Super Mario Bros. 2, Ecco 2 and Dragon Spirit run/swim/fly onto Virtual Console

by Justin McElroy { Jul 2nd 2007 at 9:40AM }

In a week that is admittedly pretty light on game releases, we're willing to pretty much take anything we can get. Imagine our pleasure then to find some real quality on the Virtual Console this week. Unfortunately, as you soon see, the weapondry leaves something to be desired.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Somewhere, Doki Doki Panic is having a pull off his half-empty fifth of Wild Turkey, hopeful that this may be the last time he has to be slapped in the face by the release of Super Mario Bros. 2 and reminded of what could have been.

Ecco: The Tides of Time (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): This Ecco the Dolphin sequel is lucky that it's slipping in with SMB 2, because the only item that could make sound waves look like a good weapon are throwable onions.

Dragon Spirit (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): Completely ruining the whole "lame weapons" motif is Dragon Spirit, a vertical-scrolling shooter where your weapon is, well, a dragon. Unfortunately, having a dragon as your weapon makes vegetables and sound waves look like ... well, sound waves and vegetables.

Tags: ecco, mario, smb, vc, virtualconsole, VirtualConsoleMonday

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish @ Jul 2nd 2007 9:49AM

Awesome! SMB 2 is pretty much *THE* game I've been waiting for on the VC. I'm the lone nut who thinks it was the best Mario game ever.
It also has the best music.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 2nd 2007 9:50AM

I'm with samfish. Ive been wanting Mario 2 for a long time. Now all I need is Mario 3 and I'm golden.

McHoffa @ Jul 2nd 2007 9:51AM

finally!!! smb2... now I have to wait until I get home from work to buy it... another 6 hours is nothing compared to the 6 months I have been waiting!

Jerk Face @ Jul 2nd 2007 9:59AM

Apparently you're NOT the only one, because I also am stoked as hell about this. ZOMG SMB2 FTW!!!!11ONE

Blizz4l9 @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:02AM

yes SMB 2 was much different than the rest but was still an excellent game non-the-less. i never understood all the hate towards this game, I would like to see Wart make a return someday.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:08AM

so am I the only one that thought the game was called "Super Mario Bros 2: Mario Madness" as a kid?

kingofwale @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:09AM

Hopefully some people will check out SMB2, you know, before you are all rushing out to get Chicken Shoot and be amazed by its gameplay and storyline.

mastafool @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:11AM

The hate for Mario Bros. 2 stems from the fact that it's a copy from another japanese game called Doki Doki Panic. That's why Mario 2 is so radically diffrent than 1 or 3. I still love 2, but I wish they would release the "REAL" Mario Bros 2 on VC.

Here's a link to describe the differences between the 2 games: http://nintendo.about.com/library/mariochanges/blmariodifferences1.htm

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:14AM

I say it's better than Lost Levels. So good that it got released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. USA. I still can't get through SMB1 without spamming Fire Mario so I can't imagine making it through the harder Lost Levels. Also SMB2 is one of the first Mario games I could beat without Game Genie, at least at first.

Ryan @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:20AM

Using the Princess to fly/float FTW!

Luigi, you sucked.

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:22AM

I always thought SMB2 was weird but at least you could play as different characters, who had actual differences. Ecco 2 is kind of a dumb sequel since it has been proven that nobody in history ever beat Ecco 1. What is the point of a sequel if nobody found out the ending to the first one??

I think SMB3 will be some high selling stuff, I wish ninty released sales figures for each VC game.

Do they?

Here's my take on all this Nintendo mojo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXUVd2c83c

Kye @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:36AM

I still think that SMB3 is the best of the series (next to Super Mario World) up until present day. I'll still hit this though.

warioswoods @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:40AM

Yeah early on I was wary of the game, having read about it not being a "true" Mario game, however I later realized that it is, in fact, as true as any other Mario platformer on the NES. 2 reasons for this: one, Shigeru Miyamoto was directly involved in the creation of Doki Doki Panic, so that lays to rest the idea that the game was made by a completely different group of developers. Second, later Mario games have repeatedly incorporated elements from this game, from Shy Guys to Birdo, to the extent that there is no question that the game is now considered an official part of the canon. I also played the Famicom Disk original, and I have to say that the move from Doki to Mario 2 was not just a change in sprites but also in some core mechanics (especially the ability to run and the 'momentum' based jump mechanics from Mario 1, which are absolutely necessary for great platforming).

warioswoods @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:42AM

I will say, however, that for me the GBA version is the definitive one - all the graphical upgrades of the All Stars version, plus the little extras that I appreciated (large enemies, etc).

tommy redd @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:46AM

"the only item that could make sound waves look like a good weapon are throwable onions." *golf clap*

i always tought Ecco was extremely lame. maybe thats because im not a little girl...any more...

Kye @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:47AM

JT That was a phat video.

Laughed so hard when he went to the basement and the music changed. Lol'd at the Boss as well.

PEOPLE WITH TOO MUCH FREE TIME FTW!

kip @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:51AM

I still want to see "New Super Mario Bros. 2" on the DS. Do to SMB2 what they did to SMB1.

baby sea tuna @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:16AM

Dragon Spirit?!

Hell yeah!

deaftly @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:22AM

im still baffled how people can get excited to give nintendo money for overpriced ancient games that you can find pretty much everywhere for free

kthx @ Nov 14th 2008 9:22PM

Another Mario game? And this time it's an OLD Mario game they're trying to RESELL you?

Man how old are you people and how much more Mario can you take?

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:31AM

@16

Well it wasn't too much free time we were competing for $15k in prizes!

It took about 8 or 9 hours of filing, 4 to 6 hours of writing and proofing, and maybe another 9 or 10 of video edits! But it was all done on nights and weekends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXUVd2c83c

We are going to try to make it a series.

ssuk @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:31AM

It's taken them HOW long to get to SMB2?

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:32AM

Pirates wore eye patches for night vision.

Adv2k1 @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:32AM

i already own it on gba so no mario 2. I never played echhoo and i already have a shooter that I don't play. Nothing for me this week but thats ok i still have f-zero x and re4

whosmav @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:57AM

Buying VC games makes me feel stupid.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 2nd 2007 1:21PM

im still baffled by how people can come into every single thread on this site about the virtual console and call people stupid for buying virtual console games with their own money that they earned.

wackyban @ Jul 2nd 2007 1:49PM

I have every nes, snes, sega genesis game ever made. I have most gb and gba and n64 games. And I play them all with my 360 controller on my PC. I wonder how much it would cost to pay for all that? I played contra with my friend on the wii and the controller layout was all wrong with the gamecube controller. Considering you can change the controller layouts with the pc kinda makes the virtual console for idiots.

I am a pirate! Hear meh Roarrrrrrgh!

vidGuy @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:10PM

"I played contra with my friend on the wii and the controller layout was all wrong with the gamecube controller."

That's why you are supposed to play every SNES / Genesis game with the Classic Controller. Much better.

Crono @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:15PM

"I still think that SMB3 is the best of the series (next to Super Mario World) up until present day"

I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there for one reason: Mario 3 has 4 or 5 times the levels as Mario World. They're both basically the same game, only mario world has a dinosaur.

Thus Mario 3 is the bestest side-scrollingest mario game in the ultraverse.

belcho @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:30PM

Anybody ever notice that Mario has 5 fingers on his right hand, but only 4 on his left??
I agree that Mario 3 & Super Mario World are the best Mario games.
There's no fucking way Mario 3 has more levels than Super Mario World. There's 96 levels in SMW.

belcho @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:32PM

Err, I mean 5 on his left, 4 on his right.

Loki @ Jul 2nd 2007 2:38PM

More re-hash...

No thanks been there done that.

warioswoods @ Jul 2nd 2007 3:41PM

This debate over the number of levels in Mario 3 vs. World inspired me to do a little research. Mario 3 has, according to the general consensus (I didn't take the time to count them myself), 90 levels. Mario World advertised 96 levels, but that is not entirely correct. From Wikipedia:

"The game features 72 courses laid out across the seven worlds, and 96 exits (some levels have more than one exit; these levels are usually marked red). Secret exits open up new routes on the overworld map, often leading to secret levels. When a player reaches the completion of the 96 "goals," the beginning screen will display a star next to the number "96" beside the file the goals were completed on. Something to consider, however, is the fact that the game cover states that it contains "96 levels," implying that the amount of stages and exits are equal when in reality there are only 72 true levels."

Abscissa @ Jul 2nd 2007 5:10PM

Oh sweet!! The TG16 version of Dragon Spirit!! I had the NES version when I was younger and LOVED it. I always wanted to play the (presumably even better) TG16 version. :)