If you're in North America this is a rather exciting day — delay the hype by seven days in Europe — as two monstrous first-party titles arrive alongside the amiibo range. If you're a fan of retail downloads chances are you're already playing these games, while a trip to stores or eagerly awaiting the mail will be the day's activity for others.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

The fourth generation of this franchise finally arrives on Wii U, with a whole host of exclusive features and modes alongside some connectivity with the 3DS iteration. Don't forget, too, that if you own both versions and register them on Club Nintendo you can get a free two-disc soundtrack; free Mewtwo DLC will also be offered in Spring next year in the same deal, while that'll also be released as paid content.

Our Super Smash Bros. for Wii U review goes into a lot of detail and includes plenty of praise, though we haven't awarded a score at the time of writing in order to fully test the online play. Keep your eyes peeled for the updated review and score soon.

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amiibo

There are currently 12 amiibo figures available in stores — Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Fox, Samus, Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, Pikachu, Kirby and Marth — with 17 more figures then due in two separate waves by the end of February 2015. These toys will have the most functionality in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, though more games will be supported. You'll be able to use any figure in Hyrule Warriors — with Link unlocking a new weapon — while ten figures unlock Mii suits in Mario Kart 8.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire tap into nostalgia for the Game Boy Advance originals, but they're far more than quick and easy upgrades. These titles incorporate the engine and a variety of features from Pokémon X & Y, while also including connection features between the two. Pokémon has never been this connected, and we were impressed by the new features and their integration into the original content, while the story is meatier and more detailed than first time around.

You can see what we thought, in full, in our Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire review. Don't forget, too, that the first free distribution — available now until 14th January 2015 — is a Level 5 Shiny Beldum with the moves Hold Back, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt & Iron Defense, while holding the Metagrossite (thanks, Serebii).

So there you go. If you're lucky enough to be in North America let us know which of these releases has you most excited for this gaming weekend.

Which of these big releases are you most excited about? (202 votes)

  1. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U53%
  2. amiibo14%
  3. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire18%
  4. I'm in Australia / New Zealand so will catch Pokémon  1%
  5. Neither is out yet in my country, boo!13%

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