Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe's guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo's download service. Written by Sam C Gittins.

This time two Tecmo titles from the arcades make their way to the VC, one for the first time and one for the second. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!

Available for download this week we have...

• Rygar
• Solomon's Key

Points: 600
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Released: 1986
System: Arcade

While many will associate the name Rygar with the classic NES title this actually originated in the arcade and it would seem that Tecmo have chosen to release the more challenging original game first, but is this a blessing or a curse? A bit of both actually...

Pretty much everything from the plot to the core gameplay remains the same; for the uninitiated you play as the warrior Rygar as you travel across the various lands dispatching enemies with your unique Diskarmour � a round spiked-shield attached to a chain � laying waste to whoever stands in your path with the ultimate goal of dispatching with the evil overlord who's currently plaguing the once peaceful lands.

Controls are relatively simple, using the Diskarmour you can hurl your weapon into enemies and then retract it not to mention you can swing it above your head which is most useful for taking out a whole group plus you can always use the old classic 'jumping on the enemies head' move to stun them. In contrast to the NES version there are no overhead stages as it's purely made up of side-scrolling and nothing more for the duration of the twenty-seven levels.

Difficulty is pretty relentless being that this is an arcade game as enemies come at you in groups of three or four so you'll need to be on your guard throughout; thankfully you can obtain upgrades upon defeating certain enemies and smashing a stone which can bestow upon you either a longer chain, the ability to penetrate multiple enemies or on very rare occasions a temporary invincibility item.

On the visual front things are reasonably detailed for an arcade title but the audio is flawed because there is a reasonably good theme that plays but the catch is that this is the only track in the entire game that plays for the duration of the whole adventure and it grates after only a few levels.

Rygar is tricky to recommend because of its difficulty, some will relish in the challenge while others will most likely give up half-way through so it just depends on if it's your kind of game or not. If you're likely to enjoy this sort of thing then by all means it's worth it but if you're at all unsure then I would advise just leaving it well alone; there is a semi-enjoyable game in here if you are willing to take a chance on it.

Verdict : Relentless in both brutality and difficulty.

Points: 500
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Tecmo
Released: 1986
System: Arcade

So here we have a game that was released way back around the beginning of the Virtual Console in NES format but now that we have access to arcade titles Tecmo has seen fit to release the game again but in its original arcade format. This begs the following questions... is it worth buying again? Which is the most worthy version for newcomers? Read on for the answers.

The core gameplay remains the same as you take on the role of Dana the Magician as you go about your business attempting to collect a key on each level and finding your way to the exit but it's not that simple for enemies will try to thwart your progress and so you need to use your special ability of manipulating the very blocks that the levels are made up of in order to avoid enemies and reach your goal.

Pretty simple premise but in practice the game can prove to be more difficult than one might expect, especially in the arcade version as two of the enemies from the NES version are replaced by trickier creatures this time around making things... interesting to say the least.

More proper levels are actually present in the NES version but only a handful, this is due to the existence of bonus rounds in the Arcade version which serve only to give you items and add nothing extra to the game at all. Aside from that and the obvious visual difference everything else remains unchanged but to be fair there isn't a lot that needs to be different.

Overall it's still the same reasonably challenging game whichever version you choose to buy, personally I'd say go with this newly released Arcade version because it just feels like a more complete experience but it's down to personal preference and they are both five hundred points so there is nothing to lose either way. Think of this as just another choice, it's not a huge one but it's there; if you really love the game and already have it then buy it again if you're so inclined but for everyone else whichever version you choose you won't feel that you've missed out on anything from the other version so make your choice.

Verdict : Reasonably respectable arcade title.

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!

Sam Gittins
[email protected]

Looking for reviews on other Virtual Console games? Or a full list of games available on the system? Then Check out our Virtual Console Index Page.