Animal Crossing apps invade DSi Shop @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on May 04, 2009

News: Along with Hey! That's My Fish! and Tower Toppler on the Wii Shop.

Nintendo has detailed the additions to the DSi Shop and the Wii Shop this week and two of them are based on the Animal Crossing franchise. But it's not quite what you think.

Animal Crossing Calculator and Animal Crossing Clock are "applications" for the DSi that turn the system into a calculator and a clock, respectively. Albeit, ones with cute Animal Crossing characters dancing around all the time. Each application will be available to download for 200 DSi Points ($2).

Other new releases on the Wii Shop Channel this week are the WiiWare board game Penguins & Friends - Hey! That's My Fish! and the Commodore 64 platformer Tower Toppler.

If none of these "games" are familiar to you, Nintendo has supplied descriptions below.

Nintendo DSiWare
Animal Crossing Calculator (Nintendo, 1 player, 200 Nintendo DSi Points): Need to figure out what you owe Tom Nook or the amount in your savings account? Animal Crossing Calculator features the full functionality of a traditional calculator, including a Memory key and the ability to display up to 13 digits, adding a layer of atmosphere unique to Animal Crossing. Use the Unit Converter to turn one unit of measure into another (such as length, weight, volume and age), or track the history of calculations you've performed. Listen to the Animalese pronunciation of numbers when you press them, and watch for a favorite Animal Crossing character to appear when your result meets certain criteria. Get ready for an inventive and practical way to experience the charm of Animal Crossing.

Animal Crossing Clock (Nintendo, 1 player, 200 Nintendo DSi Points): Enjoy the atmosphere of Animal Crossing in a whole new way with Animal Crossing Clock. Select from either an analog or digital clock and set up to three alarms (with snooze functionality for those who need it). Make your own Town Tune or use sounds created in Nintendo DSi Sound, then assign them to the alarms you've set. Use the system's internal clock or offset the time however you like. Then sit back and watch as different characters from Animal Crossing appear and the color of the sky changes as time passes. You'll never miss an important appointment with one of your Animal Crossing friends again.

WiiWare
Penguins & Friends - Hey! That's My Fish! (Gammick Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): The penguins are hungry and need your help. Catch all the fish you can before someone steals them from you. Strategy is fundamental in this exciting game. Keep moving ahead of the other penguins so you don't get trapped, and try to get to the ice floes that hold more fish. One to four players can play Penguins & Friends at the same time, provided they can handle the polar cold. The board is made up of ice blocks with a set number of fish under them. The ice blocks are hexagonal and form a structure like a beehive. The starting position of the ice blocks can change, creating different game boards.

Virtual Console
Tower Toppler (Commodore 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Weird things are happening on Planet Nebulus. Someone or something has begun building huge towers on the sea floor without a construction license. Your mission is to ascend each of the eight cylindrical towers, passing various obstacles along the way, and to trigger the tower's destruction mechanism to demolish the evil threat. Praised upon its original 1987 release for its graphical innovation, this is considered to be the most outstanding game from Hewson. Don't miss out on this classic favorite.