Recently in VC-ism Category

February marks the start of something new ... and the end of something lovely, too.  Den of Wii as a blog is no more; the force is being shifted into www.DenOfGeek.com, where you can get the Dennis teams views, rants and raves about all the formats of gaming, from the point of view of real gamers.  So we'll still be on hand to tell you the latest Wii news and reviews, etc. You might even discover other stuff that interests you along the way ...

As well as gaming, Den of Geek handles everything that's brilliant in a geeky way.  Cult TV, movies and icons will cram their way through the net onto your screens at home.  Don't click away until you've taken a dekko for yourself!

Thank you to everyone who has ever read, commented on or used our web site here at Den of Wii.  We love you and we'll miss you in this intimate form we've known and loved.  For those of you who would like to trace the work of those involved, you can catch me (Kim Kaze) and the team who contribute over at the Den of Wii Facebook group, which we'll keep running for now so you can comment, throw rotten veg - anything, really.

Once again, thank you all very much for being with us, and we'll see you over at Den of Geek!

-=Kim Kaze=-
Editor, DenOfWii.com

We'll cut to the chase - today heralds good news for Virtual Console (VC) fans everywhere, especially Japan.  Why, you might ask?  Simple - the Sega Master System is being brought to the Virtual Console at last, joining the selection of decent hardware already ported through the VC system on the Wii.
 
This also means we're sure to see Game Gear titles released as well, since the Master System and Game Gear used the same technology.  Japan are reportedly getting Master System games for 500 Wii points with Fist of the North Star and Fantasy Zone starting off the action in February 2008.  This puts the Master System in a great position as a budget selection of retro games that many will remember growing up playing.
 
The more hardware that VC supports, the better.  We'd hope to see Dreamcast and Gameboy/Gameboy colour titles in the future, perhaps?

2008 starts with a real classic on the virtual console, in the form of Harvest Moon.  First seen in 1997 on the SNES, The object of the game is to maintain a farm over a period of time, tending the crops and livestock through the seasons, while befriending the nearby townsfolk and advancing in your own life. The series has spread to Game Boy, GBA, N64, PlayStation, PS2, GameCube and DS; with new titles for PSP & Nintendo DS to come.  For just 800 Wii points, this is a certified purchase for anyone who enjoys the 'create your own world' genre of gaming.

I really can't contain my excitement ... one of the best games and arguably THE best game of all time is out this week on Virtual Console.  Those state side have already got it, but now it's the turn of Europeans to once again, ride the bullet bills in Super Mario Bros. 3!  A total bargain at only 500 Wii points, we think this qualifies as VC game of the week, if not the month and the year.  Mario 3 was a first in so many ways - it was on the humble NES and not the SNES as people nowadays often mistake it for, it had interactive map screens, loads of hidden stuff and bonuses, difficult worlds, warps and some items which allowed Mario to do almost anything ... including take to the skies and fly!

The recent Hanabi festival saw the release of several high profile titles released in Europe that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. While many gamers will be reveling with the excellent titles of Sin and Punishment and Super Mario Brothers: The Lost Levels (sadly no longer available for download), there was another game that was made available which will have gone overlooked amongst the big hitters, and that game is Super Mario Picross.

For those who haven't encountered Picross before, the puzzle originates from Japan and goes under many names, from Picture Puzzle to Oekakai and you may have encountered those before in book stores or certain newspapers. Each puzzle is comprised of a grid not unlike that of a crossword with numbers beside each columns. These numbers tell you which squares need to be filled in and upon completion, the finished puzzle will resemble a picture. While it sounds complicated (and the mention of numbers is no doubt striking fear into maths phobics everywhere) it's incredibly simple to pick up and is more about patterns than the numbers themselves.

Super Mario Picross brings hundreds of these puzzles to your console, with the ability to use optional hints (where the computer will fill out two columns for you to show you how it's done) and sets those against the clock. Filling in an incorrect square will deplete seconds off your time (too many mistakes and it's game over) but the game eases you in gently before the difficulty ramps up. Despite the Japanese origin, the menus are in English, as is the main game, with the only Japanese link being the title screen and its query for optional hints.

In terms of presentation, Super Mario Picross is pretty lacking. The puzzles transform into coloured pictures when completed but are at times difficult to make out and they are missing any form of animation. Sound is also incredibly basic, getting on your nerves pretty quickly. And despite being linked with Mario, there is very little connection with the franchise within the actual puzzles. Yet despite the distinct lack of bells and whistles and any obvious connection with Nintendo, the puzzles are great fun to complete and have the ability to while away hours of your time. Few games offer the satisfaction of completing a difficult puzzle in quite the same way as Super Mario Picross.

While it is relatively expensive at 900 points (which still rankles considering the high prices of virtual console titles in comparison to the rest of the world but that's for another time) once you get the hang of it, Super Mario Picross is a thoroughly addictive puzzler that deserves a look and will last you some time to come.

4/5 -- Kim Wild

It's a violent, smash mouth week on the Wii's Virtual Console in Europe & the UK. Kicking the action off is the next in a line of beat 'em ups coming to us from the NEOGEO (1992).  Art of Fighting is an adventure which shows your character Ryo Sakazaki actually taking damage as you progress, and is 900 Wii points. This is considered a classic work and is well worth a play if you enjoy fighting games!

Next this week, it's none other than the blue boy himself, Sonic the Hedgehog.  From the Mega Drive (1996), this classic SONIC 3D Flickies' Island sees you trying to capture Chaos emeralds before Dr Eggman can do so. As usual though, Eggman has reccruited some help in the form of Flickies (birds), which you must free from his control.  For 800 Wii points, this is a sturdy Sonic title to keepmost gamers happy.

They say that if you can see a Ninja, you're already dead.  But this week's Virtual Console releases in Europe and the UK seem to prove that wrong as Nintendo host the second week of the Japanese Hanabi Festival - Ninja Week!

The Hanabi Festival is a three-week celebration on Virtual Console where European Wii gamers will be introduced to games not originally released outside America and Japan.  As it was a Mario theme last time, this week's offering has enough shurikens and grapplehooks to keep you in the ninja game for a while!

First up this week is Ninja Gaiden (NES - 1989). Players take on the role of Ryu Hayabusa on a quest, looking for his missing father. This game is famed for its cinematic-style presentation and action. This is the original US release and is 600 Wii Points.

I love fireworks!  Apparently, so do the Japanese.  They've even named a festival after them - it's Hanabi festival time on the Wii Virtual Console in Europe and the UK!  What does this mean, you might ask?

It means in short, three themed weeks on VC with releases that have never before been seen in the UK and Europe on PAL format.  The first week features that intrepid plumber Mario in two titles not seen in the UK before, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Famicom - 600 Wii points) and Mario's Super Picross (SNES - 900 Wii points).  They're celebrating the 1985 launch of the first Super Mario Bros. game in Japan, and they're doing it crazy style!

Be warned; Lost Levels is exclusive and will only remain on sale until September 30th 2007.  All other Hanabi festival VC releases will remain available permanently, though.  After this week, we'll see two more festival weeks of Jap and US releases, which we'll detail in a later post.

In addition to all the Ninty excitement, this week features a Turbografx/PC Engine title, Neutopia II (Turbografx - 600 Wii points). If you liked the first one (also on the VC) then it's pretty much a sequel; more of the same.

Those lovely lads at Gamespot reported today that SNK Playmore have confirmed they are bringing a trio of early fighting games from the NeoGeo range to the Wii Virtual Console.  So far, this is only happening in North America, but with Wii hardware being practically universal in code and ability, we see no reason at all that SNK won't release the products in Europe & the UK too!

SNK compilation packs seem to have done well in the UK and Europe on PS2 and other formats. Tokyo's D4Enterprise will be releasing the games on the Wii's Virtual Console. SNK Playmore have stated that more titles will definitely follow "in the coming months", so expect a swab of titles early 2008.

This also bodes well for possible future releases from other great machines of the past; the unsung brilliance of the Sega Dreamcast, for example.  One word - Shenmue. If it's possible, we'd dearly love to see it!

Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and World Heroes will be first out of the gates to appear in America on the Virtual Console by the end of the year, with an expected Wii point cost of 900 (around $9 or £4.50p).  Beat 'em up fans should be licking their lips, and this furthers the Wii's case as a gaming machine for the established gamer, which is never a bad thing.

This week has seen parts of the UK battered with lots of rain and flooding; both flash and prolonged. Many are stranded without running water (ironic but true) and power, or houses in rest centres. So, what's our recommendation to pass the time?

Go to stay with some friends or relatives who have a Wii, and turn your Virtual Console on, because it's fight night, baby! Street Fighter II Turbo is back again, so let the hadokens roll!

Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting was originally released for the SNES way back in 1993, boasting faster game play than SF II as well as new & upgraded moves. It arguably has some of the most lovely music ever to be heard on the SNES, as well.

800 Wii Points is well worth this classic beat em up, in our view. But if fighting ain't your thing? Bring on the sci fi chick, in Metroid!

1987 saw Metroid blast onto the NES, assuming the role of Samus Aran, a space bounty hunter. You must save the universe from the spread of Metroids, using Samus' trademark Morph Ball ability. 500 Wii Points later, and Mother Brain can be toast - thanks to you!