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Simple fix brings back the blood in XBLA Metal Slug 3
Come back with us, if you will. Back to the middle ages of video gaming. Back to the early '90s. Mortal Kombat was a huge, bloody (and we do mean bloody) hit in the arcades. Unfortunately, console makers were concerned with how such a gory game would be received in family living rooms. Thus, the game's signature red blood was replaced with white "sweat" for the console versions.Luckily we don't live in such dark times anymore, right? Not so. The Xbox Live Arcade version of Metal Slug 3 similarly has been toned down to include white "sweat" instead of red blood. This is especially odd considering the Metal Slug 3 port for the supposedly family-friendly Wii included what one reviewer called "arterial blood spraying everywhere."Luckily (for real this time), there's a way around this bit of historical revisionism that's as simple as the Genesis Mortal Kombat's famous "blood code." As Insert Credit points out, simply setting your Xbox language to Japanese brings back the original Neo Geo classic in all its gory glory. Apparently, someone at Microsoft thinks the Japanese have a higher tolerance for this stuff. Either that, or they think Japanese gamers are just more picky about historical accuracy in their re-releases. Which is probably true, but still ...
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 12/31/07
So, it's the final week of 2007 and what do we have to show for it? Frickin' Bubble Bobble is what we have got! It's enough for us, hopefully it'll be enough for you. But, on the other hand, the two titles available that don't have a bubble or a bobble in their name aren't that bad, either.
VC Monday Madness: Bubble Bobble, Light Crusader and Top Hunter
Today is a pretty sweet day for the Virtual Console, what with a high profile, fun game like Bubble Bobble hitting the scene. We can't wait to get our download on later, as we have very fond memories of playing the NES game into the early hours of the morning during our younger years. As for the other titles available, we can't say we're familiar with them, so we're anxious to try the "new to us" games.This week's Virtual Console games include: Bubble Bobble (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points) Light Crusader (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Top Hunter (NeoGeo, 1 - 2 players, 900 Wii Points) And, of course, be sure to stop back later for our video wrap-up.
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 12/10/07
Well, our video is later than usual, but with the big Shop Channel update hitting tonight, we kind of had our hands full. It's not often where we have to shoot and edit two videos in one evening. Still, we hate to disappoint, so check out our video wrap-up above and be sure to head past the break for our other coverage of this week's Virtual Console games.
VC Monday Madness: Pokemon Snap, Ghosts 'n Goblins and Baseball Stars 2
As predicted, the arrival of December the 10th on your calendar coincides with the release of Pokemon Snap on the Virtual Console. Of course, you all know about the added feature to the Virtual Console edition of the N64 game by now. Well, hopefully this opens up a whole new world of possible improvements to other Virtual Console games in the future.Today's Virtual Console releases are: Pokémon Snap (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points) Baseball Stars 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) And, as usual, be sure to stop back here later for our video wrap-up of the week's releases.
The mysterious D4 Enterprise speaks about their Neo Geo plans
It's not SNK putting Neo Geo classics on the Virtual Console. They're off releasing compilations and embarrassing DS games. The company responsible for your sudden access to Blue's Journey is D4 Enterprise, who has been obtaining licenses for Neo Geo games from SNK and putting the games on the Virtual Console.Gamasutra's Brandon Sheffield spoke to D4's Shinobu Shimizu about the company and their Neo Geo plans. Basically, D4 plans to release SNK Playmore properties (and, as shown by World Heroes, ADK games as well) in a very faithfully-emulated form, with the possibility of a few concessions made to new gamers. Selectable difficulty in Magician Lord is cited as such a change.D4 already has experience with enabling retrogaming on rare systems -- they got their start with the 1Chip MSX device, a new, cheaper version of the MSX computer (pictured). It is no surprise, then, that D4 is behind the plans to put MSX games on the VC.
VC Monday Madness: Blue's Journey, Volleyball and Axelay
As one might imagine, the week following the release of Super Mario Bros. 3 is a bit on the disappointing side. But, hey, just about any Virtual Console release this week would disappointing when we've gotten our hands on one of the best games of all time. Volleyball (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Blue's Journey (NeoGeo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) Axelay (Super NES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) As usual, be sure to stop back later for our video wrap-up of the day's releases.
Castlevania II, Samurai Ghost, Magician Lord scare up Wii VC
With Halloween just around the dark and eerily-lit corner, Nintendo has released its latest batch of classic console offerings for the Wii's Virtual Console Monday smorgasbord, including Konami's strange but nonetheless fantastic action RPG hybrid Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which to this day still has many of us humming its tunes while lathering up in the shower. But for the sake of argument let's assume you are not the sort of person who likes thwarting the undead with a thorny whip -- perhaps you'll enjoy what else this week has to offer: Castlevania II Simon's Quest (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): The gem of this latest batch, Simon's Quest reminds us that not only is it a horrible night to have a curse, but also that that shifty riverman has a thing for Dracula's heart. Samurai Ghost (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): If you can't beat'em, join'em seems to be the motif in Namco's 1992 side scroller, as Samurai Ghost has you floating about as the undead ronin Kagekiyo on a quest for revenge and, we assume, candy. Magician Lord (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points): The latest Neo Geo release to crop up on the Virtual Console, Magician Lord is also one of the most fondly remembered among the pricey platform's library, and we're all too eager to rejoin the shape shifiting Elta, the last of the magician lords, on his quest to throw down with the nefarious Gul-Agieze.
VC Monday Madness: Simon's Quest, Magician Lord and Samurai-Ghost
Another week, another Virtual Console update. And, with this week's update, we've got three new titles to check out. The obvious high-profile game here is Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which you all likely remember (whether you enjoyed it or not). That doesn't mean we should forget about the other two games, though.This week's releases are: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Samurai-Ghost (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Magician Lord (Neo Geo, 1 - 2 players, 900 Wii Points) And, as usual, be sure to stop back later for our video wrap-up of today's releases.
Japan's November VC releases: Nuts
... and also Milk. November's Virtual Console outlook for Japan looks pretty excellent, with a lot of delightfully niche stuff. That includes King's Knight, the medieval-themed vertical shooter (!) from Square(!) that nobody likes but us ( ....) It will also bring Sega's Eternal Champions, the goofy Mortal Kombat-influenced fighting game that we poured hundreds of hours into. But it also includes stuff that non-us people will enjoy, like Panel de Pon, which, released in the U.S. as Tetris Attack, is the most popular version of the Puzzle League puzzle games. Light Crusader is notable for being an RPG from Treasure, and not much else.Of course, the big news for a lot of us is that SNK has turned the King of Fighters faucet on, ensuring a constant stream of fighting games with overdone storylines and ridiculous outfits for at least a year. Here's the full lineup for November, assuming some of them don't get bumped or pushed back into December (they will): Famicom: Ganbare Goemon, Balloon Fight, Makaimura (Ghosts 'n Goblins), Nuts and Milk, King's KnightSuper Famicom: Panel de PonMega Drive: Ecco Jr., Light Crusader, Eternal ChampionsPC Engine: Dynastic Hero (Wonder Boy in Monster World), Dragon Spirit, Take the A-Train 3, Kawa no Nushi Tsuri (Legend of the River King), Gradius II GOFER no YabouNeo Geo: The King of Fighters '94, Baseball Stars 2, Top Hunter
VC Friday: Time for a quest
We're going to have to take a break for this week's European Virtual Console update for a little media bias. Look, it's Castlevania. Some things are just sacred, or near enough to it to require a call to action. Go forth, gamers, and take up Simon's Quest. Vanquish evil. It'll make you feel good about yourself.Oh, there are other games as well, if you're that sort of person, including the first TurboDuo title released. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest -- NES -- 500 Wii points Gate of Thunder -- TurboDuo -- 800 Wii points World Heroes -- NeoGeo -- 900 Wii points
Fix revealed for resolution issue on NeoGeo games
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Fix_revealed_for_resolution_issue_on_NeoGeo_games'; You know how we were having issues with the NeoGeo games on the Virtual Console? Well, someone on these fine internets figured out a fix, although it isn't as ideal as a system update from Nintendo would be. Still, it's not that difficult of a process and allows us to play our games. That's what's most important, after all.Here's the fix: Boot up your NeoGeo VC game of choice When it loads with the squished screen, hit the Home button on your Wiimote Head into the Operations Guide Once inside, plug your nunchuk controller into your Wiimote, then simultaneously press A+Z+1 You should hear a sound, signaling that the Wii has been set to Interlace mode Enjoy. Now, once done, all of your NeoGeo games should run fine, meaning you won't have to do this for every game.[Thanks, Jason!]
The VC Advantage: Art of Unlocking
The Internet has made it easy to find cheats for games, but we miss the tips pages from game magazines, when the discovery of a new code could inspire you to go back to an old game. These codes aren't exactly new, but oldness is the essence of the Virtual Console! We're bringing back the classic codes every week on The VC Advantage.We planned to do a blowout of Neo Geo cheats in celebration of the all-Neo Monday, but forces conspired against us. First, there just aren't that many codes for the Neo Geo games released this week. That's the biggest problem. Second, Neo games may not even display properly on your TV, meaning that a lot of people may not even be able to play them, much less play them using advanced cheaterly techniques.So, instead of a blowout, you get ... two unlockable characters in Art of Fighting.Unlock Mr. Karate: Do you want Mr. Karate? Then when you reach him in the single-player mode, lose. (Which, against SNK bosses, is the default state.) Start a two-player game and Mr. Karate will be available.Unlock Mr. Big: It's true*. You can play Art of Fighting with the band responsible for the hit ballad "To Be With You". They all move in unison. It's a little weird. You access Mr. Big in the same way you play with Mr. Karate: by losing to him, then starting a two-player game.*By "true", we mean "not true".[Codes via GameFAQs]
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 10/8/07
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/videos/gaming/NEOGEO_games_on_the_Virtual_Console_are_not_displaying_properly'; While normally we'd have some more coverage for you past the post break, we can't possibly do that for you. Sorry, but if you watched the above video, you'd understand why we couldn't play enough of each of the games to come to a determination as to whether they're worth downloading or not. Actually, as it stands right now, they aren't worth downloading until Nintendo has worked the kinks out.Oh, how there are kinks ...
VC Monday Madness: All hail the NEOGEO
Finally, the NEOGEO makes a huge splash on the Virtual Console, offering up three different top notch titles to download. Wallets will be beaten to a pulp, their contents spilled all over the ground and quickly sucked up by Nintendo as each of these NEOGEO games will require a $9 entrance fee. And, with three different games available, that's a lot of scratch for some retro gaming goodness.This week's games are: Fatal Fury (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) World Heroes (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) Art of Fighting (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) As always, be sure to check back later for our video wrap-up of this week's offerings.
Neo Geo games arrive on Virtual Console today
We didn't get much exposure to the Neo Geo in our younger days, perhaps because our career as the world's youngest tax attorney wasn't particularly lucrative (we would too frequently accept baseball cards and Bubble Yum as compensation) and we couldn't afford the $7,000 that each cartridge cost. Also, all the games legally had the world "Fight" or "Fury" or "Punching" in the title, and it was hard to tell them apart. This week, though, the Virtual Console is allowing us to set it all right.For 900 points ($9) a piece, you can purchase Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting or World Heroes. Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting are, as their names suggest, fighting games. But World Heroes on the other hand ... is also a fighting game. Oh, who are we kidding? You already know if you're the sort of person who'll be buying these. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some taxes to attorney.
VC Friday: Hello there, Neo Geo
Nintendo of Europe isn't wasting any time -- when they tell you the Neo Geo is coming, they mean it. The first Neo Geo title, Fatal Fury, debuted today on the VC, along with four other games. That's quite a haul! We expect there are some wallets that are hurting today after the bevy of releases. Fatal Fury -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii points Golden Axe 3 -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points Landstalker -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points Streets of Rage 3 -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points Super Thunder Blade -- Sega Mega Drive -- 800 Wii points
SNK keeps 2D alive, classic fighters coming to PS2 this fall
We can't help but love SNK. Like that girl in the back of the class who refuses to accept that big hair and jelly bracelets have long since gone out of style, SNK continues to hold onto the the idea that 2D is where it's at. While the company has already committed to supporting both the Virtual Console and XBLA with its back catalog of sprite-based games, SNK today announced plans to bring two of its more recent PS2 fighters to the U.S. as well, namely The King of Fighters XI and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.While the eleventh installment of anything boggles the mind, SNK promises that King of Fighters XI will see a return to the series' classic gameplay, with added refinement and a few new bells and whistles like the 'match-deciding' Judgment Indicator and Dream Cancel (aka 'the wake-up call'). In addition, the PS2 version will also include new features not found in the arcade original, including new characters, music, and bonus stages.That's all well and good, but SNK's promise to bring 'fan-service megamix' NeoGeo Battle Coliseum to the U.S. is what seals the deal. The tag team fighter features a roster packed full of 40 characters from across SNK's catalog of favorites, including Metal Slug's Marco, Samurai Shodown's Hoahmaru, and even King of the Monsters' Cyber Woo. Maybe that girl in the back of the class is onto something.[Via press release]
Australia's first Neo Geo VC game on the way
Australia has more than the Hanabi Festival to cheer about, when it comes to the Virtual Console. Like Japan and, reportedly, the U.S., Australia's download service will be home to Neo Geo games. The likely first candidate, as revealed by the OFLC ratings board, is Art of Fighting.We best know Art of Fighting from its weird zooming camera that makes the sprites look absolutely massive, and from being the origin game for many future King of Fighters characters including Robert Garcia, Ryo Sakazaki, King, and others.Even if Art of Fighting isn't your favorite Neo Geo game, it is a Neo Geo game, and is therefore great news for Australian fighting fans.[Via GoNintendo]
Wii Warm Up: Greatest hits
The Namco Museum Remix collection includes, in addition to wacky, waggly remakes of arcade classics like Galaga, authentic emulated classic games. Just a few days after the first Neo Geo game became available on the Virtual Console, SNK announced their intention to release King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown collections on disc.We don't mind buying collections on disc, since they're inevitably cheaper than buying even a few of the games separately on the Virtual Console. How do you feel, though? Do these collections make the Virtual Console redundant? Is there room for both? What are the advantages of one approach over another?
