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The VC Advantage: Embarrassing Ads of Thunder
By the time the Turbografx-16/CD combo system, the Turbo Duo launched, NEC's American branch had bailed on the Turbo platform and the new Turbo Technologies Inc. was desperate. Their advertising got increasingly ridiculous and antagonistic, as evidenced by the "Johnny Turbo" series of comic book-style ads in which a pudgy superhero saved kids from the horror of having to purchase a CD add-on for their "Feka" systems (another column for another time!)The best of TTI's amateurish, juvenile ads, however, was this promotional video for Lords of Thunder, which was mailed out through a coupon program. It consists alternately of overenthusiastic teens swearing their allegiance to Lords of Thunder and confused strangers wondering why they're being bothered. Ironically, this kind of advertising may have served to turn people away from the Duo platform. Lords of Thunder certainly can't take any of the blame for low sales. It's amazing.The hardcore Lords of Thunder (promo tape) audience must not have been what TTI anticipated, because I purchased a copy of this video from a Hastings Video Store in 2000 for .99. It was one of many copies in a clearance video bin. How did they even get there? The VC Advantage is a weekly look at the secrets inside games -- not just cheat codes, but assorted trivia and oddities. We aim to bring back the feeling of the hint columns from game magazines, except when we do something else.
VC Tuesday: We got a great big Comvoy
The only Virtual Console game going to Japan this week that isn't already available in the U.S. is Transformers: Convoy no Nazo, translated on the box as "Mystery of Comvoy." It may just supplant Urban Champion as the worst game on the VC. It's so awful that it's kind of adorable. It's so awful that Nintendo made a second Famicom game available to make up for it. Aside from the ironic enjoyment of Transformers, Japanese gamers can for-real enjoy the excellent Lords of Thunder. And they can react to the WiiWare release of TV Show King with mild interest. Transformers: Convoy no Nazo (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Yoshi's Cookie (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Winds of Thunder (Lords of Thunder) (PC Engine, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
Wii Warm Up: New pew pew pew
If there's one thing the Wii has plenty of, it's scrolling shooters, vertical and horizontal. Thanks to the Virtual Console, the Wii has probably the best library of shmups in history. You can go play something like Lords of Thunder or Blazing Lazers right now without even having to go to a store first. That's pretty compelling. Which means that original disc-based shooters actually face a lot of competition from the VC. If you're just now discovering that you love shooters, you can get some of the best ones ever made for a few bucks. That could mean trouble for Castle of Shikigami III, Monkey King and Blast Works. If you like shooters, are you content with the vintage offerings? Do you feel that there's enough of a reason to continue checking out the new games, or have you been reveling in undiscovered classics?
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 2/11/08
This week, we've added a bit to our coverage of the Virtual Console releases. Nothing major to alter how we do things here (we hear you're fine with how it is, but always feel free to let us know how we can improve!), but rather a small thing that we feel many of you will enjoy. So, hit up the video above, then be sure to head past the break for the rest of the coverage.
Lords of Thunder, Harvest Moon crop up on Virtual Console
As evidenced by our extraordinary difficulty in making a coherently themed post, Nintendo's two Virtual Console additions for today seem suited to diametrically different gamers. If you're the sort who enjoys blowing things to smithereens -- and then smashing said smithereens into even tinier smithereenies -- Harvest Moon is definitely the game for you. No, wait ... maybe it's the other one. Lords of Thunder (TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM, 1 Player, 800 Wii Points): Okay, it's definitely the other one. The side-scrollin' shootin' and a rockin' soundtrack should appeal to your lust for destruction and your hatred of the letter "g." Harvest Moon (SNES, 1 Player, 800 Wii Points): Swap your agro culture for some agriculture as you diligently water crops, raise livestock and expand your farm, all in the hopes of impressing some girl.
VC Friday: Lords of the Virtual Console drought
After a quiet couple of weeks on the European and Aussie Virtual Consoles, this week is ... no different whatsoever. Just a single game is on offer to PAL Wii owners this Friday, with Lords of Thunder on the block for 800 points. This blogger won't pretend to be familiar with Hudson's Turbografx-16 shooter; did anybody else give this a whirl back in the day? Lords of Thunder -- Turbografx -- 800 Wii points
