WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section. Once the user has downloaded the game or application, it will appear in their Wii Menu or SD Card Menu as a new channel. WiiWare is a companion to the Virtual Console, which specializes in emulated games originally developed for other systems instead of original titles.
WiiWare is being promoted as an avenue for developers with small budgets to release innovative, original, and smaller-scale games without the cost and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (akin to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Store). The development kit costs around US$2000 and developers need to be licensed with and approved by Nintendo. According to Nintendo, the "remarkable motion controls will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds". Nintendo will handle all pricing options for the downloadable games.
Like Virtual Console games, WiiWare is purchased using Nintendo Points. However, unlike Virtual Console games, instruction manuals are stored on the Wii Shop Channel itself.
On November 4, 2009, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed in Q&A session that they are planning to test downloadable demos for a select few WiiWare titles, starting in Japan later in the month. On November 16, five WiiWare demos were released for the American Wii Shop Channel, with three demos being released in Europe. The demos were available to download until January 31, 2010.
WiiWare Compatibility List
| Compatability | Description |
|---|---|
| Perfect | Runs without any problems |
| Good | Minor glitches |
| Playable | Runs stable with some glitches |
| Not playable | Major glitches, e.g. graphical issues |
| Broken | Not working or crashes |
| Regions released | Region description |
|---|---|
| JP (Japan) | Japan and Asia (NTSC-J) |
| NA (North America) | North America and NTSC territories |
| PAL | Europe, Australia and PAL/SECAM territories |
Help to complete the list! If a game is missing or information is incomplete, feel free to modify this page. Just click on edit at the top of the page.
A game is missing? Don't hesitate to edit this page and include a new entry for it! You have any problems with a game? Go to the wiki page for the game and write down the problem!
ATTENTION: Please put in alphabetical order!
| Title | Year | Genre | Region | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cave Story | 2010 | Action-adventure | NA | ??? |
| Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord | 2009 | Tower defense | JP/NA/PAL | ??? |
| Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King | 2008 | City-building game | JP/NA/PAL | ??? |
| Final Fantasy Crystal Defenders R1 | 2009 | Tower defense | JP/NA/PAL | Perfect |
| Final Fantasy Crystal Defenders R2 | 2009 | Tower defense | JP/NA/PAL | Perfect |
| Mega Man 9 | 2008 | Action 2D | JP/NA/PAL | Good with XFB |
| Mega Man 10 | 2010 | Action 2D | JP/NA/PAL | Good with XFB |
| Tetris Party | 2008 | Puzzle | JP/NA/PAL | Broken - Only a black screen loads |
| World of Goo | 2008 | Puzzle | JP/NA/PAL | Perfect |