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

If you like blasting things along with a nice bit of platform action then you are surely going to be well catered for with these latest releases. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Mega Man III
Shock Troopers 2nd Squad


 
Price: GB £4.50, EU €5
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Released: 1992
System: NES

This is a game that should need to introduction but because the third entry in the Mega Man series is so awesome it gets one anyway, by this high-point in the series Capcom clearly knew what they were doing as they barely even had to advertise at the time as it sold very well due to fans knowing exactly what they were getting plus a whole load more that they perhaps weren't expecting. Naturally it follows the age-old template of the evil Dr. Wily creating eight different robot masters in an attempt to take over the world, so it falls to Megaman who will surely defeat them all and save the day, only this time he's not alone for this is the first game to feature the blue bomber's big brother Proto Man who is essentially a more cocky version of Megaman in a red suit but who has become so much more in other entries since his debut; add to the mix more levels than ever before which all adds up to this being one of the best games ever released in the series.

Many excellent elements ensure that this game lives up to its now legendary reputation including the fact that all of the robot masters are designed fantastically well with not a dud among them, there are plenty of new upgrades which will help you make your way around the fantastically designed levels plus the general feeling that you get from playing through each stage from start to boss battle finish is amazingly rewarding. Only essential additions have been included meaning that the controls still remain responsive so you will still be running/gunning/jumping with ease but you can now slide too which is a simple case of pressing 'down' on the d-pad along with the 'A' button while you're running; it may seem like something so simple but believe me, you'll be glad that you have this extra move at your disposal as it will become crucial later on in the game.

During several points of the game you will get the chance to do battle against the aforementioned Proto Man, those of you who know your Mega Man games will know that you're able to play as him in subsequent releases but here in his first appearance he plays an important role in the story plus fighting against him allows you to progress in ways that you probably wouldn't have had to otherwise as the battles against him are definitely unlike anything else you will have experienced before in the series. Of course Mega Man's faithful robo-dog Rush is ever-present as he's more than happy to help you through the stages, to start off with you can only use his 'Coil' ability to reach higher places but later on you will obtain the 'Jet' and 'Submarine' abilities which are useful to a point but are far from the best ones in the series; unfortunately I have to mention that some of the upgrades that you obtain from certain robot masters aren't of the highest calibre either such as 'Spark Shock' which does paralyse enemies but then will force you to use it until the paralysis is gone plus the infamous 'Top Spin' which is actually glitched but aside from these small negatives everything else about the game is of a very high standard indeed.

While still looking very familiar overall the visuals are very impressive indeed, especially for a NES title as everything is very well defined featuring bold colours within rather richly detailed environments which are truly brought to life like never before, character animation seems to have taken a significant step-up as well making for a more pleasant experience even if there is the slightest bit of slowdown which is unfortunate but not game-breaking. The audio however has really raised the bar featuring some of the most intricate, expressive and just down-right amazing chip-tunes that you're ever likely to hear from a game of the same era, not just for Mega Man games either; a genuine achievement in every sense of the word, naturally the sound effects are also top-tier further immersing you in the experience.

Even though it would be slightly amiss of me to say that Mega Man 3 is the best game in the series, it's hard to deny its prowess because even today it's a firm fan favourite for many very good reasons, yes of course it has it's small amount of negatives as well but overall it is really fantasti. Regardless of you being new to the series or a true fan I cannot stress how much that this is an essential purchase, if you already have it on the Wii VC and wish to keep it that way then that is of course down to presonal preference but it's hard to deny how awesome it is to be able to play one of the greatest games in the Mega Man series at almost any given moment, for that reason this 3DS release truly shines and will hopefully allow many more gamers to experience its brilliance.  

Verdict : One of the most masterful Mega Man titles to date despite its small shortcomings.

 
Points: 900
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Developer: SNK  
Released: 1999
System: Neo Geo

Paying homage to by playing almost like Capcom's classic 'Commando' Shock Troopers 2nd Squad is a classic 'run 'n gun' action game which also has more than a hint of 'Metal Slug' to it in many ways but yet it still manages to carry some weight of its own thanks to its unique blend of fast-paced, frenetic gameplay which really makes it stand out from other shooters which are merely sub-par. With that said this is quite a dramatic overhaul for the small series as it feels like a marked improvement over the original which was a decent starting point but fell a little short of being able to hold its own when compared to the aforementioned 'greats' I suppose as the old saying goes, if you can't beat 'em,
join 'em... which couldn't be more true here.

So out with the old team battle mode and in with an expanded arcade mode which this time around gives you the choice of four players which manages to greatly expand the amount of enjoyment you're likely to get out of this solid shooter, of course each character brings their own set of skills to the table, all balanced out with different attack defence and speed stats, makijng for a rather refreshing setup. Just like in the original you can blast away with your primary weapon or choose to get up-close with a close-quarters melee attack which proves extremely useful in certain situations which will arise frequently, you'll also be glad to know that you get to take control of various vehicles in some excellent sections which break-up the gameplay nicely while being substantial in their own way.

A decent level of design has been employed as each stage is sufficiently different offering a decent level of challenge, this isn't just a game you'll play once but many times over thanks to just how enjoyable an experience it is; the boss battles while challenging never feel too frustrating offering up some suitably epic battles which players will fans of the genre will surely relish. There's a decent selection of power-ups along the way which will improve your chances of survival when the game does eventually get tougher but as always if things get tough you can always chuck a few bombs which seems to be the easy way out of a lot of tricky moments in titles like this, thankfully because you have a limited supply of these explosives it never seems like a cheap 'get-out' card, more something that you will reserve for when you really need it.

Visually there has been a significant improvement in the quality of the graphics as the game takes on a more suited cartoon-ish feel which has clearly been really well rendered as it adds so much to the experience, couple this with some very nice visual tricks such as psuedo-3D objects, transparency etc and you are left with something that was clearly very demanding of the hardware but that has stood the test of time very well indeed. There's a very nice accompanying soundtrack featuring many chip-tunes which are a true delight to hear, always going well with each stage of the game managing to keep you pumped all the way through, it's just a shame that some of the vocals that were used as sound effects feel a little irritating by comparision, otherwise though the sound is near-perfect.

Overall this is an enjoyable offering for those who are really into the 'run 'n gun' genre, it might not be flawless but it's certainly very enjoyable and is worth considering if you've played everything else that's available as it really does offer something just that little bit different while still retaining elements of familiarity which some will find comforting. But for anyone who might be new to the genre I would have to recommend giving one of the Metal Slug games a go instead before buying this, as you're more likely to get a lot more out of the game that way rather than jumping straight into something unfamiliar.

Verdict : A solid run 'n gun game that has a lot to give.

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!