Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, litigate the Nintendo Download

A pretty big week for the Nintendo Download brings the long awaited Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, as well as Azure Striker: Gunvolt from Kenji Inafune.

‘Long awaited’ might be an understatement as fans of both franchises have been eagerly looking forward to Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for a while now. Neither franchise has held any real interest for me personally, but both are huge hits with legions of fans who should gobble up this crossover title like pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.

A little more my speed though, is Kenji Inafune’s Azure Striker: Gunvolt. The creator of Mega Man (and the forthcoming Mighty Number 9), Inafune’s inimitable style is all over this side-scrolling shooter, as is the unmistakable look and feel of the classic Japanese-produced action titles of old.

Past those two, we get a pretty neat shooter in Thorium Wars, the continuation of Mega Month with Mega Man X3, and some pretty solid sales, so you can grab a few more games before the Summer is out.

• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Join forces with expert investigator Professor Layton and ace attorney Phoenix Wright in this unbelievable crossover adventure. Find out what new twists they bring to the courtroom as they solve puzzles and debunk witnesses’ lies. Cross-examine multiple witnesses at the same time to uncover the mysteries of the magical city of Labyrinthia.Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be available in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS at midnight ET on Aug. 29. Clickhere to watch a trailer for the game.
  • Azure Striker GUNVOLT– From Inti Creates and featuring the talents of Keiji Inafune, the creator of the Mega Man series,Azure Striker GUNVOLTtakes the best aspects of Japanese 16-bit classics and updates them with new play mechanics and slick graphics. For a limited time, the game comes with a free digital code to download the 8-bit nostalgia-fueled MIGHTY GUNVOLT as well. Azure Striker GUNVOLT will be available in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS on Aug. 29. Click here to watch a trailer for Azure Striker GUNVOLT.
  • Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter – Pilot one of three Skyfighters across alien worlds to protect Earth. Push your dogfighting skills to their limits in this futuristic 3D aerial shooter, available exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS. Click here to watch a trailer for the game.
• Virtual Console on Wii U
  • Mega Man X3 – Every Thursday in August, Nintendo and Capcom are bringingclassic Mega Man games to the Virtual Console service in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U. Mega Man X and his partner, Zero, must discover why an antivirus has failed to turn robots from destructive Mavericks into peace-loving Reploids. Run, jump, dash, scale walls, avoid obstacles and fight enemies in eight challenging stages as you hunt for the latest cure.
• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • SteamWorld Dig – After its positive reception on Nintendo 3DS, indie hitSteamWorld Dig is making its way to Wii U for the first time. In this platform mining adventure, take on the role of Rusty as he arrives at an old mining town in great need. Explore an underground world full of secrets, treasure and terrors with interface elements that use the Wii U GamePad controller. Click here to watch a trailer for the game.
  • The Fall – Explore an alien world in this unique blend of action game play and adventure-game puzzles in The Fall, which launched Aug. 26. Take on the role of ARID, the artificial intelligence within a high-tech combat suit, as you struggle to save the suit’s unconscious human occupant. Get ready for a disturbing and engrossing journey as you explore the world of The Fall. Clickhere to watch a trailer for the game.
• Nintendo eShop Sales
  • Select Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games from Capcom are now up to 60 percent off in the Nintendo eShop. This offer is valid until 8:59 a.m. PT on Sept. 4.
  • Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo is 50 percent off (reduced from $7.99 to $3.95) from 9 a.m. PT on Sept. 3 through 8:59 a.m. PT on Sept. 24 in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS.
  • Soccer Up 3D is 71 percent off (reduced from $6.99 to $1.99) until 9 a.m. PT on Sept. 17 in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS.

Coming soon:

• Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight – Sept. 1 (Virtual Console on Wii U)
• Nobunaga’s Ambition – Sept. 4 (Virtual Console on Wii U)

Price reduction:

• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist is being reduced to $19.99 (from $39.99) startingSept. 1 on Wii U.

Also new this week:

• Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Virtual Console on Wii U)
• Outback Pet Rescue 3D (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)