wonder boy
Latest
Sega adds rare 'Mega Man' and more to Genesis Mini lineup
When the SEGA Genesis Mini arrives in September, it's set to come with 40 games. We already knew 20 of the titles, and today, SEGA revealed another 10.
NintendoWare Weekly: Monster World IV
While we wait for Sega's "Monster World Collection" to debut the previously Japan-only (and acclaimed!) Monster World IV on PSN and XBLA, Sega went ahead and deposited the game on Wii Virtual Console today, causing even more surprise than other, increasingly rare, VC releases.If you have the Wii Points kicking around, you can build a pseudo-complete Wonder Boy collection now – bolstered by Sega's simultaneous release of the arcade version of Wonder Boy in Monster Land. At least one version of each game in the series is available.In non-interactive news, Dinosaur Office returns to Nintendo Video tomorrow.
Sega's Monster World 4 coming to XBLA, PSN, and not Virtual Console
Yes, there have been a million Wonder Boy games re-released on Virtual Console and other platforms, so another one doesn't seem like it would be a big deal. But Monster World IV, originally for Mega Drive/Genesis (and despite the name, the last game in the populous Wonder Boy series), never came out in North America. Monster World IV, starring a green-haired girl and her long-eared spheroid partner, is also considered the best game in the series. According to the ESRB, Sega is finally preparing an American release of the game, on PSN and XBLA. Strangely, no Wii version is mentioned, despite the fact that Virtual Console is, like, the place for old games, and despite the fact that so many Wonder Boy games have been released on that platform -- including this one, in Japan.
VC in Brief: Wonder Boy III (SMS) and Cybernoid (C64)
This week's Virtual Console update is quite the doozie, giving us one obscure C64 title and one game we've played a billion times. We don't mean to sound bitter, but we're pretty sure there's a baker's dozen Wonder Boy games littering the lands of the Virtual Console. Check 'em out above! Cybernoid (C64, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.
NintendoWare Weekly: Dr. Mario Express, Deep Psyche, Crystal Defenders, and Wonder Boy
Another week and another slew of content is available for your Nintendo consoles. DSi enthusiasts receive Dr. Mario Express, while WiiWare lovers can check out Square Enix's Crystal Defenders. Let's get to the full rundown, which you can find resting comfortably past the break.%Gallery-39567%
VC Friday: Clu Clu Lair
This week on the PAL Wii Shop, two Virtual Console games have been added to the selection. One of the new releases is a somewhat underappreciated Nintendo game, and the other is a previously underappreciated game that is now way overexposed, thanks to the Virtual Console.If you've never played the NES's Clu Clu Land before, be prepared for confusing controls that will eventually give way to a pretty fun vintage-style maze game. If you've never played the Genesis's Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair before, don't -- download the Turbografx-16 CD version instead for the same price!Grab the post break and swivel around it to see footage of both games.
Retail and download releases for the week of January 26th
This week, Wii owners get some new, quality titles to play. On the retail side, we've got three new games on offer. On the downloadable side, it's slim pickings again with only one WiiWare game and one Virtual Console game up for grabs. Plan on treating yourself this week? Let us know what interests you in the comments!%Gallery-33432%
VC Friday: Tee up and club some Monsters
Yours truly has hazy memories of spending an entire summer holiday glued to Mario Golf, unlocking Metal Mario, and jumping on the bed after fluking a hole-in-one (shamefully, I was nineteen at the time). And now, it's the fifteenth N64 game to appear on the PAL Virtual Console. Hell yeah! It might suffer heavily from the N64 fuzz, but for our money it's still the best in its respective series. It's accompanied this week by Wonder Boy in Monster Land. Mario Golf -- Nintendo 64 -- 1,000 Wii Points Wonder Boy in Monster Land -- Master System -- 500 Wii Points Videos of each follow the blue text.%Gallery-42959%
VC Tuesday: Reopening the case
Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles on the DS didn't really set the American gaming community on fire, in terms of sales or critical response. The American debut of Workjam's detective series was marred by text errors and omitted content that caused the game to lose points with reviewers, and it just flew too far under the radar for even the Phoenix Wright audience to hear much about it. All of that is just a roundabout way of saying this: the third Tantei Jinguuji Saburo game, with a scenario by Final Fantasy VII/VIII/X and Super Smash Bros. Brawl scenario writer Kazushige Nojima is out in Japan today, and we shouldn't expect Aksys to pay to translate it for the few people who would drop $5. Prospects are significantly better for Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair -- so much better, in fact, that it's already out in the US and Europe, albeit on a different console. Rastan Saga 2, an awkward-looking Taito action-platformer about a big barbarian dude, is pretty much a lock as well, because Hudson is nice. As for WiiWare, judging by Nintendo of Japan's WiiWare page at the time of writing ... nothin'. Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Kiken na Futari Zengo-hen (Famicom Disk System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (Mega Drive, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points) Rastan Saga 2 (PC Engine, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Super Smash Bros. leads January VC lineup in Japan
Nintendo of Japan has announced their plans for the next month's Virtual Console games, and, for once, the list includes a Nintendo 64 title. Super Smash Bros. is headed to the Japanese VC in January. Pokémon Snap came out in the US within a week of the Japanese release last year, so maybe this year's big winter N64 game will follow suit. Nintendo has lovingly appended an extra 200 points to the normal cost of a Nintendo 64 game for this release.Super Smash Bros. is likely to be the only thing anyone reading this will care about, given the combined Brawl obsession of the Wii audience and the first-party-franchise domination of VC sales, but we've got the whole (rather small) lineup for January after the break just because.
VC Tuesday: Salamander's Firey Ambition
What a delightful variety of games on the Japanese Virtual Console this Christmas week! Compare that to the American selection, which is delightful but not at all varied. Japan has four new old games, from four different systems, in four different gameplay styles, including a shmup, a strategy game, a platformer, and a wrestling game -- and great examples of all four genres! Salamander (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) Super Nobunaga no Yabou (Super Famicom, 1-8 players, 800 Wii Points) Super Wonder Boy: Monster World (Sega Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Legend Bout (PC Engine, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points) WiiWare is also a treat this week, but one the rest of the world has already been served: LostWinds, published in Japan by Square Enix.
Enduro Racer, more SMS greats on Virtual Console soon
One of our favorite Sega Master System games is an unassuming little isometric racing game in which the playr must race a motorcycle across rough terrain against other motorcycles and even dune buggies. Enduro Racer may not be a masterpiece, but it has totally great Sega music and plays pretty much exactly like a rotated Excitebike -- unlike the original arcade game, which had a more common behind-the-bike perspective.The ESRB database says that an "Enduro Racer" is coming out on Wii, and we're fairly certain it's the SMS game. Either that or a new remake. It's probably the Master System game, because its listing co-occurs with two other SMS games: Wonder Boy in Monster Land (not to be confused with Wonder Boy in Monster World) and Space Harrier.
Virtually Free: A masterful reminder
Don't forget that the latest edition of Virtually Free is winding down to a close, and you've only got a few more chances to get your name into the hat! Want to win a couple of Sega Master System Games? Head over to the original post. Want to know what they are? Here you go: Wonder Boy (500 Wii points/$5) Fantasy Zone (500 Wii points/$5) Get on it!
Virtually Free: Mastering the system
It's back to the good ol' Virtual Console for this week's Virtually Free, with a pair of games chosen by none other than Ms. Candace Savino. You know what Candace likes? The Sega Master System -- which means we've got two of those three currently available games up for grabs this week: Wonder Boy (500 Wii points/$5) Fantasy Zone (500 Wii points/$5) One lucky reader is going to walk away with both games. Want to be that one glorious individual? So what do you have to do to win? First of all, you have to leave a comment (with a valid e-mail address) on this post telling us which of these two you're more interested in. Second, you must be a legal resident of the United States with an American Wii (sorry, Canadians, we have to leave you out of this one; blame the gifting system and not us!) and 18 years of age or older. You may enter once per calendar day between now and Monday, June 30; the contest comes to a close that night at 11:59 PM Eastern time, and we'll select a winner in a random drawing the next day. Questions? Check out the official rules.
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 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)
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 3/31/08
This week sees another duo of titles available for play. One of them is N64 title Cruis'n USA, while the other launches a new system on the Virtual Console for North America. Hit up the video above for your usual dose, then head past the break for some added fun.
Wonder Boy, Cruis'n USA speed onto Virtual Console
Okay, we've figured it out! The tenuous link between today's Virtual Console releases is none other than the ability to travel through exotic locales at high speed, be it on a skateboard rolling through lush jungles or an offensively colored car hurtling through, er, Iowa. Cruis'n USA (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1000 Wii Points): Hop into your virtually indestructible vehicle and commence your cruise through the N64's best approximation of the USA. We're not sure how you manage to survive the nightmarish elevator music nor the sudden, neck-snapping stop at the finish line, but at least you can look forward to a digitized woman waggling a trophy in your face. Wonder Boy (Master System, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): You, Tom-Tom. Girlfriend, Tanya. Must save Tanya. Fling hammers. Murder snails. Ride skateboard. Wonder why girlfriend has such modern name.
VC Monday Madness: Cruis'n USA and Wonder Boy
Looks like we've been fooled! If today is going to be any kind of indicator for the future, all Sega Master System games won't be the cheap 400 Wii Points per download we initially thought. Instead, the games will cost the same as NES titles. Eh, what's an extra dollar, right?Today's Virtual Console releases are: Cruis'n USA (N64, 1-2 players, 1,000 Wii Points) Wonder Boy (Sega Master System, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points) As usual, be sure to stop back later for our video wrap-up of this week's Virtual Console games.
April VC releases for Japan: Dracula X leads an awesome month
It's finally happening. When Hudson announced Turbografx-16 support on the Virtual Console, we thought "Oh, great, maybe we'll be able to get Dracula X!" Then when they revealed that CD-ROM titles would start coming out, we got really excited about being one step closer to Dracula X. Next month in Japan, Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo will be released on the Virtual Console for 800 points. As if Hudson hadn't already won at being awesome today.Other than the amazing Dracula X, there's actually a lot of really great stuff coming out in April. It has actually renewed our faith in the Virtual Console, which is why we're starting to think we're being fooled by a tragic April Fool's Day joke on Nintendo's part. Metal Slug and The Legend of Valkyrie are standouts, as is the incredibly vintage RPG Bokosuka Wars, if only because it reminds us of this shirt. Famicom: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sky Kid Volguard II Bokosuka Wars Super Famicom: Famicom Detective Club Part II Heracles no Eikou IV Master System: Wonder Boy Mega Drive: Musha Aleste Phantasy Star III Phelios N64: Kirby 64 PC Engine: Riot Zone Legend of Valkyrie Dracula X: Rondo of Blood Digital Champion: Battle Boxer Monster Lair Neo Geo: Metal Slug
