Topic: Harvest Moon and Lords of Thunder Arrive on VC

[Jonnyboy117]

Farming and thunder make for one of the best Virtual Console weeks this year.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15258

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

The two games joining the lineup this week are considered cult classics, yet they deal with topics as varied as farm management and shooting enemies to the strains of heavy-metal tunes. Just don't get the two mixed up, since most livestock don't like heavy metal and it takes more than turnips to defeat fire-spewing sea serpents.    

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time 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:    

Harvest Moon® (Super NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): You bought the farm, so now it's time to roll up your sleeves and try living off the fat of the land. Fresh air and the beauty of the outdoors will be fulfilling, but a successful farm needs a lot of working capital as well. There are buildings on your property, but they are in need of livestock. You have a modest house, but if things get lonely in the field, it's going to take a remodel to woo a female farming companion. Your challenge is to dig in and build your life as a farmer from the ground up. How you manage will determine the outcome, but remember: You always reap what you sow.    

Lords of Thunder (TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Lords of Thunder is a side-scrolling shooter that has you take on the role of a legendary warrior, blasting enemies to heavy-metal tunes. Your enemies are plotting to revive Zaggart, "The Dark One," who was sealed beneath the six continents of Mistral. It's up to Landis, descendant of the heroic Dyu, to stop them. Choose the order in which to attack the six stages. Before each stage, select one of four magic armors and use crystals you've collected during your battles to buy items. Selecting the right armor for each stage is the key to your ultimate victory. Then get ready to face awesome enemies like a fire-spewing sea serpent or a giant insect. Whether it's the fast-paced shooting or breaking into the fortress of a stage boss, you'll be blown away by the intensity of Lords of Thunder.    

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

[vudu]

When are we getting reviews on these games?  VC Mondays have been sporadic lately.

[NWR_insanolord]

Here's a review of Harvest Moon: Go buy it right now. Maybe if it sells well enough it will convince them to release the N64 version.

[Kairon]

Here's a review of Harvest Moon: Go buy it right now. Maybe if it sells well enough it will convince them to release the N64 version.

Truth.

Oh god I loved the '64 version. Is the SNES version more hardcore than the 64 version though? I sometimes got the feeling it was.

[vudu]

Well, that's one of my questions.  I've never played a Harvest Moon game.  I'd like to pick one up on the VC to try out.  But I don't really need more than one, so I just want the best one.  Do I get the SNES version or do I hold out for the N64 version?  I don't have time to play it at the moment, so I don't really care if I have to wait a year before the N64 version is released.  I just want the best one.

I've heard the N64 one is great.  But many N64 games tend to make my eyeballs bleed these days (and I have a soft spot for sprites) so I don't mind in the slightest if the SNES one is "graphically inferior" if it plays better.

[NWR_insanolord]

The thing about the N64 version is that I doubt it's very likely we'll see it on the VC. Look at the rate at which we've gotten N64 games so far, they'd need to speed that up quite a bit to get around to something as obscure as Harvest Moon 64. I'm hoping that the size is what's preventing us from getting them more frequently and once Nintendo has a solution in place for that they may speed it up.

As for Harvest Moon on the SNES, to be honest, I haven't played it in a long time. I've downloaded the VC version but due to how busy I've been and the cold I've had for the past week I haven't played it yet. The last time I played it was probably in 1999, before Harvest Moon 64 came out. It didn't have all the features of 64, there weren't as many crops or animals and the town wasn't as fleshed out, but it was an excellent game. In short, Harvest Moon 64 is a much better game but it doesn't have much of a chance of hitting the VC.

[Ian Sane]

I've heard the N64 one is great.  But many N64 games tend to make my eyeballs bleed these days (and I have a soft spot for sprites) so I don't mind in the slightest if the SNES one is "graphically inferior" if it plays better.

No SNES game is graphically inferior to any N64 game.  Even back in 1996 I felt we were taking a drop in graphic quality in exchange for 3D.

I've been wanted Harvest Moon for my SNES for years but realistically I'm probably never going to find a copy without paying an arm and a leg for it.  I never thought I'd buy VC titles that were released domestically on a console I already own but in this case I may have to make an exception.

[Jonnyboy117]

I think Harvest Moon 64 is mostly 2D sprites, with maybe some 3D backgrounds.

[vudu]

http://www.nintendo.com/wii/virtualconsole/games/detail/0X-vrLA4M_eVVgdVtkc3CcOA5iUnbREn

Oh God, look at that amazing game play footage.  How could anyone resist?

Seriously, how does Nintendo expect to sell copies of this game if this is the clip you show them?

[Kairon]

I think Harvest Moon 64 is mostly 2D sprites, with maybe some 3D backgrounds.

You're right. That's one of the reasons it was so great.