Paper Mario, Balloon Fight and ... other appear on Virtual Console
by Justin McElroy 
{ Jul 16th 2007 at 9:00AM }
Hey, can you do us a huge favor? Just try hiding your disappointment when you get to the end of this week's Virtual Console releases. We've had like a million readers come through this post, and we think the way their faces drop when they see third entry is starting to hurt her self-confidence. She can't help who she came in with, try to remember that. - Paper Mario (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points): A spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, this game is, frankly, fantastic. It combines some really solid RPG mechanics with visual panache. Consider it required downloading if you haven't been through it.
- Balloon Fight (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Though it may not be as glitzy as Paper Mario, Balloon Fight is still undeniably a classic. The only question is if you'll be willing to part with five bucks for a game that was not only playable in Animal Crossing, but was also, at one point, stored on playing cards.
- Silent Debuggers (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): Hey, we warned you, please be nice, this has been a tough day. ... Oh, you're laughing now. That's great. Listen, maybe you're just rushing to judgment. We've embedded a gameplay video after the break, maybe you'll watch it and see that you were wrong all along. She's a totally radical first-person shooter, you'll see!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
LTNK @ Jul 16th 2007 9:12AM
Considering this was a 16-bit console, trying to do a SPRITE-BASED FPS, I'd say it's not that bad.
Brad Lee @ Jul 16th 2007 9:15AM
As much as I love Balloon Fight, as Justin said it's hard to justify five bucks for a game I played for free on Animal Crossing.
That and the game is just like Joust, which I bought on XBLA, and later regretted...
weirdestchild @ Jul 16th 2007 9:20AM
So far I've downloaded every single N64 game on the virtual console, but Paper Mario will be the first I will not download. It was a pure Rubbish heap a game and could never do the Original SMRPG justice (which it was hyped up to be when it was being developed.)
I hope they give us SMRPG next week to make up for this.
3cubedminus3squared @ Jul 16th 2007 2:01PM
Although I agree that it didn't do SMRPG justice, it wasn't that bad. hopefully the Wii will get a real Mario RPG game in the future and that SMRPG will come out for the VC.
accidental @ Jul 16th 2007 6:57PM
Are you freaking kidding me? At least phrase that as an opinion so you don't look like a complete idiot. "I thought Paper Mario was a pure rubbish heap" would be better.
It has amazing reviews, and I got it and am loving it more than any other game on the VC.
JodyAnthony @ Jul 16th 2007 9:26AM
I MIGHT get balloon fight, but since I got a copy of Tingles Balloon Fight on DS, I dunno.. I do loves me some balloon fight.
as for paper mario, well, duh.
Rubang B @ Jul 16th 2007 2:22PM
You got Tingle's Balloon Fight!??!?! Zomg how is it? 4 player local wireless or just 2?
synce @ Jul 16th 2007 9:36AM
Everybody's trying to copy XBL now :D
ysdarkfact @ Jul 16th 2007 9:36AM
Silent Debuggers was hard as hell. You had to go around and kill monsters, while protecting zones, in a 100 minutes. You had to protect those certain zones, that refilled your batteries, or made sure the power stayed on in the space station. It was pretty fun during the time.
J.Goodwin @ Jul 16th 2007 9:37AM
SD is a good little game for it's time. It's loosely based on Aliens (well, loosely is a relative term, in this case meaning it's a total ripoff). It's even got a kind of proximity sensor that may drive you batty.
It's not a first person shooter in any contemporary sense though. You move from room to room with a first person view, but you don't have full control over perspectives etc.
I love those old games, which is why I'm glad that I played them years before any of you, and don't have to shell out wiidollars for them now.
accidental @ Jul 16th 2007 6:59PM
You DID have to shell out much much more REAL dollars for them back then though :P
J.Goodwin @ Jul 16th 2007 7:34PM
Yes, but I also got a shiny jewel case, an ugly manual, a funky clear plastic sleeve and a nifty Hucard with the game encoded on it in secure solid state memory.
What are you getting for your five dollars?
unosturgis @ Jul 16th 2007 11:36PM
the only thing that matters...the game!
J-Guy @ Jul 16th 2007 9:37AM
I think I'll wait for SMRPG.
Bertie242 @ Jul 16th 2007 9:45AM
I think Paper Mario may be one of the first things I'll actually buy on VC. Unless Earthbound, Kirby Superstar, or SMRPG comes out next week.
Almack64 @ Jul 16th 2007 11:54AM
Now Earthbound for me would be an instant buy for me.
Defenestrator2.0 @ Jul 20th 2007 12:30AM
Earthbound? Hells yeah.
I must admit, I want Vigilante 8: Second Offense on the VC. I loved trashing other cars as the Garbage man.
Jermaine Pulliam @ Jul 16th 2007 9:41AM
I really want Super Mario RPG!!
Does Paper Mario even come close to this game?
Paul P. @ Jul 16th 2007 10:14AM
I think Paper Mario is much better than SMRPG. It's more charming, funnier, and I vastly prefer the combat system. It requires more strategy, and major boss battles are harder.
LTNK @ Jul 16th 2007 9:43AM
"I hope they give us SMRPG next week to make up for this."
I don't think you realize this is Square-Enix's call as much as Nintendo's.
StrangeBum @ Jul 16th 2007 10:17AM
Yeah and we all know how Square is acting towards the whole Virtual Console stuff. I would love to see them actual release something on the VC instead of porting older titles to new systems.
But seeing how SMRPG doesn't solely belong to them, maybe they will let it slide. I loved SPMRPG, it had the great RPG mechanics of Final Fantasy games, with the quirkiness and nostalgia of Mario characters.
But the one game I'm really waiting for, Chrono Trigger. God I loved that game.
Anam @ Jul 16th 2007 10:44AM
Remeber, ActRaiser was made by Square, and that's on the virtual console, so they're not completely against it. And I agree, Chrono Trigger rocked. Of course, I already own the PS copy, so I'll probably pass on it if it comes to the virtual console.
Super Mario RPG is THE game that I'm the most hyped about being on the virutal console. I loved that game and could never find a copy of it for the SNES. I had to spend tons of money renting it over and over...
waynski1457 @ Jul 16th 2007 5:40PM
well, actraiser was made by enix.... had to get that out there even tho it was squeenix that did allow it to come and not smrpg and ct... i think there might be something with them putting enix's games and not squares games on vc......
Joe @ Jul 16th 2007 10:01AM
Where's Startropics?
JodyAnthony @ Jul 16th 2007 10:10AM
I am with you. I love Star Tropics
Dale @ Jul 16th 2007 10:05AM
It's such an Aliens rip off, it even looks like the Commodore 64 game based on the film.
Donald @ Jul 16th 2007 10:14AM
I'd be disappointed by another TG16 shmup, but it's Paper Mario. Come on.
Anam @ Jul 16th 2007 10:35AM
I've never played Paper Mario. Should I be shot?
Alex S. @ Jul 16th 2007 10:46AM
It just seems weird to see this coming from a paper mario avatar, even if it is the default.
Anam @ Jul 16th 2007 10:45AM
Er, virtual*
flameofdoom666 @ Jul 16th 2007 10:48AM
Super Mario RPG is a great game indeed, HOWEVER, Paper Mario does more then hold its own. Paper Mario on N64 started a franchise, so it must be good. And I own it on N64, I can tell you it is way worth 1000 points. If you have never played it, I recommend it. It is an excellent RPG. This is the review for it when it debuted about 10 years ago. http://ign64.ign.com/articles/150/150453p1.html. This game is a AAA title. Don't miss it.
Mr Khan @ Jul 16th 2007 3:18PM
Dude, that game was from 2001, not 10 years ago
Mark @ Jul 16th 2007 10:46AM
Yeah umm... Square-Enix has released a title on the VC already. It was about the only title worth playing form that studio, Actraiser. So I guess there is a chance they would release SMRPG.
Neebs @ Jul 16th 2007 10:50AM
Paper Mario, at last!
hvnlysoldr @ Jul 16th 2007 10:53AM
Paper Mario was one of the first games I ever bought new right out of the gate. I was surprised it was $60. Guess looking at Greatest Hits and used games got me used to them at $20. But still it was totally worth it. My younger brother and sister also played the game. I replayed it several times to get a better time while watching all the story and collecting everything. I took it down to 24 hours before I quit trying.
monkey_v_Robot @ Jul 16th 2007 10:57AM
Is Paper Mario as shallow as Super Paper Mario? I played most of the way through SPM before realizing how bored I was with jokes aimed at 14-year-olds and simplistic puzzles with a glossy sheen.
JodyAnthony @ Jul 16th 2007 11:08AM
Super Paper Mario was quite possibly my biggest dissapointment in gaming ever (followed closely by Suikoden 5)
Anam @ Jul 16th 2007 11:20AM
Oh come on, everyone knows that Goldeneye: Rogue Agent is the greatest disappointment in gaming history. They named it Goldeneye just to mock us.
Seriously, that game sucked. And they said that you'd be able to play a traditional-style Bond villain, when all that means is "you get to shoot people" kind of like... well, every shooting game ever made.
Okay, so you can take hostages, I'll admit that. But the mechanic wasn't very useful and got boring after you did it twice. And you didn't even get to take innocent people as hostages, it was always guards or some crap. When did a villain in a Bond movie ever take a guard hostage?
...
What were we talking about again? I forgot.
Twinkie @ Jul 16th 2007 11:16AM
well i'm lucky. I still have the cartridge for Paper Mario on my N64
NvM @ Jul 16th 2007 11:29AM
Paper Mario is better than SMRPG in a lot of ways, imo.
Almack64 @ Jul 16th 2007 11:59AM
Random rant:
I just really wish that the Gamecube capabilties were integrated into the wii the same way VC is. It's such an annoyance how the wii "becomes" a GC once you put a GC game in. If I could exit back to the wii menu it would be so much better. But I guess they purposely designed it that way
Jonathan Tran @ Jul 16th 2007 12:18PM
I agree, it's really annoying. Is the only way to get back to the Wii menu pressing Reset?
Mr Khan @ Jul 16th 2007 3:23PM
That's the cost of 100% backwards compatibility, unless, like the original PS3, you doubled up chip sets, which would be stupid in the Wii's case since they are just stronger versions of the GC chips
Unless Nintendo is stupid enough to use the same chipsets again in 2010 (as by that time multicore/cell processors should be very accessible), their next system is going to be plagued by the same BC problems that the other guys have
Adv2k1 @ Jul 16th 2007 12:18PM
Now I already played and finished Paper mario and 1000 year door. Is this game worth going back to if I already played the sequels. I remember renting it back in the day and enjoying it but I don't know if this still holds up.
Mark @ Jul 16th 2007 1:19PM
It's better than 1000-Year-Door, imo, but they're both very good.
Adv2k1 @ Jul 16th 2007 12:25PM
Super Paper mario not n64 one
Mark @ Jul 16th 2007 1:17PM
I'd buy Paper Mario in a heartbeat if I didn't already own it on the N64 (and have played through it at least ten times). Man, I love that game so, so very much.
I even own the soundtrack... :/
Steve @ Jul 16th 2007 4:52PM
So now that all of the pre-launch hype for Super Paper Mario is gone and a huge number of SPM players have moved on to other games, Nintendo decides to release Paper Mario 64 on the VC. Brilliant marketing! Sadly this failed opportunity's not an isolated incident as others have occurred too. The needless delayed release of Excite Bike being one of them.
Even though Nintendo's on a role with the DS and the Wii there are still signs of Nintendo's cluelessness lingering about.
Charles @ Jul 16th 2007 5:53PM
Or in my case, rather than plunk $50 for SPM right off the bat ('cause I'm cheap), I finally bought a new PM:TTYD instead for $10. Now that I'm hooked on that game, PM(64) for VC is a no-brainer for another $10 and SPM will probably follow as soon as my schedule allows at whatever price point it is at by then (hopefully
Dustin @ Jul 16th 2007 2:18PM
I'm looking at my Paper Mario 64 game right now but for some reason I just know my Wii is going to be busy downloading it later today.
I love that game sooooo much.