Retro Gaming Thread (inc. Wii: Virtual Console)

[Stomski]

Well, with the new Nintendo Europe website just around the corner, will we finally be getting the Stars->Wii points conversion?? Probably not.

That aside, what do people recommend on Virtual Console & XBox Live Arcade etc?

Here's a nice VC review site:
www.vc-reviews.com/available_now.php

Some highlights for me:

Dragon's Curse (aka Wonder Boy 3: Dragon's Trap)
Bonk's Adventure
Toe Jam and Earl
Super Mario Bros 3
Paper Mario
Golden Axe

Can anyone point out a decent retro RPG?

[Cullen]

Unfortunately the virtual console is a bit sparse on the RPG front at the moment, especially the Square classics. Square-Enix are unlikely to release their good stuff - in a recent statement they said they didn't know if people were ready for digital delivery of games. I read this as they weren't willing to screw up their port-every-good-game-we-every-did-to-every-system business model they have at the moment.

I haven't played any of the Mega Drive/TG16 RPGs that are up there at the moment. I've heard some are good them so check out the reviews at the site you linked. I have played the GBA version of Breath of Fire II - the original SNES version is on the VC. It's a very, very, very average JRPG (random battles, lots of grinding, inane story, poor writing, poor translation in the SNES version). I'd avoid it unless you are desperate.

My highlights outside the usual Nintendo franchises have been:

Actraiser (can't recommend this enough. It combines an average platformer with a slightly above average god sim to produce a really good game)
Gunstar Heroes
Sin and Punishment
Golden Axe

[kayevcee]

Grinding?

-Nick

[legios]

kayevcee said:

Grinding?

-Nick

Grinding - repeating boring things over and over in order to acquire experience points and advance in power level. (c.f the entirety of most MMORPG's as far as I can see).

Karl

[gloriana]

Ironically enough, I'm teaching my Year 10s about retrogaming and making websites for hosting retrogames on them.

As our "target audience" (cough), what features would you like to see in a retrogaming website. What colours would appeal to you? Give me some info and lo I will exalt you.

Many thanks,
Rowan

[Cullen]

Woo Super Mario RPG is up on the Virtual Console!

[Deleted]

I must download Super Mario RPG at some point. I've been waiting years to play that game.

[Deleted]

Downloaded Super Mario RPG this morning and have started to play it. You can its made by Square because its got that unique Final Fantasy style of gameplay about it.

[KnightBeat]

Dec 9, 2007 11:05:38 GMT gloriana said:

Ironically enough, I'm teaching my Year 10s about retrogaming and making websites for hosting retrogames on them.

As our "target audience" (cough), what features would you like to see in a retrogaming website. What colours would appeal to you? Give me some info and lo I will exalt you.

Many thanks,
Rowan

The design should evoke the design inspiration of the time without being constrained by it. One mistake that retro sites make is to provide an exact recreation of the visual appearance of the time. The red & black colours and digital fonts of the 80s look terrible on a modern display and make the site appear old and outdated. It's a major turn-off if you were not there at the time, or have moved on. I don't remember where it was, but I recently came across a site with a 1970s theme that simply used orange for the site logo. It was a simple design, but it worked amazingly well.

[KnightBeat]

On a related note, EA have announced Fifa 09 and Need for Speed on the Sega Megadrive.

[chrisl]

currently playing roms of megaman 6 on the pc - wonderful game

[Dave]

Just bookmarked this on my Wii:
www.gamemobile.co.uk/retro-80s-games/duckhunt.swf

Obviously it'll work with any web browser but the Wiimote makes it more fun - though it took me a while to get used to it (always played it with a gun of some sort before).

edit: it gets boring once you get the hang of it. Might have to see what the other modes are like.

[Dave]

It seems ages ago I heard about it, then North America got it months ago but this morning--finally--SNK Arcade Classics (volume 1) turned up.
Cheaper (£20 rrp, I paid £17) than getting them off the VC store - and you can play in 60hz too! Of course I wouldn't actually buy all 16 games featured but with the VC versions being £6.30 a pop you don't have to be interested in many of the games for it to be the cheaper option.

Now of course there's that Metal Slug anthology available and I believe KOF/Samurai Shodown ones are on the way but it's still a good sampler.

[Cullen]

More importantly Secret of Mana is finally available on the VC. I wish NoE had put it up a few months ago when I didn't have many games to finish but now I've got games coming out of my arse. It's a fantastic action RPG that should be played by all. Its especially good if you can get two friends to help you out too. There ain't many 40 hour RPGs you can play co-operatively with three players. I also have a serious hard-on for the soundtrack - one of my favourite soundtracks (game or movie) ever.

[Dave]

Yeah I love Secret of Mana. A friend had it and we (and a third) played through it plus I borrowed it for a few months too. I will get it at some point but don't really have time for an RPG at the moment.

[Deleted]

Secret of Mana is one game I've wanted to play for a long time but at the moment I don't have the interest for playing computer games so I'll avoid it until I get back in the mood.

[Stomski]

Whoop, got Megaman 9 finally. Also Contra 3 (or Super Roboprotectors as it's called in Europe) for SNES on VC.

[Dave]

Some interesting VC updates yesterday. Games can now be launched from your SD card and arcade games have been added.

Should be noted you need free space on your Wii for launching from a SD card as it temporarily copies it to your Wii. Takes a bit longer to load up but it beats copying back and forth.

[Cullen]

Yeah just spotted that and I'm downloading the update now. Also the Wii now supports SDHC cards so the 4GB card I bought a while back won't go to waste.

[Stomski]

Downloadable Gameboy and GBA games for DSi

ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=7007

[Cullen]

Well it was pretty obvious that was going to happen. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to play my VC games I have on my Wii on the DS though. It should be able to handle everything up to the N64. Also you should be able to download the GB and GBA games on the Wii too!

[andrewbcalculating]

I hope what I'm about to write constitutes retro gaming.

First off, MSN UK have done an article on valuable old computer games here:
tech.uk.msn.com/gaming/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=15578723

Secondly, spinning off from that there is a websites that sells retro games and systems called Chase The Chuck Wagon here:
www.chasethechuckwagon.com/

|<o>|

[Dave]

Cut price Sega downloads.

[Deleted]

I've never really been a big Sega fan. When I was younger there were two clear factions - the Nintendo fan and the Sega fan and it was a general rule of thumb that a fan from one side never played games liked by the other side. Although this kind of rivalry has largely fallen off I'd still play Nintendo games any day over Sega ones. Saying that though, cut price Sega games may make me think twice.

[Dave]

I recommend Gunstar Heroes. One of my most played VC games.

[Cullen]

Seconded.

[Stomski]

Hey guess what, I'm finally playing Zelda: Ocarina Of Time!! Just tidying up side quests before going to the temple of time for the first time. Huzzah.

PS controls and camera have annoying nuances, grr.

[Cullen]

Remember its one of the first 3D adventure games so be forgiving of the controls.

[Deleted]

It's an excellent game that I first played about eight or nine years ago and to date I've completed all 100% of the game about five times over (that includes getting all 100 Gold Skulltula's and every weapon upgrade etc.)

Very soon I'll be playing the game again myself. I've recently won the original US gold cartridge N64 version of it off Ebay which had a few minor bits in it that were changed before the UK release due to complaints from certain groups of people. I'm much looking forward to playing it again.

[Stomski]

I'm playing the Gamecube Collectors Edition version. I have the version released with Wind Waker too, but I heard that this version has some bug fixes in.