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It's the norm now, but it's another very busy week in the North American Nintendo Download update. We reckon it's a bit of a corker, too, with major retail releases being joined by some very tempting download-only titles. The Switch, 3DS and Wii U are all catered to, so let's get to the details.

Switch Retail Downloads

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda, $59.99USD) - A title that has been eagerly anticipated, bringing the remastered version of a gaming classic to Nintendo hardware for the first time. An enormous adventure with impressive independence and flexibility, it still stands up as a wonderful gaming experience; we get into detail in our Skyrim reviewAvailable from 17th November.

Gear.Club Unlimited (Microïds, $44.99USD) - This aims to fill a gap in the Switch library with realistic driving and some tasty licensed cars. This has multiple modes and local co-op and aims to deliver a premium driving experience; we'll get into gear with a review. Available from 21st November.

SUPERBEAT: XONiC (PM Studios, $39.99USD) - Another welcome music rhythm release on the Switch, adding its own spin to the genre along with 68 songs to play. Available from 21st November.

MXGP3 - The Official Motocross Videogame (Milestone, $39.99USD) - This tasks you with tackling unpredictable and dynamic weather conditions in various motocross races. From sun to heavy rain, every change will decisively influence the rider's visibility and the highly-deformable ground, 'putting even the most expert player to the test'. We'll see whether it stays on track in a review. Available from 21st November.

Switch eShop

RIVE: Ultimate Edition (Two Tribes $12.75USD) - The final game from Two Tribes, it's an intense and attractive platforming shooter with smart controls and hacking mechanics. It finally arrives on Nintendo hardware with a co-pilot mode and 60fps performance; we're working on a review, but in the meantime you can check out our recent interview with Two TribesAvailable from 17th November.

Lumo (Rising Star Games, $19.95USD) - This love letter to the popular isometric platformers from the '80s has received acclaim from many sources for its intuitive and engrossing play mechanics, visual style, irreverent humour and chilled out music. We'll let you know whether it's still magic on the Switch.

VVVVVV (Nicalis, $9.99USD) - Originally developed by Terry Cavanagh, this was a title that was a bit of an early gem on the 3DS eShop, keeping us hooked with its deceptively simple visuals and tough puzzle platforming. As for what this Switch version will offer, Nicalis promises smooth 60fps gameplay and multiplayer. We'll check it out for review and let you know what we think.

Battle Chef Brigade (Adult Swim, $19.99USD) - Developed by Trinket Games and published by Adult Swim, this has a fantastical setting that mixes up combat with match-three play. The mash-up of game styles and intriguing visuals could be a tasty combination; we'll check it out in a review. Available from 20th November.

Ginger: Beyond the Crystal (Badland Games, $19.99USD) - Heavily inspired by the likes of Super Mario 64, Spyro, Zelda and Donkey Kong Country, this is a 3D platformer with 200 side quests, 15 bonus levels and plenty of enemies to face off against. We'll check it out in a review.

Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today (Badland Games, $19.99USD) - This is a dystopian point-and-click adventure that has a fascinating art style and story, with a tale of world-ending events and a disease sweeping through humanity. This has some big fans on PC, in particular, and we'll check it out for review. Available from 21st November.

Xenoraid (10tons, $8.99USD) - A shoot 'em up that aims to add its own spin with procedural levels, four fighters to choose from, 'tilt' aiming and accessibility for those that struggle with bullet-hell shooters. We'll dive in and let you know what we think in a review.

Antiquia Lost (KEMCO, $12.99USD) - Having brought a range of RPGs to Wii U and 3DS, KEMCO is now stepping up its Switch output. It features a "half-slime heroine, Lunaria" that needs to find and eat gems, and it's a world with three tribes to discover and utilise. We expect relatively stock RPG action, but it'll be interesting to see whether this is an accomplished download-only effort.

Green Game: TimeSwapper (iFun4all, $2.99USD) - This one is all about manipulating time to protect a flying bird, with the promise of a big challenge over 50 levels. Available from 17th November.

Karnov's Revenge (HAMSTER, $7.99USD) - A fighting game originally released in 1994, it showcases 13 different fighters - including the titular Karnov, who previously starred in his own 1987 arcade action title. We can expect the usual ACA feature to enjoy, too.

3DS Retail Downloads

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (Nintendo, $39.99USD each) - A title that's likely to drive plenty of interest in the 3DS over the festive period, these mid-gen entries may revisit a familiar land but nevertheless shake things up a fair amount. We get into what's new and why the additions are fantastic in our Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon reviewAvailable from 17th November.

River City: Rival Showdown (Natsume, $29.99USD) - Known in Japan as Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari SP, this brawler has multiple story paths, supports local co-op and even has a 'bonus Double Dragon game'. Available from 21st November.

3DS eShop Demo

Phil's Epic Fill-a-Pix Adventure (Lightwood Games, free)

3DS HOME Theme

Pokémon: Necrozma

Wii U Virtual Console

Salamander (Konami, $5.99USD) - Known as Life Force in some territories, this iconic shooter from Konami alternates from horizontal to vertical stages and hits plenty of its marks — attractive 8-bit visuals, memorable tunes, tight gameplay and the option for two-player co-op. We enjoyed it a lot in our most recent review.

Break In (Konami, $5.99USD) - The latest TurboGrafx-16 title to arrive courtesy of Konami, this is a retro pool game for your consideration. We weren't big fans in our original Break In review.


As always Nintendo of America wants you to browse the eShop and check out the official sales and deals website for discount details.

There are a lot of choices this week - let us know what you'll be downloading in the poll and comments below.

What will you be downloading this week?

(You can select up to 20 answers)