Although Wii users got a rather slim collection of WiiWare titles this week, the Nintendo Download brings DSi users five downloadable DSiWare titles. These include Primrose, Pop Island – Paperfield, Music On: Retro Keyboard, 24/7 Solitaire, and 4 Travellers – Play French.
Primrose is a game with no levels, no time limits, no arbitrary objectives and no constraints. In fact it doesn’t sound like a video game at all! But it is. You have to place pairs of tiles on a game grid and try to accumulate groups of tiles with pieces of a different colour. Tiles that are surrounded disappear, while the surrounding tiles change colour. Combos give huge amounts of points, while the increasing difficulty makes things interesting. Primrose is for one player for 200 Nintendo DSi Points.
Pop Island – Paperfield allows players to race, surf or fly on three new islands and features easy pick-up-and-play controls. In the ‘Race for flags’ and ‘Capture the flag’ modes you must get maximum flags to win, while in the new ‘Magic Shooters’ team you can take control of various land, sea and air vehicles or animals. The game can be shared with the DS Download Play feature and enjoyed with up to seven friends. Pop Island – Paperfield runs at 60 frames a second and is available for 200 DSi Points.
Next on the list is Music On: Retro Keyboard, a game from Abylight for one player. Your DSi turns into an electronic keyboard which features sounds and beats from mythic computers and consoles of the 1980s. There is even an automatic accompaniment function with chord recognition, a six-octave keyboard (two of which are visible), pitch blend function, 16 instruments, an integrated sequencer, a metronome, as well as recording and replay options. Music On: Retro Keyboard is available for 200 DSi Points.
24/7 Solitaire is simply a solitaire title containing 24 variations of the game including the hugely popular and much loved ones, Klondike, Freecell, Spider, Pyramid, Yukon, and even 7 versions of Peg-Solitaire. Most of the games included have custom gameplay options, while on-screen instructions help in learning new variations. 24/7 Solitaire is available for 500 DSi Points.
4 Travellers – Play French is a digital board game which helps with learning your first words in a new language with family and friends. Quick learning and careful strategy are essential in a game suitable for players of all ages. The game has been designed to improve your French vocabulary the more you play, and features over 240 carefully selected words. 4 Travellers – Play French is available for 800 Nintendo DSi Points.