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World's "only" PowerFest '94 SNES cartridge up for auction
We have to admit, we've seen some pretty zany stuff in the Nintendo realm this month, but this one probably takes top honors. For the fanboys and girls, the words "PowerFest '94" and "Nintendo World Championships II" immediately incite fits of giddiness, and for those sulking in the uninformed camp, here's the skinny: just 32 of these brutally ugly and oversized cartridges were ever manufactured, and after the round of tournaments played with them in 1994, all but one was reportedly "given back to Nintendo and reused for parts." The cart itself housed Level 1-1 of Super Mario Lost Levels, five laps around the first track on Super Mario Kart, and a home run derby from Ken Griffey Jr. Winning Run, all of which were set to a timer and channeled out to other systems to monitor the scores of everyone involved. Needless to say, owning this prized possession could indeed fetch a pretty penny, and if you've ever wondered just how much a one of a kind SNES cart would run you, we'll give you 25,000 or so guesses. Click on through for a few more snapshots.[Thanks, Casey]
Virtually Overlooked: Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative. Some of the games we cover in this feature are worth talking about just because of their concepts. Zombie Nation, about a giant flying head, for example. Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus might be the ultimate conceptually-interesting game, at least to us, since it is one of the most bizarre and incongruous things ever to appear on a console. Bronkie is an educational side-scrolling platformer for the SNES about an anthropomorphic dinosaur with asthma.
Game Center CX is TV for retro game nerds
Fuji TV's Game Center CX has everything: exclusive developer interviews, looks at early versions of some of our favorite games, and, every episode, one man giving his very best to play a classic game to completion. The first season of the show focused more on the interviews and features; from season 2 on, the focus of the show became the gaming-- suffering along with host Shinya Arino as he tries to play old games from start to finish. The games range from the classic (Metroid, Prince of Persia, Actraiser) to the classic-to-us (Kato-chan & Ken-chan) to the painful (Takeshi no Chousenjou, which seems to have been designed as a cynical joke against gamers). Of course, the show is edited to fit into its format, so you aren't stuck watching all twelve hours or however long it takes.Crunk Games's Ray Barnholt is our hero for compiling this exhaustive episode guide. He has profiled the personalities and written detailed descriptions of each episode, including who is interviewed, what is discussed, and, most importantly, a play-by-play of the game sessions. Reading his descriptions is almost as good as watching the actual show. Speaking of the actual show, he's provided links to Japanese fanpages, at least one of which has Youtube links.We're generally glad that the Virtual Console is raising awareness of old games in general. Now we're glad that the VC enables whole new generations to do what Arino is doing, and experience game history first hand, one complete game at a time.Would you watch this kind of thing if it were on American TV? How about a similar show in English on the web? We wouldn't mind some personal narrative or gameplay videos on the Wii, to add value to the VC experience.
Forget Virtual Console, try the Wii SNES mod
We've blogged about French case modder Kotomi before, but this one is special. It's not just a fresh coat of paint on an aging console -- a temporary elixir of gaming youth -- but rather a conceptual reimagining. Kotomi has crammed a Super Nintendo into the diminutuve and distinct stylings of Nintendo's latest console, the Wii. If you've been gobbling up Virtual Console titles faster than you can say "how many Wii points?" we'd recommend yard sale bounty coupled with a classic console. The Wii case? While not necessary, it has a certain je ne sais quoi, no?[Via Wii Fanboy]
SNES Wii mod takes the Virtual out of the console
While the Virtual Console has certainly been a big part of the Wii's success, it wasn't enough for crazy DS modder extraordinaire Kotomi. His "Nintendo Super Nii" is one part Wii shell, a couple parts SNES guts, and a big ol' scoop of blue LED goodness. All you need now is the real classic controller (none of this new-school Wii stuff) and you'll be rocking some of that Mode 7 magic in no time. Peep the read link for another shot of this totally sweet mod. The Super Nii does not support DVD playback.[Via Wii Fanboy]
Wii-SNES mod: take that, Virtual Console!
Kotomi, the French mod master we've featured many times on DS Fanboy has finally turned his sights onto the Wii, and the result is beautiful to behold. Forget the Virtual Console -- you can just snap your old SNES carts right in there and throw down. All you need is a classic controller and a lot of extra time. Kotomi has been working on this mod since February, and it was originally planned as an NES mod, but along the way, he gave in to the pervasive allure of the Super NES.
VC Friday: Gods and cavemen
And to think, people say bad things happen on Friday the 13th! Well, that's certainly not true if you're waiting for the news on today's Virtual Console additions. It's a good week to love classic games ... and we know a lot of people who are going to screech with delight at the chance to grab ActRaiser. So what do you think of the Virtual Console so far? Has it delivered, despite any grumbling about pricing? The good stuff just seems to keep coming!Available today: ActRaiser (SNES) -- 800 Wii points Bonk's Revenge (TurboGrafx) -- 600 Wii points Pac-Man (NES) -- 500 Wii points
Today's duckiest video: Rockin' Duck Hunt
Retro love is everywhere these days, including this hard rockin' Duck Hunt video, complete with sounds and graphics from the Nintendo classic and clever usage of the light gun as a microphone. Plus, if that isn't enough, the guy's name is Robby Roadsteamer."I got a Duck Hunt, in my brain! Ready to take you out!"Classic.
Sega Genesis wireless controller hack brings back that lovin' feeling
Seeing games like Streets of Rage and Gunstar Heroes released on the Virtual Console has been a dream come true for Genesis enthusiasts, but there's something inauthentic about playing these titles with controllers forged by Sega's former adversary. It's like getting back together with an old lover, only to find that there's something missing.You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips.And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips.You're trying hard not to show it. But baby, baby I know it...Daniel Hearn refused to let his relationship with the Mega Drive slip away, hacking an old three-button pad to work with the Nintendo Wii wirelessly. Using similar NES/SNES controller mods as inspiration, he pieced this together with PIC microcontrollers, an iPod mini replacement battery, and other electronic junk. The detailed guide and wiring instructions that Daniel posted are far beyond our limited abilites, but if you don't mind applying a bit of Weird Science to win your love back, this definitely looks worth trying!
Romance of the Three Kingdoms conquers Virtual Console
With Nintendo's Virtual Console service already populated by all manner of leaping vermin, reckless racers and pointy-eared adventurers, the time has come for something more serious to occupy our time. And it doesn't get more serious than a political tale of an inter-kingdom love triangle and the slow subjugation of China, otherwise described as Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This Monday sees the release of the fourth and snappily titled game in the tactical sim series, Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Five Fire. As it presents the SNES version, expect to spend 800 points ($8) on this acquisition when it hits the Wii at 9AM Pacific Time. No, that's it. Surely you didn't expect to conquer China, invade Monster World and traipse through an Enchanted Castle all in one day?
Entire SNES game collection on eBay
Got $15,500.00 sitting around? If you do, you can be the proud owner of every SNES released in the US. The same eBayer who sold his NES game collection back in January is at it again, this time hoping that 16-bit nostalgia is just as powerful as its 8-bit counterpart. All of the games are in mint or near-mint condition and include the original box and instruction manual. At 794 games in all, you'll be paying just under $20 per game. A bargain!The auction ends March 21st and as of the time of writing has yet to receive a single bid. The NES auction closed at over $15,000 with nearly 100 bids, so either 8-bit nostalgia is more powerful or NES fans have more money to throw around.
In Defense of the Virtual Console's pricing
We've surveyed your irritation with the Virtual Console's rates and even had you calculate the exact amount of Wii points you've been swindled out of so far, but VGamp's Chris Sinclair argues that the game downloads aren't expensive at all. Chris listed eleven reasons to support his claim, even admitting that he would be willing to pay more for the retro titles. While he might come across as an inflexible apologist, some of his points make sense.According to Chris, you're getting a deal whenever you make a purchase on the Shopping Channel. For example, let's say that you put out the cash for Soldier Blade, a title that sometimes sells for $50+ on eBay. You're scoring a discount on a relatively rare game that's guaranteed to work decades from now, and you don't even have to pay for the TurboGrafx-16 console or the controllers to play it with. As an added bonus, many of these emulated games look better than they ever did before.Alright, so we're still not entirely convinced that Altered Beast is worth the 800 Wii points Sega is asking for, but we can see where Chris is going with this. What do you think? Does the pricing seem justified after considering his points, or do you still feel like you're being fleeced?
eBay alert: EVERY SUPER NINTENDO GAME
Remember that scene in The Professional where Gary Oldman turns to a guy and says "Bring me everyone" and the guy is like "What do you mean by 'everyone'?" and then Gary Oldman goes"EEEEEVERYYYYYYYONE"? Well, if you win this auction, the seller will ship you EEEEEVERYYYYYYY ONE of the 720 Super Nintendo games released in the US, all of which are complete, and many of which are sealed. Plus you get 74 duplicates, which you can then use to recoup some of your investment.The collection includes future Virtually Overlooked subjects like Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus, Pieces, and Cacoma Knight in Bizyland. The price is a little high per game, but the convenience factor of not having to comb hundreds of eBay auctions and game stores for a complete copy of Super Troll Island is considerable.If you win, and you don't want your extra copy of Super 3D Noah's Ark or Packy & Marlon, please consider sending it along to your friendly neighborhood bloggers. Just a thought.[Via Game|Life]
SNK president talks about Neo-Geo and online games [Update 1]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Nintendo_not_letting_publishers_add_online_functionality_to_games'; Ben Herman, who runs SNK Playmore USA, is almost as excited about Neo-Geo games on the Virtual Console as we are. In a recent interview, he discussed SNK's VC plans and Nintendo's operation of the system in general.According to Herman, who, of course, can't give details, SNK expects to release "a certain limited number of titles per month," which is enough to have us cheering, because that's a lot more than the N64 is getting. It's also a much brisker release schedule than the Neo-Geo ever had. The best news, in our opinion? Herman is interested in the Virtual Console as a means of releasing lesser-known and niche games. SNK isn't sure yet whether the Neo-Geo games on the VC will be the AES home versions or the MVS arcade cartridges. We had no idea there was a difference! Of course, there has to be bad news, and it's kind of big: Herman says that Nintendo is not letting publishers add online functionality to games, VC or retail, and probably will continue this restriction throughout 2007.Herman goes on to talk about Nintendo's console library, saying that Nintendo has all of the code for third-party NES and SNES games and needs only permission to release them. Which means Konami officially has no excuse for the fact that we haven't played Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse on the Wii yet. Konami, you're on notice![Update: added the sad, sad news about online games.]
Modded NES and SNES controllers work wirelessly with Wii
How many of you have not downoaded SNES or NES games through the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console service because you lack the authentic feel that comes with using each respective console's original controller? A lot of you, huh? Well, Mark Feldman feels your pain and decided to take the power back matters into his own hands and bring forth a solution. With MacGuyver-like grace, he places a wireless transmitter into both the SNES and NES controllers, along with a microcontroller and an iPod mini battery. He then takes a GameCube wire and constructs the wireless receiver module. The end product: an authentic experience that could only be surpassed by playing the game in its original cartridge form on its original system.Oh, you want to see it in action? Check past the post break for an embedded video.[Via Engadget]
"Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis..."
With the opening bar of the third verse in his debut single "Juicy," Biggie prioritized a young male's desires, putting video games at the top of his (now fulfilled) wish list. The words resonated with youth everywhere; even with those who might not otherwise identify with the Brooklyn-bred 'Bad Boy.' Admit it, you've rapped along to the words..."Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis,When I was dead broke, man I couldn't picture this 50-inch screen, money green leather sofa..."KarmaLoop.com pays homage to these rhymes with a pricey ($29) concept tee.
VC Friday: Puffballs and bikes
Sure, so you could pick up Excite Truck this week if you're in Europe ... or you could save a few quid and go old school with Excitebike on the Virtual Console! Sorry, sorry ... we just loved us some Excitebike back in the day, and we get a little extra bouncy when we have an excuse to talk about it. If jumping blocky hills isn't your thing, there's a lot more to choose from this week: Excitebike (NES) -- 500 points Kirby's Adventure (NES) -- 500 points New Adventure Island (TurboGrafx) -- 600 points R-Type III: The Third Lightning (SNES) -- 800 points Any of these rev your motor?
VC Friday: It's shopping time
Maybe you've been holding out on this whole Virtual Console thing. Maybe you just didn't feel like spending money on some older games. But this week comes complete with a huge shot of pure, unadulterated goodness, so maybe it's time you gave the Wii Shop channel a chance. We're not saying you have to ... we're just saying it may make your weekend that much better.This week: Super Mario World (SNES) -- 800 Wii points Vigilante (TurboGrafx) -- 600 Wii points Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) -- 500 Wii points
Today's Mario-est video: World of Warcraft Super Mario Theme
World of Warcraft meets Super Mario Bros. in a big way in this video. Frankly, we're surprised it's taken someone this long to do this. But here it is in the flesh, and it ain't looking too bad! The editing is top notch, and that underwater level is done really well. People with mad skillz like this will one day take over the world, and we'll be bowing down to these video editing overlords. Mark our words.Given that the video comes to us from The Last Boss, it's a bit ironic that the only weak moment is the boss fight at the end of the lava level. Did he just use really bad breath on him FTW?[Thanks, Tom]
Super Mario World leads VC Monday charge [update 1]
It's that wonderful time again when we all turn on our Wiis (at 9am PST, natch) and discover the latest Virtual Console releases. This week, there may not be many, but many argue that Super Mario World is the best of the Mario bunch. The other two titles are a bit less well-known: Super Mario World - SNES - 800 Wii Points - 1-2 players Vigilante - TG-16 - 600 Wii Points - 1player Gain Ground - Genesis - 800 Wii Points - 1-2 players Anyone giving these a download?[Update 1: World, not Land. Our bad.]
