Nintendo Downloads: Dragon Quest Wars on DSiWare, Arkanoid on WiiWare @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on September 28, 2009

News: Along with more Art Academy on DSiWare, Driift Mania on WiiWare and Altered Beast on VC.

Three new titles will be added to the Wii Shop Channel today while the DSiWare Shop will get two in a big week for retro gamers.

The DSiWare Shop will receive Dragon Quest Wars, a grid-based strategy game based on Square Enix's popular RPG series. The service will also receive a second Art Academy title in Art Academy: Second Semester.

If a DSi purchase is possibly in your future, this is the week to do it as Nintendo's offer of 1,000 free DSi Points ($10) for new DSi owners expires next Monday, October 5.

On the Wii side of things, retro games rule as Taito is putting out an enhanced and updated version of Arkanoid as Arkanoid Plus! The classic brick-breaking game will be joined by a top-down racer, Driift Mania, from Konami. Finally, the original arcade version of Altered Beast, which would go on to be one of the Genesis' biggest early games, will be added to the Virtual Console.

More information on all five titles can be found below.

Nintendo DSiWare

Art Academy: Second Semester
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Art Academy is a portable art course that anyone can enjoy. Art Academy: Second Semester provides new and returning students with a larger set of tools and in-depth lessons designed to encourage the creation of more complex artwork. By gaining an even deeper understanding of colors and techniques used by famous impressionist artists, you will be ready to take on more challenging themes that include moving objects, and vast landscapes with distant objects. The openness of Free Paint mode offers plenty of opportunities to hone your skills and boost your confidence as an artist.

Dragon Quest Wars
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Language
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Dragon Quest Wars is a grid-based strategy game featuring all of your favorite quirky Dragon Quest monsters. Choose from several modes and get ready for battle. While the rules are simple, strategy is the key to victory. The game features single-player and DS Wireless Play, as well as battles with foes worldwide via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

WiiWare

Arkanoid Plus!
Publisher: Taito
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 600 Wii Points
Arkanoid Plus! is an updated version of the original arcade blockbuster. Players must destroy colored blocks by guiding an Energy Ball around the screen using a spaceship called a VAUS. The game features a host of new modes and settings that radically alter the experience: Arcade Mode consists of 61 rounds divided into left and right versions, with two types of boss characters appearing in the last round; VS Mode lets players face off against a friend or the CPU; and the unfailingly frantic Time Mode challenges players to clear rounds within a strict time limit. With the subtle differences arising from the choice of "Lives" or "Barrier" rules, plus a plethora of exciting items, you're in for hours and hours of block-busting fun.

Driift Mania
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Driift Mania is the ultimate top-down multiplayer racing experience. Challenge your friends in fast, exciting races and some totally crazy game modes. You'll need to adapt your driving skills to the different racing environments if you want to succeed.

Virtual Console

Altered Beast
Publisher: Sega
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
"Rise from your grave!" When legendary Greek god Zeus brings you back to life with those famous words, you set forth on a mission to rescue his daughter, Athena, from the wicked God of the Underworld, Neff. To survive the gauntlet of mythological foes, you must hunt down the three-headed wolves that inhabit each stage and collect the Spirit Balls that they release. The Spirit Balls increase your strength and allow you to transform into a variety of forms, including a Werewolf, Weredragon, Werebear, Weretiger and the ultimate form, the Golden Werewolf. Each creature possesses powerful attacks to help bring an end to Neff's scheme.