The countdown to Christmas happens to coincide with the next eShop release in Europe, so it could be a very Merry Christmas for anyone with eShop credit this Thursday.

It’s a nice long list this week too, with plenty of new releases and Virtual Consoles treats, plus some discounts to tempt you to purchase older games – if you haven’t already got Super Mario 3D World (why not?), now could be the time!

Check out the full list below – which titles will you be downloading to help celebrate the festive season?

Wii U eShop

  • Spy Chameleon (EnjoyUp Games, €4.99 / £4.49) – this is an arcade-puzzle type of game with a cartoon-y feel to it. You guide a chameleon, who happens to be an RGB Agent, through a series of 75 levels in a top-down perspective. The aim is not to get caught, as you use your chameleon powers of camouflage to change colors and hide from the enemy, darting from safe point to safe point. There’s also a special loyalty offer, a discounted price of €3.99 / £3.59 for those who already own 99 Seconds, Abyss, Darts Up, Rock Zombie or Unepic on the same Wii U.

Wii U Virtual Console

  • Duck Hunt (Nintendo, €4.99 / £3.49) – it you were a proud NES owner in the 1980s, chances are you also owned Duck Hunt. Now considered a bit of a cult classic, this one hails from 1987 in Europe (1984 in Japan and 1985 in the US). This is effectively a target shooting game where players wield their trusty Wiimote to shoot ducks as they fly from the long grass. Of course, we used the NES Zapper in the 80s to hunt ducks. This is a nicely timed release though, given the quirky appearance of the Duck Hunt Duo in Super Smash Bros. recently.
  • Kuru Kuru Kururin (Nintendo, €6.99 / £6.29) – this puzzle game first graced the Game Boy Advance in 2001. You’ll need steady hands as you guide a slowly spinning stick through a series of mazes, without touching the walls. It starts simply but quickly becomes a very challenging affair, where you’ll be facing moving pistons, floating spikes and all manner of dangers to thwart your progress.
  • Mega Man Zero (Capcom, €6.99 / £6.29) – another Game Boy Advance title, this time from 2002. This spin-off from the Mega Man series instead follows Zero’s path 100 years after the events of Mega Man X. Zero awakens after a century of sleep in a war-torn world, where he joins forces with a resistance group battling a strangely familiar foe. Though it continues in the same action-platforming style as Mega Man, this spin-off introduces gameplay elements like mission-based levels and weapons that level-up as you gain more experience.
  • Mario Party Advance (Nintendo, €6.99 / £6.29) – the Game Boy Advance’s Mario Party entry was released in 2005 with its usual range of activities for single players and their pals. Mario Party Advance introduced Professor E. Gadd’s Gaddgets, which are wacky toys and tricks that bring the fun outside of the game. Bowser has had another tantrum and scattered the minigames around Shroom City. Collect them all by completing the single-player game boards then replay as often as you like once unlocked.

Wii U Retail Downloads

  • The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Activision, €59.99 / £49.99)
  • Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (Activision, €59.99 / £49.99)

3DS eShop

  • Brutus & Futée (Microids, €6.99 / £6.29) – this adventure puzzle game allows you to become the author of an animated series. You’ll need to help Brutus and Futée find their way and overcome obstacles by drawing objects and painting or erasing settings. There are many different environments and dangerous situations, like an ancient Inca temple or the maze in a production studio governed by a jittery boss.
  • PUZZLEBOX setup (Bplus, €2.99 / £2.69) – this unique game literally turns your 3DS on its head – you play by holding your 3DS upside-down and using your stylus on the top screen to select colored tiles and drop them into place. The idea is to fill the required spaces as you move through levels.
  • Best of Mahjong (GameOn, €1.99 / £1.49) – in this version of the ancient tile game, there are 404 layouts in 3D, each with millions of different shuffles to play. The interface has been designed for easy and intuitive operation with the stylus or control pad and the graphics are customizable, with various tile-sets and backgrounds.
  • Best of Solitaire (GameOn, €2.99 / £2.49) – next up is the classic card game, featuring 101 variations of the most well-known and best-loved single-player card game. You’ll find everything from Klondike and Freecell to Spider and Pyramid. Most come with custom options so you can enjoy your favorite rules. Instructions help you learn new variations and stats are available to track your wins. The interface has been designed for intuitive operation with the stylus or control pad.

3DS Retail Downloads

  • The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Activision, €39.99 / £29.99)
  • Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (Activision, €39.99 / £29.99)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze (Activision, €39.99 / £29.99)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Activision, €39.99 / £29.99)

3DS Demo

  • WRC FIA World Rally Championship The Official Game Demo (Bigben Interactive)

3DS HOME Themes

  • ? Block (Nintendo, €1.99 / £1.79) – Celebrate this iconic item with a yellow and black colour scheme, ? Block background, and ? Block folders and icons.
  • Bountiful Boos (Nintendo, €1.99 / £1.79) – This theme stars the bashful Boo and includes ghostly icons, folders, and SFX. Scroll the Touch Screen to animate the lower Boo.
  • Completely Goomba (Nintendo, €1.99 / £1.79) – This theme’s ALL about Goombas. It features custom SFX and earthy tones. If you love Goombas, this one’s for you.
  • Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome to 2015 (Nintendo, €1.99 / £1.79) – Isabelle and Pietro ring in 2015 in this festive theme. Scroll the Touch Screen to see fireworks and party poppers explode.

Special Offers

  • Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo, €39.99 / £34.99 until 1st January, normally €59.99 / £49.99)
  • Assassin’s Creed III (Ubisoft, €9.99 / £7.99 until 1st January, normally €19.99 / £15.99)
  • Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Ubisoft, €14.99 / £9.99 until 1st January, normally €29.99 / £19.99)
  • Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (Ubisoft, €4.99 / £3.99 until 1st January, normally €19.99 / £15.99)
  • Rabbids Land (Ubisoft, €4.99 / £3.99 until 1st January, normally €19.99 / £15.99)
  • Rayman Legends (Ubisoft, €14.99 / £11.99 until 1st January, normally €29.99 / £23.99)
  • Sports Connection (Ubisoft, €4.99 / £3.99 until 1st January, normally €19.99 / £15.99)
  • Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist (Ubisoft, €9.99 / £6.49 until 1st January, normally €29.99 / £19.99)
  • ZombiU (Ubisoft, €9.99 / £7.99 until 1st January, normally €19.99 / £15.99)
  • Just Dance 2015 (Ubisoft, €29.99 / £22.49 until 1st January, normally €39.99 / £39.99)
  • Watch_Dogs (Ubisoft, €39.99 / £33.49 until 1st January, normally €59.99 / £49.99)
  • Cloudberry Kingdom (Ubisoft, €4.89 / £3.89 until 1st January, normally €9.99 / £7.99)
  • Child of Light (Ubisoft, €4.89 / £3.89 until 1st January, normally €14.99 / £11.99)
  • Knytt Underground (Ripstone Publishing, discount from 25th December)