[We round up the top console digital download news of the last week from GamerBytes, including brand-new game announcements and scoops from the world of Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare, PSP Minis and DSiWare.]

This week has been all about the two extremes - the casual and the hardcore. On one hand, you have games like Tower Bloxx Deluxe, Picture Books, and Domo minigames, while on the other you have Panzer Generals, Trine, Lost Winds and the Oddworld series. If you're in either of those camps, you'll be pretty happy with this week's offerings.

This week has also been a fairly big week for Xbox Live Indie Games - a lot of good, quality games have been released. So if you're one of those fellows who never wanders into those waters, we've got a handy guide or two for you to look at.

Here are the highlights for the last seven days:

GamerBytes Originals

Old XBL Indie Games Drop In Price - What You Should Pick Up?
"As of today, the 200MSP price point no longer exists on the Xbox Live Indie Games, so what should you pick up for a single dollar?"

Store Updates

XBLA Update - Tower Bloxx Deluxe, Panzer Generals, Magic TG DLC
NA PSN Store Update - Trine, Oddworld, Lumines Price Cut & DLC, Mahjongg Artifacts And Vempire
EU PSN Store Update - Red Bull X-Fighters, Cheap Everyday Shooter
NA Nintendo Update - Lost Winds 2, Shootanto, Rygar And 5 Domo-Kun DSiWare Titles
EU Nintendo Update - Picture Books, Protöthea, Shinobi, Dragons And A Little Bit of... Dr Kawashima

Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!

"Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is platform gaming at its most colorful. Control the rainbows to take you through the game's 10 seamlessly connected areas, as you climb from the earth to the far reaches of space. Conquer all 10 Areas in four different game modes, and customize your character's outfit with a range of quirky costumes that you can earn in the game."

Rainbow Islands will be available this Wednesday for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Click here for a quick look at the WiiWare version of the game.

Inferno Pool

"Multiplayer mayhem awaits for up to four local or online players, in a race to clear the most balls from your table in Inferno Pool. Pot balls to fire at opponents, or stockpile balls to unleash an onslaught. Master Jump Shots, Combos, Bank Shots, Kick Shots, and build your multiplier with an unbroken potting streak to unleash the devastating Inferno Mode.

"Alliances will be formed, friends will be betrayed, and the battle isn't over until the stat screen appears. Includes the challenging Endurance Mode, an Inferno-fuelled battle to survive against the clock and post a world-beating time. The game also includes classic pool modes for one or two local or online players."

Inferno Pool will be available this Wednesday for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Click here for a quick look of the game in action from the PSN version.

Deal Of The Week - Fable II Pub Games

This week Xbox Live Gold members will be able to pick up Fable II Pub Games for 50% off - 400 Microsoft Points ($5) instead of the usual 800MSP ($10) price. You can also use this in the free first episode of Fable II currently on Games on Demand.

Click here to add the game to your queue via Xbox web marketplace.

Square-Enix's recently announced iPhone strategy title Hills & Rivers Remain has now also been announced for DSiWare.

Hills & Rivers Remain has you move along a countryside strategically taking over bases on the map and overwhelming the enemy. Players have to attack enemy bases using more powerful units and take them over - those which have been taken over will gain more HP over time to help you take over more bases.

In essence, the game is a lot like the recent game Mushroom Wars on the PlayStation Network. but with a slower, more linear map with more complex attack abilities. Seeing how much I enjoyed Mushroom Wars, this game is something to definitely something to look forward to.

The game is coming out this week in Japan, but going by Dragon Quest Wars' release it should be out in the next couple of months. I will retail for 800 Nintendo Points.

Source: Andriasang - Square Enix Brings Cell Phone Strategy Title to DSiWare

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3

Nintendo Points: 1,000
Game Type: Adventure
Control Type: Wii Remote, Nunchuk
Players: 1
Publisher: Telltale Games

"In the third Tales of Monkey Island chapter, Guybrush gets in deep - literally - as his quest for the voodoo exfoliating La Esponja Grande takes a scenic detour through the guts of a giant manatee. Our hero encounters a surprising band of castaways, including the long-lost explorer Coronado De Cava. Can the Mighty Pirate win the suspicious De Cava's trust? Will sexy pirate hunter Morgan LeFlay prove to be a ruthless enemy or an unlikely ally? Will the group find La Esponja Grande in time to save Elaine from the rampant Pox of LeChuck? And will the world be crushed by the gnashing teeth of a certain demonic skull? Tales of Monkey Island's moist and absorbing third episode, "Lair of the Leviathan," will answer some of these urgent questions and raise even more as the five-month adventure builds to its epic climax."

Click here for the trailer of Tales Of Monkey Island: Episode 3.

Ghost Mansion Party

Nintendo Points: 1,000
Game Type: Party Game
Control Type: Wii Remote
Players: 1-4
Publisher: Gameloft

"Fazzy the ghost has been locked out of his mansion by some evil spooks, and he's willing to give his treasure to anyone who can chase them out. Work cooperatively and competitively with friends and family to defeat the ghosts and discover a huge hidden treasure. Travel around this wild mansion in board-game fashion, landing on mini-games that everyone can enjoy. You'll even engage in challenges on the board itself as you try to collect magic scrolls and hints to reveal the secret word that will open the doors to the treasure. Get your Wii Remote controllers ready - you're about to play with them in ways you've never imagined."

Click here for the trailer of Ghost Mansion Party.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Nintendo Points: 800
Game Type: Action
Control Type: Classic, GameCube
Players: 1-2
Publisher: LucasArts
System: Super Nintendo

"You will play the game as one of two brave kids: Zeke or Julie. Both kids use the same control scheme and have the same characteristics. If you're playing in two-player mode, each player must pick a kid. You can't have two Zekes or two Julies. Each player starts with three lives. When your life bar runs out, you lose a life. There are hidden 1-Up bonuses in the game. You may also earn bonus lives if you have 10 victims left when you finish a level. Get ready to conquer 48 levels of giant ants, mad scientists and big babies. Find seven bonus levels (look for the question marks), earn points and stockpile your water pistols and other weapons."

Click here for a quick look at Zombies Ate My Neighbors in action.

Golden Axe

Nintendo Points: 900
Game Type: Action
Control Type: Wii Remote, Classic, GameCube
Players: 1-2
Publisher: SEGA
System: Arcade

"In this original arcade game that launched the popular Golden Axe series, the evil Death Adder has invaded your land and taken the king and princess prisoner. Three mighty warriors step forward to bring the villain to justice: powerful fighter Ax Battler, Amazon warrior Tyris Flare and mighty dwarf Gilius Thunderhead. They will use their weapons and magic to fight their way through Death Adder's hordes. Along the way, they'll mount fearsome, fire-spitting beasts to help even the odds. Team up with a friend and enjoy two-player simultaneous game play for a better chance of survival."

Click here for a quick look at Arcade Golden Axe.

PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff

Nintendo Points: 500
Game Type: Board Game
Players: 1
Publisher: Nintendo

"Aristocratic opponents square off in PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff, a game of strategy and deceit. Compete for points by adding or subtracting colored chips from rows on the game board and trying to guess each of your opponent's secretly assigned chip colors. Once you're confident in your deduction, issue a Call Out attempt to earn bonus points - at the risk of giving your opponent an extra point if you're wrong. Three modes of play (Tournament, Free Play, DS Wireless Play) offer a variety of options, from facing off against an assortment of computer opponents to competing in a wireless match with up to four players. Throw Trick Cards into the mix and you've got a winning combination of tactics and trickery that's sure to score points."

Click here for some screenshots of The Royal Bluff.

SUDOKU

Nintendo Points: 200
Game Type: Puzzle
Players: 1
Publisher: Electronic Arts

"SUDOKU offers hundreds of number-crunching puzzles that will stretch your brain power to the limit. Take it even further by playing in the exclusive Newspaper Mode. Add a daily puzzle from your favorite paper and build your very own collection. From Easy to Insane, a total of five different levels are available for novices and masters alike. Enjoy a host of grid designs that will keep you coming back for more. This worldwide phenomenon delivers an exhilarating game of logic that's not only challenging, but also surprisingly relaxing. It's everything you want for a quick puzzle getaway. Make life easier by taking advantage of smart features like automatic annotation for effortless calculation of your achievements. Stumped? Get help with error-checking tools and friendly cell hints. Track your stats and test your reaction time with the in-game timer. This addictive brain game has been polished to perfection and renders a sleek design that's easy on the eyes."

Click here for screenshots of EA's Sudoku.

Ubisoft's original mascot has been given the backseat thanks to the Raving Rabbids, but Rayman is finally making a return on DSiWare.

This new rating, from the German's USK rating board, shows that the limbless hero will finally be getting his own downloadable game for the Nintendo DSi. Outside of the rating nothing is known - but let's speculate for a bit.

Could this be a new 2D game in the vein of the original Rayman or its two GBA brethren, which were awesome? Or will it be another collection of mini games involving the Rabbids? I'm hoping on the former.

Eko System's Lemmings-styled water puzzler is going High Definition, says the German USK rating system.

Aqua Panic has made its trip across multiple platforms - first a PSP title (known than as Downstream Panic), then making its way to the Nintendo DS and Wii in Europe. Despite the game getting some great reviews it was never able to achieve any mainstream success so it appears Eko are going to give digital distribution a shot on the PlayStation 3.

The game's ideals are similar to that of Lemmings - you're trying to save tiny fish from their doom dropping them into a clear area of water, avoiding the giant fish waiting to eat you at the bottom. Using bombs, fans and a variety of other objects you'll be able to get them all to safety.

Check out a trailer for the original game here. A new game has also been announced for the PSP minis with Aqua Panic! Oasis - I would imagine both it and Aqua Panic HD may compliment each other for those at home and on the go.

We should hope for an official announcement soon.

The German rating board continues to do what it does best by revealing that The Red Star will be making its way to the PSP.

The Red Star has had a troubled history - originally to be released on the Xbox and PS2, it was forever delayed due to publisher Acclaim's demise, but the PS2 game was finally released courtesy of XS Games back in 2007 and received excellent scores.

Earlier this year it was rumored that the game was also coming to PSP thanks to the game popping up on retail websites, but nothing had been heard of it since. Now the game has been rated by both the the German USK and the Australian Classification Operations Branch.

While this could very well be a retail release, going by their catalog XS games haven't released anything all year, and this is also one of their first games which they've rated themselves on the Aussie COB, which based on prior experience usually means a digital release.

As the game was a 2-player brawler, we would hope the game includes Ad-Hoc multiplayer, which would mean it would be a PSP PSN exclusive. Hopefully we will get an official announcement soon.

A leaked rating on the Australian and German classification boards reveal that XS Games might be publishing a new Boxing game for WiiWare.

Both the USK and Aussie COB have rated a game called Power Punch, and show that it is being developed by GrandPrix Games who has previously worked on the Victorious Boxing (Hajime no Ippo) series and developed the WiiWare game Shootanto for Hudson, which was released a few weeks ago.

As the game has yet to be officially announced, we believe this might be a new WiiWare game. While XS Games have not previously dealt with WiiWare games, their PSOne catalog (including Mobile Light Force) is on the PlayStation Network, so it's not out of the question for them to be moving to digital distribution.

What I do find hilarious about this whole thing is the name. Way back in the NES days publisher ASC and developer Beam Software attempted to create a semi-sequel to Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! with Mike Tyson's Intergalactic Punch Out. At some point they got rid of Mike Tyson and changed the name to Power Punch II, despite there not being a Power Punch The First, instead just hoping uninformed individuals would assume this is the Punch Out!! sequel. Seeing the name back makes it a little weird - imagine if this was the prequel to that game?

So will this game be in the vain of Victorious Boxers, or will Ippo Makunouchi be flying into space to fight Aliens? What do you want to see from a Wii boxing game now that Punch Out!! and Fight Night Round 3 are out there?

With no Trucks or Bots in sight, Nintendo have revealed Excitebike: World Rally will be coming to WiiWare in a little under two weeks.

The game was announced through Nintendo Week, a show only available on the Wii's Nintendo Channel. Like the original game you race against rivals on a stunt track, but this time you can play against others online. Excitebike: World Rally will also include a track editior, just like the original.

I've never really played Excitebike (I was more of a Sega kid back in the day), but this looks like a fitting revitalizing of the game into a cool little downloadable game. I might have to give it a shot.

The game comes out November 9th, just two weeks away. No price was mentioned.

While we're going to have to wait a bit before we can sink our teeth (hur!) into Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth on WiiWare, it's already out in Japan, and 1UP have the first look at it.

You can have a quick look at the first and second levels here and here. It's staying pretty close to its roots, you're whipping stuff, you're grabbing hearts and that classic theme is in there, but it looks like there are several different paths you can take through a level too - that'll definitely add to the length of the game for multiple playthroughs.

Hopefully it's coming to the West sooner than later.

[Edit: It has been revealed that this is not being developed by Gearbox, but is simply a side project by the developer. Move along, nothing to see here]

Social Networking can be a tricky thing sometimes - you may accidentally mention something you weren't meant to.

That's what has happened with one of Gearbox's level designers, who via Twitter casually mentioned that a fellow Gearbox developer showed him "Our XBLA character rigged" and that it made him "incredibly happy". In earlier tweets this designer also asked which Xbox Live Arcade games his followers played, and for what reasons.

Gearbox are currently hard at work on developing Aliens: Colonial Marines as well as new content for their recent release Borderlands. They also mention 3 mystery projects on their website, in which we assume this is one of them.

While Gearbox has been well known for their first person shooters they also did the port of Samba De Amigo to the Wii last year, so who knows what this game might be. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.

Call Of Duty Classic will be coming out in the very near future - but don't expect it to be released on XBLA and PSN day-and-date with Modern Warfare 2 - that's for Hardened Edition owners only.

Community Manager Robert Bowling said earlier this month on Twitter that "Call of Duty: Classic for XBLA & PSN should be available for download on launch only for [those who buy] Hardened + Prestige Edition".

This has happened before - last year's Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts included a code to download the original Banjo-Kazooie on Xbox Live Arcade two weeks earlier than everyone else. This may be a bit of a detriment to the online multiplayer of COD: Classic, but thankfully there are no achievements that require multiplayer play.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 comes out in just two weeks time. I do wonder how many people will actually go back and play the original - heck, the game had health packs.

According to a document from the Ontario Media Development Corporation, Capybara games is apparently at work on Zombie Tactics for an unannounced platform.

The document, which details Zombie Tactics, is a list of recipients of OMDC's Screen-based Content Initiative - basically a Canadian prototype funding scheme. The document is actually quite old, posted way back in February of this year, but it looks like nobody caught onto it, or didn't care at the time due to Capybara's low profile.

Zombie Tactics is described as being a "mixture of strategy gameplay elements into the horror genre" where it drop[s] players into the heart of a devastating zombie apocalypse with nothing but their wits to get them out alive". Players will have to fend for themselves but can search for other survivors to add to their team, scavenge for weapons and supplies, and fight their way out of the city.

Since Zombies are totally the in thing right now I'm not that surprised Capybara are working on a Zombie game, hopefully whatever it is has something which makes it stand out from the pack. The document does not state any kind of platform - this could be anything ranging from iPhone to PSN to Nintendo DS, but it exists in some form.

Critter Crunch surprised a lot of people with its polish and addictive gameplay, lets see if Capybara Games can do it a second time.

Artech Studios have been quet on the digital distribution front since Aces of The Galaxy, but a new document reveals they're hard at work on Dragon’s Hoard - a medieval coop adventure for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

The document is the very same one that we mention in our Capybara game reveal, and has details on Canadian developers who are recipients of the OMDC Screen-based Content Initiative. The document dates back to February of this year, but it looks like nobody caught onto it.

Dragon’s Hoard description states that you can "Soar, slash and burn your way through 19 destructible levels with co-op and multi player", and that there are plans for downloadable content, unlockable power-ups. Whether this is a game similar to Castle Crashers or more of a loot fest akin to Neverwinter Nights isn't clear from the description, but hey - sounds good in theory.

Artech Studios' webpage also delegates that they're actually working on two Xbox Live Arcade titles, and plans to have them out by 2009 - but considering the backlog of games in the XBLA queue I wouldn't expect them until 2010.

Hopefully we'll hear more about them soon - Aces Of The Galaxy and Boogie Bunnies were actually quite good games in the early days of Xbox Live Arcade and I would like to see what they can do two years later.

Rainbow Islands: The Towering Adventure

Developer: Taito Corporation
Publisher: Taito Corporation
Genre: Action
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Australia, Korea and New Zealand
File Size: 93 MB

Click here for the Xbox.com splash page.

Click here to add the game to your queue via Xbox web marketplace.

Inferno Pool

Developer: Dark Energy Digital Ltd
Publisher: Koch Media
Genre: Bar Sports
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Asia and North America
File Size: 151 MB

Click here for the Xbox.com splash page.

Click here to add the game to your queue via Xbox web marketplace.

Deal Of The Week - Fable II Pub Games

This week Xbox Live Gold members will be able to pick up Fable II Pub Games for 50% off - 400 Microsoft Points ($5) instead of the usual 800MSP ($10) price. You can also use this in the free first episode of Fable II currently on Games on Demand.

Click here to add the game to your queue via Xbox web marketplace.

[Originally published by big sister Gamasutra, Brandon Sheffield talks to Takumi Naramura on his his upcoming WiiWare game La Mulana and his life in the video game industry.]

Nigoro was an Japanese independent game developer that has released a number of humorous -- and well-regarded -- Flash games over the last few years.

Titles like the slap-fest Rose & Camellia, and the skirt-flipping game Mekuri Bancho put the company on the indie map, but La-Mulana -- described as "a freeware free-roaming platformer game designed to look, sound, and play like a classic MSX game" -- is what really got them into the public eye.

The company has since become Asterizm, a proper (but still indie) corporation based in Japan, and is releasing La-Mulana on the Wii's downloadable WiiWare service, with a graphical upgrade that remains true to the genre.

In this interview, conducted during the Tokyo Game Show, we spoke with Vice president Takumi Naramura, and president Shoji Nakamura about what makes the company tick, the origin of Nigoro, and game influences:

It's been a while since we've seen Fret Nice, so developer Pieces Interactive found it apt to release some new screenshots onto us.

The game, which claims to be the first platform game for guitar controllers, has such a strange visual style to it that it fits perfectly with games like Lucidity and Axel & Pixel. Hopefully publisher Tecmo can get the word out so it'll sell better than both of those did.

Check out the screenshots here, and while the game is set for a 2010 release, Pieces Interactive's Puzzlegeddon is also popping up on XBLA and PSN in the next couple of months, so keep a look out for both of them.

Hasbro Family Game Night

Category: Board Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1-4
Price: £31.99 / €39.99 / $59.95AUD

"Join your host Mr. Potato Head as you play classic Hasbro games as well as exciting new versions. Hasbro Family Game Night features family favorites such as CONNECT FOUR, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, SORRY! and the all new, SORRY! Sliders."

Zombie Apocalypse

Category: Shooter
Publisher: Konami
Players: 1-4
Price: £7.99 / €9.99 (Not available in Australia)

"The world as you know it is gone. A zombie infection has swept the globe and the undead now outnumber the living, but you have plenty of ammo and it’s time for payback! Destroy as many zombies as can and try to save any remaining survivors. Up to four players can battle the zombie apocalypse with an arsenal of deadly weapons, including mini-guns, flame throwers, grenade launchers, and a chainsaw for when it’s time to get in close!"

Click here for a trailer of Zombie Apocalypse in action. Demo also available.

PAIN – Celebrity Character Elvira

Price: £0.79 / €0.99 / $1.75AUD

"Introducing PAIN’s first female celebrity, Elvira! The Mistress of the Dark wears her Gothic gown to look her best in her special poses as you launch her in any PAIN environment and mode. And don’t let this campy vamp cast a spell on you with her sassy humor, Elvira’s plenty used to horrifying situations and can surely take some PAIN! Download Elvira today!"

LocoRoco Midnight Carnival

Category: Platformer
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Players: 1-4
Price: £11.99 / €14.99 / $23.95AUD

"The LocoRoco are bouncing back into action and this time they're taking over an eerie fairground built by mischievous BuiBui. Roll and jump through 16 mysterious levels as you make a midnight journey into the unknown."

Click here for a trailer of LocoRoco Midnight Carnival. Demo also available.

Crystal Defenders

Category: Tower Defense
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
Price: £7.99 / €9.99 / $15.95AUD

"Crystal Defenders is a defence simulation game in which players strategically deploy troops on a map in an attempt to protect crystals from wave after wave of marauding monsters. Characters come in a variety of familiar Final Fantasy classes such as Soldier and Black Mage, and must be positioned carefully in order to take advantage of their individual strengths and weaknesses."

Click here for a trailer of Crystal Defenders PSP in action. The game is also available for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare and iPhone. Demo also available.

Zombie Tycoon

Category: RTS
Publisher: FRIMA
Players: 1
Price: £3.99 / €4.99 / $8.45AUD

"Have you ever wished for a Zombie outbreak; your whole neighborhood turning into madness, full of brain craving monsters? Well, you're not along. This is it! Z-day! The zombie formula is ready and it's time to use it! From now on you and the Zombie Tycoon. You are the helm of your own zombie horde and it is your job to erupt the world into mayhem. For that wonderful dream to come true, Zombie Tycoon provides you with a unique tale of intrigue and betrayal with control over three hilarious zombie squads, over 100 quirky items for your zombie horde, 10 challenging and puzzle-filled cities and a solid combat system allowing you to attach humans and the places they call home."

Click here for a trailer of Zombie Tycoon.

Special Offers

Riff Everyday Shooter (PS3) (£3.99 / €4.99 / $8.45AUD)
Future Cop: LAPD 2100AD (PSone Classic) (£2.39 / €2.99 / $4.95AUD)
Syndicate Wars (PSone Classic) (£2.39 / €2.99 / $4.95AUD)
Hi-Octane (PSone Classic) (£2.39 / €2.99 / $4.95AUD)
Championship Bass (PSone Classic) (£2.39 / €2.99 / $4.95AUD)
Street Skater (PSone Classic) (£2.39 / €2.99 / $4.95AUD)
Street Skater 2 (PSone Classic) (£2.39 / €2.99 / $4.95AUD)

Lit

Wii Points: 800 Wii Points
Game Type: Action, Puzzle
Control Type: Wii Remote, Nunchuk
Players: 1
Publisher: WayForward Technologies

"Dark creatures have taken over Jake's high school, and it's up to you to guide him through each classroom in order to be reunited with his girlfriend Rachael. Existing light sources must be used smartly to create bridges of light for Jake to cross. One false step and Jake gets pulled into the darkness. Along the way he'll encounter twisted versions of his school's faculty, which must be battled in order to advance. LIT is a horror/puzzle game that requires the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. It contains 30 levels, five boss battles, replay modes and several unlockables, including multiple endings, Dark Mode timed challenges and an unlockable character."

Click here for the official website for LIT

Ghost Mansion Party

Nintendo Points: 1,000
Game Type: Party Game
Control Type: Wii Remote
Players: 1-4
Publisher: Gameloft

"Fazzy the ghost has been locked out of his mansion by some evil spooks, and he's willing to give his treasure to anyone who can chase them out. Work cooperatively and competitively with friends and family to defeat the ghosts and discover a huge hidden treasure. Travel around this wild mansion in board-game fashion, landing on mini-games that everyone can enjoy. You'll even engage in challenges on the board itself as you try to collect magic scrolls and hints to reveal the secret word that will open the doors to the treasure. Get your Wii Remote controllers ready - you're about to play with them in ways you've never imagined."

Click here for the trailer of Ghost Mansion Party.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Nintendo Points: 800
Game Type: Action
Control Type: Classic, GameCube
Players: 1-2
Publisher: LucasArts
System: Super Nintendo

"You will play the game as one of two brave kids: Zeke or Julie. Both kids use the same control scheme and have the same characteristics. If you're playing in two-player mode, each player must pick a kid. You can't have two Zekes or two Julies. Each player starts with three lives. When your life bar runs out, you lose a life. There are hidden 1-Up bonuses in the game. You may also earn bonus lives if you have 10 victims left when you finish a level. Get ready to conquer 48 levels of giant ants, mad scientists and big babies. Find seven bonus levels (look for the question marks), earn points and stockpile your water pistols and other weapons."

Click here for a quick look at Zombies Ate My Neighbors in action.

A Little Bit of... All Time Classics: Card Classics

Nintendo Points: 500
Game Type: Card Game
Players: 1-8
Publisher: Nintendo

"Choose from five family-friendly games in this DSiWare version of the popular Clubhouse Games. Play classic card games like Hearts and Contract Bridge, connect bones to other bones in Dominoes, think strategically in the simple, but addictive Dots and Boxes, and move your pieces towards a common goal in Ludo. Play by yourself or use DS Download Play to host as many as seven friends."

Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ

Nintendo Points: 800
Game Type: Action
Players: 1
Publisher: Gammick Entertainment

"Alter saving her grandmother from the claws of the Wolf and its army of the evil everything seemed to have gone back to normal. Nothing further from reality. With the recent and tragic death on combat of the woodman, an invasion of leper zombies endangers once again the peace in the world.

"Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ is a really fun shooter for Nintendo DsiWare™, where you have to move forward by shooting down every living (or dying) creature in your path! Use the great arsenal of weapons at your disposal to do away with the savage hoards of zombies. Shoot, blast, massacre, bombard and burn your enemies to the bone with a simple touch of your stylus on the console screen. Can you save fairy tale land or will you let its creatures live an unhappy-ever-after-life?"

Inferno Pool

Publisher: Dark Energy Digital
Developer: Dark Energy Digital
Category: Snooker / Puzzle
Price: $9.99

"Inferno Pool is a revolutionary, simultaneous multi-player Pool action game, where every ball you pot is dropped onto your opponents table. Battle against your friends locally or compete against the world online. Learn punishing skill shots to unleash Inferno Mode and humiliate your opponents. This is Pool on fire!"

Click here to read an interview with the developers over at The Sixth Axis.

Hasbro Family Game Night

Category: Board Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1-4
Price: $39.99

"Join your host Mr. Potato Head as you play classic Hasbro games as well as exciting new versions. Hasbro Family Game Night features family favorites such as CONNECT FOUR, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, SORRY! and the all new, SORRY! Sliders."

PAIN – Celebrity Character Elvira

Price: $1.99

"Introducing PAIN’s first female celebrity, Elvira! The Mistress of the Dark wears her Gothic gown to look her best in her special poses as you launch her in any PAIN environment and mode. And don’t let this campy vamp cast a spell on you with her sassy humor, Elvira’s plenty used to horrifying situations and can surely take some PAIN! Download Elvira today!"

LocoRoco Midnight Carnival

Category: Platformer
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Players: 1-4
Price: £11.99 / €14.99 / $23.95AUD

"The LocoRoco are bouncing back into action and this time they're taking over an eerie fairground built by mischievous BuiBui. Roll and jump through 16 mysterious levels as you make a midnight journey into the unknown."

Click here for a trailer of LocoRoco Midnight Carnival. Demo also available.

Crystal Defenders

Category: Tower Defense
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
Price: £7.99 / €9.99 / $15.95AUD

"Crystal Defenders is a defence simulation game in which players strategically deploy troops on a map in an attempt to protect crystals from wave after wave of marauding monsters. Characters come in a variety of familiar Final Fantasy classes such as Soldier and Black Mage, and must be positioned carefully in order to take advantage of their individual strengths and weaknesses."

Click here for a trailer of Crystal Defenders PSP in action. The game is also available for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare and iPhone. Demo also available.

Zombie Tycoon

Category: RTS
Publisher: FRIMA
Players: 1
Price: $7.99

"Have you ever wished for a Zombie outbreak; your whole neighborhood turning into madness, full of brain craving monsters? Well, you're not along. This is it! Z-day! The zombie formula is ready and it's time to use it! From now on you and the Zombie Tycoon. You are the helm of your own zombie horde and it is your job to erupt the world into mayhem. For that wonderful dream to come true, Zombie Tycoon provides you with a unique tale of intrigue and betrayal with control over three hilarious zombie squads, over 100 quirky items for your zombie horde, 10 challenging and puzzle-filled cities and a solid combat system allowing you to attach humans and the places they call home."

Click here for a trailer of Zombie Tycoon.

Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam

Publisher: Virtual Toys
Price: $4.99

"Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam is a frenetically-active cooking game in which you have to serve the food your customers order as quickly as possible.This could be a simple task, but the customers aren't very patient and you'll find a multitude of annoying insects that make the noble mission of satisfying your small gourmets' stomachs much more difficult"

"Put on your chef's har, sharpen your knives and turn up the heat on the stove, because you have to show the entire world who the fastest, most skillful chef is."

PSN Sales

Super Stardust Portable was $9.99, now $4.99 until November 4th
Echocrome was $9.99, now $4.99 until November 4th
Brain Challenge was $9.99, now $4.99 until November 4th
Unbound Saga was $9.99, now $4.99 until November 4th

In our latest employment-specific round-up, we highlight some of the notable jobs posted in big sister site Gamasutra's industry-leading game jobs section this week, including positions from 5th Cell, Insomniac and more.

Each position posted by employers will appear on the main Gamasutra job board, and appear in the site's daily and weekly newsletters, reaching our readers directly.

It will also be cross-posted for free across its network of submarket sites, which includes content sites focused on online worlds, cellphone games, 'serious games', independent games and more.

Some of the notable jobs posted this week include:

Gazillion Entertainment: Project Manager
"We are seeking a Project Manager to be a key member of the Game Operations/IT Team. This is a full time permanent position and will report to the Director of Project Management - IT and Gaming Operations. Projects will vary from internal IT back office applications to key portions of a worldwide gaming operations infrastructure."

Insomniac Games: FX Artist
"FBI, ATV, CTU, ATF, SRPA, ETA, HR, TSA, OPEC, MIA, RSVP, RIP, CSI, WTF, WHO, FX, IMO, LOL - these are all acronyms- some real and some made up that everyone knows. Well we are looking for an FX wizard. We’re talking about creating those mind blowing fxs! Insomniac Games is looking for an artist to create effects to work and assist in gameplay, environment, and the cinematics of the game."

You'll dance 'till the sun comes up, and dance 'till the sun goes down with this new trailer of Tomena Sanner, a wacky WiiWare game coming via Konami in 2010.

Released earlier this year in Japan, Tomena Sanner has you play a Japanese businessman on his way to the Ultimate dance party, avoiding obstacles in his way by jumping, kicking, or preying their way around it - all of course in a obscenely nutty lands of dinosaurs and office buildings.

While the title of the game has not changed, they do appear to have added English lyrics for some of the music, so they are adding some new things to the game. Strange that they didn't change the name - what does Tomena Sanner mean to anybody?

Either way, look for it in Q1 2010. In the meantime, start up your own ultimate dance party.

There are an awful lot of puzzle games on WiiWare, it's becoming quite a crowded genre, but that's not stopping new publisher MACHINE from giving it a go with Bittos.

Bittos however is not a regular puzzle drop game - you have the ability to place Bittos pieces (which unsurprisingly ape from Tetris blocks) anywhere on the screen, but to remove them requires you to create a rectangle or square with those blocks. What's not part of those rectangles is left behind, and if you don't get rid of them can turn into solid sections that are more difficult to remove.

IGN had a quick Q&A with the developer of the game and have several trailers of the game in action. It looks alright, but can it best the other WiiWare puzzlers already available? We'll find out sometime in November when it's released.

Taito's QIX is getting revitalized on the Xbox Live Arcade, and despite it still not being announced it's not going to stop the achievements list getting leaked out.

The achievement list reveals the game will be split into two "sections", much like Taito's Arkanoid and Puzzle Bobble games have been split into chapters. You can also destroy the Sparx and Pawns that follow you around the screen, which I don't think you could do in the original game. The game also features online multiplayer with ranked matches.

Source: Xbox 360 Achievements - QIX++

The Japanese Xbox blog has revealed Arc System Works' 0D Beat Drop will drop in on the 11th of November, and have revealed what might be the Deals Of The Week for the upcoming month.

0D Beat Drop is a drop down puzzle game that mixes a bit of Tetris and Puzzle Fighter together with a hint of Lumines' aesthetic. You'll set up long chains of colored jewels, and then explode them all by slamming them into the ground with the X button. The game's soundtrack is produced by Sweet Vacation, a popular Japanese music unit.

Check out a video of the game here. The game will retail for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

November's Deals Of The Week for Japan include 3 on 3 NHL Arcade on November 16th with a drop from 800MSP to 400MSP, and both Peggle and Death Tank on November 23rd - Peggle dropping from 800MSP to 400MSP, and Death Tank from 1200MSP to 800MSP. This goes alongside Call Of Duty 4's DLC going half price on November 2nd, Saints Row 2: Ultor Exposed DLC for 560MSP on November 9th, and Fable II's Fate Of The Future DLC dropping to 400MSP on the 23rd.

Usually these deals to correlate with the rest of the world, but sometimes they're the Japanese replacement for something that they didn't receive, like a few weeks ago when Japan received Golf: Tee It Up cheaper when the rest of the world got cheaper Resident Evil 5 DLC.

It does make some sense though - a cheaper Peggle could correlate with Peggle Nights DLC coming out soon, and Death Tank is in dire need of a price cut. Just keep note if you plan to pick up any of that DLC over the next few weeks, you might hit a bargain.