Virtual Console and WiiWare Releases: May 19 08 (Updated)

If you are a WiiWare fan, you should be hyped up about the games being released today. If you are a retro fan, well… you might be interested in the obscure title that is taking the place that could have been for Earthbound, Megaman, or Super Mario RPG.

UPDATE: I was right the first time. I removed the titles that are not in fact being released today. If they come out even though Nintendo said no, I quit

Let’s start with Virtual Console:

SkyKid:

You are the legendary Red Baron, flying a plane through a horizontal side-scrolling scenery set during World War I. To complete a mission, you simply need to get to the landing spot on the other side without being shot down, but you can gain extra points by destroying enemy vehicles and planes. For huge points, pick up a bomb hidden in the level (you will be warned by a sound when approaching it) and drop it on a large structure. If you fail to land on the landing strip, you run out of fuel and crash.

You can only shoot horizontally and diagonally by tilting the plane’s nose. When in trouble, perform an aerial loop with the secondary button, this often destroys other planes and avoids bullets. There is a co-op mode with the character Max as well.

NES – 500 Wii Points – 1-2 Players

Ok, I will be fair, for once. This game doesn’t look too bad, but I am still sore at how long it is taking for Earthbound to be released. The fact that it allows up two players is certainly a plus. If Wii Points weren’t so hard to find (do to the recent release of WiiWare), I might buy this and save the left over points for Earthbound.

Bottom Line:

Not a bad game by the looks of it. In fact, I would go as far as to call it a good game. But it isn’t Earthbound. This is unforgivable.

Ok, now time for the WiiWare portion of the show. We have one well anticipated title, and one that I have never heard of. Yes, that’s right: Star Soldier R and Critter Round-Up.

Critter Round-Up:

Developed by Los Angeles, CA-based Epicenter Studios, Critter Round-Up is a puzzle game for up to four players. Players are challenged with building fences to separate different critter species into their own area, while avoiding predators and other mischievous animals attempting to stop you from rounding them up. Players can corral exotic critters from five environments encompassing 50 levels, with gameplay modes including a co-op Adventure Mode as well as special co-op challenges for up to four players. There’s also a Marathon Mode that supports up to four layers on a nearly infinite number of levels, as well as a collection of Critter Games, an entertaining selection of mini games such as Snowball Soccer and Predator Rampage.

WiiWare – 1000 Wii Points – 1-4 Players

Hmmm, not terrible, but not something I want to buy, especially since I can buy Star Soldier R (below) for two-hundred points less. Still, I would go at least as far as to recommend this to casual and young gamers, and those of you who are interested in the multiplayer portion.

Bottom Line:

I do not think this is for the core gamer. I have misjudged a game or two, but I think that core gamers would be better off saving their ten bucks for something else.

Star Soldier R:

This tournament-style outer space shooter challenges players to achieve a high score in either a 2-Minute or 5-Minute Mode. In 2-Minute Mode, players have just enough time to battle through one action-packed stage and one giant boss. In 5-Minute Mode, they also have enough time to fight their way through a second level with its own boss. Additionally, players can play Quick Shot Mode to see if they have the fastest trigger fingers around! Once gamers have their scores, they can go to the online leaderboards to see how they compare with other players in their region and can keep playing to improve their ranking. There’s also significant depth and replay value to this challenging game, as players can keep practicing to learn all of the different strategies to achieve bonus points in both 2-Minute and 5-Minute Modes. If they discover them all, players might have a shot at having the top score in the world!

WiiWare – 800 Wii Points – 1 Player

Ok, this is my pick. This is, as far as I can see, my favorite game of the week. “Action packed stages” and “giant bosses”, topped off by online leaderboards. This doesn’t feature a multiplayer mode, but the rounds are short enough to rotate controllers between players.

Bottom Line:

This is my recommendation of the week. Seems like a pretty solid arcade game, and at eight dollars it seems to me to be a no-brainer to the core and arcade gamers.

BOTTOM bottom line:

For the retro gamer: SkyKid. It may be obscure, but it seems fairly solid and includes multiplayer.

For the casual and party gamer: Critter Round-Up. It may not have much appeal to the core gamers, but if you like games such as Carnival Games and Wii Play, I think this is for you.

For the core and arcade gamer: Star Soldier R. It may not have a multiplayer mode, but as I said, the rounds are short enough for rotation play.

For me: Save my points. Wait until Earthbound comes out.

Details, videos and screens “borrowed without asking” ( ) from Nintendic.

VC details source WiiWare details source

Around The Net: