Nintendo Download April 21st

Star Fox Zero has come at last, and you can give Game Freak’s Pocket Card Jockey a go too.

Once under-selling Star Fox is now the headlining Nintendo console title of the season, and Star Fox Zero launches April 22nd to see if those headlines will make a difference. Reviews have been enjoying the combat but fought to adjust to the control schemes (our own review will be up a little later). The game hearkens back to Star Fox 64 in more ways than one, forgoing the story and gameplay advancements made in the titles since (good bye, Krystal; good bye, on foot sections).

Physical copies of the game also include Star Fox Guard, which is the finished product of the late Project Guard, and looks to be an enjoyable Tower Defense with stage making applications.

Mario brings the party to Wii U’s virtual console with Mario Party DS, but otherwise the week’s other releases are sparse.

Excepting the demo for Pocket Card Jockey, Game Freak’s horse-racing solitaire mash-up. From what we’ve played, the game features a great sense of humor, plentiful references to Nintendo’s other works (check out those horse names), and a compelling and addicting mix on traditional solitaire that combines abilities, jockeying, and breeding for a wild ride. If you’re at all curious as to how those things come together, download the demo (available now)- it’s quite lengthy and progress will carry over to the full game when it comes out this May.

From Nintendo:

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

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • Star Fox Zero – An evil empire has risen and the Lylat system is in danger. As legendary space pilot Fox McCloud, blast through an onslaught of enemy forces to bring peace to the galaxy. In this white-knuckle space shooter, it’ll take more than luck to master the Arwing jet, the Gyrowing flight drone and the Landmaster tank. You have what it takes. Now prove it. Star Fox Zero will be available on April 22. (Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard can only be purchased separately in Nintendo eShop. By purchasing one game, you’ll receive an automatic discount upon the purchase of the other game, bringing the total cost for both digital games to $59.99.)
  • Star Fox Guard – Grippy Toad, the founder of Corneria Precious Metals Ltd., and Slippy Toad of the legendary team Star Fox need your help protecting their booming business. All you have to do is keep an eye on a dozen video screens as you mow down waves of attacking robots with your turret-mounted cameras. Star Fox Guard will be available on April 22. (Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard can only be purchased separately in Nintendo eShop. By purchasing one game, you’ll receive an automatic discount upon the purchase of the other game, bringing the total cost for both digital games to $59.99.)
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • Pocket Card Jockey – Demo Version – 3, 2, 1 … GO! Stack cards like it’s a race to the finish! In this fast-paced mashup of solitaire and horse racing, you’ll jockey your way to victory by clearing cards to energize your horse. You can even level up your noble steed through strategic positioning on the track. Can you master solitaire and horseback racing at the same time? Try out the demo version of the Pocket Card Jockey game before the full version of the game releases this May.
• Virtual Console on Wii U
  • Mario Party DS – Bring the Nintendo DS party game to the Wii U console! Bowser has shrunk Mario and his friends, and now they’re ready to foil his latest scheme. Play as one of eight characters in four game modes, on five themed game boards and in more than 70 mini-games. Take turns moving around the board to reach first place, or get immersed in constant mini-game action.

Nintendo eShop sales:

• Nintendo eShop on Wii U
  • Family Tennis SP is 25 percent off (reduced from $4.99 to $3.74) until 8:59 a.m. PT on May 12.
  • Toon Tanks is 20 percent off (reduced from $1.99 to $1.59) until 8:59 a.m. PT on May 12.
• Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked is more than 65 percent off (reduced from $29.99 to $9.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on May 2.
  • Classic Games Overload: Card & Puzzle Edition is 50 percent off (reduced from $29.99 to $14.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on May 9.
  • Carps & Dragons is 50 percent off (reduced from $4.99 to $2.49) until 8:59 a.m. PT on May 31.
  • Soccer Up Online is 25 percent off (reduced from $3.99 to $2.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on May 19.

New DLC:

• Fire Emblem Fates – New DLC Map: Witches’ Trial – Test your battle skills in the Fear Mountain stage from the Fire Emblem Gaiden game. This new map is available to download in the Fire Emblem Fates game for $1.99.
• Fire Emblem Fates – Map Pack 1 – As a reminder, anyone who owns either the Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright or Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest game can purchase Map Pack 1 at the Dragon’s Gate in Chapter 6 of the game for $17.99 to get access to get bonus content and 11 DLC maps. Map Pack 1 content is priced at more than $24 when purchased individually.

Theme Shop on Nintendo 3DS:

• New themes this week include:
  • Fire Emblem Fates : The Men
  • Fire Emblem Fates : The Women

Also new this week:

• Blockara (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• DREAMALS (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
• Pinball Arcade (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, New Nintendo 3DS XL, New Nintendo 3DS, 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.