Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Launches On Wii U

Frosty gorillas, droplets of water and the life of inconsequential RPG NPCs are all on display in this week's Nintendo update, bringing the likes of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze to the Wii U and games like Quell Reflection and Weapon Shop de Omasse to the 3DS.

It's actually a pretty decent week for Nintendo releases, with the new Donkey Kong Country game being one of the console's only big titles announced for 2014 and the 3DS getting a great little puzzle game, a couple Virtual Console options and a downloadable title from Level-5 that mixes shop simulation with rhythm and a healthy dose of comedy.

We'll start things off with the Wii U which, as I said, is expecting a cold front to move in this week courtesy of the latest DK offering, Tropical Freeze. As the name implies, you can pretty much take everything you know about the Donkey Kong Country series and throw on a layer of fresh powder as the titular primate joins the likes of Diddy, Dixie and Cranky Kong in order to save their beloved jungle from a sudden snow storm. The furry gang will roll, jump and smash their way through levels coated in ice and snow, as well as take advantage of various other modes of transportation, including shooting themselves out of barrels or hurtling down the tracks in a runaway mine cart. If you own a Wii U, you pretty much owe it to yourself to pick this one up. The reviews have been great and, let's face it, what else are you going to be playing on that particular machine anytime soon?

If old school is more your speed, then perhaps you would like to pick up the NES Classic, Ice Hockey from the Virtual Console? Moving right along to the 3DS, the portable Virtual Console is getting a one-two punch this week in the form of Kung Fu Rabbit and Sky Kid. The 3DS eShop is also getting Quell Reflect, a clever little puzzle game that sees you sliding around drops of water on a pane of glass to get from Point A to Point B. It's far more entertaining in practice, boasting several clever puzzles that'll have you scratching your head.

Finally, the Level-5 Guild 01 series is finally complete with the arrival of Weapon Shop de Omasse, a game where you abandon the role of being an RPG hero in order to work in a shop, craft weapons and provide gear for the heroes who will be risking their lives to save captives, fight monsters, etc. Designed by Japanese comedian Yoshiyuki Hirai, this one boasts a healthy dose of humor perfectly befitting its off the wall concept.