We aren’t entirely sure how many eShop releases are due between now and the end of the year. Regardless, Minecraft: Wii U Edition helps to end 2015 on a high. Better late than never, eh?
It’s due on the eShop this Thursday, priced £19.99. Although that’s a little pricier than versions on other systems it does come with a six bundled texture packs. Other features include USB keyboard and voice chat support, Off-TV play, four-player local split-screen and a maximum of 8 players online. There’s no GamePad inventory management though, which strikes us as a bit of an oversight.
16 additional texture packs are also available at launch featuring such licenses as Doctor Who, The Simpsons, Star Wars and – somewhat unexpectedly – Mass Effect and Skyrim. Prices vary from 79p to £2.39.
A few other releases are joining the exceedingly popular Minecraft. How many of these are worth investigating though is debateable, as Nintendo Life reckons that single-screen platformer Job the Leprechaun (£2.69) and Ascent of Kings (£1.49) – a 2D pixel art adventure that takes all of 45 minutes to finish – are middling at best. Both were awarded mediocre 5/10s. If Steam user reviews are to go by, Island Flight Simulator (£5.99) isn’t much cop either.
The week’s Virtual Console releases for Wii U fair immeasurably better, including the celebrated multi-million seller New Super Mario Bros. (£8.99), N64 classic Mario Tennis (£8.99) and the GBA curio Onimusha Tactics (£6.29). If memory serves though, Onimsusha Tactics wasn’t a patch on Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem.
3DS owners have something to look forward to as well – a remaster of the 1992 Mega Drive/Genesis shooter Steel Empire (£14.39). It’s more expensive than expected, but we can at least vouch for its quality – review scores include 9/10 from Nintendo Life and 8/10 from Destructoid.
The 3DS also gets Kemco’s dungeon crawler RPG Chronus Arc (£8.99) – which can easily be likened to something from the 16-bit era – and the curiously titled puzzle platformer The Delusions of Von Sottendorff and his Square Mind (£11.69). Take a look at the trailer below:
On top of all this, it’s an eventful week for discounts too. Apart from Activision’s licensed tat, most of the below Wii U games are worth a look. Especially those from Curve Digital, Capcom and WayForward.
Another World – 20th Anniversary Edition (£3.59 until 24th December, normally £7.19)
Armillo (£2.99 until 1st January, normally £5.50)
Art of Balance (£5.35 until 7th January, normally £7.15)
DuckTales: Remastered (£4.79 until 31st December, normally £11.99)
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara (£4.19 until 31st December, normally £11.99)
Extreme Exorcism (£7.99 until 31st December, normally £9.99)
Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut (£1.99 until 31st December, normally £9.99)
Nova-111 (£3.50 until 31st December, normally £11.99)
OlliOlli (£2.49 until 31st December, normally £7.99)
Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones (£1.59 until 31st December, normally £7.99)
Pumped BMX+ (£3.99 until 31st December, normally £7.99)
The Swapper (£1.99 until 31st December, normally £11.99)
The Swindle (£1.99 until 31st December, normally £11.99)
Thomas Was Alone (£1.25 until 31st December, normally £6.99)
Swords & Soldiers II (£11.89 until 31st December, normally £16.99)
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (£7.99 until 6th January, normally £15.99)
Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition (£4.49 until 6th January, normally £8.99)
Mighty Switch Force! 2 (£2.50 until 6th January, normally £5.00)
Never Alone (£5.19 until 31st December, normally £12.99)
Shiftlings (£6.99 until 31st December, normally £13.99)
Skylanders SuperChargers (£28.99 until 31st December, normally £44.99)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton’s Robotic Revenge (£11.99 until 31st December, normally £39.99)
The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition (£9.99 until 31st December, normally £39.99)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £49.99)
The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure (£19.99 until 31st December, normally £39.99)
Transformers Prime (£11.99 until 31st December, normally £39.99)
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £49.99)
Slender: The Arrival (£3.79 until 31st December, normally £6.39)
Trine 2: Director’s Cut (£6.99 until 7th January, normally £13.99)
Trine Enchanted Edition (/ £5.49 until 7th January, normally £10.99)
Canvaleon (£6.29 until 7th January, normally £8.99)
Momonga Pinball Adventures (£2.50 until 31st December, normally £4.99)
Star Sky (£1.80 until 31st December, normally £3.60)
Suspension Railroad Simulator (£5.39 until 31st December, normally £5.99)
Turtle Tale (£1.24 until 7th January, normally £2.49)
Out of the 3DS discounts meanwhile we recommend Phoenix Wright, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Code of Princess, Mighty Switch Force and Sayonara UmiharaKawase. Trust us on that last one.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (£16.24 until 31st December, normally £24.99)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies (£8.99 until 31st December, normally £19.99)
Another World – 20th Anniversary Edition (£3.59 until 24th December, normally £7.19)
Super Street Fighter IV 3D (£7.19 until 31st December, normally £17.99)
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (£7.99 until 6th January, normally £15.99)
Code of Princess (£12.49 until 31st December, normally £24.99)
Sayonara UmiharaKawase (£9.99 until 31st December, normally £19.99)
Mighty Switch Force! (£2.69 until 6th January, normally £5.39)
Mighty Switch Force! 2 (£2.50 until 6th January, normally £5.00)
Gunslugs 2 (£1.49 until 4th January, normally £4.49)
Proun+ (£1.50 until 4th January, normally £3.50)
Sumico (£1.69 until 4th January, normally £2.69)
Fractured Soul (£1.39 until 7th January, normally £7.19)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton’s Robotic Revenge (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £29.99)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £29.99)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £29.99)
The Amazing Spider-Man (£9.99 until 31st December, normally £29.99)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £29.99)
The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure (£12.49 until 31st December, normally £24.99)
Transformers Prime (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £29.99)
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (£14.99 until 31st December, normally £29.99)
Moshi Monsters Moshlings Theme Park (£9.99 until 31st December, normally £19.99)
SpongeBob HeroPants (£9.99 until 31st December, normally £19.99)
Turtle Tale (£1.24 until 7th January, normally £2.49)
10-in-1: Arcade Collection (£0.89 until 15th January, normally £1.79)
3D Game Collection (£3.69 until 31st December, normally £4.99)
Murder on the Titanic (£4.49 until 31st December, normally £5.99)
Crazy Kangaroo (£0.89 until 15th January, normally £1.89)
Rage of the Gladiator (£3.09 until 15th January, normally £6.29)
Hazumi (£0.99 until 15th January, normally £1.99)
Pick-A-Gem (£1.29 until 15th January, normally £2.69)
PIX3D (£1.79 until 15th January, normally £3.59)
SpeedX 3D (£1.29 until 15th January, normally £2.69)
SpeedX 3D Hyper Edition (£0.89 until 15th January, normally £1.79)
League of Heroes (£1.79 until 15th January, normally £3.59)
Monster Shooter (£1.60 until 15th January, normally £3.20)
Karous – The Beast Of Re:Eden (£3.29 until 7th January, normally £4.79)
Mercenaries Saga 2 (£3.19 until 7th January, normally £3.99)
The Legend of Dark Witch – Chronicle 2D Act (£2.19 until 7th January, normally £3.19)
WAKEDAS (£1.69 until 7th January, normally £2.49)
Witch & Hero (£1.59 until 7th January, normally £3.19)
World Conqueror 3D (£3.19 until 7th January, normally £3.99)
Heart Beaten (£2.00 until 31st December, normally €3.49 / £2.99 or £1.00 for those that have downloaded Space Lift Danger Panic! on the same Nintendo Network ID)
Space Lift Danger Panic! (£1.29 until 31st December, normally £1.99 or £0.65 for those that have downloaded Heart Beaten on the same Nintendo Network ID)
Now that’s what you call a sizeable sale. Hopefully it’s not too late to add an eShop gift card to your Christmas list. Maybe a spare SD card for good measure, too.