The LoadDown - 06/30/2011

Another week of new downloadable titles... I must have jumped the gun on last week's reporting, as several games flew under my radar, so I'll try to include appropriate updates this week.  One other detail I've neglected to note is that Nintendo's recently launched eShop for the 3DS actually prices its wares in cash terms -- no more "points" to accrue and leave unused when the platform goes away some day.  Microsoft is doing the same for downloads of retail games, and I'd like to see this trend continue.

WiiWare -- One new title this week, Big Town Shoot Out, a collection of Western-themed light gun (Wii remote/Zapper) minigames.

Wii Virtual Console -- A big one this week: Square-Enix's classic SNES RPG Final Fantasy III (US numbering) arrives on the Wii Virtual Console.  I never actually played this one back in the day, so I may have to pick it up.

DSiWare -- Several new games, as usual.  Moto eXtreme is a wild motocross game with attractive graphics.  Boardwalk Ball Toss dives as deeply into the old carnival milk bottle target game as seems humanly possible (and seems like it would be more at home on the Wii, though I guess the DSi stylus can recognize a throwing action.)  Hearts Spades Euchre is a collection of three classic card games, per its title.  The Lost Town - The Dust is an interesting anime/RPG with a combat-heavy, tower defense-influenced approach; oddly, it appears to only be available via the Nintendo eShop, and not through the normal DSiWare channel, though I can't be sure I'm understanding the publicity materials correctly.

3DS eStore -- A Game Boy classic starring Nintendo's roly-poly power-acquiring hero, Kirby's Dream Land, is now available on the 3DS, in its original 2-D form.  Moto eXtreme, Boardwalk Ball Toss and Hearts Spades Euchre are also available on the 3DS as well as the DSi.  I'm still confused about whether The Lost Town - The Dust is available for the 3DS; hopefully Nintendo's press releases and DSiWare/eShop direction will clarify shortly.

XBox Live Arcade --  Catching up here, as contrary to my impressions, there WERE a few new XBLA titles last week.  Trenched is yet another interesting small-scale title from Double Fine, featuring tower defense and shooter action with a nice retro art style.  Lucha Fury is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up featuring masked wrestlers.  This week, there are three new titles: Namco's Galaga Legions DX, a followup to the earlier enhanced/remade version of the classic coin-op shooter; Half-Minute Hero Super Mega Neo Climax, a series of very short RPG challenges brought over from the PSP; and Backbreaker: Vengeance is a set of minigames based on the Backbreaker football game.

PS3 on PSN -- Somehow, last week I missed one new PS3 game:  Alien Zombie Mega Death, a side-scrolling platform/shooter game with cartoonish 2.5-D graphics.  This week, PS3 owners get several new titles.  Beyond Good & Evil HD is a visually upgraded version of the flawed but worthwhile action game.  Gatling Gears is an isometric steampunk co-op shooter, seen on XBLA in May.  Puzzle Dimension is a casual puzzle game that starts out looking retro and becomes more visually modern as the player progresses.  And Streets of Rage 2 is the classic Genesis beat-'em-up, with trophies added.

PSOne Classics -- Nothing new here this week, or last.  At least I'm pretty sure that's correct!