Kotaku
Shortly available on the Wii Virtual Console, two classic games from ages past about saving worlds and kicking ass. Girlfriends always be getting kidnapped, yo, and such is the case in River City Ransom (NES, 500 points), the beat-em-up RPG hybrid that sees Ryan off on a quest to rescue his girlfriend from the sinister Slick, with his friend Player Two Alex along for the ride. Then we have the game I was sincerely hoping for after last week's Euro update, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom for the Sega Genesis (800 points). This time around it's a choose your own adventure of sorts, as you guide three generations via an innovative mate-picking mechanic that makes replaying the game nearly mandatory. Who you choose to marry decides who you'll be playing in the next generation, and ultimately which ending you'll receive when all is said and done. Love it or hate it, it's a damn fine piece of RPG history. If I had any time to actually play games this week, this would be the one. A very good week for the Virtual Console.
WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNELApril 21, 2008
Helping out your friends is often as easy as a ride to the airport or a kind word of advice. But when they fall victim to dastardly kidnappers, things get a little more complicated. Step up and find out what it takes to rescue your imperiled pals in the latest additions to the Wii� Shop Channel. Both of these classic titles feature distinctive rescue-driven storylines and villain-busting action to help bring out your inner hero. Isn't that what friends are for?
Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time 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:
River City Ransom� (NES�, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Suggestive Themes and Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): River City Ransom takes place in River City, where our heroes, Alex and Ryan, find a letter on Ryan's locker from a guy named Slick. The letter says that Ryan's girlfriend, Cyndi, has been kidnapped, and Slick has taken River City hostage with the help of countless gangs and evil bosses. It's up to our heroes to save poor Cyndi and free River City from the clutches of Slick and his underlings. You can play as Alex and take on the challenge alone or battle with two players simultaneously as Alex and Ryan. Kick and punch to fight your way through gang members, evil bosses and other goons, or use a variety of weapons including a chain whip, brass knuckles and a tire, to name a few. Raise your stats by eating right, and gain new techniques by reading books. With your fighting prowess and never-ending spirit, the bad guys won't know what hit them.
Phantasy Star� III Generations of Doom (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): As Rhys, the crown prince of the Orakian kingdom of Landen, you are engaged to be married to Maia, a woman from a rival kingdom. But Maia is kidnapped on your wedding day, setting you on a quest filled with twists and turns that will reintroduce you to people and places from previous Phantasy Star games. This epic spans several generations of characters, and your choices will dramatically impact the way the story unfolds, which makes it a great game to play all the way through more than once. In Phantasy Star III, things aren't always what they seem-check it out and watch the mysteries unfold.
For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.
Comments
Awesome. Can't wait to download River City Ransom.
:3
And here I thought my savings were safe for another week...
*grabs wallet*
BARF!!!
RCR! One of the most revered of all beat-em-ups, and its finally here!
Damn I can't wait to get home!
What happens in PSIII if I marry another dude?
All right RCR!
Phantasy Star III looks pretty cool too.
If you can get past the bland graphics and music, especially during battles, PSIII is a good time. Lots of gameplay there for such an old game.
Damn! I forgot about VC updates, and before the pictures loaded the headline made me think of Phantasy Star Universe + River City Ransom = MMO where people say BARF! when you hit them.
Now you got my hopes up Kotaku.
@Zaxxon Q Blaque: You can marry Wren, but you end up getting electrocuted on your wedding night.
Should I get Phantasy Star III from the VC, or should I spend 10 bucks more and get the Genesis Collection for PSP, which contains among numerous games all 3 of the Phantasy Games that came out for Genesis (II-IV)??
Are the PSP versions nearly as good ports as the Wii VC versions?
OK OK - River City Ransom was one of the best games on the NES and one of the hardest too. I don't think I was ever able to finish it because I always got lost. Did any one ever get to the end?
If I had a Wii, I'd totally be all over this one.
@jabedoben: O_O Well, I guess that's what ya get when ya don't procreate in video games. No dowry and electrocuted. >_<
This week is pure awesomeness.
I want my Super Mario Kart for the SNES. I want it so bad. :<
Best VC week yet, no doubt!
@Strange Bedfellows: The Mega Drive Collection (Genesis for you loopy Americans) ports are pretty much perfect. The only thing I've noticed in PSIV is that the victory music overlaps the area music. But apart from that, it's an absolute steal.
@B1ooDshOt:
I beat once a looooong time ago. My problem usually involved accidentally skipping an important boss fight. Just be sure to back track a few times, and don't walk past the baseball park.
I need some quick advice on which Phantasy Star games are worth playing. Is III one of them?
ahh River City Ransom. My favorite during the NES era. classic game. At 8 years old, it took me a year to beat the game. Sorry, my reading comprehension skills were lacking. I didn't care to read the texts on the bottom "go to ***** (forgot the name) park". Still, the game was fun.
It's a shame Nintendo Wi-Fi doesn't like to work with my router. So many VC games I'm missing.
Awesome RCR is a amazing game it's worth the 500 points (5 bucks)
I had never actually seen the cover for RCR (or was too young to remember it). When I saw it on here it made me crack up. The guys block hair is hilarious.
@KirbySS: Awesome. Thanks for the advice, I'll pick it up as part of that collection rather than on the VC. Then I can take it with me on the road, too!
PSIII had the most beautiful, yet totally unbearable, soundtrack of its era. Very nicely composed, too bad that the MD chips distorted and screeched it to death.
Me and my brother use to play river city ransom non stop. We didn't beat it till a couple years back when we got an emulator and played it on the computer. I always thought of RCR as the great granddaddy of GTA.
RCR is still one of the best games I wouldnt mind playing even to this day.
Good times all around.
Swordfish Sushi best food ever!
River City Ransom is awesome!
*BARF!*
WooHoo!
I loved River City Ransom so much that when I beat it, I went back and maxed up all my stats. Then I wrote down the incredibly long random number and letter password on an index card and taped it to the back of the cartridge so I would have it forever. I bet it's still there to this day.
Side note: did anyone else discover the secret store under the bridge that sold super power ups, or was that just me?
OOoh... RCR is one of the games I've been hoping for.
Okay, now out with Super Dodge Ball!
Found it by accident, but never bought anything there.
Damn, I love me some River City Ransom.
It's like Double Dragon with RPG elements. Soooooo awesome.
@ncsbert: All of them. Play all of them.
River City Ransom? Great.
The ridiculously long passwords associated with the game? Not so much.
@ncsbert: Phantasy star IV is def the best, 3rd was my least fav.
:( I want Earth Bound
:( I want UN Squadron (Area 88)
:( I want a twinkie
@Gomerboy: Yeah i remember finding that store but when i found it my stats were already too awesome for the power ups. The people that made river city ransom made some other awesome games too such as a 2 on 2 fighting game and an amazing hockey game. Itd be nice if those got released too.
I remember buying River City Ransom at a swap meet and flea market for electronic stuff at a Hyatt hotel. Didn't know anything about it, but it had some dudes on the cover that were about to get busy, so at least I knew it was like Double Dragon or Bad Dudes.
But it was so much better. So many hours played with a friend in 2 player mode. The game was so deep... you could learn all these different fighting moves, and it tracked tons of stats that stayed, and it was so awesome inventing new ways to attack like picking up your friend and running and throwing him and then he somersaults into a dragon kick.
I think the same guys made Super Dodgeball, which was equally excellent.
YES! RCR! I can remember playing that game with my best friend for hours when I was a kid. Sigh, time to spend 20 more dollars...
River City Ransom is probably the only one of three games I had left on my wishlist for VC.
One down, two to go.
RCR might make me reconsider selling my Wii.
Nah, not really. But damn, that's a good game.
RCR is legendary. Best infinite background music loop in a brawler.
@B1ooDshOt:
I've made it to the school gates numerous times. It seemed to be the end, but there was nothing to do, even with two players. No way to go in, no way to go past.
@Gomerboy:
Oh yeah. Bridge store FTW.
@Witzbold: Texas Boots! Best Weapon EVER!
God I love RCR
@FightingChance: Agreed, Super dodgeball was a masterpiece. Now if Tecmo could rip off it's gameplay and have a DOA super ultra dodgeball xx then I would have something good to buy for my 360. And by good I mean jubblies for when we are too drunk to play rock band but not drunk enough to feel the sting of a vicious multi-ball spike!
River city Ransom might be my favorite NES game.
I'm so excited I'm Acro Circus-ing over here
Stone Hands + Dragon Feet + Texas Boots = WIN!
I'm all over RCR. Makes me wish Super Dodgeball will hit the VC sometime soon as well.
River City Ransom? Oh my. Downloading shall commence later on tonight.
And yes Super Dodgeball please! Talk about a classic.
*angels flying down from heaven*
RIVER CITY RANSOM
@Mr.SithNinja:
I think you mean Grand Slam + (everything in Merlin's Mystery Shop) + Trashcan = EASY WIN!
@B1ooDshOt:
Yeah, I've beat it a few times. Just make sure you get the technique books and it's not too hard. You might have to backtrack at times to get through the bosses so you can get in the school, but it's definitely doable. It's not G&G or Battletoads by any means.
Phantsasy Star IV is where its at! comon.. COMON!!!!!
or some double dragon haha
@Nintendo:
"(PS III )set(s) you on a quest filled with twists and turns that will reintroduce you to people and places from previous Phantasy Star games."
The story ties into the other PS games tangentially at best. I can only think of one character that makes an appearance. Bet you can't guess which one.
@Witzbold: Have you played the other Kunio-kun games?
[hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com]