This week’s European Nintendo Downloads are as follows:

Wii U VC

Pilotwings – €7.99 / £5.49

3DS retail

Project X Zone – €34.99 / £27.99

3DS download

Dress To Play: Magic Bubbles! – €3.99 / £3.59

3DS VC

Sonic Drift 2 – €3.99 / £3.59
Vampire: Master of Darkness – €4.99 / £4.49
G-LOC: Air Battle – €3.99 / £3.59

DSiWare

California Super Sports – €4.99 / £4.49 / 500 points

99Moves – €1.99 / £1.79 / 200 points

Wii VC

The King of Fighters ’99 – 900 points

eShop sales

Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition – €6.66, was €9.99 (£5.99, was £8.99) – 4/7/13 until 11/7/13, 23:59 CEST
Mighty Switch Force! – €3.99, was €5.99 (£3.59, was £5.39) – 4/7/13 until 11/7/13, 23:59 local time

Source: Nintendo PR

The first verdict for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is in, courtesy of this month’s ONM.

The latest in the handheld RPG series earned a 92% score. ONM praised the game for its “near constant drip-feed of barmy invention”, intelligent and unique approach to turn-based battles, and humor. The magazine ultimate said that Dream Team “is tirelessly inventive fun.”

Here’s an excerpt from the review:

It’s easy for a Dream Team Bros. review to become a list of neat stuff. It’s a game that introduces a new idea, mechanic or boss fight every half an hour for around 35 hours- and that’s without investing in side content: excavating stat-boosting beans, waking scattered Pi’illos, reassembling CCTV footage (don’t ask), an extra tough boss rush mode… It’s absolutely rammed and gets better the less you know, so we’ll draw a line under it there.

So it is that 3DS’s incredible first-party run continues. In the year that has given us the definitive Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing it only makes sense that AlphaDream should step up and deliver the best Mario and Luigi game yet.

Source

Individual formats

LW		TW			Title	Format	Label	Publisher
1		1			THE LAST OF US	PS3	SONY COMPUTER ENT.	SONY COMPUTER ENT.
–		2			MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION	XB360	MICROSOFT	MICROSOFT
2		3			ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF	3DS	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
–		4			THE SIMS 3: ISLAND PARADISE	PC	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
3		5			FIFA 13	XB360	EA SPORTS	ELECTRONIC ARTS
–		6			DEADPOOL	XB360	ACTIVISION	ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
–		7			COMPANY OF HEROES 2	PC	SEGA	SEGA
12		8			FIFA 13	PS3	EA SPORTS	ELECTRONIC ARTS
6		9			CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II	XB360	ACTIVISION	ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
–		10			DEADPOOL	PS3	ACTIVISION	ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
5		11			LUIGI’S MANSION 2	3DS	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
7		12			TOMB RAIDER	XB360	SQUARE ENIX	SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
9		13			INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US	XB360	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
8		14			TOMB RAIDER	PS3	SQUARE ENIX	SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
17		15			ASSASSIN’S CREED III	XB360	XBOX 360 CLASSICS	UBISOFT
15		16			GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION	PS3	SONY COMPUTER ENT.	SONY COMPUTER ENT.
18		17			FAR CRY 3	XB360	XBOX 360 CLASSICS	UBISOFT
11		18			FAR CRY 3	PS3	UBISOFT	UBISOFT
24		19			ASSASSIN’S CREED III	PS3	UBISOFT	UBISOFT
14		20			CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II	PS3	ACTIVISION	ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
10		21			DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS	3DS	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
19		22			LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER: THE CHASE BEGINS	3DS	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
21		23			INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US	PS3	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
16		24			DEAD ISLAND: RIPTIDE	XB360	DEEP SILVER	KOCH MEDIA
25		25			GRAND THEFT AUTO IV	XB360	XBOX 360 CLASSICS	TAKE 2
–		26			ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES	XB360	SEGA	SEGA
4		27			MAX PAYNE 3	PS3	ROCKSTAR	TAKE 2
30		28			BATTLEFIELD 3	XB360	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
26		29			FOOTBALL MANAGER 2013	PC	SEGA	SEGA
28		30			GRAND THEFT AUTO EPISODES – LIBERTY CITY	XB360	ROCKSTAR	TAKE 2
20		31			GRID 2	XB360	CODEMASTERS	CODEMASTERS
–		32			NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED	PS3	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
23		33			THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY	XB360	BETHESDA SOFTWORKS	BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
36		34			METRO LAST LIGHT	XB360	DEEP SILVER	KOCH MEDIA
22		35			GRID 2	PS3	CODEMASTERS	CODEMASTERS
–		36			THE SIMS 3: UNIVERSITY LIFE	PC	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
27		37			NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2	3DS	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
35		38			RED DEAD REDEMPTION: GOTY	XB360	ROCKSTAR	TAKE 2
31		39			BIOSHOCK INFINITE	XB360	2K GAMES	TAKE 2
38		40			NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED	XB360	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS

All formats

LW		TW			Title	Developer	Label	Publisher
1		1			THE LAST OF US	NAUGHTY DOG	SONY COMPUTER ENT.	SONY COMPUTER ENT.
–		2			MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION	4J STUDIOS	MICROSOFT	MICROSOFT
2		3			ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF	NINTENDO	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
3		4			FIFA 13	EA CANADA	EA SPORTS	ELECTRONIC ARTS
–		5			THE SIMS 3: ISLAND PARADISE	THE SIMS STUDIO	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
–		6			DEADPOOL	HIGH MOON STUDIOS	ACTIVISION	ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
4		7			TOMB RAIDER	CRYSTAL DYNAMICS	SQUARE ENIX	SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
6		8			CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II	TREYARCH	ACTIVISION	ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
9		9			ASSASSIN’S CREED III	UBISOFT (MONTREAL)	XBOX 360 CLASSICS	UBISOFT
–		10			COMPANY OF HEROES 2	RELIC	SEGA	SEGA
8		11			INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US	NETHERREALM STUDIOS	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
7		12			FAR CRY 3	UBISOFT (MONTREAL)	UBISOFT	UBISOFT
12		13			LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES	TRAVELLER’S TALES	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
18		14			NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED	CRITERION GAMES	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
11		15			LUIGI’S MANSION 2	NEXT LEVEL GAMES	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
13		16			THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY	BETHESDA	BETHESDA SOFTWORKS	BETHESDA SOFTWORKS
10		17			GRID 2	CODEMASTERS	CODEMASTERS	CODEMASTERS
14		18			DEAD ISLAND: RIPTIDE	TECHLAND	DEEP SILVER	KOCH MEDIA
–		19			ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES	GEARBOX SOFTWARE	SEGA	SEGA
16		20			GRAND THEFT AUTO IV	ROCKSTAR NORTH	XBOX 360 CLASSICS	TAKE 2
5		21			MAX PAYNE 3	ROCKSTAR VANCOUVER	ROCKSTAR	TAKE 2
23		22			GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION	SCEA SANTA MONICA	SONY COMPUTER ENT.	SONY COMPUTER ENT.
22		23			BATTLEFIELD 3	DIGITAL ILLUSIONS	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
20		24			LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS	TRAVELLER’S TALES	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE
19		25			BIOSHOCK INFINITE	IRRATIONAL GAMES	2K GAMES	TAKE 2
27		26			METRO LAST LIGHT	4A GAMES	DEEP SILVER	KOCH MEDIA
25		27			GRAND THEFT AUTO EPISODES – LIBERTY CITY	ROCKSTAR NORTH	ROCKSTAR	TAKE 2
17		28			DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS	MONSTER GAMES	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
28		29			RED DEAD REDEMPTION: GOTY	ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO	ROCKSTAR	TAKE 2
32		30			SKYLANDERS GIANTS	TOYS FOR BOB	SKYLANDERS	ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
24		31			LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER: THE CHASE BEGINS	TRAVELLER’S TALES	NINTENDO	NINTENDO
26		32			THE WALKING DEAD	TELLTALE GAMES	TELLTALE GAMES	TELLTALE GAMES
–		33			CRYSIS 3	CRYTEK	EA GAMES	ELECTRONIC ARTS
29		34			HITMAN ABSOLUTION	IO INTERACTIVE	SQUARE ENIX	SQUARE ENIX EUROPE
31		35			FOOTBALL MANAGER 2013	SPORTS INTERACTIVE	SEGA	SEGA
21		36			RUGBY CHALLENGE 2: LIONS TOUR EDITION	SIDHE	ALTERNATIVE	ALTERNATIVE
15		37			MOTOGP 13	MILESTONE STUDIOS	PQUBE	PQUBE
37		38			BORDERLANDS 2	GEARBOX SOFTWARE	2K GAMES	TAKE 2
30		39			TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 14	TIBURON ENTERTAINMENT	EA SPORTS	ELECTRONIC ARTS
36		40			SONIC & ALL STARS RACING TRANSFORMED	SUMO DIGITAL	SEGA	SEGA

Source 1, Source 2

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This side-scrolling motocross-inspired platformer made its debut on 3DS last week. Can it hold a candle to the best of what the eShop has to offer?

System: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: June 27th, 2013
Developer: Strangelands Ltd.
Publisher: Strangelands Ltd.
Cost: $7.99 ($5.59 until July 4th)

Author: Spencer

In the early-to-mid 2000s, if you ever had a class in school that was in the computer lab, chances are everyone was doing one thing — playing addicting Flash games. Such games were so addicting because they would provide plenty of levels, challenge, and frustration, and everyone was trying to get farther than their friends, or asking “if you got past that one part,” and if so, “HOW DID YOU DO IT?!”

Why am I mentioning flash games in a review for a 3DS game? Because Urban Trial Freestyle— like the games it takes obvious inspiration from, Trials Evolution and Trials HD— is heavily based on those old physics-challenge motocross flash games, which drew influence from the Motocross Maniacs games before that. I’m not going to be throwing around legal terms or calling anything a “blatant rip-off,” however, because regardless of originality, Urban Trial Freestyle is a very fun game.

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Author: Austin

Coming out of the vacuum that was the E3 show-floor, the last thing I expected to hear out of the gaming press was that Nintendo needed to “justify the existence of the Gamepad”. But alas, that is indeed what I heard! Writers weren’t terribly coy with their impression that we’ve yet to see a truly exceptional experience on the Wii U that couldn’t even remotely be done anywhere else, and they– by their count– certainly didn’t see anything like that at E3 this year.

Neglecting experiences like ZombiU or Nintendo Land (which is an understandable and deliberate oversight), they might be right: We haven’t yet seen a game that both uses the Gamepad in a truly creative way and manages to pass the level of critical acclaim that many people are looking for. But here’s my question “why is that what the Gamepad needs?”

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