Handheld Lager, Cocktail and Wine News From Nintendo

Nintendo's Beginners Wine DS will hit shelves in November in Japan, priced at 2,940 yen (£12.75), with no plans as yet to release this apparent folly outside of Japan.

Hang on here a second. A wine guide for a handheld gaming console?

It's clear that Nintendo wants to continue to capture the female and adult market and what better way of doing this than by offering them a handheld wine guide, with step-by-step instructions on choosing a bottle of wine, a wine database and a quiz section?

"They want to reach new audiences, such as adults - particularly women - so they are expanding beyond the traditional types of games, into more educational games and quizzes", says Klee Kuo, a spokesperson for the title's developer, Square Enix which is branching out in new non-Final Fantasy type directions...

Watch out soon for more on Beginners Wine DS and also more news on Bartender DS, the game for wannabe mixologists (alcoholics).

Right now, SPOnG is keen for a publisher to make a game based on choosing the strongest and cheapest lager at your local filthy off-license. We hear that the Trampjuice license is up for grabs....