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Needs More Dog Food

by J.P. Corbran - August 14, 2011, 1:23 pm
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Nintendo World Report's Virtual Console Recommendations are back and better than ever!

It is once again time for the staff of Nintendo World Report to give you our recommendations for what you should and shouldn't buy on Nintendo's Virtual Console. This week we have three classic Game Boy games from the 3DS eShop to rate.

First off, James Dawson covers Avenging Spirit, a platformer in which you control a ghost who can possess enemies and use their powers. Next, J.P. Corbran plays Qix, a challenging arcade-style high score game. Finally, Andrew Brown writes about Kirby's Dream Land, the first outing in the long-running series.


Avenging Spirit

SystemVirtual Console - Game Boy

Cost$2.99
Players1
ControllersNULL
ESRB RatingEveryone
ReleasedDec 1992

In Jaleco’s Avenging Spirit, you play as a ghost that has been brought back by a scientist, whose daughter is being held for ransom by a mysterious crime syndicate.

The game is a simple platformer where your job is to possess your enemies and use their powers to save the damsel in distress, and the way your character moves and what attacks you are able to do rely on the enemy that you have possessed. For example, the girl can jump much higher, but only has short range attacks, while the gangster trades mobility for a gun that can shoot much farther. The number and type of enemies you can possess increases with each stage. When your health meter is empty, you revert back to your ghost form and if you have enough ghost energy left, you can to possess another enemy that’s nearby but otherwise it's game over. Perhaps the most satisfying part of the game is the bosses that await you at the end of each stage. Each boss has a unique pattern meaning it's always an enjoyable battle.

Unfortunately, the game has some problems that keep it from being a must have. Oddly enough, the game often suffers from slow down when there are multiple enemies on the screen. The enemies also spawn right after you have defeated them if you just barely move off the screen, lead to some very frustrating moments. There is some fun to be had here, but understand that the game has some very annoying faults before you make the purchase.

Recommended for Fans

- James Dawson



Qix

SystemVirtual Console - Game Boy

Cost$2.99
Players1
ControllersNULL
ESRB RatingEveryone
ReleasedMay 24, 1990

In Qix, the object of the game is to trap the enemy by blocking off sections of the screen. You do this by drawing lines with the trail behind your ship to restrict them to smaller and smaller portions of the field. You need to be careful with how much you try to take with each move, because if the enemy creature touches the line you’re in the process of drawing before you finish it, you lose a life and that whole line.

To beat each stage, you need to take over at least 75 percent of the screen, but to rack up high scores you need to capture quite a bit more than that, as you get 1,000 bonus points for every percentage point over 75 you have. The game gets very challenging, sometimes too much so, but anyone who enjoys high score chasing should have a lot of fun with this game.

Recommended for Fans

- J.P. Corbran



Kirby's Dream Land

SystemVirtual Console - Game Boy

Cost$2.99
Players1
ControllersNULL
ESRB RatingEveryone
ReleasedAug 01, 1992

Kirby's very first adventure! This is where it all began, and introduces us to the world of Kirby, the little inflatable puff ball on a quest to save Dream Land. King Dedede has stolen Dream Land's food-gathering Sparkling Stars so that he can hoard all the food for himself, and so Kirby must fight the evil king's minions to snatch back the Stars and snacks. Kirby's famous copy ability is absent here, but all his other abilities are intact: inhaling and spitting enemies, sucking up air to float over the top of their heads, you can even swallow enemies into nonexistence. Levels are designed so as to prevent you from being able to fly over the top of everything, and some of the traps can catch you off-guard.

That said, this game is painfully short and pitifully easy. At only 5 quick levels, seasoned players can clear it in less than an hour, while younger players may find this game more their speed. The difficulty is somewhat redeemed by the surprisingly-hard "Extra Game" mode revealed after finishing the game for the first time. Nonetheless, the graphics and animations are adorable, the music is memorable and it's a fun little title to play. Despite the lack of power-stealing, everything else you could expect of a Kirby game is here, and it's nice to see the debut of many of the enemy and boss characters seen in future Kirby games.

Recommended for Fans

- Andrew Brown


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