GAME> Goldeneye 007 (1997)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> EGM #134, September 2000

Well that’s some nightmare fuel.

GAME> Knife Edge: Nose Gunner (1998)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> Nintendo Power #119, April 1999

Don’t even lie to me and tell me you remember this one.

Issue #267, May 2011
featuring The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS), Tales of the Abyss (3DS), Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors (DS), Legend of Zelda SNES Era

Nintendo Power calls it “the first must-have 3DS game,” probably making a couple other big name launch window releases more than a little sad. It’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and it earns that accolade on the strength of being one of the best-reviewed games of all time.

Although we’ve seen Ocarina re-releases before, there was no escaping that fugly low-polygon look of the N64 classic. With this new 3DS edition, Nintendo is adding some effects, some detailing, and some sorely needed controls cleanup to give the game a modern touch. On the visual front, the Link model has been smoothed out, and interior areas have been re-designed to make the open-world game look more like an actual world instead of a bunch of sparsely decorated rooms. But what I’m most interested in is the updated control scheme, particularly when it comes to inventory management.

One of the charms of the DS family’s lower screen is the ability to provide HUDs without clutter and touchscreen access to tools and options. Ocarina 3DS will let you select weapons and choose Ocarina tunes without having to dig through menus. In fact, the Ocarina itself never needs to be equipped in the old button-mapped style, thus freeing up one of your quick-access buttons for another item. (And you now have four assignable item keys, 1UP from the N64′s three yellow arrow buttons.)

Nintendo has also added gyroscopic controls for the first-person parts of the game – looking around, arrow-aiming, etc – and, of course, the optional 3D effect.

Ocarina 3DS will include the Master Quest second adventure, which was originally a 64DD project. Master Quest was only available in America as a preorder bonus for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, so that might the rare remix that makes the 3DS extra-special for Zelda fans.

Ocarina 3DS is in stores June 19.

What, a Wii game?

Aside from price drops and budget-priced collections, Wii news has been scarce as good reviews for Conduit 2. This issue, NP mentions Pandora’s Tower, an action-RPG collaboration between Nintendo and Ganbarion. I’m sure you’ve never heard of Ganbarion… NP lists their resume as One Piece: Unlimited Adventure and Jump Super Stars.

Described as a combination of elements from Ys and Castlevania, Pandora’s Tower has no set Western release at this time. I’d guess this game will fall down the memory hole as Nintendo of America relies on Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and some low-key casual titles to prop up the Wii’s final year of support.

But look at these screens!

I could get behind a boss fight with Steampunk Swamp Thing!

999: The game that should be sold in bookstores.

Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors writer/director Kotaro Uchikoshi says his games need to reach a wider audience.

“…I believe visual-novel games don’t belong in a game store, but in a bookstore – although that might bother some of the game stores who like to sell my games, so perhaps I should rephrase it: games stores can certainly sell visual novels, but they should also be sold in bookstores. The visual-novel genre should not be fighting againsgt major RPG/action-adventure games that developers spend billions of dollars on.”

Man has a point. Games like 999 and Hotel Dusk can get lost on the racks, particularly when multiple games from different genres all field anime-inspired box art.

Top scoring Wii review: Virtua Tennis 4, 8.0 (all scores out of 10)
Top scoring 3DS review: Dead or Alive Dimensions, 9.0
Top scoring DS review: LEGO Battles: Ninjago 7.5
Lowest rated Wii review: Rio, 4.0
Lowest rated 3DS review: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D, 5.5
Lowest rated DS review: Rio, 5.5

Some other big name release scores: Thor: God of Thunder was given a 5.5 on Wii and 6.0 on DS. And on 3DS, SpongeBob SquigglePants got a 7.5, Rabbids Travel in Time 3D hit 6.5, and Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion received a 7.0.

It’s sort of the point. – This month’s poll reveals that only an eight of 3DS owners turn of the 3D effect all the way off.

Everybody thank Popeye. – You might remember Nintendo’s oddball licensed arcade/NES game Popeye… turns out, Shigeru Miyamoto wanted Popeye to be his first star, but when Nintendo could not immediately get the Sailor Man’s license, he turned around and created Donkey Kong. The Sailor Man’s arcade adventure had to wait.

3D came late in the game. – 3DS producer Hideki Konno says the 3DS was in the works for two and a half years. The 3D screen did not become part of the design until halfway through development!

“Even over cheap headphones.” – Capcom is working on a 3DS game that uses 3D audio as you explore a “Mysterious Mansion.”

Ten Kirbys! – Nintendo and HAL are putting together a new Kirby game that splits the pink hero into ten smaller puffs. Kirby really has become a test ground for bizarre new ideas, hasn’t he?

Next month in Nintendo Power… Sonic turns 20!

GAME> Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1996)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> Nintendo Power #96, May 1997

This was a missed opportunity. NP should have referred to this tip as a “Kode.”

While the marquee game this week might be Bomberman Hero, I can’t resist leading the update with a screen from WiiWare’s Heavy Fire: Black Arms. It’s just so not what we usually get on WiiWare. Heavy Fire is a light gun shooter that pits players against a weapons cartel in South America. 500 points cheap.

Bomberman Hero, meanwhile, is a 1000 point Virtual Console addition. Originally for the N64 in 1998, you may remember Hero as the Bomberman game that was single-player only.

One more WiiWare release (the soccer of the future!) and three DSiWare games await you after the jump.

Nintendo Download

Heavy Fire and Bomberman Downloads Make for an Explosive Week

This week’s new downloadable games for Nintendo systems invite you to “have a blast” in more ways than one. Heavy Fire: Black Arms for the WiiWare™ service puts players at the center of an explosive, action-filled adventure as they take on the role of a Special Forces recruit. On the Virtual Console™ service, Bomberman Hero lets Wii™ owners enjoy classic and combustible fun from the Nintendo 64™ era. New arrivals for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service include GO Series EARTH SAVER, which challenges players to blast apart a deadly meteorite that threatens all of humanity. And if your taste runs beyond pyrotechnics, you’ll also find soccer, gymnastics and squishy driving action in this week’s lively mix of downloads.

Virtual Console

Bomberman Hero
Original platform: Nintendo 64
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points

Description: Bomberman returns in his own full-on action game. One day, out of nowhere, a spaceship crash-lands on Planet Bomber. Journeying to the Peace Mountains to investigate, Bomberman encounters Pibot, the dazed robot pilot. According to Pibot, the evil Garaden Empire attacked Primus Star and kidnapped Princess Millian from Pibot’s escape ship. Hearing this, Bomberman vows to save the princess, even if he has to travel the length of the galaxy to do it. Bomberman is equipped with an infinite supply of bombs and can count on a variety of upgrades to aid him in his quest. His search for the princess takes him to five exciting planets, reuniting him with his old friend Louie and uncovering new items. Fly, swim, shoot and bomb your way through the galaxy and save Princess Millian.

WiiWare

Heavy Fire: Black Arms
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points™

Description: Set out on a dangerous campaign in South America in a continuation of the popular shooter Heavy Fire: Special Operations. As a Special Forces recruit, you will take part in the operation to stop an illegal arms trade. Heavy Fire gives players a classic arcade light-gun experience, enhanced with stunning graphics and exciting new features. Destroy the biggest weapon cartel, Fuerza de Voluntad, which is influential all over the continent. Team up with a friend and experience an immersive co-op mode. Enjoy dynamic minute-to-minute game play in various weather conditions and settings in the heart of a jungle. Smash objects and interact with them. Perform quick events and face your enemies with new powerful weapons. With plenty of weapon types and various vehicles at your disposal, put an end to the expansion of the paramilitary organization. Take full advantage of the Wii Remote™ controller and optional Wii Zapper™ accessory (sold separately).

Soccer Bashi (demo version)
Publisher: Icon Games Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 0 Wii Points; full version available for 500 Wii Points

Description: Experience soccer of the future. Destroy the defender blocks and smash the ball into the goal to win, but watch for the enemy defenders out to destroy you. A built-in game editor offers unlimited level design possibilities. Play through the 90 built-in game levels in several different play modes, including Arcade and Customizable Tournaments. Special level features include animated blocks, exploding blocks, shield blocks, invisible blocks and deadly 3D defender enemies. Face challenging end-of-zone bosses. Use the Level Editor to build your own levels – up to 100 user-created levels can be stored. Tournament Mode allows you to create your own unique tournaments using built-in game levels or your own levels. Special Power-Ups and Super Power-Ups including lasers, bombs, flaming power balls and multiple balls and bats can help (or hinder) you on your way to the goal.

Note: Some demo versions do not support all game features, and players cannot save their in-game progress in demo versions.

Nintendo DSiWare

G.G Series HORIZONTAL BAR
Publisher: Genterprise Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™

Description: This is a new type of action game that will have you swinging and jumping from bar to bar, just like the parallel bars in gymnastics. The controls are simple. Grab onto a bar, add momentum to your swing by pressing left or right on the +Control Pad, then jump and spin to the next bar by pressing the A Button. Gauge the force of your swings and the timing of your jumps just right to cross the course in the fastest time possible. Do you have what it takes to be a star gymnast?

GO Series EARTH SAVER
Publisher: Gamebridge
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: A giant meteorite is headed straight for Earth. Land your spaceship on the meteorite and set explosives to break off small pieces so the rock breaks up in Earth’s atmosphere. Chunks of meteorite that are too big will smash into Earth, wiping out mankind. As an explosives expert, you can plant a series of bombs to create chain-reaction combos, easily blasting off chunks of rock the size of houses. You’ll also need to tackle the many strange alien life forms you encounter by either blowing them up or cunningly blasting around the piece of rock they’re standing on so they fall with the meteorite. Can you save Earth from obliteration and secure the future of mankind?

JellyCar 2
Publisher: Disney Interactive
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: JellyCar 2, the hit driving platform game, is here and fully loaded with three game modes and more than 30 levels. Post high scores, best times and longest jumps in the Hall of Fame. With so much squishy goodness, you’ll want to drive JellyCar 2 all around town. In Classic mode, drive your squishy car and use your special abilities to drive through squishy worlds. In Factory mode, guide the falling parts into matching chutes, tap the levers to open different pathways and guide each part down the conveyor belts. In Long Jump mode, you’re going for distance and speed – watch out for objects that can slow you down, and look for objects that can help give you a boost!

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit www.Wii.com or www.NintendoDSi.com.

The disco lovin’ Frobot is now on WiiWare for 1000 points (free demo available), so if you need a game descriptor full of they’re-trying-too-hard 1970s references, read on.

DSiWare now has Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp for 800 points, another Christmas karoke app, and another Super Baby Paul adventure. I’m sure we’ll all surprised that Super Baby Paul has become a thing.

Full press release after the jump.

Nintendo Download

Deck the Halls with Mario Party 2 and Other Downloadable Delights

If there’s one guest who’s welcome at any holiday party, it’s Mario™. This season, the Virtual Console™ service invites you to join Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom crew for the classic, family-friendly fun of Mario Party™ 2, now playable on the Wii™ system for the first time ever. You’ll also find new additions to the WiiWare™ service to help keep your days merry and bright: the unique sci-fi strategy of Inkub and the funky robot challenge of Frobot. (A demo version of Frobot is available for zero Wii Points™.) If you aim to fill your holiday week with hand-held adventure, take a look at the latest arrivals for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, including Dragon’s Lair® II: Time Warp and Cosmo Fighters. No matter where the season leads you, here’s hoping it’s a warm and happy one.

Virtual Console

Mario Party 2
Original platform: Nintendo 64™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points

Description: Get ready to party like it’s the year 2000 all over again, complete with fancy costumes, bags of surprises and games galore. Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends return for a new round of Bowser-bashing board game action in Mario Party 2. Each of your favorite characters dons a differently themed outfit to take part in five fun-packed Adventure Boards: Pirate Land, Western Land, Space Land, Mystery Land and Horror Land. Then battle Bowser™ on his own specific board – if you’re brave enough. Up to four players (additional accessories required, sold separately) can travel around the boards and compete in minigames for coins while also using items to gain an advantage. Win the most stars and become the ultimate victor: the Super Star. Or, if you just feel like proving your minigame mettle, visit Mini-Game Land. Head to the Mini-Game Stadium and replay your favorites, including the Item, Battle, Duel and Chance Time minigames.

WiiWare

Frobot
Publisher: Fugazo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points; demo version available for 0 Wii Points

Description: Frobot is programmed to make love, not war. But when his five foxy girlfriends get botnapped, he doesn’t skip a beat in taking the fight to the streets. Blast your way up from the Funkytown Slums to the BotBlocker HQ and save them. In Burn Baby Burn mode, earn powerful weapons including the Robo Hustle dash and the Jivestalker disco ball to help take on the Man. In The Big Payback, journey through a story mode filled with action, adventure and fro-frazzling physics puzzles to rescue your girlfriends. In Superfreak, find hidden power picks and upgrade your style. It’s a fight to the last Fro in Frobot’s multiplaya arena. Face off with up to three of your friends on one screen to see who will earn the spotlight. In It’s Raining Guns, access an expanded arsenal of funky weapons, including the Bass Bomb grenade and the Heartstopper shield. And in Do the Hustle, you can unlock multiplaya maps by beating single-playa levels in record time.

Note: Some demo versions do not support all game features, and players cannot save their in-game progress in demo versions.

Inkub
Publisher: Cosmonaut Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points

Description: In Inkub, you are responsible for the defense of incubators, each one connected to a life support system by means of transparent carbon tubes. For years, different organisms, viruses and bacteria have formed colonies that attack the species in each incubator. Your objective is to repel the attacks of these organisms and keep the eggs in the incubators safe. To do this, you have an arsenal of weapons, mines and blockers available. Different weapons will be unlocked as you progress through the game, including laser canons, projectiles, blockers, mines and speed inhibitors. Use them by placing them throughout the tube to repel enemy attacks.

Nintendo DSiWare

Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Suggestive Themes, Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™

Description: Princess Daphne has been spirited away to a wrinkle in time by the evil wizard Mordroc, who plans to force her into marriage. Only you, Dirk the Daring, can save her. Transported by a bumbling old time machine, you begin the rescue mission. But you must hurry, for once the Casket of Doom has opened, Mordroc will place the Death Ring upon Daphne’s finger and she will be lost forever in the Time Warp. Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp is a fully animated arcade classic from legendary animator Don Bluth. You’ll make your way through time by using your Nintendo DSi™ system to move and wield your sword. Beware of your foes, for they are numerous. Only you can save Princess Daphne.

Cosmo Fighters
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: There’s a battle to fight in outer space, but before you meet your fate, train yourself against the CPU to master all the tricks and combos. Whether playing one-on-one or against a group of three, your training will pay off once you challenge your friends and foes. Anyone can play, but only the well trained will win. Send your friends a demo via DS Download Play to allow them to play solo or in a Versus mode. Finding opponents for the Multiplayer mode is easy because only one player needs to have the game loaded onto his or her system. Let the fight begin!

Paul’s Monster Adventure
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: Prepare to embark on an epic adventure and enter a land where monsters known as bosses once ruled with an iron fist. The local inhabitants have rebelled against the bosses by stealing their food supply. Now the bosses are slowly dying from starvation, and it’s up to you to save them. Explore and discover magical items that will aid you on your adventure. Interact with intriguing monsters that desperately need your help to regain their energy. Be warned: The inhabitants may consider your heroic efforts to be a threat and become aggressive if you are caught with food. Do you best to avoid them, but if you need it, you’re equipped with a powerful hammer that will temporally knock out the inhabitants. It’s time to step up to the challenge and restore order to this chaotic land.

Just SING! Christmas Vol. 2
Publisher: dtp young entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points

Description: You are the star! Prepare yourself for the next edition of Christmas karaoke. Holiday classics such as “We Wish you a Merry Christmas“ and “Deck the Halls” are waiting for you. Enter the festively decorated stage in a fancy Santa costume, then sing into the built-in microphone of your Nintendo DSi system to instantly capture the magical Christmas spirit. Hit all the right notes and sing in time to reach the top of the high-scores list.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit www.Wii.com or www.NintendoDSi.com.

GAME> Kirby 64 – The Crystal Shards (2000)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> EGM #135, Oct. 2000

Did we have the term “grinding” in 2000? Apart from being used in the last good Tony Hawk game?

I probably did better this weekend than I’ve done in a while, so it’s worth sharing. First, I spent some time combing Craig’s List for some deals, and managed to nab a stack of Nintendo 64 games for just 20 dollars. Among the games are Rare’s Conker’s Bad Fur Day, which is a loose cartridge with the manual and the official strategy guide. I also got a copy of Mario Kart 64, which is especially lucky because I already had a complete version of that game that was missing the cartridge. The yellow Donkey Kong 64 cartridge in the bag was nothing of particular note, but it has the manual. I also have two separate official strategy guides for this game, one from Bradygames and one from Nintendo Power. One came in the bag and another was on the shelf at my local Salvation Army. Amusingly, there’s an ad with it for another official strategy guide from Nintendo Power which has, at the very least, a different cover than the NP guide I have. Among the other games are Duke Nukem Zero Hour, Star Wars Episode I Racer, Diddy Kong Racing, and a bunch more.

While I was at that Salvation Army I bought my fourth Sega Genesis console (yeah, I know, but you’ll find out why in a few weeks). That was nice because they had it on clearance for 50% off, which made the high $30 price tag a fair $15. Surprisingly, it had the manual and ads that came with the system and all the original hardware, which is a little harder to find than the systems themselves. A stop at my favorite retro game shop netted me a complete in box copy of Captain America and the Avengers for Genesis, one of my favorite games on the platform, for $10. I just spent an hour or so playing that game with my five year old daughter, and I can say it holds up very well. Except for the localization (above). What’s great about getting this game is that it will most likely never appear on Virtual Console because of the licensing conflict between Sega, Data East, and Marvel. On the other hand, we managed to get that pricey turd Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on there despite conflicts between whoever owns the Turtles these days, Konami, and Ubisoft… so who knows. While I was there I managed to resist buying a Dreamcast once again. I’m hoping to once again see one of those at a yard sale this year for under ten dollars. At the very least, I’ll be able to try out that cheap copy of Space Channel 5 I scored last year.

Did you find any great deals this weekend?

GAME> The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> Nintendo Power #119, April 1999

Wouldn’t have thought a Zelda game would have this many holes in it. In addition to the tedious-sounding unlimited money trick above, read on to discover how to gather 100+ tokens out of one poor Skulltula, or how to generate multiple empty bottles with a risky inventory trick.

GAME> Paper Mario (2001)
SYSTEM> N64
SOURCE> Electronic Gaming Monthly, 2001

Let’s welcome the New Year in obsessive compulsive style… with a massive chart detailing the location of all 160 Star Pieces hidden throughout Paper Mario! Complete scans after the jump. You could do worse things with $10 on the Virtual Console…