This Week’s eShop Update will Empty your Wallet, Possibly

It’s so close to Christmas that you can taste the turkey and stuffing, but before Nintendo go on their holidays, they’ve very kindly let us know what’s happening with the Nintendo eShop over the next fortnight.

In terms of new stuff, from the 27th December you’ll be able to download the Pokemon Bank 30-day trial on Nintendo 3DS. This tool can be used to save your monsters over the internet. You’ll also be able to purchase an annual pass to use the service, for £4.49. Downloading Pokemon Bank will also allow you to download the free Pokemon Transporter, used to transfer your Pokemon from Pokemon Black & White and their sequels, over to Pokemon X & Y.

From the 26th December, both Wii U and 3DS owners will be getting a real treat on the Virtual Console – Super Mario Bros. 3. Until 02/01/2014, this NES classic will be available for only £2.79, after which it will revert to it’s usual price of £3.59. It’s a genuine classic, it’s just a shame there’s no cross-purchase option.

Knights will be battling with Vikings on Wii U from the 26th, thanks to Zen Studios’ Castlestorm. Priced at £7.99, this real-time 2D physics-based strategy game will allow players to build their own castles, while trying to knock down their opponents.

In a dual Wii U disc/eShop download release, Cocoto Magic Circus 2 will be available for £24.99 upon it’s 26/12/13 release, courtesy of Big Ben Interactive. A shooter for all the family, offering up to 5-player gameplay in three different game modes.

Cube-based platformer EDGE will be coming to Nintendo 3DS on 26/12/13 for the low price of £1.79 until 23/01/14, after which it will be £3.59. Expect some old-school retro-styled platforming.

This week’s only festive-related download is Bird Mania Christmas 3D for the 3DS. Released on 26/12/13 for £1.79, play as Mojo the bird as he flies to Africa, while the skies are filled with elves and Santa himself.

It’s been a while since the 3DS saw a Game Boy Color game on it’s Virtual Console, so Nintendo are spoiling us with Mario Tennis on 02/01/14 for £4.49. Part tennis game, part RPG, build up your skills and become the champion of the Royal Tennis Academy.

Joining all of those games are an absolute ton of sales. There are some great games on offer, so here’s that massive list in full (All sales start on 26th December):

• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Wii U) – £38.99 until 02/01/14
• Assassin’s Creed III (Wii U) – £7.99 until 02/01/14
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist (Wii U) – £18.49 until 02/01/14
• The Smurfs 2 (Wii U) – £15.99 until 02/01/14
• Rayman Legends (Wii U) – £16.79 until 02/01/14
• Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (Wii U) – £7.99 until 02/01/14
• Rabbids Land (Wii U) – £7.99 until 02/01/14
• Sports Connection (Wii U) – £7.99 until 02/01/14
• Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013 (Wii U) – £7.99 until 02/01/14
• ZombiU (Wii U) – £7.99 until 02/01/14
• Cloudberry Kingdom (Wii U) – £7.99 until 02/01/14
• DuckTales: Remastered (Wii U) – £7.15 until 09/01/14
• Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara (Wii U) – £5.99 until 09/01/14
• Resident Evil: Revelations (Wii U) – £19.99 until 09/01/14
• Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS) – £12.48 until 09/01/14
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS) – £4.49 until 09/01/14
• SteamWorld Dig (3DS) – £5.35 until 02/01/14
• Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (3DS) – £1.24 until 16/01/14