I know, I know. It’s not Thursday, it’s Friday, right? Well, the reason this is a day late is cause your diligent deal finder has a nasty cold, and it kept me pretty much locked in bed all of yesterday. And while it’s true I wasn’t sure I would get to the Nintendo Download today, I didn’t want to keep you waiting longer, so here goes. Some interesting stuff this week and even some cool sales. But let’s start with the big guns – the release of Super Mario Run!

Nintendo Download | Super Mario Run

To show how little I’ve paid attention to this one, I actually thought Super Mario Run was going to be a launch game on the Switch. Yes, not very invested in endless runners, so I did a little more research. This game is a first, as it is the first mobile Mario title, and can apparently be played with one hand (not sure how I feel about that…). It boasts a bunch of features, such as World Tour, Toad Rally and the intriguing sounding Kingdom Builder (I’m a sucker for creator content). Available now for App Store, iPhone and iPad, it should be a good test for how Nintendo plans on attacking the mobile market in the future. Also newly released this week (I think) is Excitebots: Trick Racing. The first few times I saw that title I thought it was Excitebike, and then I thought it was a previously released title, and both times I was wrong! I blame my fever. Either way, looks like a fun racing game on Wii U.

Nintendo Download | Excitebots

On the sales side of things, there are a handful of interesting titles, some of which are old school RPGs. First there is Infinite Dunamis for $4.99 followed by Asdivine Hearts for the same price. Then there is the Beatbuddy for a low low $1.79, which is a musical platformer, and if you want to smash things, try out Angry Video Game Adventures for $4.99. And last but not least, the metroidvania AeternoBlade is really sharply discounted at $2.99, and though it’s far from perfect, it’s probably worth a purchase at that low price. If you want to see the other options, just click here.

Nintendo Download | AeternoBlade

If you’re a My Nintendo subscriber, there are some really cool deals available in honor of the launch of Super Mario Run. Besides tons of extras to enhance your Super Mario Run experience, there are also lovely discounts on classic Mario games. The most noteworthy one is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, but you can also snag Mario Tennis, Wrecking Crew and NES Open Tournament Golf.

Nintendo Download | Superstar Saga

Finally, let’s close this out with the only other possibly noteworthy new release – Mercenaries Saga 3. I played one of the previous games on my 3DS, and it brought back fond memories of Final Fantasy Tactics, though stripped down and simplified. If that sounds like your type of game, maybe give Mercenaries Saga 3 a shot. And hopefully I’ll be back at our regular time next week for the next Nintendo Download!

Nintendo Download | Mercenaries Saga 3

Josh Speer
Josh is a passionate gamer, finding time to clock in around 30-40 hours of gaming a week. He discovered Operation Rainfall while avidly following the localization of the Big 3 Wii RPGs. He enjoys SHMUPS, Platformers, RPGs, Roguelikes and the occasional Fighter. He’s also an unashamedly giant Mega Man fan, having played the series since he was eight. As Head Editor and Review Manager, he spends far too much time editing reviews and random articles. In his limited spare time he devours indies whole and anticipates the release of quirky, unpredictable and innovative games.