Blasting onto eShop

It's that time again when we cross our fingers and hope for some downloadable treats from Nintendo, hoping against hope that we aren't subjected to tricks instead. This week is a mixed bag, with promising, awful and mystery downloads available across all platforms, so let's get to it.

3DS Download

Monster Shooter (Gamelion, €6.99 / £6.29) — As the title suggests, this is a game that involves shooting monsters. Originally released for smartphones, Gamelion brings its chaotic top-down shooter to eShop, with the alien blasting story mode including 60 levels on three worlds and 20 perks to unlock. It looks action packed and relatively fun, but we won't know for sure until we get our hands on it in our upcoming review.

Samurai G (UFO Interactive, €1.99 / £1.79) — While a fast-paced runner-style samurai game at a budget price may sound like a must have, in our opinion it should be avoided. It received a dreaded 1/10 in our Samurai G review, with this line summing it up — "Samurai G is a terrible, horrible, not good very bad excuse for an endless runner".

3DS Virtual Console

Gradius (Konami, €4.99 / £4.49) — Europe didn't have to wait long to join in some retro NES shmup action, with Konami's iconic title arriving on the 3DS Virtual Console. As our Gradius review explains, despite starting to show its age this is a perfect history lesson for the early days of the shmup genre, and now you can take it with you on the go.

3DS Demo

New Style Boutique (Nintendo, Free) — Known as Style Savvy: Trendsetters in North America, Europeans can give this retail title a spin with the first of two planned demos. This is the Fashion Contest demo which, as you'd expect, tasks you with choosing the right outfit and look for a model to wow the crowds. Worth a try for free, at our 8/10 review couldn't help but be impressed with what this title offers.

3DS eShop Discount

Art of Balance TOUCH! (Shin'en Multimedia, €4.99 / £4.49 for one week) — Reduced from €7 / £6.30, this physics puzzler from Shin'en Multimedia and follow up to the highly regarded WiiWare original, Art of Balance, may be worth serious consideration. With all of the console content and a range of additional levels, stylish visuals and, most importantly, well designed puzzles, we certainly recommend it in our Art of Balance TOUCH! review.

DSiWare

Come On! Dragons (CIRCLE Entertainment, 200 Points) — The latest of many DSiWare entries from CIRCLE Entertainment, this appears to be a tower defence game mixed with some shooting action, which arrives at a budget price. We'll be readying our bow and arrows to bring you a review soon.

WiiWare

Back to Nature (UFA Lab, 500 Points) — This one has to go down as a surprise entry, emerging from nowhere to bring a rare piece of WiiWare action. That said, what little we do know suggests that this is a game for children: you help Gert the cockerel, Bla the donkey, Rosi the pig and Susi the sheep to find their friend Tom the cat in the forest. However it turns out, we'll tell you all about it in our upcoming review.

So there you have it, a mix of tempting downloads, unknowns and one to avoid; there's also a freebie to try, as well. Are any of these going to part you from some of your funds? Let us know in the poll and comments below.

What will you be downloading first this week? (109 votes)

  1. Monster Shooter (eShop)6%
  2. Samurai G (eShop)3%
  3. Gradius (3DS Virtual Console)14%
  4. Art of Balance TOUCH! (eShop discount)24%
  5. Come On! Dragons (DSiWare)2%
  6. Back to Nature (WiiWare)4%
  7. Nothing for me this week48%

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