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

It's a three game release this time around with the featured games ranging from good to average and all falling nicely into the virtual pocket friendly five hundred points bracket. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!

Available for download this week we have...

• Double Dragon
• The Last Ninja
• World Games

Points: 500
Publisher: Taito
Developer: Technos
Released: 1988
System: NES

Fighting games on the NES don't get much better than this classic, ok so brush the predictable plot aside which revolves around a good guy who's girl gets kidnapped by some bad guys and now he must go and rescue her; as thats not what your here for, plots like this only serve as an excuse for the true nature of the game which is to take to the street and use your hands and feet against thugs who you must beat, simple really.

Your adventure will take you through buildings, across streets, and even to such exotic locations such as Jungles and Temples as you take on the role of Jimmy Lee and must use your martial arts skills and a variety of weapons such as baseball bats, knives and whips to eradicate your enemies.

Certain objects can be interacted with such as barrels and boxes which can be picked up and used as player-to-person projectiles adding a nice bit of variety into the standard fighting fray. At the end of each level you will face a beefed up boss character which gradually get more difficult as the game progresses, overall though the difficulty level isn't too bad.

Other than that the visuals, animation and audio all hold up very nicely for the hardware they were ported to, it might not be quite as good as the arcade version but it's damned close enough. The main game can be completed relatively quickly but there is always the addition of a VS cpu or player mode which adds a bit more longevity, essentially though it's just a really nice game to play every now and then.

Verdict : A fun fighter with a fantastic formula.

Points: 500
Publisher: System 3
Developer: System 3
Released: 1987
System: C64

At it's time of release this game was subjected to much critical acclaim due to what it had accomplished on the system it was released on and looking at it even today it's not hard to see why. As the title suggests you play as the last ninja, this is because your entire clan was slaughtered and now you set off to exact revenge... Original? Nope but then with games like this it's never usually the plot that ensures it's place in history.

First off you'll notice that this looks far better than the majority of C64 titles, thats not to say that they all look terrible but this is an example of a game thats more than stood the test of time due in part to it's nicely presented art direction. Everything is presented in intricate isometric detail and adds a nice amount of perceived depth when playing the game.

It's no letdown in the audio department either, featuring some of the most sumptuous sounds ever to grace the Commodore; all this is very nice indeed but would still be nothing if not back up by some decent gameplay and thankfully it even delivers that in spades too.

You have a variety of Ninja type weapons to use and combat is always done on a one versus one basis even though it's a part exploration based game, this works to it's credit though as you can choose to either finish or flee from battle and come back to them where you left off if you so desire. In fact the game is more about judgment than fighting as if you choose to eradicate every enemy you most likely won't get very far so choose your battles wisely.

In addition to it's exploratory nature and combative elements there are also puzzles integrated into the game which although not terribly taxing will make you think from time to time. When all this comes together and your playing through it all flows wonderfully and makes for a highly enjoyable experience, it may have a few flaws within the combat and it's partially repetitive nature but overall this is easily one of the best games the C64 has to offer.

Verdict : A nice, neatly presented nostalgic Ninja themed title.

Points: 500
Publisher: Epyx
Developer: Epyx
Released: 1989
System: C64

Another game in the "Games" precursor series from the same people who brought you the California iteration this is their World based effort. So what do you get for your points this time around? Well seemingly more events which form a quite varied roundup by anyone accounts, just remember that more doesn't always mean better which sadly is the case here as the games are much weaker.

Weightlifting is all about timing and is a bit hit and miss, Barrel Jumping revolves around speed and stamina not to mention timing and if you screw up you get to see an amusing animation. Cliff Diving needs no real explanation and is pretty pointless, Slalom Skiing is perhaps the deepest event of them all which involves moving quickly through coloured gates, you just see how many you can get and any you miss incurs a five second time penalty.

Log Rolling is just plain irritating due to it's poorly implemented control system which doesn't require much thought, Bull Riding has you trying to last eight seconds on the back of a Bull, it's difficult and requires practice but is amusing when your player falls off. Caber Toss has you trying to chuck a chunk of wood in a set directions and requires timing and perseverance; finally there is Sumo Wrestling which sadly suffers from the same control issues as Log Rolling and an ineptly implemented difficulty level.

Everything is spot on in the visuals department with each event being suitably detailed and having accompanying sounds that work nicely in conjunction. But ultimately it's let down due to it's frustrating hit and miss gameplay, theres a multiplayer mode which is more fun that playing alone but ultimately you might as well get California games instead as it's by far superior.

Verdict : Sadly slap-dash sports simulation.

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]

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.