Classic Gamer

The use of walkthroughs can sometimes be a subject of debate. Doesn’t it make you a cheat if you rely on game cheats? Well, yes but I have a defense for my crimes.

Classic RPG games mercilessly punish you if you miss any detail. A perfect example of this is forgetting to talk to characters and neglecting to have them join you. A similar mistake made my saved game in Breath of Fire II a dud. Start over, chump.

I experienced this pain yet again today. I forgot to venture up the stairs and talk to Arthur in Chapter 2 of Shining Force. I managed to get along without him for a battle but it really bothered me since his fighting would undoubtedly come in handy later and might even make the difference between finishing off a stubborn boss and tasting the soil. The saddest part of this is I was using (an awesome) walkthrough by RPGClassics.com for some of the tough battles. Right when I thought I was owning the game I looked through the text and released I neglected to get a new party member and have no way of going back for him.

EPIC FAIL.

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Double Dragon is a classic NES title and that certainly makes it worth revisiting through the VC. It’s an iconic title, the NES version of an arcade experience that made such a name for itself in the ’80s that it went on to give rise to an entire franchise, complete with ports, sequels, spinoffs and crossovers even a decade after its original release. There was even a Double Dragon live-action movie. (and it is really crappy)

Billy fights in basic street punk fashion at the start of the game. Skills are added as you progress through the levels, eventually opening up more powerful attacks suitable for more powerful and skillful enemies. You’ll gain a jump kick, the power to throw enemies over your shoulder, and even the ability to grab them by the hair and knee them repeatedly in the face.

Double Dragon for the NES lacks the polish of the arcade game. The fact you can’t play with 2 players, is its fatal flaw. This is likely due to the programmers being unable to fit more than three sprites on screen at once, and so if two players were playing cooperatively, only one enemy would be able to be rendered. Overall, it still holds up as one of the best fighting games for the console.

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I can’t review this game because I’m biased by nostalgia. I got a Sega Genesis after my days of NES were over and I was ready to usher in the next generation of gaming into my world. NES had tons of great RPG titles so the transition was lacking since I was huge on RPGs. There was a longing for great games like Final Fantasy, Chrysalis and even Dragon Warrior.

The Shining Force was Sega’s greatest RPG line. Only it wasn’t really a pure RPG; It is a role playing game with a strategy battle system. Epic battles were way more detailed and often frustrating than your typical RPG turn based affair. Often I felt like I was playing chess (only way more interesting to my adolescent mind).

Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing did everything the first game did, only better. Without question it is the finest game of the genre to come out on Genesis. Phantasy Star pales in comparison, although I enjoyed the fourth installment.

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I was attracted to Defend Your Castle when I watched the preview on the Nintendo channel for two reasons. The first reason is it’s cheap… 500 points (or the equivalent of a NES game), secondly it stands out from the pack with its retro look and violent sense of humor. After checking that I had 600 Wii points left it was the clear winner and candidate to waste an hour or so of my evening away.

Let me first warn you that the game starts slow in the regular game play mode. Unless your thumbs move in slow motion you will find yourself waiting for the real action to begin. Gameplay is mindless fun but actually quite rewarding when you are barraged by sick men, fat guys and bombers.

The action gets old quick with one player. One great way to make the game more interesting alone is to play with a wii remote in each hand and practice getting your left and right hand more in synch with each other.

2.5/5

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Oh yes, I’ve tried emulators like NESticle, ZSNES, Snes9x, Gens, Project64 and while it was a fun little ride a few years ago, none of it comes close to the VC on Wii.

The deal is everything runs smoothly on Virtual Console and since you have to pay for games (instead of scouring crappy sites loading with lame ads and spyware for a free NES ROM or two) you tend to leave the crappy ones in the dust. I haven’t got time to play crappy NES games like I once did. This site is called classic gamer for a reason. Only good games reach classic status.

There is nothing worse than playing a choppy, buggy game on a second rate emulator.

Probably the best part of playing old games on Wii is the awesome controls. I am yet to come across a game that has shamed the original release.

So first I create a post tonight slagging off VC and now I’m stroking it. Who knew??

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VC releases are definitely slowing down. The first quarter of 2008 has been lackluster. Thanks so much for laying stinkers on us like Cruisn USA, Spelunker, Operation Wolf and Powerball pals.

It isn’t all sour grapes. I’m grateful to finally have Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, StarTropics and Harvest Moon.

And now for your viewing pleasure, video tips for beating the bosses on each level of StarTropics. This will ease the pain.

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Our beloved friend, now going by AVGN, most likely to avoid Nintendo copyright issues has released a DVD compilation of hilarious reviews! It includes 2 discs and also boasts a bunch of bonus features. Here is a run down of the DVD contents.

DISC 1

Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde
Karate Kid
Roger Rabbit
TMNT
Back to the Future
McKids
Wally Bear
Master Chu
Top Gun
Double Dragon 3

BONUS FEATURES
The full 2 minute intro
Duck Tales (Video Game Vault)
Top 10 Nerd Moments (2006)
The Fuck Reel (everytime I said “Fuck” up til Bible Games)
A Deleted Scene from Chronologically Confused
The Anger Begins
What Was I Thinking? (The un-released 13 minute AVGN documentary)

DISC 2

Friday the 13th
Nightmare on Elm Street
Power Glove
Chronologically Confused
Rocky
Bible Games

BONUS FEATURES
The original ANN intro
The Toilet video
The GT interview
Wii Salute (History of Video Game Wars)
Outtakes (about 14 minutes)
The Shit Reel (Everytime I say “Shit” up til Bible Games)
Music VIdeo Tribute by Dustin Aßmuteit
A Fan Art Gallery

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Nintendo has made it a point to release a number of games that may be historically significant but do not stand up well today. Here’s a list of stinker games to avoid that have been universally slagged off by reviewers and gamers everywhere. It always hurts when good Wii points are wasted!

• Baseball
• Blue’s Journey
• Bravoman
• China Warrior
• Donkey Kong Jr. Math
• Double Dungeons
• Drop Off
• Ecco Jr.
• Super Thunder Blade
• The Legend of Kage
• Urban Champion
• Volleyball

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I love classic games but I’m hardly a purist. How many versions of Street Fighter will be out for the virtual console? How many do we really need?

It’s annoying when sequels that are superior in every way are held back so Nintendo, Capcom and SNK can make a bundle on titles like Art of Fighting, Word Heroes and Street Fighter.

Be smart and wait it out for the definite edition of these games. It’s tempting to pull the trigger. Unless you’re rich or a completest… don’t give in to the urge.

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When SNK Playmore USA President Ben Herman announced that Neo Geo titles will be available “sometime this summer” (of 2007), you bet I was as excited as a young boy could be! Hmm, yes and I’m pushing thirty. The sucky thing is IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!!! Fall is here and still no Neo Geo in North America. Ben Herman has my nuts in a vice grip.

Neo Geo no doubt has some great fighters but what I’m really excited about is the action and sports games. Here are the games I’m drooling over:

• Super Dodge Ball - hilarious and super fun
• Samurai Shodown II - this is my favorite one on one fighting title from SNK
• Super Sidekicks 3 - another really fun title

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