Another week, another Wii-kly update! This week sees the arrival of two new games, one each for WiiWare and Virtual Console.

WiiWare

Bonsai Barber (Nintendo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): The village residents are hungry for the latest in foliage fashion, and it’s up to you, the new barber, to fix them up. Use the tools of your trade: scissors, clippers, spray can, and more in this humorous, first-of-its-kind "first-person-groomer" game. Bonsai Barber features a colorful cast of 12 intriguing customers, including a temperamental shallot starlet (don’t call her an onion), an oddball strawberry boffin, a cactus cowboy, a daredevil carrot, and a suave banana with top-secret clearance. Each day, five customers arrive to test your stylistic skill. If the customer requests a specific style, you’ll plow that furrow, or you can rely on your expertise to pick from more than 30 popular fashions. Or, why not turn over a new leaf? Be creative and see how they react. They’re a demanding bunch, so if you miss an appointment, you’ll hear about it-on your Wii Message Board. If you do a good job, you may receive a gift or even a postcard from an exotic destination as your happy customers travel to distant lands and show off their exquisite coifs.

Virtual Console

Super Punch-Out!! (Super NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Featuring the tight game play and humor the series is known for, this sequel to the NES™ classic sees Little Mac return to the ring with the World Video Boxing Association belt once again at stake. Slug your way through the grueling, sweat-pounding matches of the Minor, Major and World Circuits as you face off against some of Little Mac’s greatest rivals, such as Bear Hugger, Bald Bull and Super Macho Man. With a cast of new challengers waiting, do you have what it takes to identify their unique patterns and exploit their weaknesses? Go to your corner and come out fighting, but remember what Doc Louis would say: "It’s not about brawling-it’s about finesse!"

Aching to get a Nintendo DSi in your hands? Well, if you do, then there’s a reward for you: if you purchase the console and connect it to the DSi Shop within the first six months of availability – between April and October – Nintendo will reward you with 1000 free DSi points.

These points can be redeemed in the online shop for downloadable DSiWare games and applications. Most games fall within 200-800 points, so those thousand points will allow you to pick up some stuff.

The DSi is already available in Japan and is the third revision of the familiar DS. It features a slimmer profile, bigger screens, two cameras and the ability to buy and download games online.

Gamers in the US will get it on April 5 for $169.99.

A lot of Nintendo news comes our way, courtesy of the company’s press conference at GDC today.

• First up is word that the ever-popular Wii has shipped a stunning 50 million consoles worldwide since its debut in 2006. Nintendo claims it is the fastest-selling console ever.
• The DS appears to have reached a sort of gender harmony, with the company claiming that 47% of all new DS owners in 2008 were female and that women make up 27% of the platform’s life-to-date install base.
• Addressing the Wii’s lack of storage options, Nintendo today released the SD Card Menu as part of its latest system update. This download will enable Wii users to launch applications, such as WiiWare and Virtual Console titles, from an inserted SD card.
• The Wii will today extend its Shop Channel to include classic arcade games. Initial offerings will include Space Harrier, The Tower of Druaga and Star Force. Pricing will range between $5-6.

There were two game announcements, too:

• Ninty’s head honcho Satoru Iwata announced Rock n’ Roll Climber, an upcoming WiiWare game making use of the Wii Balance Board. The game will have players scale virtual rockfaces, shifting their feet on the balance board to control the climber’s feet.
• The second is a rather big one – a new Zelda game for the DS! Dubbed The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the DS title will feature a similar visual style to The Phantom Hourglass and will see traditional gameplay in the form of combat and dungeon exploration. It is due out later this year.

It’s Wii-day today for Square Enix, as the Japanese publisher announced at the GDC the forthcoming releases of new downloadable titles for the Wii.

The games are Final Fantasy IV: The After Years and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord for WiiWare, as well as the Final Fantasy series for the Virtual Console.

FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS, is an RPG that continues the story that began in the 1991 Super Famicom™ title FINAL FANTASY IV. In Japan, this title was released as a downloadable cellular phone application in February 2008. It has since been lauded for its deep storytelling, and a year after its release, has been downloaded over 3 million times.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord is the newest instalment in the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series, which has shipped over 2 million copies worldwide and is set to grow further in 2009. This title will be a sequel to FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King™, which launched simultaneously with the WiiWare service in May of 2008.

The Virtual Console release will see the famed RPG series made available for the first time on home console download. The very first game was released for the Famicom in Japan back in 1987 and will be available for download in May 2009.

With the start of a new week comes word of a new Virtual Console title, as well as a new WiiWare one. Nintendo has added Summer Games II, a Commodore 64 classic, that has players, as the name suggests, take part in summer games around the globe. The other game is BIT.TRIP.BEAT, a retro action game that features four-player multiplayer and a 8-bit soundtrack.

WiiWare

BIT.TRIP BEAT (Aksys Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): BIT.TRIP BEAT is a rhythm game that brings retro action into the present, letting you use the motion-sensing Wii Remote™ controller to bounce beats. Retro visuals, classic game play, four-player multiplayer and an 8-bit soundtrack will get you in the zone and rock your world. The challenges are mighty, but if you can stay cool as the difficulty increases, you’ll discover the beginnings of the BIT.TRIP saga.

Virtual Console

Summer Games II™ (Commodore 64, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): A thousand athletes. A hundred countries. Billions watching around the world as you enter the stadium, marching confidently among your nation’s strongest, fastest and boldest young men and women. Your gaze sweeps the crowd as you realize the scope of your achievement. You are about to compete against the world’s best athletes in a 3,000-year-old competition. This is the pinnacle of athletic achievement: the Summer Games. Summer Games II challenges your competitive skills with a series of athletic contests for one to eight players. Experience the excitement and realism of eight different events: cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking, rowing and triple jump. Practice each event to sharpen your skills, then choose from the 18 countries you can represent in the competition.

Nintendo just won’t stop milking its favorite cash cows, as they announced Pikmin 2 and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat have been added to the Wii’s new Play Control family.

The Play Control series sees classic games recoded to take advantage of Wii’s unique motion-sensing controllers. Other games in the series include the original Pikmin and Mario Power Tennis.

Pikmin 2 is due out across Europe on April 24 and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is scheduled for release this summer. Both will support the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers, along with widescreen graphics, new enemies and more.

Seeing as how the British Pound is facing severe depreciation, Nintendo has announced that it will begin charging UK retailers 18-20 GBP more for each Wii unit.

"The price that they then offer to consumers is, of course, up to the retailers," said the company. "This is a problem brought about by extreme currency fluctuations that are a symptom of the global economic situation."

The Wii currently sells for 179.99 GBP in the UK. Nintendo additionally warned that upcoming Wii and DS software may also see price increases at the trade level, though it does not expect increases for DS and DSi hardware.

Nintendo today announced that it has shipped the 100 millionth Nintendo DS unit on March 6, 2009. That is 4 years, 3 months and 14 days after the handheld made its debut in North America.

The company claimed that the system “helped redefine what a video game could be” and pointed out how the DSi is an example of its continued livelihood. The DSi is the third revision of the hardware, sporting a slimmer profile, bigger screens, two cameras and the ability to buy and download games online.

The DSi is already available in Japan and will hit Europe and North America next month for $169.99.

Their relations get even frostier than usual, as Mario and Sonic are teaming up once again in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for Wii and DS.

Developed by Sega of Japan under the guidance of Shigeru Miyamoto, the game will feature the legendary cast of playable characters, as well as new faces, as they square off against each other in winter-themed Olympic games. This includes alpine skiing and speed skating, among other events.

Scheduled for release late this year, the game will also feature multiplayer gameplay in both cooperative and competitive terms and will make use of the Wii Balance Board for more realistic gameplay.

Aspiring Wii musicians take note: seven new tracks from progressive rock band Rush is now available on the Rock Band Music Store for the console.

The songs are already available to PS3 and Xbox 360 owners, but come late for Wii owners since the music store is a rather recent addition. The tracks are: “Tom Sawyer”, “Red Barchetta”, “YYZ”, “Limelight”, “The Camera Eye”, “Witch Hunt” and “Vital Signs”.

All tracks are master recordings and cost 200 Wii points per track.

Only two new titles enter the marketplace this week on the Wii. First up is a new WiiWare game that offers supernatural villains – dubbed LIT, the game takes players back to high-school to beat up the school’s teachers. I’m not kidding. The retro game this week is Wolf of the Battlefield, a Sega Genesis title that has you defeating terrorists. Enjoy:

WiiWare

LIT (WayForward Technologies, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Violence, 800 Wii Points): Dark creatures have taken over Jake’s high school, and it’s up to you to guide him through each classroom in order to be reunited with his girlfriend Rachael. Existing light sources must be used smartly to create bridges of light for Jake to cross. One false step and Jake gets pulled into the darkness. Along the way he’ll encounter twisted versions of his school’s faculty, which must be battled in order to advance. LIT is a horror/puzzle game that requires the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers. It contains 30 levels, five boss battles, replay modes and several unlockables, including multiple endings, Dark Mode timed challenges and an unlockable character.

Virtual Console

Wolf of the Battlefield: MERCS (SEGA GENESIS, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Mild Violence, 800 Wii Points): Following a rash of terrorism outbreaks and increasing opposition from guerilla fighters, the U.S. government has decided to hire a group of professional mercenaries to undergo secret missions, battling through enemy lines to go where no ordinary soldier would dare to go. Based on the popular arcade game, the SEGA GENESIS version of MERCS lets you play as a MERC and also adds an original mode, allowing players to choose from five different characters. Take no prisoners as you shoot, drive jeeps and tanks, and clash against huge bosses to accomplish your mission.

It’s always sad to hear about someone’s house getting burned down. But that gives us one thing to look at today: the burnt carcass of a Wii. A Nintendo fanboy’s house suffered a fire that burned most of his family’s possessions, including a Wii and DS, as well as a Gameboy.

Nintendo, upon hearing their story, did send them a replacement Wii and GBA. That doesn’t quite make up for the burnt Virtual Boy and other priceless Nintendo vintage items.

This week’s additions to the WiiWare and Virtual Console services are Snowboard Riot, LONPOS and Sonic Chaos. Below are details:

WiiWare

Snowboard Riot (1,000 Wii Points): This snowboard racing and battle game can be enjoyed by multiple players and is compatible with the Wii Balance Board™ accessory. In an intense scramble for first place, guide your character down the slopes while snatching up items to attack and defend against rivals along the way. Up to four players can battle and participate in various ranking modes via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.

LONPOS (800 Wii Points): Looking for a puzzle game that anyone can play, but still offers plenty to master? Look no further than LONPOS, with its straightforward premise and large variety of puzzles to solve. Each puzzle revolves around a rectangular playing field of 55 spaces. Using a set of 12 pieces, the goal is to place every piece into the playing field, filling it completely. The higher the level, the more pieces you’ll need to fit correctly into the playing field. Challenge yourself with two single-player modes or bring a friend to compete against or cooperate with. When you think your skills are worthy, use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to check out how you compare with other LONPOS players or download additional puzzles and backgrounds. (Router and broadband access required for online play. For more info, go to www.nintendo.com.)

Virtual Console

Sonic Chaos (500 Wii Points): Play as Sonic or Tails in Sonic Chaos, which was originally made for the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM. Dr. Eggman (a.k.a. Dr. Robotnik) has stolen the Red Chaos Emerald to create nuclear weapons. This has thrown the remaining Chaos Emeralds off balance, causing them to transport to a parallel universe. As a result, Sonic’s home, South Island, is sinking into the ocean. Speed through various levels in your crusade for the six Chaos Emeralds. Perform Strike Dashes and Super-Peel Outs as Sonic, or Spin Dash and Fly as Tails, and restore order in Sonic Chaos.

The bitchfight between Sony and Microsoft continues with fighting words from Microsoft game division VP Shane Kim who has confidently claimed that the company will continue producing the Xbox 360 until one day after the PS3 dies.

Not content with bashing Sony, the VP also took a jab at Nintendo.

"I can tell you how that conversation goes at Microsoft,” he said. “They say, ‘I don’t think that’s a game,’. But the guy at Nintendo says, ‘I don’t care. I’m selling a whole bunch of that stuff.’"

It is unlikely that Kim’s word will be taken to objectively refer to Microsoft, but the man sure has a lot to say.

This week’s update to Virtual Console is quite hefty as it sees the addition of the fourth episode of Strong Bad, as well as Space Invaders and more. Here’s the deal:

WiiWare

Strong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Move over, generically buff action heroes. Strong Bad is here to show you how it’s done in his hand-crafted cinematic masterpiece, Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective. You play Dangeresque, a dirty cop in pursuit of a little action and several big sacks of cash. Can our hero stay alive long enough to defeat his arch-nemesis, save the world and get the girl? Looks like he’s gonna have to jump.

Target Toss Pro: Bags (Incredible Technologies, 1-16 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Target Toss Pro: Bags is a new video game based on beanbag toss, the nation’s hottest backyard and tailgate sensation. Bags – or Cornhole, as it’s called in some parts of the country – originated in the Midwest in the 1960s and has since become a staple at outdoor social events from coast to coast. Similar to horseshoes, Bags is a deceptively simple yet extremely competitive game where players try to toss beanbags into a hole in a slightly raised platform or "box" for points. Whether at a tailgate party or a summer barbecue, the game has become a social focal point, and the unmistakable thud of bags hitting the box is now a universal party soundtrack.

Virtual Console

SPACE INVADERS: The Original Game (Super NES™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Experience one of gaming’s iconic franchises in this perfect rendition of the arcade classic. Take aim at the field of invaders relentlessly marching toward you. Move quickly but carefully, using the barriers for protection as you avoid missiles fired by the aliens and try to destroy all of them before they reach the bottom of the screen. Further enhance the nostalgia by choosing from several modes that simulate different versions of the arcade game (such as upright cabinet or black-and-white). Or if you want to prove your superior skills to a friend, try the new VS mode and see who can stop the alien menace the quickest. All in all, it’s pure gaming at its best, now with no quarters required.

FORGOTTEN WORLDS (SEGA GENESIS, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): FORGOTTEN WORLDS is a one- or two-player side-scrolling shooter made by CAPCOM. It was one of the first games to incorporate 360-degree aiming and shooting. This SEGA GENESIS version provides the same impact and intensity of the classic arcade game. In the 29th century, without warning, warships broke through the sky, loaded with fiendish aliens. They rained down fire, bombs, missiles and napalm, leaving the land barren and inhospitable. Humanity was enslaved and Earth became known as the Forgotten World. In a hidden place, a group of brave humans raised two male children in secret. They brought up the young men as warriors, training them for battle. The two warriors emerged as armed machines of might, strength and super power – the Nameless Ones. Fight the hateful invaders as the powerful Nameless Ones. Collect Zenny to upgrade your weapons and satellite, and free the planet.