Wii-kly Shopping List: Dr. Mario is ready to see you now

by: Cyril - posted: 4/21/2009 4:19:00 AM

As good as Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure was, last week's Wii-kly Shopping List was a little on the lame side.  Is this week any better?  No, not really, but there is definitely enough variety to satisfy just about any taste.  Up first we have this week's Virtual Console release, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair.  This is a port of the import Mega Drive (Genesis) game and is almost identical to the TurboDuo version (which has been on the Virtual Console for a couple of years now).  To make matters worse, this import version is a whopping $9, even more expensive than your usual Genesis games.  This is a great game no matter what system you own it on, but it's hard to justify this release if you already own it for the Duo.

Over on the WiiWare we have Crystal Defenders R1, Square Enix's variation on the standard castle defense genre.  Observant gamers will no doubt remember me talking about this game when it was released on the Xbox Live Arcade, but here it is on the WiiWare channel for 800 points ($8).  I'm not going to say this game isn't worth that price, but what I played of the Xbox Live Arcade version left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

And finally we have the DSiWare channel, which brings us the most exciting of all of the announcements.  If you're looking for a dirt cheap version of Dr. Mario and you own a Nintendo DSi, then boy are you in luck.  Because Nintendo has uploaded Dr. Mario Express, a $5 version of this classic (and overrated) puzzler.  Nintendo is also hoping that you will continue to buy those magic lessons, as they are offering Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche for $2.  You can read my reviews in haiku form later on this week.  Until then, make sure and check out last week's Retro Round-Up to read my diatribe against Party Fun Pirate, haikus about DSiWare games and much, much more.