Trying to keep up with all of the downloadable games and content that's out there these days is enough to make a person cry. But cry no more, because Download Lowdown is here to help. Each week I'll sift through the good, the bad, and the weird to help you get the most from your game system of choice without leaving your house. Plus, if you read now I'll also toss in some choice (usually less-than-helpful) quotes from folks around the Internet at absolutely no extra charge!

This week I try to enlist for Battlefield 1943, take a trip with Bit.Trip Core, go to the doctor to get my Pulseman checked only to find out that I have Worms.

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The Lowdown: Here's all you need to know about Battlefield 1943: It works just fine on the PlayStation 3 and often doesn't work at all on the Xbox 360 thanks to persistent network issues. Of course, EA says the problem stems from all you crazy kids loving the game too much. No really, that's what they're saying:

"Battlefield 1943 has been so well received and in such high demand we exceeded our server capacity. I know many have a hard time getting in, but a lot of people are playing and overwhelmingly love it.... We will have enough servers to meet these player count demands very soon."

Nice to know that it's all our fault.

What Major Nelson's commenters say:
Ramstein isn't falling for this clever PR-speak: "This really is such a non-response. They're basically saying ‘We're so awesome that all you peons crashed our servers.' I didn't have any problems at all getting into a game, because I couldn't even connect to EA to launch the game."
Death roW247 has devised a clever work-around for the 360's network issues: "I bought it for the PS3 and it has been working fine, i had been playing the 360 demo on wednesday, all day trying to get online but i couldn't, so i bought the PS3 version."
Rice md took a break from an endless loop of suck to post this: "I loved playing the tutorial, then trying to get into a game, then playing the tutorial, then trying to get in a game, then playing the tutorial, then trying to get into a game..."

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The Lowdown:Â Bit. Trip Core is the second Bit. Trip game to hit the Wii in four months. That's a quick turnaround, but thanks to some new gameplay mechanics and a totally new control scheme, Core feels fresh and is a lot of fun. My only real gripe is that there are still no online leaderboards. What's the deal? For more on Bit. Trip Core check out Bitmob's interview with Alex Neuse, one of the three guys who developed the game.

What GameSpot users say:
BitTrip-Freak shows just how much he deserves his username: "Bit.Trip Core is not only an instant classic, but one of the most innovative games I've seen in my life. You'll HAVE to get this game if you love arcade games and rythem games."
ResidentBowers makes a play for the coveted BitTrip-Freak title: "Taken as a whole beat and core have already have a spot in my favorite games of all time. this game is amazing. i can't wait to play the next ones. it could possibly be the pinnacle of gaming."
Aladdin245 just checked his watch and yep, it's that time again: "Well. Time to throw my controller again :("

Pulseman
System: Wii Virtual Console
Price: $9

The Lowdown: Long before Game Freak started churning out the same Pokemon games over and over again, they made Pulseman for the Sega Mega Drive. The game was never released in cartridge form here in the United States, but now, after a short 15-year delay, you can enjoy the game via the Wii's Virtual Console. What's it like? Well, it's a lot like Mega Man -- a really nice-looking Mega Man. The $9 price tag may be a bit steep, but if you're into old-school action/platformers, Pulseman is well worth the cash.

What Twitter says:
Jwehrheim_Gegel has a weird set of principles: "Just watched 29 minutes of someone else playing Pulseman for the Sega Mega Drive on youtube. MAINLY OUT OF PRINCIPLE."
Roto 13 leaves morals and principles out of the discussion, but still thinks Pulseman is the shizz: "Pulseman is worth every one of those 900 points. I'm so glad I get to experience this game because it's really great."
Ferricide knows a thing or two about games and thinks you should probably invest in Pulseman: "BUY THIS F****NG GAME"

Worms
System: iPhone
Price: $4.99

The Lowdown: Ugh, Worms. I just don't get this game. It's probably because I never tried it until they had already released several sequels, which meant that everyone I played could crush me with their eyes closed. Obviously I'm in the minority here and lots of folks love themselves some Worms. The iPhone version isn't bad, but the controls could use some improvement and the game runs a bit slow on my 3G from time to time. You might consider waiting for a patch before taking the plunge.

What the App Store reviews say:
Awonton is so f'ing forgiving.... This is why we get unfinished, buggy games: "Not the most stable or bugfree release.... I hope the bugs are quickly fixed, but even with occasional lag hiccups and interface glitches the game is extremely playable.... I find the app well worth the money, please do not think it is perfect or done.... it is a complicated game so bugs are to be expected."
Alael Moon poses a great question: "If Worms runs amazing in computers from 1997, why doesn't it run well on the iPhone?"
Jdoom thinks the worms are too big or something -- I'm not really sure: "MAKE THE WORMS BIGGER! MAKE THE WORMS BIGGER! MAKE THE WORMS BIGGER! MAKE THE WORMS BIGGER!"

That's it for this week's Download Lowdown. None of you slackers seem to have made it all the way through that sweet Silver Star Reversi trailer from last week. Go back, watch it, and tell me all about it! See you next week!