It's one of the better weeks for a while for North American retro gamers. Super Mario Bros. 2 is a welcome addition to the Virtual Console library. Some call it the black sheep of the early Mario series but we think it's a refreshing change to the basic Mario formula. There is something satisfying about lobbing a turnip at a shy-guy!

If that's not good enough for you perhaps Sega's premier Dolphin Simulator Ecco: The Tides of Time might interest you? This sequel offers more of the same as the first game but the whole package is a lot more polished so it is a better game all-round. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea (or whatever your beverage is) but if you are curious this marine action puzzler may be just what you are looking for.

Finally we have Dragon Spirit on the TG16. It's not a bad game but it's up against some stiff competition on the Virtual Console from heavyweights in the shoot-em-up genre such as Soldier Blade and Super Star Soldier. Maybe watch the handy YouTube video and make your mind up on this one. We liked it but there are better examples of the genre out there.

Check out this week's reviews:

Super Mario Bros. 2 - NES - 500 Points

Ecco: The Tides of Time - Sega Genesis - 800 Points

Dragon Spirit - TurboGrafx-16 - 600 Points