Wash away 2012 with Fluidity: Spin Cycle, or just pass these remaining days with any number of today's Nintendo Downloads.
With 2012 drawing to a close, it's time for us to look back and reflect on the terrific games we've had digitally delivered to our eager mitts. Or, as this week's Nintendo Download's would have you believe, now is the time to release a few more pieces of great entertainment, and inevitably throw that whole "Best Games of 2012" process out of whack. What games stand to make 2012 a year to remember? On the 3DS eShop we've got Fluidity: Spin Cycle, Johnny Impossible, Mahjong 3D - Warriors of the Emperor, Mega Man and Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels. If DSiWare is the flavor you savor, watch out for Goooooal America, Jump Trials Extreme, and Wizard Defenders. And of course, the caboose to our eShop train, the Wii's Virtual Console, brings along Shock Troopers 2nd Squad. Happy New Year's to you and yours!
3DS eShop Games:
Looking for a video game that can hold water? Ready to douse yourself with some natural entertainment? Parched for an eShop title that can quench your thirst? Well, Fluidity: Spin Cycle can do all that, but it's really weird how all your questions are based around liquid. Real coincidence there. Anyway, I hope you're feeling nimble, as this new title from Curve Studios has you rotating your 3DS to control a puddle of water as it splashes throughout a storybook adventure, solving whatever puzzles a pint of water can (or steam and an ice cube for that matter).
The stealth genre has never been stronger, and Johnny isn't one to sit by and watch everyone else get in on all the fun. Positive that he too can find overly-secured factories, Johnny sets out to evade the enemy at all costs, sneaking his way through the workings of Solid City. Stop Mr.Wang and attack from the shadows, for they will conceal whatever dirty deeds you commit to.
Mahjong 3D - Warriors of the Emperor - $9.99
It's Mahjong with a twist; your successes and failures will decide the fate of ancient China! Challenge armies, letting your Mahjong skills do all battling for you. Who wants to deal with all that violence anyways? Certainly not me. I'm sure most of life's problems could be solved with a game of Operation. With over 80 levels to play through, uniting China seems like quite the lengthy task, but I'm sure you're up to it.
3DS Virtual Console:
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels - $4.99
Instead of going the bizarre-o route seen in many NES sequels (see Castlevania and The Legend of Zelda series), Nintendo decided to go all rude on us and release this brutal platformer instead. Sure, we had to wait seven years before we got the chance to play it here in North America, but those years allowed us to train for the brutal ways of The Lost Levels.
Quick, celebrate Mega Man's 25th anniversary with this Virtual Console release of the blue bomber's first adventure. Mow down Cut Man, Fire Man, Guts Man, Elec Man, Ice Man, and Bomb Man as you blast your way to Dr. Wily and end his menacing ways. Looking back, it's a little sad knowing that our little humanoid buddy would have to face this evil so many times, and would never get to enjoy robot-childhood. Maybe instead of viewing his recent activity as a hiatus, we can think of it as him taking a little break.
DSiWare Games:
Goooooal America - $4.99 / 500 Points
Looking like sooooome sooooort ooooof bizarre fooooosball table, Goooooal America has players bending players at will to win one odd game of Soccer. In this turn-based sports title, the game's board is perfectly flat, with the area around the immobile player's feet dented in. With the ball in your team's possession, players pull back on the selected player, and allow physics to take care of the rest. The ball shoots out of the divided area and hopefully into the opponent's net. And if you wish you make things even weirder, allow the ball to turn into a bomb from time to time. It'll really leave an impression.
Jump Trials Extreme - $1.99 / 200 Points
That's right, Jump Trials is Extreme, and there's no going back. With over 100 new stages, Jump Trials Extreme is upping the ante with much larger play areas, meaning you better make good use of those 10 seconds you have. Jump around the stages as Jump Trials Extreme taps into every platformer ever made and finds just what it'll take to break you. Spikes, disappearing blocks, and conveyor belts are hardly representative of the lunacy at play here.
Wizard Defenders - $1.99 / 200 Points
In this Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes-esque puzzler, hold your puzzle like a book as it tells the tale of an enemy army that attacks from the left, and a ragtag army of do-gooders that fight back on the right (and touch-screenier) side. Organize your heroes, matching their colors to take down the enemies as they advance upon thee! Match three as best you can; your countrymen depend on it.
Wii Virtual Console:
Shock Troopers 2nd Squad - 900 Points
The Shock Troopers are back! Wait, who are the Shock Troopers? Well, this sequel doesn't even have the same cast as the first game, but things like names only lead to attachment. With body counts reaching the thousands, its best to keep your heart a safe distance. In this top down shooter, maneuver your Shock Trooper around dangerous environments. One screenshot even shows you catching the enemy off guard as they feed their horses! Nutty stuff here, folks. But it was 1998, and people weren't so snarky as they are now about immersion and story. It was all about fun and sneaking into horse compounds back then.
