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This Week's VC Releases

September 17, 2007, 7:55 am EDT
Total comments: 26

News now, recommendations later!

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

Sept. 17, 2007

Everyone's favorite long-tongued, egg-tossing dinosaurs make a colorful splash on the Wii Shop Channel this week. Yoshi's action takes place in storybook "pages" made up of bookmaking materials and other familiar textures, including cut-paper forests, denim clouds, inflatable plastic islands and stacks of colored spools. It's a classic Nintendo® 64 game remembered as much for its beauty as its game play. Once you're done with that, you can probably find time to fly an attack helicopter or play a little baseball to get ready for the post-season.

Three 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:

Yoshi's Story™ (Nintendo 64, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): The evil Baby Bowser has cast a spell turning Yoshi's Island™ into a picture book. Worse yet, the Super Happy Tree has been stolen, making the island dark and gloomy. Players must take control of six Yoshis, each a different color, and travel through six pages (worlds) of platforming adventure to recover the tree and return the island to normal. Featuring huge character models and bright, vibrant colors, the game's various environments (such as woods, caves, mountains and oceans) come alive in a uniquely gorgeous 2½-D look. Eat fruit, avoid enemies and obstacles, and throw eggs from the Yoshis' never-ending supply in your quest to stop Baby Bowser's plan from succeeding. If you're good enough, you can aim for higher scores by being picky about the fruit you eat. And who knows, you might even find the mysterious black and white Yoshis.

Super Thunder Blade™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Mild Violence, 800 Wii Points): In this follow-up to Thunder Blade, you'll fly a new and improved attack helicopter in a series of attacks against guerilla armies that are bent on taking over the world. Although your aircraft is formidable, your enemies are vast and varied. You'll have to take on submarines, tanks, fighter planes and more. Your command of this state-of-the-art battle copter must be top notch, as you'll have to dodge oncoming fire and use your various weapons to eliminate all enemy targets so you can reach the guerilla base and end their nefarious plans once and for all. Put on your flight suit and step into the thrilling action of Super Thunder Blade.

World Class Baseball (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Acclaimed for its steady game play, World Class Baseball is the definitive baseball game on the TurboGrafx16. Battle the computer in OPEN MODE or play a friend in VERSUS MODE. Customize your team in EDIT MODE or even watch a game between two computer opponents in WATCH MODE. World Class Baseball offers the complete baseball gaming experience. Of course there's also plenty of single-player action. The main feature is PENNANT MODE, where the player chooses a team from one of the world's leagues and strives to win their team's league. Beat league rivals and save your progress with passwords on your way to becoming league champions. After winning your league, get ready to the face the other league's champion in the heated series for the world championship.

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

Talkback

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorSeptember 17, 2007

Super Mario Bros. 2 JPN pls.

Michael8983September 17, 2007

Maybe I should give Yoshi's Story another chance.
I only played through it once but it just seemed so TERRIBLE in comparison to Yoshi's Island which is one of my favorite games of all time.

Any Yoshi's Story fans/defenders out there?

DAaaMan64September 17, 2007

ya I thought I would be the only one who had fun with yoshi's story. I guess it isn't as good as yoshi's island tho.

LuigiHannSeptember 17, 2007

I enjoyed Yoshi's Story. Just don't expect it to be another Yoshi's Island.

If you don't think it's challenging enough, try to get all 30 cantaloupes in every level. I was never able to.

Well if we're getting Yoshi's Story this month, I wonder if that lessens the release chances of Sin & Punishment.

I don't see why we wont get it eventually, I mean other (non Japan territories) have gotten it. NOA is usually on the ba...oh yea tingle.
face-icon-small-sad.gif

We should get it eventually, but I wonder why we get so for N64 titles. I know they're harder to get working right, on the Wii. But still, haven't they got the system for makin' em run going better yet? How many are we up to? Eight?

KDR_11kSeptember 17, 2007

Europe has a special promotion called the Hanabi Festival now which involves releasing "import" VC games (see VC Friday thread for details). NoA might decide they want a similar promotion to release the japanese games.

Yeah, I saw that. Still, I think Sin and Punishment is no more a Japanese Game than Metal Wolf: Chaos. It's all in English...man sometimes I wish it was like the PS3 in that you could create an account for another region and buy their crap.

couchmonkeySeptember 17, 2007

I love Yoshi's Story. It's not as good as Yoshi's Island, but it's still good, just in a different kind of way. It's more of a high-scorin' game.

Ian SaneSeptember 17, 2007

I was looking up the VC thread on the Penny Arcade forums. Oh man don't ever mention Yoshi's Story with some of those guys. As is often the case the hate comes less from the quality of the game itself but more from the fact that it's a sequel to one of the best games of all time and really fails to live up to that. Yoshi's Story is a rare Nintendo game that actually was designed for little kids and why Nintendo decided that the sequel to Yoshi's Island had to be such a game we'll never know. One guy on the Penny Arcade board was so excited about the game back in 1998 that he imported it. OUCH! I'm more upset that Nintendo decided to retcon Yoshi's voice into the blatant baby voice from Yoshi's Story. I don't know about you but if I made a sequel to one of my best games and everyone seemed to hate it I wouldn't have its influence be present in all future games in the series, including re-releases of the original game.

If Yoshi's Story didn't have Yoshi and was just some stupid toddler game Nintendo released with little fanfare odds are it not only wouldn't get sh!t on but would today be praised as an underrated title. Bad games are ignored but bad sequels become infamous.

It makes you really wonder why Nintendo felt the need to make an actual kids game in the first place. Aren't their good games 99% of the time suitable for and popular with kids anyway? Odds are a GOOD Yoshi's Island 64 would have sold just as well with kids as Yoshi's Story did and possibly sell even better due to having more universal appeal.

GoldenPhoenixSeptember 17, 2007

Ewww to Yoshi's Story, a terribly generic and sloppy "sequel" to Yoshi's Island.

King of TwitchSeptember 17, 2007

They have to know people didn't like Yoshi's Story, that's why they made a sequel to YI on the DS instead. They are deliberately dragging Yoshi's name in the mud by bringing this up so early in the VC's life and he'll probably be made the worst character in SSB again, out of spite.

GoldenPhoenixSeptember 17, 2007

Quote

Originally posted by: MJRx9000
They have to know people didn't like Yoshi's Story, that's why they made a sequel to YI on the DS instead. They are deliberately dragging Yoshi's name in the mud by bringing this up so early in the VC's life and he'll probably be made the worst character in SSB again, out of spite.


I wonder if Yoshi's Story was even intended to be made for kids but because of a quick development process, and maybe lack of budget it turned out that way.

King of TwitchSeptember 17, 2007

GoodPoint, GoldenPhoenix. Wiki says it was one of the first EAD developed titles that was not produced by Shigeru Miyamoto.

Goldeneye and Diddy Kong Racing was released a few months earlier, and Banjo-Kazooie came out 5 months later. Mario Party was released the same month.

DD64 was scheduled to launch in late 1997 with Earthbound 64, Pocket Monster 64, Sim City, and Mario Paint 64... later delayed to March 1998.

The only other Nintendo-developed game to come out in the 6 months before and after YS's release in December 1997 was... 1080.

So.. I blame Rare and the 64 DD for Yoshi Story

I am interested in alot of these 64 games. Thats the one Nintendo console i didnt buy.

ArbokSeptember 17, 2007

A thread complaining about Yoshi's Story? Let me hop in on this...

First off, on a slight level I do respect that they attempted to experiment with the title, at least in Japan. Originally, you could not save mid-game, and as far as I know you could not continue either. You had to beat the entire thing in one sitting, harking back to the "NES style" of design. When it was brought to the US, though, both saving and the ability to continue were introduced... reducing the difficulty level to pretty much a joke. Regardless of how hard or easy it was, though, the game was simply a huge letdown. Around an hour of playtime is just insane by today's standards, as how can you merit spending $60-70 for that? Level design was also a weak point, and there just wasn't much about the title to stand out in a positive light.

In the end, I also think the title went a long way to hammer home that "Nintendo is for kids" stereotype as well.

For reference, I actually did the 30 melon challenge... and was hugely let down that nothing was unlocked.

Ian SaneSeptember 17, 2007

"First off, on a slight level I do respect that they attempted to experiment with the title, at least in Japan. Originally, you could not save mid-game, and as far as I know you could not continue either. You had to beat the entire thing in one sitting, harking back to the 'NES style' of design."

This explains a lot. Though still Nintendo was following up a game that had a save battery and a lot of levels and quite obviously wasn't designed for only one playthrough. Maybe they were "experimenting" but it still takes very little foresight to guess that such a design was not going to be popular with Yoshi's Island fans. The whole idea whether it be for more for kids or to harken back to NES days contradicts the original game's design that made the game popular in the first place. Yoshi's Island was the sequel to Super Mario World. A one hour sequel to THAT would have been unacceptable, let alone Yoshi's Island.

MashiroSeptember 17, 2007

Yoshi's Story was probably the biggest Nintendo Sequel let down ever for me on a personal level . . .

Actually scratch that Dinosaur Planet was the biggest let down, WTB REAL Star Fox game PST.

IceColdSeptember 17, 2007

Quote

GoodPoint, GoldenPhoenix. Wiki says it was one of the first EAD developed titles that was not produced by Shigeru Miyamoto.
I was just going to mention this, as I do for every other topic on Yoshi's Story. It was one of the first EAD games that Miyamoto wasn't involved in either as a producer, director OR even game designer. Of course it wouldn't turn out as well as expected. I think it was somewhat of a warning signal for Nintendo to develop young talent to take over for Miyamoto when he retires..

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterSeptember 17, 2007

I personally enjoyed Yoshi's Story. If you see it as the sequel to Yoshi's Island then the game is a major disappointment, one that has a lot of lost potential. If you see it as its own game, though, its quite a fun, easy breezy diversion for younger gamers and even veteran players.

The overall presentation also kills it. I enjoyed it but its a bit overblown. Yoshi's Island was cute but at the same time very artistic. Yoshi's Story, while artistic on many aspects, is simply cute, a bit too cute. It might get on some people's nerves rather quickly.

Yoshi's Story is OK. I liked it as a kid, but even at that naive time I recognized it wasn't NEARLY as good as Yoshi's Island and was disappointed. I revisited on N64 last month and MAN I regretted it. Regardless of what this website actually posts as its recommendation, it ain't worth $10.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterSeptember 17, 2007

Its going to get the "Not recommended" label. Even if the game is decent I agree that its not worth the 10 dollars since its extremely easy and short.

Even though I have fond memories of Yoshi's Story, and happily remember imagining Yoshi's making constipated noises as they tried to jump extra high... yeah, can't exactly reason it out as worth anoth $10...

Ian SaneSeptember 18, 2007

"Yoshi's Story is OK. I liked it as a kid"

Oh man. You know you feel old when a staff member is talking about playing Yoshi's Story AS A KID.

GoldenPhoenixSeptember 18, 2007

Quote

Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"Yoshi's Story is OK. I liked it as a kid"

Oh man. You know you feel old when a staff member is talking about playing Yoshi's Story AS A KID.


Yikes I think I was maybe 16 or so when I played it. That makes me feel old.

MashiroSeptember 18, 2007

You know what makes me feel old?

Seeing consoles I own end up in museums. face-icon-small-wink.gif

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