Last week Nintendo took the limelight with Xenoblade Chronicles X and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. arriving on the eShop. This week it’s time for the indie developers to shine.
On Wii U the eagerly awaited FAST Racing NEO (£10.99) is the undeniable highlight. Nintendo recently confessed that they haven’t announced a new F-Zero as they’re unsure how to progress the franchise. FAST Racing NEO is looking like the next best thing; a super sleek racer with 60fps performance. We played it at EGX back September and were rather impressed.
Retro influenced platformer Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures (£8.99) also launches on both Wii U and 3DS. It’s better than you may expect, bagging a fair few 8/10s. “Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is another fun retro-inspired title that’s definitely worth a look if you’re looking for a challenging platformer on the eShop†said Nintendo World Report.
The Wii U also gets the 3D art studio VoxelMaker (£3.49) – think along the lines of a virtual Pixel Bricks/Nanoblocks set – and prehistoric trivial game Dinox (£4.49).
Cult classic puzzler Polarium Advance (£6.29) and the 20-game strong Game & Watch Gallery Advance (£6.29) are the week’s Virtual Console titles, meanwhile.
In addition to Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, SteamWorld Heist (£11.99 until 31st December, £14.99 thereafter) graces 3DS. Set in the same universe as the much-loved SteamWorld Dig, this is another eagerly awaited title. Whereas SteamWorld Dig combined Mr. Driller and Super Metroid to good effect, SteamWorld Heist is something completely different – a turn-based 2D shooter with strategic elements. It’s merely set in the same universe; a universe filled with pleasingly goofy robots that wouldn’t look out of place on Futurama. We’re hoping to have a review ready before it launches.
Also heading to 3DS: music creation tool Rytmik Ultimate (£15.99 or £8.99 for those with The Keep on the same Nintendo Network ID), interactive storybook thing Petit Novel Series – Harvest December (£9.19) and the allegedly middling 3D pixel-art RPG The Magic Hammer (£4.49). “The Magic Hammer tries to emulate the best of them but misses the mark for being too simplified and repetitive†said Nintendo Life.
This leaves us with retail download Terraria (£16.99) on 3DS. Curiously, it appears the physical release isn’t due out until February.
As for discounts, Atlus’ Citizens of Earth falls to £4 on Wii U and 3DS while Shin Megami Tensei IV drops to £7.40. 8-bit influenced platformer Life of Pixel also gets a cut – until 9th January it’ll only set you back £4.49. Plenty of time to mull it over.