OMG Nintendo

This is it. The week of E3 is upon us. Any big news about the event will be eagerly anticipated, but those of us who are not fortunate enough to attend will need something to keep us occupied in the time between announcements. Fortunately, this week's Nintendo Download has some intriguing options to keep us entertained as we wait for whatever information the press releases will give us.

Of course, the big news on the WiiWare front is the release of the eagerly anticipated Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. It looks to be filled with retro 16-Bit RPG goodness but there is the potential for the storyline to be incomprehensible to someone who has not played the original Final Fantasy IV. With the DS remake out there though, it is not impossible to catch up if you really want to play it.

The other WiiWare title for this week is Texas Hold 'Em Tournament which, while not offering real online gambling, seems to be trying to give the Wii something of an equivalent to it. It also gives you the chance to give your Miis ridiculous looking shirts and jackets and who does not find that fun?

On the Virtual Console front we have the Commodore 64 game Boulder Dash, which looks to be an interesting little action/puzzler deal but we will have to see if it holds up given the Wii's somewhat spotty history of translating C64 control schemes.

Finally, on DSiWare we have the rather fascinating looking Mighty Flip Champs!. It is another action/puzzler game but with a very unique set-up that could only be performed on a system like the DS. We will have to wait and see if it works but, if it does, we may have DSiWare's first really big original hit in the making.

As always, the official press release is beneath the jump.

     NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: DASH, SHUFFLE AND FLIP YOUR WAY TO FANTASY

June 1, 2009

This week's downloadable game releases include a spellbinding new installment in the FINAL FANTASY® series. This first true sequel to FINAL FANTASY IV is sure to get RPG fans' blood pumping. Nintendo DSiWare™ users will find a challenging new puzzle game to help keep their minds spinning. A slick new poker title from the WiiWare™ service raises the stakes for virtual card sharps, while the Virtual Console™ debut of a classic Commodore 64 game puts players in pursuit of precious gems. With so much variety on the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop™, your odds of having a humdrum summer are getting slimmer by the hour.

Nintendo DSiWare

Mighty Flip Champs!™
Publisher: WayForward Technologies
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Are you ready to become a Mighty Flip Champ? Take control of Alta and page-flip through a series of action-packed mazes. The touch screen reflects a preview of the next chamber and shows Alta's projected destination within it. When it's time to flip, use Alta's Magical Warp Wand to replace her world with the next one. Will she land safely on solid ground or be crushed under it? By cycling endlessly through room after brain-busting room, you'll match wits with some of the most devious traps in puzzle/platforming history.

WiiWare

FINAL FANTASY® IV: THE AFTER YEARS™
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS is the sequel to the hit RPG FINAL FANTASY IV. The story takes place many years after the original and centers on a young man named Ceodore, son of the paladin Cecil and the white mage Rosa, who, along with their loyal and steadfast friends, once saved the world from evil born of the second moon. Now, monsters are reappearing in a world that had finally attained peace. The second moon has returned anew. What tidings does this ominous harbinger bring? Familiar faces and new allies join the battle to save the Blue Planet once more.

Texas Hold'em Tournament
Publisher: Digital Leisure, Inc.
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: The deck is shuffled and the blinds are in – it's your move. Call, raise or even bluff your way "all in" with Texas Hold'em Tournament. You'll start off in the small Nevada gaming halls and work your way up to the Las Vegas Championship. Multi-round, no-limit hold'em game play ensures hours of serious poker action. Think you're the best poker player out there? Using broadband Internet access and Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, start climbing the worldwide rankings by winning online tournaments, and see how your poker skills stack up by viewing the online leaderboard. Texas Hold'em Tournament also lets you play multiplayer poker with up to five friends, and with full Mii™ character support, you can truly bring yourself to the table.

Virtual Console

Boulder Dash®
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Originally released in 1984, Boulder Dash is one of the big computer-game classics. It is one of the very few computer games ever to be ported from home computers to arcades, not the other way around. The hero of the game is the brave prospector Rockford. He must dig through caves to collect diamonds while avoiding various types of dangerous creatures and obstacles such as falling rocks. He is in constant danger of being crushed or trapped by an avalanche or killed by an underground explosion. Strategy and planning are the keys to mastering Boulder Dash. Once enough jewels have been collected, the door to the mysterious escape tunnel is revealed and Rockford can explore another cave.

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.