As part of its coverage of Nintendo's recent earnings call IGN's Wii channel reports that company CEO Satoru Iwata said that a test program offering demos of select WiiWare games would roll out later this month. He made no indication which games would be included in the trial other than to say that it would be a select few. Nor did he indicate whether this was something planned exclusively for Japan or if it would be a global initiative.

While exact sales figures remain unknown, Iwata did explain that they needed to take some action to stimulate growth in the small WiiWare and DSi Ware market. Demos are one potential answer because he feels many current buyers come into the online store already knowing what they want and do not take any time to browse other games.

When unique and interesting games like LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias (pictured) go virtually unnoticed there's clearly a need to better spread the word. Demos could go a long way in that regard but it will likely take more than just putting them up and hoping people find them.

This week sees a large and varied selection of titles being released for download on the DSi and Wii, from a Viking-themed DSi tower defense and WiiWare carnival minigames to the TurboGrafx16 port of the original arcade Street Fighter.

DSiWare
• Battle of Giants: Dragons - Bronze Edition - $8
• Sparkle Snapshots - $5
• Viking Invasion - $8

WiiWare
• "Aha! I Got It!" Escape Game - $5
• Carnival King - $7
• Family Card Games - $5
Wii Virtual Console
• Fighting Street (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM) - $8
• R-TYPE (Sega Master System) - $5

Nintendo's blurb on the games--all available from 9am PST--follows... Read more

Excitebike: World Rally, an updated version of the NES classic Excitebike, will be available for WiiWare download on November 9.

Announced via the Wii's online Nintendo Channel, the game has an enhanced 2.5-D look, a Track Editor, and four-player online multiplayer capability. More information, including the price of admission, has yet to be revealed.

In the meantime, check out the trailer.

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With Halloween just around the corner, Nintendo is breaking out emergency supplies of ghosts and ghoulies as no less than two thirds of this week's batch of North American Wii and DSi downloadable releases feature the undead in some form.

DSiWare
• PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff - $5
• SUDOKU - $2

Wii Virtual Console
• Golden Axe (Arcade) - $9
• Zombies Ate My Neighbors - $8
WiiWare
• Ghost Mansion Party - $10
• Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 - $10

Read on for full details on all titles, which are available from 9am PST... Read more

Television mascot and Internet icon Domo-kun is the star of this week's batch of Wii and DSi downloadable releases, with a grand five DSiWare games seeing our fuzzy friend engaged in everything from white-water kayaking to becoming a rock star.

WiiWare
• LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
• Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem
Wii Virtual Console
• RYGAR

DSiWare
• Crash-Course Domo
• Hard-Hat Domo
• Pro-Putt Domo
• Rock-n-Roll Domo
• White-Water Domo

The titles will arrive at 9am PST, while further details follow below... Read more

Frontier has announced that its puzzle-platformer sequel LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias will arrive in North America as a WiiWare download next Monday, October 19.

The game, which hit Europe earlier this month, will sell for 1000 Wii Points ($10).

As with the first LostWinds, the side-scroller has players using Wii Remote gestures to jump further, defeat enemies and solve puzzles. This time, players can also "transform Mistralis between Summer and Winter" for additional puzzle solving prowess.

Quality trumps quantity in this week's batch of Wii and DSi downloadable titles with the release of splendid side-scrolling SNES beat 'em up Final Fight 2. You'll also find some attractive mythological DSi pinball and multiplayer WiiWare blaster Gravitronix.

DSiWare
• Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon

WiiWare
• Gravitronix
Wii Virtual Console
• Final Fight 2

Click on for Nintendo's rundown of the games, which arrive at 9am PST.... Read more

This week's regularly scheduled update to the North American Wii and Nintendo DSi Shop Channels may not be as loaded as weeks past, but ...Final Fantasy! It's a classic!

Wii Shop Channel
• Final Fantasy (Virtual Console - NES) / 500 Wii Points ($5)
• Word Searcher (WiiWare) / 500 Wii Points ($5)
Ninendo DSiWare
• Thorium Wars - 1,000 DSi Points ($10)

Per usual, expect all of this week's downloadable wares to be available here in just a few minutes, circa 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST. Details on all of the titles follow below... Read more

This week's North American batch of Wii and DSi downloadable releases sets its sights on mature gamers--people old enough to be excited by the prospect of Altered Beast, an updated Arkanoid or a strategy board game with Dragon Quest beasties.

Nintendo DSiWare
• Art Academy: Second Semester - $8
• Dragon Quest Wars - $5

WiiWare
• ARKANOID Plus! - $6
• DRiiFT Mania - $8
Wii Virtual Console
• Altered Beast (Arcade) - $10

Jump on in for Nintendo's blurb on the titles, which are all available now... Read more

Another weekly batch of downloadable Wii and DSi releases, another WiiWare tennis. Thankfully MySims Camera, Last Ninja 2 and Nintendo's You, Me and the Cubes also arrive to shake up the routine of reality as we know it with a good jolt of weirdness.

Nintendo DSiWare
• Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack - $5
• MySims Camera - $2

WiiWare
• You, Me, and the Cubes - $10
• Family Tennis - $5
Wii Virtual Console
• Last Ninja 2 (C64) - $5

Click on through for the skinny on the titles, all of which are available now... Read more

A new scheme announced recently by Nintendo will give European Wii owners Wii Points and Nintendo Virtual Console games as reward for helping others get online.

For "encouraging friends and family to get connected with their Wii," says Nintendo, the 'ambassador' and their connectee will both receive 500 Wii Points. A maximum of 10,000 Points are available to ambassadors, for connecting a grand twenty consoles.

All first-party Nintendo Virtual Console NES games will become free to ambassadors at the ten-console 'gold' mark, while twenty-console 'platinum' status is rewarded with every last first and third party NES, SNES and N64 Virtual Console game for free.

The European 'Connection Ambassador Promotion' begins in October, with no word yet on quite how it will be implemented nor whether it will expand elsewhere in the world.

Monday means a new round of downloadable releases for the Wii and DSi are now available, though Nintendo has neglected to make its customary announcement. No doubt they are intimidated by Crash 'N The Boys hitting Virtual Console this week, pitting the underprivileged youths (left) against the dead posh Theodore "Todd" Thornley IV in rough street Olympics.

Nintendo DSiWare
• Art Academy: First Semester ($8)
• Oscar in Toyland ($8)

WiiWare
• Texas Hold'Em Poker ($6)
• Spaceball: Revolution ($8)
• Mart Racer ($8)
Wii Virtual Console
• Crash 'N The Boys: Street Challenge (NES) ($5)

Click on through for a smattering of details on the motley band of releases... Read more

2D platforming shooters are the order of the day, with both Super Return of the Jedi from the SNES and a new co-op-packing installment of the impossibly difficult Contra series being released in this week's batch of downloadable Wii and DSi releases.

Nintendo DSiWare
• Clubhouse Games Express: Family Favorites ($5)

WiiWare
• Contra Rebirth ($10)
• ColorZ ($7)
Wii Virtual Console
• Super Return of the Jedi ($8)

Come on in for further details on the titles, which are all available now... Read more

At first glance, Tales of Monkey Island - Chapter 2 and Master System RPG Phantasy Star might seem the biggest Wii and DSi downloadable releases this week, but Puzzle League Express guarantees "maximum fun"--and you can't top maximum fun.

Nintendo DSiWare
• Puzzle League Express ($5)

WiiWare
• Tales of Monkey Island - Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay ($10)
• 3-2-1, Rattle Battle! ($5)
Wii Virtual Console
• Phantasy Star ($5)

All titles will be available today from 9am PST. Keep on reading for the full details and descriptions straight from the marketing mouth of Nintendo... Read more

A very light week for the DSi and Wii, with Nintendo's platforms receiving only three downloadable releases between the pair of them. Celebrity game of the week is Super Empire Strikes Back, a port of the SNES Star Wars platformer hitting Virtual Console.

DSiWare
• Pop+ Solo

WiiWare
• Mr. Driller W

Wii Virtual Console
• Super Empire Strikes Back (SNES)

All titles are available from 9am PST. Click on through for further details... Read more

The dawn of a new week brings with it the regular Nintendo Download update, supplying Wii and Nintendo DSi owners with the latest in downloadable wares and goodies.

WiiWare
• PictureBook Games: Pop-Up Pursuit ($8)
• Family Slot Car Racing ($5)
Wii Virtual Console
• The Revenge of Shinobi ($8)

Nintendo DSiWare
• Brain Age Express: Sudoku ($5)
• Guitar Rock Tour ($5)

All of the above should now be available from each console's respective Shop Channel. For more details on today's assorted goods, look no further than below... Read more

Topping this week's batch of Wii and DSi downloadable titles is Super Star Wars from the SNES, backed by the Balance Board-rockin' Rock N' Roll Climber, a small DSi dose of Brain Age, and deity-powered platformer NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits.

Nintendo DSi

• Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters

Nintendo Wii

• NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits
• Rock N' Roll Climber
• Super Star Wars (SNES)

Full details follow on the titles, which will be available from 9am PST... Read more

Virtual Console returns with a vengeance in this week's batch of Nintendo downloads, picking up the arcade version of Tecmo Bowl. The "football" title's NES release hit VC in 2007, but Tecmo Bowl completists will now be satisfied. The Wii also picks up the alluring Sexy Poker and robofest Overturn, and the Art Style series continues on the DSi.

Nintendo DSi

• Art Style: precipice

Nintendo Wii

• OVERTURN
• Sexy Poker
• Tecmo Bowl (Arcade)

Read on for the skinny on the games, which are available from 9am PST... Read more

Swashbuckling is a popular theme in this week's batch of downloadable releases for the Wii and DSi, with the first episode of Telltale Games' classic adventure revival Tales of Monkey Island arriving alongside platforming action from The Three Musketeers.

Nintendo DSi

• Sudoku Student

Nintendo Wii

• Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 1
• The Three Musketeers: One for All!
• HB Arcade Cards

Further details follow on all titles, which will be available from 9am PST... Read more

The weekly shipment of Nintendo downloadable games has arrived today, bringing the next instalment of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles to the Wii along with yet more party and poker games, as well as another puzzler in the Art Style series for the DSi.

Nintendo DSi

• Art Style: ZENGAGE

Nintendo Wii

• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord
• Battle Poker
• 5 Spots Party

Keep on reading for the skinny on all the games, in Nintendo's own words... Read more