It's a bumper download for Europe this week — though no, there's no Wii Virtual Console present.
Here's what Nintendo's digital departments has to offer this Christmas week.
Nintendo 3DS Download Software
Nintendo Letter Box (Nintendo, free) — The 3DS finally gets its messaging application with Nintendo Letter Box, to be called Swapnote in North America. Send photos, sounds and 2D or 3D pictures and notes to your friends via SpotPass or StreetPass, all for free.
Mighty Switch Force (WayForward, €6/£5.40) — WayForward's mighty puzzler arrives in time to nestle under the Christmas tree. Read our Mighty Switch Force preview for more and expect our review very soon.
3DS Virtual Console
Tetris (Nintendo, Game Boy, €4/£3.60) — No, your eyes don't deceive you: that is a €4/£3.60 price on the original Game Boy Tetris. It may be stacked full of quality gaming but is it worth that much? We'll tell you in a review soon.
DSiWare
Castle Conqueror – Heroes (CIRCLE Entertainment, 500pts) — We were actually expecting this one a little later, but now it's got a date with the Christmas turkey. The best in the series by far, read our Castle Conqueror – Heroes review for more.
Commando: Steel Disaster (Cinemax, 800pts) — A Metal Slug-like shooter, converted from a DS retail title, we'll see if this is a headshot or just firing blanks soon.
WiiWare
Football Up! (EnjoyUp Games, 500pts) — Four-player family football fun with Mii characters. It shoots, but does it score? Review soon.
WiiWare Demo
MotoHeroz (free, full game: 1500pts) — A free bit of one of the best games on WiiWare. You'll definitely want to read our MotoHeroz review.
What will you be buying this week?
Comments (56)
I picked up Tetris way back in October for my Gameboy Color, so if I get it will be in a few months.
DSiWare Tetris is only 5 euro i believe
Swapnote!
Great lineup for Yule week. Isn't MotoHeroz 1500 points?
Solid list overall. I hope we get Swapnote on Thursday as well. I already have $10 ready for MSF. Tetris is a little baffling though, why not Tetris DX?
MSF is listed as £4.50 on Nintendo's site, and the full version of Motoheroz is 1,500points. JS.
Guess i'll be buying Mighty Switch Force and Castle Conqueror – Heroes. Already got Commando.
Mighty Switch Force may be really great.
swapnote, tetris & switchforce ... decent weeks downloads (thankfully ive got a spare £10 on my account)
dsiware tetris is even better and only 5€
it is called tetris party live.
still many people play that game online!
Oooh, a lot of nice stuff here. I wont be buying any for a while though - my Ambassador games are enough. :3
Please bring the original Tetris to the US VC.
man the first GB game i ever had and then my second was super Mario land
I was really hoping for a Wii VC Christmas present Nintendo! I wanted Mario Party 3 since we got Mario Party 2 last year. At least Swapnote is out this week (I prefer that to Nintendo Letter Box)
The original Tetris? YYYYYYEEEEES, YEEEEEEES!!! I feel like I'm dreaming! Never thought this would actually happen, especially when everyone was saying how unlikely it would be. Now I'm confident they'll also release the original Pokémon games!
I'll be getting Mighty Switch Force. WayForward has become one of my favorite game developers.
what happened to super street fighter 2 and mega man X2? i thought they were going to be released by the end of the year.
i know we still have next weeks update still to come, but i think nintendo are going to drag there heals on these.
If the U.S. doesn't get Tetris on Thursday, I'm gonna flip!
@my_point_is SSFII is being handled by SEGA and as we've seen with the 3DS Game Gear games — hey, remember them? — SEGA's in absolutely no rush to get VC games out. I expect them... maybe next spring. Maybe summer. We'll see!
Okay so since Tetris games could now be release for a Virtual Console, it is safe to assume that other games with the Tetris name are also possible too like... Tetris Attack. It'll be stupid not to release it though considering the Japanese version was already release in Japan's VC.
Why isn't it Tetris DX? Serioooously Nintendo come on!
Why don't we have Dr. Mario yet?
I want Mighty Switch Force, but I'm staying away to save up for Vita. God, I'm finding avoiding MSF a massive difficulty, I have no idea how I'll cope when Resident Evil Revelations launches...
It may be stacked full of quality gaming but is it worth that much?
It is worth that and a whole lot more!
Who's mom doesn't like Tetris?
Nintendo Letter Box and Mighty Switch Force for me. Thanks Ninty!
Certainly getting "Mighty Switch Force" and Swapnote. As for Tetris - I still have the original game somewhere (along with the rest of my GameBoy stuff) and I will take it into consideration. That Metal Slug clone also looks nice, and I want to check out MotoHeroz - this demo is long overdue... So much stuff before Christmass!
If I'm being honest I was hoping for a slightly better selection over Christmas. Still, the ambassador games should keep me going
Oh boy! This is one of the greatest weeks in a while. I hope America gets something similar! I'm definitely getting Mighty Switch Force and if it comes I'll get Tetris when I have more points.
I'm super hyped for MSF! The art, the fact it's a shooting platformer like megaman, and the character design of the main character. Just love it! She's so cute yet totally looks like a bad*$$.
I've been waiting for original Tetris, since I lost my copy that came with original GB ages ago! Insta-download when it comes to NA.
Quite disappointed in no Wii VC, though. Thought we'd get ONE AAA title before 2012! Instead we don't even get a WiiVC lump of coal.
@TheNintendOtaku Mostly names are changed for ease of communication across countries, though I suspect Nintendo Letter Box more accurately describes the messaging feature than SwapNote. Still, hey, tomatoes, tomatoes.
Can anyone tell me what Wiiware demos are available right now in NA?
Are we talking old skool greyscale Tetris? I have Tetris Axis, so this might be the ONE VC download for the 3DS that I don't download... That would be a first.
Tetris? For Gameboy? Almost fainted when I saw that. I never thought Nintendo would get the rights to re-release that. I sure hope we get it in NA this week too. I wasn't going to buy any more pea soup games, but I have too much nostalgia for this game. OMG, now we can save our high scores.
Lucky Europe bastads.
I will definately be getting Tetris, so much nostalgia for that game.
I need to free up space for DSiWare games so I might delete Tetris Party Live for now, I hope one day for an update so I can load these games from the sd card. Nintendo will get more of my money if they do.
I'll be having a downloaded Christmas with this, Mighty Switch Force, Pullbox & Zen Pinball.
eff yes Tetris! god how i have missed that game, i don't even want to know how many hours I sank into it as a kid. i've got the music stuck in my head already! :3
It's high time Europeans got something from the eShop before Americans!
Definately get Mighty Switch Force. Awesome to see Tetris. With all the different Tetris versions out there, I still think this one is the absolute best.
@Gullwing Hasn't Europe been getting like all of them before America lately? Do they even have Zen Pinball yet? If they do I missed when ir came out.
But anyway, the eShop is really up and running.
Can't wait for MSF and Nintendo Letter Box.
Why not Tetris DX instead?
@James should that not be tomatoes tomatos? Since that is the American to British spelling?
I am officially overwhelmed. I want to play Mighty Switch Force. I've been looking forward to it for a while. But I have too many unfinished games and too little time to justify a purchase. I am sad.
It's snowing here! Where's Nintendo's Snowpack Park? Too much delay...
MAY DL everything there - seriously. Can't believe I'm saying that :-0
@chiptoon , same here , but i think i am going to get mighty switch force en tetris anyway ;D !
Damn you snow. SNOW! I need a day off.
Can't wait until tomorrow to play Mighty Switch Force.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! original Tetris, my NUMBER ONE MOST WANTED 3DS VC GAME!!!!
This, the same week as Mighty Switch Force and some letter thing that I'm sure a lot of people are excited about, and considering I didn't get the ambassador games, this is the BEST week of downloads for 3DS yet. Nintendo does understand the concept of Christmas and Hanukah.
I already have Motoheroz, so no need for me to download the demo.
Tetris once again makes the lack of multiplayer on the 3DS VC hurt. The nostalgic fun you can get out of it could easily convince more people to buy it. In contrast to carrying around a GB with a link cable it would be very convenient.
But i'm with everyone that wants more Tetris / Dr. Mario / Panel De Pon / original puzzle games on the VC's.
Seriously ive checked eshop like 11 times and still no new stuff? its 1.45 on thursday and nothing new? whats taking so long?
@Tate24 It updates every week on Thursday at 2pm. Don't expect it any time before then because it won't happen.
That said, Nintendo eShop's being a little on the slow side today, it seems.
No fair, you guys get Swapnote.
Finally eShop updated, downloaded Nintendo Letter Box after getting notification about Mighty Switch Force.
Hmm, ~1600 blocks for MSF. With my crappy internet connection, this is going to take awhile. >_>
I have another firmware update today? =O
otherwise I can't acces the e-shop.. what is going on?
Letter box seems very usable, if only I had people to use it with
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