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VC Friday: Ninja Dragon Games
A trio of games this week on the PAL Virtual Console (all of which would be dead to us if "Ninja Dragon Games" actually existed), including one we totally want, one that will probably be undeservedly overlooked in favor of the one we totally want and, um, World Games (Commodore 64), which we're entirely unfamiliar with.The former, obviously, is Double Dragon (NES), and although we plan to download Technos' landmark game with a quickness, we feel a bit bad for The Last Ninja (Commodore 64), which deserves some attention, if only for its amazing soundtrack. Check videos of all three out after the blue words, and marvel at how barrel jumping looks ... oddly compelling. Double Dragon -- NES -- 500 Wii Points World Games -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points* The Last Ninja -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points* * Only in Europe.
VC Friday: Phantasy Star III: Virtual Console update of Doom
Up on the chopping block this Friday is the red-headed step-child of early Phantasy Star games, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom. Considered the weak link by fans, we suppose that directly following Phantasy Star II didn't help its case. Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii Points Don't forget to hop in the patented Wii Fanboy time machine and hurtle past the break for footage from the game.
VC Friday: 'Stay a while ... Stay FOREVER'
"Nintendo, with this week's four Virtual Console releases you are really spoiling us!"We feel extra special this week, because kindly old Uncle Nintendo has lavished the PAL Virtual Console (or at least the European Virtual Console) with four new titles, including another two Commodore 64 additions (both of which are cracking), and the first Master System games to reach Australia. Unusually, all four are worth a look, but Impossible Mission has a special room all of its own in this blogger's heart. As usual, there's footage of all titles past the break. California Games -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points* Impossible Mission -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points* Wonder Boy -- Master System -- 500 Wii Points Fantasy Zone -- Master System -- 500 Wii Points * Europe only, for now -- sorry, Aussies!
VC Friday: We can has Cookie?
Confection Craziness! Baked-goods battiness! Cookie Kooky-ness!Usually, we'll spend an entire morning grumbling and tutting when we only receive one new game for the PAL Virtual Console. Not this week, however, because the appearance of Yoshi's Cookie has given us a good enough reason to post one of our favorite NES-era commercials, complete with zombie children, desperate for braaaainssssss sugary biscuits.Hide your cookies! Hide ALL your cookies! (And then head past the break for gameplay footage). Yoshi's Cookie -- NES -- 500 Wii Points
VC Friday: Commodore 64 hits the ground running
Ladies and gents, let's make some noise for the latest addition to the PAL European (sorry, Aussies) Virtual Console, the Commodore 64. Woo! Yep, after what feels like an eternity, the fondly remembered platform has made its Virtual Console debut with two of the strongest titles from its vast library: International Karate and Uridium. Both are comfortably worth the entrance fee of 500 Wii points, and begin to look like an even more obscene bargain when you consider this week's other addition: Midway's totally mediocre Cruis'n USA. Hit the break for videos of all three. International Karate -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii points Uridium -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii points Cruis'n USA -- N64 -- 1000 Wii points
VC Friday: 'R you ready?'
So asks the front of Super R-Type's box. Of course, you won't get the box when you purchase Super R-Type on the Virtual Console (you are purchasing Super R-Type ... right?), but we couldn't resist revisiting such a deliciously bad pun. You just don't get that kind of cringeworthy wordplay on today's boxart!The NES version of Operation Wolf also makes an appearance today, and if you ask us it's one of the very few Virtual Console games that would actually benefit from added Wiimote functionality. Super R-Type -- SNES -- 800 Wii points Operation Wolf -- NES -- 500 Wii points Don't forget there's footage to get all misty-eyed about after the break!
VC Friday: The puffball returns
Just the one game on today's update, though that doesn't mean your Wii points will have it easy. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards has become the twelfth Nintendo 64 game on the European and Aussie Virtual Consoles, and as such comes in at 1000 Wii points. It's not the lengthiest of titles, but it's still a worthy purchase. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards -- N64 -- 1000 Wii points As usual, skip past the break for footage.
VC Friday: Pew pew pew
It's been hard not to feel totally pampered by recent PAL Virtual Console updates, with the likes of Phantasy Star II and Street Gangs keeping us up late.This week's releases -- both of which are shooters -- can't quite match that kind of awesomeness, but they're still worth considering. Super Turrican is a pretty SNES shooter from Factor 5 (heard of those turncoats?), while Psychosis is -- we urge you to brace yourselves for a shock -- a Turbografx-16 shooter.Blast your way past the break for extensive footage of both in action. Super Turrican -- SNES -- 800 Wii points Psychosis -- Turbografx -- 800 Wii points
VC Friday: It's only freakin' River City Ransom
We kind of knew all along that Street Gangs (or River City Ransom as NTSC gamers will know it) would materialize on the Virtual Console eventually. Yet even with this knowledge in hand, we still couldn't resist cartwheeling across our living rooms with joy after it appeared for really reals today on the PAL VC. People, it's Street Gangs, a.k.a. River City Ransom. Whatever name you give to it, it's a bona fide classic, and requires your instant attention.Adventure Island is this week's second addition, yet may well go unnoticed, thanks to the game it shares this particular VC Friday with. That would be a shame, as Hudson's platformer is also worth investigating.Hoist a trash can above your head and hit the break for footage of both! Street Gangs -- NES -- 500 Wii points Adventure Island -- NES -- 500 Wii points
VC Friday: VC Phriday
After a run of three weeks with only one title, this Friday sees two Sega properties up for the taking on the PAL Virtual Console. The first, 2D fighter Eternal Champions, should only concern the most ardent supporters of the company.Indeed, if our bastardization of "VC Friday" tells you anything, it's that this is the week of Phantasy Star II. Sega's RPG is rightfully a huge favorite amongst the Fanboy staff, and it should be high on your list as well. For 800 Wii points, on a machine with no notable RPGs to call its own, it's a pretty damn essential addition to your Virtual Console library. Eternal Champions -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points Phantasy Star II -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points
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
VC Friday: Back to Eggerland!
This week on the PAL Virtual Console, players get another chance to return to Eggerland and help blue-sphere-with-eyes Lolo rescue pink-sphere-with-eyes Lala from King Egger (a poor man's Bowser) in Adventures of Lolo 2. Sometimes, we miss the simpler characterization to be found in older games.If you're not so crazy about the thought of more Adventures of Lolo, then consider this your chance to save those Wii points for possible future treasures. Adventures of Lolo 2 -- NES -- 500 Wii points
VC Friday: Want more Street Fighter II?
Because that's what you're getting, guys and gals. This week's sole addition to the PAL Virtual Console is Capcom scrapper Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, the third Street Fighter II spin-off to hit the Euro and Aussie VC.It also happens to be the game that introduced Cammy to the world, and with her a whole new chapter of ill-advised cosplay. Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers -- SNES -- 800 Wii points
VC Friday: Remember the N64?
You do? Great! And do you also recall how N64 games would occasionally pop up on the Virtual Console? No?Well, we can't blame you if it slipped your mind. It's been almost three months since PAL gamers last saw an N64 game on the VC (for the record, it was Yoshi's Story), but this week sees the fuzz-tacular console make a return. And, despite our snarky tone, 1080° Snowboarding is actually an ace reminder of the console. This blogger still has fresh memories of shaving milliseconds from his best Time Trial performances with Dion Blaster. Never did pull off a 1080°, mind.Streets of Rage imitator Riot Zone makes the leap from the Turbografx-16 to complete this week's PAL platter of retro goodness. 1080° Snowboarding -- N64 -- 1000 Wii points Riot Zone -- Turbografx -- 800 Wii points
VC Friday: More like Alien Light Breeze
You know how we gamers like to get all misty-eyed, and bang on about the games of today being child's play compared to the rock-hard titles of yesteryear? Well, today's European and Aussie Virtual Console update provides some evidence against that, because it includes Alien Storm. Sega's side-scrolling shoot-me-do is by no means a bad game, but it was an absolute cinch to complete when this blogger was fifteen, and it's probably not become much harder since.It's joined by Alisha favorite StarTropics, which yours truly has yet to play. Yes, I am suitably ashamed.StarTropics -- NES -- 500 Wii pointsAlien Storm -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points
VC Friday: Harvest a rare SNES game
As eBay darlings go, the SNES version of Harvest Moon isn't quite in the same league as, say, Nintendo World Championships 1990, but it ain't cheap, either; you can expect to pony up around $100 for a copy on eBay. That is unless you live in Europe or Australia, where the first game to make back-breaking toil fun has just popped up on the Virtual Console for a meagre 800 Wii points. Sure, it's only one game, but its quality can't be denied.Harvest Moon -- SNES -- 800 Wii points
WRUP: Pre-New Year's Eve edition
It's Friday once again, and despite the fact that most of us had at least half of this week off, we're looking at another three- or four-day-weekend. So what are you going to do with it (a.k.a. What aRe yoU Playing)?Me, I'm glad to be home and resting after a pretty rushed holiday weekend, so it's going to be lots of relaxing. I haven't played a lot of World of Warcraft in a while, so I think my main goal this weekend will be to get back to my hunter and try leveling her as close to 70 as I can get. Just today, I finally bought my Retriever in EVE Online, also, so I see some more mining in my future as well. You know what they say: more ISK, more problems.Did you get anything fun to play over Christmas? What games are you sinking your MMO teeth into this weekend, and what are you aiming to get done in those games?Previously on WRUP...
VC Friday: Nintendo plays Santa
Turns out that yours truly may have been hitting the eggnog a little too hard, as this week's PAL Virtual Console release update actually appeared back on Tuesday (a.k.a Christmas Day), rather than the usual Friday. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is the sole title to appear on the final PAL VC update of the year, but it's a worthwhile addition, nonetheless, and superior to the second game in the trilogy to which it belongs, even if it does lack a playable Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong. Put it this way - we could have received worse things for Christmas.Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! -- SNES -- 800 Wii points
VC Friday: Give the gift of Wonder Boy this Christmas
We've already discussed how much of a holy mess the Wonder Boy series is, and today European and Australian folk will be able to sample a small part of the jumbled franchise, with the release of Monster Lair, as it appeared on the Turbografx-16 (a Sega Mega Drive version appeared a year later, though only in Europe).Whereas Monster Lair is perhaps the highlight of this last VC update before Christmas, this blogger will admit to having fond recollections of the fighting sequences in NES ice hockey title Blades of Steel, while those of you with an "Extreme!!!" bent may wish to throw 500 Wii points in the direction of Skate or Die! Skate or Die! -- NES -- 500 Wii points Blades of Steel -- NES -- 500 Wii points Monster Lair -- Turbografx -- 800 Wii points
VC Friday: Mega Man!
This week, the PAL Virtual Console picks up the action theme of last week and runs with it. Up on the block this Friday is Neo Geo shoot-me-do Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy, a beautifully drawn SNK shooter that preceded genre classic Metal Slug.Mega Man 2 from the NES will be the highlight for many of you, however, with 500 Wii points a terribly small price to pay for what is arguably the series' finest moment to date. Even without the completely rad boxart. Mega Man 2 -- NES -- 500 Wii points Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii points
