Sometimes looking back at the games of our childhood days can be painful. More than a decade later, it’s hard to imagine how Combat Cars for the Sega Genesis was ever…well, fun. Ah, the indiscretion of youth: hoarding your money, saving for that one, glorious moment when you pick out a new game to take home and devour, only to realize, years later, how terrible it really was. Still, blind purchases could occasionally lead to good things, and a few weeks ago I went home and recovered my Nintendo 64 from its years of storage exile for the express purpose of reliving some of those magical gaming sessions of my youth. In this case, the game in question was BattleTanx: Global Assault.
Likely one of the few good games to ever come out of the offices of the now-defunct 3DO, BattleTanx is about as straightforward as its name implies. The game turns 10 years old in 2009, and despite the fact that it looks and play like a Nintendo 64 game from 1999, it’s still a lot of fun. Simple, arcadey gameplay, a multitude of tanks and a solid lineup of secondary weapons guarantee hours of mindless fun. The single-player is easy to plow through in short order, but fun enough to come back to — and the real draw lies in the multiplayer, which rivaled Goldeneye, Smash Bros., and Mario Kart for four-player mayhem. Ready to take up arms with Battlelord Griffin Spade and Born for Wii as we assault the post-apocalyptic globe? Hit the link below.
Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming’s sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week’s entry in the series, Super Mario Sunshine, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
Oh, woe is us. Microsoft just dispatched (and then pulled) a press release boasting about the imminent arrival of Banjo-Kazooie on Xbox Live Arcade, describing the game as an XBLA “exclusive.” We can safely assume this means the bird and bear won’t be made available on the Virtual Console, news that conclusively crushes whatever slim hopes we had for the game appearing on Nintendo’s service. We suppose $540 million buys you these kind of perks, eh?
To rub salt in our open wounds, Microsoft also disclosed that sequel Banjo-Tooie would be made available on XBLA early next year, “making Xbox 360 the new home of the beloved Banjo-Kazooie franchise.” We think we’re going to sigh sadly now, reader. Feel free to join us.
Mega Man 9 will feature the graphics, sounds, and gameplay of yesteryear, and Capcom has now confirmed that it will be playable with virtually any old controller that can be slotted into the Wii.
This means that the Classic Controller and GameCube pad are both fair game, but here’s the best bit: purchase the appropriate adaptor, and you’ll be able to die repeatedly while using an original NES controller. As if Mega Man 9 wasn’t already looking like the kipper’s knickers, it just found a way to get even better.
Well, European gamers, you've got an update on the Virtual Console this week, that's for sure, but we're not necessarily convinced that it's a deal, a steal, or the sale of the century (with apologies to Guy Ritchie for bastardizing that quote). Sure, there are some worthwhile titles, but there's no budget option this week, so prepare to massage your wallet.
If you've got a fetish for franchise mash-ups, of even if you've just always wanted to see what a mess a guitar would look like outfitted with the N64's buttons, stick, and directional pad, then here you are. Michael J. Patrick has this image of Princess Peach rockin' out as an 8x10 print available for sale on his Etsy shop for twelve bucks. It doesn't seem like there's much of a market out there for Princess Peach fanart or mock-ups of guitars with controls from a two-generations-old system, but who knows?
What song do you think she could be playing that would leave her looking so forlorn? Our guess is that it's Nirvana's "Something in the Way." Maybe she's been going through a lot of stuff lately, you know? Whatever's keeping you down, Peach, we hope it doesn't drive you to one day blow your brains out with a shotgun. Some think, "It's better to burn out than to fade away," but you've got so much ahead of you!Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Unless you're a citizen of Japan and own a Famicom system, this bit of news is likely to not affect you. However, should you fulfill those requirements, you might like to know that Nintendo of Japan has ceased to support the old piece of hardware. You're probably one who still plays the thing, we imagine, so you might want to take it easy on the old gal, as this goes into effect on the 31st of this month.
Also of note, Nintendo of Japan will be dropping support for the Super Famicom, N64, Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket, as well.
Now, we've been saying for awhile now that the Wii would revolutionize the industry and it has. But, we wouldn't go so far as to say we were bored by it all pre-Wii. We loved the GameCube, we loved the GBA and we still love our DS. We loved the N64. We hardly found ourselves without games to play, that's for sure.
"A major insight that Nintendo had early on was that they saw that gamers were getting bored, even though they didn't know it yet," Kaplan remarked. Robert Matthews, senior director of consumer marketing for Nintendo of America backed her up, stating "Just look at the way people consume entertainment today. The idea that you would spend hours playing videogames is just not real anymore."
While we'd argue that, blogging doesn't leave us with as much time for gaming as we'd like, but we think overall that there will always be a place for lengthy games, jam-packed with feature-rich content and that Nintendo's new proven focus shouldn't try to do away with those.
Today is a very special day for the Virtual Console. Not only does it mark the occasion where those of us in the states received our first import titles, but also it marks a new age for VC Monday Madness coverage from here on out. Hopefully, the new set we're recording gameplay from will enhance the overall quality of our coverage. Better coverage equals more happy readers (er, viewers, we suppose), correct? And, a happy reader makes for a happy blogger.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Wii Fanboy says: download it!
Who doesn't like Super Mario Bros.?! Nobody, that's who, and given that Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels is just more of the same, nobody can find any fault in this title. Sure, it's 100 Wii Points over the usual asking price for NES titles, but it's easily paid given the fact that we finally get this import.
Sin and Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,200 Wii Points) Wii Fanboy says: download it!
Sin & Punishment is the kind of game that should it have released earlier and in the states, it could've saved the N64. The only fault we can find in the title is it's quirky control scheme, which will only take you 15 minutes or so to get used to. With its frenetic, fast-paced action, we find a title that is easily worth the 1,200 Wii Point asking price. Download. This. Now.
That concludes our look at this week's Virtual Console games. As always, if you have any tips or rumors regarding Nintendo's Virtual Console service, be sure to let us know and come back next week when we take a look at the latest titles available on the Nintendo Wii.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Today Nintendo adds two new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. 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 stores like Amazon (see to your right).
This is a special week on the Wii Shop Channel. Frankly, it’s a gamer’s dream come true: Nintendo is launching the new Import genre with the release of two games that previously have never been available in the Western Hemisphere on their original platforms. The first will be hugely popular with Mario fans, who will love reliving the style of his classic games as they encounter new skills, new levels and new dangers. Nintendo 64 enthusiasts also get a masterpiece of the shooter genre and perhaps the best game never released outside of Japan. Welcome to Import Week for the Wii Shop Channel!
We’ve included videos of the previously Japan-only games so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points = $6): Originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, this game has previously made only brief cameo appearances in the Western Hemisphere. Now available on the Virtual Console in all of its original splendor, Mario fans will appreciate the familiar look and feel of the game, while finding that its updated game play creates an entirely new challenge. No longer content just to wear different-colored overalls, Mario and Luigi also possess different skill sets: Mario can stop quicker, while Luigi can jump higher. In addition to the classic enemies already known to fans worldwide, there are also Poison Mushrooms, backward Warp Zones, and the occasional wind gust (which can help or hinder your progress) to take into account. And if that’s somehow not enough, expert players can go looking for the game’s secret worlds. So get ready to put your Mario skills to the ultimate test, and save the Princess again. Just don’t be surprised if she’s in another castle. And expect to die… A LOT!
Sin And Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen – Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, 1,200 Wii Points = $12): Created by the legendary development studio Treasure, this is a game that hard-core gamers and fans of Japanese imports recognize as one of the finest Nintendo 64 titles to have never previously reached North American shores. Its unique combination of English voice-overs with Japanese subtitles (preserved in this version) has only added to the enthusiasm for its eventual release here. Experience the frenetic pace of a classic shooter, while choosing from a variety of options and a number of different skill levels until you are ready to take on the full-blown challenge of Turbo Hard mode. Not to be outdone by the action, however, the intriguing story line gives the game its soul and draws you even further into the mix. Set in the near future, on an overpopulated Earth starved for resources, players uncover the intriguing mystery of two teenagers (Saki and Airan) and their battle against the Ruffians as they advance through level after level of nonstop action. Take a deep breath, gather your energy and prepare to see why this game is so highly praised.
Today is an exciting day for the Virtual Console, as us living in the states are gifted with a pair of titles that we never expected to get. Sure, the price may be a bit high for these titles when compared to other games released for those systems, but it's not that much to ask for considering they're new to us. Oh, we can't wait until after 9am PST to give these titles a download:
Sin and Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,200 Wii Points)
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Sometimes looking back at the games of our childhood days can be painful. More than a decade later, it’s hard to imagine how Combat Cars for the Sega Genesis was ever…well, fun. Ah, the indiscretion of youth: hoarding your money, saving for that one, glorious moment when you pick out a new game to take home and devour, only to realize, years later, how terrible it really was. Still, blind purchases could occasionally lead to good things, and a few weeks ago I went home and recovered my Nintendo 64 from its years of storage exile for the express purpose of reliving some of those magical gaming sessions of my youth. In this case, the game in question was BattleTanx: Global Assault.
Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming’s sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week’s entry in the series, Super Mario Sunshine, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
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Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points = $6): Originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, this game has previously made only brief cameo appearances in the Western Hemisphere. Now available on the Virtual Console in all of its original splendor, Mario fans will appreciate the familiar look and feel of the game, while finding that its updated game play creates an entirely new challenge. No longer content just to wear different-colored overalls, Mario and Luigi also possess different skill sets: Mario can stop quicker, while Luigi can jump higher. In addition to the classic enemies already known to fans worldwide, there are also Poison Mushrooms, backward Warp Zones, and the occasional wind gust (which can help or hinder your progress) to take into account. And if that’s somehow not enough, expert players can go looking for the game’s secret worlds. So get ready to put your Mario skills to the ultimate test, and save the Princess again. Just don’t be surprised if she’s in another castle. And expect to die… A LOT!
Sin And Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen – Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, 1,200 Wii Points = $12): Created by the legendary development studio Treasure, this is a game that hard-core gamers and fans of Japanese imports recognize as one of the finest Nintendo 64 titles to have never previously reached North American shores. Its unique combination of English voice-overs with Japanese subtitles (preserved in this version) has only added to the enthusiasm for its eventual release here. Experience the frenetic pace of a classic shooter, while choosing from a variety of options and a number of different skill levels until you are ready to take on the full-blown challenge of Turbo Hard mode. Not to be outdone by the action, however, the intriguing story line gives the game its soul and draws you even further into the mix. Set in the near future, on an overpopulated Earth starved for resources, players uncover the intriguing mystery of two teenagers (Saki and Airan) and their battle against the Ruffians as they advance through level after level of nonstop action. Take a deep breath, gather your energy and prepare to see why this game is so highly praised.