WiiWare Launches Today: Here Are The First 6 Games

DeVS · May 12, 2008, 02:49:43 PM

Today Wiiware has launched. WiiWare are original game titles available for download from the WiiShop Channel (for a fee of course). Here are a list of the games that were released today:

* Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Square Enix, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone �" Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

* LostWinds (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone �" Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A fresh, enchanting platform adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand �" from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You'll wield your Wii Remote�,,� controller to power Toku's jumps and glides, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds' novel, intuitive and playful control system.

* Defend your Castle (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone �" Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high, watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

* Pop (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed by anyone �" casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

* V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack (High Voltage Software®, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen �" Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

* TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you'll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one final, deciding duel.

dai_uk · May 12, 2008, 05:37:54 PM

Is this a us release ? still waiting for the Nintendo Channel here in UK

DeVS · May 12, 2008, 10:07:34 PM

Yes, USA list.

Shinster · May 13, 2008, 03:57:39 AM

Downloaded Defend your Castle and Lost Winds.

Both great games! I LOVE THEM!

dantheman · May 13, 2008, 10:29:51 PM

I wonder how long it'll be before the hackers manage to disassemble this and insert custom DS downloads. Of course, unflashed DS systems would only be able to accept official DS demos, but it would still be interesting nonetheless.

Shinster · May 13, 2008, 11:36:45 PM

Quote from: dantheman on May 13, 2008, 10:29:51 PM
I wonder how long it'll be before the hackers manage to disassemble this and insert custom DS downloads. Of course, unflashed DS systems would only be able to accept official DS demos, but it would still be interesting nonetheless.

Uhm... we are talking about Wiiware, not DS demos.

Minox_IX · May 14, 2008, 02:33:50 AM

Defend your Castle won't be on the Eur release list for a while.

Eur lineup:
Dr. Mario & Germ Buster - 1000 Wii Points
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Square Enix) - 1500 Wii Points
LostWinds (Frontier) - 1000 Wii Points
Pirates: The Key of Dreams
Pop (Nnooo) - 700 Wii Points
Star Soldier R (Hudson) - 800 Wii Points
Toki Tori (Two Tribes)
TV Show King (Gameloft) - 1000 Wii Points

dantheman · May 14, 2008, 05:24:18 PM

Quote from: Shinster on May 13, 2008, 11:36:45 PM
Uhm... we are talking about Wiiware, not DS demos.

That's what I get for not having a Wii and just skimming articles. My bad.

DeVS · May 14, 2008, 06:06:44 PM

Quote from: Minox_IX on May 14, 2008, 02:33:50 AM
Defend your Castle won't be on the Eur release list for a while.

Eur lineup:
Dr. Mario & Germ Buster - 1000 Wii Points
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Square Enix) - 1500 Wii Points
LostWinds (Frontier) - 1000 Wii Points
Pirates: The Key of Dreams
Pop (Nnooo) - 700 Wii Points
Star Soldier R (Hudson) - 800 Wii Points
Toki Tori (Two Tribes)
TV Show King (Gameloft) - 1000 Wii Points

When do EU WiiWare games launch? I want that Dr. Mario and Pirates one in English.

fexo · May 15, 2008, 05:52:44 AM

What sort of size are these downloads?

Having put a few N64 games on the system together with the Mario Kart Channel and the Wii-Fit Channel there isn't a great deal of space left for anything else.

This clearly illustrates the limitations of the system and the fact that, if Nintendo had put more internal memory in there in the first place, they clould possibly have sold more downloads.

DeVS · May 15, 2008, 10:20:29 AM

So far they range from 20mb for Pop all the way up to 42mb for Final Fantasy.

Hi · May 16, 2008, 04:50:09 PM

I personally bought and downloaded Lost Winds; very disappointed.

It's just not fun.

For one thing, drawing wind through Toku (Is that how you spell his name? I can't remember.) to make him jump doesn't do it for me- It feels wonkey for one thing, but then, wonkey things in video games can often work... not this time though

. More importantly though, my hands quickly begin to tire after moving the wiimote over Toku so many times. Maybe I need stronger hands...

It also REALLY irks me the way the game slows down each time you use the wind. I don't know why it annoys me to the degree it does, but it annoys me none the less. This may have something to do with the fact that I'm a big Super Mario Galaxy player, who's used to constantly moving the star-pointer around to grab star bits without the game's speed having any sort of effect...

...that's another thing I'm annoyed with, unoriginality. (Lol, according to firefox, unoriginality isn't a word, while unoriginal is

) Now, I know many people get upset with a game just because it's not an original idea- to me, original is CERTAINLY a plus, but if the game uses an old but fun concept, and is enjoyable to play, I don't care. But... according to the game's description on the Wii shop channel "This is a game that puts the wind in the palm of your hand." C'mon! It's just a pointer, no different from that seen in Super Mario Galaxy. Of course, I really should know better than to trust advertisements- I usually read reviews of a game before buying, but I was so hyped up about Wiiware that I didn't this time. And look... puts the wind in the PALM OF YOUR HAND
was a total flop.

It WAS only ten dollars, but still, I'm not happy. I probably shouldn't judge the whole of wii ware from one game I bought, but somehow, I don't really feel like purchasing another wii ware game any time soon...

zektor · June 09, 2008, 03:51:43 PM

Quote from: Hi on May 16, 2008, 04:50:09 PM
I personally bought and downloaded Lost Winds; very disappointed.

It's just not fun.

For one thing, drawing wind through Toku (Is that how you spell his name? I can't remember.) to make him jump doesn't do it for me- It feels wonkey for one thing, but then, wonkey things in video games can often work... not this time though . More importantly though, my hands quickly begin to tire after moving the wiimote over Toku so many times. Maybe I need stronger hands...

It also REALLY irks me the way the game slows down each time you use the wind. I don't know why it annoys me to the degree it does, but it annoys me none the less. This may have something to do with the fact that I'm a big Super Mario Galaxy player, who's used to constantly moving the star-pointer around to grab star bits without the game's speed having any sort of effect...

...that's another thing I'm annoyed with, unoriginality. (Lol, according to firefox, unoriginality isn't a word, while unoriginal is ) Now, I know many people get upset with a game just because it's not an original idea- to me, original is CERTAINLY a plus, but if the game uses an old but fun concept, and is enjoyable to play, I don't care. But... according to the game's description on the Wii shop channel "This is a game that puts the wind in the palm of your hand." C'mon! It's just a pointer, no different from that seen in Super Mario Galaxy. Of course, I really should know better than to trust advertisements- I usually read reviews of a game before buying, but I was so hyped up about Wiiware that I didn't this time. And look... puts the wind in the PALM OF YOUR HAND
was a total flop.

It WAS only ten dollars, but still, I'm not happy. I probably shouldn't judge the whole of wii ware from one game I bought, but somehow, I don't really feel like purchasing another wii ware game any time soon...

I can't get into it either. What Nintendo *must* do to be successful in selling future Wiiware is to allow demo downloads. I just find it impossible to plunge money into games with a tiny description and a little screenshot.