Never let it be said that the Nintendo Download lacks variety. On the same day that Nintendo launches new water-based puzzle game Fluidity, Korner Entertainment conquers completely the opposite end of the scale with virtual fireplace simulator Fireplacing. DSiWare is equally varied, with portable music studio Rytmik: Rock Edition rubbing shoulders with Oriental tower defence game Dairojo! Samurai Defenders. Virtual Console even gets a double whammy, with a classic 8-way shooter landing alongside a side-scrolling platform shooter about a legendary Monkey King. There's a little something for everyone today.
WiiWare
Fluidity (Nintendo, 1200pts) – Known as Hydroventure in Europe, this is a new physics-based puzzle platformer from Nintendo that sees you take control of a mass of water, able to change states into ice and steam in order to traverse the tricky stages. Our review will be available later this week.
Fireplacing (Korner Entertainment, 500pts) – Light the pinecone, coax the glowing embers into flames and watch as the majestic testament to your incendiary skill burns ever hotter and hotter. Yes, it's a fireplace simulator; we'll put it through its paces and bring you a full review shortly.
Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas (Zallag, 600pts) – A battle-themed off-shoot of Racers' Island: Crazy Racers, we weren't all that keen on either title, as our Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas review explains.
WiiWare Demos
Fluidity – If you're not sure whether to drop 1,200 Points on Nintendo's latest puzzler, this free demo is just what you're after.
Virtual Console
Wolf of the Battlefield: COMMANDO (Arcade, 800pts) – Pinch yourself and take deep breaths: you're not dreaming, this is in fact the return of Virtual Console Arcade to the Nintendo Download. An old-school top-down military shooter, this is classic Capcom arcade action of the era. We'll march our review out later this week.
SonSon (Arcade, 800pts) – No, you're still not dreaming: that's two Virtual Console games on the same day. A combination of 2D platformer and side-scrolling shooter, SonSon is based on the classic tale of the Monkey King. The nature of our upcoming review will be irrepressible.
DSiWare
Rytmik: Rock Edition (Cinemax, 200pts) – An absolute steal at just 200 Points – its original European release cost 800 Points – Rytmik: Rock Edition is the guitar-driven cousin to synth dance studio Rytmik, and a tool any aspiring rock star should pick up. Our Rytmik: Rock Edition review tells you why this one hits the high notes.
Dairojo! Samurai Defenders (Abylight, 800pts) – A tower defence title with shades of the Far East, this comes with a multiplayer Download Play option for local players to face off against each other. We'll rally the troops and bring you a review soon.
Space Ace (Digital Leisure Inc, 800pts) – Remember Dragon's Lair? Space Ace is a spiritual successor set in space, so if you've played Dirk the Daring's adventures you should have a fairly good idea of what to expect. Our own space ace will have a review available later this week.
Fluidity Has WiiWare Service Overflowing with Downloadable Fun
Making its debut on the WiiWare™ service this week, Fluidity invites players to embark on an exciting hydro action adventure by controlling water in various forms. Players can test the waters before diving in by downloading a demo version of the game for zero Wii Points™. Meanwhile, a pair of arcade classics from Capcom – Wolf of the Battlefield: COMMANDO and SONSON™ – are now available via the Virtual Console™ service, letting fans enjoy old-school battle action on the Wii™ system. And if those battles aren’t enough for you, check out Dairojo! Samurai Defenders for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service.
WiiWare
Fluidity
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 1,200 Wii Points; demo version available for 0 Wii Points
Description: A magical illustrated encyclopedia called Aquaticus has been tainted by a vial of evil ink called the Influence. As a pool of water that can take on alternate forms of ice and steam, you must overcome obstacles scattered across the pages of Aquaticus and save it from the corruptive Influence. Tilt and twist your Wii Remote™ controller to use the various forms and properties of water on your free-flowing journey through Aquaticus, where every page has multiple panels and illustrations that come to life. Tackle problems and defeat enemies to reveal magical Rainbow Drops, each of which will restore some of Aquaticus’ power and allow it to open more chapters and grant you new powers. These additional powers, such as sticking to objects as a block of ice or shooting bolts of lightning as a steam cloud, will be essential to destroying the Influence and its minions. Along the way, you can also test your ingenuity and reflexes by finding hidden puzzle pieces. These pieces unlock playrooms that give you the opportunity to use the skills you’ve learned and race against the clock to complete as many challenges as possible. These challenges won’t affect your quest to restore Aquaticus’ powers, but everyone needs a break now and again, right? Fluidity offers the chance to slosh and slide your way through an imaginative environment filled with challenging adventures. Are you ready to dive into this unique experience?
Racers’ Islands - Crazy Arenas
Publisher: ZALLAG
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Do you like unusual motor sports challenges? Racers’ Islands - Crazy Arenas includes five wacky activities/challenges: a golden totem to capture in a lost temple, a wild ascent to an infernal mountain peak, an ice hockey tournament between racing cars, a paintball contest powered by engines and a time bomb to toss to your opponents as quickly as possible. During these frenzied events, players must drive with one hand while aiming with the other.Fireplacing
Publisher: Korner Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Turn your television into a virtual fireplace equipped with realistic graphics and a fire effect that will almost make you want to warm your hands by it. Prepare the wood, light the fire and stoke it. Or, if you prefer, choose the Automatic option to have the fireplace on your screen while you eat with your family, celebrate with friends or dine with your partner. There are fireplaces for every occasion.Virtual Console
Wolf of the Battlefield: COMMANDO
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence, Use of Tobacco
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Experience the Capcom arcade game that spawned a multitude of clones as the original commando comes to your living room courtesy of the Virtual Console service. Take control of Super Joe and shoot your way upwards into enemy territory, using grenades to wreak havoc with enemy placements in this seminal genre creator.
SONSON
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Experience the original adventures of the Monkey King in this action-packed side-scrolling adventure. Rapidly switch between different levels of play to shoot dangerous enemies in the face. A truly original concept, this quirky, old-school arcade classic has been hard to find in the West since its arcade debut in 1984 – until now!Nintendo DSiWare
Dairojo! Samurai Defenders
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: On the awakening of the Edo period, Shoguns fight ferocious battles to win over the Land of the Rising Sun. From Kumamoto to Tsuruga, six emblematic castles are under siege by implacable ninjas attacking from land and air. Strategically position your spears, archers, gunners, generals and cannons. Promote their ranks and wisely employ the smoke bombs and rice balls to your advantage. But don’t get overly confident – the art of war of Hana, the Geisha, is a reminder that appearances can be deceptive. Four game-play modes include Score Attack, Normal Mode, Random Mode and Versus (via DS Download Play). The game also includes a Fast Forward function and several degrees of difficulty.
Space Ace®
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play as the heroic Ace and stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth. Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet. Only two people have the courage and strength to stop Borf and save Earth: the beautiful Kimberly and the heroic Ace. But as they approach Borf’s stronghold, Ace is changed into a child by the Infanto Ray and Kimberly is kidnapped by the evil madman. Space Ace is a fully animated arcade classic from legendary animator Don Bluth. You’ll make your way through bizarre new worlds by using your Nintendo DSi™ system to move and fire your laser gun. Beware of your foes, as they are numerous. The fate of Earth is in your hands.
Rytmik Rock Edition
Publisher: CINEMAX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Rytmik Rock Edition is an application for creating rhythmic and melodic themes and composing full songs. It contains more than 130 carefully selected sound samples of drums, keyboards, bass, lead and rhythm guitars. With Rytmik Rock Edition you can quickly and easily create the basic building block: an audio clip. It consists of musical notations for up to four instruments that you may transpose, select their location in the stereo field and modify their volume, polyphony and echo. You may arbitrarily combine up to 128 such clips in four tracks and create complex pieces of music. You also have a rhythm library and a varied collection of 10 pre-made compositions at your disposal. For the best musical experience, listen using headphones or a quality speaker system (not included).
Comments 71
Woohoo, two VC games! And finally Capcom enters the VC ring in the West.
Thats a nice week for the north americans. Enjoy
Good god two VC games!? Have we all gone mad? This and Fluidity makes for a very surprising update. Not bad for a change.
800 points is too expensive for SonSon though. Its not worth any more than 500 points.
My Word!
Two VC games?
I almost drop my Cup of tea, and my Top Hat!
Ditto Jump. I"m probably get Rytmik and if the demo for Fluidity is good I'll grab it.
So capcom finally made it, huh? How 'bout 1942 while they're at it?
I love how Rytmik: Rock Edition says "for the best musical experience, listen using headphones or a quality speaker system (not included)". I want a free quality speaker system with my download, and I want it now.
Finally, Capcom. I'll be getting Commando for sure.
I really want Black Tiger, though.
Fireplacing? Is that even a verb? To place fire, maybe? I normally have to ignite a fire, I lack the ability to pick fire up and place it elsewhere. I guess I'm just not gifted like that.
I don't see it getting a burning recommendation, if it doesn't spark the reviewer's interest then it's just gonna get flamed. But seriously, it lacks the main function of a fireplace - keeping you warm. And it fails to do what it advertises (going on the screenshots) - it doesn't look at all realistic.
Wow, Nintedno put out a demo on the same day as the WiiWare game? Just wow. Though the 1200 price point pretty much kills it for me I'm game to give the demo a go and see what happens. I guess if PSN can make all their games $15 these can all be $12. That photo of Fluidity looks exactly like 1 of the first levels of Terrover. If that Fireplace gets released on PSN I would consider buying it as it might look "real" but that "My Aquarium" game looked so bad ...
(PS - Not trolling, bought 3 N games for Xmas, just unfavorably comparing.)
"The nature of our upcoming review will be irrepressible" - genius!
SonSon and Commando. Dear Americans, I'm very happy for you.
Glad we finally got some VC games. I already know I don't like Son Son, and I tried out Commando and didn't like it either, unfortunately, but that was on the iPod Touch. Anyone know if the VCA version controls better?
EDIT: Looking at the video, no, no it does not. Oh well.
Ooo, Fluidity looks awesome.
Wow, DSD for 800np's. Didn't see that one coming :/
More download and play love makes up for it though. Can't wait for the review.
I keep looking for an vc arcade game that that you cant already get in a compilation....cheaper. It would be cool to have an excuse to get a vc arcade game some day.
I love that more free demos are going up on the Shop Channel. I'll definitely be testing Fluidity out this evening when I get home from work.
Nice week! I'm definitely getting Fluidity. I'll get the demo too but I'm very confident in this one. Also, 2 VC games!? That's awesome even though I have zero interest in either. As long as Mario Party 2 is out by the end of the year, I'll be happy. Thanks Nintendo!
Double Virtual Console release? Yes please! Solid titles, too.
@Mickeymac: The VCA version just has to control better than on iPod Touch... I have no evidence of this except the fact that one uses buttons and the other does not. I loved Commando growing up.. But I think I'm holding out for Gun.Smoke. Make it happen, Capcom!
DOUBLE!!! MAXIMUM!!! VC!!! AWESOME UPDATE!!!
in other words great update this week
Rytmik: Rock Edition + Another Demo = GOOD WEEK
I'll have to read the review & try out the demo to tell if Fluidity is right for me. Personally, I'm appalled by the graphics.
The really exciting news is that we finally get a demo of a game on the day of release! Of course we don't get demos of anything else. Grrrrr.....
@Crunc: Not the first time it has happened. When Pokemon Rumble came out it had a demo along with it. Although, since this is only the second case of this happening, I'd say Nintendo needs to pick up the frequency of demos on the same day as release.
Double VC? ICE to see you again!
Wow this was a good week
FLUIDITYYYYYY!
I just hope I have enough credits in my account to buy it haha
Tried the demo and Fluidity seems like a very cool game...but it's not my thing. It's like LocoRoco, but more frustrating, and I didn't care much for LocoRoco either.
2 games in a week? Nice! It probably won't happen again for a while though
Want to see more from Fluidity. Glad it gets a demo.
Not just 2 games, but 2 arcade games! I think hell just froze over.
Dear god
faints
Nothing I'd buy, but having two VC games released in one week is pretty cool.
2 VC arcade games in one week? Awesome! Here's hoping we have consecutive VC releases until the end of the month. Will be checking out the Fludity demo too.
2 VC games, and both of which I would be... wow. I too am glad there's a fluidity demo. I'll be waiting on the Fireplacing review, believe it or not. And FTW, this is the most awesome sentence I ready above in the release:
Prepare the wood, light the fire and stoke it
Man, that's just so wrong sounding...
2 VCs in a week! Groovy!
@17 What about Space Harrier?
I'll be picking up the 200 point Rytmic, of course. Thanks Cinemax.
No one is complaining this week? Why Nintendo? You took away the best part of Nintendo Life's comment section! Anyway, Fluidity looks really cool.
TWO VC GAMES!? Sweet.
Commando is good to get, even if you already have Capcom Classics Collection. The VC version offers you the option of stretching the screen to fit your TV. CCC version didn't (something that seriously annoyed me with some of the games on the two CCC that came out on PS2). Finding this out, I'm looking forward to more Capcom VCA releases now!
I wish Konami would get involved with VCA (even show a sign they still support the VC and Wii in general). Would like to play the likes of Gyruss, Contra and Super Contra (arcade versions) stretched out to fit my TV. Then again, Contra NES isn't even on VC yet, so not holding my breath.
Anyone playing Commando getting an itch for the classic Ikari Warriors arcade game?
Played about half the Fluidity demo, I like it better so far than Terrover. I'm a big fan of simple cartoony graphics like Max and the Magic Marker so this looks got to me. And I know it's a book, but I could do without the desktop backdrop, why can't it just zoom into the page after the book motif has been established? Not sure I'll buy it as I have 1000 points sitting there ready to go for weeks, maybe if Mario Party ever comes out and it's 800 I'll get both.
I forgot we got the Pokemon demo the same day as the boys played the demo for about 3 weeks before buying the game w/ a Nintendo Points card Xmas gift. And then they almost never played the game as they had had enough.
Ooh, more demos!
Two vc games?!
The world needs another Space Ace port.
These 2 games are already on the capcom collections for much cheaper.
Meh, nothing for me. Still need to DL those demos and finish Cave Story.
Some stats here: Looked it up at wikipedia's VC release list, and this is the first time since December 21st of last year that VC had two releases in a day (Ninja Gaiden VCA and Super Smash Bros.).
First time for more than one VCA release in one day since it's introduction March 25th, 2009, when 4 were released (Gaplus, Mappy, Star Force, The Tower of Druaga).
I really hope such dry spells as pretty much all of 2010 end in 2011 with the VC's debut on 3DS! If we're lucky, the popularity of it will spill over onto Wii's VC. At any rate, nobody can say Virtual Console is dead when Nintendo is bringing it with their new baby!
Some really good stuff this week. Fluidity is awesome! It's great to see two VC games in an update for a change. I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. Oh and for those of you out there that actually enjoy shovelware, Nintendo has you covered with Fireplacing and Racers' Islands: Crazy Arenas.
Two VC games in one week? Aw man, we aren't going to see another one until February, are we? paranoid
Anyway, looking good this week!
Sweet! Looks like I was right about us entering the annual holiday VC rush. Enjoy retro lovers!
Wow. I am absolutely stunned.
And it's true, Rytmik sounds BEAUTIFUL through stereo earphones.
Sweet 2 vc games! This is the 3rd best week!
Oh my gosh...
is that a heartbeat for the Virtual Console? I hope so!
Faxanadu and additional Capcom arcade games, please
Wow, I remember playing Commando on my dad's C-128. I'll be getting it for sure! (would it be to much too ask for the C-64 version of the game?)
Wow never mind...I'm getting the new Rytmik. 200 points
It's about time we get some more VC games. Okay, so when do we get Yoshi's Island SNES?
Awesome update! Plus a Fluidity Demo! NICE!
Will be picking up Rytmik Rock and possibly Fluidity after I try the demo.
@Bulbasaurus Rex: Sorry, Space Harrier is on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection.
@Token Girl: You're not the only one to realize and predict thus. It's sad we only get decent releases one month out of the full year, but I suppose it's (barely) better than nothing.
That said, the prices for these games are outright insulting (as I find is the case with the vast majority of the VCA offerings), and neither is anything I'm remotely interested in. One the one hand, I'm glad they released them together in one week instead of spreading them thinly across an entire MONTH like they easily could have. On the other, I can't help but see this as a really crappy selection for a December release. Here's hoping for good games next week...
another great week.
another great week
It's nice to see some love for the VC Arcade, but when will we get Namcot's arcade offerings -Solvalu (sp?) and StarBlade? Japan has had them for ages.
Great start for December with Fluidity, but Nintendo, XGen, Nicalis; Machinarium, and NightSky this month pretty please!!! Seriously!
The fluidity demo is great.
Haven't bought a game off the Wii Shop Channel in ages, so Fluidity for me.
I am stunned.
Is anyone getting thirsty?
Yes everyone we got 2 VC games. Calm down...
I really enjoyed the Fluidity demo, but I am balking a bit at the full game price. $12? Still, I may get it. It's a great use of motion controls too - perfect control scheme for this game.
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