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

The Hanabi Festival takes a bow as this is the last update in which we will be getting games that were previously unreleased in Europe for a while. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!

Available for download this week we have...

• Digital Champ : Battle Boxing
• Gley Lancer
• Star Parodier

Points: 700
Publisher: Naxat Soft
Developer: Naxat Soft
Released: 1989
System: Turbografx

Chances are that recently the last boxing title many of you will have played is Wii boxing, but years ago when the genre was in it's infancy there wasn't a great deal of choice and the main title in the red corner that a lot of people remember is Punch Out! And rightly so as for it's time it was an outstanding example of it's time; a few years later though a "rival" of sorts was created and so in the blue corner we have Digital Champ.

While the aforementioned Punch Out was famed for it's legendary gameplay and trademark quirky characters, DC goes for the more "realistic" approach with bold and detailed visuals that are big and fill the screen nicely even by todays standards. A nice amount of animation complements the ambitious visual approach but while it all looks set to go all out and win the fight from it's visual standpoint it's more like a first round knockout (in Punch-Outs favour) when it comes to gameplay.

Overly simple controls make it instantly accessible as you control each fist with a seperate action button while the D-Pad is assigned to dodging and placing blows. There is a limited amount of movement around the ring but it never really feels like your going anywhere and after a few minutes of pressing the same button combinations to eventually wear down your opponent and it becomes clear that there just isn't enough variation as you continue to use this same tired approach throughout the entire game.

There isn't even a wealth of modes to give you any sort of longevity or value for money where this title is concerned and the lack of a two-player mode is the knockout much before the final round. Ultimately you truly are better off sticking with Punch Out if you want some classic boxing action as this challenger is nothing more than a passing threat.

Verdict : More pretender than contender that can't help but surrender.

Points: 900
Publisher: NCS
Developer: NCS
Released: 1992
System: Megadrive

Yes it's that time again as another scrolling shooter enters the fray and in this case is welcomed warmly into the back-catalogue of the VC. While many of the bases have been covered by the classics that everyone remembers this recent wave of JP titles has helped to accommodate for people wanting something that they most likely haven't played before and Gley Lancer fits that bill rather nicely.

One of the Megadrives most desirable acquirable shooters on import this title comes from the same minds behind such classics as Gynoug (a favourite of mine) and Cho Aniki which hit the VC last week. In the game you assume the role of Lucia, a young pilot who hijacks the experimental Gley Lancer fighter ship in order to explore the outer reaches of space in search for her missing father.

The story itself is told through an anime intro sequence much like you'd be used to seeing in a Mega CD game (except this is an MD title) and bares a passing resemblance to the series Nadesico. As for the main in game graphics, it covers all the bases featuring a nice level of detail on the sprites and backdrops and some rather nice paralax scrolling techniques with some variable space themed settings throughout.

From the start you get to choose various options before take off such as the characteristics of additional side pods which you can have firing in a variety of fixed directions; you may decide to eschew this option at first but it can be a vital option towards some of the much later levels.

Accompanying audio falls into the realm of being exactly that, while not outstanding it is very nice like the rest of the game, indeed it's only real downfall is that in places it isn't exactly the most original shooter out there so if you haven't played titles like Gates of Thunder or Soldier Blade then you'd be advised to check those at first, as it stands though this is certainly worth it if your an avid shooter fanatic as it's easily the next best thing to the classics if still not quite in the same league.

Verdict : A satisfying, solid sci-fi shooter.

Points: 900
Publisher: Hudsonsoft
Developer: Hudsonsoft
Released: 1995
System: Turbografx

More "cute-em-up" than shoot-em-up with this title and believe me when I say that it's a most positive thing; Star Parodier is basically what it says in the title and that is a parody of the Star Soldier shooter series. As such it takes the classic sci-fi trimmings and replaces them with content that is of the most brilliantly bizarre and riotously random as possible but still maintains an astounding high standard of gameplay.

Vertical in orientation you scroll up the screen in your chosen spaceship which in this case allows you to choose from a flying Bomberman, Paro Ceaser from Star Soldier or (get this) a PC Engine Console. The madness only begins there as you get specific ammo for your chosen satirical spaceship as for example as the PC Engine you get to fire CD-Roms, Hu-Cards and homing Joystick missiles.

As you go about destroying or rather "demoralising" your enemies (mostly they wave a white flag instead of getting destroyed) you collect power-ups that increase your alternative arsenal. Reach the halfway point through a level and you will get "challenged" by a mini-boss which serves as more of a warm up for the real thing which provides a much more satisfying battle at the end of the stage.

I can't praise enough how well the ships move in this game, they may not seem like the most aerodynamic of objects (unless you've ever thrown a PC engine) but the way that they control is absolutely, completely and undeniably spot-on; the game even allows you to adjust the sensitivity if you so desire and it's the many small things like that which really show how polished this title is and it's every much a fitting tribute to the series as it is a scathing satire.

Visually it's solid and striking and features enough colour to rival many classic Nintendo titles, speaking of which there is even a level that features Tetris blocks in amongst all the other obscure oddities laced throughout the entire experience. The soundtrack is especially energetic and tops off what is already an amazing title; seriously, be you a shooter fan or not I would urge you to pick up this title if you haven't already done so as it's a brilliant example of what can be done and a wonder why we didn't get this sooner.

Verdict : A carefully crafted, aurally astounding, pixel perfect parody.

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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