Wii Warm Up: Too many shooters?

by JC Fletcher { Jun 16th 2007 at 10:00AM }

The Virtual Console has made shooting games widely available for the first time in years. We like shooters, despite being categorically awful at them, so we're happy about this. But has the genre been disproportionately represented on the VC? There are so many, versus very few fighting games, and no role-playing games.

Are you guys buying shooters? Are you happy with the selection? Are you all zap zap zap and pew pew pew at the bad spaceships?

Tags: blazing lazers, BlazingLazers, gradius, nintendo, nintendo wii, NintendoWii, shmup, shmups, shooters, shooting, vc, virtual console, VirtualConsole, wii, ww, wwu

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Xzyliac @ Jun 16th 2007 10:22AM

I like a good shump I won't lie even if the ones I REALLY grew up on (where is my Metroid...wait can we call that a shooter? Hmmm..) they still entertain and I am sure someone out there is eating his/her heart out. But personally I'd prefer some RPGs. Traditional titles like FF to less traditional like a certain Nintendo RPG whose name slipped my mind (wait was it Earthbound? Something..it had Ness in it but the name I forgot!). Fighters and more party like games from the N64 era seem to have been forgotten as well.

hvnlysoldr @ Jun 16th 2007 10:47AM

Was Ness just in Earthbound a.k.a. Mother 2 in Japan?

ViralArtist @ Jun 16th 2007 10:58AM

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6489/starwarsbattlefrontpewpmy9.jpg

pew pew etc...

Matt @ Jun 16th 2007 2:12PM

I don't mind it tooo much. I think shooters can be a lot more fun since they're quick "pick it up and play" experiences. From the virtual console, at least, I think those are TYPICALLY the games that remained the most fun over the years. However, there are obvious exceptions to that rule. No one wants to go another week without Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, and Secret of Mana. Also, I've personally never played Earthbound, I'd love to try it out.

Nintendo needs to start filtering through some RPGs, primarily, although other genres should be included. The shooters are good to get a wide group of gamers playing, but my guess is Nintendo wanted to release more of the quick-to-beat games, because from a marketing standpoint, they wanted to popularize the Virtual Console now, before releasing that "Well, there's only one game I'm going to buy for the Virtual Console when it comes out" type of game...

Crazylink @ Jun 16th 2007 11:52AM

I love shooters, but I don't like paying for them. I get my fix from all the great freeware games on the interwebs.

acKK @ Jun 16th 2007 12:34PM

I bought R-Type III. That game was and still is one of the greatest games (not just shooters) I've ever played. Difficult, yet enjoyable, kickass soundtrack, sensible upgrades which give tactical flavor, awesome bosses... besides I rule at it and my friends don't, which is hilarious fun when watching them play.

For the other shooters I don't care that much, am rather taking any Zelda or Metroid game thx.

DA @ Jun 16th 2007 1:38PM

No RPG? There are 3 Zeldas.

fo @ Jun 16th 2007 1:43PM

what game is that picture from?

Comstock @ Jun 16th 2007 3:12PM

I'm loving the shooters. They are some of the only games I've bought on the VC. I'd love to see many more, and I can't think of any reason we shouldn't. Are the genres in competition for limited space or something? Why does it have to be shmups or RPGs? Why not any and all?

Almadi @ Jun 16th 2007 4:04PM

It's not the amount, but the selection. Got burned on nostalgia too many times (Mario Kart 64 and Alex Kidd).

My top 5 shooters I'm hoping to see on the VC in 2007, these are the shooters that stood the test of time:

http://madiart.blogspot.com/2007/05/top-5-na-on-vc.html

Ghen @ Jun 16th 2007 6:00PM

Shooters are almost always very low bandwidth. RPGs are the biggest so its no surprise they didn't release any. Besides, maybe they're waiting to charge a premium for RPGs.

JC Fletcher @ Jun 16th 2007 6:15PM

@7: It's from Blazing Lazers, of course.

Feedback @ Jun 17th 2007 5:03AM

I reiterate. VC needs more Goldeneye64. It would be even more awesome if it had online play.

Lightfoot @ Jun 17th 2007 3:01AM

For some of the RPGs mentioned, does Square/Enix have any games on the VC? With the exception of Nintendo's Earthbound, and Capcom's Breath of Fire games, Square and Enix (who have since merged) made most of the English RPGs that appeared on the classic Nintendo systems. Square even made Mario RPG if I remember correctly.

There are though the RPGs that appeared on the Sega and NEC systems.

Matisfaction @ Jun 17th 2007 6:10AM

I think this has come to attention due to the fact that most of the best games for the PCEngine/TG-16 were shoot'em ups.

It's a shame that the PCEngine version of Gradius hasn't been released for VC instead of the NES version as the PCE version is far superior, just as a lot of the SEGA arcade conversions (Outrun, Shinobi, Altered Beast etc.) on the PCE eclipse the megadrive ports.

I'd also like to see the PCE versions of Ghouls & Ghosts & Street Fighter CE on VC.

Hoop @ Jun 17th 2007 3:48PM

Now that I have Blazing Lazers , i need no more shooters... my TG16 has been hooked up continuously since I got then game .. No im serious .. since like 1990.

Blazing Lazers on the VC now finally lets my TG16 have a break

Now Gimme SMB:A FF2&3, KI, MK2,and SFII:turbo on SNES and Cobra Triangle on NES.

i hope one day i can get AvP: Atari jaguar on VC so i can retire that machine too.

vanessa @ Jun 18th 2007 4:25PM

Oh please I hope someone can help me - I know it isnt...but it looks like a screenshot from a sega game....I cant for the life of me remember what it was called but you would bomb the screen and a skull would come up in the background.....

ANYONE????