VC Monday Madness: Tecmo Bowl brings back fond memories

by David Hinkle { Mar 12th 2007 at 9:55AM }

This week, we're given a trio of delicious Virtual Console titles to snack on. The Virtual Console has certainly been in the news lately, however the expected arrival of StarFox 64 and Actraiser just didn't happen. Instead, we're left with some titles that gamers may not be too excited about.

We, however, could not help but be excited as we have many a fond memory of playing Tecmo Bowl with relatives on Thanksgiving when we were younger. At the risk of boring you to death, we'll shut up about our past and just present the games:

Tecmo Bowl - NES - 1-2 players - 500 Wii Points
Sonic Spinball - Sega Genesis - 1-4 players - 800 Wii Points
Double Dungeons - TurboGrafx16 - 1-2 players - 600 Wii Points

So, what were you guys expecting to hit the VC this week? Disappointed from this week's offerings? As always, be sure to come back later for our verdict on these Virtual Console titles.

[Via press release]

Tags: nintendo, nintendowii, tecmo, tecmobowl, vc, vcmm, vitualconsole, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

vidGuy @ Mar 12th 2007 10:31AM

Many will say Sonic Spinball is junk, but I actually have the Genesis set up for that game and a few others. Of course, this means I won't be buying Spinball on the VC.

I'm looking forward to Star Fox 64, which will probably be the next download for me.

Geo @ Mar 12th 2007 10:52AM

Ready, Down. HUTHUTHUTHUTHUTHUTHUTHUTHUTHUT!!

hvnlysoldr @ Mar 12th 2007 10:52AM

I bought a lot of the Sonic games on Genesis and not much else for it, renting games in another matter. I liked Sonic's speed in Spinball but the pit deaths especially on the last level ruined it. And there's 11 chaos emeralds! That doesn't make any sense. Sonic doesn't have an option to become Super. The badniks kept popping up too randomly. The running and jumping sections felt bad after pinball. In the end it was a pinball game that had Sonic theme to it and unlike Metroid Prime: Pinball it wasn't enough.

SuicideOption @ Mar 12th 2007 10:57AM

I was thinking we might get Excite Bike, but Tecmo Bowl is enough to get me by. Maybe a little Super Tecmo Bowl in a few months would be nice.

Rodisian @ Mar 12th 2007 11:06AM

Tecmo Bowl might be just the thing to end my 'Virtual Console no-purchase-athon'. Up to this point I couldn't justify spending the money to purchase any of the games; mainly because all of my single-player time has been deliciously gobbled up by Zelda.

Tecmo Bowl, however, not only conjures up a nostalgia of a simpler time (read: easily throwing 90-yard TD passes like it's my job), it's also a great game to simply pick up and play.

This is the best VC Monday yet, imho!

Thomas @ Mar 12th 2007 11:33AM

Blazing Lasers! I just want Blazing Lasers.

Sigh.

eurotransient @ Mar 12th 2007 11:44AM

Very tempted by Tecmo Bowl... but Super Tecmo Bowl is where it's REALLY at. Puhleeeease?

theLoneYoshi @ Mar 12th 2007 12:16PM

StarFox, StarFox, StarFox... Huh... No StarFox? Hmm...

See you in a week...

bloo @ Mar 12th 2007 12:18PM

so disappointing. Where's mario 2 and 3?

James @ Mar 12th 2007 12:46PM

While I will agree that The last levels of Sonic Spinball are almost impossible, it is still one of the better games for the Genesis. I do not see why you would say a game is not good because it has 11 chaos emeralds, what sense does that make? Tecmo Bowl is ok but you are better off waiting for either Tecmo Super Bowl or Super Tecmo Bowl depending on what system they chose to use. I so hope they come out with what is in my opinion the best pinball game for Genesis and made by the old EA, Motley Crue Ball.

Badaro @ Mar 12th 2007 2:52PM

Disappointed because I want Starfox 64. :p

JGBUFFS @ Mar 12th 2007 4:07PM

Tecmo Bowl....Awesome!!!!!! What a great Classic Game...Just wish it was Multiplayer...oh well...

schweinnoisu @ Mar 12th 2007 4:55PM

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet:

For the price of a couple/few of the Genesis Sonic titles through the Virtual Console (priced at $8 each), you can pick up Sonic Mega Collection for GameCube (anywhere between $15-$25 now), which includes seven Genesis Sonic (I believe that's all of the major ones) games as well as five unlockables (seven for the Japanese version).

If they released every game (not including the unlockables) that's on the Mega Collection, with the Virtual Console pricing standards for Genesis games, it would come to $56.

For that, you could buy the GameCube Mega Collection and two used (or new) GC controllers, provided you don't already have one or two, and possibly save a few dollars in the process.

Mr Khan @ Mar 12th 2007 5:26PM

@ schweinnouisu

That's exactly why i won't get spinball, or any other Sonic genesis game (or Ristar or vectorman for that matter)

Those Sega GC collections were the best (Sonic Gems collection)

schweinnoisu @ Mar 12th 2007 5:37PM

oh, also, more details on the Sonic Mega Collection:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Mega_Collection

Jay @ Mar 12th 2007 11:11PM

Excitebike, Pro Wrestling, please!

Dan Blanchard @ Mar 13th 2007 8:13AM

My fiancée is a big fan of Sonic, so I got Spinball for her yesterday. Has anyone else downloaded it and noticed that the game runs very very slowly? It seems kind of crazy that the Genesis version runs at nearly twice the speed as the Wii one. The game could be fun, but the speed factor makes it feel like I'm moving in slow motion.

And yes, I know about the mega collection, but everywhere I've tried to buy it has been sold out.