Two new games will be available on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console next week. They are as follows:
Metal Marines (Super Famicom, 823 yen)
Sky Kid (Famicom, 514 yen)
The games above are hitting the Japanese eShop on March 4.
At one point, Pipeworks Software was planning an original board game style IP for Wii U. The project ended up being cancelled for unspecified reasons. Pipeworks is said to have been making Wii U games through 2012 and 2013.
The company did end up with a couple of titles on Wii U. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy were originally published by THQ, and are now owned by Nordic Games.
GravBlocks+ was announced for the Wii U last June. On Thursday, the game will finally launch on the eShop.
Here’s the official overview:
GravBlocks+ is a new and different take on the traditional match-three style puzzle game. Rather than building combos the old fashioned way, the gameplay is designed around strategic planning and changing gravity and earn Score Multipliers. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds! The walls are filled with Destruction Hazards, and dropping blocks into those Hazards instantly resets the Score Multiplier. Using a Wild Block closes the Hazards making gravity changes safer, but players need to plan well for these moments!
This exclusive Wii U eShop game features:
Five gameplay modes with animated backgrounds!
Saving high scores for Challenge and Zen modes!
80 Accomplishments, with nearly 20 unlockables!
Insane alien abduction story with over 90 levels!
150 challenging puzzles!
Off-TV play, left or right-handed options, and color-blind friendly!
GravBlocks+ was originally planned for release last summer. It’s unknown why its development took longer than expected, but it won’t be much longer until it comes to the eShop.
USAopoly has two more Nintendo-related products coming out this year.
The first, Yahtzee: The Legend of Zelda, is arriving in late spring. It features a treasure chest dice cup and multi-colored dice. No word on pricing just yet.
TACDEX: Super Mario is also arriving this winter. USAopoly Marketing Manager Cindy Saylor told ICv2:
“This is the only Super Mario card game out there. It’s very similar to playing War, but it has a battle marker that allows you to suddenly change the game dynamics from ‘win with a high card’ to ‘win with a low card.’”
TACDEX: Super Mario is intended for two players ages 8 and up. Pricing is set at $9.95.
Thanks to Yoko for the tip.
Remember: Zen Pinball 2’s Iron & Steel Pack is coming to Wii U at some point. It’s just a matter of when!
Headstrong Games, the developer behind the Art Academy and Battalion Wars titles, may have an unannounced Wii U game in the works. Former programmer Callum Brighting lists the project on his LinkedIn profile, which is apparently not the Wii U version of Art Academy. It’s unclear if it’s still in the works, or was cancelled.
