Topic: North American Virtual Console Releases

[Pale]

This may just be the best VC week yet!
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14500

 WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL    

Oct. 1, 2007    

This is a special week on the Wii Shop Channel. Frankly, it's a gamer's dream come true: Nintendo is launching the new Import genre with the release of two games that previously have never been available in the Western Hemisphere on their original platforms. The first will be hugely popular with Mario™ fans, who will love reliving the style of his classic games as they encounter new skills, new levels and new dangers. Nintendo® 64 enthusiasts also get a masterpiece of the shooter genre and perhaps the best game never released outside of Japan. Welcome to Import Week for the Wii Shop Channel!    

The two new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop 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 Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:    

Super Mario Bros.™: The Lost Levels™ (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros.® 2, this game has previously made only brief cameo appearances in the Western Hemisphere. Now available on the Virtual Console™ in all of its original splendor, Mario fans will appreciate the familiar look and feel of the game, while finding that its updated game play creates an entirely new challenge. No longer content just to wear different-colored overalls, Mario and Luigi also possess different skill sets: Mario can stop quicker, while Luigi can jump higher. In addition to the classic enemies already known to fans worldwide, there are also Poison Mushrooms, backward Warp Zones, and the occasional wind gust (which can help or hinder your progress) to take into account. And if that's somehow not enough, expert players can go looking for the game's secret worlds. So get ready to put your Mario skills to the ultimate test, and save the Princess again. Just don't be surprised if she's in another castle.    

Sin & Punishment™ (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen – Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, 1,200 Wii Points): Created by the legendary development studio Treasure, this is a game that hard-core gamers and fans of Japanese imports recognize as one of the finest Nintendo 64 titles to have never previously reached North American shores. Its unique combination of English voice-overs with Japanese subtitles (preserved in this version) has only added to the enthusiasm for its eventual release here. Experience the frenetic pace of a classic shooter, while choosing from a variety of options and a number of different skill levels until you are ready to take on the full-blown challenge of Turbo Hard mode. Not to be outdone by the action, however, the intriguing story line gives the game its soul and draws you even further into the mix. Set in the near future, on an overpopulated Earth starved for resources, players uncover the intriguing mystery of two teenagers (Saki and Airan) and their battle against the Ruffians as they advance through level after level of nonstop action. Take a deep breath, gather your energy and prepare to see why this game is so highly praised.    

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

[TMW]

Oh nice!

I won't be getting any sleep today, apparently.

[Entroper]

Wow, complete with 20% import tax.  Come on, 1200 points for Sin and Punishment?

Thankfully, I already have The Lost Levels on my SNES in Super Mario All-Stars.

[Pale]

I am infinitely happy that we aren't getting any of that limited time only crap that PAL regions were getting.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

oh snap

[Maximilian]

I KNEW S&P WOULD HIT TODAY!  I just knew it!  1200 is worth it--I don't even care.  Hopefully we get some translated text--namely the menus and the ending.  I guess translating the training would be nice too.  If not, maybe an update will provide some translated text.  But overall it isn't necessary to enjoy this phenomenal game.  I cannot wait to go home and get this.  I'm just glad I have the money to actually buy the points and get this Day One.  

Yeah, I own the original but now one of my favorite Nintendo games will be residing on my Wii to easily show others and enjoy without hooking up the ol' N64.  Moreover, people all over the country will finally get to experience what I've been going crazy about for years.

I just gotta say THANK YOU NINTENDO FOR FINALLY BRINGING THE SWEETNESS STATESIDE!

Don't hesitate people.  This is too good to miss.  Fortunately, it won't be a big deal if you hold back on this or Lost Levels though as it doesn't seem we're being given a time limit to pick these up!

EDIT:  Yeah, I am spazzing but download it and you'll see why!

[Bill Aurion]

Augh, I need a Wii Points card!

[mantidor]

me wants!

still I want to wait for a third party N64 pad, the official is horrible for N64 games. how does it work with the GC controller? can you map the buttons freely or is fixed?

[Jonnyboy117]

~slow clap crescendo~

1200 points is fine for S&P.  They put extra work into translating some of the menus and such, plus the original game costs $100 on the secondary market.

As for controllers, I will try both for my recommendation writeup tonight, but I seem to remember that S&P lets you do your own button assignments.

[KDR_11k]

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
Augh, I need a Wii Points card!

Yep, me too. Couldn't find one that wasn't priced at 25€.

BTW, I wouldn't use the CC on N64 games, at least not if the analog stick is involved. The lack of handles on the CC forces you to counteract the force you apply to the sticks with the side of your fingers instead of the palm of your hand, my fingers started hurting really quickly.

[Michael8983]

It's nice that we're getting more Nintendo produced titles and the most-requested third-party titles for a change, but does this mean that developers are losing interest in releasing their old games on the VC? Lately it seems like we're not getting as many of the somewhat mediocre, low fan-fare third-party titles that the VC was getting its first nine months out the gate. Some would say this is a good sign but will this keep the VC from growing to be the massive collection it was envisioned as? Will support eventually dry up completely?

[nickmitch]

UncleBob must be ecstatic.

[decoyman]

Woot! I'm on it when I get home from work

[Louieturkey]

Heh, when I heard this one was 1200 points in Europe, I got a little excited because that's exactly how many Wii points I have at the moment.  Guess I'm getting my second VC game today.

[Nick DiMola]

Finally some VC games that I can buy! Keep 'em coming!

[Ian Sane]

I'm going have to get Sin & Punishment.  Don't have a classic controller though so I won't get it yet.  I want to see how it controls before I commit to buying a new controller.  Still this is like a new game and I want Nintendo to feel that offering import games is worth the effort.

Last Levels though I'll skip.  I don't really like it much on Super Mario All-Stars and doubt having the original 8-bit version is going to make much difference.  Still good to have it released here in it's original form.

"I am infinitely happy that we aren't getting any of that limited time only crap that PAL regions were getting."

Same here.  Hell that might be the best part of this news.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'd imagine the game controls better with a GameCube controller, as I've bought all the previous N64 VC games and every single one of them controlled better and felt better with the GC pad than the Classic Controller.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Not sure about best VC release yet, but still can't wait to finally play Sin and Punishment, especially since I love Treasure's games. I'll pass on the quick n dirty "bonus level pack" that is SMB2.

[pyrokamileon]

wikipedia says that The Lost Levels has only been offered two times previously in the states: the first time was on the SNES and the second was on the GBC.  I think I would like to play this game, but I'm not sure how I should get it.  I do not have a SNES, so that counts that option out, but I do have more than one way to play a GBC game.  I wonder if the extra work they did on the VC version would make that a better option?  Not to mention it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy GameBoy version because then I could go and put that game in my GameBoy Player whenever I'm at home (that's what I did with SMB 2).  But the VC version is $6 and if I were to get the lost levels for the GBC (in the form of Super Mario Bros. Deluxe) I'd have to pay $10-$15 on ebay.  So I could pay $6 for a possibly updated/better version that would sit in my Wii at home or I could pay twice as much for a portably version.  What do you think?

Oh and by the way, I will be downloading S&P!

[GoldenPhoenix]

I remember reading that Nintendo didn't bother translating anything in SMB2 (Lost Levels) so I'm not sure there is a reason for the higher price if that is the case, except to screw people.

[NWR_insanolord]

The Lost Levels in SMB Deluxe has the last 5 worlds cut out of it, it's not a very good version.

[UncleBob]

I am ecstatic and anyone who disses Super Mario Bros. 2 JPN again will be forced to play it.  And every time you die in the game - you die in real life.

[Svevan]

Sin & Punishment ftw.

Okay, where's the Podcast where I totally called this? Sklens was such a hater and now he's SITTING IN COSTCO, EATING SAMPLES OF HUMBLE PIE. Served to him by a nice lady who has no idea how awesome this game is.  

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob
I am ecstatic and anyone who disses Super Mario Bros. 2 JPN again will be forced to play it.  And every time you die in the game - you die in real life.

Glad you are such a fan of expansion packs advertised as full games.

[Svevan]

Considering that Lost Levels was released as a full game in Japan, I don't think your "expansion pack" verbiage is really working out.

I'm so surprised at Nintendo's description of S&P: it mentions that fans of "Japanese import games" will already be familiar with it. For taking such a hardline stance for region encoding, that seems to be a very generous statement, much more generous than Sony destroying Lik-Sang.