And down the stretch we come with a shovel.
For Shovelry, cries the puzzle-game playing part of my heart, as Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon sews up the "last major release of the year" slot barring any late shadowdrop shenanigans. Neal has already pulled rank to get the code, so check a look at his review. There's also a historic game this week, as Westone's Clockwork Aquario finally comes out in North America - a game that began development in 1991, or to put it in perspective, two years before my current roommate was born.
Other titles of note this week: The "over US retail" alarm goes off for Hashihime of the Old Book Town (preorder discount and demo available), which is a rare example of a romance game with nothing but male characters (ie: a BL game) and a couple of indie show reps in Omno and One Hand Clapping. And before you freak out about a piece of infamous Wii U kusoge coming back, this version of The Letter does not appear to be an asset flip and claims a script of 200,000+ words for a visual novel. (Whether that should be seen as a threat...) Finally for North America, we actually have a Wii U release. No, I don't know why either.
Japan gets a bunch of novels and the Deathsmiles series of scrolling shooters.
North America
Switch eShop
Hashihime of the Old Book Town append (US$61.64/C$78.40)
My Universe - Doctors & Nurses ($29.99/$39.99: Monday)
Let's Play! Oink Games ($21.99/$29.99: Wednesday)
Timelie ($19.99/$26.59: Wednesday)
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon ($19.99/$25.99: Monday)
Clockwork Aquario ($19.99/$24.99: Tuesday)
The Letter: A Horror Visual Novel ($19.99/$25.99: Wednesday)
Chicory: A Colorful Tale ($19.99/$24.99: Wednesday)
Filmechanism ($19.99/$22.79: Wednesday)
Dungeon Munchies ($16.99/$22.60: Wednesday)
Omno ($15.99/$19.99)
One Hand Clapping ($14.99/$20.99: Tuesday)
Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzles - Dino Puzzle Game for Kids & Toddlers ($14.99/$19.94)
Aspire: Ina's Tale ($12.99/$17.28: Friday)
Pixel Game Maker Series Cham The Cat Adventure ($10.99/$13.29)
Asteroids Recharged ($9.99/$13.29: Tuesday)
Murder Diaries 3 - Santa's Trail of Blood ($9.99/$14.99)
Sakura Santa ($9.99/$13.99)
Pixel Game Maker Series Oumuamua ($9.99/$13.29)
Trash Quest ($9.99/$13.29)
Him and Her 3 ($9.99: Friday)
Cape's Escape Game 5th Room ($9.80/not releasing)
Love Pop! ($8.99/$11.96)
Pixel Game Maker Series JEWELiNX ($7.99/$10.63)
The Enigma Machine ($7.99/$10.63)
Pixel Game Maker Series Biggerman.io ($5.49/$7.30)
Forgotten Hill Disillusion ($4.99/$6.99: Friday)
Escape from Mirrorland ~The Adventures of Nyanzou&Kumakichi: Escape Game Series~ ($4.90/not releasing)
3DS eShop
Moonbound ($4.99/$6.19)
Wii U eShop
RTO 3 ($9.99/$11.99)
Captain U ($2.99)
Switch Archives
Mirai Ninja ($7.99/$9.87)
Sales and Price Drops
Highlights: Nintendo's "Award Winners" sale runs through the end of the day Wednesday and includes sales on the expansion packs for Splatoon 2 and Breath of the Wild. Also listed with the sale, but on through the 20th, is 70% off Mortal Kombat 11's Ultimate (all DLC included) edition. PSPrices, DekuDeals, @eShopNotifier
Europe
Switch eShop
Hashihime of the Old Book Town append (€53.12/£45.89: Wednesdsy)
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon (€19.99/£17.99: Monday)
Let's Play! Oink Games (€19.99/£17.99: Wednesday)
The Letter: A Horror Visual Novel (€19.99/£17.99: Wednesday)
Timelie (€19.99/£17.99: Wednesday)
Chicory: A Colorful Tale (€18.99/£17.09: Wednesday)
Filmechanism (€16.79/£15.49)
One Hand Clapping (€14.99/£12.49: Tuesday)
Dungeon Munchies (€14.99/£12.49: Wednesday)
Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzles - Dino Puzzle Game for Kids & Toddlers (€14.99/£13.49)
Omno (€14.99/£12.99)
Aspire: Ina's Tale (€12.99/£11.69: Friday)
Murder Diaries 3 - Santa's Trail of Blood (€9.99/£9.99)
Sakura Santa (€9.99/£9.99: Wednesday)
Trash Quest (€9.99/£8.99)
Crazy Zen Coedeword (€9.99/£8.99: Friday)
Pixel Game Maker Series Cham The Cat Adventure (€9.49/£8.59)
Him and Her 3 (€8.99/£8.09: Friday)
Love Pop! (€8.99/£8.09)
Pixel Game Maker Series Oumuamua (€8.65/£7.69)
The Enigma Machine (€7.99/£10.63)
Pixel Game Maker Series JEWELiNX (€6.99/£6.29)
Forgotten Hill Disillusion (€4.99/£4.99: Friday)
Pixel Game Maker Series Biggerman.io (€4.69/£4.19)
Switch Archives
Mirai Ninja (€6.99/£6.29)
Japan
Hashihime of the Old Book Town append (¥7590)
Pui Pui Molcar: Let's Molcar Party (¥6248)
Deathsmiles I / II (¥4950)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: The Video Game (¥4730)
Kunio-Kun: Three Kingdoms (¥3740)
Royal Hole Poco Academy (¥2800)
Let's Play! Oink Games (¥2500)
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (¥2480)
Aikagi II (¥2200)
Atri -My Dear Moments- (¥2200)
Day of the Dead: Soiltaire Collection (¥2200)
Egglia Rebirth (¥2200)
Timelie (¥2200)
Dungeon Munchies (¥2100)
Filmechanism (¥2050)
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon (¥1980: Monday)
One Hand Clapping (¥1980: Tuesday)
Critadel (¥1980)
Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzles - Dino Puzzle Game for Kids & Toddlers (¥1924)
Adabana Old Tales: Kabana Itan (¥1870)
Space Stella: The Unknown Planet (¥1800)
There is No Game: Wrong Dimension (¥1670)
Moorhuhn: Jump & Run - Treasure Hunter (¥1650)
Vivid Knight (¥1520)
Pixel Game Maker Series Cham The Cat Adventure (¥1200)
60 Parsecs (¥1140)
Pixel Game Maker Series Oumuamua (¥1100)
Asteroids Recharged (¥1099)
Extreme Race (¥1000)
Pure Chase 80s (¥1000)
Sakura Santa (¥1000)
Captain Backwater (¥999)
Murder Diaries 3 - Santa's Trail of Blood (¥999)
Cape's Escape Game 5th Room (¥980)
Pixel Game Maker Series JEWELiNX (¥900)
Jigsaw Masterpieces (¥880)
Vtuber Maid Ramie (¥880)
Mirai Ninja (¥838)
Scrap Garden (¥794)
Pixel Game Maker Series Biggerman.io (¥550)
Area Maze (¥500)
Cartoon Tower Defense (¥499)
Escape from Mirrorland ~The Adventures of Nyanzou&Kumakichi: Escape Game Series~ (¥490)
Christmas Snowball Bubble (¥400)
Minepull (¥300)
Cave Story's Secret Santa (¥100)