Europe receives trio of Genesis VC titles
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, Europe, Sonic, Virtual Console. Tagged with Ecco, Golden Axe.
Sega has now released Sonic 2, Ecco: Tides of Time and Golden Axe II for the Virtual Console in Europe for 800 Wii points each.
I won’t bore you with details about the games, because frankly, if you don’t already know enough about them, you’re probably on the wrong site.
So today, I present you with a video of the Sonic the Hedgehog theme being played at Yale University during the Video Games Live concert.
Ecco: Tides of Time released for Virtual Console
Posted by Hudson. Filed under News, Nintendo Wii, Retro, Virtual Console. Tagged with Sega Genesis Collection.
Today sees the release of Ecco: the Tides of Time for the Wii’s Virtual Console. Everyone loves dolphins, or at least don’t actively hate them. Especially when they save the world from freakish alien invasion and consort with Atlanteans and a giant talking strand of DNA which apparently started life on earth or something, whatever. Sometimes, though, people get frustrated with dolphins.
The Ecco series is known for a number of features, including slick presentation, surprisingly fluid controls, crazy weird storylines (time traveling dolphins), and being intensely difficult. Really, really difficult. Like kick-your-ass-to-the-curb, wail-on-you-with-a-bat difficult. Tides of Time adheres pretty closely to this formula, with a few deviations from its forerunner. New features included the ability to transform at points into a different species (including Ecco’s prey and healthbar mainstay, a school of fish) and more innovative puzzles such as tailing other dolphins around the ocean, a feature that would later be used again with mixed results in the 3D Ecco: Defender of the Future for the Dreamcast.
Ecco: Tides of Time is a solid, well put together game. However, like all games in the cetacean series, it requires a lot of patience to truly enjoy to the fullest. If you want a deep puzzle solving experience and aren’t afraid to get your feet wet, Ecco won’t disappoint. Of course, you’ll be even less disappointed if you just buy Sega Genesis Collection for the PS2 and PSP, which has among its now numerous A-list Virtual Console titles both Tides of Time and the original Ecco, along with the mercifully easy Ecco Jr.
Ecco the Dolphin: the Tides of Time is not recommended for the Virtual Console unless the low low price and 27 other titles up for grabs in the Sega Genesis Collection hold absolutely no appeal for you.
Sonic 2, Golden Axe II will live for eternity on VC
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, Sonic, Virtual Console. Tagged with Golden Axe, Sega Genesis Collection.
If you don’t already have Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Golden Axe II on a multitude of platforms, compilations or in their original form, you may be interested to know you can now get them on an entirely new platform as both classics have been made available on the Virtual Console.
In our Sega Genesis Collection/Virtual Console count, we’re now up to 14 games that have made the crossover with a massively inflated price, and there are more to come.
I know I may be preaching to the choir, but if you haven’t played either of these games yet, but own a PS2 or PSP, please pick up Sega Genesis Collection instead of drastically overpaying. You can get both games for less than $1 on SGS or pay $16 for both. For that price, you can nearly get the entire game!
Anyway, enough of my ranting. You need to play these games in some form or fashion, because they really are classics.
Ecco: Tides of Time headed for VC, Sega steals your money again
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, Virtual Console.
It looks like the original Ecco the Dolphin sold well enough on Nintendo’s Virtual Console, that Sega is now looking to bring our underwater ally’s sequel to steal more monies from your pockets. The ESRB has recently updated its database and included a Virtual Console edition of Ecco: Tides of Time in its newest batch of ratings.
As you may know, the ESRB has been a good a good indicator for which games Sega plans to release weeks before they’re official announcement. We’ve seen it happen with Streets of Rage 2 and with Sega’s Vintage Collection, which Sega still denies.
However, if buying this title on the Virtual Console interests you in the least bit, may I suggest you hit yourself in the nuts right now? You can get this game for pennies on the Sega Genesis Collection instead of spending the ridiculous $8 on the Virtual Console. Don’t be an idiot!
[Via IGN]
Kid Chameleon jumps to Virtual Console
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, News, Nintendo Wii, Virtual Console. Tagged with Sega Genesis Collection.
Pew, pew. 12 down 16 more to go before Sega ports the entire Sega Genesis Collection over to the Wii’s Virtual Console.
Why is that bad you ask? Well, because buying all 28 Sega Genesis games at $8 a piece on the VC will run you a whopping $224. And you thought the Guitar Hero Xbox 360 fiasco was bad, eh?
In the game, Kid Chameleon makes use of different masks which gives him special powers to progress through the game.
Like all other Genesis titles, Kid Chameleon is available for $8.
Rage against the Wiichine
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, Nintendo Wii, Virtual Console.
It wasn’t even a few days ago when the question was raised during the Nerdcast if Streets of Rage 2 was available on the Virtual Console. Today, Sega answered that question by releasing it on Nintendo’s downloadable service.
The classic Genesis title is available for 800 Wii Points.
Just in case you’ve been living in a cardboard box your entire life, here’s the game’s basic premise:
To celebrate their defeat of the Syndicate exactly one year before, Blaze, Adam and Axel met for drinks. The next morning, Axel received a frantic phone call from Eddie “Skate” Hunter, Adam’s younger brother, whom he was living with on the edge of the city. Blaze and Axel found Adam and Skate’s house wrecked, and a picture showing Adam chained up at the feet of Mr. X. The city then once again returned to its nightmarish state as criminals ran rampant. Unable to contact their old friend in artillery, Axel and Blaze team up with Skate and Max Thunder to free the city and rescue Adam from the Syndicate. It is up to you to take down Mr. X once and for all.
What can I say? Streets of Rage 2 is a great game, and if you somehow missed out on it as a child, I highly encourage you to try this game out. From what I found during last week’s Flashback, the Streets of Rage formula still holds up well today.
Sega Deal: Miniature consoles going for a miniature price
Posted by Graham. Filed under G, News, Retro, Virtual Console. Tagged with Fan Stuff, Plug'N'Play, Sega Deals.
The very cool Sega Genesis (Megadrive) miniture ‘Arcade Legends’ consoles have been slashed in price over at online store Amazon.com.
The fantastic little systems, which hold six classic games have been reduced by $20, right down to the pocket money price of only $9.99. For any Brits out there, this means you can get; Sonic 2, Ecco the Dolphin, Gain Ground, The Ooze, Columns, Alex Kid and the Enchanted Castle, all for the meagre price of just £5.06!
So if you are horrified by the prices of the Wii’s Virtual Console, you can now get 6 of the same titles for the price of one (actually less than) Virtual Console purchase. Fantastic bargain I’d say.
[Update]-However, one of our fellow (and highly valued) Sega Nerds has informed me that the device may not be all that great after all- Check the comments for more. But if he is right, for $9.99, at least you won’t be breaking the bank if it does turn out to be crappy.
So check out Amazon.com for this (maybe not so) great deal before stock runs out.
[Source: Amazon.com via Remotething.com
Four new Genesis classics hit the Virtual Console
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, Virtual Console.
Next week will definitely one of the best in recent memory for Genesis titles on the Virtual Console. Sega announced it will release Streets of Rage 2, Toe Jam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, Shining in the Darkness and Kid Chameleon on the VC.
I know where I’ll be spending the bulk of my gaming time next week. And hey, none of these games were previously released on the Sega Genesis Collection! Yeeaaa!
Also, I’m really hoping the inclusion of Shining in the Darkness, which is the very first Shining game, means we’ll see more Shining games on the Virtual Console. God knows Jesus wants it. I want it.
Hit the jump for detailed information on each game.
There is a God, and he’s given Sega the order!
Posted by Graham. Filed under G, News, Nintendo Wii, Sonic, Virtual Console. Tagged with Downloads, Shining Force.
For all those non-believers out there, who have been saying how rubbish the line-up of games on the Wii’s Virtual Console is, I have good news. Very good news!
According to Vooks, a Nintendo gaming site, several brilliant Megadrive titles have recently been licensed by Sega and Nintendo, and the list of Megadrive titles is very, very cool;
- Streets of Rage 2
- Toe Jam and Earl in Panic Funkotron
- Kid Chameleon
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Golden Axe II
- Shining in the Darkness (!)
- Shining Force (!!)
Now I know that our main editor, Chris, has been gagging to see some Shining Force action appear on the Virtual Console, (well haven’t we all?), and I am over the moon at this list.ÂÂ
The only title I didn’t like too much was Golden Axe II, it was fun but never as good as the original. However, all the other titles were brilliant, and I never got a chance to play Shining in the Darkness. But I am a huge Shining fan and this will help to further my addiction collection of the great franchise.
Vooks have stated that the games have not been given an official date of release but, by the looks of it, they are definitely on the schedule and no doubt will be released within the next month or two (we hope!).  But this shows that Sega are not just fobbing us off with the same old re-releases, they are listening to some cries from the gaming community and coming up with the ‘good stuff’. Great times ahead Sega Nerds, great times…
[Source: Vooks.net and oflc.gov.au]
Alex Kidd struts onto Virtual Console
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, Nintendo Wii, Virtual Console.
It’s inevitable. I really believe Sega plans to release every damn Sega Genesis Collection title on the Virtual Console. Sonic the Hedgehog? Check. Bonanza Bros., Comix Zone and Golden Axe? Check again. And now Sega is releasing Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle this week on the Virtual Console. Oh wait … check one more time.
With Alex Kidd joining the team, there are about 11 games that have been released on both Sega Genesis Collection and the VC, so I guess that means we only have 17 games to go before Sega is forced to start releasing entirely different games.
Now don’t get me wrong, Sega is doing a decent job at delivering us some good titles like ToeJam & Earl, Beyond Oasis and Streets of Rage, but it’s frustrating for those of us who already picked up Sega Genesis Collection and got our “fill” of these classic games already. Why would we want to spend $8 more just to play them on our Wii?
Oh well, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle was released on the Genesis Feb. 10, 1989, yeah a helluva long time ago. Unfortunately, this game really shows its age. I honestly don’t know what I found appealing about it when I was a kid. I guess I can blame it on my high degree of ignorance and overall stupidity, but I know this game sucks. Sucks HARD!
But if you don’t believe me, go ahead and pick it up.