Topic: Virtual Console Mondays: December 25th

[Pale]

What region are you in Tony?  Three week turn around times are not like anything else I've heard either.  I mean, I don't want to be mean, but it really sounds unbelievable compared to every story I've heard and witnessed regarding repairs, at least here in the states.

[KDR_11k]

Minor nitpick: Toejam and Earl has a config menu that allows you to swap the A and 2 button on the remote. The A button works fine for opening the map screen and 2 is a good action button.

Is R-Type like the arcade version in that it has no middle checkpoint on the giant enemy ship level? The Gameboy version (which was my first console game outside of Tetris) had a mid-level checkpoint which made the level much more manageable.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Minor nitpick: Toejam and Earl has a config menu that allows you to swap the A and 2 button on the remote. The A button works fine for opening the map screen and 2 is a good action button.

Awesome. No more crappy GC d-pad for us!

Also, I have to say again how much I completely disagree with the ratings given here. TJ&E was easily one of the most casual-friendly/non-gamer games on the Genesis, and I have proof of that because of how my mother would actually pick it up and play it when I wasn't there.

But to suggest that STREET FIGHTER is anything even verging on the realm of non-gamer friendly is contemptible. I pity the hapless Wii owner who downloads SF believing that it will provide a worthy gaming experience for anyone but the most hardcore of gamers.

[GoldenPhoenix]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Minor nitpick: Toejam and Earl has a config menu that allows you to swap the A and 2 button on the remote. The A button works fine for opening the map screen and 2 is a good action button.

Awesome. No more crappy GC d-pad for us!

Also, I have to say again how much I completely disagree with the ratings given here. TJ&E was easily one of the most casual-friendly/non-gamer games on the Genesis, and I have proof of that because of how my mother would actually pick it up and play it when I wasn't there.

But to suggest that STREET FIGHTER is anything even verging on the realm of non-gamer friendly is contemptible. I pity the hapless Wii owner who downloads SF believing that it will provide a worthy gaming experience for anyone but the most hardcore of gamers.

Well I have proof against that because I hated the game and felt it had no point with poor randomized levels (which I've never really cared for).

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: VGrevolution
Well I have proof against that because I hated the game and felt it had no point with poor randomized levels (which I've never really cared for).

But you're not a casual gamer (you're also not my mother, but let's not turn this argument Freudian).

Regardless, Street Fighter was the game that demanded you be a master of speed, reflex, control and memorization. It doesn't get any more hardcore than that.

[Arbok]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Regardless, Street Fighter was the game that demanded you be a master of speed, reflex, control and memorization. It doesn't get any more hardcore than that.

I disagree, as a youth nearly everyone who I knew enjoyed that game... and we couldn't even muster a Hadouken back then. We clung to the easy moved characters like Blanka and E. Honda, but regardless we played as everyone and we had a lot of fun at it. Yes, if you are playing against a expert you are going to get creamed, but that doesn't stop a novice to the genre from picking it up and just having fun with simple kicks and punches.

[KDR_11k]

Awesome. No more crappy GC d-pad for us!

Hold the wiimote next to the GC controller and compare the dpad. Notice something? They're exactly the same size!

TJ&E is really confusing to play. Did the original manual tell you which earthlings are friendly? The VC manuals are so awful you can just as well skip them and be no more confused than if you had read them.

[Shecky]

TJ&E is pretty straight forward .  There are only 3 friendly humans.  The Wizard who heals you for cash, the Wiseman (in a carrot suit) who ID presents for cash, and the potentially useful Opera Singer, who kills everyone else onscreen for cash (be sure to stand still and cover your ears!).  All other humans are crazy and should be avoided or popped.

Most of the time you want to just avoid humans and pop only the ones that restrict progress or block key items.

Presents are consistent with their wrapper.  All presents start off unidentified until opened or ID'ed.  One type of present is a Randomizer which will reshuffle all your gift/wrapper combinations (BAD).  There is also a "Random" present that you can get quite often.  It always has the same wrapper, but can be anything - including a Randomizer.  You can ID each "Random" gift at the wise man to find out what they are and not take that chance.  I usually dropped "Randoms" for just that reason.

TJ&E is a really long game that gets really tough at the high levels.  I'd be curious to know if you can suspend play on the VC.

[IceCold]

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Hold the wiimote next to the GC controller and compare the dpad. Notice something? They're exactly the same size!

Exactly.. it's just the placement of the GameCube one..

[KDR_11k]

All other humans are crazy and should be avoided or popped.

You sound as if weapons are ubiquitous in that game.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: Arbok
I disagree, as a youth nearly everyone who I knew enjoyed that game... and we couldn't even muster a Hadouken back then. We clung to the easy moved characters like Blanka and E. Honda, but regardless we played as everyone and we had a lot of fun at it. Yes, if you are playing against a expert you are going to get creamed, but that doesn't stop a novice to the genre from picking it up and just having fun with simple kicks and punches.

But these are kids who were all technically gamer types (I had the same experience when I was a kid with SF).

I've seen TJ&E entice non-gamers with its straightforward approach and focus on exploration instead of combat. The goal of TJ&E is not to slay every foe in your path but to collect the necessary resources and stay alive long enough to find your 10 ship pieces. For that reason alone, it was always more likely to rope in people who object to games with tons of mindless fighting/killing.

It can become very difficult on later levels, yes, but it's a game which focuses on exploration, resource management, cooperation, aversion tactics and offers some minor RPG elements as well. It was different from most other games of its time because the focus was never on reflex, killing, or any other trait commonly associated with gaming at the time.

[Shecky]

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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
All other humans are crazy and should be avoided or popped.

You sound as if weapons are ubiquitous in that game.

I did say that you want to avoid them for most of the game, and it's for that very reason (weapons are in short supply).  Since the levels are generated randomly some levels can be oh so fun (I recall one level having a IceCream Truck, two boogie men, and a few others right around one ship piece)

EDIT:  Question:  can you save in the VC Wii TJ&E?

[Smash_Brother]

When you exit by going to the Wii menu, it freezes the game exactly where you left it and will be as such when you launch it again.

It's a godsend for TJ&E.