Do the Math – Animal Apps, Toppling Towers and Hungry Penguins

May 4, 2009

Do the Math – Animal Apps,
Toppling Towers and Hungry Penguins

Fans of the popular Animal Crossing
series can enjoy a pair of downloadable—and practical—debuts this week via the
Nintendo DSiWare service. Whether you’re telling time or doing arithmetic, these
handy applications will give your daily number-crunching a critter-friendly
boost. A new WiiWare game also takes a fun peek into the animal kingdom, while
the latest Virtual Console release sends players underwater for classic
Commodore 64 action.

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.

Nintendo adds new titles to the
Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays.
Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi
Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop
Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A
Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one
Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii
Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two
systems.