Let's continue on.
One of the first new systems to come along was the Neo-Geo in 2007. Anybody that knows about it knows how expensive it is to get the hardware and the software. The total costs would be the equivalent of buying a house. Still, there was a steady stream of releases going on until 2013. Just over 50 made it to Virtual Console. It has the Metal Slugs, King of Fighters, and whatever else made it to the system back then. It's got a good majority of the library. I would try to look for compilations immediately before figuring out what games to go after. Either way, you want to save yourself from spending hundreds, if not, thousands, on the system.
A year later came the Sega Master System. Like the Turbo, it's not an easy system to find. Unfortunately, it only has 15 titles. It's arcade ports, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Alex Kidd as it's lineup. This system died on the service in less than two years. Still, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to get some of these games considering the prices. Anybody looking for Sonic for this 8-bit console knows exactly what I am talking about.
The Arcade selection started in 2009. It only got just over 20 games from four companies altogether. I really don't have much to say on it Like the Neo Geo, I would look at compilations first immediately, and then figure out which ones to target. You don't want to miss out on the arcade versions of ones like Golden Axe, Super Hang On, and Ghosts n Goblins.
Virtual Console did have one other system. That was the Commodore 64, which lived and died in 2009 and got delisted in 2013. So what's my assessment on this? The systems to target are the SNES, Turbografx-16, and Neo-Geo. There are some select titles you should try to get from the Genesis, N64, Master System, and Arcade. Make sure you have enough space to download and maybe get an SD card to store your data and games. Each system is varied in price, so make your choice before buying. Happy hunting, and enjoy the last of the Virtual Console.
Showing posts with label virtual console. Show all posts
Showing posts with label virtual console. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Wii Virtual Console Overview Part 1
The only times I have ever played Virtual Console was on the Wii over a two year period from 2010 through 2012. It was mostly Mario Kart 64 and Mario 64. Not to mention I saw others playing Rondo of Blood and a few other titles from other systems. From the get go, Nintendo had the service at launch with five systems. Three of theirs and two competitors. As time went on, they expanded to a few other systems. Some survived, while others were discontinued very quickly. Before it shuts down the ability to use Wii Points, let's go through the systems and games it had through the North American market.
Let's begin with the Nintendo Entertainment System. It had a steady flow of games from launch up until 2012. This one had quite a bit of support from different companies. Obviously, Nintendo with their vast array of titles. Tecmo put a lot of their releases on Virtual Console like Mighty Bomb Jack. Konami had their heavy hitters in as well as Taito and Jaleco. Capcom surprisingly didn't have many. It was mainly Mega Man. There's a few others like Namco, but overall, it is your last chance to get titles that are cheap to download. You got just over 90 games to choose from.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System had the most varied of the Nintendo systems. Most of the same companies put their heavy hitters on Virtual Console. Capcom really gave it their effort to put Street Fighter, Final Fight, and a few others on. Unfortunately, most of their games were delisted a few years ago, so no chance of getting them cheap. Out of all the systems on the service, it lost quite a bit of games, leaving you with just over 60. Nintendo still put up the effort, though there are some notable omissions. Konami and Tecmo went all out. LucasArts were in with their titles, including the Star Wars games. Overall, there is variety, and you might want to buy the few essentials since some of the cart versions go for an arm and a leg.
Last of the Nintendo systems is the 64. It's disappointing that it only got 21 titles. Nearly all of it is Nintendo games. Still, there's most of the Mario stuff, Zelda, Smash Bros., Pokemon. There's also Bomberman, Ogre Battle, and Sin and Punishment, a Japan only release back then that made it to Virtual Console. The system is a victim of companies going bankrupt which includes quite a bit of games from Acclaim and Midway. I know Konami and Capcom didn't release much for it back in the 90s, but they could have at least tried to put something on the service. Obviously, Rare games can't be put on board since Microsoft owns them. Like the SNES, try to get the few essentials because of high prices for some of the carts.
Sega got into the mix from the start of the system's launch with the Genesis. It's got the second most titles with just over 70. A number of titles are ones you see in compilations. Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Columns. The list goes on. It's mostly a Sega library list, but there are some ones that made it to Virtual Console. Capcom had a few like Street Fighter and Ghouls n Ghosts. Namco put out a couple games. Interesting titles include some Interplay games like Boogerman and Earthworm Jim. A few exclusives outside the US are the Game Freak developed Pulseman and Sega's Monster World IV. What you do with this system for Virtual Console, I don't care. Personally, I would try to go after the ones you don't typically see in compilations. A prime example is M.U.S.H.A. A copy goes for literally hundreds of dollars, so try to get ones that you know will disappear for good.
Last of the launch service systems is the Turbografx-16. It's not an easy system to find in terms of hardware and software. Hudson Soft bought into this and brought a good chunk of the library over. The list is just shy of 60 titles. There's shooters like Galaga 90 and system sellers such as Splatterhouse. Other notables include Falcom's Ys, and Konami's Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. This is a system to target since you don't see them out in the wild. Try to get what you think you will like before you can't add more points.
Part 2 includes the additional systems.
Let's begin with the Nintendo Entertainment System. It had a steady flow of games from launch up until 2012. This one had quite a bit of support from different companies. Obviously, Nintendo with their vast array of titles. Tecmo put a lot of their releases on Virtual Console like Mighty Bomb Jack. Konami had their heavy hitters in as well as Taito and Jaleco. Capcom surprisingly didn't have many. It was mainly Mega Man. There's a few others like Namco, but overall, it is your last chance to get titles that are cheap to download. You got just over 90 games to choose from.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System had the most varied of the Nintendo systems. Most of the same companies put their heavy hitters on Virtual Console. Capcom really gave it their effort to put Street Fighter, Final Fight, and a few others on. Unfortunately, most of their games were delisted a few years ago, so no chance of getting them cheap. Out of all the systems on the service, it lost quite a bit of games, leaving you with just over 60. Nintendo still put up the effort, though there are some notable omissions. Konami and Tecmo went all out. LucasArts were in with their titles, including the Star Wars games. Overall, there is variety, and you might want to buy the few essentials since some of the cart versions go for an arm and a leg.
Last of the Nintendo systems is the 64. It's disappointing that it only got 21 titles. Nearly all of it is Nintendo games. Still, there's most of the Mario stuff, Zelda, Smash Bros., Pokemon. There's also Bomberman, Ogre Battle, and Sin and Punishment, a Japan only release back then that made it to Virtual Console. The system is a victim of companies going bankrupt which includes quite a bit of games from Acclaim and Midway. I know Konami and Capcom didn't release much for it back in the 90s, but they could have at least tried to put something on the service. Obviously, Rare games can't be put on board since Microsoft owns them. Like the SNES, try to get the few essentials because of high prices for some of the carts.
Sega got into the mix from the start of the system's launch with the Genesis. It's got the second most titles with just over 70. A number of titles are ones you see in compilations. Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Columns. The list goes on. It's mostly a Sega library list, but there are some ones that made it to Virtual Console. Capcom had a few like Street Fighter and Ghouls n Ghosts. Namco put out a couple games. Interesting titles include some Interplay games like Boogerman and Earthworm Jim. A few exclusives outside the US are the Game Freak developed Pulseman and Sega's Monster World IV. What you do with this system for Virtual Console, I don't care. Personally, I would try to go after the ones you don't typically see in compilations. A prime example is M.U.S.H.A. A copy goes for literally hundreds of dollars, so try to get ones that you know will disappear for good.
Last of the launch service systems is the Turbografx-16. It's not an easy system to find in terms of hardware and software. Hudson Soft bought into this and brought a good chunk of the library over. The list is just shy of 60 titles. There's shooters like Galaga 90 and system sellers such as Splatterhouse. Other notables include Falcom's Ys, and Konami's Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. This is a system to target since you don't see them out in the wild. Try to get what you think you will like before you can't add more points.
Part 2 includes the additional systems.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Wii Shop Shutting Down
For the last generation of gaming, it saw the rise of services of games digitally. From originals to classics, all three competitors and the computer market are all going for the slice of that pie. Nintendo had its Wii Shop Channel just as the Wii launched. With an announcement in September, it will be gone after January 2019 as they are intending to shut it down.
So what is going to disappear? Well, everything. Virtual Console is going to take a huge hit and probably anger quite a few. When it first started it had NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografx-16. Eventually, they added Sega Master System, Neo Geo, and Commodore 64 with Commodore shutting down back in 2013. The amount of titles are staggering, especially considering how small the Turbo and Neo Geo libraries were when they were around in the 90s. Some of these titles go for quite a bit of money, so this alternative to getting the expensive stuff is not going to sit well with some.
WiiWare will also disappear as well. These were titles that were made from indies or big name companies. It didn't have a huge library, but it was getting a decent stream of titles from 2008 through early 2013. I'm not sure how attached people are with this compared to Virtual Console, but it will not please some. There are a few other features I can't think of at the moment, but overall, it's all going to be gone.
What does mean at all? It means that you're never going to see some of these games ever again for WiiWare. I doubt people will go out and go after systems like the Turbografx and Master System to get titles. Whether the WiiWare stuff gets emulated, I don't know. It will be a while for its generation to get emulation going, but it needs a lot of time and patience. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are going to go through this as well, but they will last longer due to people still playing on these systems. Maybe they will shut down in the 2020s. Online is still being used on stuff like the Call of Duty's, GTA V and a couple other titles that still have servers going.
It's a surprise but not one at the same time. Nintendo gave it a good life. Points will not be allowed after late March of 2018, followed by the January 2019 shutdown. With all the other stuff they shut down, it was to be expected. An era will truly end in more than a year.
So what is going to disappear? Well, everything. Virtual Console is going to take a huge hit and probably anger quite a few. When it first started it had NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografx-16. Eventually, they added Sega Master System, Neo Geo, and Commodore 64 with Commodore shutting down back in 2013. The amount of titles are staggering, especially considering how small the Turbo and Neo Geo libraries were when they were around in the 90s. Some of these titles go for quite a bit of money, so this alternative to getting the expensive stuff is not going to sit well with some.
WiiWare will also disappear as well. These were titles that were made from indies or big name companies. It didn't have a huge library, but it was getting a decent stream of titles from 2008 through early 2013. I'm not sure how attached people are with this compared to Virtual Console, but it will not please some. There are a few other features I can't think of at the moment, but overall, it's all going to be gone.
What does mean at all? It means that you're never going to see some of these games ever again for WiiWare. I doubt people will go out and go after systems like the Turbografx and Master System to get titles. Whether the WiiWare stuff gets emulated, I don't know. It will be a while for its generation to get emulation going, but it needs a lot of time and patience. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are going to go through this as well, but they will last longer due to people still playing on these systems. Maybe they will shut down in the 2020s. Online is still being used on stuff like the Call of Duty's, GTA V and a couple other titles that still have servers going.
It's a surprise but not one at the same time. Nintendo gave it a good life. Points will not be allowed after late March of 2018, followed by the January 2019 shutdown. With all the other stuff they shut down, it was to be expected. An era will truly end in more than a year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)