It's time for another Nintendo Download Update for North America, and this week has shaped up rather nicely. On 3DS there's a huge retail release and a tempting demo, while a notable download arrival brings a bit of punch to proceedings. On Wii U there are some interesting Nindie options to consider, while a classic from the N64 era also arrives. Let's get to the details, shall we?
Missed the European Nintendo Download Update earlier in the week? Don't panic, the details are right here.
Wii U eShop
Toby: The Secret Mine (Headup Games, $9.99) - A rather handsome puzzle-platformer by Lukáš Navrátil, this tasks you with navigating dangerous areas and solving puzzles, with an art-style that is somewhat reminiscent in tone to Typoman. We'll let you know what we think of it in a review.
Koi DX (CIRCLE Entertainment, $3.99) - This rather intriguing title appears to take place within a Koi pond - obviously - with missions, customisation and more involved in the gameplay. It has some rather handsome visual design and could be worth a look.
Mega Maze (Justin Keys, $3.99) - This is a first-person game in which you work your way through mazes, finding keys for locked areas and trying to reach the end goal. There are some online features and even a level creation tool, too; we'll try not to get lost and will bring you a review soon.
Snowball (CRT Factory, $3.00) - A retro-style game in which you work your way through single screen stages as a seal, grabbing snowballs and avoiding hunters before tackling them in a boss encounter. It promises retro, score chasing fun, and it'll be interesting to see whether it achieves those targets or melts away.
Wii U Virtual Console
Star Fox 64 (Nintendo, $9.99) - A classic of the Nintendo 64 era and, arguably, the definitive entry in this franchise. Great for short run-throughs or for detailed sessions chasing secret routes and high scores, we loved this in our most recent review.
3DS Retail Download
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Square Enix, $39.99) - The second major remaster in this series to make it to the West in a matter of months, this is another to add to the impressive line-up of RPGs on the portable. An excellent game is beautifully produced here, with enjoyable extra content and features adding to the sizeable original adventure; we loved it in our Dragon Quest VIII review. Available from 20th January.
New Nintendo 3DS eShop
COLOR CUBES (RCMADIAX, $1.49) - Seemingly another score-chaser, in this case you tap to change the colours of boxes with the challenge ramping up and demanding faster reflexes.
3DS eShop
Punch Club (tinyBuild Games, $9.99) - A title that's previous dealt out damage on PC, this is a management sim of sorts in which you train your boxer to rise through the ranks while also learning about your father's death. It's packed with pop culture references and humour, and from what we recall on PC packs quite a punch in difficulty. We'll go for a KO in our review.
3DS Demo
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World (Nintendo, free)
As always Nintendo of America wants you to check out the eShop and Sales and Deals page for discount details. The January Digital Deals are still running until 25th January, and fresh discounts this week include Word Logic by POWGI and Family Tennis SP.
That's the full Nintendo Download Update for North America this week. Let us know what you plan to download in the comments and poll below.
Comments 81
Cool a Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World demo I was going to get the game anyway but It will be nice to try it out on the 3DS and I'm also picking up Dragon Quest tomorrow at GameStop and I'll get Star Fox 64 for the Wii U.
Yoshi demo for me!
And with that, I believe the N64 Virtual Console support on Wii U comes to an end. Unless there are other N64 games that Europe already has that we don't. Am I missing any?
I can't, for the life of me, figure out why Nintendo has thrown their full support behind the Wii U's Virtual Console while treating the 3DS's like an afterthought! The Wii U has failed, great of a system as it is, so there isn't any reason for them not to support the system with quadruple the sales numbers!
As I said about 20mins ago I'll be upgrading star fox
@thesilverbrick We should be done by March 3rd so we can start the process all over again.
I'll pick up the Yoshi demo. My copy of DQ8 is on its way; only had it preordered since it was announced back in November of 2015!
I'm all over anything that has the words dragon quest on it but will be getting a physical copy pre ordered at gamestop
Good week. I already preordered DQVIII. Will nab Yoshi demo and possibly Punch Club, which I hear is pretty decent.
@thesilverbrick NA have caught up with EU on the N64 front though I wouldn't be surprised if Super Smash Bros. comes before Switch launch.
I'll have to check and see if that discount is live for Star Fox 64 later. I know that the past few N64 games on Wii U eShop had some hiccups for those discounts.
I'll eventually get DQVIII, when I got the money. I only played a bit of this one on PS2, but it's the only one I've ever played apart from Dragon Warrior, so it'll be easier to get into, methinks.
DQVIII is arriving from Amazon tomorrow. Will get the Wooly World demo. I've got it pre-ordered on Amazon, but it will be good to see if I really want it.
Nothing for me this week. I'm still hitting the backlog right now. The only day one purchase for me right now is Zelda, so I'm good until then.
Wow the Wii U Virtual console is awful. They JUST NOW got Star Fox 64?
@HeroponRiki At least NoA is finally caught up with NoE in terms of which N64 games are available, unless you guys have Smash Bros., which I was pretty sure only Japan has it at the moment.
Now when can I finally play Mario vs. Donkey Kong?
I'll update my SF64 purchase. Punch Club sounds interesting.....may keep an eye out for the review.
Lots of FE coming though so might retire my wallet for a few months
Why on earth did they wait till January for all these N64 titles? Pokémon Snap should have been released in July/August to capitalize on Pokémon Go fever (like how they did in Europe).
Considering how small of a 2016 they had, it seems like it would've made more sense to put on Excitebike, Star Fox, F-Zero X, and Snap during the past summer and fall.
@vincentgoodwin So what net VC game is coming next week that we didn't get?
Got a bigger SD card on the way so I can download Dragon Quest VIII.
People buy punch club. It's really. Also kio is on the ps4 I probably buy it. Also Toby the secret mine looks good. Not the best week but much better than previous weeks.
I am pretty sure VC release will be like this for the next month and a half until Switch is released.
Hurray one more day till DQ 8. This by far the best in the series.
@Tasuki Yeah, I'm thinking the last Wii U VC games NA will get will be:
Super Smash Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Pikmin 2
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Picross 3D
1 per week and that would allow the last release to be February 23rd (the week before Switch launch).
Dragon Quest 8. An absolute masterpiece, my absolute favourite. I've played it at least 10 times, and I'm ready for another 10 more.
@thesilverbrick:
SUPER
SMASH
BROS.!!!!!!
Sorry, had to do it in the style of the title screen.
wait the US didn't have SF64 yet? What on earth are you doing NoA?!
I'm waiting to see whether Nintendo has a decent plan for transferring purchases from the Wii U to the Switch before I download anything else. Another Wii-to-Wii-U situation won't cut it.
@manu0 Reggie has been eating to much Pizza Hut.😀
@Manjushri Really? A game from 2005 is in your backlog? If you wanted to play it you would have unless you are really saying 'I haven't played any games newer than mid 2005'.
Truly, the word backlog is overused and annoying. It is a word that demonstrates how normal it is for gamers to waste money.
Waiting for my DQ8 predownload code. This massive game was the last to fit on my memory card. It brought my on-system game count to 70 and I have 185 blocks of space left. Haha
The framerate for Poochy & Yoshi's Wooly World has always looked super shoddy to me in the gameplay previews, so this is PERFECT to see how it'll run on my good ol' pocket-sized original 3DS!
I'll be getting dragon quest, and thats pretty much it
Finally! I've been wanting to play 4 player Star Fox for 4 years now and today I'll get to
Still no SNES Starfox? Why not? I mean they released Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Super Mario World 2 on Virtual Console despite the fact both games had special chips in them.
@vincentgoodwin
You want the honest truth?
NoA was likely holding back a handful of good VC titles so that when this inevitable day came where we transition to Switch, US gamers would still have something to look forward to, while EU gamers already had their VC spent long ago
Anyone else surprised NL hasn't reported on NEO GEO games coming to Switch?
@TimeGuy I paid $32 for the physical copy on Amazon, how much did you pay since you have to add the cost of your own storage to the price of the game?
@gojiguy Not really. The golden days of the VC (the Wii years) I fear are long gone.
@gojiguy
For real? NeoGeo VC coming to Switch?
Run that. Mark of Garou, Samurai Showdown, Last Blade, King of Fighters, Sengoku 3, Metal Slug...
Here I come
@Crono1973 The card cost $16, but it isn't just for DQ VIII. I'm currently sitting at less than 5000 blocks on my 32GB card, really not enough to support downloading any more games. The upgrade was necessary and I'm willing to pay a premium for the convenience of digital.
@gojiguy I'd be more excited if Sega actually supported the Virtual Console, even if it was just GBA/DS games and not Genesis/Master System.
@TimeGuy My point is, when you are providing your own storage and still paying full retail price, it's nothing to brag about. Especially when there are deals like 20% off for the physical copy which supplies it's own storage.
Further, should you want to use an Action Replay (sometimes the mood hits me) that only works on physical games. If the framerate sucks or the game just isn't for you, you can sell it and recover some money.
Honestly, I just can't wrap my head around bragging about digital copies of retail games. There are so many disadvantages.
@NTELLIGENTMAN Because Star Fox was made by Argonaut, who owns the Super FX chip rights. Yoshi's Island made it because it is the GBA port, not the original
@Grumblevolcano
Super Smash Bros already has been on Wii U VC for us. My brothers and I frequently play it instead of the Wii version since my older brother prefers the not-so-widened sharper resolution shown on the Wii U's emulation. I think New Super Mario Bros Wii also made it but I wouldnt know since I own the retail disc anyway
Definitely one of the better weeks. I marked Dragon Quest VIII, though it'll be a bit before I pick it up.
Star Fox 64
Why we have to pay full price for a 12 year old port? i bought it on discount on my ipad for 10 euro. Ipad version sucks a bit though.
I wasn't really big on what I tried of Yoshi at friends' places, but I'll get the demo anyway.
DQ8 though, the weekend can't get here fast enough.
koi dx review please
@Crono1973 I was bragging? You can make all the arguments you want for physical, I simply don't care.
As for the points you brought up:
1. Never used Action Replay, never intend to. Cheating isn't my thing.
2. That's why I don't just buy on impulse, I buy games that I know I will enjoy. The only game I regret buying is RE Mercenaries 3D and that was on sale for $5.
DQ 8 was one of the best PS2 games, played it almost as much Gran Turismo.
yoshi for sure!
i miss when they told us what all got discounted themselves instead of going to the site.
@RyanSilberman Only Japan has Super Smash Bros. on Wii U VC.
If I have only played Star Fox 64 3D, not the N64 classic, is it worth going back and buying the original? I love 64 3D but i dont want to wastle my money if it isnt worth playing the original too.
@Grumblevolcano Oh wait. I must be confusing it with playing on a Wii and Wii U rather than the mode settings
@RyanSilberman
It always makes me wonder that there has to be more to it than that. Just because it was made in conjunction with Argonaut seems like it wouldn't hold up Nintendo rereleasing it on VC. Surely Nintendo would've covered all their bases for a game featuring their IP? We got Donkey Kong 64 on VC and it was made virtually entirely by Rare, but published by Nintendo? Oh well. I'd love to play it again.
Yoshi demo for me. Might get DQ8.
Yoshi demo for me, although I just got, & enjoy, the WU original for Christmas. I always wait 'til Thursday to make an e-Shop purchase, to spread out my funds. If nothing comes out, that I want, I d/l something that I do want, but not on impulse.
Starfox 64 is one of my top 10 games of all time, so of course I'm gonna buy it again.
@TimeGuy LOL @2, I never buy on impulse, I bought an SD card to hold a game I plan on purchasing that isn't even out yet.
@BanjoPickles
Yeah I agree it doesn't make much sense. As I've been posting about asking about more Gameboy and NES VC for the 3ds, it seems like Nintendo loves not making easy money.
I'll get Koi DX soon, it looks pretty good. I'm still waiting for Smash Bros.
@Manjushri Your choice of words? So you do not have DQ8 in your backlog?
@rdrunner1178 I mean, sure, Nintendo has the Star Fox IP, but they dont really own the technology that allowed it to run on the SNES (FX Chip). And if Argonaut's history with them is of indication, they wouldnt find themselves to get even with Nintendo and let bygones be bygones.
oh yeah, picking up DQVIII tomorrow.
@Manjushri That's your call, I am just saying that gamers are all to quick to admit to buying games they don't play and why does no one question that.
Imagine if someone said this: 'I bought a <fill in the blank> in 2005 that I still haven't even used and I do that so often that I have a name for it. Also that name is understood by many because lots of people do it.' Just don't understand why the game community feels the need to waste money like this.
Grabbing DQ8 physical, Star Fox 64 VC and the Woolly World demo. Really solid week, especially for January
didnt preorder dq8 but its on my must buy list...just have a huge backlog of 3ds games to play at the moment but ill def be picking up dq8 soon
Awesome, we get Star Fox 64 when EU has had it for months. Way to keep with the times, NOA!
@Manjushri I was speaking in general about gamers and their beloved backlogs. It's like a badge of honor to buy poop you don't have time to play.
Ah, I've been waiting for you Star Fox...
@Grumblevolcano I doubt it at this point. Xmas and the presentation as a thank you and farewell to the Wii U were the perfect times to give us SSB64. There are no perfect opportunities anymore, that and Pokemon Puzzle League missed their chances of a rerelease from the Wii VC (As did Bomberman Hero and Orge Battle 64, but that was up to the 3rd parties).
NOW they add in Star Fox 64.
Yoshi for me. I have it on Wii U, but I'm interested in seeing how it plays on my launch week (not 'NEW') 3DS.
Tried the Yoshi demo, seemed neat, but not sure if it would be something I would get right away.
Not getting anything. Man, I wish we get the themes that EU gets...it''s not fair.
People please stop buying virtual console games. If you keep paying premium for the same games in every console iteration Nintendo will never put a dedicated account system I we fans will have to keep buying the same games forever. Lets as fans and consumer send a message to Nintendo that if they don't let us transfer or have our already paid games on Switch we will not support its Virtual Console. We should start either a petition or a movement about this.
Yoshi demo is fun dang wish I had the monies for that one.
Not much hype for the best Star Fox game?
The WiiU version is pretty well-done, the "dead-zone" analogue stick issue, isn't present like most N64 games on WiiU, so the controls are perfect once customized to your preference. You can now save in the middle of the game with VC's suspend save, and the animation framerate issues from the Wii version are gone.
Also, it has rumble, and the Wii version wasn't the same without it.
Zzzzz
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