Perhaps the most exciting game to come out as part of this week's Nintendo Download is Excitebike: World Rally for WiiWare (1,000 Wii points). It's not just because it is a return to the original motorbike racing title, complete with a track editor that lets you share your creations with friends, but simply the fact that this isn't Excitebots or Excite Truck. If you'd rather fear the road than own the road, you can always grab Frogger Returns (500 points), another 3D update to the classic 2D traffic-dodger.

Rounding out the WiiWare triple-play this week is Dragon Master Spell Caster by Stickmen Studios (500 points), a game that sees players doing battle on dragon back, casting spells and spewing fire in either the single player story mode or split-screen multiplayer.

DSiWare gets six new titles today, through five of those are Electroplankton mini-games available at 200 DSi points apiece. When you're done playing microscopic musical fishies, you can blow them out of the water with Bomberman Blitz (500 points), which delivers the classic Bomberman experience to the DSi with both local and online eight player multiplayer battles.

Rounding up this week's rather massive list of downloadable titles is the Virtual Console, which adds the platforming goodness of Sega's Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (500 points) and Cybernoid for the Commodore 64 (500 points) to its ever-growing lineup of classic titles.

So what's your poison this week?

WiiWare

Excitebike: World Rally
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Prepare to face daredevil jumps, crazy obstacles and other racers in the newest installment in the venerable Excitebike franchise, available exclusively on the WiiWare service. Choose from multiple camera angles as you tilt your way to smooth landings using motion-sensitive controls. Compete in races around the world in four championship circuits. Use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to invite friends to a race. Or if you're feeling brave, take on anyone else looking for a match. Feel like tackling a challenge of your own design? Use the intuitive Track Editor to choose from the available obstacles and put together your dream course, then share courses with friends to see whose creation skills reign supreme.

Frogger Returns
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Frogger Returns takes the heart-pounding challenge of arcade Frogger and moves it into the next dimension. Classic top-down 2-D game play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups. A local multiplayer mode lets you race a friend.

Dragon Master Spell Caster™
Publisher: Stickmen Studios
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: The Dragon Lords have returned to the magical world of Nakiha, bringing ultimate power to whoever controls them. Choose your champion, then master amazing magic and fierce dragon attacks to defeat the rival Champions and their Dragon Lords. Choose from four different paths and decide the fate of the world in the fantastic story mode. Battle your friends in two-player split-screen arcade mode and tailor your tactics with different dragon and rider combinations, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Marvel at the effects of mind-blowing spell collisions. Mix spells and unleash their ultimate power. Control your Dragon Lord and crush, bite and burn your way to victory.

Nintendo DSiWare

Bomberman Blitz
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Bomberman makes his downloadable debut on Nintendo DSiWare with Bomberman Blitz. Dive into a classic multiplayer Bomberman experience with eight-player local or online multiplayer using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Hone your skills and learn the maps, then take the battle online. Change map and item preferences for enhanced customization. Delivering unparalleled multiplayer excitement, Bomberman Blitz lets Nintendo DSi users enjoy the addictive fun of Bomberman anytime, anywhere.

Electroplankton Trapy
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Trapy plankton make sounds as they swim over graceful lines made up of linked triangles. The creatures follow the lines you trace along the water. There are six types of Trapy in all, each with a unique color and sound. All Trapy plankton produce different tones depending on the direction they swim. They produce the lowest-pitched sounds when they swim to the right and produce higher-pitched sounds as their path veers to the left.

Electroplankton Hanenbow
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Normally aquatic creatures, Hanenbow sometimes use floating leaves to launch themselves out of the water, creating strange sounds and melodies as they bounce off the leaves. Entire schools of Hanenbow have been known to launch out of the water, one after another. As a leaf is repeatedly hit by flying Hanenbow, it gradually changes color. This also alters the sound made by bouncing Hanenbow. When all the leaves turn red, a flower will bloom. It remains unclear why the Hanenbow display this curious behavior.

Electroplankton Rec-Rec
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Rec-Rec are fishlike plankton that feed on sound waves. They absorb sound waves transmitted through water and use them as a form of nutrition. The sound waves that the Rec-Rec eat are then stored inside their bodies until they have been digested. Once the digestion process is complete, they play back the sounds in perfect four-second intervals. While these sounds are playfully emitted, wave patterns can be seen pulsating on their bodies. Rec-Rec always swim side by side in schools of four. When they swim at different speeds, the frequency with which they emit sounds also changes.

Electroplankton Nanocarp
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Nanocarp have very sensitive hearing. Using their two ears to sense vibrations coming through the water, these plankton can distinguish sound quality and frequency. They display very interesting reactions to the sound of humans clapping or breathing. Nanocarp are also excellent swimmers. They have a tendency to swim in formations of 16 and react together when they detect sounds. These plankton emit sounds on their own when they sense waves on the water's surface. When this happens, the pitch of sounds they produce changes depending on where the Nanocarp is located.

Electroplankton Beatnes
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Beatnes are curious plankton with geometrically shaped heads that form vertical strands like seaweed. Their bodies are made up of eight sections, each featuring a distinctive diamond-shaped tail. The sound of a Beatnes can vary wildly depending on which segment of the body is tapped. However, all of the sounds closely resemble the short-wave and triangular-wave sound effects from a Nintendo Entertainment System™ sound chip. When Beatnes are tapped in time with a rhythm, they continue to repeat the sounds in perfect time for a short period.

Virtual Console

Wonder Boy™ III: The Dragon's Trap
Original platform: MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence, Tobacco Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap is widely considered to be one of the best games produced for the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM. The direct sequel to Wonder Boy in Monster Land, it starts in the final lair of the previous game. This game is the first in the series to allow Wonder Boy to roam freely by using various animal forms, but as with previous games in the series, Wonder Boy can also buy various weapons, armor and items to help him in his quest.

Cybernoid™
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Federation storage depots have been raided by pirates, who've taken valuable minerals, jewels, ammunition and the latest battle weaponry. You have been commissioned by the Federation to retrieve the cargo and return it to storage within a specified time limit. The pirate craft have activated all planetary defense systems, which you must negotiate along with the pirates themselves. If you fail to reach the depot within the time limit, or if the value of your retrieved cargo is insufficient, you must forfeit one of your Cybernoid ships.

Image courtesy of IGN

Pop'Em Drop'Em SAMEGAME is a WiiWare puzzle game from Hudson (500 points), featuring everyone's favorite color-matching blocks mechanic, with a couple of interesting multiplayer modes included in an attempt to keep things seeming fresh. You've got Fame Game, which is just like the single player game, Shame Game, which challenges players to get low scores, and Blame Game, which is simply a free-for-all blockfest. It's like paying 500 Wii points for rhyming.

The virtual console fares better this week, with two TurboGrafx16 games added to the mix for 700 Wii points a pop. Bomberman '94 was the game that introduced the world to the classic white Bomberman character we know and love, while scrolling shooter Detana!! TwinBee introduced TwinBee and WinBee's pilots, Light and Pastel, to what was at one time Japan's most popular gaming franchise.

As always, check out Nintendo's official descriptions below. Clear victory for the Virtual Console this week. Agreed?

WiiWare

Pop'Em Drop'Em SAMEGAME (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): SAMEGAME is a simple yet engrossing puzzle game where you must clear matching blocks in sets of two or more. Score high by clearing out more blocks at once. If you manage to clear the entire grid, you can keep on playing with a whole new layout. Getting rid of all those blocks is the key to racking up points. Adjust the difficulty level in a one-player game by trying different grid sizes and multiple colors. Up to four players can face off in any one of three multiplayer modes. "Fame Game," the most straightforward choice, is similar to the one-player version. "Shame Game" turns the tables by forcing players to go for the lowest score. "Blame Game" is a free-for-all as everyone vies for blocks on one big grid. Choose from different block styles, background graphics and music to customize your playing experience.

Virtual Console

Bomberman®'94 (TurboGrafx16, 1-5 players, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 700 Wii Points): Bomberman has arrived to restore peace on the planet, which has been split into five parts by an evil hand. In addition to the nine members of the Bomber Family, the character Rooi shows up to lend a hand. Jump on the eggs that appear from destroyed soft blocks and you can ride one of five types of Rooi. Each Rooi has different special abilities-use them well and you'll ride to victory.

DETANA TWIN BEE (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 700 Wii Points): It's the popular vertical-scrolling shooter renowned for its cute and comical world. Here come Twinbee and Winbee on a mission to save the planet from evil alien invaders. Standing in their way are six stages full of goofy enemies. Play as Twinbee in single-player mode, or team up with Winbee in two-player cooperative mode. With powerful attacks like Big Shot, or Twin Attack and Burst Attack in two-player mode, there's plenty of sting in their arsenal. Use your Shot to transform Bells into items with various effects. Stock up on these bad boys to expand your attack range and really have a blast.

From October 2008 to January 16 of this year, the suspect threatened Hudson 11 times, sending emails that said things like he was sending a bomb to the company that would kill everyone or demanding that 80 trillion yen be brought to JR Takamatsu Station.

JR Takamatsu Station is in Kanagawa Prefecture. The suspect worked part-time as a courier.

In a signed affidavit, the suspect admitted, "I did it because I posted my demands concerning the games, but the games didn't improve."

ハドソンに爆破予告＝ゲームに不満、29歳男逮捕−警視庁 [Yahoo! Japan]

Hit the jump for the full swag report…

In order of coolness:
Three Bomberman stickers (I heart stickers)
Three mini bottles of liquor I don’t drink
A Fishing Master World Tour sweatband
A drinking flask with the Hudson logo on it (this would have been at the top, if their logo weren’t a giant bee)
A cardboard advertisement for Fishing Master World Tour

To me, this sends mixed messages because on the one hand, you have the games:

And on the other, you have the tools you need to enjoy the games…?

At least my cat seemed interested (if you look closely at the first pic).

Check back for more on the actual games tomorrow!

Bomberman Land (WII, PSP)
Bomberman brings hot bombing action to the Wii and PSP.

Bomberman Land Touch! 2 (DS)
The follow up to the popular Bomberman Land Touch for the DS.

Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice (PSP)
Fight gang warfare in Capital City.

The Sims: Castaway Stories (PC)
It's like the Sims version of LOST except you actually know what's going on.

Bomberman Bakuhatsu Plush [NCSX]

In hopes of atoning for the travesty that was Bomberman Act Zero, Hudson's getting ready to roll out Bomberman Live for Xbox Live Arcade sometime this summer. Here's the nitty-gritty details: the 3D version supports up to eight players online and four players locally. The game lets players customize their Bombermen and Bomberladies with various types of noggins, hairdos and clothes. As for stages to blow things up in, the classic battlefield is the default, but here are other arenas like cracked ice and quicksand. Modes include the traditional made mode, a paint mode that lets you color the battlefield with 'splosions, zombie mode in which you can come back to left and revenge mode that lets dead players mess with the living players. Good to see Hudson got Bomberman right again. Oh, so very right. Brian Ashcraft

Bomberman Live [Game|Life]

Hudson also gives us all the official numbers, including 4-player local play, 8-player online action, and 10,000 possible character customization options. Details not announced in the press release, but given to Dutch gaming site X-Power and lovingly translated by reader Paul "EastX" Acevedo include 3 separate pieces of downloadable content over a 3 month period, as well as confirmed gameplay modes Revenge Bomber and Zombie Mode.

Press release and acheivements after the jump. Michael McWhertor

BOMBERMAN EXPLODES ONTO XBOX LIVE ARCADE!

REDWOOD SHORES, CA - May16, 2007 - Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for Hudson Soft, today announced that they are releasing the all-new Bomberman Live for Xbox LIVE Arcade - the premier destination for digitally distributed, high definition original and classic games. Retaining classic gameplay elements while adding 8-person online multiplayer, full character customization, and gorgeous high-definition graphics, the game is expected to launch worldwide in Summer 2007.

Fans can now compete with the best Bomberman players worldwide, as Bomberman Live delivers frantic 8-player online. Fans can also play with their friends in 4-player local action on one system. In addition, Bomberman Live features new character customizations, which allow players to personalize their Bomberman from 10,000 possible combinations. Bomberman Live offers gamers the chance to finally prove that they're the best Bomberman player in the world.

"This has been one of our most requested games, our fans have been clamoring for it, and we are thrilled to finally be able to deliver the game they want" said John Greiner, President of Hudson Entertainment. "As our flagship series, Bomberman has been hailed as the best multiplayer game ever created. Now that Xbox LIVE Arcade delivers a truly worldwide multiplayer gaming platform, we can at last bring to market a Bomberman game that represents our long-term vision of the brand."

About Bomberman:

Originally launched in the US in 1987, the game captured gamers' hearts with its simple yet challenging gameplay. With over 60 iterations on nearly all major consoles since then, and over 10 million units sold, winning accolades as the best multiplayer game of all time, this classic game has stood the test of time. The overall design appeals to gamers of all ages, and to both men and women. The game is simple enough: from a top-down perspective, you compete against other players in a grid-like arena. Your only weapon is a bomb, which you can drop to clear out obstacles or to knock out your opponents. Players can pick up upgrades, which become available when they clear obstacles, to increase their chances of winning. The game is fun, yet frantic, and brings out the most competitive spirit in all of us!

About Hudson Entertainment, Inc.

Hudson Entertainment is the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, an international provider of games and entertainment content founded in 1973. Hudson introduced best-selling classic videogame franchises including Bomberman, Bonk, and Super Adventure Island. Since 2000, Hudson's mobile division has been a leading supplier of games and personalized content. Through their partnership with The Source and Death Row Records, Hudson is a leading provider of hip-hop ring tones and mobile content.

For more information on Hudson Entertainment, please visit www.hudsonent.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Hudson Entertainment and Hudson Soft are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Hudson Soft. Bomberman is a registered trademark of Hudson Soft.

###

Achievements:

Completely Unstoppable! (10)
Win 5 XBox Live matches (4 players or more) in a row

Exterminator (10)
Win 15 local matches against the computer (3 or more computer players)

Paint the town red! (10)
Win a local Zombie Match (?) against 2+ computer players

The Name's Bomb, Dangerous Bomb (10)
Blow up 3 computer players at the same time

Totally bombed! (10)
Win a local match against 3 or more computer players after you occupied a Revenge Super cart.

The Bomb! (15)
Win 30 Xbox live games.

You die so good! (15)
Score 25 frags in Most Frags mode on Xbox live.

Joy of Painting with Bomberman (20)
Cover 130 or more panels in a 3+ player Zombie Match against the computer.

The Good, The Bad and The Bombed (20)
While wearing a complete cowboy outfit, frag another cowboy player over Xbox Live.

Did I just win... AGAIN?! (25)
Win 10 successive matches in Ranked Tournament.

Girl Power! (25)
Win a 'girls only" match against 4 or more players while wearing a complete female outfit.

EXTREME MAKEOVER! (30)
Collect 60 Costume Balls.

According to Belgian site X-Power, the game is under development at Backbone Entertainment and will hit sometime in June. They have tons of screens and artwork, showing off the dozens of Bomberman characters available... for a price. Michael McWhertor

Bomberman bombardeert Xbox Live Arcade! [X-Power]

As you can see they come in standard black and cherry bomb flavor. NCS is selling them for $19.00, and they are looking at a June 2007 release. They'll make an excellent gift for that reclusive crazy holed up in a mountain cabin writing his manifesto in your life, or just strap one to your child before sending them into the bank with a hold-up note! Just one of the many reasons I can never father a child. Michael Fahey

Bomberman Bakuhatu Plush Preorder [National Console Support via GameBrink]

The video is a tad lame, saturated through out with the belabored husky breathing of a Japanese man wheezing into the mike. But perhaps this is a good portent of what emulated 8 bit games on the Wii will be like.

Homemade Wii Controller Doubles As NES [Gamebrink]

Bomberman Land DS Online Announced [Cubed3]

Other titles of note on the list are Bomberman Act Zero and a Death Jr. sequel for the PSP. There's also a few more details on the upcoming Silent Hill remake for the PSP. Changing the protagonist to a female to fit in with the film and featuring a few new plot twists, the game will be retitled Silent Hill: Original Sin. It's due in mid October, probably coinciding with the Silent Hill movie's DVD release.

A pretty solid list of titles to start welling your drool up over come E3.

Konami quietly announces thier Summer and Fall game line ups [Orange Lounge Radio]

The latest issue of Japanese game bible Famitsu displays screens from the upcoming Xbox Live Bomberman title. The game originally appeared twenty years ago and became a cross platform game. The cute character looks to have been injected with steroids and pumped full of plutonium. While the scans may say "First Person Bomber," the game is still a third person point-of-view title. Bomberman: Act Zero debuts May 25th on Japan's XBL. Not exactly your father's Bomberman.

Scans Here [Xboxyde] Thanks, Sinner!