People who bought Phantasy Star II upon its original Genesis release knew what they were getting into immediately upon opening the box. This Phantasy Star II Hint Book was the first warning that the game was brutally hard (well, that and the Phantasy Star name, which was equally foreboding for Master System gamers). The 110-page Hint Book, clad in ALARM YELLOW (actually kind of a subdued yellow) was players’ official notice that Phantasy Star II was the kind of game that you needed a hint book for.
We didn’t have GameFAQs back then — if a dungeon was complicated, we usually got lost; if a boss was challenging, we usually died. Sega’s thoughtful inclusion of a hint book provided a nice alternative to assured failure: possible success — with a side of failure.
We’ve excerpted the hint book for your perusal. Check it out if you just downloaded the Virtual Console version of Phantasy Star II and want help getting started, or if you’d just like to see the state-of-the-art in strategy guides circa 1990. If that’s not enough (and it isn’t), check Phantasy-Star.net for more transcribed information from the book!
Today Nintendo adds new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon (see to your right).
We’ve included videos of each of today’s games for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:
Double Dribble (NES, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points = $5): Double Dribble, the first 5-on-5, full-court home basketball game, is pure hoops action at its finest. While still a surprisingly accurate basketball game for its time, the frantic action keeps you on your toes as your players run from one end of the court to the other. Choose from a handful of teams and multiple levels of difficulty as you take on the computer alone or challenge a friend and see who has the better skills. Take the ball and sink shots from locations all over the court, or get in your opponent’s face and do your best to block the shot. Better yet, drive the lane and rock the rim to see one of the game’s trademark slam-dunk cut scenes. He shoots, he scores!
Vegas Stakes (Super NES, 1-4 players, rated E for Everyone – Simulated Gambling, 800 Wii Points = $8): Feel like taking a road trip to Las Vegas? Let your inner high roller go wild as you try your luck at five different games-blackjack, slots, poker, craps and roulette. Start with only $1,000 in your pocket and play your way through five casinos, each with a different theme and varying limits. But no one wants to gamble alone, right? Not a problem, as you’ll be able to choose one of four friends to tag along and offer advice when you need it. Further enhancing the experience is the fact that you’ll be presented with a slew of interactions with random casino patrons. Best be careful, though-your choices in these situations could either get you closer to the millions of dollars you’re after or cost you a pile of that hard-earned cash. Roll the dice, spin the wheel, hit or stand-do whatever it takes to stake your claim in Vegas and beat the house!
Ecco Jr. (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points = $8): The aquatic adventures of Ecco come to life for a younger generation of gamers. Perfect for kids, Ecco Jr. finds our young hero heading out to sea with a variety of tasks he must perform in order to get there. Along with his friends Tara the baby orca and Kitnee the young Atlantic dolphin, Ecco Jr. will interact with sea lions, sea horses and other aquatic life as he makes his journey to the Big Blue. Introduce your kids to the classic series of Ecco the Dolphin titles by downloading Ecco Jr. today.
Wii celebrates its first anniversary, so today Nintendo adds three special classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. So “special” that America is the last country to get all three. Anyway, happy birthday Wii. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon (see to your right).
We’ve included videos of each of today’s games for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:
Wrecking Crew (NES, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points = $5): In the days before Mario and Luigi became sports stars in their downtime between plumbing and saving the Princess, they tried their hands as one-man wrecking crews. With a hammer as their only tool, players take control of the brothers and set out to destroy ladders, rip out pipes, knock down walls and detonate explosive devices. But make sure to plan your path of destruction carefully, as each building is designed as its own clever puzzle — if you’re not careful, you can easily trap yourself in a dead end. Adding to the excitement and challenge are fireballs, enemies and an angry foreman roaming the buildings. They’re all trying to stop you from moving on to the next stage. With 100 buildings to demolish and the ability to construct your own, it’s a wonder Mario and Luigi ever got back to saving the Mushroom Kingdom.
Sonic 3D Blast (Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points = $8): The evil Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik) stumbles upon an alternate dimension where some odd birds called Flickies have the ability to travel anywhere. In order to get help in his search for the Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Eggman transforms the Flickies into robots that will help him track down his coveted gems. Of course, it’s up to our favorite blue hedgehog, Sonic, to step in and save the day. Jump into this 3-D adventure as Sonic or his buddy Tails, and collect the golden rings to help free the Flickies and defeat the doctor.
To celebrate Sega's announcement that more imports were coming to our Virtual Console, we thought we'd feature the Sega-est, import-est thing we could possibly think of: the Sega-themed sim/RPG/shooter Segagaga. Sure, it's a Dreamcast game and not a Genesis game, but it is all about the love of Sega.
Segagaga is a game in which Sega fans are put in charge of the failing company and work along with programmers and lots of Sega characters to save it. When the game came out, Sega was doing dandy, but, well, now it's a little ironic. However, the whole thing is a giant love letter from Sega to itself, and it stands as the Sega-est thing in the universe. If you don't feel a little bit of Sega love in your heart, then ... we won't say anything about you, because some of you will deny it in comments anyway just to be contrary, and we don't want to give you any ammo.
The intro movie is posted above; check after the break for a couple of different versions of the inspiring theme song!
Segagaga March -- Original Version
Segagaga March -- SEGAROCKS Live Version
Lyrics (translation by DELTAHEAD, found here) "Sega March"
Sega, Sega--Oota-ku, Tokyo, Keikyu Haneda Airport line, Ohtorii station. Game creation is our sanctuary in life, Yet victory is still far away. We stumble and get depressed, but we move on. Sega, Sega--oh, move on to tomorrow.
Sega, Sega--near the Tama River. Take the Haneda-guchi exit off Shuto Highway, then head to Kanpachi. Arrows and bullets spent, without friends, Yet our minds and spirits soar higher. Jump for joy! Let's help each other and stand together! Sega, Sega--oh, move on to tomorrow.
It seems that Sega managed to get a satisfactory amount of attention for releasing Alien Soldier, despite putting it out on the same day as Super Mario Bros. 3. They announced that they're going to continue releasing import games on the American Virtual Console (at the same premium price, of course). Maybe now we'll see stuff that is completely new to the U.S.; Alien Soldier and Golden Axe III were both Sega Channel games.
This is wonderful news! Slowly, companies are getting the idea that the Virtual Console is good for more than just "greatest hits" -- that it allows players to discover games they hadn't, or couldn't have, played before. Too bad the import Mega Drive game we really want, Treasure's Yuu Yuu Hakusho Makyou Toitsusen, has a license that will make worldwide release difficult, if not impossible.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Today Nintendo of Europe (and Australia) added new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games went live at midnight CET. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon UK (Card).
New from Sega in their first Wii Shop appearance in Europe and Australia are: Sonic 3D & Alien Soldier. The latest Sega Mega Drive classics for Virtual Console take you into new dimensions of action and adventure! We’ve included videos of all games for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:
In Sonic 3D: Flickies’ Island (priced 800 Wii Points = €8 / £6 / AU$12), the blue blur enters the 3D realm to save the Flickies from Dr. Robotnik’s nefarious plans. Dart across seven zones, discover hidden bonus levels and make sure to grab all the gold rings you can find! Americans will know this as the Sega Genesis game Sonic 3D Blast.
Alien Soldier (priced 800 Wii Points = €8 / £6 / AU$12), designed by shoot ‘em up maestros Treasure, is a frenetic side-scrolling blaster. As fearsome warrior Epsilon-Eagle, use your mighty arsenal to destroy the armies of X-Tiger, and bring peace to planet Sierra.
... and also Milk. November's Virtual Console outlook for Japan looks pretty excellent, with a lot of delightfully niche stuff. That includes King's Knight, the medieval-themed vertical shooter (!) from Square(!) that nobody likes but us ( ....) It will also bring Sega's Eternal Champions, the goofy Mortal Kombat-influenced fighting game that we poured hundreds of hours into. But it also includes stuff that non-us people will enjoy, like Panel de Pon, which, released in the U.S. as Tetris Attack, is the most popular version of the Puzzle League puzzle games. Light Crusader is notable for being an RPG from Treasure, and not much else.
Of course, the big news for a lot of us is that SNK has turned the King of Fighters faucet on, ensuring a constant stream of fighting games with overdone storylines and ridiculous outfits for at least a year. Here's the full lineup for November, assuming some of them don't get bumped or pushed back into December (they will):
The Internet has made it easy to find cheats for games, but we miss the tips pages from game magazines, when the discovery of a new code could inspire you to go back to an old game. These codes aren't exactly new, but oldness is the essence of the Virtual Console! We're bringing back the classic codes every week on The VC Advantage.
Golden Axe has some weird inconsistencies regarding names. First, the name Golden Axe implies that there would be some kind of golden axe in the game. But the axe-wielding character's axe is silver. And, more confusingly, the axe-carrying warrior is not the guy named "Ax Battler"-- he uses a sword.
We don't care if people don't like the Golden Axe games anymore. We still love playing them. We love riding chicken monsters as a huge cat-guy. We love the "bleah" sound all the enemies make when they die in Golden Axe II. Golden Axe (GEN) More Continues: At the character selection screen, hold down-left, A, and C. Release all the buttons and press Start. You'll have nine continues, which should help make up for all the jerks hitting you in the back while you're in the middle of a combo. Also the jerks running and jumping into you when you're trying to ride the chicken monster. The hard part is releasing the buttons at the appropriate time to choose your character (Gilius Thunderhead, of course) since holding down-left causes you to cycle through characters.
Golden Axe II (GEN) Tons of magic: This glitch requires a little bit of inconvenience, but it's totally worth it. When the boss music starts to play in one of the first four levels, hold the A button and don't release it until the screen turns black. During the bonus stage, don't press any buttons at all. When the next stage starts, you'll have 255 magic points. If you try to use more than your character's maximum in one spell, you'll freeze the game.
Altered Beast (GEN) Beast select: There don't seem to be any cheats for the once Japan-and-Sega Channel-exclusive Golden Axe III, so we decided to sub in another Genesis game that features anthropomorphic monster guys. This code will let you play as any of the game's beasts, including the rolling bear guy! At the title screen, hold all three buttons, then press Start. You'll be taken to a menu in which you can choose the beast transformation for each of the game's five stages!Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Today Nintendo adds three new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon (see to your right).
We’ve included videos of each game for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:
Golden Axe III (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points = $8): The once-peaceful kingdom so familiar to fans of the original Golden Axe is under threat once again. The Prince of Darkness has stolen the invaluable Golden Axe, taken over the kingdom and rendered its warriors harmless with an evil curse. One warrior breaks free from the curse and must defeat the prince and regain the Golden Axe to save the kingdom. In this one- or two-player action game, play as a giant, a panther or a sword-wielding human and fight your way to victory once again.
Lunar Pool (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points = $5): Lunar Pool takes the historical game of billiards and reinvents it with a unique and futuristic flair. The rules are simple: All you need to do is use your cue stick to hit the white cue ball, causing it to hit the other numbered balls and make them go into the pockets. You can enjoy nearly unlimited game play with 30 tables, two different ball arrangements, and the ability to change the degree of friction on the table. You can play against a computer or another human player, so try challenging someone once you’ve got the hang of the game.
Nintendo of Europe has added 5 new classic games to the ever popularWii Shop Channel, including thefirst ever Neo Geo title! Also included are four games from Sega’s Mega Drive/Genesis system as part of “Sega Week”. The games went live at midnight CET. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon UK (Card).
We’ve included videos of the games in action for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if any of these games are for you. This week’s new games are:
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters - Neo Geo - 900 Wii Points | €9
SNK’s legendary fighter Fatal Fury is now on the Virtual Console! Hailing from the ultra-powerful (for it’s time) Neo Geo game system, Fatal Fury is sure to satisfy the craving of 2D fighting fans everywhere! Similar to Street Fighter II, Fatal Fury has it’s own set of characters each with unique moves to master, play as fan favorites like Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, Joe Higashi and Geese Howard. You can even “dodge” attacks, something that was new for the time. Fatal Fury is a cult-classic and a worthy addition to the Virtual Console library.
Streets of Rage 3 - Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) - 800 Wii Points | €8
In Streets of Rage 3, crime boss Mr. X is back with a new plan to replace city officials with robotic doubles! So it’s up to the vigilantes Axel, Blaze, Skate and cybernetic newcomer Dr. Zan to rid the streets of crime for the final time.
Lunar Pool (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points = $5): Lunar Pool takes the historical game of billiards and reinvents it with a unique and futuristic flair. The rules are simple: All you need to do is use your cue stick to hit the white cue ball, causing it to hit the other numbered balls and make them go into the pockets. You can enjoy nearly unlimited game play with 30 tables, two different ball arrangements, and the ability to change the degree of friction on the table. You can play against a computer or another human player, so try challenging someone once you’ve got the hang of the game.