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

Killing vermin and pummelling your opponent into submission are the order of the day it seems as both portable and home-console VC's get one more game each. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Mole Mania
Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers



Price: GB £2.69, EU €2.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Pax Softonica
Released: 1996
System: GameBoy

Puzzle games have never really been big on their story as that's not what you play them for, indeed it's all about challenging yourself and pitting your wits against cleverly designed scenarios so it should come as no surprise to learn that quite simply Muddy Mole has had his family kidnapped by nasty old farmer Jinbe. Naturally you're not going to stand for this instead choosing to go 'underground' quite literally as you plan your rescue mission that'll take you across many a field spread across eight large levels which will test you to the limit; so the question is... can you dig it?

Interestingly instead of taking out your enemies you'll find yourself outsmarting them which is a good thing considering there are quite a few throughout each level in additon to items to pick up plus many barriers in your way just to keep you thinking. Unlike other puzzle-based titles trial and error is not a viable option here as you'll actually need to put a great deal of thought into progressing to the next screen which will become a source of either fun or frustration depending on your natural persuasion; Muddy doesn't do a lot except dig underground and push/pull objects when above ground so while your options are rather limited it brings a rather resourceful approach to things which is a rarity in games these days.

Fun is sometimes followed by a few moments of frustration caused by the simple control scheme however as while undergound if you press the 'B' button Muddy will simply take a peek at the ground above but it's easy to forget instead just pressing 'A' which of course causes him to tunnel through completely leaving a hole that could block your progress if made in the wrong place, this can thankfully be avoided thanks to the save suspend feature but it's worth mentioning. While there are also slight issues with the controls if you're not used to them there is still a lot to love about the game as it clearly has a lot of charm that is present throughout but then when you consider that the game was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto this should come as no real surprise.

Clearly there's a lot to love about the visuals as the plainly presented black and white visuals actually have a fair bit of detail to them, yes it's all mostly 'recycled' as you can see that many objects are simply the same having been copy-pasted throughout the levels but given that this is a puzzle game it works well with some decent sprite animation to boot. Audio however is in a league of its own featuring what is easily one of the greatest soundtracks I've ever had the pleasure of hearing on a portable game to date; genuinely a pleasant surprise.

With plenty of room for replayability via collectables, lovable characters and an addictive concept that just keeps giving; there is every reason to pick up Mole Mania if you are a fan of the genre simply because it has so much to offer. Naturally if this isn't your kind of game then this won't convert you but for those who enjoy quirky experiences then you need not look any further as while this may seem like a simple title on the surface it's not until you dig deeper that this true treasure starts to shine.   

Verdict : A genuine gem that many will be glad to see finally unearthed.

 
Points: 900
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Developer: SNK
Released: 1998
System: Neo Geo

You can say what you like about SNK-Playmore's recent efforts but their support for the Wii's Virtual Console in providing a comprehensive collection of their past glories has been nothing short of show-stopping as this latest release marks the sixth to arrive on the ever-expanding back-catalogue of retro goodness but being that Real Bout Fatal Fury Special is also available many might be wondering if this latest addition is a worthy entry in comparison. Rest assured that it most definitely is as while this title doesn't especially do anything drastically different it still delivers that classic brand of frenetic fighting that this sub-series has become famed for which still counts for a great deal in an age where most modern fighting games can feel rather sedate in comparison.

Feeling like a combination of its brethren in many ways including the ability to switch between background/foreground effortlessly using the 'sway' system which works so smoothly that it becomes a much more integral part of the experience, you'll also be relying more upon your special moves as your standard kicks and punches are less effective this time around but still useful for extending epic combos. Running at a speed that seems to be paired perfectly with the on-screen action you'll find that there is a lot more flow to the fighting this time around especially when you factor in that you can't just 'button-bash' your way through; indeed you will most likely find yourself making good use of the 'Break-Shot' system which lets you guard cancel, arguably an indispensable addition as it allows for quick recovery which means you can play rather strategically which many will surely find satisfying.

A comprehensive character roster is available from the start including most from Fatal Fury Special who make a welcome return alongside a couple of new characters which are nice enough as while their inclusion is nothing revolutionary, what they both offer are some rather refreshing move-sets that are very enjoyable to play around with helping to mix things up significantly. There's not really much in the way of extra content here with only the standard mode available which of course is playable either alone or with a friend in two-player but really when it comes to a fighter so pure as this it's highly debatable whether you really need anything else as it's such a simple joy to play something that's so comprehensive while only needing the bare minimum of content.

  

What there is to say about the visuals that hasn't already been stated previously in other games within the series probably isn't worth mentioning but for the uninitiated this entry is no exception as it showcases some simply spectacular sprites that feature an astounding level of animation that when coupled with the devestatingly detailed and beautiful backgrounds really show what the Neo Geo was truly capable of, it's a truly triumphant testament to its power that it still looks amazing even today. As you might expect from the audio it's a genuine treat for the ears as all of the exisiting compositions you would expect from the series are all present and correct couple with some rather substantial sound effects plus an announcer whos voice actually adds to the experience as opposed to generally grating which is another big plus point.

There are fewer examples of excellence in the fighting genre than those contained within the Fatal Fury series with this spin-off being no exception, of course it will always be debatable about which is better when it comes to this and Real Bout Fatal Fury special but by and large Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers is just as brilliant an offering as its siblings. If you're a fan of the series then obviously you're going to want this as it's yet another fine addition to the series but if you're a 'newcomer' yourself then you may wish to check out some of the earlier entries instead but regardless this is still well worth the points if you have the time to invest in it.     

Verdict : Fatal Fury remains a fantastic fighting series with this excellent addition.

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!