3DS Virtual Console Review Round-Up

The launch of the Virtual Console, and some intriguing recent releases have led to me falling deeply in love with my 3DS.  I've had the console since day one, but it's only now that I've found myself booting it up on a daily basis. Dead or Alive: Dimensions was another toast to the fighting genre's improved health. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition may have been available since launch, but I only really got around to playing it last month; it was awesome, best online fighting experience available on any platform. The afformentioned Virtual Console has allowed for me to engage with titles that I wanted to play in my youth (and since my youth; starting to get a bit impatient after today's update however. One game only). Last week also saw the release of the critically-lauded The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, re-imagined in three dimensions (forgive me for waxing lyrical; truth be told I didn't really care for it when I first played it on the Nintendo 64). It finally feels as though Nintendo's new portable is hitting its stride.

Three weeks into the new eCommerce channel's life and I've got some recommendations for you. Not many, but enough to justify a post all the same.

Super Mario Land - $6 AU 
This is not your typical Mario title. Sure, there's plenty of platforming and fire flowers to please series faithful, but everyone's favourite plumber is packing some lead in his overalls. By that of course, I mean that Mario falls heavy and fast from any height; unlike more recent iterations where you feel as though you have a little more control over your descent. Side-scrolling vehicular shooting also serves to break up the action and is functional, even enjoyable. Interestingly enough (Spoiler Alert), the final boss fight follows this format and is a genuine challenge. Enemies and level design are varied, but start to get cheap towards the end. Cheap to the point where the console's Restore Point feature was required for me to finish the game. With the use of the Restore Point, I was able to finish the game in an hour. That being said however, there's a Hard difficulty unlocked upon finishing the game and you could happily spend hours trying to beat the game using naught but your own abilities.

How all great adventures start.

The Verdict
If you feel any love for classic platforming and don't mind some side-scrolling shooting, Super Mario Land is well worth the price of admission. By no means is this Mario's greatest adventure, but it has aged pretty well all things considered. 

Double Dragon - $4.50 AU
I've played Double Dragon on many different platforms. The Sega Master System and Arcade version were somewhat similar, but this Game Boy version is a completely different monster. It is cheap beyond belief; rigid platforming and powerful boss characters would have elicited streams of tears if I was playing this on the 3DS' AA battery-powered predecessor. Once again, thanks to the Restore Point feature of the portable console's emulator, I can defeat the burliest of adversaries. I can cheat death. I can rewind time, and chip away Double Dragon's once impenetrable challenges. Cheap death after cheap death, I kept playing; drunk with power. Without the ability to save I was still able to make it half way through the third "mission," though. I relished the challenge until my curiosity got the better of me and I saw the treachery that appeared past my best effort. Unlike Super Mario Land, this is not a game that can be conquered without the use of assistance.

 Save me, Restore Point! Lord knows I can't save myself.

The Verdict
Great, cheap - in respect to both price and design - fun. The soundtrack and classic beat 'em-up action will serve a good hour or two of fun to be sure. I love it, but if you're not a fan of failure or unfair level design: you'd best leave this alone.

That should be the end of my 3DS coverage for the time being. I've just started playing F.3.A.R or Fthreear depending on your level of beligerence. The visuals aren't too special, but the visceral gunplay coupled with the added ability to take cover is proving to be very enjoyable. That, and Contractions is Zombies mode (from Call of Duty: World at War/Black Ops) done right.

What are you guys playing this weekend?

Ageing Gracefully: The 3DS Virtual Console and Nostalgia's Warm Embrace

E3 2006 was rough for Sony fanboys, even more so for those from Australia. A $599 US dollar price for the Playstation 3 meant that it would  cost about $1000 for Aussies to see Sony's vision for next generation console gaming. There wasn't any hint of a worthwhile launch line-up either, with Genji and a stripped-down Gran Turismo placed in front of the gaming media's harsh spotlight. For me this meant one of two things:

1. Start saving - which was not really possible given my penchant for impulse purchases and alcoholic beverages coupled with a meagre income that barely managed to support my tertiary studies.
2. Look to the competition

I tried saving; I really did. I even made a deposit on a shiny, black baby that was due in November of the same year. After the launch was delayed in Australia, however, I had to face facts: it would be Nintendo or Microsoft.  At first my money was on Nintendo. Being a sucker for nostalgia, the allure of the Virtual Console coupled with Solid Snake's appearance in the Super Smash Brothers Brawl trailer had me ready to part with my cash and loyalty. Ultimately, I went with the Xbox 360 after some creative contractual arrangements entitled me to the console at no out-of pocket expense upon purchasing a new phone.

I did eventually purchase a Wii though; pretty soon after launch too. The Virtual Console failed to live up to expectations on account of ridiculously-high prices, a stingy array of titles and painfully-slow infrastructure. My dream of a perfect future with cheap, readily-available games from consoles of generations past did not materialize. Dejected, I traded my white, motion-controlled elephant towards some 360 games.

Fast forward four years and the Wii once again made its way into my house. The Virtual Console still disappoints, but I found some Wii Points cards on clearance to ease the pain. I also endured the meagre launch of the 3DS on the promise of classic portable gaming experiences. I never owned a Game Boy, but my God, did I want one. The black and white games didn't look too great, but titles like Tetris, WWF Superstars and Super Mario Land 2 were just as addictive as their 8-Bit home console counterparts.

 Pythons, warriors and fluorescent tights: Wrestling at its best.

Let's travel back in time again for my eighth birthday. My loving parents had hinted that I would be receiving a portable console as a reward for being slightly older. There were three possibilities: the Atari Lynx, the aforementioned Game Boy and the Sega Game Gear. My pick was Sega's full-colour machine, and thankfully, Mum and Dad concurred. I loved that machine and my sole game,  Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, but compared to the Game Boy, the Game Gear lacked many other killer apps (call Castle of Illusion anything less than a system seller and you'll have me to deal with!). It lacked pretty much any other apps for that matter. The 3DS Virtual Console however, boasts Game Boy, Game Boy Colour and Game Gear support. That means that there's the slimmest of chances that this Disney classic may may make it onto my new handheld device. It also means that I'll be spending more money on old games.

 Best. Licensed. Game. Ever!

The 3DS Virtual Console has now launched - once again after a delay - without Game Gear support at the ready. Not even Super Mario Land 2 was available at launch. Two weeks in and we only have five games. We do have the former's predecessor though, and a good enough idea of Nintendo's pricing strategy: larceny. Game Boy and Game Boy Colour games are priced at either $4.50, $6 or $9 each while DSiWare can go into double figures. As cynical as I can be, I'm happy to front up with the funds after taking a dip. Super Mario Land may be subject to some questionable physics and design (seriously, Ancient Egypt, flying saucers and submarines?), but there's a powerful sense of whimsy and nostalgia in a monochromatic display. That and old 2D platformers will continue to rock my socks off.

Still there are questions about the service that can't be ignored:

• Firstly, where are the Game Boy Advance Games? It's not like the 3DS can accept GBA cartridges, so it would make sense to offer titles from the console's storied back catalogue.
• Why no support for classic home consoles? The 3DS has six buttons available, so that's enough to play Sega Mega Drive (Genesis), Master System, SNES and NES games with a minimum of fuss. I had a Sega Master System Converter for my Game Gear, so - at the moment - my Game Gear has the potential to offer as much support for retro games as the 3DS (Never mind that it doesn't work anymore, that's irrelevant).
• Why offer less than a handful of titles a week? I understand Nintendo wouldn't want to overwhelm consumers, but the Virtual Console should presumably appeal to older gamers who have more disposable income. I'd very much like to see some Pokemon games and some other recognisable IPs represented on the service ASAP. Nintendo seems to be making the argument that for one to age gracefully, they must not be cheap or put out too much; works for people, not eCommerce channels.  
• Seriously, where is Tetris? I'm not talking about a DSiWare version either: I want the monochromatic classic that made me jealous of my Game Boy-owning friends despite the fact I had a full colour display on my Game Gear.

The Master Gear: The clunkier, though more-effective Virtual Console

I'm affording the portable iteration of the Virtual Console a brief honeymoon period. With new titles trickling in at less than a handful a week, I have no doubt that my patience will depreciate if I don't see some of a certain blue hedgehog's adventures soon enough.   

Has anyone else trialled the handheld VC? Are any of you immune to nostalgia's warm pull?