News Japanese Virtual Console List: June 2012
The Neo Geo assault carries on
Three more games for the Wii Virtual Console in Japan this month, and as is to be expected now the majority are Neo Geo games. With Metal Slug 3's recent western release, we hope to see some more games for the system coming to the Virtual Console outside of Japan as well. The full list for June is as follows: Super...
Review Metal Slug 3 (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Heavy metal
Due to the bevy of fighting games released for Neo Geo, it's always a refreshing sight to see a game of a different genre from the format re-released on Virtual Console. We've just about hit the jackpot this time — Metal Slug 3 can easily be considered one of the single best games the system ever got. The first and second games in the...
Review Monster World IV (Wii Virtual Console / Mega Drive)
Worth the wait
Originally released in 1994, Monster World IV is the final game in the Wonder Boy series. It's a very well-liked game and another great entry in the franchise, but there was just one problem: it was never released outside Japan. Until now that is, because SEGA has finally given the rest of the world a chance to experience the game,...
Review Game & Watch Gallery 2 (3DS eShop / GBC)
Now in colour!
After successfully remaking and re-releasing four Game & Watch games with Mario characters in Game & Watch Gallery, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo selected another bunch to redo. With around 50 different Game & Watch games originally released, there certainly isn't a small pool to pick from, but here we have...
News Wonder Boy Double Dose Hits North America's VC Next Week
Two long overdue games are finally coming
With the release of Super Hang-On on Wii Virtual Console this week, SEGA has announced on its blog that it will be releasing the other two games announced last year soon as well. Very soon, in fact — both of them will see the light of day next week. Yes, that means there will be two new Wii Virtual Console...
News Japanese Virtual Console List: May 2012
The fun continues
There were just two games last month, but this time the count will be slightly creeping up again as Japan is scheduled to get three new Wii Virtual Console games. Just like the past few months, D4 continues to show strong support, as two of the new games will be Neo Geo games, while the remaining one is a Famicom title unlikely to...
Review SpeedThru: Potzol's Puzzle (3DS eShop)
Spinning out of control
Back in 2010, Nintendo published an amusing little WiiWare title called ThruSpace, a game which at its very core simply involved flipping, turning and moving a block around in order to fit through gaps in walls. KeysFactory, the developer responsible for that title, has now created SpeedThru: Potzol's Puzzle — known as...
News Japanese Virtual Console List: April 2012
Slowing down
It's a bit of a slow month this time for Japan, as only two new games will be released. Neither are big surprises: Europe already got one a while ago and the other has already been announced for European release. Both of them are pretty nice games though, so although the offerings are slim compared to normal, at least they're of good...
Review Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (3DS eShop / NES)
Dreamy
With ten NES titles originally released on the 3DS for Ambassadors only, it wasn't much of a stretch to expect the first ten put up for sale to be the same games. But we've already received a title that actually wasn't part of the Ambassador batch, and Nintendo has picked one of the best possible games. Originally released in 1987,...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - March 2012
Four more
For the first time in a long while, Japan will actually be receiving fewer Wii Virtual Console games than another region. Europe, to be precise, all because of the truckload of Virtual Console games scheduled for March. Japan will still receive four games though, so let's take a look at what they are. Japan's full list for March is as...
News Retro Game Master Headed to DVD
With a welcome extra
Many gaming fans are familiar with GameCenter CX by now. In this popular Japanese TV show, comedian Shinya Arino takes on difficult retro games, generally with the goal of reaching the end before his time is up. The show is especially popular with Nintendo fans, as not only are most featured games from the Famicom, several...
Review BurgerTime World Tour (WiiWare)
Severely undercooked
While never really regarded as a smash hit in arcades, the original BurgerTime has always been an entertaining little game. We recently got what is arguably the best older version, BurgerTime Deluxe, on the 3DS eShop, and now we finally have a completely new title that other platforms received a couple of months ago. But is it...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - February 2012
Neo Geo support continues
Japan is getting three more Wii Virtual Console games this month. The scale is clearly tipped in the favour of the Neo Geo once more, as it will see yet another two games. If only we'd see some more Neo Geo games in the West. Japan's full list for this month is as follows: Super Famicom: Kunio-Kun no Dodge Ball Dayo Zenin...
Review Prince of Persia (3DS eShop / GBC)
Lowly servant of Persia
There's no question the original Prince of Persia is a classic game, with its iconic realistic movements, precision platforming and time limit. It's been ported to many, many platforms over the years, but does this handheld version hold up as well as other versions? In the transition to Game Boy Color, most of the game has...
Review Prince of Persia (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Worthy of the throne
Most gamers are familiar with the original Prince of Persia. Its incredibly realistic animations, created by Jordan Mechner from hours of video footage of his brother running and jumping around, made it an instant hit, and it's still one of the most well-known western game franchises today. Most people, however, are only...
Review Trip World (3DS eShop / GB)
Bad trip?
Sunsoft made a ton of great games for Nintendo systems back in the day. Everybody knows the likes of Blaster Master and the NES Batman game, but they also had a ton of equally great games which people simply didn't find out about. We've already had some, like Ufouria: The Saga and Lock 'N Chase, but thankfully it's continuing its support,...
Review Mario vs. Donkey Kong (3DS eShop / GBA)
A worthy successor
The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series has been going for quite a while now, with four entries under its belt. If you've never played the original, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it's not much more than a fun Lemmings clone, but that's actually not true. In fact, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is closer to the Game Boy version of Donkey...
Review 3D Classics: Kid Icarus (3DSWare)
Pit of class
Kid Icarus was always a bit of a weird game. Originally released alongside Metroid and using an almost identical game engine, it was quickly overshadowed by the popularity of Metroid's giant game world full of areas to explore and, save for a (more entertaining) Game Boy sequel, the series was never heard from again until Pit suddenly...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - January 2012
Ringing in the new year
Nintendo of Japan continues to deliver the goods, with three more games slated for release on the Wii Virtual Console this month. Will we see any release in the west at all? The full list for Japan this month is as follows: Famicom: Ganbare Goemon 2 — The second game in the classic series (not counting its arcade origins),...
Nintendo Download 29th December 2011 (North America)
VVVVVVery exciting
The last batch of downloads for 2011 brings with it some more goodies, including a gravity-flipping eShop game and a certain game starring a guy with a bionic arm. 3DS Download Software: VVVVVV (Nicalis, $7.99) — The well-known indie platformer has made its way to the eShop. It seems to be identical to the PC release, including...
Nintendo Download 15th December 2011 (North America)
Blaster Master and more
It's a rather average week for the Nintendo Download this week, except for one title, which is the often overlooked Game Boy Color sequel to Blaster Master. No new 3DS Download Software this time, though you're probably still too busy playing Pushmo to care much. 3DS Virtual Console: Blaster Master: Enemy Below (Sunsoft,...
Mega blox
Intelligent Systems is mostly known for its work on the Advance Wars, Fire Emblem and WarioWare series, but occasionally, when it's not too busy, it develops some unique games: it's created titles like Cubivore on the GameCube and Eco Shooter Plant 530 on WiiWare. Now it's back with another original creation for the eShop, and it can quite...
Review Lock 'N Chase (3DS eShop / GB)
Puzzle Pac-Man
Data East had quite a few relatively unknown Game Boy games back in the day. Much BurgerTime Deluxe, released a few weeks ago, Lock 'N Chase is essentially a "sequel" to the original arcade game, with the same general gameplay but with many more levels and even a few new gameplay mechanics. If you've played the arcade game,...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - December 2011
Keep on trucking
Japan got seven Wii Virtual Console games last month while other regions got zero, but they still show no signs of stopping, as next month will offer another four. It's evenly divided between the Super Famicom and Neo Geo, with one of the games being another instalment in a certain Capcom series that ends with "X". The...
