This week in the Nintendo eShop: Le Club Puff-Puff (nudge, nudge, wink wink) reopens its doors for business, fight club gets a video game adaptation, and Fox McCloud gets a little too cocky.

Nintendo’s massive New Year’s sale is still going strong in the North American eShop this week! From now through January 25th, players can nab some pretty decent discounts on both strong Nintendo franchises and fantastic indie titles like Splatoon, Pocket Jockey, Affordable Space Adventures, Guacamelee and more. Remember, both Pirate Pop Plus and Severed are cross-buy, meaning one purchase on either platform gets you a free copy on the other!

There are also some insanely steep discounts on amazing indie titles you may have missed in the past. Thomas Was Alone, The Swapper, Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones, and Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut are currently $2.17 each (80% off) – an absolutely incredible price if you ask me.

WII U DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE

Toby: The Secret Mine (Headup Games, $9.99) – Far from the most original game in today’s offerings, Toby: The Secret Mine unapologetically teeters on the edge of loving inspiration and blatant ripoff of Playdead’s critically acclaimed and emotionally charged platformer Limbo. This comes through most notably in its distinct visual flair and serene soundtrack. While still absolutely stunning and a little more cartoonish in style, it’s difficult to ignore how blatantly borrowed the entire experience feels, which personally kills the intrigue for me. That said, most reviews I’ve come across found it to be a fairly enjoyable platformer, full of challenging puzzles and gorgeous set pieces. Go into this one with a hefty bag of caution.

Koi DX (CIRCLE Entertainment, $3.99) – In the vein of games like Journey, Flow or Flower, Koi DX reflects a tranquil and mesmerizing experience as you embark on the introspective journey of a lone koi fish separated from its owner. You are the last hope for purifying waters polluted by mankind, splashing your way through eight beautifully designed stages spanning murky ponds to enchanted waters under the surface. If ever you needed another example of video games as a valid art form, look no further than Koi. And at such an affordable price, no less! You’d be doing yourself a disservice for passing up this serenely calming experience.

Snowball (CRT Factory, $3.00) – Featuring retro-style graphics and simple maze and shooting gameplay, Snowball lovingly returns to the glory days of the ‘80s arcade experience. As titular baby seal Snowball, it falls on you to rescue his equally adorable brethren from the clutches of ruthless hunters. Similar to Pac-Man mechanics, players guide the blubbery baby through multiple maze like stages, dodging hunters and collecting snowballs. While the presentation is a little lacking (even by old-school standards), its humorous plot, adorably simple concept and low price point fit in perfectly with the genre it emulates, which is a whole lot more than I can say this week’s New 3DS offering accomplished.

Mega Maze (Chronova, $3.99) – A much more pro-life, death friendly version of the 1997 film The Cube, Mega Maze is a three dimensional first person puzzler that has players trying to navigate and escape giant cubic structures. There are 60 stages in total with enough hidden keys, trap doors and teleporters thrown in the mix to keep players running in circles for hours, maybe even years! Okay, maybe not years, but it definitely isn’t going to be easy. Best of all, players can create their own mind-bending puzzles using a robust level editor and share their devious creations online with others, complete with online leaderboards. It’s definitely one of the more interesting experiences to come along the Wii U in a while, perfect for those of you who can’t get enough of the House of Mirrors at county fairs.

WII U VIRTUAL CONSOLE

Star Fox 64 (Nintendo, $9.99) – Dust off your Arwings and prepare to trust your instincts: Star Fox 64 is getting cocky on North American Wii U Virtual Consoles! SF64 became an instant classic upon its release on the Nintendo 64 back in 1997, and to this day remains the pinnacle of both the series and rail shooting genre thanks to smooth animations, intense combat, detailed visuals and fantastic voice acting. Its cinematic presentation and high replayability more than make up for the game’s short length, with branching pathways, multiple difficulties, high score chasing and addictive multiplayer modes running the gamut of features. Even now, 20 years later, and despite a graphically superior version on the 3DS, this epic sci-fi shooter is bound to provide some of the most fun you’ll ever have in a video game. It’s just a shame it’s releasing here on the Wii U so far beyond its twilight years.

WII U SPECIAL OFFERS AND DEALS

Splatoon ($46.79 | 22% off) until 1/25
Mario Party 10 ($23.39 | 22% off) until 1/25
Freedom Planet ($10.49 | 30% off) until 1/25
Donkey Kong Country Returns ($15.59 | 22% off) until 1/25
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut ($6.99 | 30% off) until 1/25
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis ($7.79 | 22% off) until 1/25
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition ($7.49 | 50% off) until 1/25
WarioWare: Smooth Moves ($15.59 | 22% off) until 1/25
Adventures of Pip ($7.49 | 50% off) until 1/25
Ittle Dew ($6.99 | 30% off) until 1/25
Octodad: Dadliest Catch ($10.49 | 30% off) until 1/25
Noitu Love: Devolution ($6.99 | 30% off) until 1/25
Severed ($10.49 | 30% off) until 1/25
Affordable Space Adventures ($13.99 | 30% off) until 1/25
Pirate Pop Plus ($2.99 | 40% off) until 1/25
Child of Light ($7.49 | 50% off) until 1/25
Rayman Legends ($19.99 | 50% off) until 1/25
Tadpole Treble ($6.49 | 35% off) until 1/26
Buddy & Me: Dream Edition ($2.99 | 40% off) until 1/26
Midnight 2 ($1.59 | 20% off) until 1/26
Thomas Was Alone ($2.17 | 80% off) until 1/20
The Swapper ($2.17 | 89% off) until 1/20
Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones ($2.17 | 78% off) until 1/20
Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut ($2.17 | 83% off) until 1/20
OlliOlli ($2.17 | 78% off) until 1/20
Toki Tori ($0.67 | 66% off) until 2/10

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

3DS RETAIL

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Nintendo, $39.99 | available 1/20) – The wait is finally over, Dragon Quest fans! Uncover the story of the Cursed King as you save the world from a twisted magician in this genre-defining eighth 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. It’s seriously one of, if not the best Dragon Quest game to date, and now you can play it anytime, anywhere! Buy it for the incredible story, endearing characters and beautiful art style, or simply as a statement to show Square Enix your thirst for future Dragon Quest localizations.

3DS DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE

Punch Club (tinyBuild Games, $9.99) – Punch Club is a retro inspired sports management simulator about training up the stats of your boxer and engaging in bouts to become the very best – all while trying to discover the culprit behind your father’s murder. If that description triggered images of ‘80s fighter movie training montages, then fantastic! You now have a pretty good idea of what to expect. I highly recommend it to anyone willing to learn the game’s deep complexities by putting in the countless hours of brutal grinding required to topple the Punch Club elite. For those not up to the task, the game’s creative use of nostalgia and lighthearted tone alone, while relentlessly entertaining, may not be enough to overcome the slow and tedious pace of fights.

NEW 3DS DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE

COLOR CUBES (RCMADIAX, $1.49) – Another New Nintendo 3DS exclusive by RCMADIAX that could easily run on my father’s Atari, COLOR CUBES is all about switching colored boxes to match other colored boxes in endless runner fashion. I imagine it’s about as much fun as Ball-in-a-Cup at half the cost. When Nintendo states that the 3DS won’t be silently snuffed out under the looming shadow of the Switch, let’s hope hastily cobbled together third party experiences like this aren’t what they have in mind to carry the torch.

3DS DEMO

Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World (Nintendo, Free) – Prepare for cuteness! Yarn Yoshi is weaving his way to 3DS systems in two weeks time on February 3rd. For those who simply can’t wait to experience the beautifully handcrafted world and clever side-scrolling action, a free demo is available starting right now! For those who don’t know, Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World is an enhanced Wii U port containing all new stages starring the adorably loyal pup Poochy, not to mention a few Nintendo 3DS exclusive features. Though my personal favorite addition would have to be the bundle new stop-motion videos chronicling the lives of Yarn Poochy and Yarn Yoshi throughout their adventure. Did I mention there’s even a Yarn Poochy amiibo to add to your growing collections? Download this captivatingly charming demo immediately!

3DS SPECIAL OFFERS AND DEALS

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer ($15.59 | 22% off) until 1/25
Pocket Card Jockey ($5.45 | 22% off) until 1/25
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse ($13.99 | 30% off) until 1/25
Yo-kai Watch ($31.19 | 22% off) until 1/25
Story of Seasons ($20.99 | 30% off) until 1/25
Disney Art Academy ($23.39 | 22% off) until 1/25
Gurumin 3D ($11.99 | 20% off) until 1/25
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure ($7.01 | 22% off) until 1/25
Wario’s Woods ($3.89 | 22% off) until 1/25
Severed ($10.49 | 30% off) until 1/25
Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX ($29.99 | 25% off) until 1/25
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice ($23.99 | 40% off) until 1/25
Inazuma Eleven ($14.00 | 30% off) until 1/25
Harvest Moon: Skytree Village ($23.99 | 20% off) until 1/25
Pirate Pop Plus ($2.99 | 40% off) until 1/25
River City: Tokyo Rumble ($23.99 | 20% off) until 1/25
Nano Assault EX ($7.49 | 25% off) until 1/26
Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX ($29.99 | 25% off) until 1/25
Toki Tori 3D ($0.67 | 66% off) until 2/10
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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