Dr. Luigi ensures the Year of Luigi rolls to 2014

Nintendo wasn't joking that the Year of Luigi would continue into 2014: Dr. Luigi will be released on the Wii U eShop on January 15.

Dr. Luigi, a block-busting puzzle game, will feature four game modes: Retro Remedy, Operation L, Online Battle, and Germ Buster. The latter mode uses simple capsules and touch controls, presumably with the Wii U GamePad, while Operation L features button control and new L-shaped capsules new to this game.

Retro Remedy, on the other hand, pairs the series' traditional basic capsules with button controls.

Pricing details for Dr. Luigi were not mentioned by Nintendo during the announcement.

Dr. Luigi is a new spin on the long-running Dr. Mario series, which was originally released on the NES in 1990. The series saw later instalments on the Nintendo 64 and DSiWare.