Posts tagged Virtual Console
Sonic 2 Game Gear makes it to Japanese 3DS next week
Oct 24th
While all the cool kids were playing Sonic 2 on their fancy Mega Drives back in the day, we have to remember the fair few that got lost behind. The few gamers who had to settle for the portable Sonic games perhaps. The Sonic Triple Trouble players, the fallen gamers. Well if the Western Virtual Console releases follow up from the Japanese ones then we can get a taste of their life back soon, because the Game Gear Sonic 2 is indeed making it’s way to the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan next week.
My bitter sarcasm aside, what do you think? Did you play this back in the day? Are you excited to hear that maybe we’ll get it soon after? Or are you just not interested? Either way let me know in the comments!
[Source: Go Nintendo]
Columns will be dropping on your 3DS in the future
Aug 2nd
Sega has announced that the Japan eShop channel will be receiving the GameGear version of Columns on August 8th. Columns may not the most exciting title to warrant itself as many ports as it has had, but I would have to say that the handheld market is the best place for Columns. This version will feature local multiplayer provided both players own the game, which is something new for a 3DS Virtual Console game. Columns will retail at ¥300 and does not yet have a confirmation for the west. Here’s hoping we see some shiny jewels in the US and UK. What do you think? Are you a fan of Columns? Or do you think they should finally go with the obvious tie-in and create that Columns breakfast cereal everyone has been dying for?
[Source: Andriasang]
Defenders of Oasis coming to Japanese 3DS Virtual Console
Jul 15th
Defenders of Oasis (otherwise known as Shadam Crusader: Harukanaru Oukoku) has been confirmed for a Japanese Virtual Console release after an announcement was made on their Virtual Console mini-site recently. The Game Gear RPG will make it’s way to Japanese gamers on July 18th, which I’m sure will provide many Easterners with a handheld nostalgia trip.
No word on a Western re-release yet but seeing as the game was rated on the Australian Classification Board a while ago, it seems that we can at least expect it to make an appearance on your region’s 3DS soon. Good news for everybody it seems as gamers new and old can enjoy one of the RPG experiences Sega’s debut handheld had to offer.
[Source: Sega's Japanese VC Site and Nintendo Life]
Review: Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe
Jun 25th
How many copies of Golden Axe do you own? How many of those copies are actually cartridges? If you are anything like me then you have at least three different versions of the game, not for the sole purpose of being a fan of the series, but because Sega has a tendency to include their classic games on as many platforms as possible. Golden Axe has seen light on everything from Genesis and Gamecube, to Commodore 64 and even iOS. This begs the question, is this collection really worth your hard earned Bill Gates Bucks or Kevin Butler Dollars? Hit the jump button to find out, young beast rider! More >
Review: Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
Jun 7th
Sega is well known for frequently making use of its extensive range of popular series and characters. This being said, the Wonder Boy character/series and sort-of spin-off Monster World series haven’t seen any action since the Japan only release of Monster World IV in 1994, despite the relative success met at the time of each game’s release. Newcomers to the series will no doubt find the double-barrelled series difficult to penetrate due to multiple games and confusing titles; not to mention the ‘Nintendo adaptation’ series Adventure Island which ran parallel to Wonder Boy.
Sega and developer M2 attempt to change all this with the release of the Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World, which bundles three Monster World titles into one downloadable XBLA release, along with numerous extras. Hit the jump to find out what I think not only of the three games separately, which I will be playing all of for the first time, but of the collection as a whole.
Sonic Labyrinth coming out on Japanese 3DS Virtual Console
May 15th
Not wanting anyone to feel left out, Sega will be making the infamous Game Gear Sonic title, Sonic Labyrinth, available for purchase through the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console tomorrow, May 16th. Most would consider this to be the worst of all the several Sonic Game Gear offerings, and potentially one of the worst Sonic games ever made, due to a lack of ingenuity, poor controls and the complete removal of one of Sonic’s key characteristics, his speed.
I’m personally puzzled as to why Sega simply didn’t let the game to R.I.P. on the Game Gear after its initial poor reception and subsequent criticisms by fans every time they include Sonic Labyrinth in another compilation or set of unlockable ‘bonus’ games. I don’t believe that re-releasing this game in any territory will do anything good for Sega or the Sonic brand, but as far as I know, the game may very well be a cult classic back in Japan. Had an experience with this game in the past? Feel up to talking about it? Let us know down below!
[Source: Siliconera]
Three new games added to Nintendo’s Virtual Console
May 5th
With the news of the Monster World Sega Vintage Collection coming to XBLA and PSN, and the Alex Kidd & Co. collection coming to XBLA, many were questioning whether Nintendo would get in on the action or not. Well, Sega’s answer is a big yes, with two Monster World games, Wonder Boy in Monster Land and the previously Japanese exclusive Monster World IV, as well as the original arcade version of Super Hang-On, being released for the Virtual Console on May 10th.
While this set of games do not act as a ‘bundle’ in the way that the XBLA games do, and may not have the additional features that the XBLA collections will have this is still great news for Virtual Console customers and those concerned by Sega’s recent decisions to remove games from their service in particular regions. All three games will be priced at 900 Nintendo points.
[Source: Sega Blog]
Sonic Blast releasing next week on 3DS Virtual Console
Apr 11th
Sonic Blast (titled G Sonic in Japan) will be releasing on the Japanese 3DS Virtual Console on April 18th. Sonic Blast was the first Game Gear game allowing players to play as Knuckles on the handheld system. This game also marked the final release for the Game Gear back in 1996. Sonic Blast allows players to play as large pre-rendered 3D versions of Sonic or Knuckles running through levels inspired by Sonic 3, with bonus levels similar to that of Sonic 2. So who plans on snagging this for their 3DS next week?
[Source: Andriasang]
Four Sonic games to be removed from Japanese Wii Virtual Console
Mar 20th
By the end of this month, four classic Sonic games will be pulled from the Japanese Wii Virtual Console, according to a report on Japanese web-site, Inside-Games. The games to be removed from the successful online service are Sonic 1, 2 and Sonic & Knuckles for the Mega Drive, as well as the Master System version of Sonic 1.
These four games are amongst a total of 30 games that will be removed at the end of this month, including games from the now non-existent developer Hudson-Soft as well as Irem. This somewhat baffling news comes with no explanation as of yet, and no indication of whether or not the same will occur with the European and North American versions of the Virtual Console. Watch this space (and leave a comment below)!
[Source: GoNintendo, Sonic Retro]
Retro Review: Strider (Genesis/Virtual Console)
Mar 13th
The classic Genesis platformer Strider takes place in a dystopian, futuristic Kazakhstan. Having said that, I have just told you what is probably the least absurd thing about the game.
A little while back, Nintendo and Sega re-released this game onto the Wii’s virtual console service. We Addicts missed it, probably due to banana related reasons. Hit the jump so that I may tell you why Strider’s Kazakh setting is the least of the games oddities or its problems.
