Late Night Consoling

Publisher Atari and developer SilverBirch Studios will be bringing Metanet Software's popular Flash-based ninja platformer N to Nintendo DS and PSP later this year under the title N+. The original N--the rediscovery of which has recently limited the productivity of several Shack editors--combines the simple acts of running and jumping with complex levels designed around the physics-based engine, requiring careful and skillful manipulation of the on-screen ninja as he leaps from platform to platform, collecting gold, avoiding harmful robots, and sliding down walls.

Much like the PC edition, the DS and PSP iterations will include a level editor, which will allow the sharing of custom maps with other players. N+ will add multiplayer to the mix, in the form of both cooperative and competitive modes, as well as online leaderboards and downloadable content.

N+ is expected to arrive in November. For a closer look at the game, check out these screenshots of the PC original, which can be downloaded for free from the official site.

Up and coming publisher Gamecock will be distributing developer Renegade Kid's first game, the spooky Nintendo DS first person shooter Dementium: The Ward. Originally titled The Ward when Renegade Kid began searching for a publisher earlier this year, the recently renamed title tells the story of a man who finds himself alone in a creepy hospital brimming with scary crap.

"From the first meeting, Renegade Kid have proven themselves to be innovative, unafraid to push the 'norms' of gaming and incredibly talented--all of which we think are the key characteristics of a great developer," said Gamecock head of development Harry Miller. "It's great when you can sit down with a developer who shares the same vision of where games should be going in creating new and exciting titles to offer an alternative to the bland remakes and sequels flooding stores today."

Along with today's announcement, Gamecock and Renegade Kid sent along three new screenshots.

Nintendo added four more games to the Wii's Virtual Console, bringing the complete catalog of the retro download service to 100 games. Most notable of today's additions is The Legend of Zelda II - Link's Adventure on NES, Nintendo's controversial side scrolling sequel, which sells for 500 Wii Points ($5). Joining Link in his Virtual Console adventure are Hudson's musical-themed non-linear NES adventure Milon's Secret Castle, which also sells for 500 Wii Points ($5), and Natsume's TurboGrafx-16 shooter Dead Moon, priced at 600 Wii Points ($6). ToeJam & Earl Productions' (then Johnson Voorsanger Productions) Genesis side scroller ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, the sequel to the company's Genesis adventure ToeJam & Earl, also appeared on the service today, selling for 800 Wii Points ($8).

As always, check back with Shacknews later this week for a full rundown of this week's Virtual Console releases.

Those attending the one-night-only North American theatrical release of Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow in select theaters will have the chance to play two upcoming PlayStation 2 Naruto games at the film's lone June 6th showing. Publisher and developer Namco Bandai will be on hand at 10 theaters with preview builds of CyberConnect2's fighter Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2, which is scheduled to arrive in stores in early June, and Namco Bandai's action-adventure Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2, which will hit retail later this summer. The list of participating theaters is as follows: