Castlevania II: Simon's QuestEtrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium GirlF1 Race Stars: Powered Up EditionUnepic
Wii U Original Download Games
Unepic ($9.99)Unepic, ported to Wii U courtesy of EnjoyUp Games, originally came out on PC in 2011 and was designed by one person. While it might have been out in the wild for a while, it doesn’t make the game any less intriguing. It’s side-scrolling 2D RPG where you control Daniel, a kid from present day who may or may not be hallucinating that he is in a huge, (un?)epic video game. Different endings and upgrades litter the experience, which even features some meta writing that, along with the style of gameplay, might delight fans of Guacamelee.
F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition ($TBA)
F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition, which first came out on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in 2012, is an over-the-top F1 racing game that makes it more Mario Kart than Gran Turismo. It features official F1 cars, but also makes use of power-ups, big jumps, and huge obstacles. Split-screen multiplayer is available in addition to a single-player mode. The “Powered Up” portion refers to four extra tracks and an accessory package that were originally DLC in the older versions.
Wii U Virtual Console
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest ($4.99)Do you love obtuse games? No? Neither do I. Unfortunately, Castlevania II is a really unfriendly game. If you love exploration and trail-blazing game mechanics, though, then living or reliving Simon’s Quest might be worthwhile. Travel through towns, explore the non-linear world, and solve puzzles. Playing Simon’s Quest is like playing the original Metroid. It’s full of cool ideas that aren’t executed all that well, but it’s still worth checking out if you really love the genre or series. If you bought this on Wii, you can upgrade it to Wii U for $1.
3DS Virtual Console
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest ($4.99)Do you love obtuse games? No? Neither do I. Unfortunately, Castlevania II is a really unfriendly game. If you love exploration and trail-blazing game mechanics, though, then living or reliving Simon’s Quest might be worthwhile. Travel through towns, explore the non-linear world, and solve puzzles. Playing Simon’s Quest is like playing the original Metroid. It’s full of cool ideas that aren’t executed all that well, but it’s still worth checking out if you really love the genre or series.
Sales
Etrian Odyssey Untold SaleThe most recent Etrian Odyssey game is available for $20 in the eShop from January 20 to January 27. That’s $20 of savings! It’s half off!
Aqua Moto Racing 3D Sale
On the 3DS, Aqua Moto Racing 3D is $4.49, discounted from $5.99, until January 23.
Darts Up 3D Sale
Darts Up 3D is down from its usual $2.99 price to $1.49 until January 30. Neal Ronaghan routinely plays Dungeons & Dragons only to get teleported into the world of Actraiser. He knows it’s weird. Follow him on Twitter at @nron10 and check out www.nintendoworldreport.com to help him cope.