Today might be the greatest day for the Virtual Console thus far. Sure, we saw Link to the Past last week, but that was the ONLY game we saw. Today, Nintendo graces us with four decent, if not very good, games!

Bonanza Bros.- Today we see our first Sega releases in over a month (the last one being ToeJam & Earl on Christmas). Bonanza Bros. was originally an arcade game that was later ported to the Sega Master System. The Sega Classics Collection for PS2 also quickly revived the game a few years ago. It’s interesting to note that the game has a totally different context in Japan than it does in the U.S. In Japan, the two characters are thieves who go from banks, casinos, and galleries stealing items. In the politically dull U.S., the characters become assistants who gather evidence and test security for the police. Oh, and we can’t forget about your ability to shoot people with bullets that stun an enemy for a few seconds. Lame.

As for the actual gameplay, Bonanza Bros. seems to be just another one of the 450392 platforming games that hit during the late 80s/early 90s. Nothing too exciting here, especially when the rest of the week is so magnificent.

Final Opinion: Nay

Comix Zone- Our second Sega offering of the day, only this time it’s actually a really unique game. I remember all the hype surrounding this game back when it was released, and for good reason. Comix Zone’s unique style continues to hold its own when compared to today’s games. Each level takes place over two comic pages and all the action takes place in individual panels. The dialog is even told through talk bubbles. The game seriously feels like you are playing through a comic book, which provides for an extremely unique experience. The gameplay itself will not “wow” you like the presentation does, but if you are looking for an extremely unique experience, I highly recommend giving this a shot.

Final Opinion: Yay

Contra III: The Alien Wars- I know I will get a lot of jeers for this, but I am not a huge fan of the original Contra. This version however, is a totally different story. Contra III is definitely the game I am most excited about today. Just as R-Type III is one of the best scrolling shooters, Contra III is one of the finest run and gun games ever made. The gameplay is very solid and features a huge variety of levels and guns. There are a few top-down levels in the game, along with some chase sequences and missle riding (that’s correct, missle riding!). Another awesome feature is the ability to duel wield most of the guns, making for quite the rapid firing experience. You know how the old saying goes, rapid fire= rapid fun. By old saying I mean something I just made up right now…

Final Opinion: Yay

Mario Kart 64- Finally, another decent game for the N64! Mario Kart 64 is my personal favorite in the Kart series (although the handheld versions are pretty slick also…), which definitely makes this game a must-have for me. New comers to the game will find a lot to like once they get over the very dated visuals from 10 years ago (wow, I’m old!). Mario Kart 64 was the first to include drifting and mini-turbo, along with Donkey Kong and Wario. That doesn’t sound like much now, but it was pretty cool at the time. If you are a fan of any other Mario Kart, or arcade racers in general, I highly suggest picking this release up. Mario Kart 64 will definitely be the best racer on the Virtual Console for quite some time (until Uniracers!).

Final Opinion: Yay

All in all, Mario Kart 64 is the most popular release of the day, Comix Zone the most unique, but Contra III is the best release of the week! Now let’s hope for some Super Mario World next week…