Genesis posts(Subscribe to this feed)
Trophies: Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
You'll be going through a lot of classic 16-bit games to get the Trophies for this compilation title.
Virtually Overlooked: Strider
I never questioned what was going on in Strider. I just took it at face value. A ninja hang-glides into some kind of futuristic Moscow, fighting guards, soldiers, and robots. Later he travels to Siberia and fights a giant robot gorilla. Of course, back in those days, not only did games not have to make sense, they usually didn't. I was so used to stuff like Kabuki Quantum Fighter (about a kabuki actor who lives inside a computer and attacks with his hair) that Strider didn't even register with me as weird. But hey, it's pretty weird!Koei strategy pair rated by ESRB
The ESRB has rated a pair of Koei games that aren't Dynasty Warriors for release on the Virtual Console. Both are historical strategic RPGs, though with very different settings. The first, Nobunaga's Ambition (top screens above), tasks players with conquering feudal Japan, while Uncharted Waters: New Horizons is based more on life at sea, and lets you indulge in sailing, trading, and even piracy.
We assume these are the NES versions, though could be wrong -- there were versions of each on the Genesis and SNES. Considering a boxed of copy of either goes for about $20 or $25 on eBay, we could be in for a bargain when these appear.
Sega announces 'Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection,' includes 40 titles
As long as developer Backbone Entertainment keeps the quality high, this is looking like a must-have compilation for fans. [Until Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection PLUS. - Ed.]
Update: Added full list of revealed games after the break. Apparently more will be announced at a later date.
Source - Sega's press release
Source - Sega's game details page
Virtually Overlooked: Castlevania Bloodlines (Genesis)
The latest character to be added to the roster of Konami's questionable Castlevania: Judgment is Eric Lecarde, who appears in IGA's 3D fighter/brawler/potential abomination in the form of a little girl -- at least, that's what seems to be the intention with Takeshi Obata's character design. Eric has made few appearances in Castlevania, especially compared to his Judgment cohorts Simon, Alucard, and, of course, Dracula. He appeared in Portrait of Ruin as a gruff ghost who helped the vampire hunters by standing in one room and doling out quests.To Judgment players, he may just be some guy with a spear, but his history of being just some guy with a spear dates back to 1994, when he appeared as the spear guy in the Genesis exclusive Castlevania: Bloodlines.
Mario Golf, Shining Force II swing their armaments on Virtual Console
- Mario Golf (Nintendo 64, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points): Arguably the best in the Mario Golf series and certainly one of the cheapest. It just makes us wonder why Nintendo hasn't slapped together its cast of characters into a Wii golf game yet.
- Shining Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): You've got a sword in a fantasy medieval setting that rewards you for swinging said blade at others. Also, did we mention your main character is named Bowie?
VC Friday: Thursday edition [Update 1]
And the Nintendo of Europe site leaks another morsel of info! Not long ago, news of Nintendo selling music appeared in our RSS feed weeks early, only to lead to a dead link after it was hastily pulled by Nintendo. And now another slippage has occurred, with Nintendo accidentally revealing (what we suspect are the contents of) tomorrow's PAL Virtual Console update: Earthworm Jim and Shining Force II.Once again, the news appears in our RSS feed (as seen here) while the story itself has been yanked from Ninty's site. All being well then, tomorrow's VC update for Europe and Australia should read something like this:
- Earthworm Jim -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii Points
- Shining Force II: The Ancient Seal -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii Points
Update: And it's confirmed: those are your titles for this week, PAL people! [Thanks, Lanceh!]
Vectorman dodges balls on Virtual Console today
- Super Dodge Ball (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Without adding too much innuendo, the gameplay is pretty self-explanatory. You dodge balls.
- Vectorman (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): While he never became as popular as Mega Man, this robot fought without a torso, and best of all, could shoot upwards.
Retail and download releases for the week of September 22nd
Click image for more screens
Well folks, just as stated, we've got a new Mega Man game to play this week. What's even better is that along with the sure-to-be-awesome Mega Man 9, we've also got some solid retail releases. And there's a surprise or two with this week's Virtual Console releases, as well. Head on past the break for the info. This week is going to be chock full of gaming goodness.
Gallery: Mega Man 9
PEGI locks on to Sonic & Knuckles
We've been wondering how Sega would handle the weird lock-on capabilities of Sonic & Knuckles on the Virtual Console. According to the PEGI ratings board, we'll soon find out: the Genesis Sonic 3 continuation has been rated for Virtual Console release. It showed up on the ESRB months ago, but a new rating suggests forward motion, maybe.The cynical view of someone who has seen a VC game before dictates that the release will feature only the new levels available on the standalone cartridge, with no way to access the extra content made available by combining the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge with Sonics 2 and 3. But maybe Sega will surprise us!
[Via NeoGAF]
Watch the birth of a LittleBigPlanet player-made stage
If you needed any more proof that LittleBigPlanet's level creation system is going to be mind-blowingly robust, (though arguably less robust then the level creation system discussed in Genesis), we turn your attention to the video posted after the break -- a time-lapse sneak preview of a player crafting his own level. It's a pretty clever design, and looks like a blast -- best of all, it only took about ten minutes. That kind of thing apparently used to take seven days. Thanks, technology!
VC Friday: Sequel week
Game sequels often suffer from a reputation of being weaker than their predecessors, but that hasn't stopped Nintendo whacking a whole pile of them on the PAL Virtual Console this week. The M-rated Splatterhouse 2 leads the charge, bloodied lead pipe in hand, and is joined by Samurai Shodown II, Pitstop II, and Ecco Jr. (okay, so that's not a sequel in the strictest sense of the term, but a spin-off for the kids). Here's what that little lot will cost you:
- Ecco Jr. -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii Points
- Splatterhouse 2 -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii Points
- Samurai Shodown II -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points
- Pitstop II -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points *
Footage of all four is past the break -- try listening to six minutes of Pitstop II's engine effects without going insane.
VC Monday Madness: SPLATTERHOUSE 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog
Oh, how good it feels to be back. After a brief hiatus (and slight tweak), VC Monday Madness is back and ready for action. Waste no time and get into the video above, then head past the break for even more.
Virtual Console update adds speed and gore, lacks swords
There's something about this week's update to the Wii's Virtual Console that just seems off. Maybe it's the odd partnering of a blue marsupial and a lumber-swinging madman, or perhaps it's the noticeable absence of Samurai Shodown II, which SNK said last week would be among this morning's additions. While you work out some conspiracy theories, let's take a look at what new oldies are available.
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Master System, 500 Wii Points): While Sega's 16-bit original has been available for download for a long while, Sonic's 8-bit port changes things up with a handful of new stages, gameplay differences, and cruddier graphics.
- Splatterhouse 2 (Sega Genesis, 800 Wii Points): There's many ways that we could spend our time waiting to slip on the Terror Mask and bash demons' brains out in Namco Bandai's Splatterhouse redux, but really, what better way is there than to play through the arcade original's 16-bit sequel? The only right answer here is none.
Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System on the Wii
The latest set of ESRB rating updates features two upcoming Virtual Console games, one of which is just kind of awkward. Namco's Splatterhouse 2 is making the journey from Japan, which is great news for people who like hitting things with a 2x4. The other game is also for a Sega console: Sonic the Hedgehog.Perhaps puzzled by how to identify the Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog in their rating submission, since the two games are now both Wii games, Sega decided to put it right there in the title: Sonic the Hedgehog on the Master System. It would be hilarious if this ended up being the final title for the game on the Virtual Console, but we doubt that will happen.
