Nintendo's 'eShop Selects' series will bring Wii U digital titles to stores in Eurpoe

By Danny Cowan Published July 30, 2016

Your favorite Wii U eShop games are headed for a retail upgrade, as Nintendo announced that it will release physical versions of Fast Racing Neo, SteamWorld Heist, and SteamWorld Dig as part of its newly launched “Nintendo eShop Selects” series.

The first entries in Nintendo’s eShop Selects series are due to hit store shelves in Europe in September. A North American launch date for Nintendo’s expanded retail lineup is not yet known.

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Shin’en Multimedia’s futuristic racer Fast Racing Neo is first in line for Nintendo’s new digital-to-retail initiative. Inspired by classic racers like F-Zero and the Wipeout series, Fast Racing Neo features a four-player split-screen mode and an online multiplayer mode that supports up to eight players across a series of gravity-defying tracks.

Fast Racing Neo‘s retail release will also bundle all expanded content featured in the upcoming Neo Future Pack DLC, including eight new racetracks, 10 additional vehicle profiles, and expanded soundtrack options. Players who purchased the eShop version of Fast Racing Neo will be able to download the Neo Future Pack DLC starting September 30.

Nintendo’s second inaugural eShop Selects release is SteamWorld Collection, a retail package that bundles Image & Form’s SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt with its recently launched sequel, SteamWorld Heist.

Originally released in 2013, SteamWorld Dig is a side-scrolling action game in which players must plumb the depths of a desert planet in search of valuable ore. SteamWorld Heist shifts the series in a more strategic direction with turn-based shootouts that require players to calculate how their bullets will ricochet off of the surrounding environment before striking enemies.

SteamWorld Collection also marks the Wii U debut of SteamWorld Heist, which previously launched for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, and PC platforms. A digital version will be available via the eShop later this year.

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