E Shop and Downloadables Discussion

PIER SOLAR HD, balla

I know, but it didn't have the most thrilling of trailers. Looked all very SNES and quite slow. I'm still likely to pick it up, but I'd like to see some scores. There's not much on Metacritic, and Wikipedia gives it two 90%s and a 69%.

It was a 64MEG Mega Drive game, so I wouldn't really be hoping for it to look like that much better then it does even with the HD shine.

Best review of it.

So, I'm really impressed by the graphics on Pure Chess. The animal pieces are amazing quality.

It's not had to make something very pretty if it's so still though.  Also, I feel guilty for Yeahing your doge-themed Miiverse post, but it made me smile.  

On another topic, here's a gameplay trailer for Mighty No. 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acQj71oGAB8  (Hope the link works: can't test it at work.)

EDIT: Coo, looks nice. Good boss designs too. Also, No. 7 looks like a cross between Hiryu and Zero.

I'd love to support Pure Chess for the developers' efforts alone (cross platform play on Wii U!).

It's interesting looking at the path the developers took with the visuals. As detailed as it is, it's quite an approach. My way of thinking is this: since it's chess on a virtual screen, where the laws of gravity don't exist and materials don't exist, I'd go for something more abstract that still represents the rules of the game and is still identifiable as chess.

In other words, I wouldn't go for something that looks so skeuomorphic with real materials and real chess pieces on a real board.

Ooh get you with your skeuomorphisms.  

Anyway, who fancies over 50 Unity-developed games?  Funny: I seem to remember Nintendo saying something along these lines last year...

All good and well, but I really hope Nintendo and some of it's closer, more reputable partners have eShop content in the works. That's been almost a year-and-a-half since the Wii U eShop launched, yet it arguably still doesn't have a flagship title. Stuff like NES Remix and Dr. Luigi are decent in the same way Excitebike World Challenge and WarioWare D.I.Y. were on WiiWare, but it doesn't take away from the fact that eShop doesn't yet have it's World of Goo, MotorHeroz, Hydroventure or MaBoShi. You know, games that enhance the service by, you know, being dead good. It's all a bit 'meh' at the moment.

At least we get decent discounts, mind.

Agreed that it does currently need more but I have to say that cloudberry kingdom is a must play e shop game, shame that stuff like scram kitty & shovel knight have been pushed back a little........is this a sign of a poor approval system or devs wanting to give them a bit of extra polish?

I still reckon the e shop is about to explode with greatness this year.

Shovel Knight's developer did say that they wanted to add a bit of extra polish. I think that the SKs are the eShop's best chance at killer apps. until the multiformat Hyper Light Drifter.

I still don't have Cloudberry Kingdom, but given our differing responses to Steamworld, I'm guessing that I'm less tolerant of procedurally generated worlds than most.

I wouldn't say Cloudberry was a must have. It's a decentish platformer on a console that only has platformers. Also it's on everything under the sun so it's not selling e shop all that well.

Aye, I'd agree with that. It's fine to have multiplats, but I definitely wouldn't object to some more exclusives. WiiWare houses versions of Castlevania, Contra, Excitebike and Final Fantasy that can't be found anywhere else, as well as the Ace Attorney, Art Style and Bit.Trip series, and in addition to Hydroventure, MaBoShi, and Bonsai Barber, amongst others. I think most of those were there in the first eighteen months too.

What's Wii U got? Not a whole bunch, by comparison. It isn't bad...but it isn't good either.

This Week

Wii U Virtual Console

Super Mario Kart £5.49
Mighty Bomb Jack £3.49
Ninja Gaiden £3.49)

Wii U eShop Special Offer

Purchase Super Mario Kart between 27/03/2014 and 30/06/2014 and receive a £5.49 discount off the Wii U eShop release of Mario Kart 8.

Wii U eShop Temporary Discount

F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition £9.99 until 3rd April

Advance Wars (GBA) will be released on the VC on the 3rd April.

Whilst Advance Wars is not one I'll be going for, it's good to see the service starting up. 

Also: Mario & Luigi SS and Metroid Fusion.

10th:
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
Wario Ware Inc.

17th:
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Golden Sun

24th:
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island

All at £6.29. That's my otherwise empty-looking April sorted, then.

Definitely interested in getting Golden Sun and Advance Wars. Might pick up M&L at some point to see if I can finally beat it.

Advance wars and M&L: SS will do me nicely.

If they ever release WarioWare Twisted, I would but it instantly.

It's like that's what the gamepad's accelerometers were made for! HOW CAN THEY NOT.

...because Nintendo logic, probably, but yes that would be great.

Question: do people think that £6.29 per game is reasonable?

Considering it's £5.39 for GBC titles on the 3DS eShop (I think?) I think 90p more is fair enough for substantially more advanced games. And it's cheaper than something like Mutant Mudds or Hydroventure.

That's Superstar Saga and Golden Sun invading my April, then. Happy days, seeing as mas's April boxed release thread held the square root of nothing for me.

As for £6.29... I'll pay it and not quibble. I've spent more for less substantial games in the past.

That's just nothing, then, you pretentious mathsy person.  

Apparently, a lot of the indie games have been delayed due to Microsoft's launch parity clause. (AKA, the same thing responsible for Rayman.)

A lot of the GBA games? That makes no sense!