[NEWS] Nintendo US Digital Download Highlights 31st July 2015

The weekly updates continues. This week:

WiiU eshop Downloads and Sales

New Downloads
BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition
Xeodrifter
Just Dance 2016  (demo)
Kirby Squeak Squad (virtual console, DS)
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (virtual console, N64)
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land (virtual console, Wii)
Endless Golf

Sales
Elliot Quest is 15 percent off (reduced from $12.99 to $10.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on 13th August.
High Strangeness is 50 percent off (reduced from $9.99 to $4.99) beginning at 9 a.m. PT on Aug. 3 until 8:59 a.m. PT on 9th August.
99Moves, Abyss and Rock Zombie from EnjoyUp are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on 27th August.

Price reduction
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham has been reduced to $19.99 (from $29.99).

Updates
New Splatoon Update splashing in on the 5th of August. Check that date off and prepare to splat about!

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3DS eshop Downloads and Sales

New Downloads
Best of Board Games – Mahjong
Best of Board Games – Solitaire
Flick Golf 3D

Sales
Castle Conqueror Defender, Demon King Box and Quell Memento from Circle Entertainment are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on 20th August.
Toys vs. Monsters is 50 percent off (reduced from $3.99 to $1.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on 23th August.

Theme Shop on Nintendo 3DS:
–Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 : Classic Theme

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Alongside these are the new Miiverse changes and the Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. “Sink or Swim” Tournament, running from 31st July to 9th August.

This week’s 3DS offerings is rather bare… but hey, at least there’s Streets of Rage 2 3D and Binding of Issac Rebirth to last the year, no?

[NEWS] Terraria chipping it’s way early 2016

It’s more or less confirmed now, Terraria is on it’s way to the 3DS and the WiiU. This from the publisher 505 Games and the devs at Re-Logic.

Both versions of Terraria will have touchscreen controls. Not sure what they have in mind for it yet, but something to keep an eye out for.

More importantly, multiplayer has also been confirmed for both versions. On the 3DS you’re able to go adventuring with 3 others in local multiplayer. On the WiiU, a four player split-screen offline mode is available as it the option to take the game online to a maximum of up to 8 players building and fighting together in the same world.

Oh also, if you wanna try out the game early head over to GamesCom this August… that said I’ve not much information on the event so here’s a hastily slapped on hyperlink for you.

It’s been some time coming, and while it’s a bit of an old game at this point, I wouldn’t mind dropping into the world once more. Especially since my last outing with the title was on my PC so very long ago in single player.

[NEWS] Miiverse Update is Live

Like it or not, the Miiverse has now undergone significant changes. Highlighted are:

• Screen Shot Album – A private album that can only be viewed by the player and can only hold up to 100 screen shots from a variety of games and can be sorted such. The relatively low number of space is a bit worrying. Does that mean any screenshot we upload to a Miiverse post will be deleted if we run out of space in our album or is that a seperate thing altogether…
• Play Journal – “A place for players to record their game experiences by writing journal entries about games as they play them. Creating a journal entry is as easy as opening Miiverse while playing a compatible game, and each entry will include a screen shot that shows exactly what was happening in the game when the player pressed the HOME button. The new Play Journal feature replaces the ability for users to post directly to their own activity feeds.” I’ve left most of this description as it form the press statement as I’m not too clear on whether again pictures will start getting deleted after 100 shots, or that you can’t take any more, etc etc…
• New Look – In the main community for each Wii U and Nintendo 3DS game, posts will be categorized into three sections:
  • Play Journal Entries – Screenshot journal entries fall in here. Again with the limitations, I hope it won’t be too restrictive on how much one can post here.
  • Drawings – For all your oekaki purposes… The community section will feature post in order of popularity I gather.
  • Discussions – Questions? Just wanna talk about a game? Slap a tag on it and put it out for all those in the community to see.

If you haven’t already, give it a check on your 3DS/WiiU or over at their browser site here and see what you think of it and all. I’d need more time to play around with it to fully grasp the changes and their consequences.

Oh, also if you’re wondering what the changes actually look like, here’s a peek if you haven’t seen already:

[NEWS] Drel building up for an Autumn WiiU release

So… what is Drel? In brief writing, it seems to be a puzzle game where you control an orbiting… thing of sorts and have to go about building a high enough tower. Over the course of the game you may encounter other players in a Journey-like style where they can help in building the tower. In video form (swearing warning if needed):

It showcases rather neatly how fun the game can be and it’s coming to the WiiU. What’s even cooler is the fact that the developers fought for cross-platform play… and they got it! The game’s director Christian Etter says:

Dreii is all about connecting people. Once opening the game you will be secretly connected with all other players, in real time and across the globe. In the concept version this was only possible on specific devices. Being truly about uniting everybody we sat down with the people from all popular game platforms and talked to them about letting their players connect with the players from the rival platforms

It took a lot of persuasion, but now we’re extremely happy to release Dreii on all seven major game platforms and let everybody play with each other – across different cultural and technical setups.

This will be on my list for definites. Catch you guys around if you decide to get it too!

(source: 1, 2)

[NEWS] Splatoon to unleash a torrent of content, 5th August

 

So what’s in this big update?

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Firstly there are two newly introduced weapon types, one of which is a bucket like thing. With this you go around the battleground sloshing its contents all over the place. I’m assuming it’ll have awesome coverage but a rather pitiable ink supply (as anyone who wields buckets of liquid around can probably attest to). The second weapon is a gattling (splattling?) gun… This will probably be something I have to try out, if only for it’s coolness factor. With this I’m assuming one will have to charge up the gun before firing, but then again I don’t have it in front of me so this is all speculation.

Besides these, two new match making modes will be added: Squad Battle and Private Battle. It can be a little involved in explaining these modes, so I’ll quote the press release:

In Squad Battle, players can participate in Ranked Battle rule sets with friends, rather than being teamed up with other players through a random selection. After a player creates a squad, friends can be recruited to form a team of two to four Inklings. Friends will always play together on the same team and battle against other squads at random.

In Private Battle, friends can splat it up in private, customizable matches. Two to eight friends can battle together by selecting their favorite map, mode and weapons. The number of participants ranges from 1v1 to 4v4, but teams don’t have to be even: If the host chooses, he or she can select a 1v4, 1v2, or any other combination of players.

A welcome addition indeed for those with mates who just wanna play together. An additional nice touch with the team of two inklings in Squad Battles for those times when you can’t get all your friends online.

To go with this, the update will elevate the level cap to heavenly ground at 50 and add to the rank battles two more ranks above A+, S and S+. Given the amount it takes to go from 15 to 20 for myself (read: ages), suspect this will satisfy the majority of players looking for loftier goals to aim for. Then again, there will always be those slightly manic players who will see this as a challenge and cap their levels within a week or so. From this we may see more articles on the developers worrying about the health of those concerned, or maybe not.

With more levels comes more unlockable gear, a whopping 40 pieces of gear (including the sushi chef outfit below) confirmed. Splatoon’s sense of fashion is very well known by now and I look forward to obtaining these articles of trendiness that I know I will not be able to pull off in real life.

Splatoon continues to impress content-wise as this update isn’t the end. More is expected to come aling with the Rainmaker Ranked Battle mode, more maps and more weapons. Personally, I hope that little Octoling picture below is more thank just a tease. Also, more single-player campaign anyone?

 

Oh and a footnote, the Urchin Underpass looks to be taken out from the stage rotation for maintenance from the 2nd to the 5th of August. One wonders what they’ll do with the place…

(source: 1, 2)