This week in the Nintendo eShop: Ultra Street Fighter II KOs your wallet, Astro Duel Deluxe puts the steroids in Asteroids, and The Girl and the Robot channels its inner Ico.
Last call for significant discounts on indie titles Mutant Mudds Super Challenge and Xeodrifter! Both are available on either 3DS or Wii U for just $2.49 a piece for the next week: a 75% savings for some truly epic platformers. Mighty No. 9 is getting a mighty numbered discount for anyone curious just how frustrating the Blue Bomber inspired action title can be. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, finding it chock-full of empty promises and missed potential thanks to bland art direction, poor level design and sluggish controls.
SWITCH RETAIL
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (Capcom, $39.99 | available 5/26) – The most iconic (and unabashedly re-released) fighting game of all time is making a comeback on Switch this week! While it doesn’t offer much new in terms of gameplay to justify that outrageous price point, this classic clash of world warriors does feature swappable pixel-art graphics, a host of new single/multiplayer modes, and all the original characters you’ve grown accustomed to pummeling over the years — including semi-newcomers Evil Ryu and Violent Ken. Our very own Ricky Berg — lover of all things Capcom and Ōkami themed cocktail enthusiast — took to the streets for some Hadouken slinging action, finding it to be the most complete and appealing iteration of the 2D fighter to date: a more than worthy contender for holding up Capcom’s illustrious legacy.
SWITCH DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE
Astro Duel Deluxe (Panic Button, $14.99 | available 5/30) – Astro Duel Deluxe is a frenetic competitive local multiplayer party game where up to six players duke it out in asteroid-studded starfields for galactic glory. It’s essentially classic Asteroids with a heavy emphasis on the ‘steroids’ bit, right down to its 8-bit aesthetic, binary control scheme and ‘80s arcade-era action. The game’s even been souped up on Switch with entirely new ways to play – from Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers to a multiplayer touch screen mode requiring the portable system to be laid flat on its back. If a tense series of standoffs punctuated by chaotic outbursts and some light* cursing sounds like your kind of Friday night, clear this gut-busting space shooter for landing in your digital libraries.
*Disclaimer: Profanities will most definitely not be on the lighter side.
Arcade Archives – The King of Fighters ‘99 (Hamster Corporation, $7.99) – This sixth installment in SNK’s classic King of Fighters series brought a ton of refreshing ideas and changes to its typical 2D brawling action. Most notably, players could now choose three characters to use in tag team fashion, with a fourth member becoming the designated “Striker.” It’s basically staple KOF gameplay with a touch of Marvel vs. Capcom’s battle system mixed in. Despite being met with harsh criticism by many die hard fans who found MvC’s inspiration to be more an unbefitting novelty than proper game mode, it’s still a worthwhile followup for anyone looking to accompany tomorrow’s Street Fighter reboot with even more delicious ‘90s nostalgia.
3DS DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE
Drone Fight (Circle Entertainment, $3.99) – If you’re looking for a thrilling racing game on 3DS that isn’t Mario Kart 7… maybe keep looking. Drone Fight lets you pilot the high pitched squeals of four plastic model drones through what looks like a backyard obstacle course built for a toddler’s fourth birthday party. (Granted, the scorpion themed aircraft does look pretty cool). Regrettably, there are no multiplayer modes, with single-player consisting of either lackluster CPU races or tackling time trials for high score chasing. Admittedly, it’s way more polished than a good chunk of bargain bin eShop offerings, and under the right lens, its mecha aesthetic could be likened to a mini-modeled version of Sega’s ‘90s classic game Virtual On. On second thought, scratch that. I’m probably being way too generous.
3DS ADD-ON CONTENT
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – Season Pass – (Nintendo, $44.99) – Fire Emblem Echoes is set to receive an entire battalion of downloadable content in the coming month. For those who already plan on purchasing all five packs, Nintendo’s making a Season Pass readily available right out of the (Outrealm) gate. While that price tag may sound steep, consider the fact you’ll be saving more than 30% versus buying each piece of content individually. Not too shabby, if you ask me.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – DLC Pack #2: Undaunted Heroes (Nintendo, $9.99) – This second bundle includes maps and dungeons specifically designed to aid seasoned champions in the latter stages of their adventure, custom tailored for farming better items, higher yields of gold and greater experience gains.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – DLC Pack #3: Lost Altars (Nintendo, $14.99) – This third bundle includes a set of altars that grant power beyond normal human limits, allowing characters who have reached their maximum level to ascend to new, exclusive classes.
WII U DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE
The Girl and the Robot (Flying Carpet Games, $9.99) – Receiving its humble beginnings on Kickstarter, The Girl and the Robot boasts a fairy-tale inspired action adventure casting players as both halves of the titular duo as they work together to escape a skybound prison ruled by a maliciously evil queen. Its water color aesthetic and endearing protagonists ooze with charm, evoking nostalgic memories of some of Studio Ghibli’s older animations and narratives. Unfortunately, the unique marriage of puzzle-platforming gameplay is marred down by abysmal controls, poorly implemented combat mechanics and a general lack of graphical polish — including clipped looking animations, extremely sparse environments and black frames flashing in between cutscenes. Overall, it’s a prime example of a game rife with great ideas and promise regrettably sullied by poor implementation.
Block Zombies! (Nostatic Software, $4.99) – Twenty schmeckles says you know exactly how this game plays out just from the title alone. Yup, that’s right! As you correctly assumed, Block Zombies is a twin stick shooter where you endlessly slaughter wave after wave of the undead until you inevitably succumb to their grubby, brain craved hands. While the voxel art style is admittedly endearing, combat feels sluggish and maps are a tad too large and barren for my liking. A bit of claustrophobia could have gone a long way in helping raise the stakes and significantly increase tension. As it stands right now, a recommendation would have been a no-brainer (see what I did there) if it matched the original one dollar price tag of its Xbox Live counterpart. For the brief hour or two of enjoyment packaged here, you might want to consider letting this one rest in peace.
SPECIAL OFFERS AND DEALS
[3DS] Xeodrifter ($2.49 | 75% off) until 6/1
[3DS] Mutant Mudds Super Challenge ($2.49 | 75% off) until 6/1
[3DS] Mutant Mudds ($2.24 | 75% off) until 6/1
[3DS] Retro City Rampage DX ($4.99 | 50% off) until 6/15
[3DS] Nano Assault EX ($7.49 | 25% off) until 6/15
[3DS] AeternoBlade ($7.99 | 46% off) until 6/22
[3DS] Bomb Monkey ($0.74 | 75% off) until 6/1
[3DS] Demon King Box ($1.99 | 50% off) until 6/8
[3DS] Brunch Panic ($1.99 | 50% off) until 6/8
[3DS] Castle Conqueror EX ($1.99 | 50% off) until 6/8
[3DS] Sword & Soldiers 3D ($3.99 | 50% off) until 6/8
[3DS] Art of Balance TOUCH! ($5.20 | 25% off) until 6/1
[3DS] Color Zen ($2.99 | 25% off) until 6/22
[Wii U] Mighty No. 9 ($7.99 | 60% off) until 5/31
[Wii U] Xeodrifter ($2.49 | 75% off) until 6/1
[Wii U] Mutant Mudds Super Challenge ($2.49 | 75% off) until 6/1
[Wii U] Mutant Mudds Deluxe ($2.49 | 75% off) until 6/1
[Wii U] Blue-Collar Astronaut ($6.70 | 33% off) until 5/29
[Wii U] Swap Fire ($7.49 | 50% off) until 5/27
[Wii U] Soul Axiom ($7.49 | 50% off) until 6/15
[Wii U] B3 Game Expo for Bees ($3.99 | 20% off) until 5/31
[Wii U] Cube Life: Pixel Action Heroes ($5.94 | 15% off) until 6/19
[Wii U] Cube Life: Island Survival ($6.99 | 30% off) until 6/19
[Wii U] Abyss ($0.79 | 60% off) until 6/1
[Wii U] Color Zen ($1.49 | 50% off) until 6/19
[Wii U] Astral Breakers ($2.49 | 50% off) until 5/29
[Wii U] Wicked Monsters BLAST! HD+ ($1.59 | 80% off) until 6/15
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.
