The sequel's finally here

It's Nintendo Download time, North America, and this week you have options on Wii U, 3DS and Wii. It's a mixture of the old, the new and DLC extras, so let's get right to it.

Wii U eShop

Toki Tori 2 (Two Tribes, reduced to $13.49 until 25th April, will be $14.99) — Starting off with a 10% discount, this has been an eagerly anticipated arrival on the Wii U eShop for those that enjoyed its WiiWare predecessor. By combining a more open structure that encourages exploration and learning by experimentation, this puzzler takes a different approach and throws in attractive presentation to sweeten the deal. Despite the concept and genre not always being an ideal match, we still found much to like in our Toki Tori 2 review.

3DS eShop

Real Heroes Firefighter 3D (Reef Entertainment, $9.99) — Based on a Wii title from 2009, this game is certainly on its own as a firefighting sim on the 3DS. While the idea of living through a career fighting fire may appeal, this one falls well short of the Wii variation, with technical and design issues at the fore; we couldn't help but feel burned in our Real Heroes Firefighter 3D review.

Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D (Natsume, $19.99) — Originally a retail release way back in October 2011, Nintendo is now listing this as a new 3DS eShop download-only title. It appears to be the same title that graced stores all that time ago and comes in at a lower price point; it's a rhythm game with some nice music and presentation, though in our original Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D review we felt it was lacking in variety.

3DS Virtual Console

Castlevania (Konami, $4.99) — This NES beginning of a classic Konami franchise is now available on the go, bringing its trademark difficulty and classic music along for the adventure. While it naturally has rough 8-bit edges, the portability and save states on the 3DS platform certainly make it worthwhile for fans yet to sample this well-loved game; check out our Castlevania 3DS Virtual Console review for the full lowdown.

3DS eShop Software Update

Colors! 3D (Collecting Smiles, free) — This update arrives on 5th April and will add some notable new features: you'll be able to follow your favourite artists in the gallery, search and filter for specific paintings or use a hashtag system to make your work easier to find, while you will also have the option to add a message and picture to your profile. These are all nice features that add to an already fantastic package, as our Colors! 3D review makes clear.

3DS eShop Temporary Discount

escapeVektor (Nnooo, $4.99 until 18th April / normally $9.99) — Already on sale in Europe for the past week, this terrific title — a follow-up to an excellent WiiWare release — is now half price in North America for the next two weeks. A challenging, lengthy adventure that sees you maneuvering around a CPU and avoiding enemies, it's compulsive and brilliantly designed. With online leaderboards and plenty of incentive to keep playing, it's not hard to see why this earned a glowing recommendation in our escapeVektor review.

3DS Retail DLC

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (Nintendo) — Four new dungeons are available to download:

Ivy Park ($2, Difficulty: ♦♦♦, 12 Floors — Looking for a quick way to befriend a lot of Snivy? Purchase Ivy Park, where Snivy appear all over. Keep an eye out for the Grass Device, which will permanently boost the stats of a Grass-type Pokémon!

Scalchop Beach ($2, Difficulty: ♦♦♦, 12 Floors) — Explore the Scalchop Beach dungeon to encounter and befriend many Oshawott! This 12-level dungeon is full of Pokémon to battle and befriend, as well as lots of cool items to find, including a Water Device!

Kecleon Bazaar ($2.50, Difficulty: ♦♦, 20 Floors) — When you encounter a Kecleon Shop in the middle of a dungeon, you can buy items that are difficult to find anywhere else. Explore the Kecleon Bazaar dungeon, and you'll find lots of Kecleon. Shop to your heart's content, and keep an eye out for valuable TMs to teach new moves to your Pokémon.

Ultimate Wilds Price: ($3.50, Difficulty: ♦♦♦♦♦, 99 Floors) — In need of a real challenge? Purchase the Ultimate Wilds dungeon, a 99-floor challenge full of tough enemies! If you can make it all the way through, you'll be awarded with the Courage Crown, a special item to reward your accomplishment! This dungeon is so tough that you can only take it on once you've completed the main story.

Wii Virtual Console

NAM-1975 (D4 Enterprise, 900 Nintendo Points) — D4 Enterprise returns with another Neo Geo treat on Wii, this time with this 3rd-person shooter; you simply move left and right while firing at enemies in what seems like a shooting gallery. Expect bullets to fly everywhere, and we'll have a review for you soon.


Quite a variety of options available, so what do you plan to download this week? Let us know in the poll and comments below.

What will you be downloading first this week? (273 votes)

  1. Toki Tori 2 (Wii U eShop)18%
  2. Real Heroes Firefighter 3D (3DS eShop)  0%
  3. Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D (3DS eShop)  0%
  4. Castlevania (3DS Virtual Console)14%
  5. escapeVektor (3DS eShop temporary discount)10%
  6. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity DLC (3DS)2%
  7. NAM-1975 (Wii Virtual Console)5%
  8. Just the Colors! 3D free update for me13%
  9. Nothing for me this week37%

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