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

Yes courtesy of Sega we have not one but two releases in a change to the recent trend of single releases, whether this will continue or not remains unknown but for now it's good to see a bit more on offer for once. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!

Available for download this week we have...

• Phantasy Star II
• Eternal Champions

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

Effectively the original Phantasy Star series was Sega's answer to the other big RPG names out there at the time and while nowadays you will find the name associated with the MMORPG scene this is how the series started life. While the first game in the series never sold as well as it perhaps should have this sequel is in many ways responsible to properly putting the series firmly on the map.

In many ways the plot is derivative from the first and feels essentially the same with a main character swap and a slightly deeper but otherwise mostly unchanged storyline. You take on the role of Rolf, Nei, Rudo and other characters who you meet along the way in your quest which will take you through the Algol star system as you do battle with the ever imposing evil that is Dark Force.

On the front of gameplay this is the typical tried and tested turn-based RPG affair which has you traveling between towns, talking to the locals, traversing testing terrain, taking out the hostiles until you reach a dungeon. Inside the dungeon many a random encounter will await you, progress past these, take a dozen left turns followed by half as many plus one right, carry on along down a narrow corridor to an ominously over-sized door until you encounter a boss whom you must defeat to progress.

It's a familiar mechanic which many a game of this genre are based upon but with such a repetitive nature it usually falls to the battle system to provide a good deal of the sustenance and in this area the game performs relatively well. While it's by no means the best example of a turn based system it's nonetheless well accomplished and provides a satisfying experience with it's uniquely impressive set of spells and swordplay which are always entertaining.

Visually it's a step up from it's prequel due to the difference in the hardware it was produced on at the time; and while it's an early Megadrive release which shows through a lot due to quite a few bland textures it's still pretty in places. Audibly it has some rather nice tunes which may stick in your head for a short while even if the sound effects don't really meet the same standard it's still a commendable effort.

While this is by no means the best example in the series it's certainly a good introduction to the Phantasy Star universe; with a respectable forty hours of play, some genuinely likable characters and a solid storyline this is certainly worth investing in if your looking for your next RPG "fix". If you want the best the series has to offer however, hold out for the forth installment which is the most fondly remembered and arguably the best, now that one title is embraced by the VC the rest will surely follow.

Verdict : A fantastic start to the Phantasy Star series.

Points: 800
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Released: 1993
System: Megadrive

While nowhere near as famed as the sublime Street Fighter II or the murderous Mortal Kombat; Sega's answer to these seminal scrappers was far from a carbon copy clone and was more contender than pretender to the throne. Sure it shares similarities with the aforementioned examples but it has a lot of unique qualities which admirably sets it apart from the crowd.

The plot while nothing stellar is semi-original at least for a scrapper; the characters of the title are each experts of their era in terms of combat, each combatant comes from a different point in time and have been saved from certain death by an "Eternal Champion" in order to take part in a tournament. For taking part in this they will get to escape death and return to their original era once they have proved themselves able of saving the human race from evil beings.

So with this brings leverage for all kinds of varied characters from all through the ages which range from a brash burglar, combative caveman and even a warmongering wizard to name but a few. Each of the unique characters has their own set of original moves also and as such doesn't suffer the fate of many fighters of the time which is the inclusion of clone characters; somewhat a plus point for this genre.

It has reasonable visuals for a game of it's age and while everything looks a little blurred in places it's still a respectably detailed game with some altogether nice overall animation and effects. Sound is as generally expected, competent but nothing out of the ordinary from a game of it's genre but it serves it's purpose well and aids the decent level of on-screen action.

While this may lack the pace of SFII and the combat comes across as somewhat dated by todays standards; what the game lacks in substance it makes up for in style and consistency. If your looking for something a bit different in the fighting genre or if your just looking for you next "fix" of combative carnage then look no further as this is certainly a welcome addition to any fighting fans collection.

Verdict : A commendable challenger to the combat genre.

Thats 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]

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