Style your hair on your DSi, clean up the streets in the Virtual Console, or gather your crew for a non-stop Bingo Party, all in this week's Nintendo Download.
How many times has one of your parties been ruined by the lack of a circular metal cage filled with numbered balls? The sport of depressingly old people comes to the Nintendo Wii this week courtesy of Ateam Inc.'s Bingo Party Deluxe for WiiWare. The only thing more depressing than playing this with your friends is playing it all alone. There is nothing more soul-crushing than shouting "BINGO" where no one else can hear you.
Unless of course you get ready for this big solo Bingo Party using 505 Games' Picture Perfect Pocket Stylistfor DSiWare, snapping a photo of yourself and applying various hair and makeup styles until you find the look you want reflected back at you on the television during loading screens.
Hopefully the person I described isn't you. Hopefully you're playing something like Jaleco's classic Super Nintendo beat-em up Rival Turf on the Virtual Console. Sure it's derivative, but it came out in the early 90's when that was okay.
It's been awhile since Nintendo has delivered something truly noteworthy in its weekly batch of downloadable games. Come back next week to see if that changes.
WiiWare
BINGO PARTY Deluxe
Publisher: Ateam Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: In BINGO PARTY Deluxe, play with up to four players in 75-Ball BINGO, 90-Ball BINGO or BINGO PARTY game modes. (Additional controllers are required for multiplayer game play and are sold separately.) The more you play, the more BINGO points you collect. Keep collecting BINGO points to unlock fun goodies such as new game modes and BINGO card patterns. All BINGO game modes can also be played with computer players, and the difficulty setting can be easily adjusted to match your skill level. The exclusive BINGO PARTY game mode adds excitement by having players compete to find and stamp BINGO numbers on multiple BINGO cards, eventually completing patterns to earn big points. Players can also enjoy the classic 75-Ball BINGO and 90-Ball BINGO game modes. There's plenty of fun for everyone.
BIT.TRIP RUNNER (demo version)
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 0 Wii Points; full version available for 800 Wii Points
Description: Race across the moon, kicking down crystal walls and sliding under chomping moon-slugs. Bound through the Robotic Mines and face off against the MinerMech. Dash through the Big City on a quest to find friends and defeat the final boss. BIT.TRIP RUNNER is the fourth entry in the award-winning and critically acclaimed BIT.TRIP series. Players control CommanderVideo as he runs, jumps, slides and kicks through more than 50 levels. Chiptune supergroup Anamanaguchi makes a guest appearance. Join CommanderVideo on his most epic journey yet.
Virtual Console
RIVAL TURF!
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Jaleco
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Take back the streets with RIVAL TURF!, the classic two-player action game that originally launched on the Super NES. Clean up the streets in a fast and furious display of tag-team street-fighting action. Get your licks in with a range of attacks, from body slams and leg sweeps to jabs, hooks and uppercuts. Go it alone in single-player mode, fight alongside another player, or go head-to-head and toe-to-toe in the special Versus Mode. This could be the toughest fight of your life, so you'd better start swinging.
Nintendo DSiWare
Anonymous Notes Chapter 2 - From The Abyss -
Publisher: Sonic Powered Co., Ltd.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Discover an action-packed RPG set inside an infinitely extending dungeon. Sweep away the monsters wriggling in many places and defeat a strong boss monster lurking in the deepest part of the dungeon. Even after the boss monster is defeated, the dungeon automatically re-creates itself, so players can try new games over and over. Using a skill called Soul Capture, the male character can take magic and other skills away from the monsters, as well as weapons and shields to power up. It's exhilarating to strengthen your character by combining equipment and skills, and then crush the monsters in a sweep.
Ikibago
Publisher: Neko Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Play the role of a pirate and set out to discover the lost treasure of Ikibago in this fascinating puzzle-action game. Differently colored barrels move from left to right. Your objective is to align at least three barrels of the same color in one column before they disappear from the screen. Use the stylus to switch the barrels while anticipating different traps. Bonuses are available – be sure to use them carefully to succeed in the game's 121 missions.
Picture Perfect Pocket Stylist
Publisher: 505 Games US Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Thanks to Picture Perfect Pocket Stylist, your hairdresser will always be with you. Have fun inventing new hairstyles for cartoon characters or for yourself and your friends. Take a picture of yourself and see how you look with a new haircut. When you find the right style, save it to your Nintendo DSi system's photo album. You can also import pictures from the album and use them to create new styles. Enjoy thousands of combinations of styles and makeup.