Weekly Virtual Console Round Up (22nd Oct)

Nintendo's Virtual Console shop has 5 new releases this week, Mayhem in Monsterland (C64), Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou (TG-16), Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (MD), Space Harrier (SMS), Digital Champ: Battle Boxing (TG-16).

by Anthony Dickens Wed 22nd Oct 2008

Mayhem in Monsterland

System: Commodore 64
Release Date: Fri 17th Oct (EU)

Mayhem is an unhappy dinosaur, as Monsterland is an unhappy place, due to an apprentice magic dinosaur who decided to practice some of his master's spells, after drinking too much cactus juice. Mayhem decides to change it back, with the help of Theo Saurus, the apprentice responsible for Monsterland being the gloomy place it is now.
The game is a side-scrolling platform game, where you play the part of Mayhem. You can kill enemies by jumping on them.
There are five levels in the game. Each one starts in unhappy mode, where Mayhem must collect enough bags of magic dust, from the enemies you face, then find your way to Theo's hidden cave. Theo then uses the dust to make the level happy again. This change is reflected in the more jazzy music, colourful landscape and even the monsters who look more friendly and cheerful.

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Some of the magic, however, clumps together into magical stars, that Mayhem must collect, on the happy version of the level, to stop them falling into the wrong hands. There is a quota of stars that Mayhem must collect, before going over the finishing line.
In the happy version of the level there are more bonuses that can be collected, such as score multipliers, extra lives, extra time, etc. The most important is probably the ability to charge, allowing Mayhem to run very fast, killing any enemies in his way. Also, he stops with a skid, and extra points are awarded for a long skid over the finishing line.

Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou

System: TurboGrafx-16
Release Date: Mon 20th Oct (US)

This shooter is the sequel to the seminal masterpiece, GRADIUS. Two years after its last epic battle, the GRADIUS army recommissions the VIC VIPER super-dimensional warplane to combat the invasion of a new nemesis known as GOFER.
Piloting the latest model of the VIC VIPER, players can select between multiple WEAPON MODULES and SHIELDS to tackle the varying stages and enemy attack patterns they come up against. With a total of nine stages, this perfect port of the original boasts one of the longest adventures in the series and features more of its trademark fast-paced background music to accompany the intense action.

Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition

System: Sega Mega Drive
Release Date: Fri 17th Oct (EU)

Street Fighter II: Special Champion Editor was the first Street Fighter game released for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis console. The Street Fighter series can be considered one of the first fighting games to popularize competitive video game fighting. This version of the game contains both the CHAMPION and HYPER rule sets, from the two editions released in the arcades.
It also introduced an exclusive Group Battle mode that is now a general feature in most fighting games. Play as one of 12 different characters, each with their own distinctive fighting style. Try single-player mode or challenge a friend in this legendary, classic fighting game.

Space Harrier

System: Master System
Release Date: Fri 17th Oct (EU)

Space Harrier is set in "the Fantasy Zone", a surreal world composed of bright colors and a checkerboard-styled ground. The enemies are also unique, featuring prehistoric animals, Chinese dragons, and alien pods.
The player is forced along the levels, running or flying around enemy fire, while shooting back with fireballs via the characters under-arm cannon (which doubles as a rocket-esque device allowing the character to fly).

Digital Champ: Battle Boxing

System: TurboGrafx-16
Release Date: Mon 20th Oct (US)

Set in the near future, Digital Champ Battle Boxing is a first-person-perspective boxing title that plunges players into the raw intensity of the ring! Determined to thwart Mother Computer's plot to conquer mankind, you infiltrate the enemy's domain, using your boxing skills to vanquish your foes. Each round is three minutes, with a total of 12 rounds to a match.
Advance to the next contest through either a KO or by flattening an opponent three times in a round for a TKO. Utilize an arsenal of left and right jabs, hooks, power-charged crosses and three different kinds of "Devastator" punches. Deftly block and slip your opponent's attacks, and look for your chance to lay them out. Master these techniques and take down the greatest opponent of them all, DIGITAL CHAMP!