Today marks the beginning of the Hanabi Festival on Virtual Console. During the four week Hanabi Festival, classic games that were never released in the UK will be coming to Virtual Console. Over the next four weeks you'll be able to enjoy games such as Bomberman 94 (Turbografx), Zoda's Revenge (NES), Musha (Mega Drive), Smash Table Tennis (NES), Detana Twin Bee (NES)and Kirby's Dream Land (SNES).
However, from today you can download Pulseman (NES) and Ogre Battle (SNES). There's also Gradius Rebirth and Bit Boy for WiiWare, plus you can download Brain Challenge, a Mario clock and calculator through DSiWare.
Pulseman, a half-human character, was created by Pokémon designer Ken Sugimori and you have to take him through 7 stages using his ability to harness electricity to stop Doc Waruyama and his villainous Galaxy Gang.
Ogre Battle: The March Of The Black Queen (800 Points) is a strategy game that was released for SNES in Japan in 1995. As the leader of a band of rebels, you have to defeat the Zeteginian Empire by managing the ranks of a full-blown rebel army, complete with a vast array of characters, magic items, weapons, and mystical Tarot cards. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Ogre Battle: The March Of The Black Queen is that the creator Yasumi Matsuno named the game after two tracks on Queen's second album. He also named the game's Rhyan Sea after Seven Seas Of Rhye.
That's all for this week's Hanabi Festival downloads but there's plenty more available in the Wii Shopping Channel. Bit Boy (600 Points) is this week's most exciting WiiWare release for fans of old school gaming as it takes you on a journey through time in the history of videogames. You control Bit Boy Kubi through a pixellated adventure, fighting hordes of nasty monsters in 4-bit dungeons, 8-bit caves, 16-bit strongholds, 32-bit labyrinths, 64-bit arenas and 128-bit worlds.
Having said that, veteran gamers might also enjoy the 2D blasting action of Gradius Rebirth (600 Points). From Konami, this has you taking control of the Vic Viper once more and blasting through levels filled with hundreds of enemies, obstacles and massive bosses. There's also a Score Attack Mode with an online hi-score table.
Gameloft have brought their own brain game to DSi this week. Called Brain Challenge (800 Points), it promises brain exercises to relieve your pain, stress, and boredom.
The Mario Clock (200 Points) is an alarm clock that enables you to wake up with classic Mario music. There are three separate alarms with NES-style Mario tunes and the clock also has a Super Mario Bros. background so you can make Mario jump, bash blocks and collect coins.
That's all for this week. Wonder what we'll get next week. Hope it's Kirby...
A clock and calculator, im sure many dsi owners just can not wait to download them.
The reason myself and im sure many others purchased a dsi in the first place was for DSi ware, at current its shocking. Apple has better apps on there app store and there free and dont cost anything. I can also find better flash games on the internet which dont cost anything. Nintendo needs to sort out dsi ware and fast.
Wait all week for something good to get added to the dsi ware store only to find its some calculator and clock which are not even free.
Currently dsi ware = fail.
@ Xena. I have to agree. There is nothing really worthwhile downloading on DSiWare. The only things I have got off it are the browser and Art Style Aquite with my free points. Please give is something worthy to download Nintendo/all DSiWare developers!
I agree, and my decision to not get a DSi yet seems to be right on the money. DSiWare is a disgrace and needs GB and GBA games on it to save it.
As for Hanabi festival... Kirby?
I want Earthbound!
Why can't I have it? ;_;
im quite interested in bit boy, may download it later.
*Sees Mario on DSi; OMFG Mario vs. Donkey Kong 3! Takes closer look and sobs.*
Nintendo, stop releasing this crap, I bought a DSi for its camara usage in games and DSi Ware. Yet have had anything spectaculer. I'm dissapointed. Should have bought DSi whan Moving Memo was released.
DSi has potential, ye it's ATM worse than GBA.
Another stellar week for DSiWare I see...
another random brain trainer, the clock and the calculator...
the clocks aren't worth the time they take to load, the DSi menu tells the time and has alarms already. i very much regret buying the AC clock so i'm not getting this one!
Waaah DSiWare. Aside from that, this has been a pretty damn fine update; the best we've seen in a long time.
I might try Ogre Battle; I've been meaning to try and get into strategy games, real-time or otherwise, and this looks pretty neat. Pulseman looks quite appealing, too, and I'm interested to see what reviews BitBoy gets. Also, Gradius Rebirth for only 600 points? Tremendous, I say.
NO EARTHBOUND.
SEETHING RAGE.
Gradius ReBirth! Finally!
And I have no points...dammit.
crikey, I remember playinh the original Graduis when in my PS1 when I was little. Probably worth a look at this new one then....
The original Gradius was an arcade game from the mid 1980s... though you probably played it on the Gradius Deluxe Pack.
No EarthBound?
When will we get to play the mother series.
What a disgrace DSIWare is. Soet it out nintendo. I really regret using my 1000 free Nintendo points to get WarioWare: Snapped and Mixed Messages. I then was going to buy myself 2000 Nintendo Points but I got Draglade and Heinz Wolf's Gravity. MFC was supposed to come out ages ago and as for MvsDK3. I bet you it will end up being a condensed version of MvsDK2
When will dsiware in europe provide us with mario vs donkey kong: minis march again? I really want it and when will we get moving memo?
Come on nintendo give us what we want!
I wouldn't suspect EarthBound to be on Hanabi Festivals because of the Music Licencing that was used in the game. But the game should be released here.
Personally, I don't believe the music licensing stuff for Earthbound. A game being rated by the ESRB doesn't just happen like that, it's a much more complicated and slower process then it seems.
Until Nintendo confirm it themselves, I still pray for EB on VC.
What'll happen when Moving Memo and Mario Vs DK 2 finally come out and then, by some sheer fluke, Earthbound comes out too? Will the Internet end?
Don't taunt us, just use your influences and make it happen! Somehow. Okay, I know you have no influences but damnit, you know Earthbound needs to be released. Make it so and you shall be worshipped as a god. Take Iwata hostage if you have to.
Music licencing? I hardly doubt that's an issue, is it? I wasn't aware of Earthbound using any licenced music. I keep hearing excuses for why it isn't being released on the VC and absolutely none of them make any sense given that the game was ALREADY released in the US on the SNES and has already been released on the VC in Japan. Seriously, what's stopping them?
lets face it Nintendo have there own heads rammed so far into the place sunshine doesnt reach. 1 look on a forum shows you what fans want but there to busy chasing the casuals
if there is a problem with the music replace it. Do what ever you have to do to release the game and actual get your longtime fans back on side. Who here would pay 1200 points for Earthbound if nintendo had to do a lot of work on it to get it out ?
Id like to see nintendo polish of the rom of starfox 2 which is doing the rounds and release it onto Virtual Console and i dont think that would be to hard yet they wont