New Game Releases: August 13th-19th, 2015

From a soaring soundtrack and the strains of Andy Serkis’ voicework in Volume to ZombiU no longer being a Wii U exclusive, this week’s collection of new game releases offers a number of slight surprises. But one of the bigger bombshells is Nintendo’s plan to add Pandora’s Tower into the library of Wii Virtual Console titles. Once an unlikely stateside release, the game was championed by Operation Rainfall, with the fan-driven crusade eventually leading to XSEED obtaining publishing rights. Once available through a scant number of retailers, an expedition to the eShop ensures that the RPG is easily accessible to the entire audience of online Wii U owners.

Image header: Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & the Monster Seal, PS Vita

PlayStation 3
Helldivers Super-Earth Ultimate Edition (PSN, $39.99)
The Bridge (PSN, $9.99)

PlayStation 4
Adventures of Pip (PSN, $14.99)
Arcade Archives Bomb Jack (PSN, $7.99)
The Bridge (PSN, $9.99)
Curses ‘N Chaos (PSN, $9.99)
Giana Sisters: Dream Runners (PSN, $9.99)
Helldivers Super-Earth Ultimate Edition (PSN, $39.99)
Pure Hold ‘Em (PSN, $19.99)
Volume (PSN, $19.99)
Zombi (PSN, $19.99)

Wii U
Pandora’s Tower (eShop, $19.99)
Wind-Up Knight 2 (eShop, $7.50)

Xbox One
Zombi (XGS, $TBA)

3DS
Best of Arcade Games – Air Hockey (eShop, 9.99)
Best of Arcade Games – Bubble Buster (eShop, 9.99)
Brave Tank Hero (eShop, $4.99)
Garfield Kart (eShop, $29.99)
Paddington: Adventures in London (eShop, $29.99)

PS Vita
Curses ‘N Chaos (PSN, $9.99)
Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & the Monster Seal (also on PSN, $39.99)
Helldivers Super-Earth Ultimate Edition (PSN, $39.99)
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (PSN, $29.99)
The Bridge (PSN, $9.99)
The Quiet Collection (PSN, $4.99)

PC (available via Steam unless otherwise noted)
ABD: A Beautiful Day ($17.99)
Afterlife Empire ($TBA)
Anti-Opoly ($8.49)
Armikrog ($24.99)
B.A.D Battle Armor Division ($5.99)
Bard’s Gold ($7.19)
Beach Bounce ($12.79)
deorbit ($6.29)
Dream of Mirror Online (free to play)
Energy Hook ($15.83)
Expert Rifleman – Reloaded ($12.74)
Ferrum’s Secrets: Where Is Grandpa? ($3.99)
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD ($29.99)
Fingered ($1.87)
Marble Muse ($8.99)
Nekopara Vol. 0 ($2.99)
Pike and Shot : Campaigns ($35.99)
Reign of Bullets ($11.69)
Rocket League – Supersonic Fury DLC Pack ($3.99)
RPG MO (fre to play)
Three Digits ($3.39)
Ubermosh ($2.99)
Velocity 2X (19.99)
Void Invaders ($2.00)
Volume ($17.99)
Warlocks vs. Shadows ($11.19)
Zombi ($19.99)

Robert’s Pick: While I might have missed the Japan-only PSP release of Sting’s To Heart 2: Dungeon Travelers (ToHeart2 Danjon Toraberaazu), a game based on an eroge visual novel franchise- that oversight won’t be made with the sequel. The AquaPlus’ Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & the Monster Seal the hook remains the same, with players receiving a heaping helping of fan-service as they built a team of all female adventurers who attempt to ‘seal’ a dungeon’s amatory antagonists. Yes, it’s like a fan-service flavored cake topped with fan-service frosting, but what’s wrong with a heaping helping of delectable dessert once in a while?

Gonçalo’s Pick: First-person dungeons are something of a niche genre these days, perhaps this is why the PSP version of Sting’s To Heart 2: Dungeon Travelers never released on western shores. Luckily, it seems Atlus decided to take a risk and bringing over the Vita version. As someone who became engrossed in this genre with the Wizardry series, I for one, am in favor of bringing more of these titles to those of us who have yet to master Japanese.