Diddy Kong confirmed for Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS in time for Tropical Freeze release

Donkey Kong's certainly pleased to be joined by Diddy.

I know Diddy Kong in Super Smash Bros. Brawl had at least one fan: my brother. Undoubtedly, there are many other Diddy fans out there. I'm talking to you when I say, "Diddy Kong is returning to the fray!" The adorable simian has been confirmed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 via the usual Miiverse screenshot of the day from Sakurai, the games' director.

Strangely, this announcement was made at the exact moment Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze released for Wii U. I'm kidding about the "strangely" part, obviously. It's not strange at all, though I didn't even think to predict it myself. Did anyone out there make the guess before it came true? Leave an answer in the comments below. Also, feel free to leave any other thoughts you may have concerning Tropical Freeze itself or Diddy Kong's return to Smash Bros.

Bravely Default Collector's Edition Unboxing Photos

The front of the box.

Well, the delivery estimate for my Collector's Edition of Bravely Default was almost a week ago. After 6 extra days of painful anticipation, it finally showed up at the post office. I must say, the wait was worth it. This thing is the nicest collector's anything I've ever gotten. But instead of listening to me blab on, you probably want to get to the actual meat of this post.

...That would be the photos.

The back of the box.

The opened box.

The Collector's Edition comes with a pack of 34 AR cards.

The back of the card box.

I spread out all 34 cards as best I could.

Here's a close look at the first six cards in the deck.

The soundtrack CD is nestled comfortably on the right side of the box.

A look at the back side of the CD case reveals the names of the 10 tracks.

The CD itself has a beautiful graphic of a praying Agnes.

The deluxe art book slides out of its secret compartment under the soundtrack.

Each main character has a few pages of the art book dedicated to them.

Impresssions - Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (Wii U eShop)

Giana Sisters is a platforming game starring Cute Giana and Punk Giana. I'm still trying to decide if these are two different versions of the same Giana, or if there are two sisters both named Giana...

Regardless, the point of cute and punk Giana is that each has her own special ability: Cute Giana has a spin jump that gives her a moderate boost and allows her to glide down slowly. Punk Giana can perform a dash attack that gives her a larger boost and is deadly to most foes (Cute Giana can take out foes, but only by jumping on top of them). Here's the thing about the two different Gianas: the player can switch between the two in an instant. This makes what would probably be a pretty generic platformer an engaging, not to mention very fun, platformer.

Additionally, each Giana inhabits a different style of the same world. Cute Giana's world is moody and dark, but with a softer style of music; while Punk Giana's world is bright and colorful, but accompanied by a metal style of music. Does that even make sense? Well, despite the confusion I initially had while switching between the two Gianas, the world and music in the game are very nice.

I've played this game for well over two hours (which is a fair amount for an indie title), and it would seem there is a lot more to experience, including multiple difficulty modes and a time attack mode. I haven't encountered any glitches, but I have seen a few complaints on Miiverse from other players, so keep that in mind.

Spend 500 Club Nintendo coins on two Animal Crossing: New Leaf posters! ...Wait, what?

Club Nintendo in America has added a new reward: the Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2-Poster Set. The first poster is a nice shot of townsfolk every Animal Crossing player is familiar with (Isabelle, Tom Nook, and the like). The second poster features every single animal the game has to offer as ordinary citizens. That's all the explaining I can do: those who are familiar with the series know exactly what I mean.

The new reward is going for a whopping 500 coins. This baffles me, as past poster sets have included 3 posters and been redeemable for just 400 coins. I keep expecting Club Nintendo to get its act together and start offering decent items at decent prices, but the program keeps on sinking. What types of rewards would you like to see more of?

Super Indie Connection Sale on the Wii U eShop

A really fantastic sale has now ended is currently taking place in the Wii U eShop. Dubbed the "Super Indie Connection Sale," it allows you to buy or own one of five indie titles to qualify for 60% off all the rest. The games involved are:

• Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party
• Mighty Switch Force! Hyperdrive Edition
• Toki Tori 2+
• Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
• Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

 The sale lasts until February 13th, so get a move on!

I was fortunate enough to already own Mighty Switch Force! Hyperdrive Edition when the sale began a few days ago. I immediately used some of my spare eShop funds to purchase Toki Tori 2+, after which I added 5 dollars from the Deluxe Digital Promotion and used it to download Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. Over the next few days, I'll make a few impressions posts to help you decide whether this promotion is for you. It should be, I can tell you that right now.