Staying true to its long ago promise, Nintendo today launched WiiWare, its storefront for original downloadable Wii games, with six titles:

• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King / 1500 Wii Points ($15)
• LostWinds / 1000 Wii Points ($10)
• Defend Your Castle / 500 Wii Points ($5)
• Pop / 700 Wii Points ($7)
• V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack / 700 Wii Points ($7)
• TV Show King / 1000 Wii Points ($10)

Accessible from the Wii's online Shop Channel, WiiWare joins the platform's Virtual Console service, which offers downloadable retro classics. Due to WiiWare's arrival, there will be no Virtual Console release this week.

As has been the case with Virtual Console, new WiiWare titles will release on Mondays. Upcoming games include Dr. Mario Online RX, Tetris, and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.

Keep reading for more details of today's releases, including screenshots.... Read more

Nintendo of America has revealed that the downloadable Wii entry in its virus-busting puzzle series Dr. Mario will be known as Dr. Mario Online RX, and will carry a price tag of 1000 Wii Points ($10) when it arrives in North America.

The information was tucked away within a video found on the Wii's recently-released Nintendo Channel, which contains detailed information for many Wii and DS titles along with downloadable DS game demos.

No North American release date for Dr. Mario Online RX has been announced, though the title and its online multiplayer component are already available in Japan.

Nintendo's downloadable WiiWare platform debuts in North America next Monday, May 12, though the company has yet to provide a set list of launch titles.

Publisher Ubisoft today announced Protothea, a top-down vertically scrolling shooter, for Nintendo's WiiWare downloadable gaming platform. The game will launch alongside the service's May 12 debut in North America.

Developed by Sabarasa and Digital Builders, Protothea boasts an easy-to-play gameplay style coupled with full use of Wii Remote functionality. Protothea pits players against a political faction called "The Core", and utilizes dynamic ... Read more

Publisher D2C Games today announced SPOGS Racing for Nintendo's downloadable gaming platform WiiWare, and released a set of screenshots of the upcoming title. The game is said to feature "crash 'n grab gameplay" in which players can smash into opponents on the racetrack to steal upgraded parts on the fly. SPOGS Racing includes several game modes, a variety of track types and multiple weapons and power-ups. Developer D2C Games was founded by Madden NFL creator Scott Orr.

"As a long-time game designer, I've learned that there's one defining factor behind a successful game--is it fun?" Orr said. "That question directs our entire strategy at D2C, and SPOGS Racing is a great example of that commitment."

In March, Orr said that SPOGS Racing will eventually feature "racer packs", downloadable content packs said to include new parts and tracks.

No pricing or release date for SPOGS has yet been announced by the publisher. Nintendo's WiiWare, which launched in Japan on March 25 is currently scheduled for a May 12 roll-out in North America.

Hudson Soft's downloadable Wii effort Star Soldier R is headed to North America, publishing branch Hudson Entertainment confirmed today.

The latest entry in the top-down Star shooting series has players attempting to earn their best score in 2 or 5 minute increments and testing their reflexes in Quick Shot mode. Online leaderboards will then rank the best players in world.

When it hits North America, the game will support three controller configurations: Wii Remote, Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and Classic Controller.

No time frame or pricing details were provided, though the Japanese version arrived on March 25 at 800 Wii Points ($8). The WiiWare online store launches in North America on May 12.

Dutch developer Two Tribes today announced the development of Toki Tori, a downloadable puzzle-platformer hybrid for Nintendo's WiiWare platform.

Originally released for the Game Boy Color in 2001, Toki Toki employs a blend of the puzzle and platforming genres, tasking players with creative use of items and strategy to navigate the game's levels. Toki Tori's WiiWare incarnation sports a new look, updated content and an overhauled Wii remote control scheme.

The game will be made available on the WiiWare platform's North American launch, scheduled for a May 12 roll-out.

Telltale Games is developing a series of downloadable episodic games based on the long-running Homestar Runner internet toon for PC and Nintendo's WiiWare platform, the studio announced today.

Entitled Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, the game is a point-and-click adventure title crafted around the cartoon's trademark art and humor style, featuring a variety of dialogue-based puzzles and extensive character interaction. The five-episode series is expected to launch this June, with episodes releasing on a monthly schedule.

The game is developed by Telltale in collaboration with Homestar Runner creators Matt and Mike Chapman, and includes full voice acting from the animation's original cast.

"Homestarrunner.com is one of the biggest success stories in online entertainment," said Telltale CEO Dan Connors. "The Chapmans have been treating the Internet to episodic content for years. We're thrilled to have teamed up with them to take episodic gaming to the next level via Nintendo's innovative WiiWare delivery system."

Square Enix's initial WiiWare offering Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King has been updated in Japan with downloadable content, shedding some light on the platform's microtransaction structure.

The updated version of My Life as a King includes an in-game downloadable content store, which allows players to browse and purchase a variety of additions to the title.

Among the content are three new playable races for 800 Wii Points ($8), accompanied by three houses that produce quests for the new races at 300 Wii Points ($3) a piece. New outfits can be purchased for the king and his assistant at 100 Wii Points ($1).

Game|Life notes that the total cost of My Life as a King's array of downloadable content comes in at $13—just two dollars shy of the title's going rate of 1500 Wii Points ($15).

In addition to Square Enix, several other companies are planning microtransaction structures for upcoming WiiWare releases. Similar to Nintendo's online Virtual Console storefront, which provides downloads of retro releases, WiiWare will allow Wii owners to purchase and download new, original games via the Wii Shop Channel.

The serivce went live in Japan on March 25, and hits North America on May 12. My Life as a King, along with several other titles, will be available at launch.

Several reports have surfaced of companies planning microtransaction content downloads for Nintendo's WiiWare platform.

According to a comprehensive list compiled by Joystiq, studios planning premium downloadable content include Genki, which was revealed by Famitsu to be working on an expansion for its yet-unreleased WiiWare puzzler LONPOS. The add-on pack will run gamers 500 Wii Points ($5), half the price of LONPOS itself at 1000 Wii Points ($10).

Bandai Namco also revealed that it will sell additional stages for Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Wii, another puzzle title for the WiiWare platform. Pricing for the content was not disclosed.

Madden creator Scott Orr told Develop that his upcoming WiiWare title Spogs Racing would feature "racer packs", which will include new car parts and... Read more

Namco Bandai is developing a WiiWare title all about the wonderful stress-relieving pleasure of popping bubble wrap, IGN reports.

Titled Ouchide Mugen Puti Puti, the title brings the world's favorite pastime of utterly destroying bubble wrap into the interactive realm. The game is based on Bandai's Mugen Puti Puti, a popular Japanese keychain toy which provides the thrill of popping bubble wrap in a plastic, portable and reusable form.

The WiiWare adaptation will make use of the Wii Remote's speaker and rumble features to recreate the sound and feel of the act. Few gameplay details were made available, but Namco Bandai did reveal that Ouchide Mugen Puti Puti would include 40 unique stages, a mind test mode to check stress levels, and two-player competitive play.

Ouchide Mugen Puti Puti is scheduled for release in Japan this June, priced at 800 Wii Points ($8). A North American localization is expected, but has not yet been announced.

The Japanese launch titles for Nintendo's upcoming WiiWare service will cost a range of 500 to 1500 Wii Points ($5-15), the company revealed on the service's official site.

Though these prices are designated for the Japanese WiiWare releases, it is likely they will retain the same Wii Point price across all territories, much like Nintendo's Virtual Console offerings.

Similar to Nintendo's online Virtual Console storefront, which provides downloads of retro releases, WiiWare will allow Wii owners to purchase and download new, original games via the Wii Shop Channel.

WiiWare is scheduled for a North American launch on May 12, and will include Mastiff's Major League Eating: The Game among its eventual titles. A version of Tetris was also announced by developer Hudson Soft for the platform.

When the Wii-based download service hits Japan on March 25, Nintendo's classic puzzler revamp Dr. Mario & Bacteria Extermination will run 1000 Wii ... Read more

A downloadable version of the classic puzzle phenomenon Tetris will arrive on the Wii's upcoming WiiWare service this summer, developer Hudson has announced.

Featuring online play for up to six players, the game will include new rules and items, though no details were provided. In all, Hudson expects to sell over a million copies worldwide.

No price point was specified, though all WiiWare titles priced thus far have fallen between $5 and $15. The WiiWare platform launches in Japan on March 25, with its North America debut slated for May 12.

Independent developer WayForward Technologies announced the development of Lit, a 3D horror puzzler for Nintendo's WiiWare downloadable gaming platform.

Set in a high school overrun by monsters, Lit's protagonist Jake is a below-average student who must escape the school by using lights to create safe passage through the darkness. The game is said to combine environmental puzzling with horror combat and boss battles.

"After settling on the concept of light vs. shadows, a horror theme seemed to make sense," said director Adam Tierny. "We decided to make it an action-puzzler because of how infrequently horror and puzzling gets combined in games, and to squeeze out the greatest amount of gameplay possible from a limited file size."

Lit represents WayForward's first internally-developed property since the release of Shantae (GBC) in 2002. The developer has not yet announced a release date or price point for the upcoming horror puzzler.

Mastiff announced today that the first game created via its recently acquired Major League Eating license will be a WiiWare game.

Major League Eating: The Game will be exclusive to the WiiWare platform, and features extensive use of the Wii Remote to simulate the stomach-busting thrill of competitive eating. In addition to offline play for two players, Major League Eating: The Game also supports online multiplayer and leaderboard functionality.

"Watching Major League Eating is like watching poetry in motion" said Mastiff CEO Bill Swartz. "Professional gurgitators have the grace of ballerinas yet the brute strength, mental focus, and intestinal fortitude to push their bodies and minds as hard as athletes in any other extreme endurance sport."

The WiiWare platform is scheduled for a May 12 North American launch. A firm release date for Major League Eating: The Game has not yet been announced.

Square Enix will launch its first WiiWare title Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As a King on May 12 for 1500 Wii points ($15), according to Wii fansite The Wiire.

The release date coincides with Nintendo's previously announced launch date for its WiiWare downloadable game platform. Other studios currently developing software for the platform include Nintendo, Frontier Developments and Telltale Games.

The simulation RPG hybrid—which tasks players to excel at both city-building and traditional quests—was previously slated for a March release window in Japan. Square Enix was reached for confirmation of the price and release date, but has not responded as of this writing.

In a press release noting its Game Developers Conference presence, Nintendo has announced that the first U.S. WiiWare games will start showing up May 12.

According to Nintendo, early WiiWare -- just like Virtual Console games, available through the Wii 's built-in Shop Channel -- titles will include games from Square Enix, Frontier Developments and Telltale Games.

Meanwhile the exercise product Wii Fit, which has sold over 1.4 million copies in Japan since its December 1, 2007 launch, will reach U.S. shores May 19.

Frontier Developments, the studio behind games such as RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and Thrillville, has announced that it is developing and publishing a WiiWare game titled LostWinds.

In LostWinds you use the Wii remote to control Enril the wind spirit, using your elemental powers to guide a young boy Toku through the fantasy world of Mistralis. The place is under a curse, and Toku is the only one who can lift it.

"LostWinds is an innovative game, and an exciting project for many reasons," said Frontier founder David Braben, adding, "Not least the fact that it's one of the large number of excellent concepts that have arisen through our long running internal forum discussions on game ideas. Frontier is packed full of talented game enthusiasts, and contributing creative ideas and feedback is actively encouraged. WiiWare offers a perfect extra outlet for that creativity, and I hope that LostWinds is the first of many games that will follow this process."

Steel Penny Games today revealed itself to the general public, announcing its intent to focus on digitally distributed titles. The developer represents the latest studio centered around digital distribution, a category that includes Blazing Lizard, the Kuju-owned doublesix, Wideload Shorts, and many others.

The first release out of Steel Penny, which was formed early last year by ex-Naughty Dog tools engineer Jason Hughes and background artist Andrew Gilmour, is a puzzle game starring the cat-dog duo Bruiser and Scratch (pictured above). It is slated to arrive on WiiWare in mid-2008.

Said to launch in early 2008, WiiWare marks Nintendo's latest addition to the online Wii Shop Channel. Unlike the Virtual Console portion, which sells straight ports of old games, WiiWare will focus on original titles.

Thus far, Virtual Console sales have brought in almost $32 million, and many are hoping for a repeat of that success with WiiWare. Advocates of digital distribution argue that such a model--recently introduced in the realm of consoles via Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare, and PlayStation Network--allows for more creativity, lower project costs, shorter development time and higher returns.

Update: When asked about a possible March debut of WiiWare, a Nintendo of America representative told Shacknews that the company has yet to announce any launch details.

Original Story: Netherland-based developer Engine Software has announced its first WiiWare title and provided a tentative date for the launch of Nintendo's upcoming download service.

According to Engine, WiiWare is slated to launch in March. Previously, Nintendo had only provided an early 2008 release for the Wii's original- and indie-focused download service.

Currently codenamed Project Bang!, Engine describes its game as "a casual game type with very addictive gameplay" for one or two players that utilizes the Wii Remote's various capabilities.

Engine Software's past works include a co-development credit on High Scool Musical: Livin' The Dream (GBA) and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Circle of Spies (NDS) with A2M and assisting with the Nintendo DS version of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords alongside 1st Playable and Infinite Interactive.

Nintendo DS owners will eventually be able to acquire both demos and whole games from the Wii, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime informed The New York Times.

The games and demos will presumably be downloaded through the online Wii Shop Channel and then transferred to the portable via the wireless capabilities of both systems.

Though word of downloadable demos comes as little surprise--DS Download Stations located at retailers already allow such functionality and Nintendo previously announced it would come to the Wii someday--the inclusion of full games is a bit more surprising.

It is unknown if that full games bit refers to digitally distributed versions of existing games, compatibility with downloaded Wii Virtual Console titles, or... Read more