tankexmortis
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 4 (100%)
WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD.
One of the OCD-inspired joys in my life is finding awesome games for old systems that are, or may someday be, available on the Virtual Console. Then I add those games to my list of games which I want. It's very satisfying, in an "I am a gigantic loser" kind of way.
It occurs to me that some of you may have similar lists, or at the very least an idea of some games you'd like to play on your Wii. So this is a thread for posting those lists, along with predictions and comments. There's already a great topic for Wii Ware in general, but I've decided not to clutter it with any more lists that most will simply ignore.
My own list is rather in-depth because I think it's fun to put this kind of thing together, but feel free to throw together something lazier. Also feel free to mock my decisions, insult the lack of Super Mario RPG, etc.
So, for each system, first in order of system release date, then in order of level of want, I present my EPIC VIRTUAL CONSOLE LIST:
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
1. Metal Storm
The great thing about this game, aside from it's phenomenal graphics (well, phenomenal for the NES), is its unique gravity mechanic. By pressing the jump button twice, you reverse your personal gravity and fly up to the ceiling. There are plenty of clever puzzles that use this mechanic, and the action itself is fantastic. I played it on an emulator a while back and was astounded that I'd never heard of it, it's now among my favorite NES games.
Chances for release: Good. IREM, the publisher, has already released several games for the TG-16, but none for the NES, except in Japan. I don't know if this is due to any licensing issues or is just a coincidence.
2. Mother
Hopefully you don't need an intro to this game. It's the prequel to Earthbound, and was sadly never released outside of Japan (the above screenshot is from a fan translated ROM). It's surreal RPG goodness. I played a bit of the fan translation and liked it quite a lot.
Chances: Low. It would take some major translation work. However, there are plenty of fans who would love to see it, and people have been begging for a US release for years, so it's a possibility.
3. Zoda's Revenge: Startropics 2
Startropics is coming to the VC next Monday (hooray!), but its sequel is still unannounced. Same basic gameplay and with a less impressive story. I haven't played it, but if it's half as good as the original I'll be sure to pick it up.
Chances: Excellent. With the original on its way, I'd be shocked if this didn't find it's way to the VC.
4. Super Turrican
I was shocked and amazed to read that this was developed by one single person. Then I was excited, shocked, and amazed when I read that the person was none other than the creator of Turrican, Manfred Trenz. That alone makes it a must-buy should it grace the VC.
The Turrican series is kind of like Metroid with a bit more action, and is quite a fun group of games; although this and the SNES/Genesis ports lack some of the free roaming of the C64/Amiga originals. I played a bit of it and it seems to keep the basic Turrican gameplay intact, which means it's amazing.
Chances: Not too bad. Imagineer, the publisher, has yet to announce support for the VC, at least to my knowledge. They are still in business though, and have been releasing GBA games in the last few years, so their relationship with Nintendo isn't bad. Cross your fingers, this is a fantastic game.
SEGA GENESIS/MEGA DRIVE
1. Ranger X
This one is a great, frenetic shooter where you play as a big robot and his awesome monocycle, which you can merge into in a weird and frankly Freudian bit of animation. It's a really really awesome game though, you guys. Kind of like Contra mixed with Gundam with a bit of R-Type thrown in. I played it on an emulator and it was
ing great
Chances: Good. It was published by SEGA and is something of a cult classic, I'd be surprised if this doesn't turn up.
2. Crusader of Centy
Aside from Sonic sitting there, I wouldn't blame you if you mistook this for Link to the Past. The game itself plays very much like LttP, except that as you play, you befriend various animals who give you cool abilities. All in all, it's a pretty awesome game, and, like Startropics 2, one that's perfect for fans of the Zelda games. I played enough of it to know that it's a competent LttP ripoff, which makes it a phenomenal game.
Chances: Dunno. Atlus has yet to announce support for the VC, but if they do, I'd expect this to be one of the first Genesis games they put out, as it was a big seller.
3. Haunting: Starring Polterguy
This one is weird. Really weird. You play a ghost whose goal it is to scare the new inhabitants of a house, which you do by possessing various inanimate objects, triggering some hilarious animations which scare the hell out of the poor family. Surprisingly, this innovative gem was published by Electronic Arts. I played some on an emulator and couldn't stop laughing, it's just bizarre.
Chances: Not good. I just can't see EA letting it's IP onto the Virtual Console, especially not weird stuff like this. Still, I can hope.
4. Cyborg Justice
I'll be honest, I didn't play a lot of this game. But I played enough to know that it has an impressively deep fighting engine for a beat-em-up, and also some of the coolest death animations I've ever seen (for the bad guys, anyway).
Chances: Good. Again, it was published by SEGA, and while it wasn't a big hit, I'm sure they'd be happy to put this out and make free, easy money.
5. Puyo Puyo 2
This would be much higher on my list, but since I already have Mean Bean Machine on the VC I don't know how much I really need another Puyo game. That said, this is pretty much the best of the series, which in my opinion makes it possibly the best Tetris-style puzzler of all time.
Chances: Only a matter of time, as it's been rated by the ESRB. It'll probably be 900 points though due to its status as an import.
SUPER NINTENDO
1. Gunple: Gunman's Proof
Sorry about that screenshot, it's the best I could find on short notice. The actual game looks much better than that.
Gunman's Proof is a really great and really strange game. It's kind of like the developers took the graphics and feel of Earthbound and set it in some kind of bizarre alien old west. Also it's a shooter. The gameplay itself though is
excellent, and it's some of the most fun I've had with an import. I played it frequently back in my emulation days, as it was graced with a fan translation.
Chances: Low. Not only is it all in Japanese, but it's publisher, ASCII, hasn't signed on to the Virtual Console.
2. Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge
This game is the brainchild of the late Gunpei Yokoi, the genius behind Metroid, the Game Boy, and the Virtual Boy (okay, so that last one wasn't such genius). It's possibly the best light gun game I've ever played, and certainly the best Super Scope game. Like Treasure's Alien Soldier, the game consists almost entirely of really cool and strange boss fights. Also like Alien Soldier, the game kicks ass. It's prequel, Battle Clash, is also great. I played it on an emulator, and even without a light gun it was fantastic.
Chances: Good? While it was published by Nintendo and designed by their second-most-famous game designer, light gun games have been mysteriously absent from the VC. This is troubling. But unless they never release any light gun games (a disturbing possibility given NoA's batshit insanity), we WILL see this on our Wiis.
3. Earthbound
You know what, I'm not even gonna bother with a screenshot for this one. If this isn't on your list, you are a crazy person. I almost didn't include it since it's probably the single most-wanted VC game, but what the hell, might as well mention it.
Chances: Surely this will come out.
4. Wonder Project J
This is one of those fantastic and amazing games that Japan got and no one else did. It's hard to describe, but I'll try: you give the robot Pino, picture above, instructions, and train him, and... I dunno, man, it's just hard to explain. It's very in-depth and odd and interesting. It also has some of the prettiest sprites on the SNES. There was also a sequel for the N64, which I'm told is fantastic, but as it doesn't have a fan translated ROM I'm too dumb too play it.
Chances: Low. A very text-heavy game. On the plus side, there's always the chance that Square-Enix will port this to the DS or something, since they seem to be so fond of doing that to their old games.
5. Super Turrican 1 & 2
Like the NES version, these aren't as great as the originals. However, they're quite good and well worth my time. I've played 'em on an emulator and have vague memories of enjoying them on a friends' SNES way back. There's also a Genesis port of Turrican 3 called Mega Turrican, which apparently these are based on. Haven't played that though, so it's not on my list.
Chances: They're ESRB rated, and Nintendo Power says they're coming soon, so look for 'em in the near future.
6. E.V.O.
This is an interesting, if mildly flawed, game. Think of it as the long-lost bastard cousin of Spore - you pick different parts which you use to evolve your creature. Unlike Spore though, this is a simple action game, and not a really good one, either, so the fun comes purely from creating your own strange creatures. That can be a lot of fun though, so if you don't mind some mindless leveling (or if you can play JRPGs or MMORPGs), this is quite a treasure.
Chances: Good. Enix created it before the merger, and they've already released Actraiser (which is also worth picking up).
NINTENDO 64:
1. Kirby 64
There are some who look down on the Kirby games as noob fodder - not terrible, but not sophisticated enough to play. These people are gigantic poops. Kirby is awesome, his games are awesome, and Kirby gets a FRICKIN' DOUBLE-BLADED LIGHTSABER in this game (see screenshot). I played the hell out of this game back in the day and I'd love the chance to do so again on my Wii.
Chances: Excellent. This WILL make it to the VC, it's only a question of how long Reggie makes us wait, the bastard.
2. Dezaemon 3D
This isn't just the holy grail of rare N64 games, this is also the holy grail of shmups, if only for the fact that it has a flexible built-in level editor. And I really do mean flexible: you can create your own songs and skins as well as doing the level design and choosing the type of shmup. It's capable of isometric, horizontal, and vertical levels (not sure about on-rails a la Starfox or Panzer Dragoon) and actually comes with some nice levels built into it. If this could be worked into WiiConnect somehow this could be a Virtual Console killer app.
Chances: Surprisingly good, in my opinion. While it's true that the publisher, Athena, has yet to release any games for the VC; and it's also true that this was a Japan-only release and would require a decent amount of translation, the rarity of the cartridge suggests, to me, that this would be one that Nintendo would want on the VC.
3. Mischief Makers
Sorry for the large screenshot, but I wanted to show how pretty this game is. This is a Treasure sidescrolling game, which means that it's fantastic and beautiful. This particular game isn't their strongest, in my opinion due to the odd control scheme, but it's damn good and well worth playing. I rented this as a kid and I've since played it a bit on an emulator, but you really need an N64 controller to play it properly.
Chances: Very good. Treasure has been fantastic about supporting the VC, including releasing games that never made it to the States such as the godlike Sin & Punishment and Alien Soldier.
4. Robotron 64
Now this is a game that the VC can actually IMPROVE. Not that it needs it, this was great fun when it came out. But it would really benefit from the Classic Controller or the Gamecube's dual analog sticks. See, it's based on the old arcade game Robotron: 2084, which, if you have a 360, you should already have played (it's available from XBLA). It pretty much invented the dual-analog control scheme that Geometry Wars later revived, and it's just a great arcade game. This was essentially the same game, just with better graphics. Is a 26 year old arcade game worth the 10 bucks it'd be on the VC? In this case, yes.
Disclaimer: I haven't actually played this one, but from all accounts it's nearly identical to the original.
Chances: Not bad. Crave, the publisher, hasn't signed on to do VC games as of yet, but they're working on crappy Wii shovelware so it's a good bet that they'd like to make the extra money this'd bring in.
5. Shadow Man
You liked Ocarina of Time, right? Well, Shadow Man is like that, only made form the very beginning for grown-ups. True, its production story's polish, like the graphics in this N64 version, isn't great - the voice acting can go from awful to amazing in less than a minute - but this is the closest anyone's gotten to importing OoT's gameplay into a new, adult world. It's quite a trip.
Chances: Not great. While Acclaim could concievably save itself from going out of business by using the VC, it may not do it in time, in which case the rights to this game could fall into a pit of lawyers or whatever happens to rights from defunct companies.
One of the OCD-inspired joys in my life is finding awesome games for old systems that are, or may someday be, available on the Virtual Console. Then I add those games to my list of games which I want. It's very satisfying, in an "I am a gigantic loser" kind of way.
It occurs to me that some of you may have similar lists, or at the very least an idea of some games you'd like to play on your Wii. So this is a thread for posting those lists, along with predictions and comments. There's already a great topic for Wii Ware in general, but I've decided not to clutter it with any more lists that most will simply ignore.
My own list is rather in-depth because I think it's fun to put this kind of thing together, but feel free to throw together something lazier. Also feel free to mock my decisions, insult the lack of Super Mario RPG, etc.
So, for each system, first in order of system release date, then in order of level of want, I present my EPIC VIRTUAL CONSOLE LIST:
NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
1. Metal Storm
The great thing about this game, aside from it's phenomenal graphics (well, phenomenal for the NES), is its unique gravity mechanic. By pressing the jump button twice, you reverse your personal gravity and fly up to the ceiling. There are plenty of clever puzzles that use this mechanic, and the action itself is fantastic. I played it on an emulator a while back and was astounded that I'd never heard of it, it's now among my favorite NES games.
Chances for release: Good. IREM, the publisher, has already released several games for the TG-16, but none for the NES, except in Japan. I don't know if this is due to any licensing issues or is just a coincidence.
2. Mother
Hopefully you don't need an intro to this game. It's the prequel to Earthbound, and was sadly never released outside of Japan (the above screenshot is from a fan translated ROM). It's surreal RPG goodness. I played a bit of the fan translation and liked it quite a lot.
Chances: Low. It would take some major translation work. However, there are plenty of fans who would love to see it, and people have been begging for a US release for years, so it's a possibility.
3. Zoda's Revenge: Startropics 2
Startropics is coming to the VC next Monday (hooray!), but its sequel is still unannounced. Same basic gameplay and with a less impressive story. I haven't played it, but if it's half as good as the original I'll be sure to pick it up.
Chances: Excellent. With the original on its way, I'd be shocked if this didn't find it's way to the VC.
4. Super Turrican
I was shocked and amazed to read that this was developed by one single person. Then I was excited, shocked, and amazed when I read that the person was none other than the creator of Turrican, Manfred Trenz. That alone makes it a must-buy should it grace the VC.
The Turrican series is kind of like Metroid with a bit more action, and is quite a fun group of games; although this and the SNES/Genesis ports lack some of the free roaming of the C64/Amiga originals. I played a bit of it and it seems to keep the basic Turrican gameplay intact, which means it's amazing.
Chances: Not too bad. Imagineer, the publisher, has yet to announce support for the VC, at least to my knowledge. They are still in business though, and have been releasing GBA games in the last few years, so their relationship with Nintendo isn't bad. Cross your fingers, this is a fantastic game.
SEGA GENESIS/MEGA DRIVE
1. Ranger X
This one is a great, frenetic shooter where you play as a big robot and his awesome monocycle, which you can merge into in a weird and frankly Freudian bit of animation. It's a really really awesome game though, you guys. Kind of like Contra mixed with Gundam with a bit of R-Type thrown in. I played it on an emulator and it was
ing greatChances: Good. It was published by SEGA and is something of a cult classic, I'd be surprised if this doesn't turn up.
2. Crusader of Centy
Aside from Sonic sitting there, I wouldn't blame you if you mistook this for Link to the Past. The game itself plays very much like LttP, except that as you play, you befriend various animals who give you cool abilities. All in all, it's a pretty awesome game, and, like Startropics 2, one that's perfect for fans of the Zelda games. I played enough of it to know that it's a competent LttP ripoff, which makes it a phenomenal game.
Chances: Dunno. Atlus has yet to announce support for the VC, but if they do, I'd expect this to be one of the first Genesis games they put out, as it was a big seller.
3. Haunting: Starring Polterguy
This one is weird. Really weird. You play a ghost whose goal it is to scare the new inhabitants of a house, which you do by possessing various inanimate objects, triggering some hilarious animations which scare the hell out of the poor family. Surprisingly, this innovative gem was published by Electronic Arts. I played some on an emulator and couldn't stop laughing, it's just bizarre.
Chances: Not good. I just can't see EA letting it's IP onto the Virtual Console, especially not weird stuff like this. Still, I can hope.
4. Cyborg Justice
I'll be honest, I didn't play a lot of this game. But I played enough to know that it has an impressively deep fighting engine for a beat-em-up, and also some of the coolest death animations I've ever seen (for the bad guys, anyway).
Chances: Good. Again, it was published by SEGA, and while it wasn't a big hit, I'm sure they'd be happy to put this out and make free, easy money.
5. Puyo Puyo 2
This would be much higher on my list, but since I already have Mean Bean Machine on the VC I don't know how much I really need another Puyo game. That said, this is pretty much the best of the series, which in my opinion makes it possibly the best Tetris-style puzzler of all time.
Chances: Only a matter of time, as it's been rated by the ESRB. It'll probably be 900 points though due to its status as an import.
SUPER NINTENDO
1. Gunple: Gunman's Proof
Sorry about that screenshot, it's the best I could find on short notice. The actual game looks much better than that.
Gunman's Proof is a really great and really strange game. It's kind of like the developers took the graphics and feel of Earthbound and set it in some kind of bizarre alien old west. Also it's a shooter. The gameplay itself though is
excellent, and it's some of the most fun I've had with an import. I played it frequently back in my emulation days, as it was graced with a fan translation.
Chances: Low. Not only is it all in Japanese, but it's publisher, ASCII, hasn't signed on to the Virtual Console.
2. Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge
This game is the brainchild of the late Gunpei Yokoi, the genius behind Metroid, the Game Boy, and the Virtual Boy (okay, so that last one wasn't such genius). It's possibly the best light gun game I've ever played, and certainly the best Super Scope game. Like Treasure's Alien Soldier, the game consists almost entirely of really cool and strange boss fights. Also like Alien Soldier, the game kicks ass. It's prequel, Battle Clash, is also great. I played it on an emulator, and even without a light gun it was fantastic.
Chances: Good? While it was published by Nintendo and designed by their second-most-famous game designer, light gun games have been mysteriously absent from the VC. This is troubling. But unless they never release any light gun games (a disturbing possibility given NoA's batshit insanity), we WILL see this on our Wiis.
3. Earthbound
You know what, I'm not even gonna bother with a screenshot for this one. If this isn't on your list, you are a crazy person. I almost didn't include it since it's probably the single most-wanted VC game, but what the hell, might as well mention it.
Chances: Surely this will come out.
4. Wonder Project J
This is one of those fantastic and amazing games that Japan got and no one else did. It's hard to describe, but I'll try: you give the robot Pino, picture above, instructions, and train him, and... I dunno, man, it's just hard to explain. It's very in-depth and odd and interesting. It also has some of the prettiest sprites on the SNES. There was also a sequel for the N64, which I'm told is fantastic, but as it doesn't have a fan translated ROM I'm too dumb too play it.
Chances: Low. A very text-heavy game. On the plus side, there's always the chance that Square-Enix will port this to the DS or something, since they seem to be so fond of doing that to their old games.
5. Super Turrican 1 & 2
Like the NES version, these aren't as great as the originals. However, they're quite good and well worth my time. I've played 'em on an emulator and have vague memories of enjoying them on a friends' SNES way back. There's also a Genesis port of Turrican 3 called Mega Turrican, which apparently these are based on. Haven't played that though, so it's not on my list.
Chances: They're ESRB rated, and Nintendo Power says they're coming soon, so look for 'em in the near future.
6. E.V.O.
This is an interesting, if mildly flawed, game. Think of it as the long-lost bastard cousin of Spore - you pick different parts which you use to evolve your creature. Unlike Spore though, this is a simple action game, and not a really good one, either, so the fun comes purely from creating your own strange creatures. That can be a lot of fun though, so if you don't mind some mindless leveling (or if you can play JRPGs or MMORPGs), this is quite a treasure.
Chances: Good. Enix created it before the merger, and they've already released Actraiser (which is also worth picking up).
NINTENDO 64:
1. Kirby 64
There are some who look down on the Kirby games as noob fodder - not terrible, but not sophisticated enough to play. These people are gigantic poops. Kirby is awesome, his games are awesome, and Kirby gets a FRICKIN' DOUBLE-BLADED LIGHTSABER in this game (see screenshot). I played the hell out of this game back in the day and I'd love the chance to do so again on my Wii.
Chances: Excellent. This WILL make it to the VC, it's only a question of how long Reggie makes us wait, the bastard.
2. Dezaemon 3D
This isn't just the holy grail of rare N64 games, this is also the holy grail of shmups, if only for the fact that it has a flexible built-in level editor. And I really do mean flexible: you can create your own songs and skins as well as doing the level design and choosing the type of shmup. It's capable of isometric, horizontal, and vertical levels (not sure about on-rails a la Starfox or Panzer Dragoon) and actually comes with some nice levels built into it. If this could be worked into WiiConnect somehow this could be a Virtual Console killer app.
Chances: Surprisingly good, in my opinion. While it's true that the publisher, Athena, has yet to release any games for the VC; and it's also true that this was a Japan-only release and would require a decent amount of translation, the rarity of the cartridge suggests, to me, that this would be one that Nintendo would want on the VC.
3. Mischief Makers
Sorry for the large screenshot, but I wanted to show how pretty this game is. This is a Treasure sidescrolling game, which means that it's fantastic and beautiful. This particular game isn't their strongest, in my opinion due to the odd control scheme, but it's damn good and well worth playing. I rented this as a kid and I've since played it a bit on an emulator, but you really need an N64 controller to play it properly.
Chances: Very good. Treasure has been fantastic about supporting the VC, including releasing games that never made it to the States such as the godlike Sin & Punishment and Alien Soldier.
4. Robotron 64
Now this is a game that the VC can actually IMPROVE. Not that it needs it, this was great fun when it came out. But it would really benefit from the Classic Controller or the Gamecube's dual analog sticks. See, it's based on the old arcade game Robotron: 2084, which, if you have a 360, you should already have played (it's available from XBLA). It pretty much invented the dual-analog control scheme that Geometry Wars later revived, and it's just a great arcade game. This was essentially the same game, just with better graphics. Is a 26 year old arcade game worth the 10 bucks it'd be on the VC? In this case, yes.
Disclaimer: I haven't actually played this one, but from all accounts it's nearly identical to the original.
Chances: Not bad. Crave, the publisher, hasn't signed on to do VC games as of yet, but they're working on crappy Wii shovelware so it's a good bet that they'd like to make the extra money this'd bring in.
5. Shadow Man
You liked Ocarina of Time, right? Well, Shadow Man is like that, only made form the very beginning for grown-ups. True, its production story's polish, like the graphics in this N64 version, isn't great - the voice acting can go from awful to amazing in less than a minute - but this is the closest anyone's gotten to importing OoT's gameplay into a new, adult world. It's quite a trip.
Chances: Not great. While Acclaim could concievably save itself from going out of business by using the VC, it may not do it in time, in which case the rights to this game could fall into a pit of lawyers or whatever happens to rights from defunct companies.
