The Vic Viper. 'Nuff Said.
Gradius III
Console: SNES
Wii Points: 800 points ($8.00 USD)
You'll need to whip out the Classic Controller to play Gradius III but it'll be worth it. Collecting powerups to blast away at screens full of enemies while nimbly dodging between projectiles is gaming at its most pure. Sadly, this is a perfect emulation of the SNES game, slowdown and all, so prepare for lots of framerate drops once you've picked up some powerups and you let the laser beams fly. On the other hand, that slowdown really does help bail you out when you're trying to find a safe space to fly to when a screen full of tiny enemy shots spell impending doom.
It's hard to beat a fine entry in one of gaming's best shooter franchises, and Gradius III is the kind of game that's perfectly suited to Virtual Console. We had a lot of fun with this one at the office, and you will too. Just be sure to not let the batteries in your Wii remote run dry. Thumbs way up.
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Console: Sega Genesis
Wii Points: 800 points ($8.00 USD)
Now you can download two games on Virtual Console where the hero must save the princess, find the ocarina, and travel with a helpful fairy. While Sega's 1991 release of Wonder Boy in Monster World isn't exactly on par with Ocarina of Time, it's still a pretty fun adventure that combines platforming and action gameplay with RPG elements like NPC interaction, equipment upgrades, and character development. I had a good time with this one, nostalgia factor notwithstanding. The cutesy graphics go a long way here, setting a nice backdrop for your adventure.
If you're not already knee-deep in a modern role-playing game, this is worth checking out. Thumbs up.
Battle Lode Runner
Console: TurboGrafx-16
Wii Points: 600 points ($6.00 USD)
Five-player action that's as good as Bomberman doesn't sound too bad for a couple of bucks. Instead of dropping bombs, you're picking up loot and destroying tiles, hopefully sending your enemies falling to their deaths. While playing against the capable CPU bots isn't much fun, you'll probably have a far better time against weaker human competition. Five-player anything is often fun, but this is a surprisingly good option for your next party game.
If you already have a good Bomberman game, you don't really need this, but Battle Lode Runner is a great substitute. We give it a thumbs up.
Download That! is written by Gerald Villoria, who really can't recover from losing all his power-ups in Gradius III.
