Hey friends, it’s your favorite retrogamer Charlie Marsh With YOUR Virtual Console releases of the week. This week, the Wii’s download service is adding Super R-Type for the Super Nintendo and Spelunker for the NES, two prime examples of “just because it’s hard, that doesn’t make it bad” (or at least I think so). As always, or as it was last week, since that was the first one we did, here are some opinions and recollections of these games from our staff here at DHGF.
Super R-Type
-Genre: Shooter
-System: Super Nintendo
-Release Date: 1991
-Price: 800 Wii Points
Bryan Berg: I remember Super R-Type pretty well…though I can’t remember if it was Super R-Type or Gradius III that had tons of slowdown even though that was the big selling point of the SNES at the time. Either way, R-Type was pretty impossible; I’m not sure if I even got past the first level. I recall enjoying this game, but I’m not too willing to plunk down 800 Wii Points to relive it.
Alex Lucard: This is the third R-Type on the virtual console, and it’s defintely my least favorite of the three. It’s a horrible port of R-Type II and the Super Nintendo hardware did not work well with shooters in the first place. If you want an R-Type game for your VC, get the TG-16 R-Type.
Guy Desmarais: Super R-Type is a game I have played exactly ONCE. I remember liking it, but then again, I should not be your reference when it comes to shooting game. I am the guy who sucks at the coin launcher mini-game in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Still, if you want a good shooting game on your Virtual Console… then look somewhere else. He thinks it sucks. He knows more than I do about that type of games.
Charlie Marsh: Super R-Type is a great shooter, but its difficulty gives it a bad rep. I don’t care; it’s fun, got some great music behind it, and the challenge actually keeps me coming back for more…it’s like it’s mocking me. It’s not like there aren’t enough shooters on the VC, but R-Type is good stuff.
Spelunker
-Genre: Platformer
-System: Nintendo Entertainment System
-Release Date: 1987
-Price: 500 Wii Points
Bryan Berg: I’d never heard of Spelunker before it hit the Virtual Console. Now that it’s here… I’ll probably continue to ignore it. It originally came out for the Commodore 64 and has obviously withstood the test of time. Reading about this game, the thing that interests me the most is that there are very few enemies to defeat; the major obstacles are the stages themselves. It could be worth a spin for 500 Wii Points, but like many NES games I don’t have a long history with, it might not sustain my interest for very long.
Alex Lucard: Oh holy hell, does this bring back memories. ALL BAD ONES. Awful game, awful graphics, awful controls. Stay the hell away from this one.
Guy Desmarais: Spelunker is a game that bored me as a kid, and which I have no intentions of ever trying again. Yet, if you REALLY feel like playing as a virtual cave explorer on an 8-bit system, it’s pretty much your only option at the moment. Good luck, I guess.
Charlie Marsh: Spelunker isn’t great, but it’s good enough. It’s an okay little platformer. The controls are a bit frustrating, but it’s fun-ish. I can think of many better games that should be out before this one, though. If I get it, it’ll be with the free $5 gift card I got in a box of Gushers. There’s not much else to say about it. I guess that’s not a good sign.
Also, as a bonus, we have a question from Jonathon Widro, and seeing as he’s the boss, it’s probably a good idea to answer it. He asks:
“can anyone explain to me why we didnt get n64 smash brothers? what are they waiting for, isnt this the time?”
Charlie Marsh: I see two possibilities:
1) They hate us. (see also: Mother 3)
2) The original is horribly overshadowed by its far bigger and deeper sequels, which are basically the original game with heaps and heaps of nostalgia thrown in to keep people occupied with it, so maybe it’s a good thing since we’ve all been spoiled by now.
Bryan Berg: I think the time is to make Brawl the only Smash Bros game available. This way, you couldn’t say “I want to play Smash Bros, but I don’t want to buy the new one… I’ll just download the original and save $40!”. Or at least that’s what they’re probably thinking.
So that’s all for now. We’ll be back next week with our thoughts on the next VC releases. So until next week, check these two games out if you want, check out an already released game, or wait and see if there’s a game you’d like next week. We’ll be here to share our opinions on them.
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