The lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) are nowhere to be found, but just about everything else in the zoo is.
There seems to be a theme with the Virtual Console releases this week. Turtles, foxes, dragons, birds, toads, rats and a bunch of other animals can be found in all three games listed below. Is it a coincidence? Or maybe the planets and stars are aligning, marking the beginning of some earth-changing event?
Nah, it's just a coincidence.
Star Fox 64
| System | Virtual Console - Nintendo 64 |  |
| Cost | 1000 Points | |
| Players | 4 | |
| Controllers | Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone | |
| Released | Jul 01, 1997 |
Star Fox 64 is one of the greatest arcade-style shooters ever made and is a must-download for anyone who doesn't already own the cartridge. As Fox McCloud, you fly your Arwing fighter ship through space and over planetary surfaces, shooting down scads of enemies and facing massive bosses who report to the evil Andross. The original Star Fox for SNES pioneered 3D polygonal graphics in video games, but its sequel on N64 is a far more balanced and cinematic game that can be enjoyed by a wider audience. There is still plenty of challenge in figuring out how to access the more difficult mission paths, while the brilliant combo system can be mastered to earn medals on each stage. There is also a hidden Expert Mode and
four-player Vs. battles.
Oddly enough, the Virtual Console version of Star Fox 64 does not feature rumble support (ironic, considering SF64 originally included the N64 Rumble Pak) or the usual suspend feature through the Home menu. You can play with either the Classic or GameCube controller, and both of them have the boost and brake functions mapped to buttons so that you don't have to use the second joystick if you don't want to. The GameCube controller actually feels better for this game, since you use the A button so heavily, and the position of the control stick is arguably more comfortable for long playing sessions. Remember to keep playing until "Game Over" or until you beat the game in order to save your achievements!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
| System | Virtual Console - Nintendo Entertainment System |  |
| Cost | 600 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | ||
| Released | Jun 1989 |
Well, isn't this interesting timing. Just as the new TMNT movie is out and about in theaters, the original NES game hits Virtual Console. (The arcade game came out on Xbox Live Arcade last week, too.) The game is features a top-down overworld linking the meaty side-scrolling action sequences where you can switch between the four turtles at will. Each uses their specialty weapon, and sub-weapons like boomerangs and ninja stars can be acquired along the way. Every so often you'll come across a sub-boss (like Bebop or Rocksteady) who will be glad to drain your life and K.O. one or two of your turtles. You can keep playing as long as one of your characters are still standing, but try to find as much pizza as you can to keep everyone in the party fresh.
TMNT is a decent game, but it's getting a big X for a few reasons. First of all, it's overpriced. There's no reason why this should be the most expensive NES game. Secondly, it's frustratingly difficult. No matter how you good you are, there will be times where you will have no other choice but to take damage and die. (Remember the dam level?) And unlike the other turtle games, this one's single-player only. All things considered, there's really no good reason to download the original TMNT, even if you do have fond memories of playing it back in the day.
Dragon's Curse
| System | Virtual Console - TurboGrafx-16 |  |
| Cost | 600 Points | |
| Players | 1 | |
| Controllers | Wii Remote,Wii Nunchuk,GameCube | |
| ESRB Rating | ||
| Released | Aug 1990 |
Here we have a side-scrolling action RPG that sees our human hero cursed, transforming into various animals. Your dragon form spits fire, your mouse form can stick to blocks, piranha man can swim, and turning into a hawk will allow you to fly over distance. You eventually gain the ability to switch forms at will, which is important if you want to gain access to certain areas. The RPG part of the game is made up of using gold collected from felled enemies to purchase new weapons, shields and armor. If you collect enough of a certain item, you can raise your charisma level to woo shopkeepers into selling you better stuff.
This is one of the better TurboGrafx games available on Virtual Console, and it's worth the $6 asking price. It's a fun game that will have you scraping for every last gold coin to get the most powerful swords and sub-weapons you can get your hands on. If you've played New Adventure Island, you may find this game to feel similar. That's a good thing, though.
