The short list of launch titles showcased in Nintendo's DSiWare digital distribution service includes clever time-wasters and mini-games ripped from bigger titles.
The inexpensive downloadable games, which go on sale Sunday when the $170, Wi-Fi-equipped Nintendo DSi launches in the United States, have already been released in Japan, along with dozens of other titles for the new hardware.
Nintendo said Wednesday that everyone who buys a DSi and logs in to the online DSi Shop through Oct. 5 will receive 1,000 free Nintendo Points with which to buy software. The company has not yet released prices for the DSiWare launch games, but if they cost the same as the Japanese versions, here's what you can expect to pay — and which games you should pick up.
200 points ($2)
__Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face __(above left): It's a magic trick pulled from Nintendo's retail game Master of Illusion. If you already own that game, you already have this — an audience member picks a card, and you draw a face on the screen that comes to life and tells them which card they picked. The enjoyment you will get out of this is equivalent to the amount of time you spend doing magic tricks in front of your friends and family.
Bird & Beans (above right): Based on* Pyoro*, the unlockable mini-game from the WarioWare series. You collect beans with the bird's tongue. This is a small-scale time-waster of a game — it's been compared to a modern-day Game & Watch. For $2, you might find it to be just the sort of addictive burst of activity to get you through those odd moments.
500 Points ($5)
__Art Style: Aquia __(above left): A match-three puzzle game in which you shift blocks to the left and right, pulling them in and out of the tower. I love the style — this, and all other Art Style games, are made by the unorthodox clever types at Skip — but I was pretty much flummoxed by the puzzle mechanics. This seems like a game that hard-core puzzle fans will love and casuals will get at least somewhat confused by.
__WarioWare: Snapped! __(above right): The latest in the *WarioWare *series of games, which string together a series of lightning-quick five-second "microgames" all built around a theme, uses the DSi's camera. You use your silhouette to control the on-screen action. It's fun, but you need to be able to set the DSi on a table and have really good lighting to use it properly. You can't play this one on the bus. Whether or not you buy it should depend on what kind of portable player you are.
800 Points ($8)
__Brain Age Express: Math __(above): Enjoy training your brain occasionally, but don't feel like carrying your Brain Age game with you everywhere you go? Download this app, which will sit on your DSi forever, and do some math problems anytime you feel like it. This isn't really anything new — just a selection of games from the retail version of Brain Age.
That's the launch lineup. With a ton of apps and games already available in Japan, it's easy to imagine DSiWare's shop filling up with lots more games in short order.
You could hold on to your free 1,000 points until something better comes along — say, Dr. Mario or Mr. Driller, or more Art Style games — but if you want to blow it all right now, what should you get?
I'd recommend skipping the $2 microgames and the $8 version of Brain Age (can't you buy a used Brain Age for $8 these days anyway?) and buying the two $5 titles, WarioWare Snapped! and* Aquia*.
Images courtesy Nintendo
See Also:
