Rodea: The Sky Soldier finally takes flight this Thursday

If it wasn’t for Yuji Naka’s Rodea the Sky Soldier this week’s eShop roster would be approaching laughably poor, leaving us with just a bunch of (very) casual 3DS games to talk about.

We may as well get them out the way first. Say “hello” to Hello Kitty & Friends: Rockin’ World Tour (£24.99), Horse Life 4 (£34.99, we kid you not) and Family Bowling 3D (£4.49), which is (and we quote) “A bowling game featuring Billy, Sarah, Daddy, and Mommy”. It’s fair to say that it isn’t aimed at the likes of you and me.

Moving onto the main event, Nights into Dreams-eqsue shooter Rodea: The Sky Soldier is finally out this week after an incredibly rough development. It started out as a Wii-exclusive in 2010 which was then cancelled in 2011 despite being ready for release. After a spell in limbo – during which the game’s future appeared grim – it was then reported that Wii U and 3DS versions were underway, with the ‘cancelled’ Wii version thrown in with the Wii U release as a bonus for those who purchased the first print run.

After five years of development and doubt, Rodea: The Sky Soldier has unfortunately turned out to be a bit of a non-event. The 3DS version received a critical mauling by God is a Geek due to “atrocious” controls, and while the Wii U version has seen slightly more positive reviews most critics claim that it’s nothing to get excited about. Destructoid notes that “the troubled developmental process is tangible in the final build” while Hardcore Gamer’s verdict was that it “fails to live up to its lofty ambitions”.

If you’re still determined to give it a try the 3DS version will set you back £34.99 while the Wii U version has been priced at £39.99. Both are due on the eShop this Thursday.

Incidentally, Wikipedia claims Rodea the Sky Soldier is set to become the final official Wii release but we can debunk this “fact” here and now – a new Barbie game is due out 20th November. This took us all of thirty seconds to research for ourselves.

Aside Wii U mini-game collection Word Party (£11.99 until 26th Nov – £14.99 thereafter; demo available) – which includes word searches, anagrams, crosswords and more – that’s it for new releases. There are a few little bits and bobs due though such as SEGA Mega Drive, GameGear and Mark III themes for 3DS (£1.59 each) plus Barbie, Hot Wheels and Monster High themes courtesy of Mattel (£1.39 each). Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 also sees a new piece of DLC, entitled Addonetarium (89p).

Even discounts are slim on the ground this week. Affordable Space Adventures, Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX and Roving Rogue are down to £13.50, £4.45 and £5.39 respectively while 2D platformer Canvaleon gets a permanent cut to £8.99. Nice to see Affordable Space Adventures becoming slightly more affordable. We’re sure we weren’t the only ones to gawk at the initial £16.99 price tag.