The Sega Genesis, put on the market to challenge Nintendo, turned 20 on Friday. And after a long and enviable stint, it became a classic game console that, to this day, is remembered as one of the few that made its mark without actually leading the market by the end of its generation.
Sega has had one of the most tragic histories in the video game industry. In the early 1990s, it had Sonic; Nintendo had Mario. It had high-quality, third-party titles; Nintendo had high-quality, third-party titles. It had the Sega Genesis; Nintendo had the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
Battles over which console was better were waged on playgrounds across the world. The Nintendo fans said Mario and the SNES were the kings of gaming. Sega fans said Sonic and the Genesis held that crown.
Today, the Genesis (and Sega's console business) are relics of the past. In the 20 years that has lapsed between the Genesis' release and today, despite Mario's enduring presence, the video game industry has changed dramatically. Nowadays, battles are waged over price as much as they are waged over games. And Sega, the once-beloved organization that kept a blue hedgehog as its mascot, is a third-party developer.
But it's the Genesis--and its success--that we remember today.
... Read moreDon Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Looks like the days of the triple-update are long gone as this week is another two-game showdown on the Virtual Console.
- Harvest Moon (1997, SNES, 800 Wii points): What's considered to be a relatively rare title is no longer scarce as Harvest Moon makes its way to the virtual console today. The game is basically a farm simulator in which you must raise livestock and grow crops in addition to turning a run-down farm into a thriving success.
- Lords of Thunder (1993, Turbografx 16, 800 Wii points): Lords of Thunder is a side-scrolling shooter with a heavy-metal soundtrack. Blast through six stages of intense action as you try to revive "The Dark One."
Last week, I told you all why the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was the greatest console of all time. And although I caught some flak from the misinformed, it seems all too obvious now that it really was the greatest gaming device ever created.
But what about the worst console of all time? Surely, we can pick from a number of systems like the 3DO, 32X, Sega CD and a host of others, but what about major consoles? Even though these were released to the masses, the 3DO was nothing more than an overpriced proof-of-concept that never had a chance and the two Sega add-ons were a bridge to the Saturn.
And while I think there were a slew of crappy consoles that easily eclipse the Sega Saturn in pure crappiness, what other major console sucked as bad as Sega's Playstation competitor? Further, what other major console contributed so heavily to the downfall of one of the world's greatest hardware manufacturers?
As far as I'm concerned, the decision to call the Saturn the world's worst major console isn't difficult at all.
... Read moreDon Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Still not jealous over all of the awesome bonuses Nintendo Japan has been giving its customers as part of the Club Nintendo rewards program? Well, get ready to say no friggin' way!
Nintendo has announced three free bonus items that it will be giving to its platinum members of the Club Nintendo service this year. Those customers with platinum status--meaning they purchased enough Nintendo products between 10/1/2006 and 9/30/2007 for over 400 Club Nintendo points--will be able to select one of the following items:
1. Wii Super Famicom Classic Controller: A Wii controller attachment that looks exactly like a Super Famicom (the Japanese Super Nintendo) controller; available at the end of April 2008.
2. Super Mario Galaxy OST Platinum Version: Two CDs featuring 81 songs, all fully orchestrated; available at the end of January 2008.
(Credit:
digitalbattle)
3. Club Nintendo Calendar 2008: A set of two tabletop calendars. Set for delivery at the end of December.
The ones most clamored for right now is--you guessed it--the Wii Super Famicon SNES controller and the Super Mario Galaxy OST, in that order.
Wii SNES RetroPort
(Credit: retrousb)
Wii NES RetroPort
(Credit: retrousb)Apparently there is still no love stateside for the Nintendo fans, as the USA is not part of the Club Nintendo's network as yet. Doesn't mean we won't see those items being sold on eBay or Amazon once they're shipped to those lucky club members.
However, if you can't wait until then, there is an immediate alternative. Dubbed as retroports, you can plug in your original NES and SNES controllers into the Wii for virtual console gaming. So all hope is not lost!
(Credit:
GameSpot)
You've probably already played through Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Paper Mario. Super Mario Galaxy isn't coming out until next month, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been pushed back to early 2008. Still, there's no sense in letting your Wii collect dust while dozens of classic titles sit waiting for you on the Virtual Console. Here are the ten top downloads you can get for the Wii, and at $5 to $10 a pop they're a steal. Even if you grabbed all ten of these games (at 9500 Nintendo Points), they'd still cost less than two new Wii, Xbox 360, or PS3 games. Not bad for some of the top titles in Nintendo and Sega's histories.
- Super Mario 64 (N64): Out of all the games on this list, Super Mario 64 is one of the most groundbreaking. The first title for the Nintendo 64, Super Mario 64 was one of the very first 3D platform adventure games made for a game console. Don't dismiss it as a historical note, though; the gameplay remains great, and the diverse levels and copious puzzles make Super Mario 64 a still-excellent game, even over a decade after it was released.
- Super Mario World (SNES): Mario's maiden voyage on the Super Nintendo remains one of the greatest platformers ever crafted. While Mario 3 introduced several great new game elements that still persist in the series, Super Mario World took those elements and polished them to a shine. Yoshi, cape feathers, multiple routes, and an expansive world map make this a must-play game.
- Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES): What Super Mario World did to the Mario series, Link to the Past did to the Zelda series. With two big versions of Hyrule, loads of clever puzzles, and some of the best top-down adventure action out there, LttP remains one of the best Zelda games ever made. It also presented the first use of the Zelda Pattern in the series.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
(Credit: GameSpot) - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64): If you ask Nintendo fans what their favorite Zelda game is, you'll probably get one of two answers: Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time. I personally still hold a soft spot for LttP, but even I can't deny how excellent Ocarina was. It also followed the Zelda Pattern, one of the indicators of a great Zelda game. Its only real detraction is Navi, the painfully irritating fairy who shouts "HEY! LISTEN!" every few minutes. Just try to tune her out.
- Super Metroid (SNES): Samus' 16-bit adventure took her back to Planet Zebes to once again fight Mother Brain. This time around, though, Samus has more weapons, the planet has more areas to explore, and the bosses are a whole lot bigger. Better yet, it had an automatic map and a save system, two vital tools for any planet-exploring bounty hunter.
- Paper Mario (N64): Arguably the only good RPG on the Nintendo 64, Paper Mario paved the way for the GameCube classic Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and the excellent Wii platform-puzzle-adventure Super Paper Mario. While it's not the first RPG Mario starred in (Super Mario RPG on the Super Nintendo holds that distinction), it is the first to turn Mario flat. And now, monsieur, a wafer-thin plumber.
- Gunstar Heroes (GEN): Giant robots, muscle-bound henchmen, mix-and-match weapons, and... a giant board game of death. This Genesis shooter really has it all. Unfortunately, it's not the longest game out there. Fortunately, it's one of the few games on this list you can play with a buddy!
Gunstar Heroes (GEN)
(Credit: GameSpot) - Star Fox 64 (N64): Star Fox 64 introduced force feedback to a generation of console gamers with the inclusion of the N64 Rumble Pack. Unfortunately, that rumble hasn't carried over to the Virtual Console. What's left is a still-great space shooter with multiple vehicles, branching paths, and great big bosses. Considering the middling gameplay of Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command, this download could be your only chance to play Star Fox as it was meant to be played until Nintendo finally announces a Wii-native Star Fox title.
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN): You've heard of him. Blue hedgehog, moves fast, has had several cartoons and comic books about him? Well, this is one of the best games the little guy's ever been in. To say that his recent 3D iterations have been lacking would be an understatement, but this is nothing but good, old-fashioned dash-and-crash action. It also marks the first appearance of his partner Tails, and the first use of his Spin Dash attack (an attack you're going to see quite often when he hits Super Smash Bros. Brawl).
- Ninja Gaiden II: Dark Sword of Chaos (NES): The VC has a surprising number of excellent ninja games, like Shinobi III and the original Ninja Gaiden. Out of all of them, though, Ninja Gaiden II is probably one of the best. Long before he was climbing walls and slaughtering enemies on the Xbox, Ryu Hayabusa was climbing walls and slaughtering enemies on the NES. Beware of the rather sharp difficulty curve, though. This game has some jumps that will make you want to take a katana to your Wii.
The Wiimote, Classic Controller, and Wavebird are fine for playing Virtual Console games, but they're still missing something. Maybe it's the lack of wireless, maybe it's the stark white plastic, maybe it's the slightly awkward button placement, but these controllers just can't be the best choice for playing classic NES and Super Nintendo games.
Controller-modding company RetroZone is now selling NES and SNES controller adapters for the Nintendo Wii. One end goes into the Wii's GameCube port and the other connects to the classic rectangle or dogbone controller. You still need the original decades-old controllers, and you'll be tethered to your Wii, but at least you'll be playing Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Mario Bros. the way they were meant to be played.
Video game purists of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but about $25 each when these adapters go on sale next month.
(WARNING: This post contains spoilers for the Legend of Zelda games.)
I've been playing a lot of Twilight Princess lately, and I can honestly say that it is a great Zelda game. It's possibly the best one I've played since Ocarina of Time, and it might be even a little bit better. It also made me notice an important fact about the Legend of Zelda series: almost all truly great Zelda games subscribe to the Zelda pattern.
The Zelda pattern is this: collect three things in three dungeons, go through a big plot twist (the "Zelda twist"), then collect twice as many things in twice as many dungeons. With one exception, every great Zelda game has followed this pattern.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is my favorite Zelda game, hands down, and is the first to follow the Zelda pattern. I had it on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, I have it for the Game Boy Advance, and I even got it on the Virtual Console for when I want to play it on a TV and don't want to find my old, dusty Super Nintendo. It is one of the greatest games for the SNES, and I personally would rank it as one of the greatest console games ever made.
The game begins with Link rescuing Princess Zelda from Hyrule Castle and then hunting for three mystical symbols in three dungeons so he can wield the Master Sword and defeat the evil sorcerer Aghanim. Once you do all of that, however, the game really gets interesting. In the Zelda twist, Link gets sent to the Dark World where he must explore seven more dungeons and rescue seven princesses trapped in crystals so he can fight Ganon, the true evil of the land. This "But wait, there's much more!" element gave Link to the Past its endearing appeal.
Ocarina of Time was another truly great Zelda game. It starts with Link searching for three mystical pendants in three dungeons that grant him access to the Temple of Time and the Master Sword. Once he gets all three and takes the Master Sword, he's sent to the future where he must then collect six medallions of the Sages of Light, so he can finally face Ganon in his true form. Once again, a small adventure becomes a much greater one, with the initial three-dungeon taste only whetting the appetite for the rest of the game.
Twilight Princess follows that pattern once again. Since this game is very new, I won't spoil anything, but suffice it to say Link must explore three dungeons to get three somethings, something happens, and suddenly he has almost twice as many more dungeons to explore. The Zelda pattern is complete, and players are happy.
Wind Waker half-way followed the Zelda pattern, so it was a half-great Zelda game. It was a good game, a fun play, and had a lot of amazing moments. Unfortunately, after the Zelda twist, it drifted off into a pair of dungeons (only two?!) and a weird Triforce fishing expedition. It was great up until the twist, and then it dropped the pattern and meandered.
There are, however, one and a half exceptions to the Zelda pattern that I will freely acknowledge. The only full exception is Link's Awakening for the Game Boy. That was a truly great Zelda game, even through it didn't follow the Zelda pattern at all. Collect eight musical instruments and awaken the Wind Fish in order to go home. All I can really say is that it's an exception to "the pattern."
The half-exception is the original Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It didn't follow the Zelda pattern, unless you count the second play-through, where the dungeons are remixed. That's fine, because while it was the first Zelda, it wasn't truly the Zelda that all others followed. Much as Symphony of the Night set the tone for all the Castlevanias to follow, Link to the Past, not the original, is truly the game that all other Zelda games follow.
Except for the disastrous Phillips CD-i titles, there hasn't really been a bad Zelda game. They've all been fun, well-made, enjoyable experiences with solid game play and clever puzzles. However, while everyone remembers Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, few really think of Zelda games like Majora's Mask, Four Swords Adventures, or the Minish Cap. They were good games, but they didn't follow the Zelda pattern, and they didn't reach the level of greatness LttP, OoT, and Twilight Princess did.
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Nintendo's online service for the Wii went online over the weekend, and we finally got a look at the Virtual Console. Unfortunately, that was all we could get a look at; the news, weather, and Opera-powered Web browser channels won't be online until at least December 20.
Shopping for old-school games with the Virtual Console is easy. If your Wii is online, just go to the Wii Shop channel and browse. These games cost Wii Points, which can be purchased in card form at stores such as Electronics Boutique, or with a credit card directly through the Wii Shop. Regardless of how you get your points, you'll need to enter them into your account through the Wii Shop. If you got a Wii Points card, you can redeem it by entering a code through your Wii. If you want to buy the points directly online, you have to enter your credit card information with the Wiimote through the Wii's software keyboard.
Once you have your points, you can start shopping. Go into the Wii Shop and select Virtual Console, then browse through the various games available. Each game has a title screenshot and a short description so that you can learn a bit before you decide to buy. When you're ready, just click Download, and you can confirm the purchase. The Wii will tell you exactly how much space you'll have left on the Wii and how many Wii Points you'll have left in your account after the download. After you confirm the purchase, the Wii begins downloading your chosen game automatically. The progress of the download is shown by a cute animation of the 8-bit Super Mario Bros. Mario chasing coins and hitting blocks. The downloads can take less than a minute for NES games, or up to 10 minutes for Nintendo 64 games. Once the game is finally downloaded, the program will boot you back to the Wii Shop's main menu.
Downloaded Virtual Console games appear as individual channels in the Wii's main menu, and playing those games is as simple as selecting their channel and pressing start. The VC emulator loads the game, and your retro fun begins.
VC games are essentially perfect emulations of their original versions, which is both good and bad for gamers. Classic purists will be thrilled at the genuine old-school gameplay experience, but more casual players hoping for the enhanced graphics or online play found in some XBLA retro games will be disappointed. For extra old-school experience, the Wiimote itself can be turned sideways and handled like a conventional controller for NES and Turbographix-16 games. For SNES, Genesis, and N64 games, however, you'll need either an old GameCube controller plugged into one of the system's GC ports or the Wii Virtual Console controller plugged into your Wiimote.
Wide-screen users will notice the one fatal flaw of the Virtual Console: old-school games have no wide-screen support. If you play on a wide-screen TV, your retro game will be stretched noticeably. Though a firmware update may be in the system's future, the only way to fix this issue currently is to set your television to a 4:3 aspect ratio for Virtual Console games and set it back to wide-screen for regular games.
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