Wii U eShop - Timeline
Wednesday4th Jan 2017
News Pokémon Snap Listed for North American Wii U eShop Release on 5th January
Picture perfect
One common topic that's come up in North American Nintendo Download comments sections has been "where's Pokémon Snap?" It arrived on the Wii U Virtual Console in Europe back in August 2016, so there's been an unsurprising desire to see the much-loved N64 title in NA. Well, the wait seems to be almost over, with Nintendo's game page...
Tuesday3rd Jan 2017
News Activision's Amazing Spider-Man Games Make A Sharp Exit From The Wii U eShop
The web-slinger runs out of time
Activision's two Amazing Spider-Man games for the Wii U have been yanked from the Wii U eShop. While neither title could be considered a solid-gold classic, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 presumably had an audience thanks to the licence alone - and it would seem that is also the reason for their...
Monday2nd Jan 2017
Nintendo Download 5th January (Europe)
Spheroids! Quiet, Please! Shin Megami Tensei DLC! Discounts! More!
It's the first Nintendo Download Update of the year, but as this is a public Holiday the European details have been slow in coming. At the time of publication no UK press release has come through, but the ever-generous Daan Koopman has passed us the Dutch PR. This week includes a few...
Tuesday27th Dec 2016
Nintendo Download 29th December (Europe)
Happy New Year Sales! Videos! Erm... more discounts!
For most it's still a Holiday period, which might explain the rather quirky distribution of Nintendo Download Update details for Europe. There's been no UK press release that we can see, but the ever-generous Daan Koopman has sent us a press release from Nintendo's Dutch subsidiary. The offering...
Monday26th Dec 2016
Review Back to Bed (Wii U eShop)
Would you prefer to walk off a ledge?
Sleepwalking can be dangerous. It can result in people exiting their homes in the middle of the night and falling off a ledge. Back to Bed by Bedtime Digital Games plays on such fears by introducing us to Bob the sleepwalker and his subconscious guardian named Subob - a four legged creature that must guide him...
Review Swap Fire (Wii U eShop)
Halt and swap fire
It's an exciting time in the games industry. There are AAA games from big publishers, mid-tier downloadable games and even tiny indie experiences, all of which have the potential to be memorable, interesting experiences. Midnight Status has the makings of one such experience in Swap Fire, a first person shooter with an interesting...
Saturday24th Dec 2016
Feature 30 Essential Wii U eShop Games
Because it's cold outside
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful. And since we've got no place to go, Let it download, let it download, let it download. (Tsk, must do better, Ed.) So yeah, we're too much into the festive spirit to really make that opening 'bit' work, but in any case we thought the timing was good for...
Friday23rd Dec 2016
Review Soul Axiom (Wii U eShop)
It's got soul, man
Soul Axiom is a spiritual successor to Master Reboot, a rather decent and interesting Wii U eShop title from Wales Interactive. They're not directly tied together, but thematic and stylistic crossovers deliberately nudge and wink at those with experience of the previous release, while Soul Axiom also goes its own way. Ultimately,...
Thursday22nd Dec 2016
News Toby: The Secret Mine is Digging Its Way to Wii U in Early 2017
Headup Games steps in with publishing
Headup Games is a publisher that made its Nintendo debut in this Wii U generation with the rather smart Typoman. The company is a prolific publisher on various platforms, and in pleasing news one of its closest new releases will also be coming to Nintendo's system. The work of Lukáš Navrátil, Toby: The...
Nintendo Download 22nd December (North America)
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero! Mario Party 2! Geki Yaba Runner Deluxe! More!
It's the final North American Nintendo Download Update before Christmas, and there are some solid options available on Wii U and 3DS. There's a standout on Wii U, but there's also a fun retro party game and some tempting and affordable options on 3DS. Let's get to it. Missed...
Wednesday21st Dec 2016
Review Radiantflux: Hyperfractal (Wii U eShop)
Become a master hacker and uncover the truth
In any crime-ridden story, hackers are often depicted as a quick solution to a series of complicated problems. Sometimes in these plots they willingly cooperate with law enforcement, but often they are portrayed as social outcasts who are leading the fight against huge corporations and government...
News Pic-a-Pix Color Will Brighten Up Picross-Style Challenges on Wii U and 3DS
Try for free in Lightwood Games' interactive Holiday card
There are various ways to announce games, but we want to doff our festive hats to Lightwood Games for its latest approach. It's announced Pic-a-Pix Color for the Wii U and 3DS eShop, out in 2017 with more details to come in January, and has given us all a chance to try it out. The concept is...
Tuesday20th Dec 2016
Fun for the whole family
Have you ever experienced a moment when you've attempted to draw an object or animal and your family or friends identify it as something else? The odds are very good as, in a nutshell, that's what Pictionary is all about. Scribble, by indie developer Bear Box Media, is essentially an enhanced digital version of the classic...
Monday19th Dec 2016
Nintendo Download 22nd December (Europe)
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero! Picross e7! Discounts galore! More!
Another week begins, but it's a little bit more special as the festive season is just around the corner. The European Nintendo Download update promises a notable Wii U release along with plenty more besides, including more Picross, downloadable videos and another ridiculously long list of...
Friday16th Dec 2016
News The Era of Meme-Filled 'Parody' Runners on Wii U Isn't Over - Here's Zombie Brigade
Oh no
Who remembers Meme Run? Go on, search in your subconscious, dredge up those memories; therapists can be hired later for extravagant fees. As the name made clear it was a runner that was full of memes, and it had an interesting history. So, you thought the era of meme-filled runners was over on Wii U, and that we could all lead richer, more...
News Minecraft Is Getting Fallout DLC And It's Coming To The Wii U
Taking the nuclear option
While Nintendo fans have been cruelly denied the chance to play the recent entries in Bethesda's Fallout series, there's some good news on the horizon - no, Fallout 4 isn't confirmed for the Nintendo Switch before you get too excited - but the Wii U version of Minecraft is getting Fallout-themed content via a new DLC...
Thursday15th Dec 2016
Nintendo Download 15th December (North America)
Super Mario Run! Excitebots! Picross! My Nintendo discounts! More!
It's that time again, dear readers, for the Nintendo Download update. This week Nintendo of America is cheekily mentioning the latest mobile release (gasp!), but also has some tempting new arrivals and discounts on the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores. Let's get right to it. Missed the...
Wednesday14th Dec 2016
News 3Souls Episodes 2 and 3 to Now Arrive as Free Updates
Festive discount of part one also on the way
3Souls has been an intriguing release on the Wii U eShop, utilising the GamePad for dual-screen gaming and plotting out a three-part release schedule. Though we found faults with part 1 in our review, we appreciated some of the ideas and intent behind the title. Those interested in taking a punt on it...
News Koji Igarashi on How Bloodstained Will Utilize Procedural Generation
It'll handle all the environmental detail
Though Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been delayed until 2018, we can rest assured that Koji Igarashi and his team are doing everything they can to polish the game to the nth degree and make it all worth the wait. In a previous update, Igarashi mentioned how he would be utilizing procedural generation...
Monday12th Dec 2016
News Radiantflux: Hyperfractal Will Be Hacking Your Wii U Later This Month
Hack the planet
TACS Systems has announced that its next Wii U eShop title will launch this month. Radiantflux: Hyperfractal is a unique combination of adventure, action and puzzle-solving all presented in a faux desktop computer environment. You assume the role of a "neo-hacker" who delves into "data-fractal hyper structures" after receiving a...
Review Exile's End (Wii U eShop)
Good enough to avoid being exiled
Metroidvania fans have had some great luck over the past few years; with solid indie titles like Guacamelee! and Axiom Verge, a once-quiet genre has inched back into the spotlight. Though the game's description claims that Exile's End isn't a Metroidvania game, it should indeed be counted in that category. Let's...
Nintendo Download 15th December (Europe)
Minecraft Complete Story! Pikmin 2! Teslapunk! Loads of discounts!
The European Nintendo Download Update details arrived a little later than normal, giving us a look at what to expect this week. It's a packed line-up, with lots of Minecraft storytelling, a well-regarded Wii re-release of a GameCube sequel, a number of 'Nindie' titles, discounts...
Sunday11th Dec 2016
Feature The Nindie Christmas Celebration - Affordable Space Adventures Edition
A journey best shared
With Christmas just around the corner, many a Nintendo gamer is perhaps asking "what should I buy?" Alas, there isn't a whole lot to look forward to in terms of new releases, so in this series we'll be spotlighting a menagerie of quality indie games that have shown up on the eShop over the years. In this edition, Tom Whitehead...
Thursday8th Dec 2016
Nintendo Download 8th December (North America)
Metroid Other M! Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon! Demon's Crest! Teslapunk! More!
It's that time again, dear readers, for the North American Nintendo Download Update. This week brings a few new download-only titles to the Wii U and New 3DS eShop platforms, along with some varied and tempting Virtual Console options. With a couple of themes and a...
Tuesday6th Dec 2016
News Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Arrives on Wii U on 20th December
Just in time for Christmas
A couple weeks ago, it was announced that development on Shantae: Half-Genie Hero had been completed and that a release date was forthcoming. Fortunately, it has now been confirmed that the wait won't be much longer, the game releases in just a couple of weeks. WayForward recently updated the Kickstarter to announce that...
Monday5th Dec 2016
Nintendo Download 8th December (Europe)
Excitebike 64! Retail DLC! Discounts! More!
Another week begins, and the European Download Update details are available to show what's on the way to the eShop in the coming days. There's a promising Virtual Console release, a whole lot of DLC for recent retail releases and more besides, so let's get to it. Wii U VIrtual Console: Excitebike 64...
Sunday4th Dec 2016
Feature The Nindie Christmas Celebration - Runbow Edition
Mitch Vogel on one of the multiplayer highlights of the eShop
With Christmas just around the corner, many a Nintendo gamer is perhaps asking "what should I buy?" Alas, there isn't a whole lot to look forward to in terms of new releases, so in this series we'll be spotlighting a menagerie of quality indie games that have shown up on the eShop over...
Saturday3rd Dec 2016
Review Octocopter: Super Sub Squid Escape (Wii U eShop)
What has tentacles, spins and shoots missiles?
In an unlikely but plausible(?) scenario an octopus and a submarine have lost their way and sunk to the bottom of the deep blue sea during an epic battle. With the octopus still latched onto to the spinning watercraft, the two enemies must now unite in order to escape from the deadly depths. This...
News F-Zero X Wii U Update Improves Controls and 'Deadzone' Issue
About "75% better", according to our resident F-Zero veteran
Back in early November we wrote about a problem with the Wii U Virtual Console release of F-Zero X in PAL territories. The buzz around a release of the 60Hz North American version was quickly lost when it was discovered that there was a notable 'deadzone' in the analogue controls. Our...
Thursday1st Dec 2016
Nintendo Download 1st December (North America)
Super Mario Maker 3DS! Advance Wars: Dual Strike! Hyperlight EX! More!
It's that time, once again, for the North American Nintendo Download Update. This time around there's a major retail arrival on 3DS, a DS classic on the Wii U and some interesting 'Nindie' efforts. Let's get right to it, shall we? Missed the European Nintendo Download Update?...