Topic: Nintendo Download - December 22, 2011

[NWR_Neal]

Mighty Switch Force and Tetris lead the charge, and Swapnote comes out to no fanfare.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/28770

Mighty Switch Force and Tetris for Game Boy are the two big 3DS-exclusive releases this week, along with Swapnote, the message-sending application that also came out in Europe and Japan this week.

In addition to three games mentioned above, three DSiWare titles, a WiiWare game, and a WiiWare demo hit the shops this week.

The biggest title of the week is Mighty Switch Force, the third entry in WayForward's Mighty series (the other two are DSiWare games). Taking control of a female cop, you go through multiple levels of 2D puzzle-platforming fun to capture criminals and save the day. You can read our impressions of the title for more information. It is available for $5.99.

On Virtual Console, the high-selling Game Boy version of Tetris is hitting virtual shelves. This is the version that more or less took the world (and Nintendo's handheld) by storm. Relive the mayhem with this primitive but still great version of Tetris for $3.99.

The three DSiWare titles run the gamut from puzzles to chiptunes to vampires. Doodle Fit, from DSiWare veterans Gamelion, is a puzzle game where you have to fit in Tetris-esque shapes into different areas that resemble sprites. The game is also out on iOS, Android, and PSN, where it is cheaper than the $5 price tag it carries on DSiWare.

CINEMAX brings Rytmik Retrobits, an $8 application for the 3DS/DSi that lets you create chiptunes. It's the next entry in a series of Rytmik games that let you create music using the interface of the DS.

The final portable download game of the week is Teyon's Chronicles of Vampires: Origins. Despite the promising name, this is just the first episode of a hidden object game about vampires. For $5, you can check to see if this is more Team Belmont or more Team Edward.

On WiiWare, Gnomz, a surprisingly fun game in a similar vein as Mario Bros., has a demo available, and Soccer Up, from developer Enjoy Up, hits the store for 500 Wii Points. If you couldn't tell, it's a soccer game.

For the record, we have gone 119 days without a Wii Virtual Console game in North America. In Europe, the people who have been counting that number have likely gotten bored and died.

[TheFleece]

Mighty Switch Force is really good. The Switching mechanic introduces new elements on every stage and is lots of fun. The 3D is done very nice and the music is good too.
Swapnote is actually a lot of fun. It's a great addition to all the stuff Nintendo has equipped the 3DS with already. Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 3D made me feel like my gaming experience was validated on the 3DS and Swapnote is another part of the features set that really fleshes out the system.

[leahsdad]

The final portable download game of the week is Teyon's Chronicles of Vampires: Origins. Despite the promising name, this is just the first episode of a hidden object game about vampires. For $5, you can check to see if this is more Team Belmont or more Team Edward.

Ah....sounding impartial, but using backhanded compliments and obscure references to be anything but.  This is why I read NWR for my gaming news.

[NWR_Neal]

We aim to please.

Also, this might be the best download week since Week 1 of the Wii Virtual Console if we don't count Ambassador weeks. Let's put it this way: I downloaded three of the games available today, and only one of them was free!

[Mataata]

I REALLY want Mighty Switch Force. I'll definately look around for a Nintendo Points card in the store next time I go.
Also, the chiptune thing sounds kinda cool. Might look into it.

[KDR_11k]

I'm wary of MSF, none of Way Forward's games were as fun to me as people let me to believe they would be.

[NWR_Neal]

I'm wary of MSF, none of Way Forward's games were as fun to me as people let me to believe they would be.

Not to sway you either way, but it is easily the best Mighty game yet by far.

[leahsdad]

I'm wary of MSF, none of Way Forward's games were as fun to me as people let me to believe they would be.

Really?  I loved Mighty Milky Way, despite the fact that the last level is so hard that I'm still working on it,   6 months later.   I've probably tried and died over 200 times.

[TheFleece]

I'm wary of MSF, none of Way Forward's games were as fun to me as people let me to believe they would be.

I really like all the Way Forward Might titles. If I could Gift it to you I totally would. If you want to wait Pick it up when the eShop has a lull and you'll be pretty happy.

[MegaByte]

MSF is much more traditional (and easier if you're not going for records) than the previous games.

[Manthony Chopkins]

I'm really digging the music in MSF. It also looks great in 3D as well.

[UncleBob]

You know, as much as I have fond memories of the original Game Boy Tetris, I have to say... damn.  This game is hard.  I've been so spoiled with hold slots and such.

The thing that really kills this version, though, is the randomizer.  I've heard they've since tweaked it to make things like the S and Z blocks not appear so often/close to one another.  I seriously started a game that had 9 S/Z blocks before I finally got something else.

With that, I'll just drop this here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alw5hs0chj0&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dtetris%2Bgod%26oq%3DTetr%26aq%3D6%26aqi%3Dg10%26aql%3D%26gs_sm%3Dc%26gs_upl%3D515l1866l0l7422l4l4l0l1l1l0l241l512l0.2.1l3l0

[JRokujuushi]

Did I miss something in Mighty Switch Force?  I got through Incident .16 and it felt more like a first boss than a final stage.  Even after beating the par times on every stage, there doesn't seem to be anything else. 

Definitely fun, but its shortness made it feel a little unsatisfying.  ...unless I'm missing something.

[MegaByte]

Not really, unless I'm missing something too.

[TheFleece]

Did I miss something in Mighty Switch Force?  I got through Incident .16 and it felt more like a first boss than a final stage.  Even after beating the par times on every stage, there doesn't seem to be anything else. 

Definitely fun, but its shortness made it feel a little unsatisfying.  ...unless I'm missing something.

I could have sworn I read something about extra weapons in the manual. Nothing??

[MegaByte]

There is an extra weapon, yes. You get it after beating the game, but there's only a minor thing for getting all the stars.