My apologies for being a day late on this week's Nintendo Download post but...actually, I really don't have a good excuse this week so let's get on with it shall we? This week's big eShop release was Shovel Knight on the Wii U and 3DS. In Shovel Knight you play as a knight on a quest to defeat the evil enchantress and search for his lost beloved. Sounds like many games from the classic era, doesn't it? The catch here though is that your weapon is the Shovel Blade, "a multipurpose weapon with techniques that have been lost to the ages". Each version has system-exclusive activities that you can partake in. With the Wii U version you can read in-game messages from other players or write your own messages via Miiverse, while the 3DS version lets two Shovel Knights battle in the exclusive StreetPass Battle Arena.
For the Virtual Console, I'm happy to see that the quality titles keep coming with Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. The third game in the Castlevania series (and the last one on the NES) returns to the side-scrolling platforming that made the first game a hit, but expands on it a bit. Set before the events of the original game, you control Trevor Belmont in his quest to defeat Dracula as well as three partners you can find through out the game: Syfa, Grant, and Alucard. Each partner has their own special abilities and sub-weapons to use, and you can only have one partner at a time so choose wisely.
If you've been wanting to try out Wii Sports Club, you can now try out all five games for free for 48 hours. Once you initiate play on the game between now and 11:59 p.m. PT on December 31st, you have 48 hours to enjoy all five sports. This is in addition to th e24 hour trial offer for first time users of the digital version.
That takes care of the major hits to the eShops this week, but continue reading for more info as well as other offers taking place.
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- This week??s Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:
Play as the eponymous Shovel Knight, a small knight with a huge quest: to defeat the evil Enchantress and search for his lost beloved. (Photo: Business Wire)
Also new this week:
In addition to video games available at retail stores, Nintendo also offers a variety of content that people can download directly to their systems. Nintendo adds new games weekly to the Nintendo eShop on the Wii U system, as well as the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 2DS and Nintendo 3DS XL systems, the Nintendo DSi?? Shop for the Nintendo DSi system and the Wii?? Shop Channel for the Wii console.
The Nintendo eShop is a cash-based service that features a wide variety of content, including new and classic games, applications and demos. Users can add money to their account balances by using a credit card or purchasing a Nintendo eShop Card at a retail store and entering the code from the card. All funds from one card must be loaded in the Nintendo eShop on either Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, but can be used in either Nintendo eShop if the systems are linked to a single Nintendo Network account.
The Wii Shop Channel offers games and applications and uses Wii Points??, which can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel. The Nintendo DSi Shop offers games and applications and uses Nintendo DSi Points??, which can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Wii Points Card?? and Nintendo DSi Points Card?? can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one card must be redeemed in either the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, respectively. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.
Remember that Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu, http://www.nintendo.com/wii, http://www.nintendo.com/3ds or http://www.nintendo.com/ds.