Our apologies for being late on this edition of Virtual Console Mondays. Luckily, we have good news to report: Virtual Console is back. Kind of. After January's abysmal releases, and the pathetic first week of February (lightgun game – lightgun = fail), each week started to pick up. The N64 game this week is, of course, a first party title, but it's an unexpected one. And we finally got what is perhaps the greatest game ever made: Harvest Moon.

I've complained before about the lack of third party N64 games, but hopefully one day they'll come. If Mischief Makers were added to the VC, we'd have a trifecta of awesome Treasure games available; same too for Konami's Mystical Ninja series, which had two installments on the 64. And that's just the tip of the N64 iceberg.

Here's a question: how many shooters are there left on TurboGrafx that aren't on Virtual Console yet? And here's another: who buys these? I have three and honestly, that's enough. Yet Mr. Lindermann thinks highly of Lords of Thunder, and has said so on the podcast. Read his recommendation below.

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Enjoy this batch of recommendations.

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Columns 3: Revenge of Columns may have a really stupid subtitle, but it's the same classic Columns game that fans will appreciate. The game is part of that weird genre called "puzzle games" that have you arranging abstract game pieces that fall from the ceiling; it's easy to see that its inspiration is Tetris, however it requires at times less and more thought than that classic game. Because you must line up three of the same color gems horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, often you'll find that one move will cause a chain reaction that you didn't intend. As a result, it's easy to play the game by just matching up colors and not thinking too much about it. If you want to start planning these chain reactions beyond two chains, though, it will require a high level of logical thinking, and I doubt even the best Tetris players are "really good" at Columns.

This threequel adds five person multiplayer support, and a few other interesting elements, like items that can be used in the single player mode, and the ability to send a layer of junk over to your enemy when you've amassed a certain amount of points. The game can only be played against an opponent, be they computer controlled or human, which means you can get wiped out by an aggressive computer if you don't take an offensive position. The game is therefore a bit tougher, and a bit more action packed than Columns 1 (I have not played Columns 2, which is not available on the Virtual Console or any Sega compilation disc that I can find). I can definitely recommend this game as a good Tetris substitute, and a much richer experience than classic Columns, which is more laidback.

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If you've ever wondered what it would be like to play a gun game with a D-pad, this is the game for you. When Operation Wolf was originally released, it could be controlled with either the NES controller or the NES Zapper. Unfortunately, the Virtual Console version of Operation Wolf is incompatible with any sort of pointer or zapper functionality. This leaves you with the extremely unwieldy D-Pad option to move the onscreen reticule to aim at the game's repetitive pixelated enemies..

As if that wasn't already bad enough, the game is rather unforgiving. Miss just a couple ammo and grenade refill items and you'll soon be practically defenseless. And due to the difficulty in controls, you're likely to hit hostages and receive more damage from your own actions than enemy fire. The game promises four levels with six stages each, plus additional random stages where enemies ambush you, but the frustration just isn't worth it.

Operation Wolf is definitely a curiosity from the NES era, but it's almost impossible to recommend.- Carmine "Cai" M. Red

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Related to 1992's Gate of Thunder in name only, Lords of Thunder is arguably the best shooter ever released on the Turbo Duo. It adds a twist to the typical shoot'em-up formula, eschewing the "lone spaceship against menacing alien armada" plotline for a fantasy-themed tale of a god/knight named Landis battling dark forces attempting to resurrect their lord, Zaggart. Reminiscent of other classic shooters like SideArms and Forgotten Worlds, Lords of Thunder is a left-to-right side scroller in the purest sense.

Among the unique features of Lords of Thunder is the ability to enter any of the game's six levels at any time from its world map, Mega Man-style. At the beginning of each level you pick from one of four sets of "armor" (Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire). Each armor type equates to a different weapon set, with each type possessing unique primary attacks as well as a super-attack that affects everything on the screen. Unfortunately there are no element-based attack bonuses, but you can improve the firepower of each armor by collecting power-ups dropped by enemies. Enemies also drop gems, which can be used as currency to buy bombs, extra health, and other handy stuff from a shopkeeper you visit before each stage.

Each level is visually impressive, with colorful parallax-scrolling backgrounds and plenty of massive enemies on-screen at once with virtually no slowdown. Things can get a little busy and it's easy to lose your character, but shooter veterans shouldn't have any problems. The real treat is the game's hard-rockin' soundtrack, full of brilliantly-orchestrated electric guitars that really add to the experience. In 1993, Lords of Thunder's graphics and music must have blown people's minds; in 2008, it's aged well and remains an underappreciated title that shoot'em-up junkies should definitely add to their collection.

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Harvest Moon for the Super NES was the first game in what has become a long series in RPG/Farming Sims and the success of the concept can be traced entirely back to this version. Instead of utilizing point-and-click simulation gameplay, as was common on the PC, Harvest Moon utilized console RPG game design, giving you control of a character on a farm where everything must be done by hand.

Though later versions of Harvest Moon perfected certain concepts or slimmed down on tedious gameplay features, the original has a certain purity to me, (though it may be nostalgia-induced). The game's daily chores, slow advancement, and time-based gameplay seem, today, really innovative and emotionally compelling. This version also has the series' best music, which is very important in this game as it differentiates between the seasons and the day/night cycle.

Dating the female inhabitants of the town was a big deal when I was 12, but now this aspect seems pretty basic. The text translation is terrible, and the play control is not very fine tuned, but ten years after its original release, it almost feels as if the difficulty in lining up your watering can or backhoe is a game feature designed to keep you on your toes. After playing through the entire month of "Spring" (there are only four months in the Harvest Moon game year, and you play for two years), I was surprised how much the game reminded me of Pikmin, not just in the day-to-day gameplay but also in the level of contentment you feel after "a hard day's work." In its best moments, Harvest Moon makes you feel like you're working hard for something valuable, and at the end of the day you'll feel relief and look forward to a new morning.

Harvest Moon makes me wonder (just like Endless Ocean) if I might be better off pursuing a different career. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone willing to give the concept a shot.

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Tecmo has now released the entire original Ninja Gaiden trilogy on Virtual Console, and the third game is basically more of the same. A relatively long intro scene depicts Irene Lew being killed by someone

pretending to be Ryu Hyabusa. The real Ryu sets out to discover the truth about Irene's murder and to clear his own name. The cinematic storytelling is still impressive for an NES game, and the action

gameplay is still totally solid and brutally difficult.

Ninja Gaiden III steps up the challenge by limiting you to five continues (of three lives each), whereas previous games had unlimited continues. The previous game's most famous feature, that of the phantom ninjas who follow along and slash at enemies for you, has been removed in this sequel. Instead, you can find an upgrade to your sword that gives it more range. It's less flashy, but still very useful. Ryu can also hang on horizontal pipes and vines, which helps to mix up the level designs. Not much else has changed, so you should know what to expect if you've downloaded either of the previous Ninja Gaiden titles. Only serious fans need all three of these slick action games; if you only get one of them, I suggest Ninja Gaiden 2.

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Although it's not nearly as popular or successful as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, the Phantasy Star series is considered at least equal with those RPG franchises by its loyal Sega fan base. There's no doubt that all three series have much in common, including rigid stories, lots of combat, inventory management, and brutal difficulty. Phantasy Star II stands out from other 16-bit RPGs for its science-fiction setting and often unpredictable story.

This is easily the best RPG on Genesis and probably the best RPG yet released on Virtual Console. If you're a fan of other RPGs from that era, download it immediately. If your first RPG was Final Fantasy VII, the choice may not be so simple. This game is unusually difficult and requires you to progress slowly, leveling up all the time and hording money to buy expensive equipment. Still, Phantasy Star II is a unique experience and worth attempting even if you're just mildly curious. It's also a great value for your 800 points, considering it will take a few dozen hours to complete. Don't be ashamed to check online for dungeon maps!

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Some games need a unique angle on Virtual Console to make them stand above the crowd, but that was true even back when they were originally released. Psychosis is another entry into the crowded

shoot-'em-up VC lineup, and it has an interesting gameplay system to make it worth playing over a lot of other games. Your ship is equipped with a basic blaster that cannot be upgraded, but you can collect

satellite powerups that act as a block-all shield and a secondary weapon. The satellites can be equipped with a wide shot, electric wire, or angled beam attack, which can be stacked with multiple pickups of the same type. The behavior of the satellites is what drives the gameplay of Psychosis. When you move forward, your satellites fan out to the sides of your ship. When you retreat, the satellites will collapse forward to form a forward shield. You also have the ability to rotate the satellites around your ship in 90-degree increments, allowing you to shoot your secondary weapon (or block attacks) downwards, upwards, or behind you.

Because Psychosis runs at a slower pace than the average shmup, you'll have a little more time to think about your actions. However, because you have the luxury of blocking attacks from different angles, the game can justify throwing a lot more at you from all directions, not just the front of your ship. The notion of needing to be aware of how your ship's movement affects the positioning of your shield and your firing patterns requires a lot of concentration, which is one of the reasons why this game is better suited for shooter fans. The other reason is that it's not the most technically spectacular game. But hey, it's fun, and that's all that matters.

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Kirby 64 was highly anticipated as one of the franchises Nintendo needed to revive to save its dying console, yet its release towards the end of the N64's life cycle did little to help the N64. The game added a few advancements to the Kirby formula: Kirby has been able to copy his enemies' abilities since Kirby's Adventure, but in Crystal Shards he can combine two abilities (this feature was later carried over to Squeak Squad for the DS) to make a new one. There are 7 total ability types, making a total of 49 combinations (the weirdest ability allows Kirby to throw a flesh boomerang at enemies). The game was also the first 3-D foray for Kirby, however the game is still a side-scroller; the 3-D levels wrap around themselves, or have background elements that Kirby must gain access to, a la Super Paper Mario, making the extra dimension more than a cosmetic detail.

Combining abilities is neat, but many of the combinations are repetitive and don't change the very basic platforming action. Likewise, the three dimensional levels don't add much to Kirby 64's undeniably simple gameplay. The game is definitely geared towards younger gamers (not necessarily "kids"), though sometimes the bosses present unexpected challenge. It has classic music and graphics, and will present nostalgia for Kirby fans (like myself), but I find the 2-D Kirby games much more satisfying.

Thanks to VG Museum for the classic screenshots.