I hoped that Super Mario World would grace us with it’s awesomeness last week. Well, Nintendo clearly heard me and decided to release Super Mario World this week! Unlike last week’s orgy of great releases, the supporting cast for Super Mario World isn’t so hot this time around.


Gain Ground (Sega Genesis)- A fine example of a game that shouldn’t have even seen the light of day when it was released almost 20 years ago…and why it’s on the Virtual Console today is beyond my imagination. The following is an excerpt from a Sega board meeting 20 years ago:

“So that Gauntlet game from 3 years ago was pretty cool, isn’t there some way we could rip that off?”

“Yeah totally! We’ll give the cyborgs these insanely huge guns and then for no logical reason whatsoever we’ll give some naked jungle people spears to toss at the cyborg ninjas. Oh, and we should throw in a Viking just to fuck with people.”

In my attempt at giving this otherwise mediocre game a fair chance, the gameplay is actually slightly different than Gauntlet. As you run around the battlefield fighting off hordes of enemies, one of your objectives is finding more cyborgs and naked spear people to take control of. Oh, and it’s also set in the future! With Vikings.

Final opinion: Nay

Vigilante (TurboGrafx-16)- Get used to seeing these beat’em up type games on the Virtual Console. There are only like, 73 more of them to go…and they all look/play/feel/smell exactly the same. On a good note, the story for this game is highly original!

“Thugs kidnap the beloved Madonna, and it’s up to players to become vigilantes. Players fight their way into enemy territory to get her back.”

…

On a good note, Vigilante is actually one of the better games of this stale and dated genre, but is still rather mediocre by today’s ADD standards. If you really need to get your fix for one of these games though, I suggest waiting around for Streets of Rage, Final Fight (not confirmed yet, but it seems likely), or better yet, just pick up Comix Zone from last week. Although the entire plot of Comix Zone doesn’t revolve around rescuing a damsel in distress, the game’s unique style makes dull games like Vigilante weep.

Final Opinion: Nay

Super Mario World- I’m one of those people who saves the cherry in the sundae for last. And so we have it, Super Mario World. This was one of the first games I dreamed about owning since the Virtual Console was announced (and you will read about the other games in an upcoming edition of the list *nudge nudge*).

Obviously, this is one of those “must have” games for the virtual console, especially if you haven’t experienced it yet. If you are a Super Mario World virgin, then stop sitting on the computer and go buy this game. I’m serious. Right now. Well, maybe after you finish reading this…

Super Mario World is my idea of a perfect game. The game builds on everything glorious about Super Mario Bros. 3, while still creating a totally fresh experience. Several new powerups make their appearence in Super Mario World, along with the debut of Yoshi (who Mario constantly punches in the back of the head)!The best part of Super Mario World is exploring each nook and cranny the game has to offer, which will lead you to the crazy “Star Road” and then eventually to the groovy “Special Zone!”

The worst part of the game: Tanooki Mario from Super Mario Bros. 3 is replaced with caped mario who flies via feather…Boo.

Final Opinion: Yay