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

A rather mixed bag this time around as we have some genuine classics mixed in with some rather iffy offerings. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Solomon's Key
World Heroes 2 Jet
Wrecking Crew
Xevious


 
Price: GB £3.49, EU €4.99
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Developer: Tecmo
Released: 1987
System: NES

Originating as an obscure arcade game, Solomon's Key is something of a cult classic thanks to the NES version as it's the most faithful recreation of the title to date, so it should come as little surprise that this has arrived on the Wii U eShop so early on in its life, besides it was one of the first titles available on the Wii's VC which launched a good five and a half years ago. In that time nothing has really changed as it's still the same game, which is a good thing; for those unaware you play as Dana, a Wizard who must escape from many dungeons armed only with his trusy magic wand which can make or break blocks, cue one of the more brilliant puzzle titles that you're ever likely to play.

Your mission is simple, grab the key then proceed to the exit, but of course if that really was just all you needed to do the game wuld be a cinch, as it stands though the layout of each room is less than intuitive in an attempt to put you off, while enemies are constantly getting in your way. Creating or destroying blocks is only possible if they are either to the side or below your character, you can jump even if it's something you'll be doing rather cautiously, when it comes to the enemies you can opt to avoid, trap or burn them if you're lucky enough to grab a potion which lets you shoot fireballs; ultimately though it's best not to lose sight of your main objective which is escaping so keep that in mind.

While initially the stages may seem rather basic as they are easily solved, as you progress further into the dungeons you will almost certainly find that things become rather tricky as the level design is rather devious towards the end, of course the time limit doesn't help either making for some particularly frustrating moments, especially in the event of getting a 'Game Over' screen which will take you right back to the very start. Thankfully we now live in the age of save states so you at least have the brilliant option of making a quick save throughout the game just in case of any mistakes, this is something which some gamers may class as 'wrong' but personally I think it's an absolute godsend; because the Wii U's save states are so easy to use - and abuse - this for me actually makes a game which many have called 'unfair' in the past actually playable, at least the option is there should you decide to use it, the same goes for Miiverse too which to me is another valuable life-line, especially if you're stuck on a particular part.

Visually the game is pretty nicely detailed, it may be mostly made up of a particular palette but it has nice art direction for a game of its time and is in many ways just as iconic as Metroid or Mario thanks to this, the sprites also have a certain amount of charm too which makes it easy to see why it's adored by so many. The music used in this title is of the looped variety, so this is one element which may annoy some as it does get repetitive but to me it doesn't matter so much as the overall sound is very pleasing, it's certainly very 'hummable' in any case complete with sound effects that suit the overall experience.

I can certainly recommend Solomon's Key to anyone who is particularly well-versed in gaming as the whole experience will be seen as something of a challenge, for those newer to the world of games however I would advise approaching this title with caution as it is rather unforgiving; having said that though Miiverse and save states will certainly be your 'friends' here as they really are invaluable tools in this modern age. To anyone who purchases this title with the intention of playing it the original way with no help at all, I applaud your dedication and wish you the very best of luck, as you will surely be tested by this all-time classic.    

Verdict : Solomon's Key is a solid offering for those who wish to take on the challenge.



Points: 900
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Developer: ADK
Released: 1994
System: Neo Geo

Just like when Capcom decided to release a Turbo edition of Street Fighter II this is the same thing applied to the reasonably popular World Heroes sequel, so that means faster gameplay alongside a host of additional but rather minor imrprovements over the original release, it's just as well seeing as the speed definitely needed addressing but that's really is as it's still the same game essentially complete with some of its original flaws. Really this release just seemes to suggest that Neo Geo releases have now run out of steam, so SNK are now just releasing most of the 'lesser' games just to get them out on the original Wii Virtual Console, personally I think people will start to take more notice when all the greater games get their chance on the Wii U VC but I digress, what exactly does this title offer for those who are still willing to purchase?

Not a great deal over the original is the answer, as mechanically everything is very much the same as you would perhaps expect, you still have the same three button fighting setup with each button controlling a different action plus depending on how hard or light you are on the button presses, your attacks will either be stronger or weaker respectively which is still a nice selling point but hardly a deal-breaker. Perhaps the biggest addition to the core gameplay is the ability to 'Jet' across the screen in either direction with a simple double-tap either left or right, something that you'd consider a standard feature in a lot of fighters but still, it is nice to have the option so credit where it's due.

There's a roster of sixteen characters - with three newcomers - each of whom have their own style of fighting plus special moves, you get two single player modes which are a story mode where you pick your character who will then face off against set characters from the roster, plus a special mode which lets you choose your oponent; naturally you can just opt to play two-player versus of course as this is where you'll get most of your enjoyment from if you're into your fighting games. Unfortunately the flaws from the original release are still present, this includes rather ropey gameplay as even though it's certainly playable there are no other real refinements aside from the aforementioned couple of tweaks, it also doesn't help matters when the controls can be quite unresponsive at times which is a shame when you consider that they are so much better in the proper sequel.

Very little has changed visually though the game was already reasonably well detailed for what it's worth, featuring decent sized sprites which look decent in front of the varied backdrops, but alas the animation leaves a little bit to be desired as it could hardly be described as 'smooth' by any stretch of the imagination. The audio seems to have remained untouched too, so you still get the heavy synth-rock tracks that you'd usually associate with this series which serves its purpose even if it's not a particularly memorable soundtrack, however the sound effects and the announcer are actually very good, which is definitely something to be thankful for.

If you're a fighting game fan who absolutely has to own every incarnation of all fighting games that are released, then you don't need me telling you to pick it up as you will most likely already have it, for what it's worth this is a playable fighting game but it's just not of the same standard as other titles. Anyone who would be new to this series would do well to instead check out World Heroes Perfect as ultimately it's the best entry plus it's the only one you're ever likely to need, so save your points and buy that instead because they really would be wasted on this very average effort.    

Verdict : A world apart from its more perfect sequel, don't be a hero... give this one a miss.



Price: GB £3.59, EU €3.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Released: 1987
System: NES

When the NES originally launched this was one of its first titles, but wait a minute... didn't another title starring the now legendary plumber appear on that day as well? Oh yes it did, one of the greatest games of all time; Super Mario Bros. So it's understandable if you've never heard of this title before as it was overshadowed by the immense popularity of one of the best selling games of its time.

Starring the portly plumber himself; Mario along with the comparatively compact Luigi, Wrecking Crew is a platform action game in which you take control of the two brothers who's task is to destroy multiple buildings. After demolishing each wall in the building you then move onto the next buildings which become progressively more difficult; there is also puzzling portion to each level as you have to plan your route so that you don't become trapped under a pile of rubble at the end when the structure collapses.

Featuring a century of stages with a bonus level after every quad and a selection mechanics which were also present in the original Mario Bros arcade game such as walking to the edge and appearing on the opposite side to avoid enemies, it's a new experience with familiar proceedings.

Enemies aren't exactly estranged either ranging from simple Eggplant Men who travel along a linear path, Gotcha Wrenches who will actively hunt you down throughout the level and a few other familiar foes make themselves known as well. Later on in the game you will encounter the Foreman Spiker; a character of Wario proportions and characteristics who's aim is to obstruct your objectives by breaking down walls directly in your path, hindering your progress and sending you back down to the lowest floor of the level if you happen to be in the path of the falling debris, which is bothersome to say the least.

As it stands Wrecking Crew is fun to play and offers a uniquely rewarding experience with a reasonable amount of challenge along the way; it will last you a while if you persevere with it which is worth doing and if you ever tire of it you can always mess around with the two player mode. This game was originally overshadowed upon its first release, this VC incarnation now gives players who for whatever reason never got to play it before now the chance to do so; it's readily available and easily accessible so if you have always wanted to play it then what better time than now?

Verdict : Wrecking Crew, surprisingly good yet played by so few.



Price: GB £3.49, EU €4.99
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco  
Released: 1984
System: NES

At its time of release in the arcades Xevious was originally seen as being a genuinely innovative title owing to it being one of the earliest examples of the vertical scrolling shooter, but now in an age where so many entries in this genre have proven vastly superior, you have to wonder if this title is still worth playing again, especially when you consider that we have already had this game twice over in recent years on both the Wii VC plus on the 3DS as part of the 3D classics range. So now it's the turn of the Wii U as Namco Bandai has seen fit to re-release this game once again for the benefit of anyone who might have missed it, I have to wonder though... does this title really have that much to offer any more? Read on to find out.

The key thing to remember about this game is that you are being attacked from two different places, from the ground and in the sky - this is probably why the game was better suited to the 3D treatment - both of which you'll need to take into account, fortunately your Solvalou ship is equipped with laser fire for the air plus bombs for the ground so this adds a rather tactical element to the proceedings as you'll be constantly trying to keep track of where everything is while alternating between the two different weapons. Essentially this is it for the core gameplay, you can discover a few interesting things along the way such as how to acquire extra ships or nab some extra points along the way but for the majority of the game, this is as good as it gets.

Being quite a simple shooter if you get hit once you will lose a life which will restart you from a pre-determined check-point, although it might as well be anywhere seeing as it's quite hard to actually tell where you are aside from when you finish one of the relatively short stages. Aside from the usual small enemies every now and then a Mothership will appear, you can opt to take it down which is obviously the more 'exciting' option - I use that term loosely - but you can just wait for it to 'go away' which is a little less climactic.

Graphically the game is just about functional, if you see the game in motion then you'll see how hard it is for me to even try to say any more than that, there is literally no variation from the colour palette which seems to use five different colours at a glance for the entire game, this is why it's actually quite hard to know if you've made any progress. I can quite honestly say that the audio would most likely drive even the most patient gamer insane after playing just the first stage, all you have is a three second 'tune' looped over and over again for the whole game, aside from a few bleeps for sound effects that's it, in fact it's so bad that I refuse to play the game again because of the woeful audio, it was hard enough just to watch a short video of it, I've already 'suffered' playing this game in the past and have no desire to do so again, it's only fair that you should have advanced warning of this.

Overall I'd have to say that Xevious really doesn't stack up that well at all, the only reason you should buy this title again is if you have really, really find memories of it from the past as otherwise it should just stay there, even Miiverse integration doesn't really bring this that far into the present day, so beyond collectively complaining about its negative points I can't see much use for this feature either. The sole-redeeming feature is probably just the fact that it's so easy to use the Wii U save states so that you can actually make it through the game with relative ease, if you can endure it that is.

Verdict : Xevious is clearly not worth anyone's time or money on any platform any more, a hero of its time but today it's a chore.

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!