Two more SNES classics available on the go but do either of them come with a slight trade-off? It's entirely possible. Anyway enough from me and on with the games! 

Price: GB £8.99, EU €9.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Released: 1992
System: SNES

Not only was this the first racing game available from Nintendo for the SNES but it could well be the single most important release in the genre they have ever released, let us not forget that the technology involved in creating the wonderful pseudo-3D effect - Mode 7 - which was pioneered in this very game actually helped in giving rise to the now also legendary Super Mario Kart which I'm sure everyone is more than thankful for. But much more than that, F-Zero is in many ways a simply stunning racer within its own rights, it's such a finely-tuned futuristic racing masterpiece that it should come as little surprise than anything else that has attempted to immitate it over the years has never really come close, indeed this original game is still proving rather compelling to play all over again today on the Wii U as it not only offers the definitive version for those who fondly remember the title, but it also makes it available to a new generation plus its been given a new lease of life thanks to Miiverse integration.

For those unaware you get to choose from one out of four spectacular anti-gravity racing vehicles - this is set in the year 2560 afterall - which include the now legendary Blue Falcon, Fire Stingray, Golden Fox and Wild Goose, each of which have their own individual stats which affect how the craft handles, you hold down the 'B' button to accelerate, 'A' when you get a boost after each lap - you can hold up to three - while the shoulder buttons allow you to 'shift from left to right which is often used to give enhanced cornering ability while pushing down on the d-pad will let you gain more air after hitting a ramp. A selection of racing leagues are available to you which are rather regally named Knight, Queen and King adding to that three standard levels of difficulty ranging from Beginner, standard to Expert plus Master if you manage to completely clear every track on all of them, so clearly there is plenty to keep you occupied in the Grand Prix mode but if you just want to try out a track or go for a best time then there is also Practice Mode available too.

Essentially that's it but when you consider that this is a rather demanding game for its time and when you experience the sheer brilliance of the track design you will surely start to appreciate it's depth for yourself especially when you find yourself having to master the art of 'shield recovery' being that your ship has a health bar which can only be replenished by driving through a special lane for a short time once a lap, it can be tricky trying to judge when you actually might need it as it will be rapidly depleted if you frquently crash into either the walls or other racers plus if it reaches empty then your craft explodes, losing you a valuable life. Equally as valuable in this version though is of course the ability to save your game at any point which can be very useful if you happen to be doing well in a race and wish to save your position in case of any sudden mistake, it's also worth noting that like with all Wii U VC games you can fully customise the controls so if they aren't quite to your liking then this is easily remedied.

So much nostalgia and good feeling attached to F-Zero, surely a new entry is due?

Clearly the visuals are a decent selling point with this title as the 3D effect used throughout are nothing short of amazing when you consider that they were all achieved at the start of a new 16-Bit consoles life, it's a true testament to the technology of the time that it still looks rather amazing even by todays standards, there really is nothing else quite like it on any other machine. Of course lets not sell the audio short for it's in many ways the very soul of this title, every piece of music is expertly composed from the frantically futuristic sound of Mute City to the boldness of the Big Blue, even the hauntingly desolate tone of Port Town is something to behold especially when you compare it to the epic score composed for Fire Field which is frenetic in contrast, it really is hard to find such a diverse collection of music composed for a racing game such as this, even the sound effects are spectacular including the infamous craft explosion that is surely etched into the memory of all who have played the game.

Though it may lack the refinements made in it's N64 sequel, the original F-Zero represents the start of a brave new racing sub-genre, one that is now popular because of its success, truly it offers everything you could possibly want from such a game; at least from a single-player perspective and while a two-player competitive mode would have been amazing it's understandable that Nintendo really did do their best with this title at the time which clearly shows when you experience just how well it's designed or how smoothly it controls. If you have yet to play this monumental title for yourself, then now is surely the time to do so as thanks to having 60Hz support the game has never looked better and with the addition of Miiverse support you can enjoy sharing your experience with other anti-gravity racers across the world, posting a new best time on Mute City has never been more satisfying. So what are you waiting for? Show your moves!   

Well it's finally here, the game that nearly everyone assumed would have been available at the very start of the Wii U Virtual Console has now arrived for the New 3DS; Super Mario Kart is finally available to download and enjoy once more! But does it still have that magic that it once possessed? Read on to find out. Back in the day Nintendo decided to make a Mario game that was so different that it would change gaming as we know it, true it may only have been a spin-off to the main series but today the Mario Kart franchise has more than made a name for itself but none of this would have been possible without the very first title.

Released on the SNES the game truly pushed what was possible at the time utilising Mode 7 technology to its limits providing a fantastic pseudo-3D racing experience that set the game apart from anything else available at the time. No less than a staggering eight playable characters from the Mario universe were made available and while this may seem paltry when compared to more recent iterations, it was definitely a huge selling point at the time and arguably made for a more balanced experience overall; you could choose from Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser, Koopa-Trooper and even Donkey Kong Jr, each of whom had their own varied styles of play, anyone who has played the game before will already have a favourite.

Aside from the characters though it's the power-ups that truly set the game apart from the rest, brilliantly you will actually get different items depending on where you are placed in the race; simply run over a '?' block and you'll acquire a random power-up ranging from the green shell and banana skin which you'll get if you're out in front to homing red-shells, invincibility stars, speed-boost mushrooms and the devastating lightning bolt which lets you either speed past or over your rivals, these you'll get if you're not doing so well and of course the feather which actually allows you to jump over track hazards.

Koopa Troopa has always been one of my favourites from the start.

Four cups are available in the forms of Mushroom, Flower, Star and Special – the latter cup is unlockable – difficulty increases as you progress through the cups and the classes of which there are three – 50cc, 100cc and the unlockable 150cc – to work your way through. To start off with things are easy, gaining speed and difficulty by the mid-range setting and in the event that you actually unlock the final setting then the very best of luck to you because it's no joke even by todays standards. Tracks are based on popular locales from Super Mario World and I'm sure many will be familiar to seasoned veterans of Mario games; Bowser's Castle, Donut Plains and Ghost Valley all make appearances not to mention the now infamous Rainbow Road. Each track is challenging in its own way and contains a whole host of hazards to watch out for, be especially wary of the Thwomps and lava pits in Bowser's Castle!

In single player the game is most definitely challenging in the higher difficulties  and worth playing through but it's when you get another player involved that the real fun begins as this is what Mario kart was built for. Not only do you get to race against another player though but the bonus battle mode is available in which you must burst the other players balloons before they burst yours which is a most excellent addition indeed. Though sadly the aforementioned two-player mode is absent from this portable version of the game which does downgrade the potential amount of fun to be had, given that multiplayer is a huge part of Mario Kart's appeal in general, this does have a negative impact overall even though it's still fun to have the single player available on the go today's audiences would love to have the entire package available on their portable system as opposed to just part of it; if it can be done for Pokémon then I see no reason why Nintendo can't address this in the future, if not for the complete library of VC titles on current platforms then definitely in time for when the NX releases.

Everything about this game just oozes quality and the amount of effort that has been put into its creation is clear from the small graphical details that matter to the superb soundtrack composed by Soyo Oka which brings the game to life. Above all though Super Mario Kart is still as much fun to play today as it ever was and it even stacks up well against subsequent games that were released after; regardless of if you've played this monumental game before or not, rediscover the origins of kart racing today!  

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!