The UK Nintendo eShop is due a very humble assortment of new releases this week. Considering it’s only the first week of January this is all we could have hoped for.
On the agenda for this week: two Wii U Virtual Console games, two Wii U indie titles, a single 3DS indie and a demo of the JRPG The Legend of Legacy, which has been described by some as a spiritual successor to the SaGa series.
We’ll start with the week’s VC titles first – New Super Mario Bros. Wii (£17.99) and the GBA cult classic Drill Dozer (£6.29). It’s great to finally see Drill Dozer (née Screw Breaker) in Europe. Like fellow rumble-pack title WarioWare Twisted, it was never originally released over here due to the rumble pack containing mercury – a substance banned from electrical devices in Europe.
Developed by Pokemon studio Game Freak, destructive platfomer Drill Dozer went down incredibly well when it was first released in 2005 and was popular with importers. With a bit of luck Twisted will finally grace European Wii U consoles in the not-too-distant future.
As for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the price isn’t as off-putting as we initially thought – physical pre-owned copies still sell for around £20. It’s a safe enough purchase for those bored with New Super Mario Bros. U.
The Wii U’s new indie titles are the 2D roguelike Temple of Yog (£3.99) and the Pictionary clone PictoParty (£7). Those who purchase Temple of Yog early will receive extra content for free while latecomers will be forced to fork out. Nintendo Life was mildly impressed by it, although they did warn that it’s hardly the deepest of experiences.
Then over on 3DS there’s the catchily named RV-7 My Drone (£1.99), a curiously colourful shooter that bares resemblance to the 16-bit classic Desert Strike and its sequels. It has the potential be a decent bargain buy. Just what we need in January.
Speaking of bargains, Aqua Moto Racing 3D drops to £3.59 from Thursday while Quell Memento and Tappingo 2 fall to £2.39 and £1.59 respectively. The Wii U’s discounts on the other hand include Blocky Bot (94p), Paper Monsters Recut (£2.69) and Toto Temple Deluxe (£4.19). And that’s your lot.