Topic: This Week in Nintendo Downloads

[NWR_Neal]

The latest Bit.Trip headlines this week's slate of six games.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/24353

This week sees the release of six games, with two on WiiWare and four on DSiWare. Virtual Console has no new releases.

Bit.Trip Fate, the penultimate entry in Gaijin Games' series, is an on-rails rhythm-based shooter. You control Commander Video through different stages using power-ups to defeat the evil Mingrawn Timbletot. Compatible with the Wii Zapper, Bit.Trip Fate is 800 Wii Points ($8).

The second WiiWare game this week is My Planetarium from Hudson. This 500 Wii Point ($5) title allows players to look at constellations and celestial bodies using the Wii Remote. You can take 11 different tours in Planetarium Mode, and read the Celestial Guidebook, which details all sorts of astronomical facts.

The first title on DSiWare this week is Go! Go! Island Rescue! from Connect2Media. Taking place during the worst vacation ever for the hapless Darwins, Island Rescue puts you in the shoes of the Rescue Squad who must save the poor family from different disasters. The 500 Nintendo DSi Point game has 50 levels and promises laughs and bonus levels.

Spot the Difference is the next DSiWare game. From Enjoy Gaming, this game forces you to look for differences in identical-looking photos. Six players can play this game in a turn-based multiplayer mode. It is available for 500 Nintendo DSi Points ($5).

The next game is GO Series Defense Wars. This DSiWare title is a tower defense game from Gamebridge. Available for 200 Nintendo DSi Points ($2), you use bullets, bombs, and cannons to ward off attacking troops.

The last title of the week is Flashlight, which is a flashlight for your DSi. Published by Kaasa, this application costs your 200 Nintendo DSi Points ($2).

[MegaByte]

A fucking flashlight app for $2?  Really?

[FZeroBoyo]

My Planetarium? We get that instead of My Aquarium 3? 


Yeah... A flashlight app seems pretty silly, considering that the DSi screens are already bright enough to be a flashlight.

[NWR_Neal]

I have legitimately used my DSi as a flashlight. I don't need to spend $2 to activate an app for it.

[broodwars]

If Bit.Trip FATE turns out to be significantly easier/more fun than Runner, I'll pick it up.  Runner just really frustrated me, even if it is one of the few games in the series I've actually beaten.

[Mop it up]

I'm curious what the Flashlight app looks like. Is it just a white screen or something more? The DS is already pretty bright on the highest setting, so just find a white screen (like the startup one or menus) and it's a pretty effective torch.

[nhaines]

I use the startup warning screens as flashlights all the time when I don't use my phone.

If My Planetarium is anything like Celestia or Stellarium (both excellent Free Software applications available for Windows, Mac, and Linux) then that might actually be worth it.  I'll wait to see some screenshots though.

[Jonnyboy117]

If Bit.Trip FATE turns out to be significantly easier/more fun than Runner, I'll pick it up.  Runner just really frustrated me, even if it is one of the few games in the series I've actually beaten.

It's easier for sure. There are 5 levels, maybe 6, and I beat the first three on my first try. The fourth level took two tries. The fifth level boss is a bastard, and there are no check-points, so you have to replay the whole level if he kills you. The entire game is slow-paced for the franchise, with really dull music and seemingly little musical interaction. Some enemies make sounds when the die, but they all take several hits to kill, so it never feels like you are interacting with the music.

I really like the curved-path movement as a way to mix up the shoot-em-up gameplay. It usually works well, and the bosses take advantage of it in some clever ways. The normal enemies don't mix as well with this kind of movement, since the game is also auto-scrolling, and there's no telling when or if you'll interact with an enemy as it flirts into view. On the later stages, enemies will sometimes shoot bullets right down the path, which means it's impossible to dodge unless you anticipate the situation and move to an entirely different section of the path before the bullet cuts you off.

Overall... it's attractive and has some cool twists on the traditional shmup, but it feels like a step backwards from Runner. The slow music isn't catchy at all, and the franchise's trademark fusing of rhythm and gameplay seems to have been forgotten. I like the power-up characters, but they are timed, not skill-based. Some make you practically invincible, and one actually makes it harder to hit most enemies. Seems three-quarters-baked.

[KDR_11k]

Runner wasn't very good for music either IMO, there were some obstacles that just sounded awful.

[broodwars]

Indeed.  TBH, I don't think the music in the Bit.Trip games has been all that spectacular after Core, but it's been serviceable.  I'm sad to read that Fate may not be all that hot compared to previous entries in the series, though, especially when it comes to the music.  I might still pick it up, but to be honest after all this Castlevania playing I'm kind of in the mood to pick up the Castlevania WiiWare game instead.

[vudu]

The entire game is slow-paced for the franchise, with really dull music and seemingly little musical interaction. Some enemies make sounds when the die, but they all take several hits to kill, so it never feels like you are interacting with the music.

This is what I was afraid of.  The trailers made it seem like there wasn't much interaction with the music--guess they were pretty accurate. 

Runner wasn't very good for music either IMO, there were some obstacles that just sounded awful.

Shut your mouth.  Runner had fantastic music and the interactions were top-notch.  It's by far my favorite Bit.Trip game.