Eight years in the making

It's that time again, Europe, with Nintendo confirming details for this week's download update on its online platforms. 3DS, DSi and Wii are all catered for with a mixture of long awaited releases and some unexpected arrivals, while all is quiet — apart from a demo — on the Wii U front. Let's get to the details.

3DS download software

Fractured Soul (Endgame Studios, €7.99 / £7.19) — Arriving in Europe at a reduced rate as part of a stand against game prices in Australia and New Zealand, in particular, this is a dual-screen action platformer that was years in the making. A clever experience that tests your skills while bombarding you with attractive visuals and a pulsing soundtrack, this was originally developed with a retail release in mind. You can learn more about the game in our interview with Endgame Studios from last year, and read our strong recommendation in our Fractured Soul review.

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3DS Virtual Console

Blaster Master (Sunsoft, €4.99 / £4.49) — Set in New York, this is a fondly remembered NES action title that blends top-down 2D play with sidescrolling action stages; you get to use Sophia the 3rd, a rather powerful "heavily armed multi-purpose vehicle". A favourite among plenty of retro gamers, we'll see how this one's blasting action fares on the handheld platform — until then you can always check out our Master Blaster review for the Wii Virtual Console.

Wii U retail demo

ZombiU (Ubisoft, free) — Originally thought to be on the way in December last year, the ZombiU demo has finally arrived on the European eShop. Unfortunately its 18 rating means that you'll have to wait for a four hour window late tonight to download it — at least it'll be appropriately dark and spooky when you give it a try and bash some zombie heads.

DSiWare

Kung Fu Dragon (Agetec Inc, 200 Nintendo Points) — This one's a bit of a surprise arrival in Europe, sneaking onto DSiWare 18 months after it landed Stateside. While the name may suggest something along the lines of Ninja Gaiden, what you actually get is a challenge to climb and jump up the Mystical Waterfall to prove your credentials. An incredibly simplistic but addictive experience where you simply move and jump up a vertical stage until you eventually perish, we had some positive words to share in our Kung Fu Dragon review.

Wii Virtual Console

Ninja Master’s Haoh-Ninpo-Cho (D4 Enterprise, 900 Nintendo Points) — Re-arrange these words: game, fighting, Neo Geo. While it's tempting to make fun of the constant stream of fighting games — the run and gun genre also gets a look in — from one of retro gaming's coolest machines, we ultimately have to also acknowledge that a lot of these titles are fantastic; we should be grateful to have a chance to add a lot of these to our collection. With the choice of 10 different ninjas or warriors and moves with names such as "Super Death Blow", this sounds like a promising addition. The twist here is the ability to quickly switch between fighting with weapons or hand-to-hand, and we gave it a solid recommendation in our Ninja Master’s Haoh-Ninpo-Cho review.

So there you have it, a mix of long awaited 3DS releases, some retro goodies and an addictive budget DSiWare game. Let us know which of these could devour your funds in the poll and comments below.

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

  1. Fractured Soul (3DS eShop)33%
  2. Blaster Master (3DS Virtual Console)11%
  3. Kung Fu Dragon (DSiWare)2%
  4. Ninja Master’s Haoh-Ninpo-Cho (Wii Virtual Console)5%
  5. Nothing for me this week50%

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