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

Editor's Note: Here's the second of our catch-up VC Weeklys - the next issue will be online in a couple of days and will bring us return us back up to date!

Ho-hum, another week of mostly uninspiring releases is enough to make you wonder if Nintendo is even aware of whats been uploaded this week; as it's a case of the good, the bad, the worse and the abysmal with three out of four titles being not so appealing and only one of notable interest.

Nonetheless, here are this weeks games...

• Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
• Shockman
• Virtua Fighter 2
• Wonder Boy in Monster World

Points: 800
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Released: 1990
System: Megadrive

Alex Kidd; mascot of the Master System was a popular character when this game was first released. Upon the launch of the Megadrive Sega decided that a certain blue hedgehog would become their new mascot and as a result Alex Kidd wasn't as popular as players wanted more from their games.

Yet Sega still opted to re-release the game on a different format anyway and the result is far from impressive; this forced release only serves in bringing out the games frustrating flaws and irritating idiosyncrasies. Such examples include one-hit deaths and "Rock-Paper -Scissors" boss battles which coupled with the awkward controls and inferior level design may have you questioning if it's even worth playing.

If you feel somewhat compelled to purchase this for the sake of nostalgia or are just curious then do so as i can't think of any other reason why anyone would want to download this as there are far superior platform based experiences that are actually deserving of your points and time; this isn't.

Verdict: Enchanting this most certainly is not.

Points: 600
Publisher: Hudsonsoft
Developer: NCS
Released: 1992
System: Turbografx

Think Megaman with elements of Gunstar Heroes and Contra but not as good, and you will already have a good idea of what Shockman is like. Apparently it's the second in a lesser known series "Schbibinman" but was released outside Japan simply as the titular Shockman as if it were the original, when in fact it isn't; though it is the original which is regarded as superior by fans of the series.

So what exactly can you expect from this game? Well it's a case of ignorance is bliss; if you haven't played either Gunstar Heroes, Contra or any of the Megaman games then you will be able to gain some enjoyment from this unoriginal shooter. On the other hand though the aforementioned Gunstar Heroes as well as other decent examples of the scrolling action adventure genre are already available so why not play those instead?

It's enjoyable in it's own right and yet irrelevantly inferior at the same time depending on your viewpoint; basically if you are curious and want to get it for the sake of the experience then do so, just be prepared that you may feel somewhat underwhelmed and shortchanged.

Verdict: Shockingly substandard.

Points: 800
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Released: 1996
System: Megadrive

Virtual Fighter 2 in it's original form is still regarded by many as the best in the series and a landmark achievement for it's time; with fully rendered 3D polygonal character models and arenas, tight controls and an impressive range of moves and combos to boot. Alas the original I am referring to was the 32-bit version produced on arcade-based and Sega Saturn hardware; what we have here is the inferior incarnation that is the 16-bit Megadrive release.

Graphically although unimpressive when compared to the 3D original it's still aesphetically pleasing for a Megadrive game but from a technical standpoint it's an abomination. Everything that made it great in 3D is atrocious in 2D; it has clunky and unresponsive controls garish gameplay and isn't enjoyable in the slightest.

It felt like a cash-in upon it's original MD release and it still feels like one now; if you are looking a decent traditional V.S fighting game then I would recommend Street-Fighter 2. If ever there was cause for Sega to start making Saturn games available for the virtual console then this is it, by all means the original 32-bit version would have been a welcome addition, but this ported 16-bit mess should be removed from the VC and conveniently forgotten.

Verdict: Vomit in virtual form.

Points: 800
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Released: 1992
System: Megadrive

Wonder boy has had a sizable number of adventures on Sega platforms with the story typically revolving around Wonder boy and his people coming under threat from evil. This time around he has returned to his village to find that it has been overrun by monsters; and so begins another adventure full of wonder in an action-RPG guise.

Essentially this is a platform game which looks nice although basic and is audibly variable; but look beneath the surface and you will find a title of reasonable length and enough depth to be enjoyable throughout thanks to elements such as upgradeable weapons and armor which manages to elevate proceedings to something beyond what you may be expecting.

It's of a suitable length (around 15 hours of gameplay) and has enough taxing puzzles and other well implemented elements that should keep you thoroughly entertained. With enough charm all of it's own through it's trademark character and in execution; this is a must-have purchase for anyone who is a fan of games of it's genre or is just looking for something that is simply fun to play, it's a wonder this didn't get released sooner.

Verdict: Ponder no longer, enjoy this world of wonder.

And thats it for this week, hopefully next week we will be treated to some slightly more playable offerings but until then enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!