This week in the Nintendo eShop: Pestered Pokémon, cubic Canadians and silent schoolgirls usher in the New Year.

For Wii U owners who may have let it swim under the radar back in August, the charmingly addictive rhythm game Tadpole Treble is now 33% off until January 26th. A refreshingly new take on the genre, players guide Baton through a melodic river of sheet music avoiding notes, hitting beats, and masterfully maneuvering through incredibly varied stages and boss battles in an effort to find their way home. Songs are addictively catchy and original too, making this one epic music odyssey fans of rhythm games won’t want to miss out on.

3DS players, on the other hand, can look forward to a 27% on Hyperlight EX from now until January 19th. Bullet hell arcade madness at its finest, Hyperlight EX is an incredibly frantic, psychedelic drug trip through space as you pilot a ship at the speed of light through hordes of evil alien monsters. Stunning graphics full of vibrant, neon colors and special effects and addictive high score chasing make this intense shooter well worth the price of admission.

WII U DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE

Spheroids (Eclipse Games, $7.99) – If Pang’s classic vertical combat system, Mutant Mudds’ innovative use of 3D layering, and Umihara Kawase’s finicky physics engine were thrown together in a blender, the thick, pulpy remnants would undoubtedly resemble something eerily similar to Spheroids. Along with his crazed scientist companion Otto, players assume the role of a cubic, jumpy Canadian boy on his journey to save the world from spherical aliens hell-bent on smoothing out the universe. It’s by far one of the more creative and polished looking games in the eShop, easily recommended for its loving attention to detail and respect towards its inspirational source material.

Zombie Brigade: No Brain No Gain (Cypronia, $4.99 | Free for Cube Life owners until 1/8) – Touted as the only parody styled runner on the Wii U, Zombie Brigade is basically Meme Run, but much less tolerable (and that’s saying something). I get that the game is essentially supposed to be a joke at the genre’s expense, but the fact that it’s too nonsensical for words speaks volumes to the quality and effort put into its development. How such garbage could come from the developer of legitimately fun games like Cube Life and Color Zen is even more baffling. And for $5? Come on, Cypronia, step up your game. We all know you are better than this.

CUP CRITTERS (RCMADIAX, $1.49) – What better way to usher in the New Year than with a new batch of frustratingly tedious shovelware? Originally slated for release on New (not standard, this is a very important tidbit) Nintendo 3DS systems on November 10th, quietly delayed to December 1st, and now finally ported to Wii U today comes CUP CRITTERS: a game about Studio Ghibli dust bunny knockoffs that I’m tired of writing about. Please, either save your money or download anything else. Dealer’s choice.

WII U VIRTUAL CONSOLE

Pokémon Snap (Nintendo, $9.99) – Originally released on the Nintendo 64 back in 1999, Snap provided adamant Pokétrainers with a completely new perspective on the tried-and-true pocket monster collecting formula. Under tutelage of Professor Oak, players swap their trainer hats for cameras, taking photos of wild Pokémon in the name of love, not war. As far as first-person rail shooters go, it’s a surprisingly fun and addictive (albeit short-lived) spinoff that surprisingly never got an appropriately fitting sequel on Wii U. As one of the first console games in the franchise to feature everyone’s Kanto favorites fully rendered in 3D, Pokémon Snap remains a tremendously nostalgic trip down Palais Lane: a cult classic that every Pokéfanatic needs to experience at least once in their lifetime.

WII U SPECIAL OFFERS AND DEALS

Soul Axiom ($7.49 | 50% off) until 1/12
3Souls ($1.95 | 50% off) until 1/8
Tadpole Treble ($6.49 | 35% off) until 1/26
Buddy & Me: Dream Edition ($2.99 | 40% off) until 1/26
B3 Game Expo For Bees ($3.99 | 20% off) until 1/11
Midnight 2 ($1.59 | 20% off) until 1/26
PictoParty ($3.99 | 50% off) until 1/5
Bit Dungeon+ ($4.00 | 33% off) until 1/12

Check Nintendo’s website for the full list of deals available.

3DS DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE

Quiet, Please! (Nostatic Software, $2.99) – Quiet, Please! is a quirky collection of lighthearted indie puzzlers that’s sure to click with anyone who grew up with a sibling or two. You play as a little girl who revels in silence and solitude, having just come home from a stressful day at school. There’s just one problem: everyone around her is too dang noisy! Inspired by classic point and click adventure games, players interact with the environment and solve puzzles to silence their surroundings and shush family members into submission. Endearing retro graphics and simple controls perfectly complement its humorous concept, making this an easy recommendation for players of all skill levels with a half hour to kill. It even comes bundled with both sequels, Quiet Christmas and Vacation Vexation, effectively tripling gameplay and giving adventure game enthusiasts the biggest bang for their buck.

3DS PRE-PURCHASE

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Nintendo, $39.99 | available 1/20) – Uncover the story of the Cursed King as you save the world from a twisted magician in this genre-defining eight installment in the long running classic RPG series. Updated from the PlayStation 2 original for Nintendo handhelds, Dragon Quest VIII features completely new dungeons, bosses, items, quests, scenes and playable characters. Be sure to pre-purchase today to avoid lengthy installs once it finally hits Western shores later this month!

3DS SPECIAL OFFERS AND DEALS

Nano Assault EX ($7.49 | 25% off) until 1/26
Hyperlight EX ($3.99 | 27% off) until 1/19
Fairune ($1.99 | 33% off) until 1/12
Fairune2 ($5.99 | 14% off) until 1/12
Adventure Labyrinth Story ($3.99 | 20% off) until 1/12
Beyblade Evolution ($9.95 | 50% off) until 1/6
Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers ($19.79 | 34% off) until 1/12
Disney 2-pack: Frozen-Big Hero 6 Combo ($19.79 | 34% off) until 1/12
Witch & Hero ($2.79 | 30% off) until 1/12
The Legend of Dark Witch ($2.79 | 30% off) until 1/12
The Legend of Dark Witch 2 ($4.99 | 28% off) until 1/12
Mercenaries Saga 2 ($3.99 | 20% off) until 1/12
Soccer Up Online ($1.99 | 50% off) until 2/2

Check Nintendo’s website for the full list of deals available.

What games will you be downloading this week? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

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