Wii Virtual Console News

May2007

  • 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...

  • Review Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Wii Virtual Console / NES)

    10 minus 9 equals?

    'Edutainment' titles are a strange lot. They're usually poor attempts to shoehorn some 'learning' in videogames, possibly out of fear that games rot the brains of kiddies. Donkey Kong Jr Math is no exception. The game features one player and two player modes. In the one player mode, the objective is to enter math answers in order...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 20th April - Lylat Wars

    It's a case of beauty and the beast today as Europe get the sublime Lylat Wars and the frankly terrible Donkey Kong Jr. Math.

    After the excruciating pain of waiting for Starfox/Lylat Wars since the US got it 3 weeks ago finally European gamers can finally relax! This should surely be enough to keep gamers happy (for a week at least!) Lylat Wars -...

  • News Neo Geo Coming To Virtual Console!

    SNK have confirmed that Neo Geo games will be appearing on a Wii Virtual Console near you this summer.

    In a recent interview with IGN, Ben Herman, president of SNK Playmore USA has confirmed a bunch of details regarding Virtual Console support for their classic Neo Geo games. "IGN: Getting into more on the virtual console - since that's the good...

  • News NeoGeo on the Wii - SNK Speaks!

    We mentioned the rather exciting fact that NeoGeo games would be coming to the VC a few weeks back, and now SNK have revealed a little more about their download plans.

    Speaking to IGN, SNK Playmore USA president Ben Herman confirmed that big releases such as King of Fighters will be coming to the Wii for 'just over' the current price of...

  • News US Virtual Console Releases - 16th April 2007

    Nintendo announce 3 new games for the US virtual console, Punch Out, Virtua Fighter 2 and Bonk's Adventure.

    "Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the...

  • News US VC Releases - 16th April - Punch Out!!

    rawling is the focus of this weeks games, with two of the titles available - Punch Out!! and Virtua Fighter 2 - revolving around the act of beating the seven shades of crap out of a fellow human being. How nice. The final game in the three is the sublime..

    rawling is the focus of this weeks games, with two of the titles available - Punch Out!! and...

  • 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 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...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 13th April - Actraiser

    No Starfox 64 (sorry, I mean Lylat Wars) but the three games released on the VC this week should more than make up for that. Although it's one of the first SNES games Actraiser remains a true classic with engaging gameplay, fantastic depth and a wonderful soundtrack.

    Bonk's Revenge is the second release and is generally regarded as the best in the...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • News Opera Browser Available NOW

    A very short news piece here - the full version of the Opera browser is now available for download! To get it, log onto the Wii Shop Channel and update your system, then you will be able to download the browser and indulge in all sorts of internet-related tomfoolery on your beloved Wii.

    Don't forget to check out what the VCA looks like, too - you...

  • 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...

  • News US VC Releases - 9th April - Alex Kidd

    Here's today's Easter treats for the US Virtual Console:

    Galaga - NES (1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Players control their fighters, with their unique ability to combine with other fighters and shoot down the invading aliens. Aliens attack in formations using a variety of attack patterns. Rescue a captured fighter to combine with it, forming a Dual...

  • 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...

  • News Commodore 64 games on the Virtual Console

    Whilst we did originally report on this way back in December (albeit a little sarcastically!) it appears the time has now drawn closer and this month in April we should see the first Commodore 64 game in the shape of Impossible Mission to join the ever growing Virtual Console catalogue.

    For some this news will fill them with indifference but for...

  • 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...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 5th April - Megadrive Trio

    For some strange reason the games for the EU were put up 8 hours earlier than expected today! Perhaps someone at Nintendo wanted to take off early for the Easter break!?

    It's a trio of Megadrive goodies: The Story of Thor - Megadrive Sonic Spinball - Megadrive Vectorman - Megadrive No doubt most people won't be happy that Lylat Wars / Star Fox 64...

  • 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...

  • News US Virtual Console Releases - 2nd April 2007

    Hotness, Star Fox 64 (N64), TMNT (NES) and Dragon's Curse (TG16) all added to the US virtual console today.

    Star Fox 64 - Nintendo 64 (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points):Players take the controls of their Arwing and complete 15 missions to reach the final objective: a showdown on Venom, the home planet of the interplanetary tyrant, Andross. Throughout...

  • News US VC Releases - 2nd April - Star Fox 64

    A great week for US gamers! Even if you only got Star Fox 64 today you'd have nothing to complain about! Woohoo!

    Star Fox 64 - Nintendo 64 (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points):Players take the controls of their Arwing and complete 15 missions to reach the final objective: a showdown on Venom, the home planet of the interplanetary tyrant, Andross...

March2007

  • 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 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 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...

  • News EU Virtual Console Releases - 30th March, 2007

    Nintendo announce that Punch Out (NES), Legend of the Mystical Ninja (SNES) and Dragons Curse (TG16) all join the VC line up.

    "This week’s Wii Virtual Console™ line-up looks set to be a knockout! Nintendo is releasing three epic games from days gone by, starting with the comical boxing game Punch Out!!®. The player assumes the role of a rookie...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 30th March - Punch out!!

    After the crushing disappointment that was Monday's US VC releases (or 'release', to be more specific), Euro gamers were quite rightly concerned about what they'd be getting this VC Friday. Thankfully things a bit brighter, as Hudson unleash an excellent game in the form of Dragon's Curse (AKA: Adventure Island, Wonderboy: The Dragon's Trap). This version was never published in Europe, although Master System owners will no doubt have enjoyed the 'Sega' version of this game. If you want to explore the convoluted history of the Wonderboy/Adventure Island series then head over to Wikipedia, because we simply don't have the space (or time) to do it here. The PC Engine/Turbo Grafx edition has a different lead character but retains the level design of the original, plus there's no sprite flicker! It's not quite the classic it was over a decade ago but it's still well worth looking into. And hey - at least it's not Romance of the Three Kingdoms, eh?

    As if that wasn't enough Europe gets th...

  • News Opera Browser for Wii - Full version in April

    After enjoying the beta version of the Wii Opera browser for viewing youtube and other such sites from the comfort of our sofas it comes with great joy to hear that in April Nintendo will be giving us the all singing, all dancing version for free. From Nintendo's press release:

    "Since late December, Wii owners have been able to download a trial...

  • 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...

  • News US VC Releases - 26th March - RoTK IV

    If you don't have a healthy interest in the history of China then it's probably not worth even logging on to the VC shop this week. Nintendo have only one new title for download, and it's the Koei-developed Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire.

    Now, we're not knocking the long-running series. It's been going for longer than most Wii owners...

  • 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...

  • News US Virtual Console Releases - 23rd March 2007

    Sega throw some mega classics (get it?) onto the Virtual Console, the infamous Alex Kidd!

    "The Wii Shop Channel continues to be a great avenue for gamers who want instant access to classic SEGA Genesis titles,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. “Virtua Fighter 2, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, and...

  • News EU Virtual Console Releases - 23rd March 2007

    Nintendo finally throws The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past into the Virtual Console.

    "This week, the critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda™: A Link to the Past™ for Super Nintendo is making its way to the Virtual Console for you to download. In this medieval fantasy adventure, players assume the role of Link, a young boy who...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 23rd March - Zelda Link to the Past (Finally!)

    The good people of Europe and Australasia can rejoice today as finally The Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past is finally available to download. This is TWO MONTHS after North America region got it! Very strange indeed!

    Zelda is the game we were all waiting for! Hopefully the weeks of moaning can now stop. Only one other title is available today,...

  • News US Virtual Console Releases - 19th March 2007

    Three more classics heading your way this weekend, Excite Bike (Nes), Beyond Oasis (Genesis) and Splatterhouse (TG16)

    Excitebike(NES®, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Face crazy curves, hairpin turns, and daredevil jumps as you race toward the checkered flag and the Excitebike championship. Race against the clock or challenge an opponent. You must keep...

  • 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...

  • News US VC Releases - 19th March - Beyond Oasis

    Sega fans will be jumping up and down in a rather excited fashion today as the Virtual Console is blessed with one of the finest games to grace the Megadrive/Genesis. Beyond Oasis (Story of Thor to PAL and Japanese gamers) ranks as one of the finest action RPGs of the 16-bit era and should be earmarked for download as soon as possible.

    The second...

  • 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...

  • News EU Virtual Console Releases - 16th March, 2007

    Ice Climber (NES), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) and Splatter House (Turbografx) all added to the catalog.

    Nintendo release info on this weeks VC games. Some cult classics return this week with all the games coming from over 10 years ago! Here's what Nintendo have to say about them: Nintendo fans will remember the charms of Ice Climber™ from...

  • News Europe VC Releases - 16th March - Splatterhouse

    Europe gets treated to one of the PC Engine's most gruesome brawlers today. Yes that's right it's the excellent Splatterhouse! Watch out for those slimey buggers Rick!

    A less grisly way to spend your time would be to check out the fun Ice Climber for the NES - North America has had this for a while now. Europe has finally caught up! Last but not...

  • 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...

  • News US VC Releases - 12th March

    A trio of games this week for you lucky American Wii owners - although it's something of a mixed bag, it has to be said. On one hand we have the excellent (if a little crusty looking) Tecmo Bowl. Back in the days of the NES this was one of the finest representations of American Football money could buy, and thankfully the years have been very kind - the game is as much fun in multiplayer as it ever was! Until EA decide to bless us with the Megadrive/Genesis version of John Madden Football, this ranks as one of the best sporting options on the Virtual Console.

    ...

  • 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 Europe VC Releases - 9th March

    After double-jumping on the US Virtual Console store on Monday, Sir Arthur has made his way to the Euro VC too. It's unlikely that the other two titles offered will distract you from what ranks as one of the finest 2D platformers in existence. Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts is a game that deserves to be spoken of in hushed, revered tones. Some might argue that the same should be said of Galaga, but let's be perfectly honest here - the game is older than most Wii owners and it shows. Sure, it's a classic. It's influential. Hell, it's even fun for a few minutes. But Galaga is the kind of game that Namco should be giving away as a freebie with other titles. It's not really worth 500 of your valuable Wii points, especially when you only need to add 300 more to that figure to download the sublime Super G'n'G.

    ...

  • 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...

  • News Banjo Kazooie A Virtual Console Possibility?

    Virtual Console Archive have quoted Rare saying that "its possible".

    One of the most exciting parts of the Virtual Console is the ability to play Nintendo 64 games, when this was first announced we all drooled over the idea of playing all the classics, even the Rare titles. Sadly this dream was short lived as we all started to remember that Rare is...

  • News Virtual Console Updates From Sega

    Sega announce six new virtual console titles in the US & Europe including the legendary Streets of Rage.

    All six titles are available in the US and Europe from today for 800 Wii Points. This weeks releases sees something Megadrive fans have been waiting for: Streets of Rage! One of thee classic titles, this comes highly recommend! Streets of RageA...

  • News Will we ever see Banjo Kazooie on the Virtual Console?

    The fact that Rare are now owned by Microsoft has caused some headaches in the world of the Virtual Console. Some of the N64's most requested titles are Rareware products, and this has resulted in something of a stalemate. Light appears to be at the end of the tunnel though - a few months ago Nintendo were quoted as saying that they were looking into the possibility of releasing games like Goldeneye on the VC, and now Rare themselves have responded to the pleas of fans worldwide:

    ...the only Rare-developed ti...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • News US VC Releases 5th March

    Three new titles for the Virtual Console today - Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts is obviously the pick of the bunch here! The superb SNES platformer is worth every single Wii point Nintendo are asking for and should be downloaded as soon as possible. Shame the same can't be said about Elevator Action and Sword of Vermillion, but both games are at least half decent and go some way to padding out the already impressive VC roster.

    Our money is on Sir Arthur taking the lion's share of your attention though! Even if you have the GBA version, the PSX/Saturn Generations port or the...

  • 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...

  • News Europe VC releases - 2nd March

    Today Europe gets the following Virtual Console games:

    Streets of Rage - Megadrive Bio-Hazard Battle - Megadrive Sword of Vermillion - Megadrive Chew Man Fu - TurboGrafx-16 A average week for releases but not a bad one by any means. Top picks are Steets of Rage and Chew Man Fu!

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...

  • News US VC releases - 26th February - Ocarina of Time

    Only one release this week for the US Virtual Console - but it's a biggie. We all thought that it might be Zelda: Ocarina of Time as it was made available for Euro Wii owners last week and we were not dissapointed:

    The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time inspired millions of players around the world with its in-depth game play, rich 3-D visuals and...

  • News Neo Geo coming to the Virtual Console

    Here's a massive piece of news for fans of the Virtual Console - Nintendo of Japan have confirmed that Neo Geo games will soon be available for download via the service!

    The Neo Geo console was released in the days of the NES and Megadrive, and became famous for expensive but high quality arcade games such as King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Metal...

  • News Welcome to the Warp Zone!

    A cheeky little surprise awaits UK visitors to the Virtual Console. Next time you load up the Wii Shop if you look carefully you'll see a not very discreet smiley face which when clicked will take you to a hidden area with the text as follows:

    "Welcome to the Warp Zone! ... Congratulations, you've discovered the Virtual Console's hidden area...

  • News Europe VC releases - 23rd February - Ocarina of Time

    The dark Lords of Nintendo Tower look favourably at the minions within the EU today as they grace them with one of the greatest games ever! (I don't mean Altered Beast you got that some time ago!) Yes that's right lowly peasants today you are invited to the realm of Sir Link of Zeldashire and play OCARINA OF TIME!

    Here's the review: The Legend of...

  • Feature GamesTM interview VC Reviews (Issue 54)

    VC Reviews get their 15 minutes of fame this month as our favourite UK multi-format videogame magazine GamesTM publish a recent interview we did with them!

    Issue 54 of GamesTM will hit the shelves of all good newsagents in the UK on the 22nd of February. We get a 2 page spread in the retro section (pages 150/151) We say our piece about the PAL 50Hz...

  • News Wii Classic Controller - Hands On

    So you've downloaded a few retro titles on the Virtual Console and thanks to the VCA you've made some good choices, but one thing is getting in the way of your enjoyment. Control. The Wii Remote is ok so long as you stick to NES, PCE and Megadrive/Genesis titles, and if you're lucky enough to have a GameCube pad knocking around you can use that for the SNES and N64 stuff, but it's far from perfect. Sounds like you need the Classic Controller!

    Ok, so it's a bit of a con that you've got to shell out even more cash for this device but believe me, it...

  • 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...

  • Feature Top Five Most Wanted Virtual Console Games

    Now that the Virtual Console Archive has a commenting facility we thought what better time to ask what are the games you would most like to see on the Virtual Console. The catch is you can only pick ONE game per format and you have to give a brief reason why this should be released before any other games.

    Here's my wish list to kick things off: NES...

  • 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...

  • News US VC releases - 19th February - Finally DK Country!

    After what seems like an age Donkey Kong Country has been released in North America! We can all breath a sigh of relief! It was originally thought to have been held up by licensing issues with RARE (now owned by Microsoft) but that all looked to have been sorted out - phew!

    Sega have released the mighty Streets of Rage too which is great news...

  • 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...

  • News Reggie hints at magazine downloads on Wii

    In a recent interview with MTV Reggie Fils-Aime the president of Nintendo of America made a interesting statement:

    An innovative company can't just worry about what fans want but also anticipate what fans don't even know they want. So when the discussion turned to the Wii's 24/7 online service, Fils-Aime threw a curve. Yes, the system will continue...

  • News Exciting PAL Virtual Console Releases

    It's Virtual Console time again! This week Nintendo have given us twice the excitement....

    As we all know, today is the official PAL release day for Excite Truck (which is actually a pretty decent game). But what most did not know was that it would also be the release date for Excitebike as well. How... exciting! There are a couple other familiar...

  • News Europe VC releases - 16th February

    It's going to be another great week for European Wii gamers. OK so none of these games are going to completely blow you away, but then again none of them are turkeys either! 2 of the best NES games are up for grabs, a classic PC Engine platformer and one of the best horizontal shoot-em-ups to grace the Super Nintendo.

    Here's the reviews for the new...