Double the pleasure, double the fun, double the recommendations! http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/vcArt.cfm?artid=14138 And we're back! We didn't want to leave everyone out in the cold last week, but alas, it was beyond our control. Fear not, because this week we've got twice the amount of games to recommend. It's like getting two for the price of one!
We should be back on our normal VC schedule next week and beyond. So then, here are our recommendations for this week's games and last week's games.
Dynamite Headdy - Genesis
Released 8/4/1994
1 Player
Cost: 800 Wii Points ($8)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Imagine if Rayman had arms and legs, and you'll have a good idea what the main character of Dynamite Headdy looks like. His floating head is his main tool, used to attack enemies, latch on to objects and do various other tasks. The rest of the game is a colorful action platformer that offers a unique spin on the genre, and likes to poke fun at itself at every turn. Interested parties may also want to know that the game was developed by Treasure, and it's one of the better ones.
The game is not without its faults, however. Playing Dynamite Headdy requires some concentration, not because of the challenge the game brings to the table, but because of how the bright colors mix with each other. This makes it difficult to keep track of where you are on the screen. Inexperienced gamers will no doubt get confused by this. Everyone else will love playing through it, though. - Steven Rodriguez
Star Soldier - NES
Released 1/1989
1 Player
Cost: 500 Wii Points ($500)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Star Soldier, yet another vertical shooter on the Virtual Console, takes you through sixteen highly difficult stages swarming with enemies, cannons, and other objects blocking your way. Power-ups improve your weapons, shields, or movement speed, while an interesting Trap Zone mechanic makes it possible for your ship to safely "duck" under any incoming fire for a limited amount of time.
While the controls are great and the aforementioned Trap Zone feature is pretty fun, the game ultimately fails to set itself apart from the dozens of shooters already available on the Virtual Console. Two of those games, Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade, are actually sequels to this game, and both of them have better graphics and sounds and less repetitive level design. That is why the release of Star Soldier is an odd choice at this time in the Virtual Console's lifespan. - Lasse Pallesen
Drop Off - TurboGrafx-16
Released 10/1990
1 Player
Cost: 600 Wii Points ($6)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Drop Off is an Arkanoid clone, and a pretty lame one at that. Instead of a fixed arrangement of blocks to bounce your ball into, a pile of objects arranged in typical Bust-A-Move patterns will slowly come down toward your position at the bottom. And instead of controlling a long paddle, you move an orb-shaped object with which you can control the ball bounce angle. The goal is to try to break off large chunks of a column at once, which is worth big points. Early levels will have a safety barrier at the bottom which makes it impossible to lose a ball, but pretty soon you'll be on your own to bounce the ball off your tiny orb.
Drop Off is such a terrible game because you only have a small area with which to hit the ball back into the playfield. Though you can control the angle with which it bounces off (tall or shallow), the hard part is landing it on your orb in the first place. Once the patterns start thickening up, there's a chance that the ball and your orb will become partitioned from each other, leaving you to die. Not a very appealing concept. - Steven Rodriguez
Kirby's Dream Course - SNES
Released 2/1/1995
1-2 Players
Cost: 800 Wii Points ($8)
Controllers: Wii Classic, GameCube
Kirby has starred in a lot of odd spin-offs, but Dream Course might be the oddest of them all. Take one part Kirby and one part golf, blend it up, and the result is Kirby's Dream Course. For no particular reason, Kirby has become a golf ball, and it's your job to sink him in as few shots as possible. Of course, if it were that simple it would just be a golf game. Before sinking Kirby, you'll have to take out all the enemies (save one) in the level by running through them. Only then will the final enemy magically transform into the hole you seek. As the game progresses, Kirby will be confronted with different enemies and obstacles. Eliminating certain enemies will grant Kirby powers, which can be activated to power-up Kirby in various ways, adding another layer of complexity to the game.
It's certainly a very interesting game. The blending of all these different elements into a golf game changes things a lot. It could almost be referred to a platforming-golf game. Kirby's Dream Course is both fun and a little bit zany. It offers a respectable level of challenge, and getting the top score on each of the 8 courses (comprised of 8 holes each), will take a lot of time, skill, and patience. You'll want to toss your controller the first 50 or so times you manage to land Kirby right on the lip of the cup rather than in it, but keep at it and eventually you'll master the links of Dreamland. - Mike Sklens
Devil's Crush - TurboGrafx-16
Released 8/1990
1-2 Players
Cost: 600 Wii Points ($6)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Devil's Crush is a pinball video game, and the immediate successor to Alien Crush. That said, Devil's Crush is better than Alien Crush, with smoother action and better animation. Though there's only one three-tiered board to play on, there's a lot of stuff to do on it like kill little enemy gremlins that parade around, knock up some skulls, make a giant head transform from a pretty face into an ugly snake and a variety of secret bonus boards to rack up extra points. The two available speed settings will separate the men from the boys.
The only downsides are the single board to play on and the sometimes out-of-control ball physics. Despite that, if you choose to download Devil's Crush you'll find it addictive for the same reason you'd find any pinball game addictive: You know you can get a better score. And unlike a real pinball machine, the digital version is teeming with life for you to crush. It's the best pinball game available on the Virtual Console so far, and is something anyone will like to play. - Steven Rodriguez
Shining Force - Genesis
Released 11/1993
1 Players
Cost: 800 Wii Points ($8)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Here's what can be considered the first true RPG on Virtual Console. Shining Force is a strategy RPG in which you control a party of warriors around levels on a grid-based playfield. Battlefield encounters will cut to a detailed view of the action. The gameplay and presentation is not unlike Fire Emblem, so if you've played any of those games in the series, Shining Force will be much the same, what with its multiple playable characters (at least two dozen) and well thought-out story.
Naturally, the gameplay is the key element in a strategy game, and that's where Shining Force shines the brightest. The levels and battles are well-designed. Most importantly, you need to really plan and execute well to win, since most of the time you'll be outnumbered. Seeing a game like this one on VC is great for the service, since it's one that proves that great gameplay stands the test of time. - Steven Rodriguez
Many thanks to VG Museum for the classic screenshots!
Topic: Virtual Console Mondays: July 23 and July 30, 2007 (Read 4613 times)
