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It's time for the European Nintendo Download news to wipe away our Monday morning blues, and this week is one of the most packed line-ups in recent memory. There are two heavy-hitting Wii U releases, and plenty of others spread throughout the 3DS, DSi and Wii. There are some discounts and a free demo, too, so let's get on with the details.

Wii U eShop

DuckTales Remastered (Capcom, €14.99 / £13.49) — This classic NES title get the HD remake treatment from WayForward, and those words alone may be enough to have some setting aside some eShop funds. Impressions so far have undoubtedly been positive, with some gorgeous visuals accompanying classic gameplay, but we'll see how the whole experience stacks up in our upcoming review.

Pokémon Rumble U (Nintendo, €14.99 / £13.49) — The third entry in this brawling spin-off, this features plenty of mini toy 'mon on screen at once, taking on various monsters in their quest to return to the toy store. This was released with a range of NFC (near field communication) toys in Japan that unlocked characters, and there will apparently be equivalents in North America and Europe. We'll get ready to rumble to bring you a review, soon.

Wii U eShop Temporary Discount

Trine 2: Director's Cut (Frozenbyte, €6.79 / £5.49) until 5th September, normally €16.99 / £13.99)

3DS eShop

Bike Rider DX (SPICYSOFT, €5.99 / £4.99) — A release that has pedaled over from Japan, this scolling platforming gameplay is sure to bring back memories for retro gamers. It's not about rose-tinted specs, however, as this is a polished game with terrific level design, while the simple visuals and level of content do it no harm at all. We had a lot of fun and gave this a strong recommendation in our Bike Rider DX review.

Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D (Teyon, €4.99 / £4.49) — Teyon has brought a few on-rails shooters to the 3DS, and this is the second re-release of a WiiWare title on the portable system. See enemies, shoot enemies, is a pretty accurate summary of what this will offer, though we weren't big fans of the WiiWare original. This is a fresh release, however, so we'll put on some camouflage and give it a fair shot in our upcoming review.

Sudoku by Nikoli (Hamster, €4.99 / £4.49) — Arriving in Europe over a year after it graced North America, it delivers exactly what it promises with some Sudoku puzzles. In a crowded market, however, we don't think that's enough; read our Sudoku by Nikoli review if you want to know more.

Jewel Quest 4 Heritage (MSL, €11.99 / £10.79) — This appears to be a 3DS-specific version of the DSiWare game of the same name that arrived earlier in the summer. It's match-3 puzzling, in summary, though we felt that the DSiWare version was a disappointment in our Jewel Quest 4 Heritage review.

3DS eShop Temporary Discount

Groove Heaven (Teyon, €2.99 / £2.69) until 15th August, normally €3.99 / £3.59)

3DS Virtual Console

Star Soldier (Konami, €4.99 / £4.49) — The title that can certainly be considered as one of the definitive early scrolling shooters on NES, especially as simple ideas such as power-ups were relatively fresh at that time. It perhaps hasn't aged as gracefully as its flashy successors, but may be an important piece of gaming history on the go for shooter fans, as our Wii Virtual Console Star Soldier review explains.

Summer Carnival '92 RECCA (Kaga Electronics, €4.99 / £4.49) — This was originally released on the NES by Naxat Soft for its Summer Carnival tournament in 1992, and now arrives on the portable Virtual Console. Apparently a "hardcore" shooter that pushed the capabilities of the NES, we'll warm up our shmup reflexes and let you know what we think.

3DS Retail Downloads

Secret Mysteries in London (MSL, €11.99 / £10.79)

Barbie Groom and Glam Pups (Little Orbit, €19.99 / £24.99)

3DS Retail Demo

Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan (NIS America, free) — This fabulous title finally arrives in Europe on 30th August, and this week there's a demo to coax in 3DS gamers in the region. It's free, so surely worth checking out.

3DS Retail DLC Temporary Discount

New Super Mario Bros 2 Course Packs:

Single Course — €1.75 / £1.40) until 31st August, normally €2.50 / £2.00)
Two Course Pack — €3.50 / £2.80) until 31st August, normally €5.00 / £4.00)
Triple Course Pack — €5.25 / £4.20) until 31st August, normally €7.50 / £6.00)

DSiWare

Rhythm Core Alpha 2 (SoftEgg, 1000 Nintendo Points) — A music creation tool that follows up with improvements over its predecessor, such as extra tools to construct your creations and an easy option to export midi files to an SD card. While it can't replace genuine music software on a PC or Mac, this is detailed and possibly the best music creation app on DSiWare, as our Rhythm Core Alpha 2 review explains.

Wii Virtual Console

NAM-1975 (D4 Enterprise, 900 Nintendo Points) — The Neo Geo returns to the Wii Virtual Console in Europe with this action-packed was game, in which you blast away and any and all enemies in background. It was one of the earlier titles on the iconic system but is still worth consideration, as our NAM-1975 review makes clear.

There's certainly a lot to choose from this week, so let us know what you plan to pick up in the poll and comments below.

What will you be downloading first this week? (208 votes)

  1. DuckTales Remastered (Wii U eShop)37%
  2. Pokémon Rumble U (Wii U eShop)12%
  3. Trine 2: Director's Cut (Wii U eShop temporary discount)2%
  4. Bike Rider DX (3DS eShop)1%
  5. Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D (3DS eShop)  0%
  6. Sudoku by Nikoli (3DS eShop)  0%
  7. Jewel Quest 4 Heritage (3DS eShop)  0%
  8. Groove Heaven (3DS eShop temporary discount)  0%
  9. Star Soldier (3DS Virtual Console)  0%
  10. Summer Carnival '92 RECCA (3DS Virtual Console)4%
  11. Secret Mysteries in London (3DS retail download)  0%
  12. Barbie Groom and Glam Pups (3DS retail download)1%
  13. New Super Mario Bros 2 Course Packs (3DS retail DLC temporary discount)5%
  14. Rhythm Core Alpha 2 (DSiWare)  0%
  15. NAM-1975 (Wii Virtual Console)3%
  16. Just the Etrian Odyssey IV demo for me21%
  17. Nothing for me this week14%

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