Electronic Arts and Maxis have officially revealed today that they’ll be bringing the Spore franchise to Nintendo’s consoles, the Wii and the Nintendo DS, this year… with a twist.

Spore Hero will hit the Wii, and is a “story-driven action-adventure” game, with players creating their own hero creature and going on some quest to save their planet. The title features Wii-specific controls for things like combat, puzzles, and more. Creature creation is also being emphasized, with more than 250 collectible parts and abilities available to customize your little heroic freak.

The Nintendo DS will be getting its own title, Spore Hero Arena, another title with an emphasis on action. It sounds like Pokémon with a Spore slant to it, an arena-based fighter where you take your created creature from planet to planet beating up other Spore heroes. The title features competitive modes for up to three friends (or foes) locally, or against one other player via Nintendo Wi-Fi.

When this information hit my inbox this morning, I was a bit confused. I could have swore that these games were announced back in January. I was half right.  

SPORE FRANCHISE EVOLVES TO NINTENDO PLATFORMS

Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena Immerse Players into All-New Worlds of Action and Adventure

The Spore™ franchise continues to evolve as Maxis™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today revealed details about Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena – two games built from the ground up exclusively for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ platforms. Building on the franchise’s core tenets of creativity, exploration and adventure, Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena will immerse Nintendo fans into all-new experiences when the games launch this year.

Spore Hero delivers the unmatched creative freedom of Spore in an accessible, story-driven action-adventure made exclusively for the Wii. Set in a rich and vibrant 3D world, Spore Hero empowers players to create their own Hero as they embark on an epic quest to save their new home world from destruction as a dark force threatens the planet. Taking full advantage of the Wii controls, Spore Hero engages players in heated battles, humorous missions, curious puzzles and more. Throughout the game, players will collect more than 250 parts with unique abilities and experience the unparalleled customisation of the revolutionary Spore Creature Creator enhanced for the Wii

Building on the success of Spore Creatures for Nintendo DS, Spore Hero Arena catapults Nintendo DS players into a 3D galaxy filled with fun, intense arena-based combat. Players create a unique gladiator Hero creature and guide it from planet to planet as they fight dangerous enemy creatures and complete special missions, collecting new parts and abilities, gaining upgrades along the way. In the quest for combat, they’ll seek out to defeat each local champion and unlock special abilities that will benefit their Hero. By combining special abilities, parts, and upgrades, players create a fighting style of their own in hopes to stop an evil force and save the galaxy. Spore Hero Arena will also feature multiplayer capabilities as players can battle with up to three friends locally or play with a friend over Wi-Fi.

“When Maxis first considered bringing Spore to console players, the Nintendo platforms jumped out as a perfect fit. Whether it is the stylus-driven action of the Nintendo DS or playful controllers of the Wii, the massive Nintendo audience is the ideal home for Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena,” said Lucy Bradshaw, VP and General Manager at Maxis. “Nintendo fans will love the humor, ability to create their own Hero, fun gameplay and immersive storylines we’re creating for these two games.”

Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena will be available in 2009.