Nintendo's WiiWare and DSiWare Updates Bring Some Great Titles

Nintendo's weekly updates add a few interesting titles to the already wide array of choices. We'll first take a look at what the WiiWare has new to offer. The first to get the wheels rolling is Taito's Arkanoid Plus! which will continue the series' addictive arcade style block-busting action but will also brings some new features. Arcade Mode will consist of 61 rounds separated into left and right sides, ending with two types of boss characters in the last round. The versus mode will enable challengers to compete against either a CPU opponent or a real-life adversary. Time Trial mode will also be featured in Arkanoid Plus! along with new items and power ups. The game will be available for 600 Wii Points, or $6.

The second title of this week's WiiWare update is Driift Mania. The Konami Digital Entertainment developed game will enable up to 8 players to compete against each other on the winding and twisting tracks it offers in a variety of settings, and it will be available for 800 Wii Points or $8. The last game added to the edition will be Sega's Altered Beast, brought forth from the far reaches of arcade times. The title is a side scroller that pits the player against imaginary and mythological creatures of ancient Greece and will be available for $10, or 1000 Wii Points.

The DSiWare boasts a really big name on the panel, Dragon Quest Wars, a board-game-styled strategy that follows the Dragon Quest universe. The game is a simplified but elaborate adaptation that makes use of the same monsters and universe of the original, and it offers several single player modes as well as multiplayer via the DS Wireless Play and worldwide via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Dragon Quest Wars is priced at 500 DSi Points or $5.

The other game to come to the DSiWare is the Art Academy: Second Semester, which offers more elaborate art challenges than the first one did, focusing on impressionist artists. Along with these challenges, the game also supports the Free Paint mode that allows players to practice and develop their artistic side. You will find it priced at a bigger 800 DSi Points or $8.