Persona arrives and Mario has a ball in this week’s Nintendo Download

Persona Q you were probably expecting, Mario starring in a pinball game though? Probably not.

Originally released on the GameBoy Advance, I have no recollection at all of Mario Pinball Land. In the game, Mario is turned into a ball (…) and must flip his way through five levels on the way to bean Bowser and save Princess Peach yet again. I’m actually pretty excited for this one since I loved Sonic Spinball back in the Genesis days, and that had a similar vibe. Plus, it’s Mario, I think I’m obligated by law to pick up a copy.

Past the Mario ball though, this week also sees the arrival of Persona Q. The first time a Persona game has arrived for a Nintendo console, this new 3DS title comes from Atlus’ long running series of dungeon crawlers and mashes up several games in the main series. Oh, and it also has a cute little dog that gets down and battles evil as well. For that alone…

And aside from those new titles, there’s also something of a Black Friday sale happening on the eShop, as well as the posting of Mighty Final Fight and Mighty GunVolt, as well as Thomas Was Alone, which has been a hit on the indie PC scene. So there you have it, head out tot he stores and run the risk of trampling this fine Black Friday, or stay home and download a few Nintendo titles. I know which direction I’m leaning.

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • Thomas Was Alone – In this indie platformer, guide a group of sentient rectangles through a series of environments, combining their skills to reach the end of each level. Listen to awesome music by David Housden, negotiate obstacles meticulously placed by Mike Bithell and immerse yourself in the journey with a voiceover read wistfully and amusingly by Danny Wallace. Clickhere to watch a trailer for the game.
• Virtual Console on Wii U
  • Mario Pinball Land – A day at the funfair has turned into a rolling adventure for Mario. After he is transformed into a ball, Mario must collect stars across five different worlds as he unlocks a path to Bowser’s castle and saves Princess Peach from the evil Koopa’s clutches!

• Virtual Console on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
  • Mighty Final Fight – The Mad Gear Gang has kidnapped the mayor’s daughter, and now the mayor is going to show them who’s boss! Join Haggar, Cody and Guy as they uppercut, kick and bash their enemies into the ground in five intense levels of hard-hitting action! Mighty Final Fight is now available in both the Virtual Console for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth – For the first time ever, the Personaseries comes to a Nintendo console! Join the Persona 3 and Persona 4characters on a new adventure in an art style that you haven’t seen before. Choose characters from either game to form your dream team, and use the bottom screen to map out dungeons and fuse Persona. Click here to watch a trailer for the game.
  • Mighty Gunvolt – Mighty Gunvolt is an old-school 8-bit NES-style retro mini-adventure starring Gunvolt and Beck from the upcoming action game Mighty No. 9. Play as one of three heroes, each with his or her own unique powers, as you run, double-jump, dash and blast your way through five stages of baddies and bosses. It’s a pixelated adventure you can really sink your teeth into! Mighty Gunvolt will be available on Nov. 28. Click here to watch a trailer for the game.
• Turkey Fest Community on Miiverse
  • Spend Thanksgiving holiday with your family fans in the Turkey Fest community on Miiverse. From Nov. 21 to Dec. 1, you’ll be able to join in all kinds of special events such as tournaments, polls and challenges featuring Nintendo games and characters. And what better time to bowl a turkey in Wii Sports Club Bowling? Don’t miss out on tons of fun activities featuring Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Mario Kart 8, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Fantasy Life and Pokémon Art Academy. Also be sure to join our Miiverse Turkey Fest tournament in Mario Kart 8 using the new DLC Pack 1 this Thanksgiving weekend. The tournament code is 2593-0985-4929.

Nintendo eShop Sales

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
  • The Nintendo eShop Cyber Deals will let you save up to 30 percent each on 10 select games from Thursday, Nov. 27, at 9 a.m. PT until Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 8:59 a.m. PT. Visit www.nintendo.com/eShop-cyber-deals for more information. Plus, don’t forget to check out discounts on other great games! Head to the Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS and look under “Price Drops” to find out more about these great deals.
  • LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is on sale for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 1.

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • Rock Zombie is more than 10 percent off (reduced from $6.99 to $5.99) starting at 9 a.m. PT on Nov. 27 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 4.
  • ZaciSa’s Last Stand is 25 percent off (reduced from $1.99 to $1.49) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 7.
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • Code of Princess is 50 percent off (reduced from $29.99 to $14.99) starting at 9 a.m. PT on Dec. 1 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 15.
  • Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars is more than 30 percent off (reduced from $39.99 to $24.99) starting at starting at 9 a.m. PT on Dec. 1 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 15.
  • Azure Striker GUNVOLT is more than 30 percent off (reduced from $14.99 to $9.99) starting at 9 a.m. PT on Nov. 28 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 15.
  • Farming Simulator 3D is 50 percent off (reduced from $9.99 to $4.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec 11.
  • Farming Simulator 14 is more than 30 percent off (reduced from $29.99 to $19.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 11.
  • Parking Star 3D is over 30 percent off (reduced from $2.99 to $1.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 18.
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies is 50 percent off (reduced from $29.99 to $14.99) starting at 9 a.m. PT on Nov. 26 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec 2.
  • Chain Blaster, Crazy Construction and other games from G-Style are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 31.
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked is 50 percent off (reduced from $29.99 to $14.99) starting at 9 a.m. PT on Dec 1. Until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 8.

Also new this week:

• GetClose: A game for RIVALS (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• Heptrix (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• Shiny The Firefly (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• AiRace Xeno – Demo Version (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• Chat-A-Lot (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• My First Songs (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• My Life on a Farm 3D (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• Ohno Odyssey – Demo Version (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)

In addition to video games available at retail stores, Nintendo also offers a variety of content that people can download directly to their systems. Nintendo adds new games weekly to the Nintendo eShop on the Wii U console and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, the Nintendo DSi^™ Shop for the Nintendo DSi system and the Wii^™ Shop Channel for the Wii console.

The Nintendo eShop is a cash-based service that features a wide variety of content, including new and classic games, applications and demos. Users can add money to their account balances by using a credit card or purchasing a Nintendo eShop Card at a retail store and entering the code from the card. All funds from one card must be loaded in the Nintendo eShop on either Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, but can be used in either Nintendo eShop if the systems are linked to a single Nintendo Network account.

The Wii Shop Channel offers games and applications and uses Wii Points^™, which can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel. The Nintendo DSi Shop offers games and applications and uses Nintendo DSi Points^™, which can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop.

Remember that Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.