Nintendo Download: 23rd December (North America)

The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it's bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch eShop - Highlights (Updates)

Rocket League (Psyonix Studios, 14th Nov, $19.99) - Frosty Fest – Get ready for the most wonderful time of the year in Rocket League! The annual winter event, Frosty Fest, has made its return, featuring wintery items, Golden Gifts and other limited time offers! - Read our Rocket League review

Fortnite (Epic Games, 12th Jun, $0.00) - Winterfest – Fortnite Winterfest 2021 brings presents, special quests and Spider-Man: No Way Home outfits! If you’re a new player who just joined with Chapter 3, this is a great time to start your Fortnite journey with lots of Locker items. And if you’re a longtime player, this is the perfect opportunity to add to your collection. But the gifts are only one part of the festivities. Experience Winterfest before it ends on Jan. 6, 2022. - Read our Fortnite review

Garden Story (Rose City Games, 11th Aug, $19.99) - Find some festive cheer in Winter Glade, the mysterious and cozy final area of Garden Story. Shuffle through the snow, use new abilities, and defeat new enemies to restore peace for the villagers in the Glade and everywhere in the grove! - Read our Garden Story review

Cozy Grove (The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, 8th Apr, $14.99) - Cozy Grove’s Winter Update is available right now on Nintendo Switch. This free update brings a snowy winter festival, new decorations and outfits, and snowball fights. - Read our Cozy Grove review

Switch eShop - New Releases

8 & 9 Ball Pocket (24th Dec, $11.99) - 8 & 9 Ball Pocket brings you eight-ball pool and nine-ball pool, also known as American billiards. You can compete with up to 4 friends or against the AI in Versus mode, or challenge the best in the world in Arcade mode, where you can make combo shots and rack up points to become Number 1 in the online ranking. All of this comes in a setting with great graphics and Jazz music.

American Man (25th Dec, $9.99) - Help a true American hero to defeat the evil forces of foreign countries that took over control of the poor animals, making them turn into frightful soldiers through advanced genetic experiments. That manpower, or rather, "animal power", makes up the most fierce army against a one man army that could ever exist. That one man is known as American Man.

Arcade Archives MIRAI NINJA (HAMSTER, 16th Dec, $7.99) - "MIRAI NINJA" is an action game released by NAMCO in 1988. Control the cyborg ninja, "Shiranui," and rescue Princess Saki from the cyborg ninja army that kidnapped her. Pick up the orbs in the stages to activate various effects that will help Shiranui.

Beastie Bay DX (Kairosoft, 23rd Dec, $14.00) - Washed ashore a desolate island and surrounded by savage beasts, can you thrive. . . or merely survive? Blaze trails into unknown territory. . . and then make it your own! Plant crops, build housing and power sources, and transform the island into your own personal paradise. As you progress, you'll be able to develop new gear and technology to take your adventure to the next level, including ways to travel to unexplored islands nearby!

Cape’s Escape Game 5th Room (16th Dec, $9.80) - Whew~, that was a long day! Tired, the Main Character jumps into his futon bed. Hoping to go on a date with Todomi in his dreams, he fell fast asleep. He didn’t even notice the ghost staring at him in the darkness……… This time, the Main Character gets trapped in an escape game in his dreams. An old friend of Cape’s makes an appearance, shedding light on Cape’s mysterious past. . . err, sorta?

Cold Silence (26th Dec, $4.99) - Horror without darkness, it's creepy because of the situation itself - only 3 colors convey the sense of despair - seamless game world - unique bosses and secrets - 5 difficulty modes

Crazy Zen Codeword (24th Dec, $9.99) - A seriously addictive skills-based game with the meditative setting of a tranquil zen garden. Think you’re up for the challenge? You might just need to be a wordsmith! Use our letter picker to fill in the grey blanks and find as many words as you can to complete the board! Remember every letter that you use, you can only use once, so use them wisely… Bored of the monotony of easy word searches and puzzles? We’ve got you covered. This codeword requires a sharp mind, combining the most formidable elements of word find games and crossword puzzles. For English Language enthusiasts and boredom fighters alike!

Escape from Mirrorland～The Adventures of Nyanzou&Kumakichi: Escape Game Series～ (16th Dec, $4.90) - An Easy & Cute Escape Game. Nyanzou always makes a mess of things. Today, he’s up to something in front of the mirror. When Kumakichi asks him what he’s doing, he says he’s facing two mirrors in front of one another. It’s not midnight but noon right now, but will it still work? As usual, Nyanzou messes up and gets trapped in Mirrorland. Help him escape. It's your standard escape game, on the easy side, and highly recommended for beginners. It comes with autosave, hints, and memo functions.

FILMECHANISM (15th Dec, $19.99) - "FILMECHANISM" is a 2D puzzle action game! Help "REC" reach the goal RECORDING and RESTORING different objects on the stage! Challenge over 200 unique puzzles with to guide the mysteriously cute camera humanoid "REC" to the goal! Make full use of your puzzle brain to figure out the conditions before and after the action, and your action brain to move according to the situation! Play the stages repeatedly, and feel the exhilaration when you clear them! Enjoy the retro but stylish world of "FILMECHANISM" with its beautiful 8-bit style graphics and sounds!

Gardener’s Path (22nd Dec, $4.99) - Gardener’s Path is a top-down turn-based puzzle game, about fighting giant insects and protecting underground gardens. Solve increasingly elaborate puzzles scattered throughout 60 handcrafted gardens, each one with their own set of friends and foes. Take the advantage in a fight by wielding powerful artifacts, allowing you to travel back in time and perform elemental attacks. Fulfill your duty as a gardener, and fight against the pest of giant insects, to protect the ones you love.

Horatio Goes Snowboarding (22nd Dec, $6.99) - Paying homage to classic skiing and winter sports action of the past, Horation Goes Snowboarding is an arcade-inspired experience that’s straightforward and addictive, purely focused on thrilling gameplay without a story or complex mechanics to weigh it down! Start every run with a bunch of money and the urge to snowboard, then hire a board and head to the waiting chopper while avoiding traffic along the way. Once you’re airlifted the top of a mountain, it’s time to start your chaotic descent!

Horror & Sports Pinball (24th Dec, $14.99) - This pack includes: Halloween Pinball, Werewolf Pinball, Mummy, Soccer Pinball, Touchdown Pinball, Basketball Pinball Enjoy 6 games in one with the perfect reproduction of real pinball machines, with all kinds of graphic details and sounds. Complete all the missions and become number 1 in the world or the best among your Friends, posting your high score on the online leaderboard.

Lacuna (28th Dec, $19.99) - Another cigarette tumbles into the abyss. The sun is slowly coming up, glistening in the sea of buildings below. I look up at the stars one last time before they disappear. They don't provide any guidance. They don't give a. . . . I have to make this decision on my own, and very soon. Problem is, I don't know how. I've never been able to figure out why I do what I do. Not really. No more time to think. I have to go. Here's the deal You are Neil Conrad, CDI agent. Awoken by the news of a murder, you rush into a case that will soon turn your life and the whole solar system upside down.

Lynn, The Girl Drawn On Puzzles (CFK, 23rd Dec, $7.99) - Once upon a time, when monsters and ghosts were seen in the human world. . . . . . One day, the Goddess of Plague crept into a village and bestowed people her pest, smallpox. There was a village boy fell ill with the plague none could cure. His sister, the only family, heard of the Fox Orb and its mystical light that could cure the sick. So she climbed the mountain, to the abandoned house the Fox was said to have lived. The house was empty, and there was only a book without its owner.

Madness Beverage (24th Dec, $14.99) - Madness Beverage is a first-person shooter that takes place in space. It's a solo campaign, but you'll never be alone - beware of the demons, they are everywhere and they want to see you dead. You’ll have the chance to visit many unique locations, fight powerful monsters, avoid traps, and fight bosses! Investigate the source of the radio signal in an old castle on Neo Valkyria, discover the secrets of a suspicious-looking laboratory, explore Alien World with its intriguing wildlife and try not to die in flames while on a mission in Lava Cave.

Match Three Pirates II (Denda Games, 20th Dec, $9.99) - After Bobby has freed all pirates from the clutches of the ruthless Davy Jones, the pirates are finally enjoying a free life. They feel at home on their happy island, however without the joyful, carefree laughter of children, Pirate Island is awful quiet. Then, suddenly the clever Bobby has a brilliant idea. The pirate captain suggests building a theme park in the pirate world.

Menseki: Area Maze puzzles (27th Dec, $5.00) - That satisfying feeling that comes from solving a puzzle! Presenting the novel Japanese logic puzzle game that's been attracting attention from around the world! Find your way to the solution, deducing unknown lengths and areas from known lengths and areas. All you need is the "length x breadth = area" formula for calculating the area of a rectangle!

Merry Christmas Snowball Bubble (24th Dec, $5.99) - While you play, create mythical Christmas characters by matching the bubbles that are the same colour. You can make ‘Combos’ or get various special ‘PowerUps’, such as the guided rocket, the destructive bomb and the laser blaster, all with the aim of reaching the top of the scoreboard. Beautiful and nostalgic graphics set in a charming toy store from long ago, which will take you back to your most retro childhood. Relaxing and immersive game where you'll be trapped until you discover which unusual character is hiding behind each snowball.

My Universe – Interior Designer (Microids, 27th Dec, $29.99) - Paint colours, furnishings, style, interior design, you choose each and every detail. Talk to your clients to find out more about the hopes, dreams and preferences they have for their homes. You're going to have to renovate their houses and complete the mission objectives to satisfy their needs. The happier they are with your work, the more your notoriety and level will increase! Gradually, you'll unlock new items, styles, decorative possibilities and bigger projects.

Pixel Game Maker Series Biggerman.io (Gotcha Gotcha, 16th Dec, $5.49) - Get the Small Ones to grow bigger. That is what it means to be THE Biggerman! Get big and defeat all your enemies! Destroy objects to find the Small Ones in hiding! Engage your wit to defeat challenging boss fights and clear time attack stages! Supports up to 4 players local PVP if you have multiple Joy-Cons!

Pixel Game Maker Series CHAM THE CAT ADVENTURE (16th Dec, $10.99) - "Pixel Game Maker Series CHAM THE CAT ADVENTURE is a side-scrolling action game full of retro flavor. The game is full of retro flavor, with a variety of tricks, including attack methods that change depending on the number of hearts (stamina). The stages are not only side-scrolling action with various gimmicks, but also shooting aspects! If you can collect all the keys hidden in each stage, you can challenge the hidden stages! If you can collect all the keys hidden in each stage, you can challenge the hidden stage.

Pixel Game Maker Series JEWELiNX (Gotcha Gotcha, 16th Dec, $7.99) - "Pixel Game Maker Series JEWELiNX is a retro-flavored falling object puzzle game. It's a puzzle game with a simple rule: if you put two blocks of the same type in a row or on top of each other, they disappear. However, if two blocks are easily erased, a penalty gauge will accumulate and a block in the way will appear. It's a little different from the traditional falling puzzle games, where you have to pile up the blocks in order to keep them from disappearing.

Pixel Game Maker Series OUMUAMUA (Gotcha Gotcha, 16th Dec, $9.99) - "Pixel Game Maker Series OUMUAMUA is a retro-flavored Breakout clone! You have to break all the blocks displayed on the screen to clear the game. There are some blocks that need to be hit multiple times to break, so try to break the blocks without dropping the ball down the screen!

Planet Quiz: Learn & Discover (25th Dec, $11.99) - How well do you know our amazing world? Find out and challenge yourself or your friends in Planet Quiz. Planet Quiz is a charming way to expand your knowledge about Earth, animals, culture… and a guaranteed fun time for you and your friends.

Pure Chase 80’s (24th Dec, $14.99) - PC80's is pure arcade, pure speed, pure adrenaline. Frantic driving, with no time to even blink. You'll feel the essence of arcade racing oozing out of your pores and your adrenaline pumping non-stop. Mission: A car bomb under your feet. If you don't want to see chunks of your vehicle flying off, maintain your concentration in the race of your life. Escape to the border as fast as you can, and before the countdown reaches 00:00.

Teratopia (23rd Dec, $9.99) - Join Tucho in his quest to rescue his friends and liberate the colorfully grotesque lands of Teratopia! Traverse 13 unique zones packed with enemies bent on overtaking your homeland. But fear not! The power of friendship arms you with fellow Teratopians and a diverse set of skills to face a family of red invaders. Immerse yourself in an adventure full of action, and strategize on-the-go to better overcome your foes! Play as either Tucho the brawler, Benito the shooter, or Horacio the trickster, each with their own strengths and skills.

Tunnel of Doom (Digerati, 23rd Dec, $13.99) - Tunnel of Doom is the second game from Helsinki-based developer, Antti Vaihia. After finishing work on his previous project, a 2D arena shooter called Gun Bombers, Vaihia was desperate to start on something new: "My debut title left a void in my life. I needed another fix to feed the addiction. Luckily, I stumbled upon a tweet from Jan Willem Nijman (Vlambeer) about simple random level generation," explains Vaihia. "After toying around with this mechanic, I started to imagine the kind of game it could inspire. Sticking with the mining theme of my previous game I set forth to put my own spin to the rogue-lite scene. It's been a blast. Cheers to you Jan!"

Twelve Minutes (Annapurna Interactive, 7th Dec, $24.99) - TWELVE MINUTES is a real-time top-down interactive thriller with an accessible click and drag interface. What should be a romantic evening with your wife turns into a nightmare when a police detective breaks into your home, accuses your wife of murder and beats you to death... Unless you can find a way to use the knowledge of what’s coming to change the outcome and break the loop. Featuring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.

Unstrong: Space Calamity (27th Dec, $4.99) - A long time ago, the star people of the Sun City Pyrmia made sure that nothing would go wrong with the sun. But then they disappeared, and whatever happened remains a mystery. Many centuries later, a star-shaped world held together by chains was torn apart by a big explosion, its debris sent drifting through space. One of the inhabitants of this destroyed world, Glasses Unstrong, plans to put the old world back together with the help of her new friend, Flounder the star child. It's not gonna be easy, but mad scientists like Glasses always find a way to get what they want!

Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship (23rd Dec, $29.99) - Based on the successful Windstorm movies and best-selling books, experience exciting riding tasks together with Windstorm and freely explore the breathtaking surroundings of the Kaltenbach estate. Ride alongside other horses, look for hidden objects and try to become the racing champion. Numerous secrets and hidden locations are waiting to be discovered! After a long day of adventuring across the beautiful hills of Kaltenbach, take care of your animal friend with all of your love!

Wii U eShop - New Releases

Captain U (16th Dec, $2.99) - Welcome to this new, yet familiar, universe. You are now known as Captain U and you here to locate the missing princess! Equipped with this universe’s legendary weapon, the PowerPad, you will utilize your unique powers to find the princess and save the universe!

So that's your lot for this week's North American Nintendo Download. Go on, be a sport and drop a vote in the poll above, and comment below with your hot picks!