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Virtual Console Roundup Review
Wii Review by Dan Whitehead
Page 3 of 3.
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Impossible Mission 2
- Platform: C64
- Wii Points: 500
- In Real Money: GBP 3.50 / EUR 4.50 (approx)
More of a refinement of the concept than a distinct sequel, this follow-up to the rather great original adds some new robotic foes and a couple of tweaks to the puzzle format, but is otherwise best viewed as an expansion pack for anyone who downloaded and enjoyed the first game last April.
Once again, you're a suave spy infiltrating the high-tech base of Professor Elvin Atombender. It's a bit of a platform game, in that you have to carefully navigate each room, using elevators to evade the robotic sentries, but also a puzzler in which you have to crack a series of numerical conundrums to access the next area.
It's clever, quirky and effortlessly stylish. What more could you want for 500 Points?
8/10
Donkey Kong 3
- Platform: NES
- Wii Points: 500
- In Real Money: GBP 3.50 / EUR 4.50 (approx)
You have to give Nintendo some credit for not simply rehashing the platforms-and-barrels formula for Donkey Kong's third outing, but since they've simply swapped it for bits cribbed from other games, it's not exactly a massive leap forwards.
This time around the heroic dungarees are filled by a gardener called Stanley who, for reasons probably best left unexplored, has had his greenhouse invaded by Kong. Hanging from the ceiling, Kong clobbers beehives to send insect allies oscillating to the floor, where they steal Stanley's precious blooms. Using a bug spray you must either kill all the bugs or blast enough bug powder dust up Kong's arse to make him scamper all the way to the top of the greenhouse. Burroughs would be proud. William S. or Edgar Rice. Take your pick.
There are only three screens, which loop infinitely, so this is very much a high-score game. It's actually not bad, given its limitations, but there's no escaping the fact that it's ultimately just a riff on Galaxian with a sprinkling of Missile Command. You can also claim ten bonus retro-obscurity points if you found yourself thinking of Ultimate's unfortunately titled Pssst.
6/10
Enduro Racer
- Platform: Master System
- Wii Points: 500
- In Real Money: GBP 3.50 / EUR 4.50 (approx)
Nothing like the into-the-screen motocross-leaping action of the arcade game, or its various other home conversions, this titchified Master System port instead mashes up Paperboy and Excite Bike to produce a two-wheel racer that would be amusing for a couple of minutes on an emulator, but just doesn't have the consistency or structure to warrant a real-money purchase.
You steer your tiny buzzing bike through a variety of environments, but the basics never change. There's a defined track, which branches off and comes back together often. Venture off the smooth racing surface and you lose speed. You hit ramps for speed boosts, and can use whatever time is left on the clock at the finish line in the rudimentary tuning screen.
Trouble is, too much of it feels random. It's easy to land from a jump right in front of an unavoidable hazard, while dune buggies drift across the track for no other reason than to get in your way. The result is a game that has the beginnings of something rather addictive, but never quite musters compelling gameplay to match.
4/10
Last Ninja 3
- Platform: C64
- Wii Points: 500
- In Real Money: GBP 3.50 / EUR 4.50 (approx)
Look, I'm sorry, okay? Each time a Last Ninja game pops up on the VC, I'm faced with angry, fuming retro fans who take enormous offence at my enduring opinion that the controls suck a big fat one. As I've said each time, what was workable (or acceptable) on a chunky eight-way 1980s joystick doesn't work nearly as well on the Wii remote or even the tiny GameCube analogue stick.
Since so much of the game still relies on using diagonals for movement and attack, I can't help thinking that this problem has a negative effect on the whole experience. And it's not for want of trying. Every time I try to get past the awkward rotational forwards-and-backwards movement to get to the legendary game inside, and I just can't do it. Every screen is a trial of fussy movement and awkward perspective. Like I said: I'm sorry.
And that's a real shame, since this final entry - with the rather appropriate subtitle Real Hatred Is Timeless - is clearly the apex of the series, even to a non-believer like myself. The graphics are phenomenal, the music is ace and the level design is clever and challenging. Puzzles are more complex and your inventory is more flexible. It's a great game, a classic of its era...where simply moving around can be a real chore.
With that in mind, feel free to choose whichever score best suits your gaming memories. And then leave me alone.
3/10 or 10/10
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You can change the way the joystick works on the Last Ninja games. I suggest you try it as you may find yourself doing better on it and enjoying the game. It has 3 different joystick modes, you need to bring up the onscreen keyboard with the wiimote and hit the J key. One of the control schemes moves the ninja in the way you push the joystick so you don't have to mess with the rotational control system which is just plain awful (I do fully agree that the contrls as soon as you start are terrible, hence why I am mentioning this now!). You can do this on Last Ninja 2 & 3 and believe that they done it on Ninja remix but not the origional C64 version of the first game.
Either way try it out and let us fans know what you think of it after changing the controls, I think you would be pleasantly surprised. |
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Yep, I slapped Secret Of Mana on my PSP and its still fantastic! One of those instances where you wonder if you are looking back with rose tinted glasses and are a bit surprised to find you're not.
As far as I know, this is the "best" entry in the Mana series too. I forked out for Sword Of Mana on the GBA on release and rapidly sold it, years on yet nowhere near as good as something like this.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 09:25
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I'm currently playing Secret of Mana for the first time. I am certainly enjoying it - although I'm not really enjoying the music at all. I just hate the sound of it - someone called it new-age, but I have no idea if that's true or not. Either way, I'm apparently not a big fan of it. The opening theme is okay though, quite atmospheric. But it's strange, it has that brainwashing effect on me, and I despise it for it.
The game itself kind reminds me of a game called The Speris Legacy, by Team 17 - although a lot better than that, thankfully. That also had that grating music that I really don't like. Here's a link: http://hol.abime.net/2055 Ferral: I really didn't know about the different joystick controls! And after all those years! This is probably possible on the Amiga version too, then?
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 09:44
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SoM have not aged well. Did you even play past the first boss, Dan? The game is quite the chore and unlike Chrono Trigger and ALttP etc, it should be kept as a sweet memory from your childhood rather than replayed 2009.
Im quite sure that alot of the, often judged as shit, follow-ups to SoM, is actually the better games, but there is just some shimmer about the second installment that made it go down in history as one of the best SNES games. Which I do kind of understand. And if you want to keeo those fond memories, trust me and leave them as just that; memories. (I replayed the japanese version last summer, with a friend, and we just had enough after ~15h. Repetitive combat, almost no story segments, a grind to run back and forth from water temple to fiery cave like 8 times, still some nice music, rather boring graphics despite the nostalgia. 5/10) OMG edit
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 09:45
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Ferral: The J-key "trick" doesn't work in my Last Ninja 3 (C64 emulator), is this a Wii thing?
EDIT: it working in Last Ninja 2. You do have to rotate to a certain degree with Mode 3, but you only need to do 90 degree turns. But that's about how simple the controls can get without removing features (like running backwards/moonwalking). Maybe it does work in LN3 too then, it just wasn't so evident when there's nothing on the screen indicating that I changed modes.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 10:03
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"Eyebrows were arched in quizzical fashion when the Master System version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog was added, what with it being almost identical to the Megadrive version already available."
This is uninformed nonsense, the games are as different as can be expected from two Sonic games. Please don't state uninformed nonsense so assertively, as it may reflect poorly on your line of work. Coming up with an entertaining, somewhat dismissive phrasing only makes it worse since it leads people to assume that you have formed that opinion from firsthand comparison - which you still haven't, even after being informed of your mistake. |
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It works on Winvice (C64 windows emulator, once you are in the game and playing) also works on the wii version but you have to bring the onscreen keyboard up to do it once you are in the game itself. I stumbled across it when I was about 15!! Addicted to Last Ninja 2 and actually decided to read the manual and lo and behold 1 sentence that wasn't highlighted told you about hitting J.
1st control system is the horrid rotational, 2nd is a cross between push in direction to move but still has the rotational movement which feels weird and not right and 3rd is literally no rotational just push to move in the direction you want, moving backwards is also easier with this control. Just face opposite way and move D Pad in opposite direction, not that you need to move backwards that much in the games. This also works on the Amiga versions of the game, havn't tried it on the first game though. Bit bizarre that the first game was actually the last one released on the Amiga. Pretty sure they will have incorporated it into the first one on the Amiga though. I'm not keen on the first game, I love it but hate the bits where you have to jump over the swamp on the first level and then the stepping stones in the gardens level.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 10:05
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Yeah, though I noticed that mode 3 made the controls isometric like the camera. Up meant diagonally up-right. Down was down-left and so on.
The first game was never really released on the Amiga, the Amiga only got Ninja Remix. Which is why it was released after LN3.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 10:08
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I prefer the non rotational control scheme personally, only ever changed the controls on LN2 on the C64 to get across the screen with he crates in the warehouse as the angled movement actually made it a bit easier!!
Never finished LN3, might fire it up this aft and have a play around with it Amiga version of the first one looks really nice, sound is awesome to. You can get hold of it easily enough but I'm unsure as to whether the Amiga and ST versions were officially released. I don't recall ever seeing them on the shelves, I know Ninja Remix was released for the C64, was just the first game with LN2 music. I wonder if we will see Tusker and Vendetta released on the VC
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 10:13
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These are the Last Ninja games that were released on the Amiga: http://hol.abime.net/hol_search.php?find...
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I completely disagree about Secret Of Mana aging badly. The newer installments ARE not as good as this age old version and I'm not one to view old games with nostalgia. Wonderful at the time, Goldeneye plays horridly nowadays, I couldn't spend more than a minute on it now. Yet powering up SoM, I couldn't believe it still played so well. Wonderful structure, good gameplay mechanic (accessable yet deep), well realised plot and gameworld. Zelda LttP is also one of these games that doesn't appear to have been affected by the ravages of time. Refreshing, especially since a load of stuff I've investigated as "classics of the past" etc. really don't stand up to well.
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tomkuryakin
18/01/09 @ 11:25
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Presumably the reason the *some* people pay for games is that if nobody paid for anything then eventually the entire industry would collapse and there would be no new games. Apparently people who work in the industry have mortgages to pay off and kids to feed, the selfish bastards.
N.B. The above may contain traces of sarcasm. |
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convercide
18/01/09 @ 11:41
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@ spit
+1 Seriously Dan, WHAT? The Master System version of Sonic is nothing like the Mega Drive one. The levels are different, the bonus stages are different, how you acquire the emeralds is different and the game is a much slower pace.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/01/09 @ 11:41
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Oh, and as for Secret of Mana: if you're using an emulator (after owning either the VC version or the original cart, like I do) then do yourself a favour and go grab the Variable Font hack version (don't worry, that's just a link to screenshots, not the ROM).
:) |
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kentmonkey
18/01/09 @ 12:56
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We had the Sonic discussion in the comments thread when Dan reviewed it last time. Safe to say, the eyebrows that were raised were not at the Sonic game being released shortly after the MD version, but that Dan didn't seem to notice the differences.
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I'm still utterly baffled by the Sonic the Hedgehog comment (again), maybe I'm confused, but I own both the MS and MD version and they are definitely two different games. The Jungle Level is a good start, I'm 99% sure that was in Sonic 1 on the MS, and most certainly isn't in the Mega Drive version.
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FenderMaster
18/01/09 @ 15:25
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Eyebrows were arched in quizzical fashion when the Master System version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog was added, what with it being almost identical to the Megadrive version already available.
I must concur with spit You are grossly misinformed, The games are nothing alike, with different levels themes and designs, music, emerald collection means, pace and gameplay |
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With that in mind, feel free to choose whichever score best suits your gaming memories. And then leave me alone.
3/10 or 10/10 Funnily enough, LN3 is by far the worst game in the series, and at least in my opinion the music and graphics aren't as good as in the previous two. So this time I actually agree with the 3/10. :-) |
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2nd game in the LN series was by far the best I personally feel. I wish they had done more with the endings though in the first 2 games. It would be cool if a new game was done that incorporated all 3 games into 1 on a modern 3D graphics engine.
I played through LN3 this aft and did enjoy it but some of the levels were pretty short only needing a few things to be collected. Only thing that really bugs me about the series is the awkward jumps that have to be perfect on all 3 games, can lose all you lives within minutes of reaching one of those screens. |
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I'm relatively sure a lot of the games on the Virtual Console have lost their Patent by now, making them liable to be downloaded and played for free, without breaking the law.
A) You're thinking of copyright and B) you'd be amazed how long that lasts. Rule of thumb: if a game has ever seen a commercial release at any point in time, someone out there holds the copyright and could potentially kick your rear end for copying his software. |
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Seems Dan didn't read the comments of the article the last time he was wrong about Master System Sonic, so I don't have my hopes up for him to read this one either. ;)
I think I'm going to give Secret of Mana a chance at some point. It looks nice, at least. Pro_Gamer: Are you really as stupid as you sound? |
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I have very fond memories of SoM, it was the first JRPG i completed and I still have memories of the kitchen in my last home I was in when I was fighting the final boss.
I'd be lying though if I were to say it was classic like Chrono Trigger. SoM is good and thats it. Chrono Trigger is the pinnacle of JRPG, SoM is a good entry in the (imho average) Mana series. Story elements, certain game design decisions and sometimes level design marks SoM down. Also, and I cant believe others havnt mentioned this, but when you cast a spell, there is a decent period of time when you are invulnerable. I exploited this in a few bosses, especially the last one, since you can avoid his "fill the screen flying attack", which should otherwise deal huge damage. Its rough edges like this I've come to expect in SoM, but you will never find in Chrono Trigger. |
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neonemesis
19/01/09 @ 10:52
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since the Master System version not only came out before the Megadrive one (which isn't on the VC...yet)
Huh? the MD Sonic 2 is on the VC already isn't it? |
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playing as a youngster coming from Zelda, I never knew about the concept of grinding. Well not until I reached the forest right at the end where the mana tree was located. Only place I had to grind in the entire game. This was only to afford the good armour to stop me getting nailed by everything.
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Eighthours
19/01/09 @ 12:14
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And that's a real shame, since this final entry - with the rather appropriate subtitle Real Hatred Is Timeless - is clearly the apex of the series
No, that'll be Last Ninja 2. Easily. |
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canIdoyabombsforya
19/01/09 @ 15:24
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So how were they going to do Space invaders so it feels right, send you the coloured film in the post?
There were MAME cabinets built with SNES inside just for this game, it was the most faithful version for ages. |
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