There’s Paper Jamming to be Done in This Week’s Nintendo Download

New releases like Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam team up with Virtual Console titles like Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure to make for a solid week.

Today (9 PM PST) marks the release of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, the Paper Mario/Mario & Luigi cross-over RPG announced at E3 last year.  Critics have it on both sides of the board, with an overall Metascore of 78.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3, which is also packed-in with the classic Mario Bros, comes to the Wii U Virtual Console, continuing the odd GBA trend of launching on a home console.  Wii U also sees the VC release of Wii cult classic adventure game, Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros’ Treasure, which utilized the Wii Remote controller to solve puzzles and navigate a dangerous island.

Minecraft: Story Mode (Episode 1) sees a Wii U release this week as well, to follow the Wii U port of the original Minecraft that came out last month.  Tell Tale’s adventure game gives fans of the genre two choices for the week- those who want to focus on the puzzle elements of the genre should stick to Zack & Wiki, but for a narrative itch, Minecraft’s Story Mode might be more your jam.

From Nintendo:

This week’s Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 1: The Order of the Stone – This new episodic series was created by award-winning adventure game powerhouse Telltale Games, in partnership with Minecraft creators, Mojang. As Jesse, you’ll embark on a perilous adventure across the Overworld, through the Nether, to the End and beyond. While at EnderCon, in hopes of meeting Gabriel the Warrior, you and your friends discover that something is wrong … something dreadful. You will drive the story through the decisions you make: What you say to people (and how you say it) and what you choose to do in moments of thrilling action will make this YOUR story. Click here to view a trailer for the game.
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam – Paper Mario is jumping off the page and into the quirky adventures of Mario & Luigi! Become a super team of Mario Bros. to take on quests, take down enemies and untangle two classic gaming universes in this playful new entry in the Mario & LuigiRPG series. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam will be available on Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. PT.
• Virtual Console on Wii U
  • Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 – The Koopalings have been sent to wreak havoc in the Mushroom World. It’s up to Mario to recover the royal magic wands and restore the kings to their true forms. Access extra levels by selecting Level Card on the file-selection screen, or take a break from the journey and get in on some classicMario Bros. action!
  • Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros’ Treasure – In this swashbuckling Wii classic, explore seven vibrant and fantastic lands with Zack and Wiki, as they go on a quest to become the greatest pirates who ever lived. Use the Wii Remote controller to navigate, open objects, transform items or unlock new pathways as you solve puzzles and outwit a variety of enemies and bosses.

Nintendo eShop sales:

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
  • Winter Warm-Up Sale! – It’s week two of the Winter Warm-Up Sale! Save up to 30 percent off select games, and be sure to check back next week for a lineup of new deals. This week’s deals start Jan. 21 at 9 a.m. PT and end Jan. 28 at 8:59 a.m. PT.
  • Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations (Wii U and Nintendo 3DS), Barbie and Her Sisters Puppy Rescue (Wii U and Nintendo 3DS) and more games from Little Orbit are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Feb. 12.
• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • Super Toy Cars is 50 percent off (reduced from $7.99 to $3.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 28.
  • The Quiet Collection is 20 percent off (reduced from $4.99 to $3.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Feb. 1.
  • Toon Tanks is 20 percent off (reduced from $1.99 to $1.59) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Feb. 4.
  • Fit Music and Luv Me Buddies Wonderland from O2 Games are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Feb. 22.
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • Luv Me Buddies Wonderland is more than 45 percent off (reduced from $24.90 to $12.90) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Feb. 11.
  • Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight and Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl from ATLUS are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Feb. 1.

Theme Shop on Nintendo 3DS:

• New themes this week include:
  • SEGA SG-1000
  • Animal Crossing : Winter Frolicking

Also new this week:

• PET INN 3D (Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS)
• A World of Keflings – Demo Version (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• Brunswick Pro Bowling (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• Cube Life: Island Survival – Demo Version (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• SKEASY (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)

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, visithttp://www.nintendo.com/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.