Wii Virtual Console News

July2007

  • Review Ecco: The Tides of Time (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Flipper the video game

    Good old Ecco the Dolphin, after saving his dolphin chums from an invading alien race you would have thought he could have just spent the rest of his life in peace spinning a ball on his nose! These plans were shattered when the queen of the Vortex took it upon herself to travel back in time to start her trouble again. An...

  • News US VC Releases - 2nd July - Super Mario Bros 2

    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...

  • Review Dragon Spirit (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    A fantastic world of adventure unfolds in this vertical-scrolling shooter.

    Throughout the history of shooting games we've faced a hell of a lot of alien rebels and futuristic baddies. The 2D shooter seems to lend itself to these situations - but it's always nice to see a company try something fresh and new. The PC Engine/TG-16 blast-a-thon Dragon...

  • News TurboGrafx-16 in Australia from 7th July

    As we reported back in early June Hudson have finally sorted out the legalities of selling TurboGrafx games in the Australian region on the Virtual Console. The first batch of 11 games is indicated to be ready for download on the 7th July as follows:

    Alien CrushBomberman '93 Bonk's AdventureDungeon Explorer

June2007

  • Review Kirby's Dream Course (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)

    A new spin on crazy golf

    Kirby much like our friend Mario has never been afraid to offer his own take on another genre. In this case the world renowned sport of mini golf. Unlike other pitch and putt games like EA’s Zany Golf on the Megadrive Kirby has a few tricks up his sleeve. To destroy enemies in your path you roll into them rather than...

  • News Japanese Virtual Console list - July 2007

    Nintendo of Japan have updated their list of upcoming games for the Japanese Virtual Console for July / Summer 2007. No great surprises there really other than the excellent Wave Race on the N64 and Treasure's Dynamite Headdy on the Megadrive. Many of the games are already out in the USA or EU, of course no one has got Paper Mario yet but it's only a matter of time.

    Check out the list: NES: Star Soldier - Hudson Flappy - DB Soft Ca...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 29th June - Kirby's Dream Course

    Here are the goodies on the Virtual Console for you cool cats in the EU this week:

    Kirby's Dream Course - SNES - 800 Points Dream Course is a golf video game which is viewed from an isometric perspective. Instead of using a ball, Kirby is used as the ball. The player must set the power, angle, and spin to connect with various enemies found...

  • News WiiWare - Brand new downloadable games for 2008

    Not to be outdone by Microsoft's XBOX Live Arcade service our friends at Nintendo have announced they want a slice of the action in an announcement made this morning. The WiiWare game creation service looks like it will be a much less rigorous system than Microsoft's offering.

    This looks to be fantastic news, but here at the VCA we can't help but...

  • Review Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)

    Time to get hyper

    If there's one thing the Virtual Console service has taught us, it's that some games have aged better than others. Playing the original Street Fighter II after all these years is a real eye-opening experience - it is almost too slow to be playable (especially for PAL gamers). After years of Street Fighter updates from Capcom, it...

  • News US VC Releases - 25th June - SF2 Turbo

    American gamers - eat, drink and be happy - Nintendo does love you after all! F-Zero X has finally been released so you can stop all the moaning and groaning.

    One of the finest games on the N64, this really needs to be downloaded by everyone. It remains impressive even to this day, with loads of craft on-screen and blisteringly fast racing action...

  • News Super Turrican 1 & 2 coming to the Virtual Console

    There was a pleasant surprise as two top notch retro blast-em-ups were rated by the ESRB for release on the Wii Virtual Console. Factor 5's Super Turrican and Super Turrican 2 are both top quality games. The series started life in 1990 on the Commodore..

    There was a pleasant surprise as two top notch retro blast-em-ups were rated by the ESRB for...

  • Review Mega Man (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    The Blue Bomber's debut

    The Mega Man series will need no introduction to most gamers; this game spawned five sequels on the NES, not to mention numerous games on other systems over the years. Mega Man has come a long way since his début way back in 1987. This originally story spins the yarn that Dr Light created six master robots for industrial...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 22nd June - Mega Man

    It was always going to be a tough act to beat following last week's release of F-Zero X on the N64. Still it's as if Nintendo of Europe is not even trying! Here are this week's new releases:

    Mega Man - NES - 500 Points This is where it all started. Capcom's cute robot blaster franchise all started here 20 years ago. The graphics and sound are very...

  • Review China Warrior (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    China Warrior is a side-scrolling action game that was released around the same time as the TurboGrafx16 in Japan.

    When the PC Engine was first released in Japan, China Warrior (or 'The Kung Fu' as it was known in the Land of the Rising Sun) was put forward as a showcase for its graphical prowess. Technically the first game on the system (it was...

  • Feature Top 10 shmups we want to come to the Virtual Console

    Every good retro gamer enjoys a good shmup

    During the late 80s and early 90s almost every other game was a shmup. They were very much the FPS of the day! The gaming history books are littered with many failures and uninspired clones but we'll cut through the crap and bring you the cream of the crop that we one day hope to see on the Virtual Console...

  • Review Bloody Wolf (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Rambo on the TG16

    Anyone familiar with Ikari Warriors, Mercs or Capcom's Commando will instantly recognise this style of run n' gun action. Yes it's another Rambo clone! That's not such a bad thing - guns, explosions and death is what we all want from our retro games right? The action is viewed from a pseudo overhead / side-on perspective which...

  • Feature Top 10 platform games we want to come to the Virtual Console

    Platformers. They're one of the most popular videogame genres, and for a good reason: They're simple, fun and easy to get in to. VC's already packed with quite a bit of them, but there's still many greats that are missing. Here's a selection of platformers I feel should be added to VC soon, because it'd be a shame to not have them on there:

    10. The...

  • News US VC Releases - 18th June - Bloody Wolf

    Cries of outrage and despair can be heard across the Americas today as F-Zero X is not going to be up on the Virtual Console as it was last Friday for the Europe! So is it all bad news? Nah, it's not all that bad.

    Bloody Wolf is our top pick this week. This run and gun game deserves to be played by everyone. It's not much to look at but it is good...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 15th June - F-Zero X on the N64

    For the 100th Virtual Console game for the EU our friends at Nintendo of Europe have pulled out all the stops. We are treated to the excellent F-Zero X on the N64! Now that's the way to celebrate the 100th game!!

    Anyone who has played the original F-Zero on the SNES will have an idea of what to expect here. Pick a futuristic craft and battle it out...

  • Review Lode Runner (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    A lode of rubbish or not?

    The timing could have been a bit better for this as the far superior Battle Lode Runner for the TurboGrafx became available on the Virtual Console only two months ago. Is there a reason to bother with the NES original when for just 100 more points you could be enjoying better graphics, music and a whole host of new gameplay...

  • Review Golden Axe II (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Not long after the malign reign of Death Adder has ended, another evil rises.

    When I first clapped eyes on Golden Axe 2 as a lad I was over the moon. Being a massive fan of the original I simply could not wait to play this. Graphically, it looked even better than the original and promised to be the sequel I was waiting for. Sadly, it actually turned...

  • News US VC Releases - 11th June - Sonic 2

    ot a bad day for retro gamers in North America. Here's what you get: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - Sega Genesis - 800 Points Without a doubt the best Sonic game to date. Sega managed to top the original Sonic with this one. It's our personal belief that Sonic 2..

    ot a bad day for retro gamers in North America. Here's what you get: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 -...

  • Review Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik) is searching for the Chaos Emeralds to fuel his new Death Egg engine.

    Any gamer worth his or her salt will remember the day Sonic 2 was released. Cheekily dubbed 'Sonic Twos-Day' (it was released worldwide on a Tuesday, you see) it became a massive seller for Sega and cemented Sonic's position as one of the most popular...

  • Review Balloon Fight (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    Balloon Light

    Before games like Metroid and The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo's NES console relied on simple arcade titles to keep itself afloat. Balloon Fight used an already-successful gameplay mechanic similar to that of William's Joust arcade release, and while it offers up some simple arcade enjoyment, the repetitive gameplay keeps it from lasting,...

  • Review Adventures of Lolo (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    Run Lolo Run

    Before HAL labs created our favourite pink puffball named Kirby there was a blue blob by the name of Lolo. In 1989 when Adventures of Lolo was first released it got modest attention due to the quality of the game but as a brand never really made it big. However Lolo has been known to surface as a bad guy in some of the Kirby games so...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 8th June - Adventures of Lolo

    Europe didn't quite make it to the 100 game mark this week. Today's releases take the EU library to the 99th game so next week might be a biggie. Still it's not all bad this week! Many hardened retro gamers will be delighted to hear that Adventures of Lolo is finally out. Lolo is a great example of the old NES top down puzzler, these sort of games were a dime a dozen but Lolo stood out as one of the best. It is well worth a look and comes highly recommended.

    Many...

  • News Australia to get TurboGrafx-16 games in July

    bit of a turn up for the books this one. Our Austrailian counterparts have been restricted from downloading TurboGrafx-16 games since the start of the Virtual Console service seemingly because the console never made a debut in that region. It wasn't the..

    bit of a turn up for the books this one. Our Austrailian counterparts have been restricted from...

  • News 4.7 Million Virtual Console Sales

    Nintendo have announced that the Virtual Console service has already generated over 4.7 million sales, with Mario being the favourite.

    "No one has more value in their back catalog than Nintendo. Huge numbers of gamers remember and love their favorite NES and Super NES games; the ability to buy and play those games on the Wii without having to hook...

  • News US VC Releases - 4th June - Zelda II

    oday's Virtual Console update for North America is a bit lacking in the old WOW factor. Nintendo have made a big deal about Zelda II being the hundred game on the American VC so we will mention it first as by our reckoning it is actually the 97th! haha -..

    oday's Virtual Console update for North America is a bit lacking in the old WOW factor...

  • Review Milon's Secret Castle (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    A musty old place

    Milon’s Secret Castle is one of those games you’ve never heard of, but when you do finally acknowledge its presence you realize that it inexplicably has an enormous following. A minor classic in the Hudson library, Milon was originally published in 1986 to fairly lukewarm critical response. To be perfectly honest, time has...

  • Review Dead Moon (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    This side-scrolling shooter includes a total of six scenes spanning areas from Earth to the moon.

    Those naughty aliens! At least this time they had the sense not to try and invade the planet Earth. They are just intent on wrecking the moon instead rather annoyingly! As a solo starfighter pilot it is your job to put an end to this intergalactic...

  • News Zelda II is the 100th Classic Game Added To Virtual Console

    Here's a recent press release from Nintendo. It should be of interest to North American readers who are patiently waiting for Zelda II to be available in their region. Nintendo was saving it for the 100th game to be made available on the Virtual Console. How sweet! The bad news is they've decided Paper Mario will be the 250th game! (Tee hee, only joking!)

    What is interesting is the most downloaded games figures. This really illustrates how the classic Nintendo franchises are still loved by the gaming community and perhaps those getting back into gaming with the Wii after a while. 4.7 million downloads to date! Nintendo must b...

  • Review ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Funky!

    The original ToeJam & Earl was a quite a big hit for Sega at the time so it was a no-brainer than a sequel should be released. With the success of Sonic the Hedgehog it must have seemed like a logical step to reinvent ToeJam & Earl to be a 2D side-scrolling platform game as well. The exploration of an almost open-end world and long...

  • Review World Sports Competition (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Feeling sporty?

    There won't be many gamers out there that remember this one most likely. World Sports Competition is a game based on the Olympic Games, but without the official license. As to be expected the games are represented as a series of mini-games which you and up to four other friends can take part in. All the usual Olympic events are...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 1st June - Sega goodies

    Much like last month Sega release there of their classic back catalogue on the Virtual Console in Europe. Gamers will be delighted to finally get their greasy mitts on Streets of Rage 2 finally, for many this is considered the holy grail of two player scrolling beat em ups. Kid Chameleon and Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron are also up for grabs. Both are average examples of the platform genre unfortunately. Other Sega platformers such as Sonic and Ristar are much more accomplished.

    Not to b...

May2007

  • Review Kid Chameleon (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Karma karma karma karma karma chameleon.

    The first thought that enters your head when playing Kid Chameleon is probably 'Mario Clone'. The game steals ideas from Nintendo's finest, such as jumping on the heads of enemies and bashing item boxes from below. It's not the first game to copy Mario and it certainly won't be the last, but back in the early...

  • News Japanese Virtual Console list - June

    Here's a taster of what the Japanese Virtual Console will be getting in June straight from Nintendo of Japan themselves. There are no real surprises here. Most of these games are ESRB rated already or even out in North America or Europe at present. Still it is nice to see Paper Mario and F-Zero X due for release so soon.

    Famicom (NES)Adventures of...

  • News US VC Releases - 28th May - Actraiser

    This week for North America it's a case of the good, the bad and the ugly. The good being the excellent Actraiser, for those still uninitiated for this wonderful game it is a hack and slash platform game and a God sim game all in one. A strange mix that only Square Enix could pull off. Truly outstanding even now.

    The bad is Hudson's J.J. & Jeff,...

  • Review J.J. & Jeff (Wii Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Two bungling detectives on a crazy adventure

    The PC Engine (Japanese name for TurboGrafx-16) has always been a console to attract weird games. If you've ever played Toilet Kids and Photograph Boy then you will know what I mean. This particular game started out life as Kato Chan & Ken Chan in Japan, aside from the characters being changed to...

  • Review Mach Rider (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    Return of the Mach

    The action is fast and furious in this crazy motorbiking game. You have to blast your way through enemy vehicles and barrels on the track in addition to avoiding oil slicks. The pressure is always on to keep going fast to avoid enemies ramming into you from behind! Getting to the end of each course before the timer runs out adds...

  • News EU Virtual Console Releases - 25th May, 2007

    Nintendo this week add Super Mario Bros 2, Mach Rider and Blazing Lazers into the European Virtual Console service.

    "This week sees NES classic Super Mario Bros. 2™ hop onto the Virtual Console. In this 1989 classic, Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad go for a picnic which doesn’t quite go to plan when they end up in the mysterious land of Subcon...

  • Review Super Mario Bros. 2 (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    A strange, but entertaining dream

    It should be no secret by now, so let's get it out of the way first - Yes, the Super Mario Bros. 2 that most of us know, that is, this one, is technically not really a Mario game. Originally released in Japan as Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic), it was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto,...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 25th May - Super Mario Bros 2

    Another excellent week for the European Virtual Console. OK so you didn't get Streets of Rage 2! Super Mario Bros 2 should more than make up for it! The black sheep of the Mario family will keep you entertained for ages. Mach Rider isn't going to turn..

    Another excellent week for the European Virtual Console. OK so you didn't get Streets of Rage 2!...

  • News Paper Mario coming to the Virtual Console

    Nintendo Power have a piece in their May issue which would seem to indicate that Paper Mario is coming to the Virtual Console. No dates are given and as this came out in 2001 it is already ESRB rated so it's harder to validate this from another source at present.

    Still we live in hope. With Super Paper Mario doing so well in North America on the Wii...

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

    Today is maybe the greatest day the Virtual Console has had with 3 serious heavy hitters from Sega, Nintendo and Hudson all arriving on the same day. Streets of Rage 2 will not need an introduction for seasoned retro gamers. It's generally considered the greatest 2D scrolling beat-em-up there is in existance. A very welcome addition to the VC library.

    Not to be outdone by Europe who got this last week North America gets Donkey Kong Country 2 - Diddy's Kong Quest. This is a superb platformer which really shows the graphical abilities of the SN...

  • Review Streets of Rage 2 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    The best one

    For many of our readers this game will need no introduction. If you haven't yet played Streets of Rage 2 then you are in for a treat. Simply put this is probably the best scrolling beat-em-up available on any console. Yes it is that good! Sega didn't do just a lazy update of the original - this sequel got the full treatment. So what's...

  • Review Blazing Lazers (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Blazing Lazers is a vertical-scrolling shooter that was praised for surpassing the limitations of the hardware of its time.

    Originally released in Japan as Gunhed, Blazing Lazers was one of the most heavily featured titles in the original TurboGrafx-16 adverts, and with very good reason. Considering the age of the title (it was originally released...

  • Review Yoshi (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    An eggciting puzzler?

    In the early 90s, presumably following the success of Tetris, Nintendo went through a phase of releasing one falling block puzzler after another. Dr. Mario, Yoshi’s Cookie and Wario’s Woods are key examples of this. Many gamers will no doubt have forgotten this puzzler simply known as Yoshi in North Amer

  • News Europe VC Releases - 16th May - DK Surprise!

    Nintendo of Europe certainly like to keep us on our toes! To prove they don't hate you as some suspect today two surprise games are added to the Euro VC Shop. It's good news for everyone that Donkey Kong 2 is up on the VC channel, this game builds on the outstanding SNES original. It's even better dare we say it!

    Less enthusiasm might be found for...

  • Review Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)

    More monkey business

    For anyone familiar with the original DK Country game this is more of the same. This is a good thing as the original was almost perfection in every way and this game manages to build on the franchise even more! For a 16-bit console the graphics are amazing. The smooth animation and wonderful artwork create a 3D feel which works...

  • Review Ninja Gaiden (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    The nimble ninja

    Ninja Gaiden ranks as one of the finest 'ninja' style games ever made, right up there with The Revenge of Shinobi. When it was first released it amazed gamers with the degree of control it allowed over the main character, Ryu. He felt so quick and mobile - just like a proper Ninja should - and within seconds of picking up the pad,...

  • News US VC Releases - 14th May - Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Spirit

    North American retro gamers get a double dose of ninja action with Temco's excellent Ninja Gaiden for the NES and Irem's answer to this in the shape of Ninja Spirit on the TurboGrafx. Both are excellent games are deserve your full attention. Ninja Gaiden is a bit more of a traditional plaformer and not as hard as Ninja Spirit as it was designed with the home audience in mind. Ninja Spirit is a fine arcade conversion and requires a lot of skill to play which is fair enough as no one said being a ninja is easy.

    ...

  • Review NES Open Tournament Golf (Virtual Console / NES)

    Tee off with Mario in this classic sporting simulation from 1992

    Mario is no stranger to appearing in sports game crossovers these days; he’s virtually done it all now from baseball to soccer. This sporting career began of course with his appearance in NES Open Tournament Golf, which is something of a sequel to the original NES launch title...

  • Review Ninja Spirit (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    Ninja Spirit is a side-scrolling action game that amazed the gaming world with its precision graphics and quality game play.

    While it would be easy for someone to dismiss any ninja action title that doesn't have the name Ninja Gaiden or Shinobi in the title, doing that would cause you to miss a little-known, but outstanding ninja action title...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 11th May - Ninja Spirit and NES Golf

    There are only 2 games this week for Euro-gamers. They don't seem like a natural couple, a 19th century ninja and a portly Italian plumber on his day off playing golf!

    Try to look on the bright side, Irem's Ninja Spirit is a classic and well worth a look. NES Open Tournament Golf may also appeal if you want to enjoy a fun golf game with a mate. You...

  • News Video Previews for Virtual Console

    Whilst Nintendo have embraced the model of the XBOX 360 Live Arcade allowing gamers to download free trials of games they are interested in, they have now done the next best thing. On the Virtual Console section of their website you can now watch videos of gameplay footage.

    It's only for USA VC games for now but it's a good sign of things to come...

  • Review Ordyne (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    A colourful shmup

    For those who have never come across this gem in Namco's history Ordyne is a cutesy horizontal scrolling shoot-em-up in the vein of Konami's Paradious. It's a lot more obscure than it ought to be as in fact it was quite a novel game at the time. You're cast as Dr. Yuichiro Tomari, a brilliant and eccentric research scientist who...

  • News Virtual Console Video Previews

    Nintendo has added Video Previews to each of its of its Virtual Console games on its website.

    If you head on over to the Virtual Console section of the Wii website, you'll now find video previews of all the games. This is obviously better than it was before, afterall you can't actually "demo" the games before you download them, I guess Nintendo...

  • News US VC Releases - 7th May - Final Fight, Ordyne

    A pretty cool week for North American gamers this week. Despite missing a character from the arcade and the 2 player option Final Fight is still one of the best scrolling beat-em-ups on the SNES. Ordyne is a fun horizonally scrolling shoot-em-up perhaps not many will remember on the TG-16, think Paradious, it's a really fun game and deserves a look. Last but not least is Mighty Bomb Jack which is a average platformer on the NES, check it out if you have fond memories but you can do much better on the NES platform.

    ...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 4th May

    urope gets treated to a mixed bag of Megadrive games today. It's good to see some Sega loving on the VC! Not to be left out NEC manage to twist Nintendo's arm to release Shockman, the PC-Engine's answer to Megaman on the VC. It's pretty good but not a..

    urope gets treated to a mixed bag of Megadrive games today. It's good to see some Sega loving on...

  • News Impossible Mission - the first non-VC game!

    System 3 seems set to be the first publisher to put out a game for download from the Wii Shop which is brand new in the shape of a reworked Impossible Mission. Well at least according to the June issue of Nintendo Power.

    We'll be reviewing these new non-Virtual Console games of course as and when they come out. It'll be interesting to see what...

April2007

  • News US Virtual Console Releases - 30th April 2007

    Nintendo adds Castlevania, Legend of the Mystical Ninja and Shockman to the US Virtual Console service.

    "Castlevania (NES®, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Step into the shadows of the deadliest dwelling on Earth. You've arrived at Castlevania, and you're here on business: to destroy the curse of the Evil Count, once and for all. Make your way through...

  • News US VC Releases - 30th April - Mystical Ninja

    North America is playing catch up with Europe this week as finally two classic Konami games are released in the shape of Mystical Ninja and Castlevania. Both of these games are excellent and well worth a look.

    For Megaman fans Shockman may be of some interest. It's the TurboGrafx's take on the genre and worth a look even if it might not be our top...

  • Review Shockman (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    It's been two years since Arnold and Sonya were made into Shockmen.

    Shockman is actually the second game in the Japanese ‘Schbibinman’ series. The first title never saw the light of day outside of Japan sadly, it was basically a fun platform action game along the same lines as Mega Man. It’s sequel Schbibinman 2 was released in North America...

  • News EU Virtual Console Releases - 27th April, 2007

    Nintendo adds Final Fight, Mighty Bomb Jack and Battle Lode Runner to the Virtual Console service.

    "This week Virtual Console allows you to take on the street thugs of Metro City. Based in the same universe as the Street Fighter games, Final Fight is a much loved side-scrolling beat-em up, originally released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment...

  • News Hudsonsoft Game Explosion

    Hudson are getting a little carried away with themselves and are preparing a whole new batch of VC games for release, bless em. Top of the pick is Air Zonk, a fantastic shooter featuring a futuristic Bonk/PC Kid. Another PC Engine release that commands high prices on eBay, this will be a steal at 600 points.

    Blazing Lazers is the American version...

  • Review Final Fight (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)

    Oh my car

    Final Fight is one of those coin-ops that defines a generation. It was simply the only arcade game to be seen playing in the late 80's/early 90's. When the SNES conversion was confirmed, I was heartbroken - being a Mega Drive owner, I had hoped that the (false) rumours of a Sega port were true (Sega fans had to wait until the Mega CD...

  • Review Mighty Bomb Jack (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    Jack bombed

    The original Bomb Jack arcade game was a big hit when it was released. It featured a screen with 20 bombs which had to be collected in a specific order if the player was to achieve the highest score; players would play religiously in an attempt to find the best route around the baddies and to get the perfect chain. Arcade perfection! So...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 27th April - Final Fight

    Hot on the heels of Sega's classic Streets of Rage a few weeks ago Nintendo now bring the original classic that inspired it in the shape of Final Fight. Whilst this isn't a perfect arcade conversion (it's only 1 player and only has Cody and Haggar, no Guy character) at the time this home conversion set the gaming world alight. We will leave you to make your own conclusions on if this is the better scrolling beat em up than Streets of Rage.

    To contrast this ballsy arcade classic...

  • News Virtual Console Forum

    There has been a lot of requests lately for a Virtual Console forum to be launched to compliment the reader comments on the reviews and news items on the Virtual Console Archive.

    Whilst Damo and I have been too idle to do this ourselves faithful reader DivineOmega has kindly set one up for us. Please visit the new Virtual Console Forums and have...

  • Review Battle Lode Runner (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)

    This upgraded edition to the famous Lode Runner series includes a 5-player versus mode.

    Lode Runner is strange little title - it's been around for ages, has a cult following but never really seems to break through to the mainstream. This Turbografx 'Battle' edition was produced by Hudsonsoft and graphically is a step up from previous versions, which...

  • News US VC Releases - 23rd April - Gradius 3

    rusty old shooter ahoy! Gradius III was one of the first 2D shooters to be released on Nintendo's SNES and as a result it now looks a bit poor compared to best there is out there. I'm sure there will be plenty of Gradius fans out there that will download..

    rusty old shooter ahoy! Gradius III was one of the first 2D shooters to be released on...

  • Review Gradius III (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)

    Vic Viper is back to rid the galaxy of evil.

    Gradius III was one of the first SNES shooters and to be perfectly honest, it shows. Graphically the game is fairly bland (although the same could be said of the coin op original), the sound is nothing special and when things get hectic there's some terrible slowdown. Regardless of these points, the...

  • Review Wonder Boy in Monster World (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)

    Monster World was a peaceful, happy place until one dark day when an army of BioMeka monsters invaded.

    If you have played Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap on the Master System you will know exactly what to expect here. The Wonder Boy series is famed for its confusing naming conventions; to clear it up this is the last Wonder Boy game on the...

  • News Sega Boosts Its VC Library

    Sega have announced 4 new titles to be available soon on the Virtual Console service, all costing 800 Wii points.

    "Streets of Rage 2 - To celebrate their defeat of the syndicate exactly one year before, Blaze, Adam and Axel met for drinks. The next morning, Axel received a frantic phone call from Eddie 'Skate' Hunter, Adam's younger brother, whom he...