Virtual Player: Samurai Shodown II, Ys Book I & II and more

9/16/2008 6:35 PM | 1 Comments | Page 1 of 3

Samurai Shodown II
Developer: SNK
Publisher: D4 Enterprise, Inc.
Price: 900 Wii Points
Originally Appeared On: Neo Geo

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

Back when it was first released, many considered Samurai Shodown II to be one of the best fighting games on the Neo Geo. Nearly 15 years later, a lot of people still hold that opinion. For all the praise that the game has gotten, it hasn't had much love in terms of home ports. This has suddenly changed now that Samurai Shodown II has been released on both Xbox Live Arcade and Virtual Console.

With its great cast of characters, solid gameplay and challenging difficulty level, Shodown II is one of the best fighters available on the Virtual Console. Making the game even more enjoyable is the hilarious broken English that was seemingly the result of a rushed translation.

Ys Book I & II
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom
Price: 800 Wii Points
Originally Appeared On: TurboGrafx-CD

RECOMMENDATION:
Buy It

The TurboGrafx--CD, a peripheral for the TurboGrafx-16, was the first CD-based game system released in the U.S. Ys Book I & II was one of its launch titles. The game showed the potential of the medium with anime-style cinema sequences, quality voice acting and some of the best music of the 16-bit era.

As for the gameplay, it's an action-RPG that admittedly requires a certain mindset to enjoy. Instead of a traditional combat system, you fight by ramming the game's hero, Adol Christin, into enemies. The damage done to both parties relies entirely on positioning and relative stats. The game world is also fairly small, and requires quite a bit of backtracking. Still, its simplistic nature is what gives the game its charm. The gameplay may feel dated, but the overall package is easy to get into and rather enjoyable.

Clu Clu Land
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Price: 500 Wii Points
Originally Appeared On: NES

RECOMMENDATION:
Fry It

When people think of Nintendo's early NES titles, Clu Clu Land usually isn't one of the first games that springs to mind. This somewhat obscure title feels like an old-school arcade game, and although it can be mildly amusing, there are much better uses for 500 Wii Points. You control a circular fish named Bubbles, and on each level, your goal is to uncover all of your gold bars that have been hidden away by the greedy Sea Urchins.

Maneuvering around the screen can be tricky at first, as Bubbles can only move forward. In order to make a turn, you must grab onto one of the many posts that litter each screen, swing around it, and let go once you're aiming in the right direction. This requires quick reflexes and a bit of patience to master. As you swim through the stage, invisible gold bars appear when you pass over them. Working against you are the Sea Urchins and a strict time limit. Although it's not a bad game, Clu Clu Land quickly grows repetitive.