US VC Releases - 21st May - Streets of Rage 2

Wow! This week is really sweet!

The moral of the story is that anyone who doesn't download SoR2 is...like Elmer Fudd...a dolt.

I wonder if Nintendo have pushed this one on popular demand or shortage of return cash wise. I haven't downloaded a game in a while so they've decided to release the one game that anyone with two hands will be unable to resist. Curse you Nintendo, release this on Friday in Europe and there's 800 Wii points coming your way from everyone on the other half of the globe aswell.

SoR2!?!?! How sweet it is! I've got everything crossed that we get it on UK VC release this Friday!!!

There must be many happy punters on that side of the pond!

Eh, I much prefer Final Fight to Streets of Rage. Not getting SoR2 when it's out in Europe.

Drake I agree with you...FF was better than the original Streets of Rage. It's not better than Streets of Rage 2 though!

Which is why I'm holding out for FF3

Meh, I was hoping for better. It's not that I think the games are bad, it's just nothing im interested in. DKC2 never interested me, don't like paying for sega games as I get all of them (SoR2 included) as part of gametap (as well as there being so many sega collection things around). I don't know about BL, not a huge shooter fan.

It's also a matter of VC having an abundance of platformers, scrolling fighters, and shooters. None of these games really add anything to VC that it needs, like rpgs

"It's also a matter of VC having an abundance of platformers, scrolling fighters, and shooters. None of these games really add anything to VC that it needs, like rpgs"

Old school gamers will laugh at that comment. The 8-bit and 16-bit era were the golden age of platformers, scrolling fighters, and shooters. RPGs were still extremely niche even on the SNES. Since almost all console RPGs of that time are now owned by Square-Enix, they aren't going to put many of their games up with all the remakes going around. Western console RPGs ported from computers are now almost all owned by Electronic Arts who is not even participating in the Virtual Console.

8-bit and 16-bit eras were the Age of Arcade Gameplay. If you wanted to play long story packed RPGs, you played them on your PC at this time where it had a keyboard to interact more fully with the world. All of the few RPGs at the time, including the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quests, were really terrible compared to the PC RPGs at the time (like the Ultimas).

People waiting for the handful of RPGs and cry about all the shooters and platformers make me laugh. They sound like a retro gamer complaining about all the 3d games last couple of generations.

Anyway, this is a great week for the VC! All three games are the cream of their genre. I am surprised to see sequels to Donkey Kong Country and Streets of Rage so soon though.

i'm living by the thought of if I didn't play it when it came out i'm not going to get it now. plus I own DKC2 anyway so there isn't any point. you would think with the update about Smash Bros they would put SSB on th VC but noooo. still waiting for SMRPG

"i'm living by the thought of if I didn't play it when it came out i'm not going to get it now."

Practically missing the entire point of VC.

these games are great, but where are all the 3rd party N64 games? i'm dying to play star wars shadows of the empire, and turok 1 and 2, not to mention LoZMM

Well... still no sign of Zelda II for the VC... I guess I still have to wait another week or so... Oh well.

I agree with Drake. I was a stodgy Nintendo fan back when these systems were out, and being in the US I had never even heard of the TG16 (beyond the rare mention of the name) until I saw that it was going to be one of the systems on the VC. Now I'm seeing lots of great Genesis and TG16 games that I'd never had the chance to play before. There are even games from the NES/SNES that I didn't get around to playing at the time. While I enjoy the nostalgia value of some of the old classics, I'd rather buy a game that's going to give me a brand new experience than one I've beaten long ago.

Actually, the best era of RPGs is arguably the SNES era. From Chrono Trigger to the double-shot of Final Fantasy IV/VI to Super Mario RPG to Earthbound, there was such a glut of fantastic RPGs on the SNES that most people that played games in that era are a bit spoiled when it comes to RPGs these days.

Yes, there were some fantastic arcade ports, side-scrollers, and shooters that dominated the era as well, but underestimating the pull of the RPG would be a mistake on Nintendo's part, as there is real money to be made on the Virtual Console with several of these games.

awesome week. still waiting for actraiser though

I just bought Turok 1 and 2 today. Ah how I love the N64

The SNES was just the perfect platform for RPGs. It was easy to create a stamp based graphical system and write a great saga around it all. Graphically, the Final Fantasy games weren't *as* great, but they played wonderfully and each had their own great storyline. Chrono Trigger was quite possibly the apex of RPGs on the SNES (and maybe in general, imho). Earthbound was a great offbeat take on RPGs that just clicked so perfectly. Mario RPG was the Square take on Mario that combined everything great about Mario and RPGs! Paper Mario has never touched it, imho. Other RPGs like Breath of Fire, 7th Saga, Lufia II, and Secret of Mana just round out the bunch.

Ok 3 amazing games come out this week and someone brings up the fact that there is still no Zelda II! No one wants to play that stupid game! And i hope EA joins on board for the VC. Road Rash 2 and FIFA soccer would be the awesome. Gross RPG's are so boring. I want explosions, ninjas, and fighting! Let's bust out Turtles in Time Konami! Thats my #1 most wanted since Streets of Rage 2 got released this week. Contra and Contra HARD CORPS are #2 and #3. Man Konami made amazing games, which reminds me of Animaniacs.....

Anyone who is anyone has heard me complain about virtual console releases but did nintendo ever redeem themselves this week. SOR2 AND DKC2 , I don't think this gamer could have asked for anything else in life. Except ZAMN,007,DoubleDragons.. okay okay, I'll stop. Thank you nintendo. What the heck is blazing lazers?

Even if Nintendo released every remaining game for every single console next week, some people would still find something to complain about. Bottom line is this is a great week.

Woohoo! SoR2 at last! It's a definite buy for me when it comes to Europe.

Ok, Streets of Rage 2 is the way forward this week, if it comes out in the European countries this friday i guarentee i'll be getting it first thing! ...

....P.S...Why is this weeks screenshot Streets of Rage 3 when it was the 2nd one released.....

What a phenominal week! Streets of Rage 2 and DKC 2. Streets of Rage 2, how I've mised you!