News Tagged: Japanese Releases
Nintendo Download: 24-25 November 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare is back and the MSX returns with a vengeance, plus DSiWare and more Namco Arcade games!
Japan gets a lot of downloads ordinarily, but next week must be setting some kind of record - and there's not even a public holiday to account for it! WiiWareOkiraku Kart Wii (500pts - Arc System Works) - You cannot keep the Family down, especially if there's a chance to attempt to ride Mario Kart's..
News: Phoenix Wright Series Coming To WiiWare
Courtroom drama will adopt an episodic format
The latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu has confirmed that Capcom's cult legal video gaming series Phoenix Wright is coming to Nintendo's WiiWare service, with the first instalment hitting the Japanese Wii Store next month. The series, which is known in Japan as "Gyakuten Saiban", has previously been released on the Game Boy Advance and..
Nintendo Download: 04 November 2009 (Japan)
Japan converges the dates and a long lost Virtual Console system returns from the dead!
It's always seemed a bit strange that the download days were different for DSi and Wii and apparently Nintendo agrees since Wii and DSi downloads will both be appearing on Wednesdays starting next week. Only one WiiWare release and two VC releases appear for the Wii, though Virtual Console fans will be excited..
First Impressions: Shadow Walker (Japan)
Unconventional puzzling for the kiddies.
This game kind of came out of nowhere, but there does seem to be few WiiWare games concerning shadows on the horizon: Nicalis' Night Game and Hudson's Tower of Shadow being the ones that spring immediately to mind. Shadow Walker's story isn't completely clear seeing as it's relayed storybook-style with a lot of Japanese text. There's a boy with yellow hair..
First Impressions: Bit.Trip VOID
Could the third time be yet another charm?
Gaijin Games has really earned a place in many a retro-gaming fan's heart with their old, old-school Bit.Trip series on WiiWare. It's one of the shining examples of how good download games can really be: updated Atari 8-bit graphics with jazzed-up special effects and a soundtrack that's enhanced by the gameplay. The appeal of these games is cross-border,..
First Impressions: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth
Worth getting your teeth into?
The Castlevania series of action platformers is widely regarded as containing some of the best games on the Famicom, and indeed home consoles full-stop, with top-notch instalments on Super Famicom, PC Engine, Playstation and handheld platforms to name a few. Needless to say the news that the first GameBoy game was being given the WiiWare ReBirth treatment by Konami..
Nintendo Download: 27-28 October 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare is back with a vengeance and Japan gets its teeth into Castlevania: Rebirth
After a hiatus Japanese download services are back in top form with 4 new WiiWare releases, 4 new VC releases and (only) 3 DSiWare titles - not too shabby! WiiWareSimple Series Vol. 5: The Judo (700pts - D3Publisher) -- A first-person judo game featuring local 2-player splitscreen multiplayer and online..
Nintendo Download: 20-21 October 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare returns, Dig Dug and more Tower DS!
After a two-week hiatus WiiWare returns, though given we're getting a card game, it's a bit anti-climactic. WiiWareUNO (800pts - Gameloft) -- Gameloft again honours Japan with the first look at a WiiWare title (their last entry, Ghost Mansion Party still hasn't seen release in other territories). Online UNO could be fun (judging from screens it has Mii..
News: First Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth Screens Appear
Latest issue of Famitsu provides a closer look at the highly-anticipated dose of retro goodness.
Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has provided the world with a first look at Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth. The screens show the typical Gothic look we've come to love and expect from Konami's vintage series. The game appears to follow the classic linear / stage-based formula as opposed to the..
Nintendo Download: 13-14 October 2009 (Japan)
WiiWare keeps on resting with VC and DSiWare action for Japanese downloaders next week.
Incredibly it appears we're having a second consecutive week with no WiiWare releases in Japan, but with three more VC titles (including a much-loved Kirby release) and five DSiWare releases, it's hard to complain. Virtual ConsoleKirby Super Deluxe (800pts Super Famicom - Nintendo) -- Known in North America as..
News: Nintendo Download 29-30 September 2009 (Japan)
Things are back on track with a 2-4-7 week!
After another download holiday Japanese downloaders (and their importing compatriots) are having a week that's more VC than WiiWare and more DSiWare than anything else. WiiWareHamekomi Lucky Puzzle Wii Returns (500pts - Tryfirst) -- This is the sequel to the game known as NEVES Plus elsewhere: a puzzle game where you need to use geometric shapes to fill..
First Impressions: Derby Dog (WiiWare)
This breed needs a little more refinement.
Pet sims have been all the rage with the "yoof" for some time; especially on the Nintendo DS with scads of games having words ending with "Z" instead of the more grammatically correct "S." Derby Dog for the Japanese WiiWare service is clearly designed to cash-in on this trend, however instead of simply raising a happy pet to..
First Impressions: Minna de Tobikome! Penguin Diving Hooper Looper
Jumping off a cliff can be fun!
"Everybody dive!" is part of the title of Agenda's newest WiiWare game to hit the Japanese Wii Shop, and that is what this game is all about: diving off cliffs – as penguins are known to do – for big points! Of course this isn't March of the Penguins, so the penguins in this game aren't dropping off little icebergs, but plummeting off of cliffs so high..
Nintendo Download: 15-16 September 2009 (Japan)
The magic numbers next week are 3-3-4 as WiiWare makes a reappearance in Japan.
After a wee holiday from the Japanese download service, WiiWare has come back with three new titles along with three Virtual Console titles and four DSiWare titles for happy downloaders everywhere. WiiWareMinna de Tobikome Penguin Diving Hooper Looper (500pts - Agenda-Game) – A "racing" game involving diving..
News: Nintendo Download 01-02 September 2009 (Japan)
Another WiiWare holiday, but a few VC games and some DSiWare makes up for it.
After last month's WiiWare windfall it shouldn't be a surprise that Japan is taking a little break from the service. Don't feel too bad for them, because there's three VC titles to tide over Wii downloaders and a few DSiWare titles from Nintendo as well. Virtual ConsoleTaikoo Risshinden (Super Famicom 800pts - Koei) -- A..
First Impressions: Discipline (WiiWare - Japan)
Art-house gaming comes to WiiWare.
Discipline is a WiiWare game long-rumoured and only recently revealed. As possibly the most unusual game to yet grace the service, it game centres around a prison called Discipline, wherein you control a character apparently posing as an inmate. It's difficult to tell what exactly is happening because text plays a huge part in the game, with a lot of written..
First Impressions: Simple Series Vol. 4 - The Misshitsu Kara no Dasshutsu (WiiWare - Japan)
Not quite Steve McQueen...
Well, Simple Series Vol. 4 - The Misshitsu Kara no Dasshutsu is quite a mouthful, so for the purpose of these impressions please forgive the re-titling of this game with the shorter, but still thematically correct name Room Escape.D3 Publisher is known as a publisher of budget games and has pushed out dozens of them for the PS2 and other platforms over the years for the..
News: Nintendo Download 25-26 August 2009 (Japan)
The WiiWare party is back on with a load of new downloads for both Wii and DSi!
After taking a couple of week's holiday the Japanese WiiWare service is back in action with five new WiiWare releases (two of them aimed at small children), two Virtual Console titles and five new DSiWare downloads. Yes it does seem terribly unfair, but that's life. If you're fortunate enough to be able to partake of..
First Impressions: Tomenasanner
Rock rock planet rock, don't stop. Rock rock planet rock - DON'T STOP!
What Tomenasanner means is anyone's guess (try guessing in the comments - better still, please advise if you know!). It's written in katakana so it's apparently a word of foreign origin (sure sounds it!), but the closest that Google Translate offered was "tomen" which apparently means "bridle" in dutch and..
News: Nintendo Download 04-05 August 2009 (JAPAN)
It's a mega update in the Land of the Rising Sun!
The release schedules around the world have seen bumper crops of WiiWare releases (and in PAL territories VC ones courtesy of the latest Hanabi Festival); naturally being Nintendo's home territory it should come as no surprise that Japan outdoes even these impressive download service updates. Next week sees the release of no less than nine WiiWare..
