You, Me, and WiiWare Trivia Quiz

Answer: Final Fantasy

"Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King" is the title in question released on May 12, 2008. Although "Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles" first appeared on the Gamecube (and later, the DS) as a co-op RPG, "My Life as a King" is a city-building simulator with a "Final Fantasy" theme.

Despite the slight departure from the style of game normally found in the series, it fared comparatively well in regards to the launch titles for this system. Many considered it to be the leading title for the WiiWare system before additional games were added to the roster. The game was developed by Square Enix who, outside "Final Fantasy", hadn't created a console game for a Nintendo console (other than the Wii) since the Super Nintendo was still on the market.

Answer: Lostwinds

Although the game was released by Square Enix in Japan six months later, "LostWinds" first appeared on the WiiWare library as a product of Frontier Developments, previously known for the PC games "RollerCoaster Tycoon 3" and "Thrillville". Using the wind powers of an elemental named Enril, the player controls gusts of air using the Wii Remote's motion sensitivity in order to move characters and objects across the screen to complete objectives. Released on May 12, 2008, the game received one of the best debut scores for WiiWare due to its uniqueness of style and puzzles as well as its friendly atmosphere.

It can be compared to PSN's "Flower", which was released about a year later on Playstation's online network.

Answer: Dr. Mario Online Rx

A rejuvenation of the classic Mario puzzler, "Dr. Mario" (for the NES), "Online Rx" took the elements of the original game and brought them back for faithful puzzle-players. In addition, this game took elements from other popular Nintendo puzzle games (eg. "Brain Age 2") and incorporated them into the gameplay with motion-sensitive control schemes.

The main game mode can be player with two different players, but many of the other optional games can contain up to four local players. After its early release on the console, many critics deemed the game as a good buy, praising the timelessness of the game and the nostalgic feel for the classic.

The game was developed by Akira, also known for "Endless Ocean" on the Wii.

Answer: My Pokemon Ranch

The game in question, developed by Ambrella, was regarded as a moderate failure in comparison to other WiiWare and "Pokemon" titles released. "My Pokemon Ranch" centers around the interaction between player Miis and three-dimensional Pokemon on a ranch run by the sister of a significant "Pokemon" character in the "Diamond" and "Pearl" games.

Other than the fact that the game can allow you to interact with Pokemon from your own DS games, it doesn't allow you to progress their levels or stats whatsoever, and only acts for the sake of aesthetics. The makers of the game, Ambrella, also made "Pokemon Channel" for the Gamecube and "Pokemon Dash", a racing game for the DS.

While "Hey You, Pikachu!" received moderate hype and praise for its innovation, other games by the company got progressively lesser responses.

Answer: Homestar Ruiner

Released over five months in 2008 (beginning in August, ending in December), "Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People", based on the Homestar Runner website, was episodically released for WiiWare audiences. All five were regarded as strong additions to the WiiWare library garnering higher than average scores. All five were developed by Telltale Games (known for "Sam and Max" and the "CSI" series of games), a company with a strong affinity for point-and-click adventure games. Each game features different mini-games and tasks and in addition to being available for the Wii, each is also available on the PC.

Answer: Mega Man 9

Solely released on each seventh-gen console's independent online service (WiiWare, XBLA, and PSN), "Mega Man 9" was regarded as one of the best online deals of the year. "Nintendo Power" gave it the Best Downloadable Game award in 2008 while others praised it for its classic, retro platforming style.
The game features many elements present in earlier "Mega Man" titles from items to enemies in addition to an array of new bosses.
Inti Creates, who developed "Mega Man 9", also created many "Mega Man Zero" games since 2002. Capcom, known for "Resident Evil", "Okami", and "Lost Planet", continued to produce the game. "Mega Man" continues to be one of their most profitable ventures in the gaming industry.

Answer: World of Goo

Receiving numerous different awards and critical acclaim, "World of Goo" is perhaps one of the biggest hits to be released through the WiiWare system. Released in October 2008, "World of Goo" soon became the best-selling game to be released in this way, causing 2D Boy to get the support to port the game to PC and Mac OS.
The game is physics-based and requires the solving of intricate goo-themed puzzles. Different Goos and environments will require different strategies, and it's up to you to build your Goo structures to reach the World of Goo Corporation and determine what exactly the mysterious 'Product Z' is.
The game was 2DBoy's first venture into independent gaming. Both developers previously worked for EA Games.

Answer: Space Giraffe

As it's seemed over the latter half of 2008, many of the games released on the WiiWare library have uniquely ubiquitous names. "Space Giraffe" is the only option that isn't found on WiiWare, but despite this, it's available on the XBLA. The game was critically panned by Xbox-based magazine reviews, but all other video game media outlets praised it for its retro theme and gameplay. "Space Giraffe" was named as such because of the main character's resemblance to a giraffe.
"Defend Your Castle", while not being too obscure a name, was a launch title for the library. The game was relatively well-known for its simplistic concept while providing fun gaming for up to four players simultaneously.
"Boingz" and "Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam", on the other hand, are quite obscure and rank 'up-there' with "Big Kahuna Party", "Target Toss Pro: Bags" and "Fun! Fun! Minigolf" as confusing titles. While "Target Toss Pro: Bags" is simply about tossing bean bags into targets, "Big Kahuna Party" was about collecting fish in a moderately-fun puzzle game. "Boingz" was a cute game about flinging bouncy aliens while "Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam" was an obscure mix between "Cooking Mama" and "Diner Dash". "Fun! Fun! Minigolf" was simply a game about minigolf...and it's up to the player to decide if it's 'Fun! Fun!'.

Answer: Snowboard Riot

Hudson Soft, over a year of WiiWare releases, soon became one of the most prominent gaming developers to show up in the library. Although the company made "Kororinpa: Marble Mania" and "Wing Island" early in the console's tenure (and later, "Mario Party 8"), Hudson Soft released eight WiiWare games in seven months in 2008 including "Bomberman Blast" and "Tetris Party". Hudson Soft is most well-known for the "Mario Party" series. Particularly, "Snowboard Riot" was the first Hudson Soft release in WiiWare in 2009 (the second, "Onslaught", being released mere weeks later).

It was one of the first downloadable titles to have compatibility with the Wii Balance Board. Despite this, however, many critics disliked the game due to the lack of reliance on racing skills.

Answer: LIT

"LIT" was one of the first games of the horror genre in the WiiWare library, and while it wasn't perfect, essentially every aspect of the game was praised in one way or another. The game is based in a high school as the protagonist, armed with a flashlight, has to navigate puzzling rooms and halls in order to save his girlfriend.

This, of course, is not as easy as it seems. The player must avoid darkness at all costs or else face the darkness where the shadows envelop him. Wayforward Technologies, the developers of "LIT", also developed "Contra 4" for the Nintendo DS, and it has since become one of the company's most highly-praised titles.

They have also worked on games for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis consoles.