Three new old games for you to look at this week.
All three games released on the Virtual Console this week are single-player affairs, so there won't be any classic multiplayer goodness for you. That's okay, because there are a couple of really good solo efforts in this batch.
We've got the details on the new games out now, as is what we do here at Nintendo World Report each and every week.
Excitebike
| System | Virtual Console - Nintendo Entertainment System |  |
| Cost | 500 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Oct 1985 |
For all of you Excite Truck fans who don't know the roots of Nintendo's Excite line of games, here's your chance to see them. Excitebike is one of the more awesome games of the NES era, simply because you can make your own tracks using 26 different types of ramps, obstacles and structures available for you to plop onto a blank track to your heart's content. Remember, your custom track is only exciting if you include a bunch of the 'H' ramps and the cooldown 'M' and 'N' arrows to keep your bike in overdrive without overheating.
At $5, this is pretty much a must-own for any Wii owner. Although the track editor is the big pull, don't forget about the single player game, either. It's pretty tough, even if you can make people crash on the spot by cutting in front of them. Watch out, though: They can do the same to you.
Splatterhouse
| System | Virtual Console - TurboGrafx-16 |  |
| Cost | 600 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | ||
| Released | Aug 1990 |
This very simplistic beat-em-up game is mostly notable for its pseudo-gory
graphics. The generic story has your character waking up in a haunted house
with a "Terror Mask" stuck to his face, which grants him physical prowess to
rescue his girlfriend. Oh yeah, and the mask also makes him look exactly
like Jason from Friday the 13th. In gameplay terms, you'll be walking to
the right and killing a ton of zombie-like enemies. Splatterhouse was a
"rent, don't buy" game back in the old days, and it's even harder to
recommend now.
Splatterhouse takes place on a single plane of movement, so it's not even as
sophisticated as NES beat-em-ups like Double Dragon or Battletoads. Aside
from standard punch and jump kick attacks, each stage has one or two
sub-weapons which can be thrown or wielded for melee attacks with better
reach than Rick's wimpy punches. The horror flick-inspired levels include a
few (unfair, but shocking) surprises like enemies jumping out of nowhere,
and the music is very appropriate. Unfortunately, Splatterhouse is too
simple and repetitive to be fun for long, and you can see most of the game's
seven levels in about half an hour. It's just not worth 600 points when
there are so many similar, better games on Virtual Console (see: Streets of
Rage, Comix Zone, Super Castlevania IV, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts).
Beyond Oasis
| System | Virtual Console - Genesis |  |
| Cost | 800 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Year 1995 |
Beyond Oasis is another one of those late-generation 16-bit era games, which means it looks pretty darn nice. It's a colorful action RPG that sees Prince Ali find a golden armlet, then embarking on a quest to restore its elemental power, stop the bad guy and save the world. You run around and kill enemies with special combo attacks and different weapons, battle your way through simple dungeons and find new elements for your armlet. Once obtained, you can summon water, fire, shadow and plant spirits by hitting the appropriate environmental objects. Their special attacks can clear enemies and help solve puzzles, but take up magic juice as you use them.
This game is definitely worth the points. Though it's a little on the short side, it's a very solid action game that has a great combat system. If you decide to go for it, be advised that the game supported the six-button Genesis controller, so if you want quick access to your item, weapon and map sub-screens you should use the GameCube or Wii Classic controller to play. You can still play it with the Wii Remote alone, of course.
