Nintendojo Holiday Buyer’s Guide 2015: Wii U eShop

Not all good games come in boxes; anyone who requires proof need look no further than the Wii U eShop. For fans of download-only experiences and independent titles, we’ve rounded up the best games to hit Wii U’s digital market place in 2015!

Note: All prices were accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Underground

Price: $20.99

From our review:

“Sometimes video games get used in ways not exactly planned by their creators, like for training purposes in the army, for example. Sometimes, though, video games are designed specifically to help people of certain professions overcome their training process more easily. That’s exactly the case with Underground for Wii U, a quirky downloadable puzzle game that also happens to be a surgery simulator. …Underground is a fascinating little title, which can be entertaining for both fans of puzzle games and surgeons in training.”

Citizens of Earth

Price: $14.99

From our review:

“Whether it’s Nintendojo or our distinguished competition, a very particular game is going to be mentioned when discussing Atlus’s new RPG Citizens of Earth, and that game is EarthBound. The seminal SNES classic is a very apparent source of inspiration for this new Wii U and 3DS RPG, and its an influence that Citizens of Earth wears proudly, like a badge of honor. Or maybe a Franklin Badge. Whatever badge it might be, the game deserves it and more, because developer Eden Industries has delivered a real winner with Citizens of Earth. Funny, challenging, and boasting a deep battle system.”

Zen Pinball 2: DLC Tables (South Park, Marvel, and More!)

Price: Game is Free to Start | DLC: Various

From our review:

“Zen Pinball 2 continues to be one of my favorite titles on the Wii U eShop. The pinball physics are fantastic, it’s easy to pick up and play, and online leaderboards give a nice incentive to keep trying to beat your own high score. But for me, the appeal really is in the licenses. It makes it a little harder to appreciate Zen’s non-licensed tables because the developer puts so much such fan service into each one. I’m ecstatic with how much the company continues to excel with every franchise it get its hands on. I can’t wait to see what it has to offer next. For now, though, I’ll continue to enjoy the developer’s current output.”

Elliot Quest

Price: $12.99

From our review:

“f you are the type of gamer that wouldn’t mind getting lost in an open world and enjoy figuring out how to progress without any help, then Elliot Quest is the perfect game for you. Quite simply, it’s easily one of the best games that you can download on Wii U and you absolutely need to play it if you love the genre. Granted, if you think you’ll find yourself getting frustrated without guidance, then this may not be the game for you. But if that’s something that doesn’t bother you, then you’ll find that Elliot Quest offers one of the most entertaining and rewarding experiences an adventure game can offer.”

Dot Arcade

Price: $4.99

From our review:

“I have a theory that most truly brilliant games would still be great if you stripped them down to nothing more than pure gameplay. Take away all the glitzy graphics and superfluous trimmings until you are left with just the mechanics; in other words, the gameplay is ultimately what defines the game, and everything else is extra. Dot Arcade seems to be an effort to prove this theory. …For people who know what they are getting into and have a desire to taste a bit of the past, then this title is definitely worth checking out.”

Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2

Price: $7.99

From our review:

“I genuinely have no complaints about the Animal Crossing DLC for Mario Kart 8 and highly recommend getting this content, as well as the first pack if you haven’t yet, to expand on your Mario Kart experience. The DLC is quality, not a poorly thrown together cash-grab, and offers courses that are even better than some of the standard ones. The visuals are outstanding and the courses are varied and feel challenging without being frustrating. Nintendo, you’ve done it again.”

Nihilumbra

Price: $9.99

From our review:

“Considering the number of bright and happy games currently on Wii U, it’s nice to occasionally take a moment to bring things down to a darker level. Games are an art form, capable of bringing out every imaginable emotion in gamers through a variety of visual styles, gameplay mechanics, music, and other, less tangible factors.Nihilumbra from BeautiFun Games embraces the more somber side of things, but also makes sure to back up its emotional journey with solid gameplay mechanics.”

Badland: Game of the Year Edition

Price: $9.99

From our review:

“Plenty of games have migrated from iOS and Android to the not-quite-as-small screen, from Angry Birds to Puzzle and Dragons, but if anything proves that mobile games can be full-fledged console experiences, it’s Badland: Game of the Year Edition. …With 100 single-player levels, Badland: Game of the Year Edition is a worthy single-player romp on the Wii U, if you don’t mind a little frustration every now and then.”

The Bridge

Price: $9.99

From our review:

“After making my way through the title’s 24 puzzles, I have to say that developer The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild has done a wonderful job bringing this Steam/Xbox 360 title to Wii U. The visuals are stark, yet compelling, and the puzzle gameplay is clever and challenging. …The Bridge is a quality eShop experience that tries to do something different, and largely succeeds. …It’s not packed with explosions or enormous set pieces, but The Bridge is a thoughtful and rich title that reminds me of what makes video games unique.”

Gunman Clive HD Collection

Price: $3.99

From our review:

“Both of the games in Gunman Clive HD Collection offer a heavy amount of influence from some of gaming’s most famous titles. Mine cart stages will evoke memories of DuckTales or Donkey Kong Country, Ms. Johnson controls like a certain Nintendo princess, and one boss even seems reminiscent of Capcom’s Bionic Commando. Both games feel like a love letter to the days of the original NES. The biggest influence on the Gunman Clive titles seems to come from Mega Man, however, with its run-and-gun gameplay and (sometimes) cruel difficulty. …The levels are brief, and that helps to give fans incentive to keep pushing through the more difficult segments. It all leads to a strong sense of satisfaction that comes with clearing each level.”

Extreme Exorcism

Price: $12.99

From our review:

“Extreme Exorcism is a relatively simple game that’s made difficult to describe by the virtue of its originality. The objective is to eliminate the ghosts that populate the single screen, 2D levels, and as you clear each wave the number of ghosts increases. But here’s the rub: each new ghost actually mimics your actions, including movement and attacks, from the previous round. This creates an interesting dynamic, as you need to be very aware of everything you do, lest you end up having to chase a previous version of yourself running around like a mad man while shooting grenades all over the place.”

Whispering Willows

Price: $9.99

From our review:

“Games that are truly scary tend to be few and far between. The direction of the survival horror genre has moved toward a more action-oriented focus over the last console generation or two. Rather than avoiding things that go bump in the night, most horror titles now task players with mowing down hordes of zombies with submachine guns. As a result, a game like Whispering Willowscomes as a real surprise. The eShop title delivers an experience on Wii U that’s scary in a way that’s truly become rare, as of late.”

Have you dug up any other eShop gems on Wii U this past year? Share your finds in the comments!