Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast (Wii)

Nintendo has given some rocket-powered barrels to a bunch of apes, and the rest of you had better get out of the way. Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast is a game that anyone can pick up and play, but racing fans will have - dare we say it? - a blast perfecting their moves.

Donkey Kong, is back with all of his friends … and a few enemies as well. Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, King K. Rool and the whole gang appear as playable characters in this fast-paced racing adventure. Up to four players choose a racer from a variety of characters, including multiple members of the Kong family, as well as their friends and enemies. Racing is a snap. Players shake the motion-sensitive Wii Remote and Nunchuk to accelerate and turn, or press a button to jump, attack or use a variety of items to thwart their competitors.

Features :

• Each course is littered with bananas. If players grab 50 of them, they can perform a Wild Move by pushing down on the control stick and then releasing it. Wild Moves propel racers forward at an insane rate of speed for a short period of time – they also allow them to run over enemies, other racers and most obstacles. Skilled players can extend the lives of their Wild Moves by hitting objects to create combos.
• If players fly into a red Style Barrel, it will fire them high over the course. While in flight, an animation of the Wii Remote will appear on-screen and ask players to shake it in a certain direction. Each time players do so successfully, the rider will pose and get showered with bananas!
• There are 15 crazy items that players can use – everything from offensive weapons like Backward Barrels and Pineapple Launchers to helpful power-ups like Banana Fairies and Crystal Coconuts. Using items effectively can turn the tide of a race.
• Grand Prix: Race solo in 12 different cups across a variety of courses and difficulty levels.
• Time Trial: Pick the course and try to set a new record. Players can even save their best times in the form of ghost data.
• Practice: Race across any track without the pressure of time limits or other racers.
• Candy's Challenges: Help out Candy Kong by taking on 32 unique challenges, such as grabbing 1,000 bananas, beating a course in a certain time or staying in first place wire-to-wire.
• Cranky's Flight School: Learn how to play from Cranky Kong himself.
• Players take on up to three friends in a high-flying free-for-all as they bash, smash and rocket their way to victory. Multiplayer is not a separate mode; players can simply choose to play the other modes with additional people.

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast is rated E for Everyone

Flipper Critters (NDS)

Flipper Critters for the Nintendo DS is a platform based journey where the cute, furry inhabitants travel through a fantasy world filled with puzzles and perilous quests, offering a fun and engaging spin to “traditional” pinball.

Monkey and Tiger travel through the Flipper Critters fantasy world on a mission to fulfill their ultimate goal - saving their friend Bull – or so they think. Each quest takes the furry creatures to a “pinball table” landscaped by mountain valleys, towering castles and even includes a trip to the moon! Taking advantage of the DS System’s features, the game not only uses the dual screens to show off every aspect of the vibrant, cartoony world, but also incorporates the touch screen to activate switches and ramps. You can also bring a friend into the action through Multi-Card play!

Flipper Critters mini-games feature the characters mastering new skills, such as in the Flying Battle, where players fly a vehicle and throw bananas, furious carrots, bitter lemons and heated melons at opponents to score points.

The game is Rated “E” for Everyone and is available now at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $14.99.