Last month was a pretty good one for the Nintendo Download, and February is off to a great start this week. While it’s true there aren’t any new physical releases this week, there’s a lot of fantastic indies coming out, as well as new sales and digital content. Let’s start with a particularly promising looking new indie.

Nintendo Download | Dandara

I remember way back when the Switch was still fresh, and Nintendo posted a short video of upcoming indies. One which caught my immediate attention for its visual style was Dandara. And it didn’t just catch my attention because the hero has an afro, but also because of the beautiful pixelated art style. The fact that it’s a new Metroidvania is only icing on a scrumptious looking cake. In the game, you defy gravity, uncover hidden secrets and gain new powers to fight against oppression. I’m definitely picking it up when it releases next week. The next two games are also exciting, even though they have been previously released on other platforms. The first one is the charming looking Night in the Woods. The vibrant art in this adventure game make it very attractive, and I’ve also heard good things about the plot and story. The next title is less story rich, but much more exciting in terms of gameplay mechanics. Crypt of the NecroDancer is finally on the Switch, and this mix of dungeon crawling and rhythm should be a blast on console. Besides all those great indies, Pokkén Tournament DX also has launched its first wave of Battle Pack DLC, which featured Aegislash, Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu. Wave 2 is slated to release on March 23rd, and will give us playable Blastoise (huzzah!) as well as support Pokémon Mew and Celebi (yay?). Either way, it’s nice to know there’s more to look forward to in Pokkén DX’s admittedly smallish starting roster.

Nintendo Download | Pokkén Tournament

Next up, since the Game Guide is behaving, we’ll cover a few worthy games still on sale. Brawlout (Switch) is a lot of fighting fun at $14.99; Plague Road (Switch) looks like an interesting premise for $12; if you have the need for bloodshed, Wulverblade (Switch) is a smashing good time at $13.99; for those looking to play more on their portable consoles, Eliminage Original (3DS) is half off at $9.99; Letter Quest Remastered (Wii U) is a great bargain at only $3.39; while I don’t typically like FPS games, Paranautical Activity (Wii U) actually looks fun at $3.39; and finally, Frederic: Resurrection of Music (Wii U) is a steal at $0.59. Who says there’s no reason to keep playing your older Nintendo consoles? Oh and if you want to see the full list of games, click here.

Nintendo Download | Wulverblade

Since Fire Emblem Heroes is celebrating their one year anniversary, here’s an info dump on some fun activities.

Fire Emblem Heroes Activities:

Fire Emblem Heroes One-Year Anniversary Celebration! – We’ve reached our one-year anniversary! Thanks for your support. To thank everyone for playing the game, we are holding a celebration with five different events:

  • Summoning Focus: One-Year-Anniversary Hero Fest, from Feb. 1 at 11 p.m. PT to Feb. 8 at 10:59 p.m. PT. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Fire Emblem Heroes, four dependable Heroes are part of a 5-star summoning focus. Also, the initial summoning rate for 5-star Focus Heroes will be set to 5%. For new summoning events, the first time you summon, you won’t have to use Orbs. Check it out from the Summon menu.
  • One-Year-Anniversary Present, from Feb. 1 at 11 p.m. PT to March 7 at 10:59 p.m. PT. During this time, anyone who logs in can receive 50 Orbs, one time only.
  • One-Year-Anniversary Celebration Log-In Bonus, from Feb. 1 at 11 p.m. PT to Feb. 16 at 10:59 p.m. PT. During this time, you can receive a Log-In Bonus up to 10 times, for a total of 20 Orbs.
  • Daily Special Maps, Feb. 1 at 11 p.m. PT to Feb. 25 at 11 p.m. PT. Daily Special Maps will be sent out every day for 25 days. There are two difficulties for each: Normal and Hard. You can earn up to 50 Orbs by playing.
  • Double EXP and SP Event, Feb. 1 at 11 p.m. PT to Feb. 8 at 10:59 p.m. PT. During this time, the EXP and SP you earn in battle will be doubled.
  • A Hero Rises – Now that the Choose Your Legends event is over, it’s time to decide who the No. 1 Hero is in all of Fire Emblem Heroes. Get ready for a new event, A Hero Rises, which runs from Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. PT to Feb. 19 at 6:59 p.m. PT. The top Hero will be given to players as a 5-star unit at a later date. Check out the voting website, and choose your favorite Hero.
  • Illusory Dungeon – A new event, Tap Battle: Illusory Dungeon, will be here, with the Labyrinth of Mists. The event runs from Feb. 8 at 11 p.m. PT to Feb. 22 at 10:59 p.m. PT. Illusory Dungeon is a simple battle game in which you time your taps on the screen to defeat enemies. You can even use Heroes who have not yet been leveled up, so feel free to choose your four favorite Heroes. During this time there will also be daily quests where you can earn different rewards each day. Starting on Feb. 11 at 11 p.m. PT, there will be two types of Tap Battle quests. Thanks again to everyone playing Fire Emblem Heroes, and happy anniversary! For more information about Fire Emblem Heroes, visit the official site.

My Nintendo is feeling lovey dovey and has some Valentine’s activities to check out as well. There’s a Pastel Pink Super Mario Theme available, discounts on a bunch of digital titles and even more. Oh and if that’s not enough superfluous Themes, there are two new Radiant Historia ones, as well as a couple Pokémon Themes. To find out more about February deals, just log onto My Nintendo to find out more details.

Nintendo Download | Radiant Historia PC

Lastly, we’ll close out like usual with a host of great new digital games. The following games are coming out in about a week – twin stick SHMUP Black Hole; adventure game The Darkside Detective and frenetic pixel game Mercenary Kings Reloaded. Of those three, I’m most interested in Mercernary Kings, mostly cause I am a fan of Tribute Games, but the others might also prove enjoyable. But you probably are more interested in what’s out right now, huh? Keep on reading for games out either today or tomorrow.

Nintendo Download | Mercenary Kings Reloaded

For those who feel retro, you can check out ACA NEOGEO Samurai Showdown II or Necromancer. If you want to play on the couch with some friends, you might enjoy Shiftlings – Enhanced Edition. If you love a good SHMUP, check out Sky Force Reloaded. If you somehow missed them on 3DS or Wii U, you should give SteamWorld Dig and AeternoBlade a gander. If you feel the need for twitchy goodness, jump over to 10 Second Run RETURNS. For some more musical mayhem, check out Frederic 2: Evil Strikes Back. And lastly, if you want some tactical gameplay, check out the confusingly named Mad Carnage. Nothing like starting February off right! Tune in to oprainfall next week for the latest Nintendo Download, and enjoy the overwhelming flood of new digital games.

Nintendo Download | Sky Force Reloaded

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.