A Kappa’s Trail
DSiWare/Nintendo
500 Points

If you really loved Kirby: Canvas Curse but was bummed by how easy it was, you might want to embark down A Kappa’s Trail, a DSiWare game from Brownie Brown. Like Kirby, this game asks players to draw a path to the goal for the starring amphibian. Only this time, absolute precision is required, and a giant hand threatens to pull him back to the beginning. If you can get past the lousy camera controls and somewhat daunting difficulty – good luck on a bumpy subway! – A Kappa’s Trail is cute, rewarding and fun. Also, any game that references the pork army from Mother 3 can’t be all bad, right?

Flametail
DSiWare/Nintendo
500 Points

If you’ve played any of the Art Style games, Flametail probably won’t make a great first impression. Though the premise sounds cool – clearing space trash throughout the solar system – the game’s presentation seems lackingl; the space setting should lend itself to a bit more interstellar pizazz. However, while it doesn’t stack up to Skip’s series, weaving through debris is just novel enough to recommend for hungry puzzle fans. Just watch out for the frequent insta-deaths.

Anyway, on to my favorites from the past two weeks. Yeah, they’re mostly Nintendo games, but it’s often hard to avoid that. If you’re curious about a game or just want to raise awareness of a hidden gem, please leave a note in the comments.

Metal Torrent
DSiWare/Nintendo
500 Points

While I typically associate developer Arika with the Street Fighter EX and Endless Ocean series, the folks there apparently know how to craft a fun (but brief) shooter, too. Metal Torrent might be one of the most accessible bullet-hells ever; on the easy path, the ship can take several hits before breaking down, and even the harder path offers powerful weaponry and a forgiving hit box. However, even with the reasonable difficulty working in its favor, many will see Metal Torrent as light on content. Instead of stage variety and screen-filling bosses, Arika placed the emphasis entirely on maximizing chains and high scoring. Only pick it up if you live for online leaderboards. (If it were only 200 Points, it’d be a no-brainer for everyone else.)

X-Scape
DSiWare/Nintendo
800 Points

Q-Games’ X-Scape has unituitive controls, boring missions and chunky polygons seemingly* ripped out of the original Star Fox. But despite all of these issues, I give the game a tentative recommendation simply because of its scope. Simply put, from the opening credits to the galaxy-wide scavenger hunt for power crystals, X-Scape just feels huge. There are tons of side-quests to complete and experience points to earn as you try to overthrow a corrupt emperor. The game’s historical ties are also significant, as its a sequel to the Japan-only X. This was Dylan Cuthbert’s first 3D project for Nintendo, which eventually paved the way for Star Fox and Argonaut. I know Tony sounded down on this during our most recent episode, but I think it works as both a legacy title and display of what’s possible on the DSi.

*Keep in mind that I actually like the presentation. It’s minimalist for sure, but that only adds to the sterile, distant future motif.

ArtStyle: light trax
WiiWare/Nintendo
600 Points

The ArtStyle label should be an obvious tip-off, but light trax is great. This is overhead racing parred down to the barest of essentials. You control one of several streaks of light racing towards the finish line. Though the game is based on an old bit Generations title, it differs from its source material in that the camera frequently changes perspective, creating the illusion of depth, even though the track is always flat. Like the best of the ArtStyle games, light trax packs a lot of depth in a visually simple package. Because players can only build up boost energy by being directly adjacent to other racers, every turn must be carefully considered. The speedy freeway mode and pulsing soundtrack also help make this my favorite of the four ArtStyle games released for the Wii thus far.

Wild Guns
Virtual Console/Natsume
800 Points

More “Wild Wild West” than Red Dead Redemption, Natsume’s forgotten SNES shooter pits Clint and Annie against an army of cowboy robots. The camera is fixed over the shoulder of the player as enemies pop up in the background. It’s essentially a light-gun shooter, minus the light gun. Sometimes the action on screen gets a little cramped (especially in co-op), but Wild Guns looks great. The sprites are big and detailed, and environments are highly destructable. While I recall being more of a Tin Star man back in the day (admittedly misguided), this is a solid arcade throwback and a decent addition to a dwindling Virtual Console.

Looksley’s Line Up
DSiWare/Nintendo
500 Points

When this game was first announced in Japan, I recall a lot of my friends erroneously assuming that this was early software for the 3DS. Thank goodness that this ended up being DSiWare instead. Looksley’s Line Up is a fun little download, but the head-tracking technology is in no way ready from prime time.

The game plays like a souped-up Highlights Magazine picture hunt, in which you move your DSi to find hidden images within the environment. (A more video game-y equivalent would be the Riddler question mark challenges from Arkham Asylum.) Under ideal conditions, the perspective shifts around to create the illusion of depth, as if you were looking into a box. Unfortunately, while I was able to play the game to completion – and had some fun doing so – the tracking is so temperamental that I can’t give it a full recommendation. If you’re curious about the technology and have some patience, you’ll get your money’s worth, but don’t expect to play it “on the go” very often.

Even at $2, Turvy Drops should be ignored. On a service rich in puzzley goodness, this lazy Tetris clone is an embarrassing DSiWare debut for Tecmo Koei. The “hook” here is that you turn the DSi upside-down and draw the pieces yourself. Feel free to draw as many long pieces as you want, without penalty. The game is too easy, too drab and too derivative for any discerning gamer.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER
WiiWare/Aksys Games
800 Points

We’ve been waiting a long time for this one. While the other BIT.TRIP  games encouraged gamers to shoot for high scores, RUNNER focuses more on level progression and shorter challenges. At first glance, one might classify it as a platformer, but it’s obstensibly a rhythm game, too. It’s still hard as hell, but by breaking worlds into a dozen stages apiece, the old-school memorization should be much more approachable to newcomers. For gamers who don’t mind a little trial-and-error, it’s a guaranteed good time. RUNNER is colorful, fast and sounds splendid, thanks to the soundtrack from Anamanaguchi. (If you enjoy this style of game but are seeking something a little bit more forgiving, Tomena Sanner may be more for you.)

Check out our interview with Alex Neuse of Gaijin Games in Episode 124!

Kirby Super Star
Virtual Console/Nintendo
800 Points

Kirby Super Star is one of those first party titles I’ve been waiting for since the Virtual Console service began. While the “eight games in one” tag is a bit of a stretch (unless you mean eight very similar, very short games), each adventure in Super Star is well worth taking. Kirby games are notoriously easy, but this one has enough hidden treasures and powers to keep everyone coming back. The only reason not to pick this up is if you bought the Ultra edition for the DS a couple years ago. (Even then, don’t you want to play it on the big screen?)

WarioWare D.I.Y. Update: Nintendo uploaded dozens of contest winners for the “Sports” category. Even if you’ve thrown in the towel for microgame development, you’ll find the creativity on display to be inspiring.

Special thanks to Nick for the Fatal Fury Special assessment.

Mega Man 10
WiiWare/Capcom
1,000 Points

Mega Man 10 doesn’t need a cheerleader, but I’ll still give it the full Justin endorsement. Whether it’s a worthy successor to the ninth installment remains to be seen, but it’s definitely fun…if your idea of fun is falling into bottomless pits and spike traps, that is. You can expect a full review in the next week or two once I’ve bested the game’s robot masters – which are not as goofy as they could have been – but this is a pretty safe investment. I also don’t think it’s quite as slapdash as the 1up review would lead you to believe.

Globulos Party
DSiWare/Globz
500 Points

Let me save you five bucks. Click on this link. This candy-coated shuffleboard Flash game is pretty dull, right? Now imagine this multiplayer-only affair with the online play stripped out. Boooo.

VT Tennis
DSiWare/Virtual Toys
500 Points

This game wants to be Sega’s Virtua Tennis so badly. The long charge-up swings, the racket sounds, the butt-rock title theme – VT Tennis comes pretty close to matching the look and feel of the Dreamcast/arcade classic. However, the game’s omission of multiplayer is unforgivable. And just in case you think the tournament mode would be enough, the game’s stupid A.I. further cripples this download.

Fatal Fury Special
Virtual Console/SNK
900 Points

Nick says: “Fatal Fury Special is the “Championship Edition” of the classic Neo Geo franchise. Inside the nine dollar asking price, you’ll find the original, highly entertaining cast of Fatal Fury 2, plus a host of playable bosses, new characters (Duck King!), a new combo system and enhanced fight speeds. It’s a fairly solid purchase overall, although one that should only be recommended to hardened Neo Geo and/or fighting game fans – it still doesn’t hold a candle to the Real Bout Fatal Fury sequels, let alone critical darling Mark of the Wolves. Savvy gamers should also realize that Fatal Fury Special has already hit the Xbox Live Arcade – with a one dollar hike in asking price equating to online matches and customizable controls. Is it worth it? Hey – c’mon, c’mon.”

I won’t be able to try out any of the WiiWare releases until later in the week. THis means that I can’t vouch for Ghost Slayer, with MotionPlus support, or Mouse House, a rodent-infested puzzler. Download at your own risk now, or wait until next week’s podcast to see if they turn out to be sleepers. Oh, and nothing for the Virtual Console this week. Maybe Nintendo’s saving up its best and brightest to compete against Microsoft’s Game Room next month. Or not.

Flipper
DSiWare/XForm
500 Points

Games like Flipper are why I started this column in the first place, even if this particular effort has some problems. Hugo Smits, founder of indie studio Goodbye Galaxy Games, dropped out of school and gave up steady paychecks to realize his dream of creating a video game. Then, the publisher went bankrupt, and he moved the entire project to the DSi instead.

Flipper is a puzzle game in which you have to rescue a pet goldfish by traversing increasingly hilly arenas. This requires the use of terrain-altering coins that can add steps, fix bridges and blow up walls with pinpoint accuracy (like a baby Red Faction Guerrilla). While the touch screen movement’s a little too sensitive and camera control can be a little sluggish, his 3D Voxel engine mostly works. 500 points seems a little steep, but don’t lump this in with the service’s lazier cash-grabs and cell phone ports.

Aura-Aura Climber
DSiWare/Nintendo
200 Points

I’m a sucker for grappling hooks and swinging mechanics, so this was a wonderful surprise from Nintendo. The titular sparky hero must latch onto floating orbs in order to reach mile-high goals. Many of these orbs have unique properties – they might shoot you along guided paths (à la Donkey Kong barrels), allow you to hover or require you to grab them in a specific order. The main 10 levels can be completed with relative ease, but this is breezy, colorful fun that’s worth the asking price. If only Nintendo supported it’s Wii Shop as well as it does for its DSi equivalent.

Flight Control
DSiWare/Firemint
500 Points

The good news: Flight Control, probably the iPhone’s biggest hit, is finally on the DSi. The bad news: it costs five times as much. That’s not to say that it’s any less addictive – I’ve already put a couple hours into directing color-coded plans to their proper landing strip – but I suppose it’s no longer the impulse purchase it once was. Blame that on licensing fees, I guess. However, if you’re like me and don’t have steady access to the iTunes App Store, you’ll get on board anyway.

Once again, not enough hours in the week and bucks in the wallet to play everything, but Scrabble on the DSi sounds potentially awesome, depending on the multiplayer options. Let us know in the comments if you decide to pick this one up. Ditto for the DSi’s Spaceball, the Wii’s Art of Balance and whatever the hell this is supposed to be. While I’m willing to take the brunt of the damage, I think this column might work well as a collaboration.

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All
WiiWare/Capcom
1,000 Points

This is the height of laziness, but I bought it anyway. Clearly, Capcom’s timing these to raise interest in Edgeworth’s spin-off, but I’m not sure that a DS port with the barest of bones is the way to do that. The game doesn’t look so hot when you blow it up onto an HDTV, and the lack of motion support is embarrassing at this point. That said, I originally lost track of the series after the first game, so it’s nice to play catch-up. Given that DS game’s price tag is obscene pretty, this is the most accessible version to newcomers. The script is still funny and the dreaded psyche-locks haven’t annoyed me yet – only a case-and-a-half in, admittedly – so I’m pretty pleased with this purchase, regardless of the circumstances. Oh, and Nick really loved it, too.

Spotto!
DSiWare/Nintendo
200 Points

Remember Trajectile from a couple weeks ago? This is basically a babied-up version of that. In this very solid 200 point puzzler, you must rescue the chicken president’s daughter, Chikkie Wowwow, from a gang of ghosts. As President Wowwow’s top “bombirdier,” your job is to toss bombs into the mouths of these slack-jawed specters that populate the game’s 50 stages. Also, when you get special power-ups when you successfully blow up toilets. (Did I actually type all of that?) Yeah, it’s a odd little game, but arcing and bouncing your shots over, around and into floating furniture is addictive for the two hours it takes to reach the end. Recommended if you’re looking for a DSi game for your kids…or your shameless self.

Prehistorik Man
DSiWare/Interplay
800 Points

As Tom Sheppard put it, “It’s the poor man’s Chuck Rock.” There’s simply no reason to spend the bucks on this generic platformer when you have access to dozens of others on this very platform. (If you own a Wii, there are even more viable alternatives to add to the list.) Forgive me for not downloading this DS port, which I’m assuming is just the GBA port, but the nicest thing I can say about the original SNES game is that the hang gliding was an OK gimmick for a stage or two. It’s tolerable but in no way should you spend actual money on it. Not condoning magic VCRs, though.

Sonic & Knuckles
Virtual Console/Sega
800 Points

This is still a great game, but don’t you own 30 copies of it by now? If you own Sonic 3 on the Virtual Console, you might as well pick this up as well, but I suggest you dig through your library first to make sure you don’t already have it on a compilation or three. Man, I wish they would have released Knuckles Chaotix instead. It may not be a great game, but it’s still a highly sought-after commodity. Now that Sega’s exhausted its Genesis Sonic catalog, maybe we’ll see the more obscure Sega CD and 32X stuff? (No.)

Is this column helpful to you? Am I missing out on games that deserve some attention. Please let me know in the comments. If readers appreciate these roundups, I may take on other services as well. After all, Microsoft’s Game Room starts up next month…

We can’t afford to play all of this week’s downloadable releases, so let us know in the comments or the message board if we’ve missed a hidden gem. Special thanks to Tony for the Tomena Sanner write-up.

Master Blaster Overdrive
WiiWare/Sunsoft
1,000 Points

Let me start off by saying that I was never a huge fan of the original Master Blaster. I see the appeal – a jumping tank, a missing frog and Metroid-style exploration – but it’s obnoxiously hard, and those overhead sections are universally reviled for a reason. I think this is one of those “you had to be there” cases. That said, I came into Overdrive with an open mind. It’s a killer concept that just needed a bit more polish, and luckily, there have been enough tweaks to make this approachable for newcomers.

Fans may groan at the gritty storyline, but nobody’s going to complain about the handy map and save points. Those changes alone make this infinitely more playable for modern namby-pambies (myself included). The on-foot stuff is more forgivable as well, thanks to the multiple weapons and better controls. It’s a solid quest that’s worth the 10 bucks. Sadly, though the gameplay has mostly been enhanced, it seems that the developers were on a very tight budget. The gray and brown caverns lack the vibrancy of the original, and the remixed music sounds cheap, too. Regardless, this is decent first step toward boosting Sunsoft’s (and Gaijinworks’) nerd cred.

Tomena Sanner
WiiWare/Konami
500 Points

Tony says: “Late for work? Well, so is the little business man running across your TV. At least I think he’s going to work. Regardless, it’s your job to help him dodge all of the obstacles in his path on his way to break-dancing Valhalla. Based on my experiences with the iPhone version, the game has one-button controls – but that one button does a ton of stuff. Hop over Torii, steal presents from Santa and beat up the devil in what ends up being a very crazy running platformer. With nine unique stages, Endless mode and a WiiWare exclusive Turbo mode, Tomena Sanner ends up being a fair amount of wacky content at a decent value. What it comes down to is whether or not you have an iPhone or iPod Touch. If you do, pick it up on the App store for a buck. While you might be missing out on Turbo mode (a faster version of the main game) and multiplayer, the core experience of finding out all the ways you can interact with what you come across is easily done on the iPhone. Otherwise, $5 is more than fair for such a unique and zany experience.”

Link ‘n Launch
DSiWare/Nintendo
500 Points

Though this isn’t the space-themed Lincoln Logs game I had hoped for (yeah…sorry), Intelligent Systems’ tile slider still continues the streak of strong first-party software. Here, the object is to rotate and flip pipes so that fuel can reach your rocket ship and propel it upward. There are often upgrades and additional time scattered throughout the pipeline, so you have to figure out the most effective routes while keeping an eye on the clock. The only problem is that I still have trouble wrapping my mind around the tile rotation. There are tons of tutorials to teach you how to use pivot points and sides of other panels, but this is a bit more esoteric than the average Art Style game. The presentation is really colorful and you get a lot of content as usual, so I recommend downloading it and seeing if it clicks for you faster than it has for me.

As  a brief aside, I can’t believe Nintendo didn’t plug in the Pikmin franchise here. Given how much the rockets resemble Olimar’s ride, this pairing would’ve been preferable to the Snorks wannabes that award you with post-level trophies.

Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom
Virtual Console/Hudson
500 Points

When it comes to food-themed games, I have exceedingly low expectations. From my childhood hatred of Spud’s Adventure on the Game Boy to my adult hatred of Yo Noid! on the NES, I’ve learned to keep my hobby and hunger away from each other. However, the one notable exception would be Hudson’s Princess Salad, a bizarre adventure game in which you and Percy the persimmon help other anthropomorphic produce in peril. I’m not the biggest fan of the genre – doubly so when we’re talking about the NES – but the world and dialogue are too nutty to pass up.

On the Wii, there’s a new episode of Monkey Island, something entitled Tumblebugs 2 and an Alex Kidd game. I’d love to try the first two, but I don’t have enough in my coffers to buy everything. Oh, and nobody likes or has ever liked Alex Kidd. Sorry, pal.

Legends of Exidia
DSiWare/Gameloft
800 Points

I’m of two minds regarding this first hack-and-slash RPG for the system. Aesthetically, it’s as generic as they come – orc-ish lookin’ dudes, slimes, warring fantasy nations and just about everything else you’ve come to expect from a lower-tier 16-bit quest. The swordplay is competent, but on a handheld inundated with this genre, that doesn’t quite cut it. Even so, I can’t write it off completely. While the gameplay is forgettable, there are little details throughout that made me sit back and realize that at least a few people cared about this project. For instance, an early assault on a castle features dozens of fallen soldiers, zip lines, dozens of explosions – none of these flourishes would’ve made the cut if this was some quick cash-in. Again, I wouldn’t recommend this one by any means, but it’s sadly not the worst I’ve seen either. (UPDATE: Apparently this is a cell-phone port, though. So much for that “not a cash-in” comment.)

Move Your Brain Rollway Puzzle
DSiWare/Assoria
500 Points

Move Your Brain, on the other hand, is a shameful turd. On paper, its use of the camera is intriguing. The developer attempted to recreate the iPhone’s tilt control by using your head as a focal point for the camera as you roll a beach ball to the goal. As you move the DSi, the camera tracks where your head is in relation to the background. The best case scenario would have been a decent Super Monkey Ball or Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble clone. Unfortunately, as we saw at launch from that lousy WarioWare sampler, the DSi just isn’t up to the task; the controls just never work properly. Once the walls disappear, the game’s poor calibration constantly sends you over the edge. A waste of five bucks.

Number Battle
DSiWare/Nintendo
500 Points

Again, I don’t know who is in charge of naming Nintendo’s DSiWare, but does anyone think that the kids will be clamoring for something called Number Battles? Weak title aside, if you’re the kind of gamer who spent hours with Brain Age Sudoku or Sunday’s crossword puzzle, this should be your next cerebral fix. Number Battle is essentially a contest for up to four players (human or computer) to see who can link up numerical sequences and loops the fastest. Like Chess, there are countless strategies for success, especially when you add items and random bonus zones to the board. For 500 points, the package is pretty robust, too – many single-player stages with A.I. that isn’t too unfair and Wi-Fi support just in case someone besides myself decides to buy it.

AiRace: Tunnel
DSiWare/QubicGames
200 Points

Remember that sequence from the original Star Fox – and almost every rail-shooter since – in which you fly your Arwing down a corridor of a space cruiser while dodging closing and rotating doors? Well, this is basically that idea stretched into an entire game. From a technical standpoint, I suppose AiRace is impressive. For a 200 point game, you get 3D tunnels – with at least seven different colors of rusty metal – running at a smooth 60 FPS. However, the concept just couldn’t sustain my interest for more than a couple minutes. Your jet may constantly increase its speed, but you’ll be asleep before any real challenge sets in.

Escapee GO!
DSiWare/Gevo Entertainment
200 Points

Maybe I was a bit harsh on this game in my introduction. Escapee GO! is rough around the edges, but shouldn’t we embrace new ideas? The game stars a psychic girl trying to escape some kind of industrial complex, which basically translates into Metal Gear Pac-Man; your character peers down hallway mazes and grabs key cards as guards follow their patrol routes. The cheaper price tag means less polish – animation is lacking and the draining stamina leaves you at a crawl too often – but this game of tactical espionage tag is novel enough that you might want to pick it up if you have some points left over. I’m betting the (offline) multiplayer is pretty fun.

Ghoul Patrol
Virtual Console/LucasArts
800 Points

How I long for the days of the giant baby and exploding soda cans. While Zombies Ate My Neighbors‘ campy running-and-gunning still holds up, this horrid sequel faded into obscurity for a reason. Ghoul Patrol stumbles at almost every opportunity. ZAMN‘s arsenal of weapons included squirt guns, ice pops, footballs, silverware, bubble guns and more, but Ghoul Patrol drops most of those in favor of generic ray guns and cannons. Humorous level titles? Gone. The helpful radar? Gone. That swirly title screen? Definitely gone. The soul was sucked from the original, and what we’re left with is an ugly shooter with sloppier movement and a sad Justin at the controller.

The only not-quite-saving grace in this pile is the potion that changes you into the grim reaper.

Expect future roundups to be posted on Monday nights after we record, unless we’re dealing with a surprisingly beefy week. Most game journalists – besides Kotaku, god bless ‘em – have also chosen to ignore DSiWare and WiiWare, so I’ll do my best to highlight the best games available. However, I do want to offer a one-time disclaimer. All of these games are purchased out-of-pocket, and I can’t afford to play everything. I tend to buy all of the first-party stuff that isn’t the Animal Crossing pocket protector, but I’ll try to go out on a limb a bit more often for the sake of this column. Also, these may not always be definitive reviews. I just want to let you know if these games are junk or not.

Alright, now that we’ve laid some ground rules, let’s get to the games…

Dark Void Zero
DSiWare/Capcom
500 Points

Dark Void Zero is modeled after NES classics like Bionic Commando and Sunsoft’s Batman, right down to the dusty cartridge and blippy soundtrack. Word-of-mouth for the “big boy” edition has been pretty lukewarm,  but I loved this 8-bit prequel while it lasted…which was about 90 minutes, tops. There are only three stages in this side-scroller, and while all of them have Rondo of Blood style hidden passages and goodies, the game’s anticlimactic conclusion might make it a tough sell. I’d still give it a pass though, as it’s one of the few substantial adventures on the service, and a lot of heart went into the presentation and pixelated art. The jetpack and aiming controls might be tricky, but this game was clearly more than a promotional afterthought.

Starship Defense
DSiWare/Nintendo
500 Points

The tower defense game with a name so generic that neither Tony nor I could remember it on the show. Look past its dull name, however, and you’ll find one of the best values on the DSi Shop. I expect nothing less out of charmer Q-Games, but if pedigree alone isn’t enough to sell you on their latest, maybe 30 stages with varying difficulties and tons of enemies/weapons/abilities will do the trick. I’m a big fan of the interstellar graph paper presentation too. It takes a pretty tired concept and gives it a Galaga-esque sheen, complete with dive-bombing buggies. (The stage selection screen recalls Cuthbert’s SNES Star Fox days, too.) At the very least, this is just as good as say, Ninjatown, and sold at a fraction of the price. According to Tiny Cartridge, there’s at least one more Q-Games DSi title on the slate for the near future. Thank goodness!