Wiikly wiileases wiivealed

by: Chuck - posted: 12/31/2007 8:21:00 AM

Another week, another trio of games for the Wii virtual console.  Kudos to Nintendo for not taking the holiday off.  This week Nintendo is releasing Bubble Bobble (500 points), Light Crusader (800 points), and Top Hunter (900 points) for the virtual console.  Be sure to check back Friday for Cyril's thoughts on these releases in his weekly Retro Round-up or leave your own thoughts in the comments.

Wii-kly Update: Three New Classic Games Added to Wii Shop Channel

What are you doing New Year’s Eve? Thanks to the Wii™ Shop Channel, you’ve got
some outrageous new options. This week’s classic game additions offer
brilliant fantasy and crackling action to help you ring in ’08. So if you
haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions yet, allow us to suggest a few: pop
more bubbles, battle more medieval beasts and try to save the universe a
little more often.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new
games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed
Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points
can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new
games are:

BUBBLE BOBBLE® (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points):
BUBBLE BOBBLE’s release in 1986 introduced the two bubble dragons, Bub and
Bob, and brand new play mechanics, with players defeating enemies by trapping
them in bubbles and then popping them. Although the puzzle-action game can be
beaten by clearing all 100 rounds, it also contains secret elements such as
not being able to get the “true ending” in single-player mode; hidden
commands that lead to secret rounds; and a ton of different items. These
elements are some of the game’s most memorable and important features. Each
round even has different air currents that are not visible, so bubbles rise in
unpredictable patterns. Aspects like forcing players to understand and utilize
these different patterns while playing help make this a revolutionary game
that is fun to play anytime.

Light Crusader™ (Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Animated Violence,
800 Wii Points): Each day, more good townspeople of Green Row have been
mysteriously disappearing, and beleaguered King Weeden summons the knight Sir
David to investigate. Armed with his wits and his sword, Sir David must find
the cause of this strange evil and save the citizens of Green Row before
things get any worse. Take the role of the brave knight in this action RPG and
get to the bottom of the mysteries of Green Row as you fight enemies, solve
puzzles and use your best combination of brains and brawn to save the kingdom.

TOP HUNTER (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older—Cartoon
Violence, 900 Wii Points): Take on the role of either Roddy or Cathy, bounty
hunters in this side-scrolling action game set far in the future when humans
have colonized space. But all is not well: Space pirates called the Klaptons
are making their way through the galaxies, wiping out peaceful settlements
along their path. This disgraceful behavior leads to them having a price on
their heads, so now Roddy and Cathy must travel through four distinct worlds
on a mission to defeat their leader, Captain Klapton. Both characters have
retractable arms—used to grab enemies or other objects in the scenery—that
can then be thrown at others to destroy them. Also, be on the lookout for
rings or levers to pull, as this might reveal special bonuses. Further adding
to the mix, the game uses a unique system where the action happens on two
planes, with the player switching between them at will. Can you prove yourself
worthy of the Top Hunter name and help save the universe?