Virtual Console Reviews

_sigh Guess I'm in the minority of people who liked King's Knight way back when? Certainly a unique shmup but definitely not one of the worst, imo. Still, many other shmups and many more Square games should be eating our money instead of this.

Whatever you do, if you're a Squenix fan and want any chance whatsoever of your favorite SNES games from them to hit VC, please DO NOT IGNORE KING'S KNIGHT! I believe that it is the relative obscurity of Actraiser (most likely leading to somewhat poor sales - not confirmed, just speculation, and I'd like to see some real numbers if you have them) that resulted in them taking so long to give us another game. If they don't think there's any money in VC games for them, they won't bother with it. So PLEASE download King's Knight as I will first thing I can tomorrow, and if you haven't already, download Actraiser as well. If it leads to Chrono Trigger being put on VC, it's more than worth your 1300 combined Wii points, and Actraiser, at the least, is DEFINITELY worth your money just to play it. Any way about it, there's NO WAY it'll work to "give this a miss and hope that Square will give us what we really want from them on the VC," because that simply won't happen. You've got to cast your vote with you Wii points, because as great a company as Squenix is, they still tend to listen with their wallets, not their ears.

How many more games does Sega have left before they release Flicky and Outrun? I would also like to play that Pengo game.

@Stuffgamer1 - Square-Enix are rich enough as it is without encouraging them by buying this substandard shmup just so they might bring their Final Fantasy series to the VC.

I will give a hearty recommendation to the excellent Actraiser on their behalf but from what I have played of King's Knight I cannot recommend it. Then again I am not reviewing it, Damo is! Maybe he'll give it a high score?

Thank god for brawl!

@ Stuffgamer1 - I doubt bad sells of King's Knight will keep a game like Chrono Trigger from making it to VC. I mean it would be odd if Square thinks that the bad sells of an obscure game will mean a popular classic like Chrono Trigger will sell badly.

Actually, this bring me to another topic. I don't think the final fantasy games will make it to VC. I mean Square keeps on reselling the games for 30+ dollars. It would hurt future sells if Square makes the games easy access on VC for $8 during the Wii's lifetime. Chrono Trigger might be an exception since it hasn't been remade in a few years.

One more thing. For anyone looking for the final fantasy games or Chrono Trigger, you can buy them new at amazon.com for $20 or less (the ps1 versions).

Edit: The exception in FF7. I haven't found that new anywhere in years.

Buy a bad game in the hopes that I'll get a good game as a result. Not gonna happen. Square could have released another obscure title like The Secret of Evermore. At least that game is good. Buying bad games only encourages companies to release more bad games. Don't waste your money.

I totally agree with you stuffgamer1 the companies DOES NOT listen to their fans voices, ONLY THEIR PURCHASES! so I second the notion that we NEED to show SQENIX our money and make them realize that there are people ready to shower them with cash as soon as their games hit the VC... that'll definitely send a message!

Another bland week.

Hard luck US

Why not Rad Racer Square Enix? I'd definitely buy that game in a heartbeat.

I agree with Tim I would like to see Sega's Flicky and Outrun plus Super Monico GP and Vectorman.

Also I think Square will put out Rad Racer

booooring

Don't say soccar. It is football

@William-this is a US release, it's soccer

First off, I would never download a game just to entice a company to release other games. Second, I don't like RPG games so I could care less if Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy games make the VC. At least I got Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

and the gap between the U.S. and Europe keeps widening every week.

@Stuffgamer1 - Then ell people to buy Actraiser instead of King's Knight. There's one great and one horrible Squeenix game on the VC, why do you want people to purchase the crappy one?

Also, the FF games aren't coming anyway. What we have to hope for are Enix-developed games and the lesser known RPGs and adventure games from Square. And of course, Rad Racer, one of the few good pre-FF1 games they made.

Before I buy a game on the vc I ALWAYS try it out on an emulator first. If I like it then I buy it. If it's no good like King's Knight then I don't. Some games are blocked by the ESA so you just have to watch videos, talk to people, and hope for the best.

I'm a huge fan of Square-Enix! But not all of there games are great. You have to remeber that they still weren't that big when this game came out so they weren't professionals. (or rich...) That new final fantasy game for wii ware isn't looking that good in my opinion. I hope it has some RPG elements in it. Square-Enix need to release a good game on the VC. Too bad Final Fantasy VII wasn't on N64 or we might of had that on the vc. For people who don't know this...
Final Fantasy VII was originally going to be released on N64. Square-Enix come on!!!

Note to Square - I've got 3 words for you: "Super Mario RPG"

I really feel like a gullible idiot. I was naive enough to believe that the orginal Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior would be like any other game and eventually arrive on the VC. Now though, it seems like major, popular titles like that have no chance of coming to the VC because they already exist on the DS. Instead, we get this crap.

Unbelievable.

Ouch... first completely bland week in quite a while for me. King's Knight is lackluster and Powerball holds no interest for me. Come on, Square! Give us the good stuff! If not the greats like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI, at least shower us with some classic Enix titles. Illusion of Gaia, Terranigma, Actraiser 2... those would be most welcome.

So when are we expecting the Master System, Commodore 64 and MSX games?

Still waiting for Y's Book 1& 2.

I was hoping for mega turrican

@Bonesaw: Dragon Warrior still hs a chance. We're not talking "major, popular titles" here, we're talking "Final Fantasy games", a series with a ridiculously rabid fan-following that would pay hundreds of dollars for anything with Final Fantasy on it if that's what Square had sold them for. The FF games are a very special case, which is why we're not getting them.

Alright, well I watched a 19 minute run through of King's Knight on Youtube, and while this guy made it look easy, I most definitely will not be downloading it, despite my love for Square-Enix.

If they're going to give us a game that isn't Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior, they could at least hook us up with Soul Bla(d/z)er...

No downloads for me tomorrow.

Well I got all of the Final Fantasy port games on the PS1 and also Chrono Trigger even with its crazy loading times so I don't mind. There is so many ports of FF games out there that I can see why Square Enix wouldn't release them on the VC. But all I really want is Super Mario RPG! Pleasr Square just release that and I will be happy.

And I might look into Actraiser now since it looks interesting. But I will have to see. But I am not going to buy a game that I will never play in hoping that Square Enix chooses to release Super Mario RPG.

Ordinary week, but at least you Americans get more than 1 game... (sigh)

True E-Dawg...lucky them... I'm happy since we just had Easter and my family from America brought me games to play for my DS! Amen for Contra 4 and Professor Layton & The Curious Village! Plus, two new Wii-motes (now I have 4). Just so you all know, Wii-motes are cheaper in America than they are in Europe due to exchange prices!

@ Viral: They aren't cheaper, they are just cheaper for us Europeans if we order them from America because the dollar falters

He he, judging from the trend of releasing really old and unpopular games, Stuffgamer1 may be right... If you US gamers don´t buy this, Square-Enix will never release our precious Mario RPGs and Chrono Triggers...

(But nah, stay away from this one.)

Still waiting for Y's Book 1& 2.
I can understand it not coming out in Japan since they just got Ys I & II on the DS (as separate games, btw ) but what about elsewhere?

@Adamant. I would say, Dragon Quest 1-3 should be certain since the last ports were on the gameboy color but 4 on-wards I wouldn't be so sure since there are those DS ports (of which 4 is currently out) that Square-Enix would rather sell (4 does have partial English and European language scripts hidden in it so that kind of indicates an overseas release).

As for Chrono Trigger. Square-Enix have always tried to get people to shut up about it as they don't want to make another game (they are worried people will get excited if they re-release it). They went as far as ceasing and desisting a fangame...

Remakes exiting or planned is a reason why some VC games won't come out. Even Nintendo isn't immune with Kirby Super Star being a good example.

Starwolf: Actually, Japan's had Ys Book I & II on VC since late last year.

There is so many ports of FF games out there that I can see why Square Enix wouldn't release them on the VC.

I can't see why. Lets take the first NES game - sure its been ported and upgraded to various consoles and handhelds but how many of them are Square Enix still making money from? Only the PSP version, right? Which isn't a Nintendo machine.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY should ever expect (or even want) any Final Fantasy game to be released on the VC (with the slightly possible exception of Mystic Quest, but I doubt anyone actually wants that one anyway) because of the massive remake business and the fact that the remakes are of such quality that the original versions just aren't really worth the money anymore (better translations alone embody this fact for me). I'd MUCH rather spend $30-40 for Final Fantasy IV DS than $8 for "Final Fantasy II," because it'll be infinitely better.

And don't hold your breath for Mario RPG. Since it was co-made by Square AND Nintendo just before they broke up (for those of you who don't know, Square got pissed at Nintendo for using cartridges for the N64 when they wanted to make a game that spanned three CD's, so they left and didn't make any Nintendo games until 2003), the licensing issues inherent in the title will almost definitely make it impossible for it to release on VC. Squenix just won't play nice with Nintendo on this one, and expecting anything else is pure folly.

@GameSearcher- Due to the amount of money Squenix makes off of Final Fantasy remakes and spin-offs, they technically have no reason to give a fig about the VC at all. They certainly don't want to waste time differentiating between obscure and popular, or good or bad. They just want sales numbers, and lots of them. They're liable to group all potential VC releases into one bunch and assume that they'd all sell equally well (or poorly) just because they're known for being complete and total suck wads with no concept of how much money anything without "Final Fantasy" in the title could make them if they'd just release it already. And @Adamant, I actually requested that everybody download both King's Knight AND Actraiser, not just the former. Squenix wants sales numbers, and people downloading both would make a much bigger impact that if they only chose one.

I think the VC releases will be better in June and July once Mario Kart and Wii Fit are released. Anyway I am still playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Resident Evil for Gamecube to keep me busy unitl the VC releases pick up again.

Wow, another "dead week". Of course I'm not really expecting anything great until next month. Hopefully Nintendo decides to release the original Super Mario Kart game as a promotion for Mario Kart Wii.

tuffgamer1 - I definately think you're right about the Final Fantasy games coming to Virtual Console, but I think you're way off about Super Mario RPG. This is a game Nintendo has been touting sinse the announcment of the Virtual Console service (it was one of the games shown in the presentation at E3 2005). It's even shown up on the ESRB and I'm even willing to bet Nintendo has already taken care of all the legal matters involved in releasing this game, but they're just waiting for the right time to do so. I just don't understand your argument as to why Square would be unwilling to give Nintendo the right to do this as they've long sinse improved their relationship.

the licensing issues inherent in the title will almost definitely make it impossible for it to release on VC
Whose virtual console is it? Nintendo. And if Square-Enix were as bad as you think why are they bothering at all?

More likely its emulation issues (read: Nintendo have to have to actually code stuff* rather than just reel the money in) due to the special chips it used that is keeping this one off the launch pad.
*-Quite a few of Nintendos games fall into this category.

This is a game Nintendo has been touting sinse the announcment of the Virtual Console service (it was one of the games shown in the presentation at E3 2005).
I'm thinking its a case of Iwata said it once at the E3 speach and never again. Like has happened with Earthbound. I have a suspicion that Mother 2 wasn't actually meant to be a masterpiece in SSBB but Sakurai showed it off on the Dojo and well there was little Nintendo could do except smile and make sure the US version didn't have it in.
Of course Nintendo don't care about Mother/Eartbound becuase the franchise has no future due to Shigesato Itoi not wanting to make any more (both Mother 2 and 3 went through development hell).

I think complaining about the lack of Y's Book I&II is more viable than complaining about the lack of FF or Mario RPG; Y's has been announced, and the Japanese have it already. Just saying.

What a horrible week. I honestly dont mind that we get 1 game. As long as it is a good one.

Garbage.

STOP WITH THE SHOOTERS ALREADY. There are some great shooters out, but MOST of the current VC shooters are horrible.

im starting to give up on VC for good.
twighlight hack is soon to be a permanent channel!
GO HOMEBREW! ^_

Alas, I don't have have Twilight Princess to try out twighlight. It's always good to see progress.

@ Viral, yeah about the Wiimotes, they also cost more in Australia as well. For some reason Europe/Australia always gets ripped off for gaming hardware and software.

I don't think March has been a stellar month for the VC. It's nice to see games I have never heard of show up on the service, but its time to mix in well known classics again. I think this summer some better known titles will show up.

@E-dawg, Wiimotes cost more everywhere else in the world compared to the the US price point. I don't know about Japan though. Canadian retailers started lowering their prices a bit this past christmas when a lot of Canadians started crossing the border to do their shopping, hehehe.

@ Tim
LOL, unfortunately in Australia we are surrounded by water and to go overseas is expensive, but wow that is a smart move in Canada, too cross the border for cheaper prices!

I would say I'm kind of bitter against Squenix after all the garbage they've pulled, such as making all those Japan-only "Final Mix" games (especially Kingdom Hearts II!) and ignoring all their great Enix games from the SNES (they could've at least made a compelation disc before the Wii came out or something), so my judgment may not be entirely fair. That said, I was never totally convinced that their relationship with Nintendo had healed completely, seeing as they continue to release all their best games on Sony systems. Nintendo mostly gets remakes (stellar remakes, but still...) and the occasional spin-off like FFCC. If the licensing issues of Super Mario RPG ARE already worked out, that's awesome! And now that I think about it, they just might be on good terms, what with Geno having a cameo in Mario & Luigi. But with one throw-away announcement over two years ago and a removed ESRB rating, I still won't hold my breath for its release. Even if there were technical issues due to weird chips, it probably would've been done by now if Nintendo had actually been working on it all this time. Whatever the situation, though, all we can really do is wait and see, and continue to complain in the vain hope that it'll actually make a difference.