What's better than playing golf with your favorite Nintendo characters in the comfort of your own imagination? Wielding a sword and playing a character named "Bowie," of course!
Mario Golf(Nintendo 64, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points): Arguably the best in the Mario Golf series and certainly one of the cheapest. It just makes us wonder why Nintendo hasn't slapped together its cast of characters into a Wii golf game yet.
Shining Force II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): You've got a sword in a fantasy medieval setting that rewards you for swinging said blade at others. Also, did we mention your main character is named Bowie?
To jot your memory, we've embedded videos of each title after the break.
We're usually into featuring more fully formed products on the Free Game Club, but they are, after all, free, so we hope you won't be too bothered by the inclusion of I Wish I Were the Moon, a precious little experimental gem by Daniel Benmergui.
In the simplest terms, you're manipulating a short story with the use of a camera frame that can relocate objects from one location to another. With a few clicks, you can alter how the story of a boy, a girl, the moon and a seagull comes to an end.
By Benmergui's own admission there are some failings, but the central idea is really solid. In fact, the designer went on to use a similar mechanic in a more fully-formed concept called Storyteller.
So please, play around with IWIWTM and then come back to let us know what you think. We're curious as to whether you see this as more of a toy or the possible cornerstone of a full, compelling game.
Before straddling a winged lizard and doing a nosedive, developer Factor 5 was the source of one of our favorite pastimes: the unrelenting obliteration of aliens, robots and the occasional Sasquatch. Our memory's a bit hazy when it comes to Super Turrican 2, so there may well have been a robotic alien Sasquatch in there somewhere.
Super Turrican 2 (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): Factor 5's destructive bullet dispensor arrives on the Virtual Console this week, challenging players to foil "the menacing hordes of ... The Machine," who may or may not be Galactus. Check out some videos after the break and become hypnotized by that spinning "2" in "Super Turrican 2." It's like, three dee and stuff!
Wii in Japan is getting a new Virtual Console in October, and it's a rare one. The NEC SuperGrafx, a beefed-up PC-Engine (TurboGrafx-16 here in the States), saw a whopping five games released for it before NEC cut its losses.
You can still get your hands on one via eBay or by scouring Tokyo's second-hand game market (we found this one, new-in-box, for about $250 at the Akihabara Super Potato). Thankfully, Wii owners won't have to embark on a treasure hunt for a SuperGrafx or its games, the first of which to appear on VC is the console's launch title, a superb port of Capcom's Daimakaimura (Ghouls n' Ghosts).
Nintendo hasn't announced when (or if) this rare treat will reach US Wiis, but, given the fact that we're already seeing NEC console imports on the Shop Channel, it should only be a matter of time.
Microsoft today released -- and promptly pulled -- a press release via Gamerscore blog (original link; via TeamXbox) announcing that the Banjo-Kazooie Nintendo 64 remake is coming "exclusively" (i.e. we're guessing no Virtual Console release) to Xbox Live Arcade on November 26 for 1200 ($15). Additionally, Microsoft announced a Banjo-Tooie remake is coming in early 2009.
Those who pre-order Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will get it about two weeks early (the game launches just under two weeks prior on November 14). Achievements in Banjo-Kazooie will unlock content in Nuts and Bolts via the "Stop n Swop" mode. We don't know why Microsoft pulled the press release, but we'll let you know when it's back up.Update: It's back up.
The name Suda51 conjures up memories of some truly unique experiences, not the least of which being his most recent work, No More Heroes. For only a very few will it jog memories of a Japan-only PS1 release titled The Silver Case, which the designer announced is headed for PSN at the "Foreign Video Game Unlawful Assembly 2K8" he organized (and so wonderfully named).
It's not clear if the release will be Japan-only, although it has been previously announced that English-language Nintendo DS versions of a remade The Silver Case and its mobile phone sequel, Silver Case, 25 Ward are in the works. It's probably not too far a stretch to imagine the localized text could be used to create a North American PSN version of the game.
A pseudo-classic Genesis sidescroller debuts on Virtual Console today, as well as an NES sports favorite ... but really, you're playing Mega Man 9 right now. We know. You're not even reading this, are you?
Super Dodge Ball (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Without adding too much innuendo, the gameplay is pretty self-explanatory. You dodge balls.
Vectorman(Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): While he never became as popular as Mega Man, this robot fought without a torso, and best of all, could shoot upwards.
All right, kiddies, we know all of you out there have dutifully replaced your DS with a gaming-powered iPhone 2.0, but with all that gaming power comes the responsibility to be careful. Thus, you should all be on the lookout for a new Windows virus masquerading as apparently popular iPhone game Penguin Panic.
According to Sophos, the computer-controlling Trojan shows up as a zipped attachment to an e-mail with a subject like "Virtual iPhone games!" or "Apple: The most popular game!" Ironically, it seems the virus won't actually infect your iPhone or any Mac-based computers. It also seems incapable of infecting other portable gaming systems, which should be a relief to those of you still living in the past with those long-defunct platforms.
Bad news for anyone who wants a new version of Cobra Triangle. It seems that Rare isn't looking to bring back any more of its classic franchises "at the moment," according to Senior Animator Elissa Miller. In an interview with Britain's 360 Gamer (re-reported by CVG), Miller explained "we've always got to have a reason to revive a franchise, we don't do games just for the sake of them." Fair enough, but really, if you just wanted to make a new Snake, Rattle 'n' Roll just for the sake of making it, well, we wouldn't really mind. Honest.
SNK may soon be trading in its "rocket lawncher" for a high-def upgrade, as IGN reports that the company is considering bringing an HD version of Metal Slug to consoles. If true, the move would echo recent efforts by the company, such as with the forthcoming The King of Fighters XII, to abandon stale sprites for delicious eye candy.
Nothing else is known of SNK's future plans for the franchise, and considering that the company merely looks forward to announcing something "someday soon," we are not holding our breath just yet. However, fans itching for a retro fix can pick up Metal Slug 7 when it rolls on to the DS in November.
Your eyes are only slightly deceiving you. What you're looking at sadly isn't some sort of amazing, limited edition retail release of the upcoming Mega Man 9 for WiiWare, PSN, and XBLA; it's actually amazing NES-era replica packaging for the game's press kit, right down to an NES cartridge turned CD case.
Both the box and cartridge sport the wonderful, intentionally awful MM9 art first seen on Capcom staff T-Shirts at this year's E3. These asset discs are intended for members of the press, but, obviously realizing that it had created something destined to be the object of unbridled fanboy lust, Capcom is considering releasing 200 or so to the public via its online store, along with a voucher for the game download.
[Update: Thanks to Capcom's Seth Killian for sending along much nicer shots of the packaging – check out the shrink wrap and oodles of goofy text! – which you can view by clicking on the gallery links below.]
Want even more proof that everything Nintendo touches turns to gold? There's a new hot, impossible-to-find toy in the United Arab Emirates, and it's ... the Virtual Boy. That's right, even Nintendo's poorly conceived, poorly executed leavings are flying off the shelves.
OK, so the box of 100 of the ill-fated consoles, recently unearthed in a Dubai warehouse, is probably so popular thanks to rabid collectors wanting to snap them up, and not because the children of the UAE want to finally experience Teleroboxer for themselves. Just don't be surprised to see Nintendo including them in its NPDs next month.
We just poured out some virtual ones for our fallen homey the Dreamcast, and now Peter Moore has recalled his fond memories of the labor pains and death throes of the unfortunate console with The Guardian.
As you read the whole account, it's interesting to see that the Dreamcast didn't actually die, it just didn't get huge quick enough. It's a solemn reminder of why you don't see more smaller companies with limited cash flow trying (and succeeding) to get into the console game.
Oh, and if you don't care about gaming history in the slightest, you can at least read about Peter Moore playing against Ice Cube in NBA 2K1. So, you know, there's a little something for everybody.
It's Monday morning, which, of course, means it's time to fill the Virtual Console E-Tank with surly robots, a mad scientist and mechanical vehicles galore – just what every gamer needs to start their week off right.
Mega Man 2 (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Capcom's diminutive Blue Bomber returns alongside an assortment of vehicles and weapons in order to battle the likes of an anthropomorphic Zippo lighter, no doubt in an effort to get back into shape for his upcoming ninth attempt at putting Dr. Wily in his place.
It's high time for some real talk about Xbox Originals. Specifically, who's choosing what makes the cut? Not that Destroy all Humans! or Intellivision Lives! are bad games by any means. It's just that, when you think of a service that could be offering the best, exclusive games from a system's previous generation on the current one via the interwebs, you'd hope they'd be more ... original and memorable.
As it stands, we're getting a complete mish-mash of revered and forgettable moments from the annuls of the original Xbox. How about some Panzer Dragoon Orta or Star Wars: Republic Commando before the likes of Kabuki Warriors? Ahem. Ranting aside, both Destroy All Humans! and Intellivision Lives! hit the Xbox Live Marketplace on September 15 for 1200 ($15) each. We'd love to hear which Xbox games you would have join the ranks of the Xbox Originals in comments.
Conduit, Mad World and more: All our hands-on impression from Nintendo Fall Media Summit 08
Joystiq at E for All, the highlights and lowlights
Nintendo officially unveils Nintendo DSi and online store, coming Nov 1 in Japan for $180
Nintendo DSi vs. PSP-3000 vs. iPod Touch, v1.0
Joyswag: The Video Games Live Album
Listen to the Joystiq podcast (because your ears can't read)
Posts in category retro
($15). Additionally, Microsoft announced a Banjo-Tooie remake is coming in early 2009. 
Want even more proof that everything Nintendo touches turns to gold? There's a new hot, impossible-to-find toy in the United Arab Emirates, and it's ... the Virtual Boy. That's right, even Nintendo's poorly conceived, poorly executed leavings are flying off the shelves.
