Nintendo is a publisher synonymous with tradition. Nearly 30 years later, the company’s software lineup continues to be headlined by such legendary franchises as Super Mario Bros., Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda – literally the most legendary of all franchises. For the most part, hardware has remained in a similarly stagnant bucket; new platforms continue the practice of largely shunning such modern tropes as online integration and forward-facing visuals. In this week’s edition of the Nintendo Download, Nintendo does the unthinkable and shatters a tradition as old as time itself.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 launches on August 19 at retail and, for the first time ever on a Nintendo console, online through the Nintendo eShop. This marks not only the first time that one of their games has launched in physical and digital form on launch, but also the first time that a major, first-party exclusive has been made available for download on the same console that it made its traditional debut.

In other, more traditional news, A Month of Mario wraps up this week with a charming puzzler while business picks up when pirate chickens go crazy.

Games

• New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS) – $39.99*
• Mario’s Picross (3DS) – $2.99**
• Crazy Chicken: Pirates 3D (3DS)
• Crazy Chicken: Pirates (DSi)
• Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Add-On Content (3DS) – $0.99 per song

Videos

• New Super Mario Bros. 2 – Coin Rush Mode (3DS)

*Available at midnight on August 19
**Available for a discounted price through August 22

All content listed in the Nintendo Download Update is available today on the Nintendo 3DS, DSi, or Wii.