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VC in Brief: SimEarth (TG16)
by David Hinkle { Jun 22nd 2009 at 5:45PM } 
SimEarth: The Living Planet (TG16 CD-ROM, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)
We say: Best played on PC
We say: Best played on PC
This week's release is an oldie, but a goodie: SimEarth: The Living Planet for the TurboGrafx-16. It's been a long time since I played this game, and it's still as fun as I remember it. It's much better on the PC (way better controls), but, if this is your only way to play the game, I'd suggest you check it out.
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.NintendoWare Weekly: NEVES Plus brings Art Style to SimEarth
by David Hinkle { Jun 22nd 2009 at 4:00PM } 
Gallery: NEVES Plus
VC in Brief: Bomberman '94 (TG16) and Detana Twin Bee (TG16)
by David Hinkle { Mar 23rd 2009 at 5:45PM }
Go ahead, go mad with power.
VC Monday Madness: Samurai Shodown 2 and Ys Book I and II
We're back again, with a fresh video that's piping hot with gaming goodness. Oh, and there's some dude talking over the whole thing. We're sorry about that. He will be taken care of.
After checking out the video above, head past the break for the rest.
VC Monday Madness: Break In and Star Parodier
With the Wii bursting at the seams with content this week, we've got two new Virtual Console games, imports, to check out. Up on the block is Break In and Star Parodier, both for the Turbografx16 (Star Parodier is a CD-ROM title, though). Hit up the video above to check out some footage and commentary, then head past the break for a little more.
Retail and download releases for the week of August 11th
This week brings lots of content to the Wii. We've got a pair of new Virtual Console games, some fresh WiiWare action and even some retail game love, for good measure. If you're looking for something new to enjoy on your Wii, then you're certainly in luck. The biggest title to release this week is undoubtedly Madden 09 All-Play. Were any of you looking forward to this one? Can't wait to go pick up your copy?
Head past the break for the full details on what's new this week on Wii.
Hudson bravely dates two VC games
Last week, Hudson put a date of August 4 on their Virtual Console site's Ys Book I & II entry. And ... we know how that worked out. It's back in the "to be released" area, dated for sometime this month. Despite the troubles, they've gone ahead and put dates on two more Virtual Console games.If Nintendo feels like going along with it, we can maybe expect Star Parodier and Break In this Monday. Break In may be a pool game, but we've been looking forward to the previously import-only, goofy Star Soldier cute-em-up for a while. Hudson used to be accurate with their release dates, so it's not ... impossible that these games will actually show up Monday.
VC Monday Madness: Pong Toss, Art of Fighting 2 and Chase H.Q.
This week's WiiWare game is:
- Pong Toss - Frat Party Games (JV Games, 1 - 4 players, 800 Wii Points)
- Chase H.Q. (TG16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
- Art of Fighting 2 (NEO, 1 - 2 players, 900 Wii Points)
[Via press release]
VC Tuesday: We got a great big Comvoy
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)
The VC Advantage: Bonk's Paleobiological Adventure
We don't expect Bonk's Adventure to be historically or biologically accurate. The very coexistence of cavemen and dinosaurs (and malevolent, animate flowers) comes to mind as a significant departure from reality, as do the talking dinosaurs who promise to be "YOUR NEW FRIEND ARF ARF ARF!!" Early man didn't live on floating, airborne fruit, nor did meat enable him to transform into an invincible, volcano-headed monster. Probably. But all those odd, fanciful uses of creative licenses are done in the name of gameplay or to create a cute setting or narrative.
But we don't know why developer Red decided that the dinosaur who comprises level 1-4 needed several uvulas. How do you even get that idea? Using the dinosaur's uvula as an obstacle is clever, but multiplying it is vaguely psychotic. Also, they have little smiley faces -- why not? Maybe someone at Red knows a lot more about dinosaur anatomy than anyone else -- or a lot less.
The VC Advantage is a weekly look at the secrets inside games -- not just cheat codes, but assorted trivia and oddities. We aim to bring back the feeling of the hint columns from game magazines, except when we do something else.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)
ESRB lists a Square classic for the Virtual Console
Right now, the North American Virtual Console has only one Square Enix game (though it's quality): Actraiser, and that was from the Enix side. According to a new listing on the ESRB's page, a Square game will finally be available for download -- an alliteratively-named classic that takes place in a swords-and-sorcery fantasy setting and allows players to play as a magic user, a warrior, and even a thief, all to the strains of composer Nobuo Uematsu's soundtrack.That's right, it's King's Knight.
Also newly listed: Final Soldier! Yeah, it's another TG16 shooter, but you don't have to buy it. We've been waiting for this one.
Virtually Overlooked: Keith Courage in Alpha Zones
For every system currently represented on the Virtual Console, the launch pack-in title is available for download. Super Mario Bros. on the NES, Altered Beast (and later pack-in Sonic the Hedgehog) on Genesis, Super Mario World on SNES, and even Magician Lord on the Neo Geo, though the Neo Geo Gold system pack-in, NAM-1975, has yet to appear. The Nintendo 64, of course, lacked a pack-in title at launch, probably due to the fact that a pack-in of Super Mario 64 would literally have meant a one-game retail presence, which is ridiculous compared to the two-game choice available in stores upon the system's release. The only system whose pack-in isn't available is the Turbografx-16.
Could it be because Keith Courage in Alpha Zones isn't actually that good? We don't think so. Lots of really bad games are available. Keith Courage is Virtually Overlooked in the purest sense, an obvious addition that has, for some bizarre reason, not been made available yet.
China Warrior is a bad game
It's hard to make any mention of the Turbografx-16 side-scrolling brawler China Warrior without its generally-accepted terribleness coming up. Yes, it's not a very good game. It's Kung Fu with big sprites and flying branches. We're sure nobody has downloaded it who wasn't reviewing it. But we forget in our laughter over its current availability that it used to be a retail game. People paid a lot of money for this game. People writing things on Wii Fanboy paid a lot of money for this game.Vintage Computing's Benj Edwards didn't pay a lot of money for China Warrior, but his price was even higher: hype for the game drove him to trade in his beloved copy of Super Mario Bros. 3. The horror! Edwards' story paints China Warrior as a destructive influence on a happy childhood, one that he is incapable of divesting himself of. If you've bought China Warrior, you'll probably be familiar with his pain.
I still like China Warrior.
[Via GameSetWatch]
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 2/25/08
It's good to be back in the saddle. I've finished the video and placed it above for your viewing pleasure, checking out the duo of this week's Virtual Console releases. Hopefully, in failing to provide you guys with a video last week, I haven't lost my touch. And, by "my touch," I mean the ability to produce a video that only makes you want to vomit mildly.
Head past the break for the usual follow-up coverage.
