I know. There are a million and a half remakes of old school games like scrabble, yahtzee, tic-tac-toe, etc. But this one just sounds hilarious: Extreme Hangman. Cuz I mean, seriously guys, how much more extreme can you get than hangman??

So the game itself is hangman. I mean there’s only so much you can do with a simple game like hangman. But what this game prides itself on is its “absurdist twist of comical proportions.” It’s a bit hard to tell from the trailer below (nice huh?), but apparently this game has various ways in which our hero the hangman pays for our mistakes, such as being shot, strangled, erased, and of course, hung. With a funny chalkboard animation and an additional challenge mode, this game might be a fun time-killer for verbomanias, hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliomanias, or just bored people in general.

Check out the fabulous trailer:

I have trouble deciding what my favorite puzzle game of all time is. There are three contenders: Tetris (the first puzzle game and handheld game I ever played), Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (a great puzzle game with an awesome competetive aspect), and Bejewled (this helped me procrastinate during college so much). They all have great things to offer, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to decide. Good thing I don’t have to cuz now they are all available on a handheld console!

Now, PopCap Games is launching Bejeweled Twist for the Nintendo DSi. This is exciting for me because I don’t own an iPhone/iPod Touch. I’m looking forward to having this badboy ready to go on myDSi whenever I go out. This version hosts a slew of power-ups and obstacles including Flame gems, Lightning Gems, Bombs and Doom gems, and best of all, a multiplayer battle mode! Now you can Bejewel with friends via the DS Wireless network.

I know all you puzzle fans have played this, but for those who aren’t diehard puzzle fans, or for those who’ve only played Bejeweled, the premise is simple. You  have a screen full of jewels, and you have to line up three or more of the same colors horizontally or vertically to clear them. The only difference is that you move the jewels by “twisting” 2×2 blocks instead of switching one jewel with another, and you are not required to make a match every move. This drastically changes gameplay, giving you more freedom to plan out combos and chains. Yippy!

Nintendo releases yet another 8 titles for the WiiWare, Nintendo DSiWare, and Virtual Console.

Nintendo DSiWare
Sparkle Snapshots
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi points

I knew this was going to happen. I’m sure some of you know this, but a popular pass time for Japanese youth at one point was to go to “Purikura” (short for Print Club). The “Purikura” is a booth where you and your friends can go in, take a picture, and then add all kinds of effects like sparkles, birhgt lights, draw, paint, etc and print them out. Well now you can do that all in the palm of your hands with the Nintendo DSi. You can even send these pics to friends via the DS wireless communications.

Viking Invasion
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi points

Finally! A tower defense game for the NDSi! Fortify your castle as Olaf the Viking and his horde of pillagers raid your land. They’ll be coming at you with armies of vikings, and legions of fantastic creatures straight out of the mythical land of Asgard. As you gain experience, you’ll be able to build even stronger defenses. With a Campaign and Survivial Mode, as well as three difficulty levels, this one looks to be a fun little purchase.

Battle of Giants: Dragons – Bronze Edition
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi points

Play as the last Bronze Dragon as you venture on a quest ot defeat the evil SLAMU dragons and reclaim the 25 exclusive bronze gems they stole. Explore, customize and battle with your bronze dragon, and even enter into a 4-player tournament!

WiiWare
Carnival King
Price: 700 Wii points
Visit three different amusement parks; Arcadia, Dreamland and Lagoon with your friends to compete in all of your favorite carnival games. Each park provides 4 sets of gamea and a Bonus Round. With adjustable difficulty settings, this game is suitable from the novice players to the keenest of sharpshooters.

“Aha! I Got It!” Escape Game
Price: 500 Wii Points
So it’s Milo’s birthday today. What did he get for his present? A room full of puzzle! You’ll have to shake, push and twist the Wii Remote to collect and use items to solve all the puzzles to escape the room. I’m not sure if I personally would like incarceration in a room full of puzzles for my birthday. But then againa, it might fun…?

Family Card Games
Price: 500 Wii Points
I know, it sounds like another lame family game. But I was surprised to find that this game offers Daifugo as one of their card games. This is a Japanese card game. The title literally translates to Big Rich Man, and plays a lot like a game of Thirteen, or A$$hole. Who knows, maybe this could be your next drinking game.

Virtual Console
Fighting Street
Price: 800 Wii points
A port of the original arcade version of Street Fighter. I’m sure there are a good handful Street Fighter fans that have never actually played the original Street Fighter. Honestly, there’s no comparison to the recent Street Fighter games, but as a fan, I think it’s definitely worth trying out; you’ll definitely gain a new found respect and appreciation for how far this series has come.

R-Type
Price: 500 Wii points
Yet another classic. A unique side-scrolling shooter developed in 1987, R-Type is one of the most famous shooters out there. You must navigate through 8 levels  to defeat the evil Bydo Empire. And like any good side-scrolling shooter, this game will test the extremities of your reflexes. Relive the intensity!