VCTuesday
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VC Tuesday: Attack of the clones
Nintendo of Japan is following the example of the American Virtual Console this week in two ways: by not releasing that many games, and by making one of them Donkey Kong 3. If you've never played Donkey Kong 3, it's certainly worth a look, because it's pretty bizarre. The concept also seems a bit backward and convoluted: the opportunity for Donkey Kong's creation came from a surplus of unsold Radar Scope (Nintendo's Galaxian clone) machines, and just a few years later Nintendo decided to follow up on their hit with ... a Donkey Kong-themed Galaxian clone.On the subject of clones and clonable games, Yu Suzuki's Space Harrier was a very close inspiration for an early Square project, The 3-D Battles of WorldRunner. Except for the obvious influence of Samurai Shodown, and the general influence exerted by Street Fighter II on the entire fighting genre, we think Samurai Shodown II is safe from clone talk.Nintendo's single WiiWare offering today is Hayazashi Syogi Sandan, another shogi game! Donkey Kong 3 (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Space Harrier (Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Shin Samurai Spirits Haohmaru Jigoku-hen (Samurai Shodown II) (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Taito Shrine
Before Natsume got hold of the series and made the beloved Pocky & Rocky, Kiki KaiKai was a fairly unassuming arcade/PC Engine shooter from Taito. The graphics aren't as vivid, Manuke the tanuki (Rocky the raccoon) isn't playable, and the levels are more sparse, but it's still a top-down game about a shrine maiden shooting ghosts. And it's on the Japanese Virtual Console as of today.Chack 'n Pop is a pre-Bubble Bobble game that looks, but doesn't play, like Bubble Bobble. Instead, as a chick ... thing ... you climb walls and ceilings and blow stuff up with grenades. Rounding out the week's Japanese releases is Big Tournament Golf, a Neo Geo golf game by Metal Slug developers (and IREM expatriates) Nazca. Chack 'n Pop (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Kiki KaiKai (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Big Tournament Golf (Neo Turf Masters) (Neo Geo, 2 players, 900 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: The Infernal Temptations of the Mask
The marquee release on the Japanese Virtual Console this week is Namco's sequel to its arcade/PC Engine horror-brawler Splatterhouse, in which Rick returns to the ruins of West Mansion, only to find -- he's trapped in the mask that makes him awesome once again! And there was another mansion hidden right behind the first one! How convenient! Nobody wants to play Splatteremptylot.Also added this week: Seirei Senshi Spriggan, an anime-based shooter from Compile, and Dig Dug, which is Dig Dug. Dig Dug (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Splatterhouse Part 2 (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points Seirei Senshi Spriggan (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: A feast of game downloads
One of the most highly-anticipated Virtual Console titles arrives in Japan today, eliminating the need to hunt down an expensive cartridge. Even the somewhat high 900 point price Nintendo is asking is understandable given the nature of the game. That's right, today Japanese gamers can celebrate the arrival of Ninja Commando -- and, according to the ESRB, we could see it soon as well!What? It looks fun. Super Mario RPG (Super Famicom, 1 player, 900 Wii Points) Phantasy Star IV Sennenki no Owari Ni (The End of the Millennium) (Mega Drive, 1 player, 700 Wii Points Paranoia (Psychosis) (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Ninja Commando (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) As if four awesome VC games weren't enough, Nintendo of Japan has also made three WiiWare games available: Saikyou Ginsei Go, Blue Oasis, and -- yay! -- Ouchi de Mugen Puchi Puchi! Wow, seven games? Our Wii Shop is officially a joke.
VC Tuesday: Hi!
This week's Japanese Virtual Console releases are, unquestionably, awesome. Art of Fighting 2 may not be as awesome as the others, but just being the least awesome game in this week's lineup is still pretty great. Nintendo of Japan is just now getting around to offering Blazing Lazers, which we got in May. Japan is actually getting the U.S. version of the game; the Japanese version, Gunhed, was based on a movie license to which Hudson apparently no longer has the rights.As great (and interesting) as Blazing Lazers is, the Famicom release, however, is the best of the bunch. It's Super Dodge Ball. It may be extraordinarily flickery and simplistic, but the gameplay still holds up. Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu (Famicom, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) Blazing Lazers (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Ryuuko no Ken 2 (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
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)
VC Tuesday: Big and small
The latest Japanese VC updates includes one of the most beloved Neo Geo games, which makes use of the system's considerable (for the time) power to draw a bunch of stuff for kaiju to smash! SNK had better get these Neo Geo games out before they release their Arcade Classics collection, to get as much money as possible out of unsuspecting gamers.Contrasting nicely with the giant monsters is Konami's Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa, which stars a crawling baby. The juxtaposition almost makes us think that Nintendo plans these arrangements.Also there's a tennis game. Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Ashura (Rambo) (Sega Master System, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Power Tennis (PC Engine, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points) King of the Monsters (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) [Update: totally failed to include Rambo on the list! It's ... not a Rambo game in Japan! But hey, shirtless dudes shooting people in the jungle. Close enough!]
VC Tuesday: Go, Ninja, Go
If ever there were a game worthy of a Hanabi Festival (or its American equivalent, "oh, hey, I guess there are some Japanese games on the Virtual Console now") it would be Ganbare Goemon 2. The first Ganbare Goemon, under the name Legend of the Mystical Ninja, is a beloved SNES classic, and the sequel ... pretty much ditches its signature gameplay in favor of side-scrolling platforming, but maintains much of the same wacky feel. Goemon is joined by fellow ninjas in the Neo Geo side-scroller Ninja Combat, and, uh, a bunch of wrestlers who we can't tie into the ninja theme. Oh, some of them wear masks! Ganbare Goemon 2: Kitteretsu Shogun Magginesu (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Fire Pro Wrestling 2nd BOUT (PC Engine, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points) Ninja Combat (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) In addition to these three VC games, two WiiWare games are now available: Oekaki Logic and Saikyou Ginhoshi Shogi, a Japanese board game published by ... EA?
VC Tuesday: Ji-noog
That's how you pronounce "Gynoug!" Until we saw it written in Japanese katakana (a system that has the benefit of being predictably phonetic), we totally pronounced the title of NCS's shooter "Guy-noog." How embarrassing! We hope we didn't sound stupid the last time we were talking about it in public, which was approximately never. Although we're not the only ones -- even Wikipedia's got an inaccurate IPA transcription! Of course, here in the States we call it Wings of Wor, and we never really had occasion to talk about it either. It's not that our friends aren't as into retrogaming as we are, it's more that they don't exist. Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Gynoug (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Break In (PC Engine, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points) Fatal Fury 2 (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Champion by default
Japan's Virtual Console releases today are, literally, infinitely more awesome than our domestic lineup, because they exist. This week was Nintendo of America's turn to take a break from VC games to promote WiiWare, so any Virtual Console game that came out in Japan this week looks that much better in comparison to nothing.Even without the easy advantage, the lineup is not bad at all. Bubble Bobble is a total classic, as is Alex Kidd in Miracle World. And Martial Champion, Konami's Street Fighter II-era fighter, is the kind of previously unknown oddity we love to see on the VC. Bubble Bobble (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Sega Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Martial Champion (PC Engine CD-ROM, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Bullet Heaven
The Virtual Console is home to a lot of scrolling shooters. It seems like every week, at least one of the releases in every region is a shmup. This week, three of the four games coming out in Japan are shooters. But after years of seeing the once-prominent genre fall into obscurity, we really don't mind having a download service full of the things. For that matter, the same goes for side-scrolling brawlers, one of which is the other Japanese release this week. The VC is a great system for that genre, Renegade notwithstanding. Axelay (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Super Fantasy Zone (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Star Parodier (PC Engine, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Burning Fight (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Phantasy Detective Club
It's a rather small week on the Japanese Virtual Console, and one that means virtually nothing to gamers outside of Japan. Usually, Japan's releases allow us a look ahead at what's coming for us. This week's two releases just aren't useful for that purpose.There's extremely little chance of any of Nintendo's Famicom Tantei Club (Famicom Detective Club) games being released outside Japan, which is unfortunate, because we'd love to play these Nintendo-developed text adventures. The one released today is a Super Famicom remake of the second Famicom Disk System game, whose subtitle translates to "The Girl Standing in the Back." Phantasy Star III is already out in the U.S. and Europe. The most interesting thing there is why Sega chose to release it elsewhere before Japan. That's pretty rare! Famicom Tantei Club II: Ushiro ni Tatsu Shoujo (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom (Mega Drive, 1 player, 700 Wii Points)
May's VC games for Japan: May include MSX games
Nintendo has released the planned May lineup of Virtual Console games for Japan, and while it doesn't include any megatons (like last month most certainly did), there are at least a lot of games on the list. The first two MSX games, Eggy and Aleste, are supposed to make their fashionably late appearance, but we find it a lot easier to believe that they'll be bumped for some Wonder Boy ports.Other interesting games, which may actually be released, include: Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard, a shooter similar to Cybernator (in fact director Toshiro Tsuchida worked on both games) and based on the Front Mission series of strategy games; Star Parodier, the "silly" Star Soldier game; and Martial Champion, a CD-based Street Fighter clone from Konami. Hit the break for the full list!
VC Tuesday: Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
No joke titles, no casual Cho Aniki references, no making fun of the slow release schedule, or any of the usual stuff we do in these -- today is too important, too auspicious an occasion for us to ruin by being jackasses. As of today, Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, the PC Engine Super CD-Rom Castlevania game, which is the narrative predecessor to Symphony of the Night and also the last traditional Castlevania game, is now available on the Virtual Console in Japan.Get here soon, please. Herakles no Eikou IV (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Phelios (Mega Drive, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (PC Engine Super CD-Rom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Metal Slug (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Too Wonderful
Of all the gamers and non-gamers that the Wii is designed for, we think we've identified the audience that would be happiest with the system: people who love Wonder Boy. Specifically, people who love Wonder Boy and don't already have the games, either in their original form or the Monster World Complete Collection. If you're over-the-top crazy over Wonder Boy, the Wii is easily the best system that has ever existed. Monster Lair is just the latest Wonder Boy game to arrive in Japan.Also up for download: Kirby 64, which everyone decided they didn't like anymore when it came out in the U.S., and Digital Champ Battle Boxing, the game about a brave pair of free-floating boxing gloves facing off against familiar-looking boxers. Kirby 64 (N64, 1 player, 1000 Wii Points) Digital Champ: Battle Boxing (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Monster Lair (PC Engine, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: WOW! YOU LOSE!
That's not a commentary on this week's new Japanese Virtual Console downloads, although if it had been it would have been a total burn. It's actually the famous game-over screen text from ASCII's remarkably ancient-looking Bokosuka Wars, seen above. Bokosuka Wars has been called the "worst console RPG in existence," which, combined with the enthusiastic text, makes it a must-buy for us if it's ever released here.Volguard II is equally old and old-looking, though it's apparently a bit higher in quality. And Super Wonder Boy is just regular Wonder Boy, which is fine! Bokosuka Wars (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Volguard II (Famicom, I player, 500 Wii Points) Super Wonder Boy (Master System, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)
No-VC Tuesday: WiiWare shuts old games out
WiiWare launched today in Japan, as you've no doubt heard. Great for WiiWare ... not so great for the Virtual Console. Nintendo decided that the launch of the new service for original games would be a good time for the VC to take the week off.We're hoping that today's total lack of VC content was intended only to draw attention to the inaugural WiiWare offerings. In other words, there had better be some VC games every week from now on. We won't be pleased if the Virtual Console and WiiWare have to compete for the same release schedules. We're afraid that in the future, on any week a couple of WiiWare games come out, no VC games will.The cynical retrogamer in us is already thinking of WiiWare as just another excuse to skimp on VC games. We'd love to be wrong.
VC Tuesday: Deceptive
This week's Japanese Virtual Console update features three games that aren't what they seem. Super Gussun Oyoyo totally looks like a platformer in screens, but it's actually a Lemmings/Pac-Man 2 style game in which you direct an uncontrollable character with falling blocks. Similarly, you might make assumptions about the genre of a game called Bomberman: Panic Bomber (possibly that it is in the Bomberman games genre) but it's also a puzzler! Most deceptive of all is Nekketsu Kunio-kun. It's a Kunio game from Technos, which leads one to assume that it's going to be great. It is not great. It is profoundly not-great.Only Mr. HELI no Daibouken is what it seems: an adorable cute-em-up starring a lil' helicopter. Nekketsu Kunio-kun (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Super Gussun Oyoyo (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Bomberman Panic Bomber (PC Engine, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points) Mr. HELI no Daibouken (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Cheap Connection
Four games hit the Virtual Console this week in Japan, none of which cost more than 600 Wii Points. Some of them may even be worth those small prices! The Famicom's original 2D fighting game, Joy Mech Fight stands out; though we have no idea if the game's any good, we suddenly have an interest in Nintendo-developed fighting games. Fantasy Zone is, of course, one of the Sega Master System's best: a free-scrolling (Defender-style) shooter in a super-colorful, cute environment. For us, however, the most notable title on the Virtual Console this week is City Connection, and not because it's a good game. City Connection was in my personal NES collection for just a short time before it got "temporarily" loaned out; however, even after having played it only for a week or two, and after 20 years, that incessant music is still completely fresh in my mind. It won't go away, ever. City Connection (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Joy Mech Fight (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Fantasy Zone (Master System, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Psycho Chaser (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Metroid's Japanese boxart is really great
The Japanese version of Metroid differs from the American version in four major ways: It comes on a disk instead of a cartridge Thanks to the Famicom Disk System hardware, that music has instruments that don't show up in the cartridge version It uses a Zelda-style save screen instead of passwords The boxart is amazingly awesome The Virtual Console version doesn't come on any media, has no box, and, of course, uses the decent Wii savestate system, so that just leaves us with the music. Is better music a fair trade for getting the game seven months after we did?As for Star Luster, the Japanese version differs from its U.S. counterpart in just one way: It exists Metroid (Famicom Disk System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Star Luster (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)
