Virtual Console vigilantes gain ground in Super Mario World

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Feb 5th 2007 at 10:15AM }

If you're the sort of person who leaps out of bed on a Monday morning, filled with the burning desire to rescue something from a perilous situation, you'll likely find today's Virtual Console offerings most satisfying. As of 9AM Pacific Time, you should be able to make your way into the Wii shop and start proving that chivalry is far from dead (but possibly overpriced in some cases).

Princess Toadstool will be requiring your services in Super Mario ~~Land~~ ~~State~~ ~~Continent~~ World (SNES, $8), having been kidnapped during her trip to Dinosaur Land -- it sounded so inviting! If you haven't played it before, it's well worth witnessing Mario's career shift to Dino-Rider and his expertise in straddling a vicious green beast that devours enemies whole. If that doesn't hold appeal, a different career of sorts lies in Vigilante (Turbo-Grafx 16, $6), which sees players beating up thugs in New York City in an effort to rescue "the beloved Madonna."

Finally, there's Gain Ground (Genesis, $8), a dramatic tale of supercomputers gone rampant and civilians being unjustly imprisoned within war simulations (obviously). It's just as well that you have an AK-toting guy called "Professor" on your side. Presumably, it's expected of us to find and rescue the fourth and still missing Virtual Console game for this week.

Tags: Gain Ground, GainGround, Super Mario, Super Mario Bros, SuperMario, SuperMarioBros, VC, VC Monday, VcMonday, Vigilante, Virtual Console, VirtualConsole, VirtualConsoleMonday

Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)

djmg82 @ Feb 5th 2007 2:57PM

#45

Glad I read your post. Was going to say the exact same thing... albeit a little more concise. ;)

At this point I've only purchased MK64, Bomberman '93 and Castlevania. The first two because they're great multiplayer games, and Castlevania because I never owned it and I love the series. I ONLY plan to purchase future VC titles that offer great multiplayer unless something truly "must-have" comes along that I can't play on the systems I already own. I just can't justify the price... especially after picking up quality GC games for cheaper. :P

NintendoFanbot @ Feb 5th 2007 3:21PM

#28 said:
"VC games with no updates, online, changes, etc. are like the game version of cell phone covers. They don't cost more than $0.50 per copy to supply, yet you pay $5-10 for them. Nothing like a 1000-2000% markup."

Not really. I see them as a giant markdown, considering their original prices in their original respective releases (up to and including $70). So forgive me if I don't don't think this is a great value, and sorry to take your "I think you are dumb to pay that much for a game that old." comment the wrong way since you were trying SO HARD not to be anti-anybody. :|

LongshotX @ Feb 5th 2007 3:35PM

It is pretty ridiculous that Nintendo is marking the games up like 1000% there worth or the time it took to get them on the VC. Nintendo is really milking its fanbase. The Wii is a marginally upgraded Gamecube that costs $250, there are few games that really take advantage of the new controller, and few games that actually have some sort of depth to them. But no matter what us naysayers say the fact is that the Wii is a highly popular system and it shows little sign of slowing down. To each his own.

Steve @ Feb 5th 2007 4:08PM

I agree with Kane's mathematical statement.
SMB3 > SMW

I was actually disappointed with SMW when I first got it. Nintendo was hyping the power of the SNES and its ability to display 4 simultaneous background layers. In reality we always seemed to get three: the status info, the main game area, and a background. Graphically speaking, I was also disappointed with Nintendo returning to a palette-swapped Mario for the Luigi sprites. Even SMB2 had a unique Luigi character!

I was also disappointed with how SMW seemed like a smaller game than SMB3 and I just didn't like Yoshi. I liked tossing him into the lava, but that was it.

I also didn't like how they changed things for the sake of changing things. Goombas used to be these squishy enemies that you could smash down, but now they were hard. Turtles started walking upright and seemed less threatening. The Hammer Bros continued their downward slide begun with SMB3 and are a complete joke in this game. And the blocks. What's the deal with the blocks in this game? They don't look like bricks and when you punch them they start flipping around. Dumb, dumb dumb... I'm so glad they fixed most of this stuff with New Super Mario Bros.

On the plus side, this is the last true Mario game without vocalwork.

Thryon @ Feb 5th 2007 3:58PM

I find it sad, that in the 10 days since I had my Wii, I cannot find a single game worth playing besides Wii Sports (I have tried Wario, Zelda, Sponge Bob and Rayman and all where quite boring). The only games that I foresee buying this year for the Wii are VCs (more for the wife than for myself).

I do hope that Nintendo releases full version of each of the mini-games that are present in Wii Sports, or the console is going up for sale. $400 for 5 mini-games is not worth it.

Skwurl @ Feb 5th 2007 4:12PM

#48

"And the idiots willing to pay that make it so that people like me who would like to buy the games but would never pay that much for them will never get a chance try them out.

I'll leave now. Sorry I said anything anti-Nintendo/xbox/sony."

A gift, from me.

http://jonahprobell.com/small_violin.jpg

jchensor @ Feb 5th 2007 4:06PM

#11 Judd said: "Where do we go from there? Super Mario Alternate Universe?"

I nominate Super Mario Minus World.

#52 Thyron said: "$400 for 5 mini-games is not worth it."

Agreed. But even as a Nintendo Fanboy, I had the same trepidation with regards to the Nintendo DS. When I bought it, I had the novelty trio of WarioWare, Feel the Magic, and Yoshi (which was practically only 1/3 of a real game). And yet, somehow, the DS has become one of the best systems I've ever owned. So I do expect the Wii to have a major upswing in the future. May not happen right away, as it took the DS a while. So don't sell it right away yet.

Steve @ Feb 5th 2007 4:48PM

Anyone know if this version of SMW is the SNES launch title build or is it the one from the second editon of All Stars? I heard that version had different sprites for Luigi.

Jonathan @ Feb 5th 2007 4:41PM

NSMB > All other Marios

I love the Virtual Console. If Nintendo makes a 1,000,000,000% profit I don't care, what matters is that I have SMB, MK64, SFII and Alien Crush all right there on my Wii whenever I feel like playing them.

If Nintendo makes a tidy profit, that's good! It means they have more money and resources to make new games or put research into new systems.

If you don't wanna pay, that's fine, go to a flea market or (gasp!) go the illegal ROM route. But for me, I can't wait to download SMW. Hours of entertainment for $10 cdn or whatever, for me that's a good deal. If you don't like that then STFU

LongshotX @ Feb 5th 2007 4:49PM

Don't be surprised if all the money Nintendo is making is invested in a marginally more powerfully Wii. It'll be called the Twii (8th generation console) with BC for every Nintendo game ever released including DS and Advance games. The Twii will also have a new controller that uses a giant pilates ball to manipulate on screen objects, all in good ole' 480i. What a day that will be!

Jake @ Feb 5th 2007 5:09PM

Thanks Skwurl, that's cute.

Fatass of Kickassness @ Feb 5th 2007 5:11PM

I don't know, Long Shot, but Twii could actually be a pretty good name for their next system...

Crono @ Feb 5th 2007 5:32PM

LongshotX,

What my theory is, and it will be funny/awesome if its true, is that nintendo is going to use all their mad profits this gen to give us a system next gen that will blow both competitors products out of the water, and offer it at a 250 dollar price point, just to say "FU" to MS/Sony.

Nintendo ON: DX11 graphical capabilities with a 8x core processor, all for the low price of 250 dollars.

daddycool @ Feb 5th 2007 5:40PM

I love this game. I still play it on my PSP and Xbox sometimes. I'm definitely getting this when I get my Wii.

Antonio @ Feb 5th 2007 5:52PM

"So I guess Crono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Super Battle Toads, TMNT: Turtles in Time, Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting, Axelay, Gaires, Shinobi 3, M.U.S.H.A, ThunderForce 3, Mystic Defender, Tetrisphere, Sin and Punishment, Goldeneye (if the game gods allow it), Blaster Master, Batman, Battletoads are all crap and aren't worth the consideration..."

Thanks for exaggerating my comment. A lot of those games are great, but of all of those only Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and Goldeneye would possibly qualify as AAA, platinum classics on the same level as Zelda, Mario, and others. Street Fighter II Turbo would be there too, but since the SNES game, several superior versions have been released. Of course none of those versions of SFII Turbo were on a Nintendo system.

GD86 @ Feb 5th 2007 6:15PM

Come on bring out some of the cult hits. Give me my Earthbound, Shining Forces from the genesis, and some more sonic love. I like these games being relased but part of the reason I love the Idea of the virtual consol is the fact that these games I only rented being able to now own them and not have to search or Ebay for it.

Caoz @ Feb 5th 2007 6:23PM

I'm sorry to dissapoint all of the VC critics, but SMW was the one I was waiting for and I will happily pay the 8 bucks to have it as on my wii front page. Sure I do have other digital versions of the game but I have never owned an original copy (I was a genesis kid). Now nintendo just needs to release Super Mario All Stars and I'll be done with the VC.

Leshrac @ Feb 5th 2007 7:16PM

#57

All signs point to the original release.

I'll shell out the $8 for Super Mario All-Stars, after Nintendo is done r[e]aping all the money it can from people from these individual releases. Of course, they'll probably sell All-Stars for $20 or something like that.

mo @ Feb 5th 2007 7:25PM

#28 said:
"VC games with no updates, online, changes, etc. are like the game version of cell phone covers. They don't cost more than $0.50 per copy to supply, yet you pay $5-10 for them. Nothing like a 1000-2000% markup."

there is absolutly no arguing that it is over priced, way way overpriced and i think asuming that nintendo payed 0.50 cents is probably way more than they acually paid i would assume after some one programed the emulator that it costs them next to nothing to upload there game to your wii

but if you go to a used game store and buy the old cartrige, it will be 5-10 dollars, which is also overpriced but thats what people are willing to pay

Leshrac @ Feb 5th 2007 7:52PM

"What my theory is, and it will be funny/awesome if its true, is that nintendo is going to use all their mad profits this gen to give us a system next gen that will blow both competitors products out of the water, and offer it at a 250 dollar price point, just to say "FU" to MS/Sony."

Keep dreaming... Nintendo will probably continue to stay behind the graphics curve for the next couple generations, unless of course Sony and MS come out with similar systems (my bet is that MS will go the Sony controller route in the next round, with motion sensing but standard-ish controllers, and that Sony will probably continue with the SIXAXIS or SIXAXIS 2 w/rumble) and are forced to basically compete at the Graphical level again. With this in mind, Nintendo will continue to refine their current controller systems, upgrade to HD with potentially slightly better capabilities than the 360, and go from there. It should also be noted that Nintendo doesn't like to sell their systems at a big loss, or at any loss (the Wii is selling at a profit from day 1). This will probably mean that whatever they sell, at least in terms of horsepower, it won't be as powerful as the competitors next-gen systems, and it will also likely be cheaper (as in this Gen).

h0mi @ Feb 6th 2007 1:28AM

"And the idiots willing to pay that make it so that people like me who would like to buy the games but would never pay that much for them will never get a chance try them out."

(eyeroll)

There is a solution to this. Well a couple. I'll offer a more reasonable one. I don't think price drops will take place regardless of if the VC sold many units or not, so there's got to be another way to get it cheaper.

Those Wii points are sold in various stores. Look for deals for them. I got 1600 MS points for free in January, and paid $10 (not including the $5 rewardzone coupon I redeemed) for another 1600 points last week. I'm quite sure I could get $20 worth of Wii points for $15 without a whole lot of effort.

GhaleonQ @ Feb 6th 2007 7:49PM

It's STILL the greatest platformer.

RYAN @ Feb 6th 2007 8:26AM

YEAAA!!! GAIN GROUND!!!!!!

except my Wii decided on its own yesterday that it would simply stop accessing my wireless router. I'm clueless as to what I should do!

Skwurl @ Feb 6th 2007 9:43AM

#59

You're very welcome, just don't break the damn thing.

drbuzz @ Feb 6th 2007 11:56AM

Unplayable on gamecube controllers... its impossible to run w/o hitting the spinjump button which is mapped to the huge A button

has anyone found a way around these f'd up controls? i cant find classic controller in any stores - wtf i was so pumped to play this

Ray @ Feb 6th 2007 6:53PM

I agree. It is as if Nintendo made it the first game that cannot be played properly with the GC controller. The A button should NOT be spin jump. It is not natural. Nintendo, you just got another $20 out of me for a classic controller. I am a sucker.

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