Game Stooge

Today’s Virtual Console Games: July 21, 2008

• Scribbled on July 22nd, 2008 by Jonathon Howard
• Filed in Action, New Release(s), Nintendo Wii, Press Release, Retro, Virtual Console

Last week we got two NEO*GEO titles on Virtual Console; this week, it’s two games originally released on the Sega Genesis. I wonder if Nintendo has some sort of schedule that rotates through the various consoles? Anyhow, this week on Virtual Console you can pick up Super Fantasy Zone and Gley Lancer (both 900 points). Now, I never owned a Genesis, but I tried to stay on top of game news, regardless of the console it was released for and I’m drawing a blank with both of these games. I’d never heard of them until I read Nintendo’s press release. However, from what I understand, Super Fantasy Zone, the last title in the series, is one of the Genesis’ classic titles - but in Japan, since it never made it to Europe or the States.

• Super Fantasy Zone  (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 900 Wii Points)
• Gley Lancer (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 900 Wii Points)

Both Super Fantasy Zone and Gley Lancer (Gley?) are side-scrolling shooters (R-Type clones). SFZ is a free roaming shooter, where you’ll have to explore the area you’re in destroying generators to get level boss to appear. Destroying enemies in SFZ nets you gold with which you can buy different weapons and equipment. GL lacks any distinguishing features, being a complete rip-off of R-Type/Gradius even having options for your ship.

If you liked your Genesis and like shmups, this might be your week. If you’re a fan of the Fantasy Zone series and never got to play SFZ, it’s a must-buy. My personal boycott continues - Earthbound, please.

Click “Read more…” for the official Nintendo press release.

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

July 21, 2008

Which do you prefer: sailing the ocean or soaring through the sky? With the latest additions to the Wii? Shop Channel, players can choose between seafaring action and high-flying thrills. Unleash your inner pirate with a new WiiWare? adventure, or check out a pair of side-scrolling Sega Genesis classics making their Virtual Console? debut. By air and by sea, big fun is on the way.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. 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 retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Pirates: The Key of Dreams (Oxygen Games, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Pirates: The Key of Dreams is a frantic nautical shoot-’em-up. Sail your way across the Caribbean, cannons blazing, looting booty, running blockades and ultimately battling Blackbeard himself. The player takes control of a navy captain sent deep undercover as a ruthless pirate in order to seek out and retrieve the Key of Dreams, a valuable and dangerous cursed artifact. Rescue castaways to bolster your ship’s crew, gaining performance increases to your navigation, weaponry, structural integrity and cartography skills. Collect increasingly powerful weaponry including rockets, mines, chain shot, saw blades and a flamethrower to hurl destruction into the path of your enemies. Play against three of your scurvy friends or A.I. opponents in pitched multiplayer battles over 35 levels, set in seven themed environments. Choose from different ship types that reflect your play style. Play in turbo mode if you’re pirate enough.

Virtual Console

Super Fantasy Zone  (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 900 Wii Points): The last entry in the Fantasy Zone series, this side-scrolling shooter puts you in the shoes of main character Opa-Opa, who is on a mission to avenge the death of his father. To do so, you’ll have to battle a variety of Enemy Generators to clear out the various levels and finish off the Menon Guardian at the end of the level. Eliminating your enemies will let you rack up some gold, which you can use to buy even better weapons, upgrades and other equipment. Spend your gold wisely, as each different boss you need to defeat presents a unique challenge.

Gley Lancer (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): In the year 2025, a war breaks out between humans and a hostile alien race, and 16-year-old Lucia and the rest of the starfighter pilots in the Earth Federation must join the battle. When Lucia’s father is kidnapped by the aliens, she decides to take action and hijacks a brand new prototype starfighter, the Gley Lancer, in order to try to save him. In this side-scrolling shooter, step into the cockpit of the Gley Lancer as Lucia, rescue your father and destroy the evil aliens that are bent on destroying the human race.

The list of downloadable games is updated weekly on Nintendo’s Online Press Room at press.nintendo.com. For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.