Post by: WindyMan on February 12, 2007, 03:40:58 PM
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/vcArt.cfm?artid=12982
Remember how everyone complained that Nintendo was holding back all the good stuff? After releasing some high-quality SNES games over the past few weeks, Nintendo starts this week with three of their own NES titles, including one that people have been clamoring for since the download service began. Which one is it? You should already know that by now.
This week's recommendations are from Mike Gamin and Jonathan Metts.
Kid Icarus - NES
Released 8/1987
1 Player
Cost: 500 Wii Points ($5)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Kid Icarus is one of the best games in Nintendo's catalog that has not received a bunch of sequels over the years. It is a platform game with a mythological theme where Pit, the winged hero, must make his way through several levels slaying enemies and collecting power-ups. It includes a mix of side and vertical scrolling areas, much like the first Metroid game, as they were developed using the same engine.
Most people who have played Kid Icarus before remember it for its difficulty first and foremost. It is a tough game. The main goal is to get from point A to point B, much like Super Mario Bros., but doing so in a rush can make the later levels even more difficult. Take your time and discover the several power-ups that will make the journey easier. Kid Icarus is a classic game that is still challenging today. It has a lot of content when compared to many of the other NES offerings on the Virtual Console, and the price is right. If you haven't played it, check it out. You may find yourself begging for a sequel along with the rest of the game's fans. - Mike Gamin
Ice Climber - NES
Released 10/1985
1-2 Players
Cost: 500 Wii Points ($5)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
It only took this game to make Nana and Popo popular enough to appear in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Ice Climber is one of the original NES games from back in 1985. It's a simple action game where the goal is to climb to the top of a mountain. This is done by using a hammer to create holes that your character can jump through. Along the way Topis (little, white, Yeti-like enemies) will try and fill in all those holes you worked so hard to create. If you're too slow, the dreaded Speedo wearing polar bear will make an appearance and knock the stage up a level, possibly killing you.
The best feature of the game is the two player mode. It's up to the players as to how they want to treat this part of the game. Some will take their time, making sure the other is staying alive. Others will climb as fast as they possibly can, leaving the other to die if they don't keep up. This simple cooperative mode gave the game exceptional replay value back when it was released. While the game itself is quite shallow by today's standards, fans of retro gaming and co-op modes in general will find a lot of fun in this quirky title. - Mike Gamin
Kirby's Adventure - NES
Released 5/1/1993
1 Player
Cost: 500 Wii Points ($5)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
This game, one of the more sophisticated platformers on the NES, marks the debut of Kirby's copy technique. By inhaling, then swallowing certain enemies, Kirby can gain over a dozen special abilities. This feature, now a hallmark of the series, makes Kirby's Adventure a far more interesting game than the original Game Boy title.
As with most Kirby games, this one is fairly easy but still fun to play through. It can occasionally present a challenge if you go into a fight with the wrong copy ability. There are also some basic puzzles and secret rooms, mostly leading to extra lives you will never need. Aside from the many action stages, there are several types of mini-games which you can play between levels to earn even more 1ups. It's all presented through a hub world that was snazzy for its time.
The graphics are surprisingly bland, with far less color than in later Kirby games (he doesn't even look very pink!), but the animation is great, and there are many distinct enemy types. This game plays perfectly with the Wii Remote, so there's no need to plug in anything else to get your Kirby fix. All in all, it's a fun game and a good value, being longer and more complex than many NES games. Okay Nintendo, bring on Super Star! - Jonathan Metts
Now that you're up to speed with this week's VC releases, it's about time we reveal the third code word in our Valentine's Day Nintendogs DS Giveaway contest. If you get the four code words, you could win a Nintendo DS Lite and a copy of Nintendogs: Dalmation and Friends. You can find the code words in select Nintendo World Report articles and and during episodes of Radio Free Nintendo, so make sure you get 'em all. We'll open our entry form on Wednesday, February 14 so you can submit your entry, so look out for that.
The third code word in the NWR Valentine's Day Nintendogs DS Giveaway contest is: fetch
Good luck!
Post by: Kairon on February 12, 2007, 04:43:39 PM
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: NWR_pap64 on February 12, 2007, 04:44:57 PM
Post by: TMW on February 12, 2007, 05:15:03 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
How can you recommend Kid Icarus for everyone when it eats newbie gamers for LUNCH?!?!?!?!
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
The same reason I'd recommend that someone read Riddly Walker. The book is nearly impossible to read at first, but well worth the work and effort you put into it.
Some classics you gotta work for.
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 12, 2007, 05:20:46 PM
Post by: Smoke39 on February 12, 2007, 05:51:42 PM
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 12, 2007, 06:47:26 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Smoke39
Were gamers masochists in the '80s or something? ):
You know, I think we were. I remember dieing frustrating deaths over and over again in games like Metroid, Rygar, and others but I did manage to come out on top. Sadly I probably wouldn't even come close to beating those games now!
Post by: Kairon on February 12, 2007, 06:52:07 PM
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Caliban on February 12, 2007, 07:03:41 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Smoke39
Were gamers masochists in the '80s or something? ):
No. It's just that in this modern age, kids have their life made alot easier than we did. Today, kids cry if they didn't get an A+++ on a test because the test wasn't made to automatically get that A+++. I bet that the kids of old hardcore gamers will be learning our old ways. Survival of the fittest. We Win. Can I have my cookie?
Post by: TheYoungerPlumber on February 12, 2007, 07:23:26 PM
Post by: The Omen on February 12, 2007, 09:59:24 PM
Post by: nitsu niflheim on February 13, 2007, 02:27:08 AM
I will have to get this just to play around with again.
Post by: Ceric on February 13, 2007, 03:08:44 AM
Quote
Were gamers masochists in the '80s or something? ):
Yes, and we liked it. (I beat Crystalis... It only took me 50 hours it seemed like to do it... *grumble*)
Actually those were the games I grew up with. I was driven to beat those more then modern games because they tend to contain more inside jokes and the like plus it was a badge of honor to say that you did.
Though I never got Kirby Adventure so I picked it up last night it is good. I don't know if I will pick up Kid Icarus. I enjoyed it for the Game boy/Gameboy.
Post by: Pale on February 13, 2007, 03:26:00 AM
Post by: Acefondu on February 13, 2007, 03:56:56 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on February 13, 2007, 04:49:04 AM
I think it was more game designers making hard games and we put up with it because we didn't know better. Part of it is cheap difficulty to extend game length, part of it is sh!tty design (Acclaim's NES games were hard because they sucked), and I think a big part of it is that gaming was still mostly an arcade thing and arcade games are designed to be hard to get quarters out of the player. The concept of designing games specifically for home play was still a pretty new thing so the "game vs. the player" attitude was still there.
I say Kid Icarus is for everyone because it's one of the best NES games. If we start disqualifying games from "everyone" status because of difficulty then a whole lot of NES games are out. Legend of Zelda is pretty damn hard for someone used to the newer Zeldas but I think it's still a required play for any serious gamer.
Post by: Blue Plant on February 13, 2007, 05:00:43 AM
Recommended for Everyone!
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 13, 2007, 05:25:33 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on February 13, 2007, 05:33:41 AM
Serious gamers are the only ones who are ever going to use the VC. If casuals use it at all it will just be for games like Tetris or Super Mario Bros that they played years ago. For most of the world videogames are disposable entertainment. No one plays Madden 06 now that Madden 07 is out. The only people who really care about older games are serious gamers.
Post by: KDR_11k on February 13, 2007, 06:50:40 AM
Games back then were hard mostly because they should offer the gamer something for his money and if they were as easy as modern games (die less than 10 times over the course of the game on the first playthrough) you'd finish them in 30 minutes. Back then games were a challenge you overcame, not a pseudointeractive movie where the good guy wins anyway and all you choose is how he kills the enemies. Beating a game meant training yourself and pushing yourself to the limit, games were like a sport where you start out as a crappy beginner and have to work hard and accept many a failure if you want to get to the top. Many modern games can be beaten without much training or pushing, you just play through the allotted time and almost inevitably win.
The modern way is more accessible and provides more instant gratification but doesn't work for some genres and makes others completely unsatisfying (I haven't had the sensation of my heartrate slowly returning to normal while I shakingly hold the controller and watch the ending credits for quie a while now). Did anyone feel he really beat some kind of ultimate evil with all odds against him in Zelda TP? Or did it feel more like "I'm an unstoppable god, a little joke like Ganon can't even scratch me"?
Post by: JonLeung on February 13, 2007, 06:58:09 AM
Even SMB only debuted two (Mario and Luigi were previously in Mario Bros.) and LoZ only had three (if you count Ganon as Ganondorf).
(Oh, wait, I suppose the N64 VC release of Super Smash Bros. would debut five characters...Samus, Fox, Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Ness...that's the only single game that can beat this Monday's offerings in terms of Smash Bros.!)
So much Nintendo love.
Post by: vudu on February 13, 2007, 07:02:22 AM
Post by: Ceric on February 13, 2007, 08:32:49 AM
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 13, 2007, 08:37:11 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"The key words being 'serious gamer'"
Serious gamers are the only ones who are ever going to use the VC. If casuals use it at all it will just be for games like Tetris or Super Mario Bros that they played years ago. For most of the world videogames are disposable entertainment. No one plays Madden 06 now that Madden 07 is out. The only people who really care about older games are serious gamers.
Do you have any facts to back up your claim that only "serious" gamers will use VC? My younger sister enjoys playing some of the games, and she is definately NOT a gamer.
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 13, 2007, 08:41:20 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
LoZ has still aged better than Metroid...
Games back then were hard mostly because they should offer the gamer something for his money and if they were as easy as modern games (die less than 10 times over the course of the game on the first playthrough) you'd finish them in 30 minutes. Back then games were a challenge you overcame, not a pseudointeractive movie where the good guy wins anyway and all you choose is how he kills the enemies. Beating a game meant training yourself and pushing yourself to the limit, games were like a sport where you start out as a crappy beginner and have to work hard and accept many a failure if you want to get to the top. Many modern games can be beaten without much training or pushing, you just play through the allotted time and almost inevitably win.
The modern way is more accessible and provides more instant gratification but doesn't work for some genres and makes others completely unsatisfying (I haven't had the sensation of my heartrate slowly returning to normal while I shakingly hold the controller and watch the ending credits for quie a while now). Did anyone feel he really beat some kind of ultimate evil with all odds against him in Zelda TP? Or did it feel more like "I'm an unstoppable god, a little joke like Ganon can't even scratch me"?
I really disagree here, most of the games back in the NES and SNES days were diffcult because of cheap level design, lives, and basically cheap deaths. Not only that but many of the older games relied more on reflexes more than anything else and were quite shallow. Now days there is much more strategy involved and don't rely on "reflex" based gameplay as much. I personally prefer the latter because I'd much rather use my mind and strategy then reflexes. Do reflex based games have their place? Of course, but I definately would not put them on a higher level than the variety of games we get today which can focus on different skills. Reflex is not the only skill people possess, and can be especially frustrating for those who don't have the best of reflexes.
In regards to the 3D Zelda games (I have no beaten TP yet), I have gotten a great sense of accomplishment in every 3D Zelda (well besides Majora's Mask) because I felt as if I had completed a long journey, almost like reading a book and finally getting to the end. But it is made much sweeter because I was the one who got it to the end. The ending battle in OOT and the ending were one of my most memorable moments in gaming.
P.S. I agree Metroid 1 has not aged well either, so I'd put that in "Recommended for fans" the same with the original LoZ.
Post by: Entroper on February 13, 2007, 08:44:57 AM
Post by: ShyGuy on February 13, 2007, 08:47:23 AM
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 13, 2007, 08:49:48 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: ShyGuy
I think the big appeal of Kid Icarus is people want a sequel. Not because the game was fantastic, but because the IP has so much potential.
I agree, I finally got to the chance to sit down and play it for a good length of time. The concept does have potential, but it is extremely flawed as well, and I don't see much appeal beyond nostalgia for "fans" of the game, I can't imagine having my sister play it, I have no doubt she would hate it.
Post by: Ian Sane on February 13, 2007, 08:57:59 AM
Do you honestly think any one who isn't really interested in games would download Kid Icarus? Would your younger sister play those older games if you didn't introduce them to her?
I'm just going by personal experience. Most people I meet that don't really identify themselves as "gamers" play current games and not much else. Those people wouldn't download a VC game they had never heard of. Hell even when I was a kid and all my friends and acquaintances played videogames most of them wouldn't touch a game that they considered "old". I think anyone who will actually pay money to download Kid Icarus knows that they're getting into a hard game as is typical of the NES era. I just can't see Bob the 15 year old Madden-nut downloading many VC games that came out before he was born.
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on February 13, 2007, 09:03:04 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"Do you have any facts to back up your claim that only 'serious' gamers will use VC? My younger sister enjoys playing some of the games, and she is definately NOT a gamer."
Do you honestly think any one who isn't really interested in games would download Kid Icarus? Would your younger sister play those older games if you didn't introduce them to her?
I'm just going by personal experience. Most people I meet that don't really identify themselves as "gamers" play current games and not much else. Those people wouldn't download a VC game they had never heard of. Hell even when I was a kid and all my friends and acquaintances played videogames most of them wouldn't touch a game that they considered "old". I think anyone who will actually pay money to download Kid Icarus knows that they're getting into a hard game as is typical of the NES era. I just can't see Bob the 15 year old Madden-nut downloading many VC games that came out before he was born.
Actually she probably would. My main point is that you cannot state that the VC is only being utilized by serious gamers, in fact looking at the number of VC games downloaded (Probably over 2 million by now) shows there is a big market for them, and by the looks of things there are alot of "non-gamers" who own a Wii. People are always curious about what came before, heck I never got to play Atari much but I still have played the games. A truly good game should stand the test of time.
Speaking of Kid ICarus, that was my argument all along, that game is a game for fans of it, because frankly it is not casual friendly and has more "potential" than the way it was executed, similar to Metroid IMO. A game like SMB3, or even SMB1 are easy to get into and may spark the interest of younger gamers who haven't tried them.
Post by: The Omen on February 13, 2007, 09:56:45 AM
Quote
Speaking of Kid ICarus, that was my argument all along, that game is a game for fans of it, because frankly it is not casual friendly and has more "potential" than the way it was executed, similar to Metroid IMO.
Speak for yourself. I personally love both Metroid and Kid Icarus and recommend them to everyone. Virtual death never killed anyone so suck it up!
Post by: Ceric on February 13, 2007, 10:23:03 AM
Kratos Vs. Pit: Battle for Olympia. (For Wii and PS3)
Also much like "Godzilla Vs. King Kong" Kratos wins on the PS3 and Pit wins on the Wii
Post by: trip1eX on February 13, 2007, 01:39:51 PM
There's a good amount of easy to get into games like hockey or baseball or Donkey Kong etc. Games to goof around on. That's why I like the VC. Stuff like Super Mario World and Kirby are fun and easy to get into and offer a bit of a challenge and they're convenient.
Plus you forget best of all - price. Yeah some games are overpriced at $5, but it's still only $5. I've bought 5 VC games so far and still haven't spent as much as a new Wii game costs. So there's alot of gaming value there. The great thing is many of these games are new to me except a few NES ones.
btw I got Kirby. I didn't realize the DS version was so much like it. Kirby is a fun one.
Post by: IceCold on February 13, 2007, 02:13:25 PM
Post by: Arbok on February 13, 2007, 04:41:29 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ceric
Also much like "Godzilla Vs. King Kong" Kratos wins on the PS3 and Pit wins on the Wii
King Kong wins in both the US and Japanese versions of that film.
Post by: TheYoungerPlumber on February 13, 2007, 08:00:40 PM
Post by: Ceric on February 14, 2007, 02:14:58 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: ArbokQuote
Originally posted by: Ceric
Also much like "Godzilla Vs. King Kong" Kratos wins on the PS3 and Pit wins on the Wii
King Kong wins in both the US and Japanese versions of that film.
Really?! I always heard that in the Japanese Version Godzilla was powered up by a lightning strike at the end and was able to subdue King Kong. I never been able to find a copy to rent and watch. Thanks for the clarification.
Post by: Neodymium on February 14, 2007, 04:10:16 AM
Next off, here why I don't think Kid Icarus should be recommended for everyone: the flawed save system. Like the restof us, I have complained long and hard about the fact that the VC games contain no new features. I almost understand that Nintendo wants to cheap us out on no borders for 16:9 mode and no online multiplayer or other enhancements, but the fact is that to continue in Kid Icarus you need to enter a password. An archaic password save system that Nintendo didn't even have the courtesy to save the password for you like the Metroid emulated in Prime. Ridiculous.. I'm not going to write down a big, long, clunky password every time I want to play the game again.
Post by: darknight06 on February 14, 2007, 04:49:33 AM
Post by: Artimus on February 14, 2007, 05:24:43 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: darknight06
The games have a virtual save state feature, I'm not seeing the issue here.
Exactly...I haven't had to enter a single password and I own two password games.
When you get to the game over screen or whatever, just hit Home and go to the Wii menu. When you next load the game you return to where you were.
