Pretty and puzzling

Nintendo's been keeping its download details for Europe under-wraps for a little longer this week, but now we know what delights are due to arrive. Both DSi and Wii are resting their weary circuits, with 3DS and Wii U stepping up with some enticing offers and big-time freebies; oh, and the new VC title is the 60Hz US-NTSC version, which has Nintendo Life staff doing a jig of joy.

Wii U Virtual Console

F-Zero (Nintendo, €0.30 / £0.30) — The second game in the Family Computer 30th Anniversary Campaign, this classic SNES racer brings futuristic tracks and vehicles travelling at ludicrous speeds. It is, in our opinion a stone-cold classic, and the terrific news for Europeans is that Nintendo is releasing the 60Hz version of the game familiar to those in North America, so we'll be able to play the game at full speed for a cost of less than a chocolate bar. You can check out our Wii Virtual Console F-Zero review to see how highly we think of it, and we'll race through this full-fat faster Wii U version for our upcoming review.

Wii U eShop Discounts

Trine 2: Director's Cut (Frozenbyte, €12.49, (was €16.99) / £9.99, (was £13.99)) — While last week we were led to believe that this title was having a permanent price cut to these rates, it now seems that it's reduced to these prices until 7th March. We'll ask for clarification, but at the very least it's still going to be available at this lower rate for a further two weeks. We certainly fee that it's an adventure worth taking on, and you can check out our Trine 2: Director's Cut review to see why.

Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition (WayForward Technologies, €4.99, (was €9.99) / £4.49, was £8.99)) — This one gets a 50% discount until 28th February, offering an expanded version of the 3DS eShop release with additional level variations and updated visuals. It takes an excellent handheld title and gives it a welcome polish, as our Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition review explains.

Wii U Retail Demo

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Capcom, Free) — Arriving in Europe in around a month, this enhanced and expanded version of the Wii title has a free sample on offer to tempt you into picking up the new iteration. This'll offer a chance to slay some monsters and try it out for free, to see whether the taste for the hunt makes the full release tough to ignore. We were able to slay some monsters in December, so you can also check out our Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate first impressions if you want to know what we thought.

Wii U eShop demo

Trine 2: Director's Cut (Frozenbyte, free) — If you're not sure about putting down the reduced price for this game, the demo should help you to decide.

3DS eShop

NightSky (Nicalis, €9.99 / £8.99) — After a fairly lengthy wait, European gamers will be able to finally download this top-notch and atmospheric puzzle game to their 3DS handhelds; its distinctive presentation and superb level design combine to make this an experience that we deemed worthy of a perfect score. If you want to know more about why you should probably pick this one up, check out our NighSky review.

3DS eShop Retail Demo

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Capcom, Free) — The handheld version of this demo will also be available. It's unlikely that cross-play will be possible with the Wii U demo, but we'll certainly give it a try.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (Konami, Free) — It may have a lengthy title that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but this is the awaited return of the Castlevania franchise on a Nintendo handheld. Adopting a 2D/3D hybrid style and a greater focus on detailed combat as well as exploration, this takes the series in a different direction from the popular Game Boy Advance and DS releases; you'll be able to crack the whip and try it for free.

A fair bit of choice this week, though DSi and Wii once again miss out. Which of these will you be splashing the cash on this week? Let us know in the poll and comments section below.

What will you be downloading first this week? (196 votes)

  1. F-Zero (Wii U Virtual Console Promotion)57%
  2. Trine 2: Director's Cut (Wii U eShop discount)2%
  3. Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition (Wii U eShop discount)4%
  4. NightSky (3DS eShop)14%
  5. Only freebies for me20%
  6. Nothing for me this week3%

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