Oh, the horror!
We are spared of another no VC week!
Nintendo of Europe already had all DSiWare and WiiWare releases for today listed on their site or a while, but curiously enough, there was no Virtual Console game. Thankfully, they've chosen to release one anyway!
Earthworm Jim 2 offers more crazy platforming action with everybody's favourite worm in a suit, and it does so pretty well. However, the developers chose to intersperse more non-platforming stages than in the first game, and that's why this game isn't as good as its predecessor - Some of them are just far too frustrating and/or difficult to pass, which bogs down the overall experience a bit. We'll have a full review soon. Oh yeah, and before you ask, it's the Mega Drive version again!
You might think Mahjong for WiiWare is a Mahjong game, but you'd be surprised to find out that it actually isn't. It is in fact Shanghai, which uses Mahjong tiles but is a completely different game. Now, do some thinking - What game did we get on Virtual Console just last week? That's right - Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye. This version quite likely offers a lot more, but it's still very weird that we didn't have a single Shanghai game available before and now suddenly got two in two weeks! We'll have a review soon. It costs 500 Wii Points.
Also on WiiWare is Happy Holidays: Christmas, which is likely to be exactly the same as the Halloween version, just with Christmas-themed content. And that likely also means it'll be just as bad. It also costs 500 Wii Points.
DSiWare apparently gets the spotlight this week, though, because there's four new releases! Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes is a platformer from EA, in which you can put your own face on various characters and objects using the DSi's built in camera. It's a bit simple and won't provide much of a challenge to experienced gamers, but for younger players it could be worth checking out. It comes in at a steep 800 DSi Points!
A Little Bit of... Magic Made Fun: Matchmaker is yet another "small" version of the retail game. This one seems to be for all those guys who have a girlfriend but aren't married yet - You can ask any person to answer some questions, after which the game will (lie?) and tell them that said answers are exactly the same as yours, instantly making them fall in love with you. At least, we hope that would happen! We'll review it soon. It costs 200 DSi Points.
Just Sing! Christmas Songs has got to be the most bizarre game this week - It's DSiWare's first karaoke game and seemingly only has two songs, both of which are, you guessed it, Christmas-based. It's only 200 DSi Points though, so we can't complain too much! We'll have a review soon.
The final DSiWare release this week is actually sort of a rerelease - myNotebook: Red is exactly the same as the previously released myNotebook: Blue, just with red lines on its paper instead of blue. If red is your favourite colour you'll likely want this one most, but if you already got the blue version then the only use this will have is extra space. It's only 200 DSi Points and could come in handy.
Still not quite as much as North America, but we're getting there! Are you getting anything?
User Comments
1. LinktotheFuture
03 Dec 2009, 23:56 GMT
Not too bad. Hopefully you'll get Super Mario Kart soon.
2. Adamant
03 Dec 2009, 23:58 GMT
"You might think Mahjong for WiiWare is a Mahjong game, but you'd be surprised to find out that it actually isn't."
I'm not surprised. Annoyed, but not surprised. 99% of all non-Japanese games that claim to be mahjong games are really shanghai games.
3. vakama94
03 Dec 2009, 23:58 GMT
well, at least we are getting mynotebook this monday
4. Bass X0
03 Dec 2009, 23:58 GMT
It will probably be Christmas now. Nintendo likes to deny us games until certain dates. Still, Earthworm Jim 2 is a good game though and should please anyone who downloads it.
5. Sneaker13
03 Dec 2009, 23:59 GMT
That's a weird tagline "We are spared of another no VC week!" while we got that Shanghai game last week.
Anyway, very disappointing. I was hoping for Excitebike and A Boy and his Blob. But I bought LostWinds now and I'm stunned, what a beauty of a game.
6. Terra
04 Dec 2009, 00:00 GMT
I reckon we're gonna get three 1 star releases for this week. Matchmaker, Happy Holidays and Just Sing! and this is me being optimistic
7. Drake
04 Dec 2009, 00:04 GMT
@Sneaker13: But the week before that we got none, and it was looking like we were getting none this week as well.
8. cheetahman91
04 Dec 2009, 00:07 GMT
NL seriously needs to consider adding 0/10's because I know what definitely should get one.
9. double sunday
04 Dec 2009, 00:08 GMT
i have a feeling we might just get eathworm gim 2 on monday
10. Croz
04 Dec 2009, 00:08 GMT
Hope Wiiware gets better soon, now that EWJ2 is out, if we get Sonic & knuckles next week i'd be quite happy with VC for awhile.
11. dsc
04 Dec 2009, 00:12 GMT
The reason about Mahjong vs. Shanghai is that "Shanghai" is trademarked by Activison in the US and by Sunsoft in Japan. "Mahjong" is no trademark so free to use and therefore more used.
12. double sunday
04 Dec 2009, 00:12 GMT
now if we get super smash bros 64 and pilot wings i would be very happy
13. Tony
04 Dec 2009, 00:13 GMT
EJ 2 is an awesome game and I recommend anyone in EU to pick it up. Its very funny too.
14. Giggsy
04 Dec 2009, 00:30 GMT
Not the best update, come on Mario Kart, Worms etc.
15. Kevin
04 Dec 2009, 00:46 GMT
Earthworm Jim 2. Nice.
16. buffalobob
04 Dec 2009, 00:54 GMT
I thought that EW2 was pretty cool. I would download it as soon as it arrives here.
17. Ristar42
04 Dec 2009, 00:59 GMT
Another poor week, I assume EJ2 is in 50Hz & nothing else of interest for me...
18. bro2dragons
04 Dec 2009, 01:04 GMT
when EJ2 hits the western shores, i'll be running, jumping, shooting, and head-whipping all over the place in sheer, unadulterated nostalgic bliss for days. if you guys don't see alot of me during that time.... it's because i'm having some alone time with a worm.
19. Sylverstone
04 Dec 2009, 01:11 GMT
Just Sing! is bizarre.... I mean, only two carols? At least 5 would've been fine.
Though I fear the fate of these seasonal games as they will lose their luster when the holidays is over.
Waiting for Just Sing's review (I predict a 2 or 3, the highest possible would be a 5).
20. mrlimbo
04 Dec 2009, 01:16 GMT
God it just goes from bad to worse , why bother releasing anything if this is all they can do , im losing faith !
21. JayArr
04 Dec 2009, 01:35 GMT
Hi I'm American. Over here Mahjong = Shanghai. So that means this now applies to everyone. Haha. Give us a millimeter and we take a mile!
22. derk711
04 Dec 2009, 01:41 GMT
earth worm jim 2 is so good...
23. Angelic Lapras King
04 Dec 2009, 01:43 GMT
Sega seem to be getting long overdue MD games out the way, which could mean S+K anytime soon!
24. Fuzzy
04 Dec 2009, 02:11 GMT
Not too bad. Ill be getting EWJ2 very soon. Groovy!
25. vio
04 Dec 2009, 03:11 GMT
Yayyy! EWJ2! About time!
26. Ezekiel
04 Dec 2009, 04:07 GMT
Not a bad week for europe.
27. Mario maniac
04 Dec 2009, 04:57 GMT
I'm fairly certain this new Master of Illusion/Magic Made Fun mini-game is an actual new trick. I've never seen it in the retail version -- and please don't say it actually is in the review for it, like what happened with Mind Probe. = /
28. Egg miester
04 Dec 2009, 05:01 GMT
nice with earthworm jim 2
29. FATEM
04 Dec 2009, 06:06 GMT
So yeah. The only 200 point game that I hear about and think "That could be pretty fun." isn't even released in Australia.
30. 04 Dec 2009, 07:20 GMT
Nothing too interesting, I like Earthworm Jim though, he's neat lookin'.
31. Pj
04 Dec 2009, 07:26 GMT
Christmas Day for Super Mario Kart I think.
32. KDR_11k
04 Dec 2009, 07:32 GMT
I'll just call that pathetic (already have EWJ2 and don't like it much).
33. Lurch
04 Dec 2009, 07:55 GMT
when i read EJW2, i shouted "YES!" and clapped my hand over my head.
)
Loved the first game, second one's also one hell of a zany platformer (although i never beat the major muckus stage
34. Rensch
04 Dec 2009, 08:20 GMT
And once again Nintendo tortures us by not releasing Super Mario Kart.
35. maka
04 Dec 2009, 08:37 GMT
What a bad week. Where's Excite Bike???
36. Mendez
04 Dec 2009, 09:10 GMT
I was hoping for A Boy And His Blob... glad we got Earthworm Jim 2 at last though.
37. Sean Aaron
04 Dec 2009, 09:38 GMT
@dsc: yet many other companies have released the same game with other names: Taipei (Microsoft) and Kyodai right off the top of my head. I blame the creator of the original freeware version who called it Mah-Jongg because it was inspired by a Chinese children's game played using mahjong tiles.
38. 3230
04 Dec 2009, 11:34 GMT
not a great week for dsiware. maybe Foto Face could be good for kids. but all this A Little Bit of....(dont make me use bad word here:-)) just annoying me. nintendo should better think of DSi VC instead. 2 songs Karaoke - yeah its a nice game for a whole family or even whole pub
and finaly ... Note Book ... again? I am not sure it is useful or anyway fun at all. and why not wait a little... come on ! stop releasing those notebooks already! 
39. MAddogz
04 Dec 2009, 11:49 GMT
Cool EWJ 2, but why again the crappy MD version???
The SNES version is far superior. Remember Jim the blind caveworm salamander??? My favourite level. Puppy Love was just insanely hard!!!
40. MAddogz
04 Dec 2009, 11:59 GMT
@Adamant: that game isn't Shanghai Mahjong. Shanghai Mahjong is with the flowers to double, triple, quadribble your points if u win or negative points if u loose the game. Well it only matters if u play for money.
This is a patience version of Mahjong, that just uses the tiles of a Mahjong game.
This is real Mahjong, with all play types:
http://www.mahjongtime.com/Mahjong-Game-Info.html
U can play it online against real players on this site for free.
41. CH405K1N6
04 Dec 2009, 12:24 GMT
I am going to f*cking kill the next person who posts a comment like this:
"God it just goes from bad to worse , why bother releasing anything if this is all they can do , im losing faith !"
42. outrun2sp
04 Dec 2009, 12:33 GMT
Im not a fan of games by Dave Perry but the megadrive version would surely be better as that is the hardware it was written on.
43. MAddogz
04 Dec 2009, 12:53 GMT
well the sound is way better on the snes, the colors are better and even the control is better...
44. Amorous Badger
04 Dec 2009, 12:54 GMT
Meh, where's Monkey Island?
45. Ninten
04 Dec 2009, 13:25 GMT
I never liked EWJ2 as much as the 1st one.
46. Drake
04 Dec 2009, 14:35 GMT
@MAddogz: Both pale in comparison to the PC version
47. MAddogz
04 Dec 2009, 14:47 GMT
sega saturn version is the definate version, it even has an extra level
48. Sean Aaron
04 Dec 2009, 15:51 GMT
@MAddogz: Adamant is referring to the name Activision gave to their patience game, Shanghai. I think he's well aware of what actual mahjong is.
49. Mike
04 Dec 2009, 16:24 GMT
@35. Rensch
There have been only 2 updates without Super Mario Kart. Try being in America and still not having SSB! Still, I think both Europe and America will get those games for Christmas; Europe will get SMK and America will get SSB.
50. bestbuck
04 Dec 2009, 17:37 GMT
I have 1800 points on my Wii and I'm keeping that for Super mario kart and Excitebike. I'm never putting another point on my Wii after that. (maybe if Stunt Race FX came up I might) but that's it because all Nintendo are trying to do is sell us crap. I'm really annoyed with Nintendo. I'm soon to be an ex fan and that makes me sad.
51. Sneaker13
04 Dec 2009, 18:29 GMT
@50, try being in Europe and look up the forum list with which game US have and Europe don't. We have waited months for LiT and by the looks of it, we will be waiting that long for Excitebike too.
52. TheLonelyGamer
04 Dec 2009, 21:42 GMT
Cool! Earthworm Jim 2! Not as good as the first Earthworm Jim though, but still a pretty good game!
53. deadly.by.design
04 Dec 2009, 22:08 GMT
EWJ2 is the MD version? Yuck. I think EWJ2 is a lot funnier and creative than the original, but a little too goofy to be as much of a classic.
Maybe I'll just buy the whole PC version pack on Steam.
54. Mike
05 Dec 2009, 04:24 GMT
@52. Sneaker13
That may be true, but it still doesn't excuse the fact that America doesn't have SSB yet (although we will finally before the end of the month).
55. supbilly
05 Dec 2009, 10:45 GMT
No Super Mario Kart... unbelievable!!
56. Bass X0
05 Dec 2009, 13:17 GMT
They'll be keeping it for Christmas. This is so typical of them. I wouldn't expect it before.
57. supbilly
05 Dec 2009, 15:35 GMT
@57. Yeah you're probably right. It's annoying as I had this week off work, and had it been released simultaneously with the US, I could have spent all week playing it!
58. Sneaker13
06 Dec 2009, 00:12 GMT
@55 Mike, So one game justify that we are waiting on 39 US exclusives (against 10 from EU) and 33 US VC against 22 EU. It's just not fair. We have waited nine (9) months on LiT and by the looks of it, Excitebike is going in the same direction.
59. WolfLink22
07 Dec 2009, 03:15 GMT
Those of you wanting Super Mario Kart in AU and Europe i bet NOE gives it to you for Christmas.Just wait and see come Friday December 25th.
60. LEGEND MARIOID
08 Dec 2009, 10:04 GMT
That's an almost insulting update IMO.