Level-5 on board as Nintendo's ramps up 3DS's digital drive

Two months after New Super Mario Bros. 2 served as the first full-game digital download on Nintendo's eShop for 3DS, the Japanese giant has announced further titles are bound for the marketplace.

Four releases - Super Mario 3D Land, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Mario Kart 7 and Star Fox 64 3D can now be downloaded from the eShop, retailing at £39.99 each.

Despite the high price points, however, it would appear take-up of New Super Mario Bros. 2 was strong enough to warrant an expansion of the strategy of releasing both boxed and digital versions of the same titles.

Double trouble

"We will initiate the so-called digital download sales, or the digital distribution of packaged software, in addition to the sales of packaged software through the existing distribution channels," said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata back in April.

"In principle, starting from this software, the company will offer the software titles that Nintendo itself publishes in both packaged and digital download formats so that our consumers can choose the way to purchase them."

The drive doesn't stop with Nintendo, either.

Level-5 has announced it is bring three ganes Liberation Maiden, Aero Porter and Crimson Shroud to the eShop this autumn. Said titles were previously only available in Japan as part of a multi-game pack.

Another level

"Level-5 is dedicated to empowering the world's best game designers with the freedom to create the innovative games they truly want to make featuring the immersive stories they want to tell, and these three games are great examples of that strategy," said Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino.

"We are extremely proud to bring Suda51's Liberation Maiden to North America and Europe as the first release from the series, offering true game design and production values of the highest quality through a downloadable platform."

Nintendo is somewhat late to the digital party, however, even in terms of the handheld scene.

Sony's PS Vita has played host to digital versions of boxed games since launch, though has been criticised for the high prices of such games when compared to the often discounted retail versions.

You can read what Pocket Gamer editor-in-chief Kristan Reed thought of Nintendo's digital strategy at the time of New Super Mario Bros. 2's release here.