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

A rather unique RPG for the 3DS involving fishing plus another entry in a famous long-running, run & gun series keeps the Wii VC going. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Legend of the River King
Metal Slug 4



Price: GB £4.49, EU €4.99
Publisher: Natsume
Developer: Natsume
Released: 1999
System: GameBoy Color

While developer Natsume may be more widely recognised for their popular Harvest Moon series, they have actually created another popular series which is actually older but for some reason never garnered that same level of popularity in the West which is a shame as Legend of the River King is quite a striking alternative RPG especially if you happen to be a fan of fishing, plus now that it has been released on the 3DS VC it can potentially be enjoyed by a much larger audience than it would have got originally, but more importantly at a fraction of the price; so pick up your fishing gear and try to haul in a big one! If only it was that simple though, at the start you're thrown in to the storyline where you are a young boy, your sister has fallen ill so it comes down to you playing the 'hero' as you must set off on a quest to catch the Guardian Fish which supposedly has mystical healing powers that would be able to save your sister.

If only it were that simple, as first you will need to catch a boat-load of other fish while talking to everyone you see so that you can track down this magical fish, of course before you actually go fishing you'll want to get kitted out first so it's wise to stock up on bait plus other items to assist you in your catches - just like in Pokemon you wouldn't try to catch any if you weren't properly equipped - so you'll need to go to the shop regularly. When walking around be careful where you tread though as if you go too far off the beaten path then you will encounter monsters which rather humerously you must fight by simply pressing a button as a 'fist' icon warps over the enemy, it's best to act fast here as the longer you leave it the quicker it will warp so finish off your foes promptly as they will surely garner you with valuable EXP points which eventually increases your health making everything in the game a little bit more managable.

The actual fishing is a rather simple affair involving you casting off at the riverside, waiting for a bite, at this point there is a shift in perspective as you see an underwater view of the fish on the hook as you carefully judge between using light or heavy pulls as you attempt to reel in your potential catch, if you pull too hard at the wrong moment then you can quite easily lose your fish so it's all about timing really much like in any other fishing mini-game ever so if you've played any of the ones that are in the Zelda games then you may have a slight advantage. Patience is definitely the key here though as sometimes you can be waiting a little while for a bite from a fish, but you will get better at it gradually until you're reeling in a fairly healthy supply but there really isn't much more to the game than that really.

Being that this is the colour version, everything seems to have a decent amount of detail, while it might not be the prettiest game on the system Natsume clearly did a good job here as it still holds up reasonably well today considering it was released well over a decade ago, the animations aren't bad either for what it's worth. Musically there's always a tune present which may or may not be hummable depending on which point of the game you're at, there's certainly not anything that's the same quality as say Pokemon here but the tunes still do the job nicely as do the ambient sounds which accompany this fishing sections not to mention some rather quirky sound effects which will likely make you smile.

For those of you who are looking for an alternative RPG that will keep you hooked for a little while inbetween other games then you may find what you're looking for in this short but sweet gem of a game, it may only just be worth its price-tag when you compare it to other offerings on the eShop but it's still worth dipping into if you've already waded through the depths of other titles that are already available. Playing through Legend of the River King is certainly a worthwhile experience if you can find the time for it as there isn't anything else out there quite like it on the eShop so why not throw it a line and see if you get hooked    

Verdict : An RPG with more bite than fight but one that feels just right.



 
Points: 900
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Developer: Mega Enterprise
Released: 2002
System: Neo Geo

If you ask any gamer what their favourite side-scrolling action game series is, the chances are that most will claim it's Metal Slug or it will at least get a mention, the first three games in the series are undeniably classics but the fourth installment feels a little different while still retaining all the familiar elements owing to it being made by a different developer as SNK were in a spot of financial trouble at the time, hence how they are known as SNK Playmore today. While it may have suffered from a less than straightforward development cycle, credit should be given to Mega Enterprises for stepping up to the plate and still managing to create a decent sequel in Metal Slug 4 as while it does draw heavilly on past glories it doesn't completely rely on them, managing to just about stand up on its own as a very enjoyable game in its own right.

For those unaware you will be spending most of your time in a Metal Slug game running/gunning your way through the various levels with a few explosives chucked in for good measure plus plenty of epic boss battles at the end of each stage, nothing has changed there which is a good thing, acquiring power-ups will upgrade your fire-power plus there's a nice range of vehicles for you to hop in should you decide to decimate your enemies even further. You'll want to keep an eye on your vehicles power gauge though as taking too much damage it will blow up meaning you'll need to evac asap unless you want to go up in flames along with it, it's just a non-stop fun game to play whichever way you look at it.

Plenty of variation is present in the stages while the level design remains solid, full of the usual charm you may have come to expect from the series; while you may be running along the ground for a lot of it you will still get plenty of chances to use those aforementioned vehicles so there's very rarely a dull moment, especially when you consider that while they are not only armed to the teeth but the vehicles also have a 'charge' ability leaving you free to mow down your enemies at the press of a button. You'll be glad to know that the solid controls have been left well alone so that you still get that fantastic feeling of complete control when playing throughout the game, it's so easy to get to grips with so you'll be zipping through the levels in no time at all laying waste to all those who are foolish enough to stand in your path.

Nothing is lost from the visuals, in fact this fourth entry seems to push the hardware to its limits featuring immense detail with plenty of colour depth which is just as impressive now as it surely was mind-blowing back in the day, you just don't get games quite like this any more and Metal Slug is a prime example of a series that made great use of the hardware at the time as it's clear to see that the game hasn't aged a bit, even the animations are solid. The music doesn't betray any of the original games either featuring some rather loveingly produced tracks which more than do the series justice as well as providing you with something decent to blast away with, not to mention that the sound effects themselves are still brilliant.

Providing you've been a fan of the series for a while, you are still sure to enjoy Metal Slug 4 as it's basically more of the same with a slight increase in scope, while it might not be revolutionary it doesn't really need to be as it simply does everything right which is all it needs to be an enjoyable game. So as long as you know what to expect then you aren't really going to be disappointed in the slightest, plus for what it's worth this isn't a bad starting point either for anyone new to the series though I would have to advise that the earlier titles are still superior even though this is still a stunning title while it lasts.    

Verdict : A made-to-order Metal Slug title that manages to maintain the charm of the series.


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!