April Showers Gaming Fans with Downloadable Action, Racing and Puzzles

In the world of downloadable video games, this week's forecast calls for nonstop showers of awesomeness. A flood watch is in effect as heavy levels of high-quality digital entertainment threaten to disrupt boredom and bad moods across the country. Gale-force fun is expected as games like Ferrari GT: Evolution, System Flaw Recruit and Scrabble Slam! arrive via the Nintendo DSiWare service. Wii owners are advised to stock up on snacks and fresh batteries for their Wii Remote controllers, as new titles for the WiiWare and Virtual Console services may keep them confined to their living rooms for quite a spell.

Meanwhile, the "Big Name Games" section of the WarioWare: D.I.Y. series continues to offer new downloadable microgames created by the industry's most talented designers. This week's entry comes from Edmund McMillen of Team Meat, the studio behind the upcoming Super Meat Boy, which launches for the WiiWare service this summer. New "Big Name Games" will be added every Monday through July 26, all available to download for zero Nintendo DSi Points to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of either WarioWare: D.I.Y. for the Nintendo DS family of systems or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. Visit the Nintendo Channel on your Wii system today to learn more about these games and to see a video of Edmund McMillen creating his original microgame, Meat Boy!

As a special bonus this week, Nintendo Channel visitors can also access a free demo version of the game Picross 3D for the Nintendo DS family of systems. This remarkable new puzzle game is easy to play but hard to put down. It combines the fun of crossword puzzles and sudoku with delightful 3-D images. Players must use logic and deductive reasoning to reveal hidden objects within blocks of numbered cubes. This temporary demo version is available at no charge for a limited time, so log on now to discover the irresistible fun for yourself.

Nintendo DSiWare
Ferrari GT: Evolution
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Join the elite circle of Ferrari car owners and take part in exclusive races around the globe. Take on challenges for fame and pride as the fastest driver of the world's most prestigious car brand. The game includes 32 authentic Ferrari car models: Ferrari California, F430, Enzo Ferrari, F40, Testarossa, 250 GTO and more. Use DS Wireless Play to challenge your friends in heated multiplayer races. Complete driving courses to obtain your driver's license through fun challenges. Master a race track or race through the streets of seven famous cities including Paris, Rome and New York.

DodoGo!
Publisher: Neko Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: DodoGo! is an adventure set in the time of the dinosaurs. Save as many dodo eggs as possible by leading them to safety. The fascinating little eggs love to roll, jump and laugh together, blissfully ignorant of the dangers around them. Get creative with simple tools. Build dynamic structures and modify the terrain with a simple touch of the stylus. Shape, brush, saw, dig and even use explosives. Enjoy more than 100 captivating missions, with bonus levels for a change of pace and lots of surprises.

System Flaw Recruit
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming Ltd.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: This innovative action shooter uses the Nintendo DSi Camera application to turn your surroundings into the playing environment. You have been chosen to take part in the most arduous training program to combat the threat we call the Flaw. The invasion could take place at any time, so we need the best there is. Truly unique and totally physical with 360 degrees of intensity, System Flaw Recruit is the future of hand-held gaming excitement.

Don't Feed The Animals
Publisher: Electron Jump Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Don't Feed The Animals is a strategic defense game about children who have been hoarding their treats all summer in their backyard fort. They've attracted the attention of the local wildlife (the backyard is on the edge of a forest). To defend their treasure, the kids use all the materials at their disposal to create three types of robots: melee, sound and water bots. These bots act like a tower does in a tower defense game, keeping the enemy from the base. Each bot has certain strengths and weaknesses against different enemies. The enemies include bears, raccoons, rabbits, turtles and cats. Play through 50 levels consisting of waves of animals - increasing in difficulty - who attempt to steal the candy. Should a creature reach the base, it will take a treat; this treat must be recovered or it will be lost. Should a boss reach the base, the game is lost. Successfully fend off the animals so the children can enjoy their end-of-summer feast.

Puffins: Let's Roll
Publisher: Other Ocean Interactive
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: The baby puffins need your help! Reunite the missing baby puffin eggs with their mothers in Puffins: Let's Roll. Several eggs have been misplaced, and they're just about ready to hatch. Use an innovative new control scheme to roll the egg around 20 levels of fiendish puzzles. Race against the clock in two exciting game modes: Safely return the egg to its mother in Egg Roll or try to collect all of the Golden Capelin in Capelin Catch. Beware of rocks, trees, ice and other hazards as you roll the eggs back to the safety of their mothers. Take too long or bump into too many obstacles and you'll have a cranky baby Puffin on your hands.

Scrabble Slam!
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Scrabble, long considered to be one of the world's most popular board games, is enjoying a tremendous surge in popularity, both online and in the real world. Scrabble Slam! is a new way to play that challenges players to spell words as quickly as they can.

WiiWare
5 Arcade Gems
Publisher: Nordcurrent
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 700 Wii Points
Description: Welcome to 5 Arcade Gems, a collection of five wacky arcade games. Whether you play alone or together with your friends, you'll definitely find something to suit your taste, be it a medieval knights game or an ultra-modern space shooter. Compete with other knights to beat the Evil Wizard's challenge in Templar Bashing. No hazard gets in the way of the dutiful Pizza Jungle Delivery company, not even the fierce savages who won't tip. Outsmart your competitors in RC Buggy Madness. Demonstrate your skills and reflexes in Lumberjack Trials. And of course, no adventure is complete without some deep-space alien-bursting action in Whirling Rangers.

Brain Drain
Publisher: Enjoy Gaming Ltd.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Brain Drain is a funny and challenging puzzle game. Place the elements of a scrambled puzzle according to a given model. Select elements with your game cursor and spin them to move elements in the puzzle area. Some puzzles may feature malicious game effects that will slow you down during your puzzle solving. There are three game modes to choose from: Challenge (200 fixed puzzles with preset best times to solve and beat), Race (a stream of puzzles and best-time tables to beat in four difficulty levels) and Random (relaxed, random puzzling that continues endlessly).

Virtual Console
THE KING OF FIGHTERS '95
Original platform: NEOGEO
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Alcohol Reference, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: Released in 1995, THE KING OF FIGHTERS '95 is a fighting game that features main characters from the popular Fatal Fury, Ikari Warriors, Psycho Soldier and Art of Fighting games. They return to battle following the release of 1994's THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94. Kyo Kusanagi's rival, Iori Yagami, has also joined the fight to leave his lasting mark on the continuing storyline and on Kyo, the game's hero, so watch out. As with the 1994 release, you'll find three-on-three team battles, a power gauge that lets you store up energy to land a devastating blow, and the one-shot reversal super-special moves unique to the series. On top of all that, this release also adds a new "Team Edit" feature, allowing you to enjoy bouts with a level of strategy like you've never experienced before.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com. For the latest WiiWare games, click here. Click here for a list of games available on Virtual Console.

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Mega Man 4 on Virtual Console

The Blue Bomber is back in another classic released today on Virtual Console, along with a puzzle game on WiiWare.

Bang Attack (WiiWare)Mega Man 4 (NES)

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Survive and Thrive with New Downloadable Games from Nintendo

Which is more difficult to survive: a futuristic robot battle or high school? This week's downloadable game offerings from Nintendo invite you step up and find out for yourself. Mega Man 4 is now available to Wii owners via the Virtual Console service, sending players on a classic mission with one of the all-time great gaming heroes. Meanwhile, Nintendo DSi users can enjoy a more earthly brand of adventure in SURVIVING HIGH SCHOOL for the Nintendo DSiWare service. Other new arrivals include retro gems from Nintendo's Game & Watch series, a hand-held app that lets you create your own digital postcards and a new puzzle game for the WiiWare service that packs a real bang.
We've also got a fresh entry in the WarioWare: D.I.Y. "Big Name Games" series, which spotlights new downloadable microgames created by the industry's most talented designers. This week's microgame comes from WayForward Technologies' Matt Bozon, known for his work on hand-held classics like Shantae and Contra 4. New "Big Name Games" will be added every Monday through July 26, all available to download for zero Nintendo DSi Points to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of either WarioWare: D.I.Y. for the Nintendo DS family of systems or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. Visit the Nintendo Channel on your Wii system today to learn more about these games and to see a video of Matt Bozon creating his original microgame, Shantae NAB!

Virtual Console
Mega Man 4
Original platform: NES
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: A year after the destruction of Gamma and Dr. Wily's defeat at the hands of Mega Man, the world is still at peace. One day Dr. Light receives a mysterious letter from an unknown scientist named Dr. Mikhail Cossack. Dr. Cossack plans to eliminate Mega Man and prove himself the greatest robot designer of all time. It's up to Mega Man to save the day once again. Mega Man 4 provides action-based game play like the earlier games in the series. In Mega Man 4, Mega Man has the ability to charge up energy inside his Arm Cannon, allowing him to fire larger and more damaging blasts.

Nintendo DSiWare
SURVIVING HIGH SCHOOL
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Suggestive Themes, Violent
References
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Welcome to Centerscore High, where the game changes with every choice you make. Of course, some choices are wiser than others. Play the premiere "Football Season" storyline plus seven episodes for hours of game play. Kick off your story-driven adventures as the new kid in school. See if you can earn a spot on the football team and win the heart of cheerleader Beth or goth girl Raven. Unlock custom looks for your character and meet other kids who can help (or hurt) you. You cause all the drama! Continue to play as different guys or girls in other storylines. Work at the bakery and take on a local mobster. Try out for the school play. Meet challenges on the tough side of town. You can even travel to Europe! Master intense minigames and ace pop quizzes along the way. The exclusive Trophy System tracks your results. Earn four "great endings" and unlock a special BONUS EPISODE. The game looks awesome on the Nintendo DSi system, which you hold sideways like a book. Best...high-school game...ever!

Game & Watch: Donkey Kong Jr.
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Donkey Kong is trapped! It's up to Donkey Kong Jr. to snag the key and set his father free from Mario's cage. Help Donkey Kong Jr. avoid crows and alligators as he swings his way to victory. Earn points by unlocking the cage, hitting crows and alligators with pieces of food or jumping over alligators. Receive mistake icons by running into crows and alligators or missing a jump for the key. Receive three mistake icons and it's game over!

Game & Watch: Flagman
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Memorize the order in which flags are raised, then raise them in the same order (GAME A), or raise the correct flag according to the corresponding number (GAME B). Earn a point each time you raise the correct flag, or lose one of your remaining tries if you raise a flag out of order or if you let the time bar run out. The game ends when you have no tries left.

Game & Watch: Ball
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Brush up on your juggling skills with Game & Watch: Ball. Move the juggler's arms to catch the balls. Drop a single ball and it's game over

myPostcards
Publisher: Nnooo
Players: 1
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Create your own postcards and send them to your friends! With myPostcards you can take a picture, write a quick note on it, then save everything as a postcard. Just open your Nintendo DSi system, take a photo and go. You can even customize your postcards by using 32 built-in background themes, various collectible stamps and unlockable elements. Create postcards for any occasion. Use the pen or pencil tools to write or draw. Simply erase anything you don't like. Five different inks let you add an extra splash of color to your words and your drawings.

WiiWare
Bang Attack
Publisher: Engine Software
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Bang Attack is a fun, colorful puzzle game for players young and old. You don't have to learn how to play Bang Attack - just pick it up as you go along. The objective is to find identical objects and smash them with your little hammer. Once you have enough points, you can use the Wii Remote controller to swing with the BIG hammer. If there's a banana in the way, simply whack it off the screen. If you have two Wii Remote controllers, you can challenge another player and find out who's the real champ. It's not easy, though. You'll have to deploy tactics and speed at precisely the right moment. You'll also need to use special bonus objects to hinder your opponent in order to win. Bang Attack features 40 levels over four crazy worlds, ensuring hours of fun for the whole family.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com. For the latest WiiWare games, click here. Click here for a list of games available on Virtual Console.

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Nintendo Reveals Hardware and Software Lineup for the First Half of 2010

Nintendo of America issued a surge of new information today about what consumers can expect from the company in the coming months. Let's get right to it:

•The new Nintendo DSi XL hand-held system launches March 28 at a suggested retail price of $189.99. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL are 93 percent larger than those of the Nintendo DS Lite model, providing a more vivid and engaging play experience. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL also feature a wider viewing angle, letting friends and family members join the fun. The new system launches in both Burgundy and Bronze colors, and comes loaded with pre-installed premium software Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio. Nintendo DSi XL will also come with a larger pen-like stylus that allows for a more comfortable grip and enhanced ease of use when playing games that use the Nintendo DS touch screen. America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking and WarioWare: D.I.Y. will also launch for the Nintendo DS family of products on March 28, providing consumers with new content that can be enjoyed on any Nintendo DS system. Games like these demonstrate the enhanced experience available with the Nintendo DSi XL.
• Super Mario Galaxy 2 , the sequel to the smash-hit galaxy-hopping original game, launches May 23 for the Wii console. The game includes the amazing gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge and delight players. On some stages, Mario can pair up with his dinosaur buddy Yoshi and use his tongue to grab items and spit them back at enemies. Players can also have fun with new items such as a drill that lets our hero tunnel through solid rock.
• Metroid: Other M , the incredible new Metroid game developed for Wii through a collaboration by Nintendo and the world-renowned Team Ninja, launches June 27. The game looks at the classic franchise from a new perspective: While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran's past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages.
• In a unique partnership with Square-Enix, Nintendo of America will publish Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies in the Americas when the game arrives in summer 2010. Dragon Quest IX has sold more than 4.15 million copies in the Japanese market. Nintendo and Square-Enix will now work together to bring this title to the Nintendo DS consumer base in the Americas.
• Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri , an epic action game for Wii, launches in the United States on April 20. The game lets players customize their character, armor and weapons in order to protect a town from majestic monsters as that town rebuilds following a devastating earthquake. Online play will be available for all players with broadband Internet access at no additional cost. Online text chat is fully functional and online voice chat is enabled using the Wii Speak microphone, which is sold separately. At a suggested retail price of $59.99, limited quantities of Monster Hunter Tri will include the new Black Classic Controller Pro, while both Black and White versions of the controller will be available separately at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also be available without a controller at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
• Sin and Punishment: Star Successor , the breakthrough shooter game for Wii from legendary developer Treasure, will launch across North America on June 7. The game features nonstop action with two playable characters and international online leaderboards to track high scores. Using the Wii Remote pointer functionality, the game offers unprecedented precision in the shooter genre.
• FlingSmash for Wii will test players' Wii Remote skills as they bounce a ball-like hero through countless side-scrolling stages, combining the precision of racket sports with the unpredictable fun of pinball. Playable only with the Wii MotionPlus accessory, the game will launch this summer.
• Picross 3D is poised to become a puzzle game phenomenon when it launches for the Nintendo DS family of products on May 3. In Picross 3D, players start with a cube and smash away smaller blocks to reveal an object, shape or symbol. Delivering more than 350 unique puzzles and more made available for download on a regular basis after launch via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet access required), the game takes the mind-bending fun of Picross into the next dimension.
• 100 Classic Books transforms the Nintendo DS family of products into a library of timeless literature when it launches on June 14 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, highlighted by 100 works from authors such as William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and more. Readers can adjust the size of text, place bookmarks and even download new content via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet connection required).
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from Ubisoft will launch May 18 on both the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Boasting amazing graphics with fantastic action and puzzle-solving game play, the Wii version will be the first in franchise history to feature a two-player cooperative experience. As an added bonus, the Wii version of the game will exclusively include the 1992 Super NES version of the original Prince of Persia game.
• Disney Guilty Party is the official title of the highly anticipated first collaboration between Disney Interactive Studios and its recently acquired studio, Wideload Games. The fun and hilarious mystery party game is set for release in the second half of 2010, exclusively for Wii.
• Majesco's Nintendo DSi exclusive Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal uses incredible augmented reality technology through the Nintendo DSi Camera. Launching this October, the game lets players become a ghost hunter as they interact with the paranormal.

Nintendo also announced a variety of games available to download directly to the Wii console from the Wii Shop Channel via the WiiWare service, and directly to the Nintendo DS via the DSi Shop and DSiWare services. For WiiWare:

•Launching on March 1, Capcom's Mega Man 10 builds upon the huge impact of Mega Man 9, a completely new adventure rendered in classic 8-bit style. This new game looks and sounds as awesomely retro as its predecessor.
• Launching on March 8, Max & the Magic Marker from Press Play turns the Wii Remote into an orange magic marker that's literally magic. Players draw lines and objects to help Max reach objects and his ultimate goal.
• The long-awaited indie cult classic Cave Story comes to WiiWare with new game play, artwork and music enhancements on March 22. It's classic gaming reborn for 2010.
• Launching on March 29, WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase is a standalone product exclusive to the WiiWare service and available only from the Wii Shop Channel. The game contains more than 70 new microgames and features interoperability with the WarioWare: D.I.Y. game for the Nintendo DS family of products. Players that own both games can transfer content between the two via a local wireless connection, and can even play user-created microgames on their television using WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase.
• As the techno music pulses, Nintendo's Art Style: light trax puts players in charge of a white beam of light as it engages in a surreal race against other beams across a dark track. Players must keep away from obstacles, use items and look for power boosts if they want to finish first. Art Style: light trax launches this spring.
• Swim and spin through the primordial ooze in Nintendo's Art Style: Rotozoa as you absorb tiny organisms that match the colors of your tentacles. As you absorb more organisms, your tentacles grow. The challenge increases as additional tentacles are gained, but power-ups can help you survive and thrive. Art Style: Rotozoa launches this spring.
• Launching this spring, Rage of the Gladiator from Ghostfire Games is an intense fighting game that asks players to perfect their well-timed moves against an array of opponents. The game is compatible with the Wii MotionPlus accessory
• Launching this spring, And Yet It Moves from Broken Rules requires players to rotate the world to help their line-drawn protagonist progress. Walls become floors and floors become ceilings in this surreal twist on the platformer genre.
• Launching this summer, Independent Games Festival Seumas McNally Grand Prize Finalist Super Meat Boy from Team Meat sets a cube of meat off on an adventure to save Princess Bandage. This off-the-wall game is not for the faint of heart.

For Nintendo DSiWare:

•Nintendo's Photo Dojo is poised to be the cult hit of 2010 when it launches this spring. The game first asks players to pose for 13 pictures and input 10 sound effects. Once that's done, the player becomes the main character in a hilarious side-scrolling fighting game. Create up to eight characters and do battle alone or against a friend on a single Nintendo DSi or Nintendo DSi XL system.
• Launching this spring, Nintendo's Metal Torrent delivers a frantic barrage of gunfire that fills the screen. Players try to convert opponents' bullets into cubes that, when collected, increase their score and fill an energy meter that powers special weapons. Online Leaderboards record scores and movies of top games.
• Launching this spring, X-Scape from Nintendo immerses players in an exploratory adventure involving more than 20 planets. Players will pilot their tank through 3-D tunnels, fire at enemies and even battle ancient weapons that resemble giant robots.

"Nintendo finished 2009 with a bang, and we're continuing our momentum into 2010," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "With Nintendo DSi XL, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M coming in the first six months of the year, we're making sure all our fans have great game content to enjoy year-round."

Remember that Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Classic Controller Pro US release

North American users can now get their hands on the Classic Controller Pro. Formerly only available in Japan, they come in white or black and are priced at $19.99.

I like how the cable comes out the top of this one, it bothers me slightly the other way around.

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Dive: The Medes Islands Secret interview

A few days ago we saw the trailer for Dive: The Medes Islands Secret, a WiiWare game in the making. Cosmonaut Games, the developers were kind enough to answer a few questions on it.

WW: Hello, could you introduce yourself and describe your role at Cosmonaut Games?

My name's Jose A. Giacomelli but everybody calls me Giaco. I am 40 years :( and I had my first video game at 8, and then when I was 15, I got a Spectrum 48K. From that moment on I've got a Commodore 64, an Amiga, an MSX and a lot of PCs. I am very lucky as I've been managing different video game projects since 2001, and besides I have cooperated in PC projects, for Arcade machines, Slot machines, etc.

We created the commercial mark Cosmonaut Games at 2009, when we developed our first game: 5 Spots Party and nowadays, I am working as producer and game designer in Cosmonaut Games, settled in Barcelona (Spain).

WW: The trailer for Dive: The Medes Islands Secret looked great. Can you tell us more about the game?

The game looks great too! We have worked very hard to create these videos because we really tried to do our best to transmit the video game's grip and create high expectation. We thought it up last Summer and felt that a 2D platform genre would be a great idea.

5 Spots Party helped us to understand how the market works and how Nintendo is. We wanted our next title to be more advanced and to obtain good graphical results and an entertaining game.

We created a very elaborate script for a platform and we set internally different objectives: fun, graphics quality and gameplay duration.

We think that we'll really satisfy the players' prospects. The game lasts about 5 non-linear hours and if the players insists on obtaining all the achievements it can even last 7 hours. We have created a script game with a double objective which will extend the gameplay duration. Scenarios are quite big and full of enemies, caves, treasures and surprises. The players will enjoy it a lot!!

WW: In terms of controls, is the Nunchuk used or is everything done on the Wii Remote?

We have had a lot of internal discussion about the controls and at the end we decided to use only the Wiimote. With the pointer we can direct John Sanders and aim and shoot the enemies. When pressing and holding the B button the character swims. Pressing B twice you can give him an extra impulse. Button A shoots tranquilizer darts and the Control Pad let us see the map and activate the torch.

WW: With enemies like sharks and jellyfish, does combat feature in the game a lot? Or do you mainly try to avoid them?

The objective of the game is to find treasures but it's really difficult due to enemies. There are a great variety of aggressive enemies or mere obstacles but most of them just chase you, they are hidden behind the rocks and you lose a lot of oxygen because of them. Your speargun has very few darts so you have to ration them and reload your speargun looking for charges under the sea to pass the different levels.

WW: Since the game is based on a real-life place (The Medes Islands), have you been on location to learn about it? :)

;) Yes! Of course! I went to Medes and to Creus Cape. But I couldn't see in detail the rest of the Isles L. We have used Google and Wikipedia to learn about the history of the different locations we have chosen. In the case of the Medes Islands, a few Catalan institutions helped us with pictures and very valuable information for the game. We have not been able to reproduce the bottom of the sea at every level but all the pictures they sent us were very useful to inspire us to create the final result.

WW: Your blog indicates the game is already finished; do you have a release date yet?

Not yet. We are just testing it. We are in the final stage and very close to the release, but I don't know the fixed date. I will notify you as soon I know it.

Thank you Rob, Travis and WiisWorld to give us the chance to explain more about this wonderful game. I hope you all enjoy it playing it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

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Look Out for Numero UNO with New Game Downloads from Nintendo

You needn't be bilingual to appreciate the first of this week's fantastic downloadable game offerings. Like the classic card game upon which it's based, the new UNO game for the WiiWare service is all about inclusive, social fun that anybody can pick up and enjoy. Other fresh WiiWare fare includes the inventive puzzle title bittos+ and the hidden-object game "Aha! I Found It!" The Nintendo DSiWare service welcomes a trio of diverting hand-held delights this week: the strategy-based NUMBER BATTLE, the arcade-style AiRace: Tunnel and the action-packed Escapee GO! Last but not least, Virtual Console fans should prepare to vanquish spooky specters with the arrival of a true Super NES classic, Ghoul Patrol.

WiiWare
UNO
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Get ready to call "UNO" on your Wii 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 Remote 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 DSiWare
NUMBER BATTLE
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
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.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com. For the latest WiiWare games, click here. Click here for a list of games available on Virtual Console.

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