Nintendo offers furry fun

by: Tina - posted: 7/19/2010 1:46:00 PM

This week’s downloadable offerings from Nintendo are filled with a variation of animal-related gameplay.

If you are a Wii owner, you can partake in observing the animals of the sea in AquaSpace (600 Wii points) and learn trivia about the fish you discover. There are eight aquariums to choose from, all of which contain dozens of species of fish. Furry Legends (1,000 Wii points) is a furry, fuzzy, colorful adventure game based on physics puzzles located in Furland where you will maneuver your Furball of choice from the dangers of Lord Squarie. You can pick up the non-animal related game on the Wii, HoopWorld (1,000 Wii points) to play basketball in the name of the lost civilization, Elders.

The DSiWare contributes its share of animal-themed games with Petz Kittens (800 DSi points), which tasks you with the care of newborn kittens. If board games are more your forte, you can indulge in Scrabble Tools (500 DSi points), or a puzzle game of Crazy Sudoku (200 DSi points) if the slew of already existing Sudoku games have not yet gained your interest. Hospital Havoc (500 DSi points) challenges you on your care-taking abilities, including with the added threat of zombies (No Mercy reference, anyone?). Lastly, you can manage your own birthday store in Happy Birthday Mart (500 DSi points), complete with 12 animals and 24 minigames.

Read on for full details, as well as this week’s WarioWare: DIY series title.

The selection of downloadable games for the WiiWare™ service and the Nintendo DSiWare™ service keeps on growing, this time with a zoological twist. AquaSpace lets Wii™ owners transform their television into a mesmerizing aquarium filled with fascinating fish. Petz® Kittens provides Nintendo DSi™ users with lovable feline companions they can carry everywhere they go. Furry Legends features a cast of unusual creatures who dwell in an eye-popping 3D world. And for those who prefer a more human-oriented challenge Scrabble™ Tools gives puzzle fans a great way to show off those big brains and opposable thumbs.

We’ve also got new arrivals in the “Big Name Games” section of the WarioWare™: D.I.Y. series, which features downloadable microgames from some of the industry’s most talented figures. This week we have some new additions from the Treehouse, Nintendo’s game localization team. New “Big Name Games” are being added every Monday through July 26, all available to download for zero Nintendo DSi Points™ to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of either WarioWare: D.I.Y. for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. Visit the Nintendo Channel on your Wii system today to learn more about these games.

WiiWare


AquaSpace

Publisher: Nintendo

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 600 Wii Points™

Description: Turn your television into a virtual aquarium with AquaSpace. You can simply relax and watch the fish or take the opportunity to read detailed information about them, such as scientific names and habitats, using the illustrated encyclopedia. If you want to get up close and personal with the fish, you can send your Mii™ character on a dive to swim with them, feed them or hunt for trivia icons to discover fish-related facts. Choose from eight aquarium themes and spruce them up with dozens of different fish and a variety of decorations, wallpaper and plant life. You can also change the background music by taking your pick from a selection of songs or using the sound of water. Then, once everything is set up, you can view your aquarium from a variety of camera angles (including a fish-eye view). Visit every day and watch your aquarium change – your fish will grow, and new fish may be born. Life continues in your aquarium even while the Wii console is turned off.


Furry Legends

Publisher: Gamelion

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Language

Price: 1,000 Wii Points

Description: The legend starts here. Furry Legends is a dynamic platform adventure with the most fur ever seen in games. Solve fun, physics-based puzzles in a fantastic 3D world called Furland. It’s a humorous and weird place populated by funny creatures you’ve never seen before, including five-eyed crabs, round cows, crazy rabbits and the lovely Furballs. Players control fluffy characters, each with a different set of special skills, such as the ability to manipulate time. Save the Furballs from their doom and keep Furland safe from Lord Squarie. Are you ready for a crazy adventure? Can you save Furland and its lovely Furballs? Try the furriest game of the century!


HoopWorld™

Publisher: Virtual Toys

Players: 1-2

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes

Price: 1,000 Wii Points

Description: Long ago, a lost civilization called the Elders, who worshipped the magical power of Nature, built a network of sacred temples around the world. Millennia have since passed, and the temples now lie in ruins. But their energy still resonates from the land, attracting adventurers from distant lands. Drawn by the unknown force, friends have begun to rebuild the ruins into ball courts, knowing only that they must relive the time-honored test of the spirit of the Elders: the game now known as basketball. HoopWorld is a three-on-three basketball game with an arcade twist. Unique characters and beautiful natural locations set the stage, while fighting and random power-ups keep the game fast and rough. Choose your favorite team and basketbrawl across the globe to become the undisputed world champions. Play on your own or with a friend and see if you can beat the leaders of the HoopWorld global ranking.


Nintendo DSiWare


Petz Kittens

Publisher: Ubisoft

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief

Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: The cutest newborn kittens are here, and they need someone to care for them and love them. Adopt your very own kittens, bond with them and help them grow into strong and healthy cats. Choose from a variety of popular cat breeds including Siamese and Persian. Give your adorable baby kittens lots of loving care: Feed them warm milk, keep them clean and warm, and help them grow. Your kittens make cute faces and react in surprising ways when you play fun games with them, such as peek-a-boo or balloon games.


Scrabble Tools

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Players: 1-4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Scrabble, long one of the world’s most popular board games, is enjoying a tremendous surge in popularity, both online and in the real world. Scrabble Tools for the Nintendo DSi system helps players hone their skills by strengthening their vocabulary, pattern recognition and point strategies through fun interactive training exercises.


Hospital Havoc

Publisher: Hands-On Mobile

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Cartoon Violence

Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Do you have what it takes to run your very own heart-pumping hospital? Help your doctor navigate through the havoc by admitting, diagnosing and treating some of the wackiest patients ever encountered. A comically fun time-management and strategy game, Hospital Havoc presents a challenging campaign with three levels of difficulty to choose from, plus 20 career levels, 19 possible illnesses, three-to-six bed conditions, 11 challenging scenarios (including zombies!), continuous play and rousing replay ability. Personalize your doctor and nurse, and utilize various power-ups and medical machines to help send those patients home.


Happy Birthday Mart

Publisher: Pixel Federation

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Have you ever dreamed of having your own shop where you sell the goods to your friends? You can make that dream come true in Happy Birthday Mart, and it’s no ordinary store. Animals come here to buy gifts for their friends. Manage and serve your customers, clean up and fix broken shelves. Happy Birthday Mart offers tons of fun in six different stores with 12 animals and 24 minigames. You can play the minigames through a separate menu screen.


Crazy Sudoku

Publisher: dtp entertainment

Players: 1-2

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Play sudoku on the go using your Nintendo DSi system. The game features five levels of difficulty, offering a fun challenge for beginners and pros alike. Choose from two different grid sizes: 9x9 or 6x6. Use the handy Note feature to add comments to each and every cell and solve even the hardest puzzles. Try challenging a friend with the brilliant two-player mode.