As became apparent out of nowhere in today's flash mini Nintendo Direct, EarthBound has been given a stealth release on the Wii U eShop.

The cult RPG, which has never before been given a European release, had already been confirmed for a western re-release on the eShop, but Nintendo decided to give it a surprise launch this evening. It carries a price of £6.99 / €9.99.

Not only has the game been made available to European gamers for the first time ever, Nintendo has also released the official strategy guide for the game back from its original limited release in North America. It can be viewed online at http://earthbound.nintendo.com/playersguide/. The guide is also compatible for viewing on the Wii U GamePad.

If you've no idea what all the fuss is about, here's the official trailer.