Zelda II headlines the arrival of Virtual Console's 100th game. How does it and the others released this week stack up? http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/vcArt.cfm?artid=13576 It's been almost seven months since Nintendo launched the Wii and the Virtual Console service, and this week sees the 100th game available for the service. That's impressive compared to the competition: Xbox Live Arcade—which has been around for a year and a half—sports around 60 titles, and the PS3's PlayStation Network service has less than 30.
So what about the four games released this week on VC? That's news in and of itself. It's been a while since Nintendo let loose more than three games. It may have released the fourth just to get to the 100 mark, so there's no telling if we'll go back to the usual triple play next week.
Here are our recommendations for the centennial set.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - NES
Released 9/1988
1 Player
Cost: 500 Wii Points ($5)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on the NES veers far from the first game's roots. Presented primarily from a side-scrolling perspective, the sequel is decidedly more action-oriented with rudimentary swordplay mechanics, platforming, and more upgradeable statistics. Players venture through a fairly linear overworld to reach side-scrolling temples (dungeons), caves, and towns to claim the Triforce of Courage.
This game was very much an experiment for Nintendo back in the day, and it yielded as many successes as failures. The unbalanced points system and semi-random battles impose mindless grinding, and the series quickly reverted to item and rupee-based upgrades. Since battles take place solely in the side-scrolling mode, the overworld feels largely detached from the game's core. The game design provides considerable challenge, but level design devolves to cruelty in the cave sequences approaching the final dungeon (although players can exploit a bug in the overworld to counteract this). Zelda II's broken save file, which does not remember Link's score, is curbed by VC's save state feature—use it!
As much as some Nintendo fans hate to admit, though, Zelda II also has many notable qualities. In the first Zelda game players explored a vast but desolate world with nothing more than scraps of information from a thin instruction booklet. Zelda II introduced the busy towns and non-player character interactions now so familiar. Zelda II's quicker pacing, more epic bosses, and deliberate swordplay has been quietly reprised in recent games such as Twilight Princess, Four Swords Adventures, and Super Smash Bros. And while the interesting but ultimately superfluous magic system was redesigned on the SNES, Zelda II provided its foundation. The Adventure of Link may be the "black sheep" of the series, but enjoyable dungeons and satisfying controls make it a fun, if flawed, Virtual Console game. - Michael Cole
Milon's Secret Castle - NES
Released 9/1/1988
1 Player
Cost: 500 Wii Points ($5)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
This somewhat obscure and totally weird NES game may best be described as "Metroid on LSD". You play as Milon, a young wizard who shoots bubbles at enemies. The game is basically a platformer with shooting elements, but the level designs are very tricky and require careful exploration. You also find and/or purchase new abilities throughout the game which unlock new areas...so you can see where the Metroid comparison originates. Fans of New Super Mario Bros. may recognize Milon's influence on that game, as some levels have secret areas that can only be accessed by shrinking yourself and squeezing through tight spaces.
Milon's Secret Castle is a colorful and incredibly strange game with famously awful Engrish provided by the shopkeepers. The many levels are intricate but wholly illogical -- the best strategy is to shoot EVERYTHING, including the walls and floors, to find secret doors and bonus money. Due to the high degree of challenge, sluggish controls, and sheer insanity saturating the game, casual players may quickly grow frustrated. However, the castle holds many secrets for loyal explorers, and the game is so unusual that it really deserves to be played by fans of Metroid, M.C. Kids, and even Mario experts. Pro Tip: There is no in-game save or password system, so use the Virtual Console save state in conjunction with the secret continue code (hold left and Start on the title screen after a Game Over) for a fighting chance at completing this tough game. - Jonathan Metts
Dead Moon - TurboGrafx-16
Released 1991
1 Player
Cost: 600 Wii Points ($6)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
Yup, it's another shoot-'em-up. It seems like there are enough out there for one to be released every week, and in this case the TG-16's got us covered with Dead Moon, a horizontal shooter. Wave after wave of enemies will attack, but you can grab one of four different weapon types. These weapons are stackable up to four times to increase your firepower. Bombs and option-type ship support are also at your disposal. Being powered-up will give you a defensive edge as well as an offensive one; if you're hit with a souped-up gun it'll get downgraded a level. If you're hit while using a basic weapon, you're dead.
Dead Moon is another of many shmups available on the service, and it's another that fans of the genre will enjoy. However, we may be getting to a point where the shoot-'em-up arena is getting too crowded for its own good. Yeah, this game is good, but so are a lot of others. Are you really going to buy them all when so many of them are similar to one another? - Steven Rodriguez
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron - Genesis
Released 12/31/1993
1-2 Players
Cost: 800 Wii Points ($8)
Controllers: Wii Remote, Wii Classic, GameCube
The funky-fresh alien pair make their VC return in Panic on Funkotron. Unlike the original TJ&E game, where levels were all randomly generated, the sequel is a more traditional adventure platformer. Earthlings have somehow invaded planet Funkotron, and it's up to you to get them off using the power of funk. You can play the game alone as either ToeJam or Earl, but the game really shines when two play cooperatively.
Panic on Funkotron is in many ways better than the original, because of it better fitting the mold of an actual game. You can still scan areas like in the first game, but the main goal this time around is to jar those pesky humans and send them back from whence they came. And of course, the world's bizarre style makes it a fun ride for all from start to finish. - Steven Rodriguez
Thanks to VG Museum again for letting us borrow some of their screenshots. They've got a lot of them over there, you know.
Topic: Virtual Console Mondays: June 4, 2007 (Read 14055 times)
