Remember frantically thumbing "up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, select, start" on your Nintendo controller before the start screen appeared on the game "Contra"? Well, we're all a bit older now and, at least for some of us, the video games have taken a back seat to other interests. However, that might well change when "Beginners Wine DS" for Nintendo Co.'s DS handheld device is released to the Japanese market.

The game shows wine newbies things like how to properly swirl wine, and even how to pick a bottle of wine for a romantic evening. According to the article:

The game, developed by Tokyo's Square Enix Co., also comes with a database of 120 selected bottles, a glossary, a quiz and a guide to bluffing knowledge about wine, according to a statement released Wednesday.

"This game makes wine more accessible to everyone," the release said.

"Beginners Wine DS" hits stores on Nov. 15 to coincide with this year's release of Beaujolais Nouveau, which is quite popular in Japan. There was no indication whether or not the game would be released in the United States or other countries. Of course, there really isn't any shortage of wine-related software. Granted, you might not find anything for your Nintendo, but there is plenty of computer software out there. About 10 years ago I purchased a computer that came bundled with an Oz Clarke wine tasting guide! I thought that was kind of random back then, but I guess that computer company was just ahead of the times.