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As millions wake up to nurse ham and chocolate choked digestive systems, the fine folks at the Wii Virtual Console Labs are hard at work, bringing you the very latest in old stuff. This week sees the release of three classic titles that are perfect for playing between bathroom runs.
Galaga (NES 500 Points): Thank goodness, for awhile there everything BUT the Wii was capable of playing Galaga. The world is saved.
BRAVOMAN (Turbografx 16 600 Points): Now here's a TG-16 game I can really get behind. Bravoman is a platforming beat-em-up hybrid featuring a bionic superhero trying to stop the evil scientist Dr. Bomb from unleashing his "End the World" weapon. It's filled to the brim with tongue in cheek humor and purposeful Engrish. "Hello, I'm Japanese telephone box!" It can be a bit repetitive (22 stages + only 5 stage types), but multiple paths and the chance to fight flying toasters will see you through.
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Genesis, 800 Points): Ah yes, Sega's original mascot before Sonic stole the spotlight, I bet Alex is somewhere laughing his ass off right now. Enchanted Castle is the fifth Alex Kidd game and the only one to appear on the Genesis, most recently appearing in the Sega Genesis Collection late last year for the PS2 and PSP. Rock-paper-scissors boss battles for the win!
All in all, not a bad week. Definitely picking up Bravoman, and if I didn't already have 2 bazillion versions of Galaga, that'd be a purchase as well. Full press release follows.
WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ANNOUNCED FOR WII SHOP CHANNEL
April 9, 2007
Do you have an itch to blast bug-shaped space fighters? Have you ever wondered whether Dr. Bomb was a medical doctor or a Ph.D.? Do you resolve all your disputes with a heated round of Rock, Paper, Scissors? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you'll want to pay a visit to the popular Wii video game system's Wii Shop Channel.
Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:
Galaga (NES , 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Players control their fighters, with their unique ability to combine with other fighters and shoot down the invading aliens. Aliens attack in formations using a variety of attack patterns. Rescue a captured fighter to combine with it, forming a Dual Fighter with twice the firepower. Earn Perfect Bonuses more easily by using a Dual Fighter on the Challenging Stages. Galaga was released in 1981 and became an instant classic with its innovative fighter-combination system and varied enemy attack patterns.
BRAVOMAN (Turbografx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): The village of Nitta has been invaded by the army of Dr. Bomb, an evil scientist who is plotting to take over the world. Facing this crisis is Bravoman, who received his powers from Alpha Man to stand up against Dr. Bomb in the name of justice. The village of Nitta consists of 22 stages - action stages that take place on the ground and shooting stages that take place underwater. Action stages use a unique control system in which the height of a jump and the distance of an attack changes depending on how long players hold down the button. Players collect the Luck Symbols that appear when they defeat enemies and give them to Lottery Man to get recovery and power-up items. Stop Dr. Bomb and bring peace to the village of Nitta and the rest of the world.
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): When King Thor was kidnapped, his son, Alex Kidd, held out hope that his father would return to their kingdom on Planet Aries. Finally, it was revealed that he was being held captive on Planet Paperock. As Alex, players race to his rescue through 11 levels, battling enemies and avoiding obstacles while winning coins that will buy special items and vehicles. At the end of each level, players encounter a boss and enter into a match of "Rock, Paper, Scissors." Throwing the right symbols puts players ever closer to bringing King Thor home; throwing the wrong symbols squashes them beneath a heavy weight.
For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.
