As if in response to Electronic Theatre’s own article announcing the arrival of WiiWare in the US, Nintendo announced yesterday that WiiWare hits Europe on 20^th, May 2008. Through WiiWare, developers - no matter how big or small - will be able to create exciting new downloadable game's to be sold through the Wii Shop Channel. Changing the way developers create Wii games and players access them, WiiWare will make it possible for smaller, creative titles to take centre stage.

With WiiWare games the possibilities are endless. Only limited by the imaginations of the developers, expect to see a raft of new, fresh and original games head to Wii from an entire range of genres. Utilising the Wii's unique control methods from the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to potentially the Wii Board, Wii Wheel and Wii Zapper, developers have the freedom to create the game of their dreams in an affordable way, with low entry barriers and flexible criteria in front of them. Such is the opportunity that, already developers who have never created or published games for Nintendo are working on a host of potential ideas.

Laurent Fischer, Managing Director of Marketing & PR of Nintendo of Europe comments, “We are excited by the positive response we have received from third party developers to the announcement of WiiWare. We hope that this opportunity and the inspiration to produce original and exciting games will allow developers of all sizes to bring new concepts, genres and game play experiences to Wii. Opening this creative door will also provide Wii users access to a huge choice of games that they can easily download and enjoy.”

Easy to access and simple to use, WiiWare games will be available to download directly onto Wii from the Wii Shop Channel from 500 Wii Points. To date, a vast array of exciting and creative new projects are already in the pipeline, ensuring fresh concepts and content will frequently become available for all to enjoy. Players themselves will also become central to the creative process as their download choices and genre selection will become instrumental in helping developers determine future projects. 

Dr. Mario & Germ Buster       

The all-time Puzzle classic returns for the Wii generation, featuring online gameplay and a new Germ Buster Mode! Destroy all the viruses trapped in the bottle by dropping and slotting capsules to create lines of matching colours. The more viruses you clear, the faster the capsules drop.

In Dr. Mario, challenge the computer in Single-Player Mode, go head-to-head with a friend in two-player mode, or prove your skills against the world via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. You can also send a demo version of the game to a friend (within your region) using WiiConnect24.

In Germ Buster (based on the relaxation game in More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain?), up to four players can use their Wii Remotes to grab, spin and slot capsules as your Miis try to keep the nasty bugs at bay. Who thought that catching germs could be so much fun?
 

(Nintendo, 1 - 4 players)

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King

According to legend, a deserted town now serves as the lifeless reminder of a once powerful kingdom. The young son of an exiled king reaches this land after a long journey, finding only an abandoned castle - and a magic crystal. Though tarnished by years of neglect, the crystal has maintained its luminous glow and bestows upon the boy the power of architek, the ability to manifest memories into reality. With the help of loyal servants and audacious adventurers, the new king dutifully prepares to rebuild his people's homeland in this new realm.

(SquareEnix, 1 player)

LostWinds

LostWinds is a fresh, enchanting adventure that lets you wield the awesome powers of Enril the wind spirit - from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze - to guide and protect Toku, a young boy who is the only one who can help you release the curse placed upon the world of Mistralis and its people by evil Balasar.

Mistralis is a stunningly presented, magical land full of wonder and intrigue that bursts to life with your every action and exploration. LostWinds' novel, playful controls let you use Enril's elemental powers to jump and glide Toku through Mistralis' different regions, buffet and smash enemies and solve puzzles on their journey to a dramatic showdown. Bursting with new gameplay ideas that embrace the Wii controller, LostWinds puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand.
 

(Frontier, 1 - 2 players)

Pirates: The Key of Dreams

Pirates: The Key of Dreams is a frantic nautical Shoot-‘Em-Up. Sail your way across the Caribbean, cannons blazing, looting booty, running blockades, and ultimately, battling Blackbeard himself. The player takes control of a Navy Captain sent deep undercover as a ruthless Pirate, in order to seek out and retrieve The Key of Dreams, a valuable and dangerous cursed artefact. Rescue castaways to bolster your ship's crew, gaining performance increases to your navigation, weaponry, structural integrity and cartography skills. Collect increasingly powerful weaponry including Rockets, Mines, Chain Shot, Saw Blades and a Flamethrower to hurl destruction into the path of your enemies.

Play against three of your scurvy friends or AI opponents in pitched multiplayer battles over 35 levels, in seven themed environments.  Choose from different ship types that reflect your play style. Play in turbo mode if you're Pirate enough!
 

(Oxygen Interactive Ltd, 1 - 4 players)

Pop

Pop is all about popping bubbles! It may sound simple but there are lots of things you can do to get a high-score and have fun. Just keep an eye on the timer because when it runs out it's game-over! Each bubble is worth both points and time so try to fill up your timer first then focus on scoring high. You can then start to chain the same colour of bubble for big points by popping bubbles of the same colour. This is a great way to increase you score.

Friends can join you in a game of Pop too! Whenever you are playing all they need to do is connect their Wii Remote and then join in the action. Watch out because they may start using power-ups to hold you back! If they do try to pump up some bubbles or detonate a nuke this will create a shock-wave which will destroy any matching colours of bubbles it touches.

Finally there are badges for completing certain objectives; online High-Score Tables and WiiConnect24 messages so you can keep up with your friends progress and boast about your own.

(Nnooo, 1 - 4 players)

Star Soldier R

Assembled in record time to counter the advance of a powerful enemy, the mysterious Brain Forces, the "Caesar" starfighter takes off to fight for the very future of mankind! Shoot down countless enemies, upgrade your ship to the max with power-ups hidden throughout the levels, and carry out an all-out assault against the core of the enemy fortress! Combining the excitement of Shoot-'Em-Ups with in-depth scoring strategies, this state-of-the-art competitive shooter will keep you coming back for more!

Upload your best scores with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and pit your skills against the world's best fighter pilots from the comfort of your living room! Hone your skills and show the world who's boss!
 

(HUDSON SOFT, 1 player)

Toki Tori

Toki Tori is his name and collecting eggs is his game! In this Puzzle/Platform game, players get to use a variety of items such as the Telewarp, InstantRock and Slug Sucker. Clever use and combinations of these items is needed to solve all the game's Levels, of which there are more than seventy. These Levels range from easy to brain-teasingly hard, resulting in dozens of hours of puzzle play-time.

Toki Tori makes the most out of what the Wii was to offer. It uses of the Wii Remote for a unique control scheme, which offers players a new and more relaxing play style. A second player can help you out, by drawing hints while you are playing. The game even uses the Wii Message Board in a unique way!

(Two Tribes B.V., 1 - 2 players (NOTE: second player can only use a second Wii Remote to write hints on the screen))

TV Show King

Become King of a fun TV trivia show! Confront friends and family with your Mii and see who is the smartest! Confront friends and family in a TV quiz game show! Let your Mii try to answer fun and challenging trivia questions, from the classics to original stumpers, spanning across history, geography, literature, science, sports and entertainment! For an extra challenge, use your Wii Remote in original ways. Make it to the finals and see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one last, ultimate duel.

With so much creative freedom on offer to developers there is sure to be something for everyone on WiiWare. Keep checking Electronic Theatre and the Nintendo Channel (launching on 30th May, 2008 on Wii) for all the latest WiiWare news and releases.

Kev J.

14/05/08