This week in the Nintendo eShop: Tank Troopers rolls out, Bob gets incepted, and persons of lordly caliber invade Wii U Virtual Consoles.
I hope you’ve been diligently saving up some Gil, as a small Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary sale breaks up the recent dry spell plaguing the eShop over the past few weeks. On 3DS, both the amazingly catchy Theatrhythm Curtain Call and grindy, Monster-Hunter-light Final Fantasy Explorers are currently going for $19.99 (50% off). Wii U owners, on the other hand, can revisit one of the GBA’s best turn-based tactical RPG titles, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, at the reduced price of $5.59 (30% off). Unfortunately, that’s everything on tap for all you Moogle enthusiasts and Chocobo lovers out there. Here’s hoping Square Enix has big plans to release more epic quests from this legendary series in the west on the Nintendo Switch.
WII U DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE
Back to Bed (Bedtime Digital Games, $9.99) – A 3D indie puzzle game set in a unique artistic dream world, Back to Bed has players guiding the narcoleptic sleepwalker Bob to the safety of his bed under the guise of his subconscious guardian, Subob. Trippy, I know. Its greatest quality is undoubtedly the dreamscape setting and surreal art style, presented in a loving mix of claymation and painting. Unfortunately, the puzzles themselves are repetitive and overly simplistic, often flirting with interesting ideas without fully committing to or expanding upon them. Hazards, for example, provide more of a nuisance than thought-provoking obstacles, and the obvious influences on presentation reminiscent of M.C. Escher’s famous works are nothing more than visual eye candy that do nothing to enhance gameplay. (Fez says hi.) Despite these gripes, it’s still worth a playthrough for its unique visual flare alone. I’d simply recommend nabbing it in the app store instead for a fraction of the price.
COLOR CUBES (RCMADIAX, $1.49) – RCMADIAX, ugh. You know the drill. Endless runner? Check. Shallow gameplay? Check. Ugly presentation? Check. Move on to something else? Way ahead of you.
WALL BALL (RCMADIAX, $1.49) – Which gods have I forsaken to be punished with not one, but two RCMADIAX stinkers to preview in a row? WALL BALL is a zigzagging endless runner that both aesthetically and mechanically looks like an abandoned prototype a mere few hours into development. These “simple, yet appealing 3D graphics” (their words, not mine) are the perfect showcase for the devs’ lack of decency and respect for both the consumer’s time and wallet. I’d rather pay 20 times the asking price to get the real life tilt-a-ball experience than spend another second wasted writing about these despicable, rage inducing cash grabs.
WII U VIRTUAL CONSOLE
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (Square Enix, $9.99) – Much like a certain swamp dwelling green giant, this third entry in the beloved Ogre Battle series has many layers of personality and charm hidden beneath its monstrously intimidating exterior. Those up to the challenge will find a deeply rewarding real-time strategy RPG worthy of the genre complete with political strife, branching story paths and deep class systems. It doesn’t hurt either that it boasts some of the most gorgeous graphics the 64 bit system has to offer. While I personally find the tactical turn-based mechanics of its immediate predecessor more appealing, fans of the Fire Emblem series will no doubt find a lot to love.
WII U SPECIAL OFFERS AND DEALS
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance ($5.59 | 30% off) until 2/21
Trine Enchanted Edition ($7.49 | 50% off) until 3/2
Trine 2: Director’s Cut ($9.99 | 50% off) until 3/2
Soul Axiom ($5.99 | 60% off) until 3/17
Shadow Puppeteer ($10.49 | 30% off) until 2/23
B3 Game Expo for Bees ($3.99 | 20% off) until 2/22
Fit Music ($12.90 | 35% off) until 3/30
Citadale ($2.50 | 50% off) until 3/9
Ohayou! Beginner’s Japanese ($3.99 | 20% off) until 3/9
Mortar Melon ($2.99 | 50% off) until 3/9
Dungeon Hearts DX ($4.99 | 50% off) until 3/30
Rorrim ($2.50 | 50% off) until 3/9
Stone Shire ($4.99 | 37% off) until 3/2
Check Nintendo’s website for the full list of deals available.
3DS DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE
Tank Troopers (Nintendo, $7.99) – You’d be forgiven for not remembering this bizarre looking tank battling title briefly mentioned during last year’s September Nintendo Direct. An original Nintendo IP oozing with both personality and charm, Tank Troopers is an action-packed, arena based shooter featuring intense vehicular warfare and a quirky cast of colorful characters. Called troopers, each one comes equipped with special abilities, from crippling electric shocks and sight impairing paintballs to health boosting heals and enemy revealing radars, to give players tactical advantage over their many adversaries. While six player local multiplayer seems to be the game’s greatest appeal, a 30 stage single-player mode helps beef up the package, requiring a multitude of strategies and maneuvers to conquer. I personally dig the humor and atmosphere beaming from the most recent trailer, making this an easy recommendation should you have a couple of friends nearby ready to roll out for multiplayer mayhem.
3DS HOME MENU THEMES
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: A Wide World – $1.99
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: A New Adventure – $1.99
Rune Factory 4 – $1.99
Story of Seasons – $1.99
3DS SPECIAL OFFERS AND DEALS
Final Fantasy Explorers ($19.99 | 50% off) until 2/21
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call ($19.99 | 50% off) until 2/21
AeternoBlade ($3.99 | 73% off) until 2/23
Castle Conqueror EX ($1.99 | 50% off) until 3/9
Aqua Moto Racing 3D ($5.99 | 25% off) until 2/23
Swords & Soldiers 3D ($3.99 | 50% off) until 3/9
Art of Balance TOUCH! ($5.24 | 25% off) until 3/9
The Keep ($7.99 | 38%) until 3/16
The Legend of Kusakari ($2.49 | 50% off) until 2/23
Cube Creator 3D ($6.99 | 12% off) until 3/2
Pixel Paint ($2.99 | 25% off) until 2/23
Epic Word Search Holiday Special ($3.99 | 50% off) until 2/23
Soccer Up 3D ($1.97 | 34% off) until 3/2
Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai ($6.74 | 25% off) until 2/23
Van Helsing sniper Zx100 ($3.33 | 50% off) until 2/23
Strike Force Foxx ($3.99 | 20% off) until 3/2
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!
Written by Matthew Weidner
When it comes to playing and writing about video games, Matthew aspires to be the very best, like no one ever was. Writing for Nintendo Wire and the thought of one day finally achieving a perfect, no death Super Meat Boy run fills him with determination.
