I'm reluctant to complain because I happen to be an avid fan of SS & recommend it to fighting game fans. It's probably my favorite non-SF fighting game of the era. That being said, I already have it on my Genesis (it's actually one of the reasons why I even kept it all these years) & I've already been eyeing the planned anthology.
But this version would be the superior uncut NeoGeo version & it would effectively hold me over until the antholgy is released later this Fall... assuming that happens on time.
Regardless, I just don't get why Nintendo has been so skimpy on VC releases. Especially after EU got 5 titles last week.. Just 1 title, albeit a great one, is pretty weak comparatively.
WOW!! What a crap week for EU. 2 shooters!! LOL. I'm still in awe of how many shooters are shoveled on us on the VC. Quite possibly my least favorite genre of game. I didn't even realize how many shooters existed until the VC as we're given new ones every week!
While DD on the NES is certainly not the best port, I don't think the possibility of seeing the SMS & Genesis versions are that unlikely. If anything, it's probably quite likely. Seeing how keen Nintendo is of releasing virtually identical titles on the VC under the pretense that they're something new. They just usually release the inferior versions first..
Regardless, I was rather surprised to see only 1 title this week even though DD is a pretty big name. I'd still have guessed we'd see at least 2. Releasing just 1 game, especially when it's nothing special/a non-major franchise title just gives the impression that the VC is already scraping the bottom of the barrel.
And w/ the release of WiiWare titles just around the corner, the argument that there are only so many VC titles available to be released & that they need to be rationed out over the duration of the Wii's tenure doesn't hold water anymore. If anything, WiiWare should substantially alleviate that concern & allow Nintendo to boost VC releases. Or so one would think.
The day has finally come! I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a Monday for anything.. RCR is one of my top most wanted VC games since I got my Wii so no complaining from me.
As for Mega Man, for the ump-teenth trillionth time, you can buy the Anniversary disc for the GC for 10-12 bucks & it has every oldschool MegaMan you could possibly ask for. If you want it that bad, it's already there. Complaining about that just means you're lazy.
RCR is one of my alltime NES favs. And while the Master System port of DD was far superior, I may buckle & pick it up to hold me over until that eventually happens... which I see as inevitable seeing as how Technos is clearly all aboard w/ the VC.
"I can already see it now... Nintendo cancels VC release due to lack of sales!!!"
HAHA, being the cynic I am, I found this funny & disturbingly plausible. However, I find it just as likely that NOA knows that they're holding out on the goods... Perhaps they're more inclinded to release solid titles during formal Wii Game "dry spells."
What is w/ the VC & shooters? I swear there are more shooters than any other genre. I didn't even realize there were so many shooters in the first place. What gives? Are they the best selling genre or something because I hate shooters. It seems like we get another shooter every week.
I remember this game from my adolescence as being one of the most difficult & simulatenously cheap/frustrating games ever. The kid that lived across the street from me had it & neither of us could ever finish it.
However, not having played it in 20 years, I'm a little curious to give it another shot. Though, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
A good VC release week too, considering.. PS2 is a great game. NG series is overrated IMO & part 3 is certainly not the best of the series. But I won't complain about getting 2 major releases in a week.
You know, this thread inspired me to do some research. So here are the total number of games by nintendo platform that were made for North America.
NES total games = 810 SNES total games = 750 N64 total games = 387
Now, let's assume half of those titles will never see the light of day on the Wii for various reasons (licensing, etc.) Then, let's be conservative & assume that half of those won't be released (Wii's longevity, licensing & misc, etc.) Subtract the current number of titles released for those consoles in North America & you get 387. Divide that by 52 weeks in a year & you get 7.44 years... Which is more than the average life expectancy of today's consoles. So hypothetically, at the rate of 1 NES, SNES, or N64 VC release a week, it would be nearly 8 years before the well ran dry. That's not even considering other platforms or Japan-Only Nintendo games which add a considerable amount as well.
But who knows, maybe Nintendo is trying to milk the Wii for everything it's worth (can you blame them, really?) & try to extend it's lifespan. I doubt it but you can't rule out the possibility.
I don't know about Overseas but Wii Consoles are still hard to come by in here the US. Every retailer I ask says they believe it will be like that for the duration of the system's tenure... They're literally in that much demand. I have yet to find any retailer that even offers a "waiting list". They all say that so few are received per shipment (3 or 6) that a list is pointless. "EBay is the waiting list." And go see how much Wii's are going for there... You'd be amazed considering it's a year old & you can get any competitor's technically superior Console at a POS for MSRP or less!
Those are some impressive stats for the most technically deficient Console on the market. So when you consider that there are people out there still pining for a Wii, it doesn't seem that preposterous of a plan... Though, I still find a more sophisticated Wii successor most probable.
Regardless, even as a cynic, 1 Nintendo console game a week is hardly a greedy request.. So I think the 2 or more games per week expectation is warranted. Especially considering their audience can only grow.
No surprise, it's another lackluster week for the US on the VC..
Common sense would lead one to think NOA would work to release some "bigger" VC titles this month for the sake of the holidays but I suppose that's not what they have in mind.
I think the VC games release schedule is about fair. I mean, there are plenty of VC titles that have come out in Japan so far that I'm dying for too. Furthermore, Japan gets just about everything first as far as formal releases are concerned. It's just the nature of the beast, I suppose..
On the otherhand, the EU got Mario Strikers a good while before the US & I thought there was going to be a similar type of release date reversal w/ Mario Kart & Smash Bros. So it would appear as though they are at least trying to spread the love. Though, you're never going to please everyone.
As far as Megaman's release on the VC in the US, it would seem as though it makes sense for them to hold off on it in an effort to sell more GC Anniversary discs but seeing as how GC is largely a dead console, you'd think a couple of VC releases would also promote Anniversary sales too.
On a promising note, the January issue of Nintendo Power has a large Retrospective on Megaman so I'd be willing to bet Megaman 1 & 2 are on the horizon for the US VC. I'd guess we'll be seeing at least one of them within the next few weeks.
This game is a classic!! If you were into old school side scrolling beat em' ups, you'll love this. It takes a chapter from Double Dragon but makes it much more dynamic & fun to play. It even has a bit of an RPG quality since you acquire new moves & have other variable attributes.
I think the music in the preview alone speaks for itself & the stocky character design makes it a charm to play..
Wow, I have to agree w/ the general consensus that 3/5 stars is a particularly harsh rating.. If you can give Super Mario Bros. a 5/5 than Metroid should surely deserve one as well for all the same reasons. Flatly, that it was groundbreaking for it's era & has likewise, been outdone by it's successors.
Seriously, it's pretty pathetic that SMB isn't penalized for the fact that every successor has largely improved upon the original while Metroid isn't given the same leniency.
At the time, this game was FAAAR superior to SMB in my eyes & it's quality isn't diminished simply because it has sequels on superior hardware. Furthermore, while Super Metroid did improved upon the winning formula outlined by it's predecessor, as outlined by another comment above, Super Metroid was a walk in the park comparatively. Sure it's a great game, but the original Metroid was much more difficult.
Shame on VC-Reviews for their unfairly biased, unjustified, irrational, & inconsistent rating system.. You should know better.
Wow, what a let down!! Only 1 game?! & here I was thinking getting only 2 games was a drag.
This kind of inactivity is a bit frustrating considering Nintendo alone has enough of a backcatalog of eligible games for there to be ample releases for years. Or so you would think.
If they're going to release only 1 game, it should at least have been a more popular & iconic title like the formentioned N64 titles or at least a classic SNES game.
As far as I'm concerned, they can't put Pilot Wings (SNES) & Mario Kart (SNES) out fast enough.
Comments 23
Re: US VC Release - 16th June - Samurai Shodown
I'm reluctant to complain because I happen to be an avid fan of SS & recommend it to fighting game fans. It's probably my favorite non-SF fighting game of the era. That being said, I already have it on my Genesis (it's actually one of the reasons why I even kept it all these years) & I've already been eyeing the planned anthology.
But this version would be the superior uncut NeoGeo version & it would effectively hold me over until the antholgy is released later this Fall... assuming that happens on time.
Regardless, I just don't get why Nintendo has been so skimpy on VC releases. Especially after EU got 5 titles last week.. Just 1 title, albeit a great one, is pretty weak comparatively.
Re: EU VC Releases - 2nd May - The Hanabi Festival Returns!
WOW!! What a crap week for EU. 2 shooters!! LOL. I'm still in awe of how many shooters are shoveled on us on the VC. Quite possibly my least favorite genre of game. I didn't even realize how many shooters existed until the VC as we're given new ones every week!
Re: US VC Releases - 28th April - Double Dragon
While DD on the NES is certainly not the best port, I don't think the possibility of seeing the SMS & Genesis versions are that unlikely. If anything, it's probably quite likely. Seeing how keen Nintendo is of releasing virtually identical titles on the VC under the pretense that they're something new. They just usually release the inferior versions first..
Regardless, I was rather surprised to see only 1 title this week even though DD is a pretty big name. I'd still have guessed we'd see at least 2. Releasing just 1 game, especially when it's nothing special/a non-major franchise title just gives the impression that the VC is already scraping the bottom of the barrel.
And w/ the release of WiiWare titles just around the corner, the argument that there are only so many VC titles available to be released & that they need to be rationed out over the duration of the Wii's tenure doesn't hold water anymore. If anything, WiiWare should substantially alleviate that concern & allow Nintendo to boost VC releases. Or so one would think.
Re: The Last Ninja
It's been ages since I last played this!! My cousin had it on his Apple IIGS. It was fun. And what a great soundtrack!!
NA needs C64 too!
Re: EU VC Releases - 25th April - The Last Ninja
A solid week for the EU. The Last Ninja is a classic!!
So is NA going to get C64 or what?!
Re: US VC Releases - 21st April - River City Ransom
The day has finally come! I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a Monday for anything.. RCR is one of my top most wanted VC games since I got my Wii so no complaining from me.
As for Mega Man, for the ump-teenth trillionth time, you can buy the Anniversary disc for the GC for 10-12 bucks & it has every oldschool MegaMan you could possibly ask for. If you want it that bad, it's already there. Complaining about that just means you're lazy.
Re: 3 NES Beat 'em ups coming to US Virtual Console soon
YEEEES!!
This is the best NA VC news in a while.
RCR is one of my alltime NES favs. And while the Master System port of DD was far superior, I may buckle & pick it up to hold me over until that eventually happens... which I see as inevitable seeing as how Technos is clearly all aboard w/ the VC.
Renegade.... "meh."
Re: US VC Releases - 14th April - Mega Turrican
Will said:
"I can already see it now... Nintendo cancels VC release due to lack of sales!!!"
HAHA, being the cynic I am, I found this funny & disturbingly plausible. However, I find it just as likely that NOA knows that they're holding out on the goods... Perhaps they're more inclinded to release solid titles during formal Wii Game "dry spells."
Re: Wrecking Crew
How far can you guys get? I'm stuck on level 79
Re: US VC Releases - March 17th - Super R-Type
What is w/ the VC & shooters? I swear there are more shooters than any other genre. I didn't even realize there were so many shooters in the first place. What gives? Are they the best selling genre or something because I hate shooters. It seems like we get another shooter every week.
Re: Spelunker
I remember this game from my adolescence as being one of the most difficult & simulatenously cheap/frustrating games ever. The kid that lived across the street from me had it & neither of us could ever finish it.
However, not having played it in 20 years, I'm a little curious to give it another shot. Though, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Re: River City Ransom
ARGH! Everytime I come here & see this as the featured review it's like another slap to the face.. MAN, do I want this game!!
For the love of me, release this in the US already...
Re: EU VC Releases - 22nd February - Street Gangs
YES!!
This only builds on the likelihood of River City Ransom turning up in the US...
Enjoy it EU!! It's a great game & if you haven't played it before, you're in for a real treat..
It's like the thinking man's double dragon..
Re: US VC Releases - 18th February - Ninja Gaiden III
Yeah, how come all of the sudden the US VC releases have been announced early? Where do you find that info?
Re: US VC Releases - 18th February - Ninja Gaiden III
Haha! Probably the funniest update yet.. Go Damo!
A good VC release week too, considering.. PS2 is a great game. NG series is overrated IMO & part 3 is certainly not the best of the series. But I won't complain about getting 2 major releases in a week.
I hope we get more weeks like this!!
Re: EU VC Releases - 1st February - Adventures of Lolo 2
You know, this thread inspired me to do some research. So here are the total number of games by nintendo platform that were made for North America.
NES total games = 810
SNES total games = 750
N64 total games = 387
Now, let's assume half of those titles will never see the light of day on the Wii for various reasons (licensing, etc.) Then, let's be conservative & assume that half of those won't be released (Wii's longevity, licensing & misc, etc.) Subtract the current number of titles released for those consoles in North America & you get 387. Divide that by 52 weeks in a year & you get 7.44 years... Which is more than the average life expectancy of today's consoles. So hypothetically, at the rate of 1 NES, SNES, or N64 VC release a week, it would be nearly 8 years before the well ran dry. That's not even considering other platforms or Japan-Only Nintendo games which add a considerable amount as well.
But who knows, maybe Nintendo is trying to milk the Wii for everything it's worth (can you blame them, really?) & try to extend it's lifespan. I doubt it but you can't rule out the possibility.
I don't know about Overseas but Wii Consoles are still hard to come by in here the US. Every retailer I ask says they believe it will be like that for the duration of the system's tenure... They're literally in that much demand. I have yet to find any retailer that even offers a "waiting list". They all say that so few are received per shipment (3 or 6) that a list is pointless. "EBay is the waiting list." And go see how much Wii's are going for there... You'd be amazed considering it's a year old & you can get any competitor's technically superior Console at a POS for MSRP or less!
Those are some impressive stats for the most technically deficient Console on the market. So when you consider that there are people out there still pining for a Wii, it doesn't seem that preposterous of a plan... Though, I still find a more sophisticated Wii successor most probable.
Regardless, even as a cynic, 1 Nintendo console game a week is hardly a greedy request.. So I think the 2 or more games per week expectation is warranted. Especially considering their audience can only grow.
Re: US VC Releases - 17th December - Cybernator
No surprise, it's another lackluster week for the US on the VC..
Common sense would lead one to think NOA would work to release some "bigger" VC titles this month for the sake of the holidays but I suppose that's not what they have in mind.
Re: EU VC Releases - 14th December - Mega Man 2
I think the VC games release schedule is about fair. I mean, there are plenty of VC titles that have come out in Japan so far that I'm dying for too. Furthermore, Japan gets just about everything first as far as formal releases are concerned. It's just the nature of the beast, I suppose..
On the otherhand, the EU got Mario Strikers a good while before the US & I thought there was going to be a similar type of release date reversal w/ Mario Kart & Smash Bros. So it would appear as though they are at least trying to spread the love. Though, you're never going to please everyone.
As far as Megaman's release on the VC in the US, it would seem as though it makes sense for them to hold off on it in an effort to sell more GC Anniversary discs but seeing as how GC is largely a dead console, you'd think a couple of VC releases would also promote Anniversary sales too.
On a promising note, the January issue of Nintendo Power has a large Retrospective on Megaman so I'd be willing to bet Megaman 1 & 2 are on the horizon for the US VC. I'd guess we'll be seeing at least one of them within the next few weeks.
Re: US VC Releases - 5th November - Super Mario Bros 3
"The best game on the Virtual Console to date! (Well next to Super Mario World of course!)"
Psh, please.....
Re: River City Ransom
This game is a classic!! If you were into old school side scrolling beat em' ups, you'll love this. It takes a chapter from Double Dragon but makes it much more dynamic & fun to play. It even has a bit of an RPG quality since you acquire new moves & have other variable attributes.
I think the music in the preview alone speaks for itself & the stocky character design makes it a charm to play..
I can't wait for this on the VC!!
Re: Japanese Virtual Console list - October 2007
I hope that means River City Ransom will makes its way Stateside soon.. That & Pilot Wings are my 2 most wanted..
Re: Metroid
Wow, I have to agree w/ the general consensus that 3/5 stars is a particularly harsh rating.. If you can give Super Mario Bros. a 5/5 than Metroid should surely deserve one as well for all the same reasons. Flatly, that it was groundbreaking for it's era & has likewise, been outdone by it's successors.
Seriously, it's pretty pathetic that SMB isn't penalized for the fact that every successor has largely improved upon the original while Metroid isn't given the same leniency.
At the time, this game was FAAAR superior to SMB in my eyes & it's quality isn't diminished simply because it has sequels on superior hardware. Furthermore, while Super Metroid did improved upon the winning formula outlined by it's predecessor, as outlined by another comment above, Super Metroid was a walk in the park comparatively. Sure it's a great game, but the original Metroid was much more difficult.
Shame on VC-Reviews for their unfairly biased, unjustified, irrational, & inconsistent rating system.. You should know better.
Re: US VC Releases - 26th March - RoTK IV
Wow, what a let down!! Only 1 game?! & here I was thinking getting only 2 games was a drag.
This kind of inactivity is a bit frustrating considering Nintendo alone has enough of a backcatalog of eligible games for there to be ample releases for years. Or so you would think.
If they're going to release only 1 game, it should at least have been a more popular & iconic title like the formentioned N64 titles or at least a classic SNES game.
As far as I'm concerned, they can't put Pilot Wings (SNES) & Mario Kart (SNES) out fast enough.