Are you ready for some football?
Let's see ... a football game, a Sonic game, and an RPG. Doesn't this combination look awfully familiar? No matter, because it's another trifecta of Virtual Console releases and it appears that Nintendo and company are showing no signs of slowing down. It's another good week, with no duds to speak of. Surely, you'll be spending some Wii Points on one of this week's games.
Neutopia II
| System | Virtual Console - TurboGrafx-16 |  |
| Cost | 600 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Year 1992 |
Click here for a video preview
Neutopia II is a top down adventure RPG. You play as a sword and shield bearing youth. The game starts as your mother awakes from a nightmare in which she saw your father losing in a battle against a large boss monster. She takes this as a vision of the future and sends you out to find him. So, you hit the road and quickly learn that you have to go into labyrinths and look for treasure.
Are you having a hard time picturing this game? Do yourself a favor and just picture the first Zelda game. Now improve the graphics (but not necessarily the art direction) and you've got Neutopia II. It is so painfully obvious that this game was a direct attempt to cash in on the success of Nintendo's franchise. It features a top down view. The 2 Button is used to swing your sword. The 1 Button is used for one of several sub weapons that the user can switch between. Two examples of these sub weapons are bombs and a boomerang. Labyrinths are one-screen-at-a-time levels that feature bomb-able walls, secret switches, and even snakes that speed up when they see you. If you take too much damage and run out of hearts you even spin in a circle before falling on the ground. Overall, the game is interesting and the overall mechanic is a proven one, but if you want to play a Zelda game, play a Zelda game. If you've played them all and still want more, pick up Neutopia II.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
| System | Virtual Console - Genesis |  |
| Cost | 800 Points | |
| Players | 2 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Feb 1994 |
Click here for a video preview
Will he or won't he spin dash? That's a question I can't quit asking of Sonic 3, because the controls are as slippery and inconsistent as ever in this entry of the series. Despite some frustration with the controls, Sonic 3 is easily one of the best Sonic games ever released by Sega. The graphics and level design have improved over Sonic 2, and the three new shields (lightning, fire, and water) give Sonic some very interesting new powers. Tails is back as a helper, or you can control him directly throughout the adventure. Knuckles is introduced as a villain who steals Sonic's Chaos Emeralds, but Dr. Robotnik/Eggman is still involved, too. The split-screen competition mode from Sonic 2 is also present.
There are many reasons to love Sonic 3, especially before and after the insidious Hydrocity Zone (underwater level). If you were a Nintendo-only person during the 16-bit era and have been curious about the early Sonic games, this is the best one yet released on Virtual Console and is a very good introduction to the series, warts and all.
NES Play Action Football
| System | Virtual Console - Nintendo Entertainment System |  |
| Cost | 500 Points | |
| Players | 2 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Sep 1990 |
Click here for a video preview
With NFL season officially underway, Nintendo is marking the occasion with a VC release of Play Action Football. The unique top-down 45-degree angled-look of the play field makes it possible for the game to zoom in on the action. It's easy to see gaps in the defense while running the ball and because the camera zooms out when going for a pass, it's easy to see which receivers are open downfield. The angled view doesn't mean you'll have a hard time moving around the field, because Up on the D-Pad still moves your character straight along the field.
Play Action Football is a terrific NES football game, one that outclasses the almighty Tecmo Bowl. Everyone on the field has the name of an actual NFL player, so if you want to play as Dan Marino you can pick team Miami and pass to your heart's content. Players also have multiple stamina meters, including those tied to individual attributes. If you use the speed dash ability too often, for example, you'll drain your speed meter and start to slow down more often. If that happens, you can make a substitution for a fresh player. It's a great single-player game, and even more fun with two players. If you want to play some football with the pros, Play Action Football is a really good way to do it.
Thanks to VG Museum for some of this week's classic screenshots.
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