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

The original GBC version of a game that later became a cult WiiWare classic hits the 3DS VC while the Wii itself gets another SNK samurai-themed classic. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Toki Tori
The Last Blade

 
Price: GB £3.60, EU €4
Publisher: Two Tribes
Developer: Two Tribes
Released: 2001
System: GameBoy Color

If you own a Wii then chances are that you will at least have heard of the cult-classic platform-puzzle game Toki Tori released in 2008 as a Wii Ware title but what you may be unaware of is that it was a remake of a GameBoy Color title which has been out since 2001 but now many will have the chance to experience the original for the first time as it arrives on the 3DS Virtual Console; indeed it's also an opportunity to get reaquainted with the game that started it all for those who originally remmber playing it. Regardless of reason this gem deserves to be experienced so it's truly a blessing that it has arrived on the eShop and at a reasonably attractice price-point too so there shouldn't be any excuse for not playing it in some capacity.

For the uninitiated you play as the titular Toki Tori who is a small, yellow bird who is on a mission to rescue his fellow feathered friends who are scattered across the lands in four distinctly different parts while still being encapsulated within eggs; unfortunately you don't have very much in the way of either athleticity or strength instead relying upon a small set of special moves which you'll be using frequently in order to progress. These include building bridges, freezing stuff with a blaster or even traversing great distances using teleporters, there are even special power-ups for particlar parts of the game but I'll leave you to experience their brilliance for yourself.

Surviving is the key to success as while you'll encounter enemies you'll have to use your abilities to bypass them, for instance you can freeze some gaining yourself a handy stepping stone in the process but of course you can always find your own way past each of them as this is just one of the many ways which you can approach things. You'll certainly be doing a fair bit of thinking in order to get past each level as usually there will be only one way to get all of the eggs in a certain order which will utilise the limited number of abilities that you have; once you crack the code it's a very satisfying feeling but if you simply can't work it out then you won't be able to progress to the next level which some might find frustrating but rest assured that those of you who like a challenge will enjoy enduring it all the way through to the bitter end.

Being that this was released as one of the last GBC games it makes great use of the colour palette with many pleasing pieces of detail scattered throughout the games many levels accompanied by some pretty astounding animation. Naturally the games soundtrack perfectly fits the on-screen action so you can expect to hear a decent selection of memorable melodies which will never fail to make you smile even if you're trying to solve a puzzle for the one hundredth time; similarly the sound effects are substantial and always well suited to each situation.

There isn't really any reason for me not to recommend Toki Tori other than if you happen to have played the remake already but even then you may wish to own the game in its original form, for those who have missed out on it completely this is probably one of the best chance to catch up before the recently announced sequel makes its way to the Wii U which will be released before this year is out. Quite honestly there are few games that exude the same amount of charm as this classic except for the Wii Ware remake itself and for that reason alone it's a must by but to have it available at any time, wherever you are is a huge selling point so don't be afraid to double-dip on this fantastic piece of software.

Verdict : Toki Tori is true testament to terrific game design that has withstood the test of time.

 
Points: 800
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Developer: SNK
Released: 1998
System: Neo Geo

For us SNES owners back in the day there is only really one fighting game that springs to mind which I don't even need to mention but for anyone who owned a Neo Geo it was a completely different story because it is essentially the 'home' of classic 16-Bit fighting games and with the release of The Last Blade things don't get much better than this. If the Samurai Shodown series was what helped to put SNK on the map then this game series is surely what's responsible for firmly cementing their position on it forever; choosing from a concise roster of twelve characters each of whom are very different from the outset you then get to choose whether you want your character to be either more agile or more powerful which can make all the difference depending on the combination that you choose.

Of course a good fighting game will either live or die partly on its control scheme but thankfully everything is in its right place here as the level of responsiveness is simply unparalleled plus there are many fantastic combos to pull off which always helps. You'll mainly be slashing away with your weapon using the relevant strong or weak buttons while also learning when you use the kick and repel buttons to your advantage; balance is definitely key to success so while just going all-out won't get you anywhere learning when to attack then defending inbetween will help you to reap rewards but it's important to learn this early on lest you become infuriated later on in the game or even moreso if you've upped the difficulty.

This is certainly not a fighting game for anyone who simply likes to 'button bash' as the only way you will truly obtain enjoyment out of it is if you're the kind of player who actually likes to learn how to properly use each character to their fullest potential, learning each move and how to combo effectively. It's very much for enthusiasts of the genre as you will get so much out of it providing you have the time to put in as there has clearly been a lot of love put into it which shines through the more that you play.

Visually this is a feast for the eyes even by todays standards as quite honestly there is more attention to detail put into this than there is in some 'HD' fighting games which miss the point entirely but here you can see gorgeous amounts of detail present in the background, foreground and especially in the fighters themselves who also happen to animate beautifully. Naturally the audio is of a similarly high standard featuring some wonderful compositions that are a real privilege to hear as each piece perfectly compliments each area perfectly conveying the intended mood while each sound effect from the slice of steel to the crunch of bone effortlessly encapsulates what you'd expect to hear helping to immerse you entirely.

So many fighters these days manage to fall into the realm of being 'decent' or enjoyable but The Last Blade goes beyond that for even today it can only be described as being 'exceptional' for it is a fighting game like no other that's responsbile for raising the and most importantly keeping it there over two decades on which is nothing short of impressive. If you yearn for a near-perfect example of the genre that will take you mere moments to learn but a lifetime to master, that will always challenge you but never seem unfair and that most importantly will provide you with countless hours of enjoyment then you really need not look any further than this fantastic fighter.   

Verdict : The Last Blade is still as sharp as it ever was and will remain so for a long time yet.

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!