alt="Art of Fighting 2"/>

Art of Fighting 2

Developer: SNK

Publisher: D4 Enterprise

Price: 900 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: Neo Geo

RECOMMENDATION:
Fry It

In a continuing bid to get every SNK fighting game on the Virtual Console service, we now see the release of Art of Fighting 2. This sequel is a definite improvement over its predecessor, with more playable characters and improved graphics. There are some mildly interesting play mechanics thanks to the mental-energy gauge that dictates your usage of special moves.

If you're going to play the game in single-player mode, prepare for a thrashing as the computer artificial intelligence is exceptionally difficult. There's a fine line between challenging and cheap, and AoF2 steps back and forth between the two. The main problem here is that even with the difficulty, the gameplay is simply too slow to remain interesting for long. There are more worthy fighting games on the VC to spend your Wii Points on.

alt="Chase HQ"/>

Chase H.Q.

Developer: Taito

Publisher: Taito

Price: 600 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: TurboGrafx-16

RECOMMENDATION:
Fry It

Chase H.Q. is a realistic portrayal of police pursuit in that your play an officer who must apprehend criminals by speeding along highways after them in a sports car. Once you catch up to the miscreants, it's time to turn on your sirens and repeatedly ram the bad guy's car until they're forced off the road -- just like what actual police have to go through every day.

OK, so maybe it's not completely accurate. Real police don't always have a sports car at their disposal. That's pretty much all there is to Chase H.Q., and although it was a decent enough arcade game back in the day, it's not nearly as much fun now (this is the case with a lot of old racing games). It looks quite nice, and the strict time limit gives the game a healthy challenge, but the chase becomes tiresome after a round or two.

alt="Sonic the Hedgehog"/>

Sonic the Hedgehog

Developer: Sega

Publisher: Sega

Price: 500 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: Sega Master System

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

"Hasn't Sonic the Hedgehog been available on the Virtual Console for ages now?!" we hear you cry. It's true -- the Genesis version of Sonic was released on the VC way back at the end of 2006. This, however, is the Master System version of the blue dude's first adventure. And before you ask why you should bother with this "inferior" 8-bit version when you've already bought the 16-bit one, you should know that this is a completely different game.

Yep, all-new stages, different bosses, and even a few different gameplay twists (the Chaos Emeralds are now stashed within levels instead of in bonus stages). Sure, it's not nearly as pretty as the Genesis game, but for an 8-bit title, it looks and sounds great. Check it out and enjoy a chapter in the Sonic saga that you've probably missed.

@@

alt="Splatterhouse 2"/>

Splatterhouse 2

Developer: Namco

Publisher: NBGI

Price: 800 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: Genesis

RECOMMENDATION:
Fry It

The original Splatterhouse (a TurboGrafx-16 game) was released on the Virtual Console a little over a year ago. Although it's a fairly enjoyable beat-'em-up with a certain amount of gory charm, it's not all that great by today's standards. The same holds true with Splatterhouse 2. Controlling a dude who looks like Jason from the "Friday the 13th" movies and punching zombies to hard that they burst open sounds like fun, but the simplistic "just keep moving right" gameplay isn't terribly exciting.

Once the novelty factor of the blood and crazy-looking monsters wears off, you'll realize that this is essentially a retread of Vigilante, another "it was better back then" title on the VC. If you really want to play a retro horror game, hold off for the inevitable release of Splatterhouse 3, which improves on the basic formula of its two predecessors.

alt="Break In"/>

Break In

Developer: Naxat Soft

Publisher: Naxat Soft

Price: 700 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: TurboGrafx-16

RECOMMENDATION:
Fry It

There aren't a lot of billiards sims available for console systems, so it's nice to see some pop up on the Virtual Console. Break In, which was never before released in the United States plays a pretty decent game, with six different variations to choose from. The graphics looks sharp, and the game is played from an overhead perspective (with a nifty 3-D view in a small window when you're about to shoot). Up to four people can play at once, so it makes for a decent party game.

Unfortunately, some questionable physics have the balls not always behaving how they should. This coupled with the extra 100 Wii Point "import tax" makes it not really worth the cost. If you're absolutely dying to play some old school pool on the Wii, then go for it. Otherwise, pass.

alt="Star Parodier"/>

Star Parodier

Developer: Hudson Soft

Publisher: Hudson Entertainment

Price: 900 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: TurboGrafx-16

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

There have been tons of shooters released on the Virtual Console, both good and bad. With so many to choose from, it's easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. Well, Star Parodier is one more to toss in the "good" pile. As the title implies, this game is parody of Hudson's terrific Star Soldier series, and it plays every bit as good as the games it sets out to lovingly mock.

The humor in this vertical-scrolling shooter comes from the wide range of goofy/adorable enemies that you blast along with the choice of ships. In addition to a super-deformed version of the Paroceaser (the standard Star Soldier ship), you can also control Bomberman or a PC Engine system (the Japanese version of the TurboGrafx-16). The PC Engine ship even attacks with a barrage of game chips and CD-ROMs.

Due to the game being both an import and a TurboGrafx CD game, it's relatively expensive. Still, it's a very enjoyable and lighthearted title that shooter fans will love.

@@

alt="Mega Man"/>

Mega Man

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Price: 500 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: NES

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

In anticipation of the impending release of Mega Man 9 for WiiWare, we now have the chance to relive the Blue Bomber's first adventure. Of course, you can also relive it with the GameCube's Mega Man Anniversary Collection (which contains all eight games in the original series), but the Virtual Console version has better emulation and buttons that haven't been inexplicably reversed.

With all the hype that Mega Man 2 gets about being the best game in the series (which it arguably is), it's easy to forget that the first game is really good, too. It sports memorable characters, terrific level design, spot-on control, and some extremely catchy music. If you're already a fan, this is the perfect chance to replay the game. If you've somehow missed out on the franchise, you no longer have an excuse -- $5 for this game is a steal.

alt="Neo Turf Masters"/>

Neo Turf Masters

Developer: Nazca

Publisher:D4 Enterprise

Price: 900 Wii Points

Originally Appeared on: Neo Geo

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

The Neo Geo played host to some fantastic arcade-style sports games, and Neo Turf Masters is no different. Despite its age (it's 12 years old at this point), it's still very fun, and it even holds up visually. One of the most important aspects of a golf game is the shot controls, which are quite intuitive here.

As you might expect, the game supports multiplayer, allowing a friend to get in on the action. There are only two modes of play: Stroke Play and Match Play, but with four courses of 18 holes each, there's a decent amount of replay value. Turf Masters may not be the most advanced or realistic game of golf out there, but it's one of the most enjoyable.