Retro News
April2007
Review Virtua Fighter 2 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
The intrepid fighters return to the World Fighting Tournament.
Virtua Fighter 2 remains one of the best one-on-one fighters in the history of videogames. When it was originally released it destroyed the competition, and even today (after three updates) hardcore fans feel that Sega has never really bettered the classic brawler. But before you all get...
Review Super Paper Mario (Wii)
Mario dusts off his cap and sets out on his first proper adventure on Wii.
Now, I say proper adventure, but really Super Paper Mario is something new, something different and something you've never played before. Essentially the game looks like any other classic Mario game, however there is one big twist, it's flippin' 3D! For once it isn't Bowser...
Review ActRaiser (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Take control of the Master, a dethroned deity whose once-idyllic world has fallen under the control of the Evil One.
When I saw the review of this game in the Mean Machines gaming magazine as a youth I was quite literally heartbroken. My Megadrive was (technically, at least) no longer the most powerful console in the world. Nintendo's new machine...
Review Pac-Man (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Gobble gobble
He may be as old as the hills but Pac-Man still manages to entertain after all these years. We've been relying on one of those Namco 'plug in' TV games for my pill-popping fix, but thanks to the Virtual Console that battery-hungry gadget can be retired. For those not acquainted with the premise of the game — what cave have you been...
Review Bonk's Revenge (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
I love a good bonk!
Hudson struck gold with Bonk's Adventure, following its success a sequel was inevitable and we couldn't have asked for a much better follow-up than this. In addition to the usual headbutting caveman antics our hero can now swim up waterfalls (?!!) and swing around on poles. To vary things a little from the former game the...
The Wonderswan puzzler is reborn on the DS - but has Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment done enough to elevate it to truly classic status?
When Gameboy creator Gunpei Yokoi was tragically killed in a car accident in 1997 he was working on what he saw as the successor to Nintendo’s machine – the bizarrely named ‘Wonderswan’. When the handheld was...
Snowboarding; Literally one of the coolest sports on the planet. Can EA transfer the experience onto the Wii?
Electronic Arts' SSX series has been around for a while. Starting on the Playstation 2 with plain old "SSX" it has spanned console platforms with varying success. Four sequels and 6 years later, EA release SSX Blur for the Wii. This time...
Review Pinball Hall of Fame - The Gottlieb Collection (Wii)
Wii's first Pinball title, does it actually contain anything unique or is it just another port?
Being a pinball-head meant a key Wii launch game for me was Gottlieb Pinball Classics. The game received only moderate coverage in both print and online media, it was simply eclipsed by the likes of Zelda and Red Steel. However, as I will go on to discuss...
Review Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Not as enchanting as the Master System adventures.
Before Sonic the Hedgehog our friends Sega had Alex Kidd as their mascot. I grew up with the quirky humour of the original games on the Sega Master System (the 8-bit rival of the NES) - at the time these were some of the best games around. However by the time the Sega Genesis / Megadrive was in full...
Review Bravoman (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Bravo, jolly good show - NOT!
It must first be understood that Bravoman isn't to be taken too seriously. The game was created as a parody whose sole purpose was to make light of the many different "superhero" games created over the years. Most Turbo fans will tell you that the game is a semi-sequel to the Keith Courage in Alpha Zones game...
Review Vectorman (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
More than a load of old balls?
OK, so the main character is compromised of green balls, don't let that make you overlook one of the better 'run and gun' games to hit the Megadrive / Genesis. The shallow premise for the game is that humans have ruined the planet Earth and left the subsequent tidy-up job to their robots. You assume the role of the...
Review The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (Wii)
EA Take One Of The Most Renowned Movie Franchises And Turn It Into A Game. Success Or Failure? Read On...
[screenshot=46128b9f9b431]You Respect Him, You Respect The Family The Godfather Blackhand Edition is based upon the events from The Godfather movie. It holds true to its roots, even though you play as Aldo; a new character to the story. The game...
Review Star Fox 64 (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
Do a barrel roll.
The original Star Fox (or ‘Starwing’ if you're a Euro gamer) introduced a whole generation of Nintendo fans to the wonder of 3D visuals. The game was nothing short of a miracle and thanks to the revolutionary Super FX chip it produced graphics that were comparable to the primitive 3D arcade releases of the era. However, when...
March2007
Review Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Hey, where's Mike Tyson gone?
Although boxing is a fairly obvious display of aggression, it’s surprising that so few video game adaptations of the sport have been worth playing. Punch Out!! Featuring Mr Dream is an exception, and to many it still hasn’t been beaten. Assuming the role of Little Mac, you have to punch your way to ultimate victory...
Review The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Go go Goemon
You might be forgiven for dismissing this mysterious game at first glance, but give it a chance and you might find a fantastic game with amazing depth. Kid Ying and Dr. Yang are on an adventure to save Princess Yuki who has been kidnapped by counterfeiters. By traveling through different Warlock Zones in Japan, Kid Ying and Dr. Yang are...
Review Dragon's Curse (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Wonder Boy by another name...
Those of you that used to own a Sega Master System may experience an unshakable feeling of deja vu when playing Dragon's Curse (known as Adventure Island in Japan) - because it's pretty much the exact same game as the Master System Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap! The history of the Wonder Boy franchise is complex and...
Review Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Taxing the old grey matter
First things first - this fourth edition of Koei's long running 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' series is not going to be for everyone. The franchise, based on actual events in China's history, has evolved and developed considerably over the past few years and it's encouraging that VC users are getting one of the better...
Review Castlevania (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Introducing Belmont
The first NES Castlevania was like a breath of fresh air when it was first released. Capcom's spooky, but cartoon-like Ghost 'n' Goblins was the closest thing on the market, but Konami's game was a little more mature and serious. The gothic feel for which the series has become famous for is all present and correct, and the...
Review Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS)
A return to the text-based games of the past
Hotel Dusk is entirely a throwback to retro text based games with some gameplay that really shines. You play the game horizontally (Brain Age style) and only use the touch screen. By conversing with the local hotel guests, bits and pieces of the back story of the mysterious hotel come about, as well as...
Review Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii)
Rabbits With Plungers, What Else Is There To Say?
[screenshot=44d320f1eb8b3]Rayman Is Back... er, Just As Before!It's been a while since a Rayman title last graced any console, and never before has one been any more that a platformer. So it came as a surprise to find that the latest installment was actually a mini-game compilation. The story of...
Review Beyond Oasis (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
You are the young Prince Ali in a desperate fight to defeat the evil that is threatening your island empire, Oasis.
This was another late Megadrive/Genesis release but thankfully it avoided the fate of games like Comix Zone and sold pretty well at the time. It's easy to see why - graphically it's one of the best looking games on Sega's 16-bit...
Review Diddy Kong Racing DS (DS)
The Nintendo 64 classic returns on DS, but how does it compare to Mario Kart DS?
Ah Diddy Kong Racing, one of my old friends, how nice to see you again. How fitting is it that Diddy Kong Racing is Rare's first DS title. One of my favorite games for the Nintendo 64, the game that in my opinion took Mario Kart 64 and improved on it in every possible...
Review Splatterhouse (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Ah Splatter J!
Heavily inspired by the Jason Voorhees character from the Friday the 13th films so popular in the 80's this game is a hockey mask wearing, butcher knife wielding gorefest! For those who aren't familiar with the game it is basically a 2D scrolling fighter. Unlike it's contemporaries like Double Dragon (and it's Megadrive sequels) the...
Review Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Virtual Console / NES)
T-U-R-T-L-E POWER!
Turtle mania was sweeping the world when this came out in 1989. That's probably why this game was so popular despite it being an unfair bag of dog's droppings! So popular was the franchise that Nintendo even bundled the NES with this game in Europe replacing the mighty Super Mario Bros cart. It's easy to see why so many...
I am very excite!
Nintendo’s Excitebike is a bit of a cult classic. It’s never been a massive selling series but true Nintendo fans have a very special place for it in their hearts. When Excite Truck was announced as a Wii launch title, those very same fans rejoiced – at last, they could put away their copies of Excitebike 64 and get stuck...
Review Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
Konami's evergreen vampire hunting series drops by for a second bite on the Nintendo DS, but can it maintain the blistering pace set by Dawn of Sorrow?
Those of you lucky enough to have experienced the sublime Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow will no doubt be very excited by this latest release for the Nintendo DS. Once again Konami have settled on the...
Review Tecmo Bowl (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Will you be bowled over by this one?
Before video game football became just as complex as real-life football, there was Tecmo Bowl. There weren't hundreds of plays with varying formations or special spin moves to worry about, in fact you didn't actually have to know much about the game of football to enjoy and play it. It was this simplicity that...
Review Sonic Spinball (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
You spin me round, round baby right round
When Sega knew they had hit on their hands with the Sonic series they decided to take the same route Nintendo had done with Mario - basically to place their lead mascot in as many different games as possible. Mario crossed over to puzzle (Dr Mario), sports (Mario Golf) and racing (Mario Kart) games, and...
Review Galaga (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Classic blasting action
The NES version of Galaga is a almost perfect port of the timeless arcade classic. Like space invaders you control a ship at the bottom of the screen and blast away at oncoming enemies. The enemies in Galaga first fly in and line up in formation and then dive-bomb at you while firing sometimes in predictable patterns and...
Review Double Dungeons (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Double the dungeons, but half of the fun!
Dungeon crawlers became quite popular back in the early 80's on many of the personal computers like the Commodore 64 and Apple II series of computers. I actually owned an Apple IIc computer and played many of the popular titles like the Wizardry and Bard's Tale series myself. It's probably the main reason...
News Hardware Focus - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis
Mega tech
Sega may be a name that many people readily associate with videogame brilliance, but when you seriously think about it, they've only really had one universally successful machine - the Mega Drive (Genesis to our American readers). The Saturn and Dreamcast may have garnered critical support but they died a sad, painful death at retail and...
Review Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Grabbed by the ghoulies
Ghouls ‘N Ghosts was an arcade classic, and Sega Mega Drive / Genesis owners were undoubtedly over the moon to be treated to an almost arcade perfect conversion in 1989. When the Super Nintendo came out, it needed some games to compete with its rival; quite soon after its launch Capcom was kind enough to treat Nintendo fans...
Brits take on multi player Madden madness.
Without much competition in the American Football genre, EA have often been accused of complacency. However, with the upcoming All Pro Football 2K8 from 2k sports, they show clear signs of raising their game. In addition to reservations about the market dominating product, there are the issues that surround...
Review Elevator Action (Virtual Console / NES)
Who would have thought that elevators got any action?
Originally released in the (very) early 80's, this spy action title was a real eye-opener for gamers of that generation. The premise is simple, yet instantly appealing; the player is dropped onto a series of buildings and has to make their way to the bottom, taking on evil agents and entering...
Review Sword of Vermilion (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Get your revenge and defeat Tsarkon to free the world of Vermilion from evil.
Famously developed by Virtua Fighter creator Yu Suzuki, this was one of the first RPGs for Sega's 16-bit system and to be brutally honest, it shows. The graphics are basic and the sound is average so be prepared for a technically underwhelming experience. Thankfully the...
February2007
Review Chew Man Fu (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Fried rice and egg rolls are in danger!
This is no doubt a game that not many will be familiar with. I think an award should go for best named game 'Chew Man Fu'. The Japanese release was called 'Be Ball' so for once the western name is much more fun! Basically this is a puzzle game where you have to push large coloured balls around the screen; the...
Review Bio-Hazard Battle (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
An army of biogenetic mutants has gone haywire, terrorizing the world and putting the future of the planet in jeopardy.
Released as Crying in Japan, this horizontally scrolling shooter was largely ignored by western Megadrive owners due to the sheer volume of shoot-em-ups available on the console at the time. The unusual organic graphics probably...
Review The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Close To Perfection, And An Absolute Must-Play
Just in time
This review originally went live in 2007, and we're republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time did for the Zelda series what Super Mario 64 did for the Super Mario Bros. series. It successfully brought one of the most beloved game series in video game history into...
Review Streets of Rage (Wii Virtual Console / Mega Drive)
Sega's answer to Final Fight
It's tricky to review Streets of Rage and be fair to it in light of the high quality of its sequel. Nevertheless it laid the foundations for even more future greatness, so it is only fair to give the original game the respect it deserves. Basically, Streets of Rage is Sega's answer to Final Fight; the Axel character is a...
News Yesterdays US Virtual Console Releases
In some slightly delayed news, we bring you the information on yesterdays VC release (with no puns in the title this time!).
Many will be glad to see that Donkey Kong Country has finally made it to the NTSC systems, after being availible to PAL gamers for quite some time. Streets of Rage has at last hit the system as well, along with the Legend of...
Review The Legend of Kage (NES)
This classic ninja-action game first appeared in arcades in 1985 and became instantly popular.
After the recent release of the sublime Kid Icarus you might have expected the quality of NES Virtual Console games to rise, but unfortunately The Legend of Kage is an almost catastrophic true drop in standards. No need for rose tinted specs here, retro...
Review Excitebike (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
This bike still excites
Excitebike will no doubt be remembered fondly by older gamers. After all, it was one of the original launch titles for the NES way back in 1985. Some might be dubious and question if a game this old is worth purchasing for the Virtual Console, but worry not — this classic game has somehow managed to retain its appeal...
Review New Adventure Island (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Move over Wonder Boy
The Wonder Boy and Adventure Island games have seen releases on just about every 8 and 16-bit console you can think of, not to mention a few remakes on some of the more recent systems. Having said that, if you want to play the best the series has to offer, you need only download New Adventure Island on the Wii Virtual Console to...
As I have already stated in my preview the concept for Cooking Mama is utterly fantastic. To think that there are still companies out there that want to be original, that want to make something new and that want make use of Nintendo’s technology is quite heart warming to me.
Cooking Mama might not be the best game you’ll ever play. In fact – I...
Allow me to pose you with a question. You are armed with a Katana blade and a shotgun. Your enemy is armed with just a sword. Would you have a sword fight with him or would you blow his brains out with your shotgun? Exactly.
I guess Ubisoft thought that sword fighting might be something a bit different – particularly in a first person shooter game...
Review Kid Icarus (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Is Pit a hit?
Kid Icarus is one of those games that makes you think 'they sure don't make them like they used to'. Graphically it's very basic - this is from 1986 after all - but the charm simply shines through regardless. This is a game from an era where developers had to really make an effort and use what simple technology they had available to...
Review Ice Climber (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Ice Ice Baby
Ice Climber is another classic NES title for the Virtual Console — and thankfully, it's decent enough to be worth considering for download. Ice Climber is a fantastic little game, if somewhat basic. Graphically it's exactly what you'd expect an 8-bit game from 1985 to look like — simple. The premise of the game is pretty bizarre. A...
Review Kirby's Adventure (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Kirby's first adventure
Kirby’s Adventure was released in 1993 when many gamers had packed up their NES in favour of the shiny new Sega Mega Drive / Genesis or a SNES. Those who stayed faithful to the mighty grey toaster and picked up this game at the time would have been in for a real treat. It really pushed the boundaries of the NES hardware,...
News Virtual Console Round-Up: Issue 1
A round-up of the best Virtual Console releases from the months December 2006 and January 2007.
Ok, so this is a new monthly feature that we are going to be running on NintendoLife.com in the upcoming future. Due to the runaway success of the Virtual Console (and I have always been enthusiastic about it to be honest) we are going to be integrating...
News Starfox 2 Footage Hits The Net
The unreleased sequel to Starfox has had a number of bits of footage floating around on the Internet just lately and I thought you might like to share it with me.
Whether this is old news or not I'm not totally sure but I wasn't even aware of a Starfox 2. I'm sure the geeks will be flying over here to set me straight on the record but I'll just be...
Review Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
The black sheep of the family?
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is often referred to as the black sheep of the Zelda family. Unlike the original Zelda games, the top-down perspective is replaced in favour of side-scrolling platform action, similar to that found in Castlevania. Perhaps more significantly than that, it is the only Zelda game to offer...
Review WarioWare Smooth Moves (Wii)
Smooth like butter
Just the other day I was contemplating how I would feel if my mother walked in on me being intimate with my girlfriend. Horrified would probably be an understatement. I guess it would be a feeling of embarrassment. Those of you that have suffered such a terrible feat feel free to concur with me. See, thing is, although my mother...
Review Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (Wii)
Blitzed.
Let's first clarify that we're big Super Monkey Ball fans. Ever since playing the original on the GameCube we've been totally convinced of the varied and addictive gameplay the series had to offer. We thoroughly enjoyed the minigames such as Monkey Target and thought that the game provided the perfect balance between both solid gameplay and...
Elite Beat Agents are GOO!!! -Commander Kahn Tap, slide, and spin your way through awesome songs in this interactive rhythm action game for the DS!
Elite Beat Agents are GO! Elite Beat Agents is unique, to say the least. It’s a rhythm action game, and the closest comparison would be to the PS1 classic Parappa the Rappa. You only use the stylus...
Brave the streets of New York City in this side-scrolling beat-'em-up
Essentially Vigilante is a modernised version of Irem's classic Kung-Fu Master. It's the usual damsel in distress routine. Your gal Madonna is thrown in the back of the baddies truck and whisked away. It is your job to go through various stages to finally rescue her from her...
Review Super Mario World (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Simply superb
It was hailed as the greatest videogame of all time when it was released, and even after all these years it still has a pretty solid claim to that title. Super Mario World is without a shadow of a doubt one of our favourite Mario games, and when SNES was released some members of our staff played very little else until they'd discovered...
It's the 31st Century, and science and technology have progressed to the point that the human race is approaching perfection.
Gain Ground started life as a largely unpopular 3 player arcade game. Surprisingly when taking into account the relative lack of commercial success it was ported to the Sega Megadrive/Genesis and Master System pretty swiftly...
News Europe Says Gracias To Gradius
This weeks European/Australian Virtual Console releases include the highly popular scrolling space-shooter Gradius.
The Full list is as follows: NES: 500 Points Gradius Mega Drive: 800 Points Comix Zone Bonanza Bros Gain Ground As you can see, a few Mega Drive (Genesis to the overseas readers) titles have been added, but nothing too spectacular...
January2007
Sketch Turner is an artist in New York City. One day while Sketch is drawing, there is a huge thunderstorm and a bolt of lightning hits Sketch's image, bringing it to life.
Released fairly late in the life of the Megadrive/Genesis, Comix Zone didn't exactly set the world alight in terms of sales but is now rightly regarded as one of the better games...
Review Bonanza Bros (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Grab the target items and head for the exit!
Bonanza Bros. harkens back to the early 80's arcade titles with their simple, yet addictive play control ideas. While there are obvious Keystone Kapers and Elevator Action influences throughout the game, the overall gameplay design is at least original enough to stand on its own two feet. The only problem...
Review Mario Kart 64 (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
Mario Kart gets a 64-bit upgrade!
To say that the original Super Mario Kart was a huge hit for the Super Nintendo console would be a mammoth understatement. The game caught gamers by storm and kicked off a series that's still producing new titles some 17 years later. So when Nintendo released their Nintendo 64 console, gamers knew that it was only a...
Review The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
A Link to a Classic
To put it simply, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of the finest RPGs in existence. Everything is perfect - the bold lines and subtle pastel-tones of the graphics, the triumphant rendition of the Zelda theme, the excellent yet simple combat system, the brilliantly conceived logic puzzles. Nintendo left nothing to...
Would you like to use a device that could lift up objects beyond your reach? Konami thought you would..
It's an interesting concept, an anti-gravity 'gun' that can lift heavy objects and throw them about the place. In Konami's first game for the Wii, you can cause havoc in a house and then start trashing the streets! In the game's world, there are...
Review Contra III: The Alien Wars (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Run 'n gun
Konami really went all out with this title, the third instalment to the Contra series (or Probotector to gamers in the PAL regions). The development team at the time must have relished the challenge of developing on the Super Nintendo as this is one of the more impressive games on the system; the experience is a good deal bigger and...
Review R-Type III: The Third Lightning (SNES)
The Bydo Empire is back! More powerful and deadlier than ever, the Bydo are en-route to Earth.
R-Type III is an interesting title in many ways. Firstly, it was a console exclusive, which generated quite a stir when it was first published. Secondly it takes advantage of the Super NES 'Mode 7' graphics to bring rotating backgrounds into play. Thirdly,...
Can there really be a more time consuming game than this?
The Sims is a franchise renowned for its cross-gender popularity and appeal to a large portion of gamers- many care for their Sims more than themselves! When it comes to console versions, the series have always struggled to entertain the masses to the extent that the PC titles have. The past...
Review Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Wii)
Doctor, vitals are dropping. Its time to dissect Atlus' new medical drama, lets start the operation..
Only in Japan. Trauma Center: Second Opinion is something you wouldn't expect, over the past 20 years the majority of video games have been about killing things, Trauma Center is one of the many few that is all about saving things, saving peoples...
Review Xevious (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Golden oldie
Following its success with Pac-Man and Galaga in the arcades, it seemed that Namco was unstoppable. The release of Xevious only helped to cement this idea: it was first one of the earliest examples of a vertical scrolling shooter and innovative for its time. The action in Xevious takes place on two parallel plains; your spacecraft gets...
Review Gradius (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Konami's classic shooter series takes off
It's so hard to review a game like Gradius. This is a near-legendary title and has inspired a franchise that has sold millions, not to mention the spin-off series Parodius and countless other clones. But when reviewing classic retro titles, you have to judge if this game is still worth playing today...
A fun shooter in the Star Soldier tradition
One thing that can be said for sure is that if you owned a TurboGrafx console you would never be in short supply of shoot-em-up games! For anyone who is a big fan of the genre it is great news that Hudson has brought one of the most respected games of the genre to the Virtual Console. Soldier Blade is a...
The action in this racing game is viewed from above and features rotational controls.
Every once in awhile you come across a game that just makes you scratch your head and wonder what someone was thinking when they let a game like this actually get released. After the success of RC Pro-Am and Micro Machines on the NES, overhead racers began to gain...
December2006
Review Baseball (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Batter up!
Nintendo’s Baseball was actually a launch title for the NES way back in 1985. With unknown brands like Ice Climber and Gyromite it made perfect sense for Nintendo to have a representation of a popular sports game to attract sceptics to their new console. Predictably enough, it’s now horribly dated. The gameplay itself just focuses on...
Review R-Type (Wii Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
This is R type of game!
R-Type is widely considered one of, if not the greatest shooters every created. But kick off any conversation with a shooter fan about R-Type and you're likely to get a 10 minute rant on how excruciatingly difficult the game is. Over the years, shooters have come and gone. Some have been good and some have been bad, but in...
Review Super Castlevania IV (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Castlevania goes super
Every now and then you play a game that simply changes your life. To me, Super Castlevania IV is that game. I recall playing it at a friend's house and regardless of the slow pace of the first few levels, it had a real impact on me. The game was quickly purchased and hasn't left my collection since. If your Castlevania...
Review Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Fighting Street
To say that the original Street Fighter II was a genre-defining game would be the understatement of the century. Not only did the game take the one-on-one fighting game idea and take it to heights never before reached, it also single-handedly kicked off a fighting game craze that's still in full swing to this very day and spawned...
Toe Jam and Earl are two fun-loving aliens
This is a very strange game. It was hugely popular at the time and most Megadrive / Genesis gamers at the time will probably remember the wacky lead characters, but how does it fare today? The action is played from a top-down view. As either Tom Jam or Earl you must search the planet Funkatron for all the...
Review Tennis (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Anyone for Tennis?
Tennis was one of the launch titles for the NES way back in 1985, and it succeeded in winning new gamers to the system in much the same way as Wii Sports. That begs the question, of course, why bother with this if you already have Wii Sports Tennis, which you got as a freebie with your Wii? Well for a start you control the...
Review Military Madness (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Strategic lunacy!
Also known as Nectaris in Japan, this game was a cult hit when it was released in the US many years ago. It wasn't a massive seller but positive reviews made sure it got a decent reception from gamers 'in the know'. For anyone who has played Advance Wars on the GBA you will know exactly what you are getting here. It’s a...
Fantasyland has been taken over by destructive forces, and a call for help comes from deep in the universe.
I'm sure most 80's gamers can recall their first brush with the arcade Space Harrier - it was like looking into the future. The silky-smooth sprite scaling coupled with the excellent sound and futuristic feel made this an instant coin-op...
Review Densetsu no Stafi 4 (DS)
Starfish are so adorable... but hard to understand in Japanese
For many, this may be the first time of hearing the name Stafi. Over in the land of the rising sun the name is held in high regard, with several Stafi games out for the GBA/DS. Alas, all four of the Stafi games have never gone to retail outside of Japan, a huge shame. So without further...
Review Urban Champion (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
More like Urban chump!
It's impossible to overlook the fact that many of the earlier NES releases were extremely simple in design and took very few chances when it came to gameplay design and visual substance. While many of the games were classic arcade titles from Nintendo, there were a handful of original releases that tried to up the ante. Urban...
The game that exists so exclusively to introduce you to the Wii Remote, it even gives you one free
Wii Play is developed by Nintendo and its main purpose is to introduce players who have never used a Wii Remote before to the device. It even says so on the back of the box. Yes you can learn the basics by playing any other game until you get the hang...
Review Ice Hockey (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Ice to see you again
The earlier titles in the NES sports series are probably not remembered by many for being great games, but Nintendo’s Ice Hockey — a latecomer to the series in 1988 — certainly bucks that trend. It is fondly remembered as a semi-faithful translation of the sport which was fiendishly addictive to play and hard to put down...
Gunstar, more like Funstar!
Gunstar Heroes ranks as one of the finest Megadrive/Genesis titles ever, so it's no surprise that people are getting excited about the Virtual Console release! If you've ever played Contra or Metal Slug you will have a good idea of what to expect here. One or two players battle it out against a seemingly endless array of...
Alien Crush is a fan-favorite pinball game that features a sinister sci-fi theme.
It's easy to dismiss Alien Crush as "just another video pinball game," but those who do so will be missing out on an outstanding Turbografx-16 game. While it is a pinball game at heart, Alien Crush somehow takes a great Alien theme and manages to craft a...
Review Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (MD)
Dr. Robotnik has hatched a plan to ensure that no music or fun remains on Mobius.
This is basically Puyo Puyo given a lick of paint, but that's no bad thing as Puyo Puyo is an excellent Tetris-style game which is amazingly addictive in two-player mode. A series of beans of the mean variety fall into a pit. Your job is to rotate and arrange the...
Here is a little fact for you: Superman is shit. Why people choose him as their favourite superhero I will never know. How can you relate to an alien character that perfectly resembles a human and wears his underwear outside his tights? Oh and couple that with the fact he is perfectly invincible and it all gets a bit pointless really, doesn’t it?
...
Review Donkey Kong Country (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Worth going bananas over still?
Much fuss was made about Donkey Kong Country when it was first released, and with good reason - the CGI visuals were a cut above what SNES owners were used to at the time and the game seemed to give the Super Nintendo a much needed second wind. Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer. Using DK and Diddy,...
Review Dungeon Explorer (TG-16)
Dungeon Explorer is a multiplayer action/role-playing game where up to five players can play at the same time.
When the PC Engine was first released, NEC and Hudson knew that they would have a hard time tempting third party companies to produce games for the machine - Nintendo's NES was still the number one machine and Nintendo themselves had made...
Gone, but not forgotten
As we count down to the release of Wii, we look back at our favourite moments on Gamecube. The Gamecube has been some what of a mixed bag, it's provided us with some classic moments but maybe its let us down, once more, with third party titles. It's pretty safe to say its done better than the Nintendo 64. We expect alot of...
Review Donkey Kong Jr. (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Donkey Kong has finally been captured by Mario!
Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo's quintessential characters; pre-dating even the illustrious Mario as a video game lead, the goofy simian was enthralling arcade-goers the world over during the early '80s. However, once the Italian plumber decided to star in his own game, Donkey Kong's appeal started to...
Review Ristar (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Ristar proves that being unique and different can sometimes be a good thing.
Sonic the Hedgehog and Ristar actually began life as basically the same game. When Sonic Team began developing the game that would become Sonic the Hedgehog, they initially envisioned the character having the ability to reach out and grab things as part of the game's core...
Columns is loosely derived from Tetris, as it involves arranging falling blocks in such a way as to clear them.
Much fuss was made over Columns back when it was first released. Nintendo had just launched its version of Tetris alongside the portable Game Boy, and puzzle games had therefore become a vital element in a console creator's arsenal. Sega...
The TurboGrafx's answer to Rad Racer and Out Run.
Victory Run may look like just another bland 16-bit racer. But once you dive into the game you begin to see that it's actually got a lot of depth and playability to it. Not only do you have to watch out for other racers, but you also have to spend a lot of time dealing with parts of your car going...
Crash landing on DS, mini games a plenty, but how does this measure up to previous Crash titles?
From what I remember Crash Bandicoot was pretty much written off from the first moment when he landed onto PlayStation consoles all those years ago, at least by the non-Sony crowd, he's no Mario or Sonic, right? To his credit, Crash re-appeared again and...
November2006
Review Super Star Soldier (TG-16)
Super Star Soldier is a classic vertical-scrolling shooting game.
The TurboGrafx-16 has more than its fair share of excellent shoot-em-ups. Super Star Soldier is a follow-up to Hudson’s NES classic Star Soldier. It was one of the earlier games on the TurboGrafx and spawned two quality sequels including the rather spiffy Soldier Blade. The...
Golden Axe puts in the shoes of one of three heroes, each with his own reason for trying to overthrow the evil rule of Death-Adder.
Double Dragon meets Conan is the best way to sum up Golden Axe. Easily one of the better side-scrolling fighers to be found on the Megadrive (regardless of the basic nature of the fighting system compared to the likes...
Travel through the time along with Ecco the dolphin, in the only game that could call itself a 'dolphin simulator'.
When Ecco was first released, there really wasn't anything like it. A game that featured a peace-loving dolphin as the lead character might sound like the most ill-advised release of all time, but Ecco had an undeniable beauty to it...
More content added to the Virtual Console.
Nintendo have said that the initial 12 virtual console games would grow and it has again. More Virtual Console games will become available weekly every Monday following launch and by year’s end, gamers will be able to pick from a library of 30 or more classic games The first two additional games released...
Nintendo's first pack-in title in nearly over a decade is a lot of fun. Period.
A great launch title for the Nintendo Wii has proven to be Wii Sports, not only because it's fun even among non-gamers, but it comes free packaged with the Wii (except in Japan). Wii Sports isn't the most complex game, but it isn't meant to be the detailed, highly...
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