to unlock, game styles to suit every mood, multiple real-time reactive control methods, in-game Awards to collect and high-score boards for the entire your household,bittos+ is a new game-play experience that will sweep you away.

“Aha! I Found It!” Hidden Object Game
Publisher: Ateam Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: A hidden-object game for everyone has come to the WiiWare service. Try to find 12 particular items among a crowd of on-screen objects as fast as you can, from big fish to tiny earrings, easy-to-find items to well-hidden ones. Unlike most other hidden-object games, this one lets you play along with friends and family (additional Wii Remote controllers required) and compete to see who’s best at finding the hidden objects in each stage. With 10 stages and more than 277 different items, there’s plenty of searching fun to enjoy. Also, with items changing position each time you play, you can enjoy each stage again and again.

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 Cardâ„¢ 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.

Nero, the PC software legend, today announced and released Music2Go, a tool used to facilitate the transfer of music to Nintendo’s latest portable device, the DSi.

With the new application, users can quickly and easily transfer songs from their PC to the portable gaming machine.

Basically, all you do is insert a CD and SD card  into your computer, rip it to the hard drive, and let the magic of the Music2Go tool do the rest.

As easy as 1,2, 3

The software costs $5.99, is available today, and runs only on PC.

I don’t have a DSi, but I was interested to learn it could be used as a media device, but I’ve heard the UI is pretty finicky. I’ll stick with my iPod Touch.

Nero-Nintendo DSi

I hope you’ve all recovered enough from Thursday’s food comas that you can crawl over to your Wii or DSi in order to enjoy Nintendo’s latest downloadable titles. This week sees the release of 10 games, so here’s the breakdown:

WiiWare: Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 4, My Zoo,Copter Crisis ,Christmas Clix

DSi Ware: Sudoku Challenge, Bookworm, Master of Illusion Express: Mind Probe, Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes.

Virtual Console: The Combatribes, Solomon’s Key

For fans of the Tales of Monkey Island series, Chapter 4 has been released. Guybrush returns to Flotsam island and is put on trial. With a title like “The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood”, I can only hope the game lives up to it’s intriguing title.

My Zoo is an animal simulation game which makes you an animal breeder. You select several animals out of the 12 provided (four sold separately) and nurture them into adulthood. For those of you who were fans of Tamagachi, this is the same concept, just on your TV and not a key chain.

Copter Crisis allows you to be a member of the elite Helicopter Rescue Squad and it’s up to you to rescue as many people as possible in the various missions. This sounds like it has potential, so it’s probably worth checking out if you like helicopter simulators.

Christmas Clix — the true sign that November is over. Christmas Clix allows you to play with Santa by decorating a Christmas tree by removing the presents and ornaments he stacks. This sounds like a boring holiday game, so unless you’re in a festive mood I’d say skip it.

Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes: A DS game which makes you the hero of your own story. Your appearance is stolen and you have to clear your name by apprehending the Face Stealer. You voice the characters and create the faces using the camera and microphone peripherals.

Bookworm: a word puzzle game which appears to be a new take on Scrabble.

Master of Illusion Express: Mind Probe — the game is meant to use the DS as a way to perform magic tricks. Ask a friend to write down a favorite item and the DS will sound an alarm when that word is spoken. Not so magical.

Sudoku Challenge! : A Sudoku game for fanatics which will probably be the only Sudoku game you will ever need since it comes with 1 million sudoku puzzles. I’m not a fan of Sudoku, but if you know someone who is then this is the game for them.

The Combatribes: As a member of the Combatribes it’s up to you to save the city you live in from the evil gang known as “Guilty Zero”. Can you save New York City?

Solomon’s Key: An action puzzle game which let’s you take control of the Wizard, Dana, who is looking for an item called Solomon’s Key to banish the evil spirits of the world. Use buttons to create and destroy blocks and find keys to pass through locked doors.

Nintendo Download is released every Monday and features the latest releases for Nintendo’s downloadable content. For the full press release, just go to the next page.

It’s Thanksgiving week. The week Americans enjoy the spoils of plentiful bounty, watch football, and drink beer, but when those festivities end, what’s next?

Thankfully, the next day, Friday, Nov. 27, is Black Friday, the official beginning to the Holiday 2009 shopping season, and there will indeed be deals to be had everywhere, including from Nintendo.

That’s right, the Japanese game-maker is offering its DSi portable gaming system, with $20 worth of pre-installed software, for the regular $170 price point.

There will be two flavors available for your shopping sake; the White, and Metallic Blue versions, and both have varying goodies installed on them, so choose wisely!

Here’s the differences.

Metallic Blue

• Mario vs. Donkey Kong^â„¢: Minis March Again: Can Mario and his Mini Marios rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong’s clutches yet again?
• Dr. Mario^â„¢ Express: Mario once again dons his stethoscope to battle the forces of illness in this downloadable version of the classic puzzle game.
• WarioWare^â„¢: Snapped!: Wario^â„¢ returns with more manic action made especially for the Nintendo DSi system. WarioWare: Snapped! uses the built-in Nintendo DSi Camera to make players the star of the show by placing them right into fast-paced mini-games.
• Mario^â„¢ Calculator: Mario and Luigi^â„¢ take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers.
• Mario^â„¢ Clock: Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system’s internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like.

White

• Brain Age^â„¢ Express: Arts & Letters: Test your spelling in Word Attack, enjoy literary classics in Reading Aloud and tune your musical skills in Piano Player.
• Brain Age^â„¢ Express: Sudoku: Solve a variety of puzzles at three different skill levels using the touch screen and an intuitive interface.
• Brain Age^â„¢ Express: Math: Players can enjoy a mix of new and familiar exercises, including Change Maker, Triangle Math, Sum Totaled and Multi Tasker.
• Clubhouse Games^â„¢ Express: Card Classics: Play familiar favorites like Blackjack and Five Card Draw, or test your ability in the fast-paced Last Card, Last Card Plus and President.
• Photo Clock: Experience all the enjoyment of a photo album while ensuring you won’t lose track of the time.

If someone on your chrismahanakwanza list wants to get into DS gaming, doesn’t look you’ll see a better deal than this! Happy shopping folks.

It’s a little late, but we now have the latest info on this week’s Nintendo Download and it’s a doozy! We have several awesome game demos for WiiWare and the release of some interesting new games and a few classics.

This week’s breakdown:

WiiWare: Pokemon Rumble, BIT.TRIP BEAT (Demo), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (My Life As A Darklord Demo), NyxQuest:Kindred Spirits (Demo), World of Goo (Demo)

Virtual Console: Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures and Street Fighter II:Champion Edition

Nintendo DSiWare: Art Style:DIGIDRIVE, Arcade Bowling, Robot Rescue

Fans of puzzle games will love Art Style: DIGIDRIVE and Robot Rescue. Both games focus on shifting puzzles and the application of logic. Art Style: DIGIDRIVE lets the player take on the role of a traffic controller. You move cars in order to create fuel to keep going through the game. Robot Rescue lets you play as a robot who needs to rescue his comrades from 45 different labyrinths. But when you move through the dungeon you move all robots so strategy is key.

Arcade Bowling is a straight forward bowling game for the DSi which will entertain fans of portable bowling.

Indiana Jones’ and Street Fighter II are the classic releases (from SNES and Capcom respectively). Indiana Jone’s Greatest Adventures takes scenes from his best movies (no Crystal Skulls here) and allows the player to play as Indy as he searches for fortune and glory (kid).  Street Fighter II needs no introduction: the fighting game we know and love, on virtual console!

And now onto WiiWare!

Pokemon Rumble allows players to battle against other Pokemon in order to gain access to the Battle Royale and fight multiple Pokemon at once. Sound interesting? While the game is available for purchase, there’s also a free demo, so check it out before you buy it so you know it’s a game you’d like.

The rest of the releases are demos for upcoming Wii games which may or may not interest you. Here’s the breakdown for each game:

BIT.TRIP BEAT: A rhythm game which uses the Wiimote to play out beats in this retro game. Check it out if you were a fan of Bop It! or other rhythm games.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (My Life As A Darklord Demo): We all love Final Fantasy, so this new game was automatically on our list of games to check out. The demo lets you play as the Darklord’s daughter as she explores her castle and installs traps while fighting monsters. The objective is to protect your Dark Crystal from the explorers who want to destroy it.

NyxQuest:Kindred Spirits: Nyx, a winged girl, comes down heaven to look for her missing friend, Icarus. With the help of the other gods, she looks for him while flying above Ancient Greece.

World of Goo: a physics based construction game in which construct things. Out of Goo. The Goo Balls who inhabit the game don’t know they’re in a game. Or how delicious they are with crackers.

Any of these games sound interesting to you? Check them out and let us know how you like them.

At a press event in Tokyo today, Japanese video game-maker Nintendo announced the DSi XL, a significantly larger version of the already existent DSi.

It’s officially called the LL DSi, but LL translates to XL in English, and will have a pair of 4.2 inch screens, will sell for 20,000 Yen, or $220, and will be available in Japan Nov. 21.

The new screens are 93 percent larger than the DSi Lite’s, and will help gamers enjoy the system’s Internet and Music capabilities, in larger format.

The new DSi XL will be available in three new color flavors; Dark Brown, Wine Red and Natural White, and will come with two brain training games and the DS Easy Dictionary already installed.

Additionally, the XL DSi will come with two styli, one larger, resembling that of a real pen, and one the normative small size.

Source: Kotaku

I’ve always thought that the original Nintendo Channel was a bit drab, so I’m happy to announce that it’s getting a makeover. A new video has surfaced which focuses on the redesign, which has streamlined the features of the original Nintendo Channel. It is now easier to look in information on upcoming games and search for games you might be interested in purchasing.

The streamlining of the features will definitely have an impact on the Nintendo Channel experience, and I can’t wait to see how fellow Wii owners take the news. Check out the video here and comment below with your thoughts on what’s being dubbed by fans as Nintendo Channel 2.0!

Nintendo today announced a partnership with Oscar-winning Aardman studios to create 12 animated shorts in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Aardman, a studio noted for their extreme diligence and craftmanship working on characters from the Wallace and Gromit series, will use the FlipNote Studio alone to craft their work.

The FlipNote Studio is a free-to-download DSiWare application that allows for flipbook style animation and sound to be brought to life all with the simple use of your handy stylus. Anyone who doesn’t already have the tool is missing out! It’s free, go download it!

Tim Ruffle of Aardman is creating the shorts and had this to say about the endeavor:

“I had a lot of fun making these.‚  Flipnote is so simple to use that it’s easy to make short, fun animations “" but there’s a surprising amount of features there too, meaning you can make your creations more complex as your confidence grows. Budding animators will find this a great way to get creative!”

The episodes will release every week beginning September 16 through till Christmas on the FlipNote Hatena website. It’s basically the Youtube of FlipNote.

Still confused about FlipNote? This video should explain everything.

In the spirit of continued coverage, it’s my pleasure to announce that Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena have gone gold! What this means is that both games are‚  officially completed and ready to be manufactured. This is great news as the game looks like it could be very interesting and have intriguing gameplay. As a fan of the original Spore game, these two sequels have gotten me fairly excited. The new games focus on defending your homeworld from being invading while battling enemies and solving problems. The plot alone is interesting, and the fact that you can modify your characters in a variety of ways has only served to strengthen my resolve to give the games a shot. Especially with District 9 fresh on my mind. Keep checking Blast for more information as it is released!

This week’s Nintendo Download features four new games that everyone can enjoy. The Nintendo DSi Shop has a new game called Clubhouse Games ExpresS: Family Favorites. This DS game allows you and up to seven friends play a variety of games including Hearts, Contract Brdige, Dominoes, Dots and Boxes and Ludo. This will run you 500 points. As for WiiWare, you’ve got ColorZ, which allows you to play on a spaceship in order to clean up virus-infested planets. The game play stresses mind-hand-eye coordination and can be played with up to three friends.

The real gems in the release are Konami’s Contra Rebirth and the conclusion of the Star Wars trilogy on SNES, Super Return of the Jedi. Relive the final chapter of the original sci-fi epic, which is now available for 800 Nintendo Points–thankfully, it’s less difficult than Super Empire Strikes Back, but it’s still plenty hard on its own. Contra Rebirth is an action packed side scrolling adventure, as is expected from a 2D Contra. You need to save the world and prevent an alien group from destroying the Earth’s “Contra” warriors, this time with a new sidekick. Contra Rebirth will run you 1000 points, and we’ll have a review for you soon to let you know if its as good as your nostalgia wants it to be.

Fans of the Wii and DSi should be lining up to buy tickets to Seattle, because Nintendo will be showing off many of their new and upcoming games at the Penny Arcade Expo! They’ve got their own booth (#352) and are ready to give fans a sneak peek at upcoming games and let them meet several video game artists in the process.

Nintendo’s video game line up at PAX will showcase games like New Super Mario Bros Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Metroid Prime Trilogy (check out our review here), Wii Sports Resort and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. In addition to these games, Nintendo will be showing off the new WiiWare game Pokemon Rumble, which allows players to fight against enemies and allows for multiplayer co-op battles.

In addition to showcasing their upcoming games, Nintendo has scheduled a Flipnote Studio presentation with several well known artists. Flipnote Studio is a free DSi Ware application which allows gamers to draw a series of pictures which are then animated to resemble pictures drawn on notepads. Among the artists chosen for the demonstrations are Scott Kurtz (PvP), Eric Jones (DC Comics: Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade), Christina Strain (Marvel Comics: Runaways), Mike Choi (Marvel: X-Force), Edison Yan (5th Cell: Scribblenauts) and Ryan Jones (Telltale Games: Tales of Monkey Island).

So from September 4-6, Nintendo will be showing off their latest developments. Be sure to stop buy their booth and check them out!

Nintendo launched the DSi stateside in April and alongside the hardware came 1,000 free DSi Points to be spent in the brand new DSiWare digital download store. However, that promotion is soon to expire.

Nintendo officially announced today that users who buy a DSi and connect it to the DSi Shop by 12PM Pacific on October 5 will receive their points. But anyone who is a mere second late, will be left in the dreary, dark cold of gaming despair.

Fear not, that time and date is not an expiration date for your points, as they never expire, rather the date by which your points must be claimed.

But with the growing category of available titles in the Shop how will you, oh lover of dual screen gaming, know how to pick a free game?

That’s where we come in. We play games and offer our opinions so you can make an informed decision. Below are links to our favorite DSiWare titles. Have at them!

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again

Art Style: PiCTOBiTS

Mighty Flip Champs

Via Kotaku’s Brian Ashcraft, it looks like Nintendo is going to publish a shoot-em-up (or shmup, if you’re into that) to DsiWare over in Japan. Aa Mujyou Setsuna is the title, and it looks like Arika, a company made up of former Capcom employees–including one of the creators of Street Fighter II–who you may know as the‚  developers of Endless Ocean on the Wii has their hand in it as well.

I think Solar Striker is the lone shoot-em-up Nintendo has ever developed back on the Game Boy in 1990. I could be wrong about this, but [checks Wikipedia] no, looks like it’s the only scrolling shoot-em-up developed by Nintendo. Check out the video below to see what you think; I’m hoping this comes over to North America, but I’m also a shmup addict (especially for $5).

Mad Catz, a leading third party videogame accessory provider, has obtained non-exclusive rights to develop and market a range of accessories for the Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo DSi. The agreement allows Mad Catz to selectively use popular Nintendo characters which include Donkey Kong, Zelda, Link, Mario Luigi, Wario and Samus, among others. This means that pretty soon, we’ll be seeing some new accessories to spice up our Nintendo gaming lifestyles. Gamers rejoice!

How do you feel about this news? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section

Japanese video game-maker Nintendo released their latest handheld rehash, the DSi, this past April in North America, and today we learn that the portable has sold in excess of 1.7 million units in its first three months of availability, placing the piece of hardware in front of the Wii, DS, and DS Lite, over the same course of time.

Hard to believe right? What with only a handful of new features, you’d think it’d sell well, but not in front of the others. Game industry site IGN asked Denise Kaigler, Nintendo of America VP of corporate affairs, the same question, garnering this adamant response:

“Sorry, but I’m going to have to strongly disagree with your premise”

According to figure-tracker NPD, the Wii sold 1.52 million, the original DS 1.38 million, and the DS Lite 1.07 million, in their respective three debut months thus backing up her claim and wowing all of us back at home!

Do you have a DSi?

This week’s digital download gives us three new WiiWare titles and one game a piece for Virtual Console and DSiWare. First we have Water Warfare, Hudson’s second first-person shooter on the WiiWare service, though this time rather than alien worlds you are hanging out at the playground and beach. The concept is intriguing, and the game includes quite a few modes (single player, split-screen, and CPU match) for 800 points. Natsume releases Reel Fishing Challenge for 500 points, so for those of you that want to virtually fish but don’t want to shell out for a retail release, you have found your solution. Last on WiiWare is Silver Star Reversi, which is also called Othello by some, and is often found in board game form.

Next up is the Master System sequel to Fantasy Zone, Fantasy Zone II. There are a ton of shoot-em-ups to choose from on Virtual Console, but if you prefer yours to be sugary sweet and as colorful as the rainbow, then Fantasy Zone is where you want to be.

DSiWare gets Sudoku this week for 500 points, with 150 puzzles for both experts and beginners. It certainly qualifies as the perfect pocket time waster, especially at that price. Check the next page for the official release and more info on each title. Downloading anything this week? Or waiting for WiiWare title #100?

The season of rebirth is upon us.‚  Flowers are sprouting up, trees are beginning to bud, and the desolate winter is finally a thing of the past.

What better way to usher in Spring than with a Nintendo DS bundle? I couldn’t think of a better way, could you?

Nintendo revealed today that a green colored DS will hit shelves alongside a special edition Spring bundle on May 3^rd, a week before Mother’s day.

I can’t say I enjoy the new “Spring Green” color, but hey, that’s just me.‚  The bundle however is exciting.

For an undisclosed price you’ll get a green DS, a nifty and ornate carrying case, and the software Personal Training: Cooking which sports more than 245 recipes for the aspiring cook.

Take a peek in the gallery at right for images of the new digs.

We’ve heard all about the epic DSi launch party in America, and we know the tea sipping blokes across the pond love them some Nintendo, but just how many DSi’s were sold this past weekend?

According to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, the revamped portable gaming machine sold 600,000 units in two days, across two continents. ‚ ‚ 300,000 in the United States, and 300,000 in Europe.

The DS family of handhelds recently eclipsed 100 million units worldwide and this massive weekend figure only buffs that total even further.

If you picked up a DSi, what were your deciding factors? Let us know in the comments.

via GamaSutra

Today Nintendo kindly reminds us that the third iteration of the crazy-popular portable gaming system, the DSi will launch this Sunday, April 5^th, and besides having your mind blown by its pure awesomeness, the Japanese video game company announced the five launch titles for the alluring DSiWare service.

Nintendo DSiWare, similar to WiiWare on the Wii, will allow for studios both large and small to release titles of every genre via this download service at varying price increments.

The five launch titles are:

• “WarioWare: Snapped! – Using the built-in Nintendo DSi camera, this outrageous title puts players right at the center of fast-paced mini-games, challenging them to race the clock and get a peek at Wario’s photo album.
  Bird & Beans – Using an elastic tongue, players must scramble to collect falling beans. The harder a bean is to catch, the more points it’s worth.
  Brain Age Express: Math – In this math-focused edition of the popular Brain Age series, players can enjoy a mix of new and familiar training exercises. A new Themes mode also lets Nintendo DSi users experiment with images and voice recordings in fun, unusual ways.
  Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face – This game uses your Nintendo DSi as a prop in a card trick. Draw a face on the touch screen and astound your audience as the face tells them which playing card they picked.
  Art Style: AQUIA- The newest addition to the eye-popping Art Style series, this mesmerizing underwater puzzle game challenges players to help a scuba diver reach the ocean floor by matching a series of colored blocks.”

Furthermore Nintendo is making damn sure we remember that this time around the web browser functionality will not only be free and accessible wherever wifi can be found, but also much, much faster than the sluggish original.

And as an added bonus, Nintendo is tossing 1,000 DSi Points to gamers who connect to the DSi Shop before October 5^th.

At a press conference in Japan this week, Nintendo confirmed what everyone already knew: the DS is getting a touch-up. Officially called the Nintendo DSi, the new system will feature sharper visuals, crisper audio and will allow users to listen to their music library and snap photos with a built in 3 mega pixel camera. While the DSi’s design will stay mostly the same, it will be tweaked where it counts, as it will reportedly feature 17 percent bigger LCD screens and a 12 percent thinner package.

“We are finding ourselves in an unprecedented stage where one of every six people (in Japan) has the DS,” Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told a news conference on Thursday. “We will strive not only to appeal to those households without the DS, but to promote a shift to ‘one DS per person’ from ‘one DS per household’.”

The new unit will also give users access to an online store, similar to that found on the Wii. Nintendo has also promised that the DSi will feature an SD card slot to alleviate any memory concerns and allow players to view their own photos on the system. The new DSi, launching November 1 in Japan and expected mid 2009 in North America is no doubt an attempt by Nintendo to compete with Sony’s PSP and Apple’s iPod, the company’s main competitors on the portable entertainment front.

Also at the conference, Nintendo made every gamer who grew up in the NES era happy when they announced that a new version of Punch Out! will be coming to the Wii in 2009. No further details are known on the game, but it’s expected to use an advanced version of the engine seen in the boxing stages of Wii Sports and Wii fit.

When I was younger, the Official Nintendo Seal of Quality meant the world to me. That little gold emblem ensured that whatever I was about to play was certified by the same people who brought me games like Super Mario Bros, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out and F-Zero.

Something strange has happened to the seal over the last few console generations. Sure, it’s still there — on every product that Nintendo licenses for use on or for its systems, but the Seal of Quality has become known as merely the “Nintendo Seal.” Catch that? The keyword “quality” has mysteriously vanished.

Now, we can all agree that the Wii is one fun little system. Everyone from average gamers to grandma and children can all find something to love on the system. Sadly though, the Wii has also become a seemingly fertile breeding ground for crap games. For every Zelda and Mario, there seems to be a million Ninja Gingerbread man or chicken shoots.

Case in point: Showtime Championship Boxing by repeat offender DSI Games. Everything, from the presentation, design and gameplay mechanics is so sub par, it’s quite laughable until you realize just how much potential this game could have had if released under a different developer.

Showtime Sports has become synonymous with boxing. It’s become one of the premier places to both break new talent and see new stars get their start. Names like Holyfield, Lewis, and De La Hoya have all graced Showtime’s ring from some of the worlds most famous arenas. Too bad you won’t get any of that in the game. There are no licensed elements in the game — at all. Instead we get brawlers with such uninspired names as Lazy Lorenzo, Psycho Sarge and Punching Bag Pat.

Why use the Showtime name if were not even going to get realistic characters?

Sadly, the arenas aren’t much better, but at least there seemed to be an attempt on behalf of the developers to make them familiar. Instead of immortal buildings rich in history, we get bland, buildings named after cities that are supposed to represent actual buildings. For instance, the New York arena is supposed to be Madison Square Garden, Los Angles the Staples Center and Vegas would be Caesar’s Palace. These similarities are in name only as each one looks like a run down bingo hall, with no more than 200 fans in the stands.

You know when you’re grocery shopping and there’s the brand names, then the cheaper, crappier brand X’s of every product? Showtime Championship Boxing feels like the Brand X Boxing title to the great Fight Night series and even the small boxing mini game on Wii Sports. Sure, at first glance it looks similar, but once you actually give it a try you realize just how bad it is, even though it tries so hard to be like those that came before it.

Boxing is based on timing and speed, so it’s a problem when a game cant execute either. In theory, the game controls just like Wii Sports, using the nunchuck and Wii mote as your boxing gloves, delivering jabs and haymakers with your on screen character mimicking your actions. In reality though, the game takes a good two second delay in interpreting your actions on the screen, leaving your boxer open for a pummeling. What’s worse? It seems that no matter what you do, the game will interpret it as a jab.

Motion for an uppercut? Left jab. Haymaker? You guessed it: jab.

With only two real game modes, there isn’t much Showtime Championship Boxing can offer gamers. It’s sad really, this game could have made for a viable opponent to the big boxing titles like EA’s forthcoming FaceBreaker, but instead DSI Games made it a cheap, gimmicky imitation of that which came before. Save yourself some money — stick with Wii Sports.

Quick hits:

Publisher: DSI Games
Developer: DSI Games
Platform: Wii (reviewed), DS
Genre: Sports
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: December 12, 2007

Playability: 1 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 2 out of 5 stars
Sound: 2 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 2 out of 5 stars
Overall: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Four classic board games come to the Nintendo DS in the form of Clue, Mouse Trap, Perfection and Aggravation from DSI Games.

This is a great multiplayer collection because it supports up to six players wirelessly and only costs about $10!

From Amazon:

Clue: Welcome to Tudor Mansion. Your host, Mr. John Boddy, has met an untimely end – he’s the victim of foul play. With six suspects, six possible murder weapons and nine rooms in the mansion there are hundreds of possibilities, and plenty of clues to investigate!

Mouse Trap: Can you build a better Mouse Trap? Find out in this fun-filled game of crazy mechanical gadgets and chain reactions! Race to the finish and nab your opponent’s mouse before your own gets caught!

Perfection: Be the quickest to fit all 25 shapes into the matching spaces. Sixty seconds! That’s all the time you have to complete this, otherwise…Out they pop!

Aggravation: Be the first player to move all four of your colored marbles around the game board from Base to Home. You don’t have to “Aggravate” the other players to win, but it sure helps!

So after months of camping out in front of stores in the freezing cold, you finally got your Wii. Like an eager child, you quickly opened the box and played through the little quirky system’s top titles. You’ve developed tennis elbow from your marathon Wii Sports sessions; you’ve battled from one end of Hyrule to the other in Twilight Princess — hell, you’ve even collected all the stars the cosmos could offer in Super Mario Galaxy. Now you’re looking for that next title to warrant your $250 white box.

Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure is not that title.

In fact, it’s not close. Sea Monsters has almost no redeeming qualities and puts up a good fight for worst game on the system — and that’s saying something.

Sea Monsters is based on an ambitious and interesting CGI documentary produced last year by National Geographic, which showed what many believe the lives of these giant sea creatures were like. DSI games has chosen to forgo all of this and make a game with little to no direction which consists merely of eating, breathing and awkward swimming.

Yeah, that’s the whole game.

The game revolves around guiding your sea monster through the murky depths of the ocean, competing in challenges and collecting fossils. Why prehistoric beasts are collecting fossils is beyond me, but most of the action — and the game’s, uh, progression — revolves around your obtaining them.

It’s through these fossils that new creatures (each with it’s own unique abilities) and challenges are unlocked, but you’ll be hard pressed to make it through the challenges through the force of sheer boredom alone.

Most of the challenges revolve around eating creatures smaller than yours against no time limit or oppressing factor. While this may sound easy, the game’s utterly horrible control system makes even the smallest tasks incredibly difficult and frustrating. Pressing A causes your creature to swim, while the combination of the nunchuck and moving the Wiimote navigates.

Let’s do a simple math equation shall we? Slow moving, lethargic sea monsters plus overly sensitive Wiimote controls equals what? If your answer included anything about frustration or annoyance, you’d be correct. The camera moves too quickly for any of the monsters to keep up, causing you to get turned around and lost in an already confusing map. What’s worse is the fact that when your monsters hits the ocean walls or floor, creatures have a tendency to merge with the walls and get stuck. When this happens there seems to be no other option than to move the Wiimote around like crazy, hoping that some sudden movement will free the creature.

You know a game looks bad when the best compliment you can give is “Well, the load screens don’t look half bad.” While the load screens (merely a picture of a Sea Monster) aren’t that bad, Sea Monsters looks like a first generation N64 game. It’s blocky, pixilated and bland. More often than not, you’ll have trouble distinguishing your character from the others on screen. Yeah, it’s that bad.

Perhaps my biggest pet peeve with Sea Monsters is that it could be so much more. Sure, it was never destined to be a AAA title, but with the inspired source material it could have at least been a decent and game that actually served to educate kids at the same time. Instead, we get a game that no one, should ever play. Ever.

Quick hits:

Publisher: DSI Games
Developer: DSI Games
Platform: Wii (reviewed), PS2, DS
Genre: Is crap a genre? Uh, Adventure?
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: December 27, 2007

Playability: 1 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 1 out of 5 stars
Sound: 0 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 1 out of 5 stars
Overall: 1 out of 5 stars

Bubblegum pop princesses Aly and AJ Michalka make their video game debut on one of what appears to be hundreds of Nintendo DS games launching this holiday season.

The Aly and AJ Adventure is a collection of 15 minigames that take you throughout London, Tokyo, New York and Hollywood, including a dance-off multiplayer mode.

The girls need a new assistant, and that’s where you come in, helping the girls sing their way through a series of adventures.

It’s a cute game, very kiddie. It follows the mantra of “mini games are all the rage” that we’re seeing late.y

This is a benign game that’s great for tweens — it’s 100 percent for girls, so make sure that when your son asks for Orange Box or Halo 3, you don’t grab the game with the two pretty blond girls by accident.

Features:

• 15 Unique Mini-games
• 4 exciting locations – London, Tokyo, New York, and Hollywood
• Help record a music video or rehearse a new song, while Aly & AJ dance and sing on the top screen
• Free-form play allows you to play whatever you’d like – and replay to achieve high-scores
• Go head-to-head with a friend in a “Dance-Off” in multiplayer mode
• Use the stylus for all mini-games
• Fans and new-comers will love the Aly & AJ music and imagery
• Creative art style will be appreciated by the whole family
• Bonus Features include 7 Aly & AJ songs that can be enjoyed anytime – songs include the hits “Chemicals React”, “Insomniatic”, and “Potential Breakup Song”

Quick hits:

Publisher: DSI Games
Developer: DSI Games
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Mini-game collection
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: October 15, 2007

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 5 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars