Since the launch of the Nintendo Channel for the Wii earlier this year, Nintendo has been providing a DS Download Service with demos of released and upcoming DS games. Wii owners can boot up the DS Download Service through the Nintendo Channel and download various playable demos directly to their Nintendo DS, using the Download Play option. It works in the same way as the in-store download stations. The third-party games get updated every week and we've got info on this week's batch to let you know a little more about what you're getting.


The week of September 15

Crosswords DS - Wordsearch
Once again Nintendo plays the Crosswords DS flipflop: Wordsearch was last week, so Anagrams returns in its own demo. The demo features three levels of the Anagram minigame. Players take six letters and try to form them into words of three or more letters using the touch screen. As players find words, the other screen displays them, along with the progress and time. There are a few different letter assortments, so players should be able to play the demo a good three or four times.

Spore Creatures
The Spore Creatures demo is like the DS version of the "Creature Creator." Players can use about half of the total pieces in the game to create their own little critter. After making the creature, players can give it a little test run around a small island to see how it moves. There isn't any actual gameplay, but it will give players a taste of how to make a creation, and what the overall style looks and feels like.

Air Traffic Chaos
Air Traffic Chaos has been on the Service a few times, but is one of the few unreleased games on the rotation. The ATC demo has both the tutorial mode and the first level of the game. It's enough to teach players how to play and let them try it out, but doesn't get into the parts of the game that are actually chaotic. Still it could be enough to pique curious people's interest in this quirky title.

Arkanoid DS
This is the same Arkanoid demo that was on the Service in June. Arkanoid DS is a remake of the classic arcade game. The demo offers five levels, showcasing different level designs. The demo has both D-pad and Stylus control and players can customize the amount of lives and the difficulty. The demo goes until players beat the five levels, or die. The demo levels are pretty easy, but it gives you a taste of what the new Arkanoid is like, complete with plenty of powerups.

Nintendo also keeps a selection of first party titles up for download. They're not cycled out as often and most of them have been there since the Nintendo Channel launched.


Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir
The demo offers one of the levels for the hide and seek portion of the game. Players are given five minutes to find eight items in the level. Upon completion, players can start again, and find eight different items. We played it three times without having to repeat items.


Brain Age 2
The Brain Age 2 demo features three quick play modes. There's the Brain Age Test that will give the player an approximate brain age based on a verbal match of rock, paper, scissors. There's also a quick play training mode that shows off the rotating letters minigame, complete with touch screen letter recognition. Finally the Quick play sudoku lets players enjoy a quick sudoku puzzle in one of the better presentations for the system.

Brain Age
The older sibling of the Brain Age 2 demo. It's the same kind of deal. There's a Brain Age Test minigame that has players shout colors into the DS microphone. The training game is a simple math problem test that uses the touch screen to write. Sudoku is in this one too, which means you've got two free sudoku puzzles you can play if you get both demos.

Flash Focus
Flash Focus is a game designed to improve focus and hand-eye coordination. It features a simplified Eye Age test where players remember the direction letters are facing as they flash by on the screen. The training game is more hands on. It's a baseball minigame where players have to tap the ball to hit it. The pitches get harder each time the player connects with the ball and the game ranks you at the end.

Crosswords DS
For the non-Sudoku inclined, Crosswords DS features the classic crossword puzzles that have been gracing newspapers long before number puzzles. The demo features the classic Crosswords mode, one of three gameplay modes in the final version. Players can select the difficulty of the puzzle, as well as the option to turn on an assist mode that lets the player know if the answer is right or wrong. The whole demo uses the touch screen so players can see how well the letter recognition system works.

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