Leading the pack is Treasure's Genesis RPG, Light Crusader. This is to this day probably Treasure's only Western game, featuring almost no obvious Japanese influence. It's also usually named as one of Treasure's worse games, but that's a bit wrong, as it's still quite good.
The second game is one Americans have been requesting for a while - Bubble Bobble! This is the NES version of the arcade classic, which, besides obvious differences in graphics in sound, is otherwise an exact port. So if you've got fond memories of the arcade game, this is for you!
After not getting a Neo Geo game for a while, most North Americans were hoping the next game would be The King of Fighters '94. It's not, but it's still a good game, namely Top Hunter. This is probably the closest thing to Metal Slug that will be on VC in quite a while, so if you like that series (Who doesn't, really?) then you will like this.
No fantastic games today, but all of them are still good.
Comments 43
YES.
Bubble Bobble is the greatest game of all-time. I've been waiting for it since the VC was announced. I still have my cartridge, but I don't feel like hooking my NES up. I also have it on my GBA in Bubble Bobble Old and New, which I recommend picking up.
Now we need the mega mans and vectorman.
Gah! Make it stop! Enough of this rag-tag bargain bin junk, where is KOF '94?
Megamans would be nice as would POW for the Nes
Your Kidding! You know what i heard! I heard Nintendo was supposed to have 200 games by today! But it's only up to 190 now. What's up with that.
P.S. i heard it from ign.com
I'm gonna guess that it will be a catch-up week for us too, we'll probably get the three sega megadrive games that the americans have that we don't have yet.
I used to play Bubble Bobble with my cousin back in in the day. Gotta love that music!
I never have seen or played the other two games, but they don't sound too bad.
Hopefully this will be a sign of things to come as far as the Mega Man games are concerned, Top Hunter is basically Metal Slug as far as I know, I never played Light Crusader though.
With Treasure constantly putting their stuff on the VC, my hope for seeing Mischief Makers on there one day is steadily increasing. SHAKE SHAKE!
I doubt we'll ever see Hybrid Heaven (Konami, not Treasure), but then I'm like the only guy who liked that game, so...
First release where I have not played any of them, I love rpg's like shining force, pool of radiance and mario rpg, is light crusader worth the 800 points?
Okay, if it was Puzzle Bobble or Bust-A-Move, I wouldn't complain. But here's a quote I'd love to hear from Nintendo today:
"We hope you loved mediocrity on the Virtual Console this year. We know we did! However, we thought the blandness had to stop eventually, so our New Year's resolution is to release at least one game every week that more than 20% of the population downloading VC titles will like. We're going to start off with a REAL New Years treat next week instead of that dinosaur game and the fake RPG we gave you New Year's Eve."
How's that for dreamin'?
You know what would've been the perfect Christmas VC present? Super Smash Bros. 64, seriously. WTF.
Kyle I love your quote its funny. Although I can't say all the games released this year were mediocre. There was some good ones out there, but probably for the most part there were. I would love though if they released some of the better titles though i.e. Super Mario RPG!
Bubble Bobble is an excellent, excellent little game. PS: They've already released Mega Man and Mega Man 2 in the US.
i thought americans were looking forward to bubble bobble?
I got both Bubble Bobble and Top Hunter and they're both awesome games. I don't know why some of you people are complaining.
I don't think this year's been so mediocre. I think quite frankly people are just being whiny and those people will NEVER be satisfied unless THEIR specific favorite game appears on the virtual console. Quite frankly, I saved most of my virtual console points for things I haven't played before so I could enjoy something new and while there were some slow weeks in there, I have not been disappointed with most of the releases.
Also, if you are incapable of loving Bubble Bobble, you have no soul or you have no friends to play co-op with.
I am still waiting for Halo 1 & 2 to show up on the VC. Come on Bungie! You eliminated ties with Microsoft:-\
No KOF 94?, may i ask what the hell?. They are not releasing some good stuff on America for apparently no reason ;(.
Ok, first off, how in gods name was this year mediocer? We got ocarina of time, sin and punishment, smb3, ect. Yet you say that it was mediocer just because smrpg or earthbound wasn't released. If you want to play it so badly, download the rom
sounds like your a sook kyle, bubble bobble is a classic. and plenty of happy people to see it on here.
Awesome! I have had so many memories of Bubble Bobble. I'm sure there were several thousands of hours I spent on this game in my youth. Great, fun game.
KING OF F'ING FIGHTERS 94!!!! This is getting obsurd!!!!!!!
Bubble Bobble is a fantastic game and I'm so happy it's available before the new year. The only games i'll be hoping for in '08 are Crystalis for NES and Strider for MD.
king of fighters '94 will be your next neogeo game, americans. maybe even next week's.
Where is Pilotwings?!?!?!?!?!?
Well, sorry that all of you are satisfied with a few good releases in an entire year. Yes, I downloaded about five games this year. However, at the prices Nintendo charges (low ones) I should have been compelled to buy more. I am disappointed that our New Year's Eve download included the equivalent of Street Fighter 2 instead of Super Street Fighter 2' Turbo Hyper Fighting something or other. I love Bubble Bobble. But there are later versions I love more. All I ask for is Nintendo to release one non-fringe game EVERY week, not some, I won't argue that we never got quality games, I want one EVERY week this coming year. If they switch to more than 3 releases a week, which makes more sense, especially from a business point of view, I'd be happy with that too. At least then I get more of a variety to choose from. With the amount of consoles we have available now, giving us 3 games is stupid and selfish. That is what I call mediocrity and I hope it ceases to exist in 2008.
@ Jogurt: The US does not have Mega Man and Mega Man 2 on VC.
Kyle does have a point.
I for one, want a few more consoles added, especially more Sega things (Master System, Mega CD, 32X)
More third party games would be nice. Get me Mickey Mouse's Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion and I will be extremely happy.
@ Drake: I know, we have the whole collection on a cheap used GameCube disc. When they release them here on the VC I'll eat my hat.
Most of US recidents are so impatient.
They really need to release Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, Mother 1, Mother 3, Earthbound, and a few other classic games that America and Europe never got to play. I'm American but in England and I think that Japan is getting robbed just as badly as we both are. I can see that Nintendo has released a few good games this year but I've seen loads of games that I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole... I just got my Wii for Christmas and only downloaded 3 games for it because they were must play and the rest can wait for a time when I finish Zelda & Galaxy.
HAPPY NEW YEAR @ all
i want tetris NES, mario rpg, and smash brothers N64
i've never played bubble bobble though... or have i... it looks kinda like bust-a-move but platformer versioned
All seem great but with a budget like I have right now (to save up for Brawl), I'd get only Light Crusader, Bubble Bobble, and Donkey Kong Country 3.
Only five games? That's a bit of a stretch. Still, you have a point: now that Nintendo has released the obvious (OoT, LoZ:ALttP, all of the Mario platformers minus Yoshi's Island, Comix Zone, most Sonics), they seem to be focusing more on the niches. Often people will say "this week sucks!" and then someone will note that one game is good.
We might be doing that for a while, but look on the bright side- though SMRPG is "too mainstream" for such a strategy, you can't get more niche than Earthbound and Crono Trigger*!
Still- WHY NO KIRBY SUPER STAR!?!?
*Okay, not niche. But the truth is that this game is more emulated these days than actually played due to lack of rereleases.
It seems every week there is one good one and two bad. I'm with Brian but my pole is a good twenty feet. The ones I buy are either deep games I can play for hours; Romance of the 3 kingdoms, Dungeon Explorer, Zelda. or fun games that I can play with my Wife; Mario 3, Bomberman, Kirbys avelanch/Dr. Robotniks mean bean machine...I got both and I'm pissed. I played the Kirby version back in the day and bought it, then I read somewhere else that DRMBM was a simaler game and I snagged it...I wish they had a one hour return or a huge disclamer "THIS IS THE SAME GAME" This is long before I found you guys now I read well into it. I wish Square would beg Nintendos forgiveness for that whole going on the PS1 and release the greatest RPGs ever made on the VC. Chrono Trigger...I love you
" I played the Kirby version back in the day and bought it, then I read somewhere else that DRMBM was a simaler game and I snagged it...I wish they had a one hour return or a huge disclamer "THIS IS THE SAME GAME""
Yes, that was ridiculous. There are some minor differences in how the single player game is organized, but they're both just modified versions of Puyo Puyo, and should've been labelled as such.
Or you could have just read the review here. I thought the Kirby game would never make it to V.C. because the Sega version was already on. I'm hoping for SNES Wario's Woods because I find it superior to the NES game already available.
If you don't like wasting your money, you really need to think and read about what you're about to buy. I remember lots of complaints (mainly elsewhere) about how SNES Final Fight on the V.C. was missing things from the arcade game when five minutes reading would have told people exactly what they need to know about the game before they download it.
As for Kirby vs. Dr. Robotnik, I've played both (not on V.C.) and prefer the Kirby version mainly for the characters and music (classic old skool Kirby choons FTW)
I do wish they'd release more than three games per week, but I feel like there are plenty of games out on the VC that I want to play. I'm certainly not caught up yet....especially since some games can take you awhile to beat (i.e. r-type). I probably like more of the VC games than the average player, but I do think there's a good number of worthy games available. Just my opinion.
Can anyone confirm how similar the NES Bubble bobble is to the Master system version?
The MS version seems to have the edge graphically (Those NES screens look bad to me) but the MS version had extra bonus levels and the extra 100 levels if you collected a few things on the way, and a few bosses (Arcade only has the final boss which sucks)
Huh. I'd be happy if the minimum was three games. Even if its DKC3, it feels like a lame week just getting below three games. I say this a few times but I'd rather one good, two bad than just one good game. Because those two bad games have to come out some time.
Bubble Bobble is fine with me, and I can't believe most of you think 2007 was a mediocre year for VC titles. Good god spoiled brats waiting for games that may never come out on the VC (SMRPG).
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