Mark your calendars, folks: March 27, 2018, is the last day you'll be able to add or buy Wii Points

I know what some of you are thinking: why the hell should I care if I can't buy Wii Points or add them to my Wii account after March 27, 2018? And, really, maybe you shouldn't care. If you don't own a Wii (or Wii U), or you own one but no longer use it, the fact that you'll no longer be able to buy or add Wii Points to your account after the above-mentioned date shouldn't bother you much.

If you do still own a use a Wii (or Wii U), though, you might appreciate the reminder that the Wii Virtual Console offers a lot of NES, Master System, Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, SNES and Neo Geo gems. (Don't take my word for it, check out this impressive list of North American Wii Virtual Console releases.)

Anyway, this news certainly bothers me. OK, so "bothers" may be too strong of a word, but it definitely saddens me a bit. That's because I still use my Wii fairly regularly. And not only that, but there are still a good number of Wii Virtual Console and WiiWare games I'd like to buy and play.

For instance, I've long meant to purchase Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom for the NES and Super Mario RPG for the SNES via the Wii Shop Channel. Also, Shining in the Darkness for the Genesis and Monster Lair for the TurboGrafx-16. (I own an actual copy of that last game, but you just know neither it nor my PC Engine Super CD-ROM2 system will last forever.)



As if that weren't bad enough, there are a ton of Japanese Virtual Console games I'd like to purchase before Nintendo pulls the plug on the Wii Shop Channel. Granted, doing so will require me to pick up a Japanese Wii, and I'm not sure that's in the cards at this point, but the point stands.

I mean, just look at some of the great games that have been made available via the Japanese Wii Virtual Console and nowhere else. Mizubaku Daibouken, Parasol Stars and Star Parodier for the PC Engine. Pepenga Pengo for the Mega Drive. Twinkle Star Sprites for the Neo Geo. Clock Tower, DoReMi Fantasy and Sutte Hakkun for the Super Famicom.

Is it really possible I'll buy a Japanese Wii as well as all of the above-mentioned Virtual Console titles  before March 27, 2018? (Technically, I wouldn't have to do the latter until January 31, 2019, but I'd have to purchase Wii Points for them by the earlier date.) Possible, sure, but I wouldn't call it likely. As always, though, I'll give it my best shot.

How about you? Will any of you spend your hard-earned cash on some Wii Points between now and the end of March so you can pick up a few final Wii Virtual Console games?

Nice Package! (Valkyrie no Densetsu, PC Engine)

I've had kind of an up and down history with Namco's ancient Valkyrie no Densetsu (aka Legend of Valkyrie). Early on, it was the kind of gaming experience that caused me to wrinkle my nose in disgust. In recent months, though, my reaction to this antiquated adventure title, first released as a Japanese quarter-muncher back in 1989, has softened.

As for what prompted this change of heart, well, I'd be lying if I said the 1990 PC Engine port's beautiful packaging--its eye-popping instruction manual, especially--didn't play a role.



Really, though, Valkyrie no Densetsu’s cover art, HuCard label and how-to booklet just gave me that last little nudge needed to get me to buy the game.

Before that, I’d actually come around to its initially off-putting visuals and its limited gameplay. The latter was easier to embrace than the former, despite the fact that it pales in comparison to similar offerings like The Legend of Zelda. (Whereas even the first Zelda effort allows you to wander and explore, Valkyrie limits you to a set path—which at times feels annoyingly restrictive.)

Does all of this drool-covered praise mean I’d suggest other folks add Valkyrie no Densetsu to their collections? I guess you could say that—if you own a PC Engine (or some other device capable of playing that system’s credit card-sized cartridges) and if you’re fine with playing games from an entirely different era.

Even if you can shake your head yes to both of those requirements, though, I’d still recommend playing Valkyrie in some form or fashion (such as through emulation) before handing over your hard-earned cash for it.



Thankfully, you shouldn’t find yourself in the poorhouse if you ignore my advice and purchase it anyway, as copies tend to be reasonably priced.

Plus, even if you end up hating the game—or even if you only play it a few times and then decide you’re done with it—you’ll still be able to enjoy its colorful instruction manual, a couple of pages of which can be ogled in the photos found above and below.



There's a lot more where all of this came from, though, believe me. I guess this means I have to hit the scanner soon and produce another "Manual Stimulation" post, eh?

While I get to that, have any of you played any iteration of Valkyrie no Densetsu? Although the PC Engine port is the focus of this write-up, the original arcade version was included on 1997's Namco Museum Volume 5 and it also made its way onto the (Japanese) Wii Virtual Console in 2009.

See also: 'Second Chances (Valkyrie no Densetsu, PC Engine)' and previous 'Nice Package!' posts

What kind of idiot buys a Wii Virtual Console title in 2015? This kind!

Which Virtual Console game did I buy via my too-long-ignored Wii, you ask? The SNES version of Harvest Moon.

I bought it because I've had the Harvest Moon series on the brain ever since I received a copy of The Lost Valley for Christmas. Specifically, I've been thinking about the trio of Harvest Moon titles I've wanted to play for some time now: the aforementioned original, Harvest Moon 64 and Harvest Moon: Magical Melody for GameCube.

I pulled the trigger on this long-running franchise's first game yesterday because, well, it was a lot easier to trade in $8 worth of "Wii Points" and then download the digital version of that title in a matter of seconds than hunt for physical copies of the Nintendo 64 or GameCube sequels on eBay and then wait a week or two for them to arrive on my doorstep.

(That's not to say I haven't also done some of the latter over the last few days, but let's save that discussion for another day.)

Sadly, but hardly shockingly, I've yet to put more than a few minutes into this delightful-looking farming sim. I'm planning to devote an adequate amount of time to it this weekend, though, so look for a few thoughts on it in the "Shall We Do It?" post that'll be published late next week.

In the meantime, do any of you have any experience with the SNES version of Harvest Moon--or Harvest Moon 64 or Magical Melody? If so, I'd love it if you'd share your opinions of them in the comments section below.

Surprise, surprise: Nintendo slipped Twinkle Star Sprites onto the Virtual Console late last week

Unfortunately for many of us, the company only slipped the game onto the Japanese Virtual Console.

Does this mean ADK's shooter-slash-puzzler, which began life as a Neo Geo title before being ported to the Saturn and Dreamcast, will soon be slipped onto the Virtual Console in other regions, too? I sure hope so.



If the possibility of playing Twinkle Star Sprites on your Wii doesn't excite you, may I suggest acquainting yourself with the video above, which shows off a good portion of the game's Dreamcast port?

I don't get the hate for the Famicom/NES version of Donkey Kong

Late last week, I, along with a number of other gaming bloggers and writers, pointed out a video of the as-of-now-Europe-only Donkey Kong: Original Edition, an updated--to include the cement/pie factory level and a few (also previously MIA) intermission animations--NES version of Nintendo's arcade classic. (Here's my post about the game, in case you missed it.)

That news caused quite a bit of chatter on the Internet, with most of it being negative. The following par-for-the-course comment, for instance, was posted on tinycartridge.com in response to that site's coverage of the video: "It's bizarre that they bothered adding to the crappy NES port."

I have to say, I completely disagree with the opinion that the NES version of Donkey Kong is "crappy." Sure, it's not "arcade perfect"--it's missing an entire stage and a few intermission animations--but other than that it's remarkably faithful to its forefather, especially given its age.

As such, I think it's kind of cool that the brass at Nintendo decided to add some of the missing elements back into their 8-bit port of the game. I hope they eventually give it a wider release, though; it would be a crying shame if the only folks who get to experience it are those who pony up for a Wii bundle that's currently only available in Europe.

It's not all fun and games

"It" being life--or, at least, my life at the moment. That's not to say I'm not spending some of my free time playing games. I am. I'm just not spending much of my free time playing them--and when I am playing them, I'm not playing recent releases.

What I am playing: PC Engine games. In particular, games like Bikkuriman World, Gekisha Boy (aka Photograph Boy), Honey on the Road, Mizubaku Daibouken (aka Liquid Kids), Obocchama Kun and Parasol Stars. I've also spent some time with Alien Crush, (the much-maligned) Deep Blue and Final Match Tennis.

Namco's Obocchama Kun

(Full disclosure: I've been playing all of these games via emulation. Now, before anyone jumps down my throat about the perils of piracy, let me say this: I will soon--very soon!--be the proud owner of an actual PC Engine and a number of PC Engine games. Also, I plan on owning physical copies of all of the above-mentioned games--and then some--in the not-too-distant future. So, let's just consider my current, questionable activities to be akin to trying on a shirt or a pair of jeans before buying them, OK?)

FACE's Honey in the Sky

Anyway, the thing that has struck me while playing many of these games is how innovative they are/were. Games like Deep Blue and Honey in the Sky could easily be called precursors of the current "bullet hell" (shoot 'em up) genre, for instance, while games like Honey on the Road and Obocchama Kun took what were considered at the time to be the rules of the platforming genre and ran with them. And then there are games like Gekisha Boy and Mesopotamia (aka Somer Assault), which defy classifications and rules altogether.

As such, it's sad that so few of these games left Japan--and the ones that did were largely ignored. Thankfully, some of them can be experienced through Nintendo's Virtual Console service and Sony's "Game Archives" download service. To experience the rest, well, you'll either have to pick up an actual PC Engine system or download an emulator.

Super Mario Kart's secret song

Did you know that some gamer (with too much money in his wallet, I'm sure) got his hands on a prototype version of Super Mario Kart a while back? I sure didn't.

Said prototype isn't radically different from the version that showed up on store shelves in late 1992 and early 1993, with one exception: The tune that plays on the Vanilla Lake track.

Here's the song that appears in the released version of the game, and here's the song that appears in the prototype:



After a few listens, I think I prefer the final track to the one that appears in the prototype. The former is bubbly and charming, while the latter is a bit too melancholy for my liking.

In related news: Super Mario Kart will hit the European Wii Shop Channel with an 800-Nintendo-point price tag on Friday. Hopefully it'll hit the channel's North American counterpart next Monday.

I hereby declare March 15 'Hug Your PC Engine (or TurboGrafx-16) Day'

If you don't have a PC Engine or TurboGrafx-16, you can participate by hugging your Wii--after you purchase, say, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which hit the Virtual Console service this morning.

You'll have to hand over 900 Nintendo points ($9) before you can download the Toru Hagihara-designed title, but if you're any sort of Castlevania fan I think you'll find it's well worth the premium price.

PS3 owners with Japanese PSN accounts can get in on the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 love, too--though they can't (yet) buy Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.

In fact, the "Game Archives" section of Sony's download service currently contains just 15 cartridge-based PC Engine titles at this point. (It'll get its first CD game--the guitar-laden Gate of Thunder--on Wednesday, according to andriasang.com.)

See also: 'Better late than never: 'The best Castlevania ever' is coming to the States'

Just in time for Halloween: Zombies Ate My Neighbors (finally) hits the Wii Virtual Console

Have you been searching for a spooky game to play this All Hallow's Eve? Well, you can stop--the cult classic LucasArts title, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, has (finally) hit the Wii Virtual Console service for the oh-so-accessible price of 800 Wii Points.

What? You've never played the game? After slapping yourself until it hurts, read the following description (courtesy of Nintendo of America's PR folks):

You will play the game as one of two brave kids: Zeke or Julie. Both kids use the same control scheme and have the same characteristics. If you're playing in two-player mode, each player must pick a kid. You can't have two Zekes or two Julies. Each player starts with three lives. When your life bar runs out, you lose a life. There are hidden 1-Up bonuses in the game. You may also earn bonus lives if you have 10 victims left when you finish a level. Get ready to conquer 48 levels of giant ants, mad scientists and big babies. Find seven bonus levels (look for the question marks), earn points and stockpile your water pistols and other weapons.

Actually, forget that description. It sucks. Instead, check out the game's Wikipedia page or, better yet, check out a few YouTube videos of the game in action--like this one, or this one.