The Nintendo Download – 11/12/2015

The “I seriously want to punch Konami in the throat” edition.

Konami’s gotten a lot of bad press lately, but this? Today’s slight feels downright personal. But we’ll get into that momentarily; first, on to business.

Nintendo Badge Arcade for Nintendo 3DS – A “free to start” game that allows you to acquire “badges” that you can use to label folders and decorate your Nintendo 3DS Home menu with. Just know that this game uses real money, too!

Stella Glow for Nintendo 3DS – Available November 17th, you’ll need to use your weapons, magic, and strategy to defeat the Witch of Destruction, thereby saving the world.

Horse Life 4 for Nintendo 3DS – I accidentally misread this title as “Horse 4 Life”, and it seemed a lot more interesting in that moment. Then I clicked the link and… yeah, it’s pretty much what you’d expect. Up to four players can create and customize their character and one of 12 breeds of horses for missions and competitions.

JOHNNY’S PAYDAY PANIC – Full and Demo Versions for Nintendo 3DS – Johnny wants to be a Big Shot, but first he’s got to get paid! Take on a number of jobs at various establishments with their own unique challenges, making customers’ orders just the way they ask!

Moco Moco Friends for Nintendo 3DS – Available November 17th, become the Plushkin Master by gathering loads of cuddly monsters and building up your skills in this twist on the role playing game genre.

Samurai Defender – Demo Version for Nintendo 3DS – Not sure if this defense-style game is your cup of tea? Then try the free demo!

Monster High: New Ghoul in School for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U – Available November 17th, get to know your new classmates at Monster High, but beware as the student body has fallen under the control of Spookenhamen’s curse!

Girls Like Robots for Wii U – One or two players work to try to place everyone on the grid next to others they’ll get along with. Can you make a perfect match?

Test Your Mind for Wii U – “Trick questions, puzzles, tests of memory, and more!” Can you keep up with the ever-changing rules and figure out what’s needed to pass the test?

Word Party – Full and Demo Versions for Wii U – Up to five players need to think fast in these 28 mini-games, “featuring bees, robots, fish, spaceships and more.” Word search, anagrams, and crosswords are among the challenges you’ll face at this party.

Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX for Wii U – I’m pretty sure that my hands and Konami’s throat are one day destined to meet. Just two days ago, I was lamenting on Twitter about how they have still not given us the original Contra for the Nintendo Entertainment System on Virtual Console — any Virtual Console — while sequels Super C and Contra III: The Alien Wars have been on every Nintendo platform whose VC will support them (so Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U for Super C, Wii and Wii U for Contra III).

So what do they give me today? Contra! But not the right Contra.

As you might have figured out, Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX is the Game Boy Advance version of the aforementioned twice-released Contra III. This one lacks the two-player co-op of the original, and replaces the two top-down stages with two that were taken from Contra: Hard Corps for the SEGA Genesis — another Virtual Console no-show I’d love to play, but not like this.

Okay, so I know this isn’t really aimed at me — in writing this, I learned that Europe got this game last week, and they obviously planned this out ahead. All the same, it’s still quite grating/galling that they won’t release the original, particularly as I’ve been holding off on buying any of them until the first is available so I can marathon the three main games.

Theme Shop on Nintendo 3DS

This week’s new theme is Stella Glow : “The Witches and Bubu.”

Nintendo eShop Sales (Taken directly from Nintendo’s press release; prices in USD)

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
  • Turtle Tale for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS is 40 percent off (reduced from $2.99 to $1.79) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Nov. 26.
• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • Affordable Space Adventures is 20 percent off (reduced from $19.99 to $15.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Nov. 26.
  • Roving Rogue is 25 percent off (reduced from $7.99 to $5.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Nov. 26.
  • Blok Drop U, DON’T CRASH and more games from RCMADIAX Games are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 6.
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • ​Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl and Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight are on sale starting at 9 a.m. PT on Nov. 16 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Nov. 30.
  • TOYS VS MONSTERS is 75 percent off (reduced from $3.99 to $0.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 10.

Activities

You Have a New Client Waiting! – In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, a most unexpected client has arrived: Felyne from Capcom’s Monster Hunter! Available for a limited time through SpotPass, you’ll want to check the in-game Nintendo 3DS on the second floor of Nook’s Homes so you can help this Hunter out and get a bevy of Monster Hunter-themed items for your catalog.

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. “Emerald City” Tournament – You know the drill by now: compete online in Nintendo’s Public Tournaments to be the best, earning bragging rights and a unique title. This one runs from November 13th to November 16th.

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For more information, screens, and videos for each of this week’s releases, click on the corresponding links above.

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David Oxford is a freelance writer of many varied interests. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.