For those who grew up with them, it's hard not to look back nostalgically on the 16-bit consoles. With this week's slate Virtual Console titles for examination, it's going to get even harder.

First up, the original Genesis version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Nicholas Bray is a fan of Sega's mascot, but will hindsight dull the appeal of the Blue Blur's first outing?

Then a representative of the TurboGrafx-16 appears, and guess what: it's a shooter! Carmine Red takes Super Star Soldier for a spin to find out if it's really so super after all.

Finally, Pedro Hernandez visits Sim City from the Super Nintendo. Can modern gamers expect to get lost in this Nintendo-tinged version of the timeless classic?

The initial Genesis entry in the Sonic series is usually neglected when compared to the later sequels. This first Sonic the Hedgehog game has smaller and more focused levels that are fun to return to over and over. There are six zones of three acts each, plus some special stages where you must collect the seven Chaos Emeralds. However, levels later in the game can slow down into platform jumping affairs until players grow familiar with their layout.

Sonic doesn’t have the spin dash move, and you gain momentum by rolling down hills, or getting a run up. I never found the lack of spin dash to be a deterrent, and the levels are designed with plenty of areas to gain needed momentum. The music is also utterly fantastic, and has several memorable melodies that sadly have never been heard from again in later entries, the invincibility song being a notable example.

In the end, Sonic the Hedgehog has some great levels and is still genuinely fun to play. The polished platforming, fun and interesting gameplay with its sense of speed and momentum is recommended to those who have not played this game before.

Vertical scrolling shooters make up a good chunk of the Virtual Console catalog, and Super Star Soldier is a solid representative of the genre. Players have to manuever a ship through auto-scrolling levels, collecting powerups on the way in order to better defend themselves against waves of interstellar aggressors.

Super Star Soldier strays little from the mainstays of the genre, but the game's eight levels are an exuberant and fast-paced romp of swarming enemies, strategically placed power-ups, stray bullets, and bosses. A two or five-minute high score mode is offered to tempt experienced shooter fans, whilst infinite continues offer a cushion against frustration for less-skilled gamers. However, run-of-the-mill visuals and sound, and the lack of multiplayer gameplay severely limit the game's overall potential.

The retro shooters genre has plenty of competition on Virtual Console. Super Star Soldier does absolutely nothing to really stand out, nor will it win any new fans. However, it's hard to fault a game that earnestly sets out to offer some solid shooting gameplay, and succeeds.

In the early 90's, life simulation games were still quite unique and new to many gamers. The SNES version of Sim City follows the basics of the original computer game, but adds a bit of a Nintendo flare that makes it both unique in its own franchise as well as a proud addition to that family of games.

Much like the computer game, you will place buildings, roads, and other structures in order to create a city of happy people. Problems such as poor planning or natural disasters (tornadoes, earthquakes... Bowser) put a damper on your plans. Unique to the SNES version of the game are reward structures, like a Mario Statue, which can be placed in the city, giving a unique benefit to your citizens.

To those that have learned to play these types of games, Sim City proves to be a rewarding experience where the fruits of your efforts will clearly be seen. For players not used to the many details and resources that you must keep track of and balance, it may be a little intimidating. The layer of Nintendo charm is great, and the thrills that come with being a leader will be rewarding to those willing to participate.