If it's Monday, then it must be time for Nintendo to release its latest Wii and DSi wares. The former platform will get a trio of new titles, including DRiiFT Mania, Konami's top-down multiplayer WiiWare racer. Joining it is Arkanoid Plus!, a new version of Taito's classic block-destruction game with 61 levels and numerous tweaks made via WiiWare. The former game is 800 Wii points ($8 ), with the latter costing 600 Wii points ($6).

　　Over on the Virtual Console front, the Sega arcade classic Altered Beast will rise from its grave for 1,000 Wii points ($10). (The Sega Genesis version was released on the VC in 2006.) The side-scroller casts players as an ancient warrior resurrected by the god Zeus to rescue his daughter, Athena. On the way to his goal, the player must collect Spirit Ball power-ups, which turn him into the powerful monster of the title.

　　DSi offerings this week include Art Academy: Second Semester, a first-party, 800-DSi point ($8 ) "portable art course." Besides offering information about the great Impressionists, the title will let players create their own artwork--complete with moving objects--with a variety of tools.

　　For the less artistically minded, Square Enix is releasing Dragon Quest Wars for the DSi for 500 DSi points ($5). The title takes creatures from the Dragon Quest role-playing game series and transposes them into a grid-based strategy title. It will have both single-player and wireless multiplayer, the latter supporting both local and online play via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.