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This week's VC releases: Pac-Attack and Riot Zone!

8:00 AM on 01.14.2008, Nick Chester 18 comments

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For the second week in a row, Nintendo is delivering two -- not three -- games to the Wii Shop Channel. Not a huge deal, as Nintendo has done a great job of consistently offering new content each week. If memory serves me correctly, Nintendo haven't missed a single week since the Wii's launch, which is more than Sony and Microsoft can say about their respective services. 

But when I have absolutely no emotional connection to either of the titles, that's when it makes my job difficult. What can I possibly say about Pac-Attack (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)? It's a puzzle game featuring everyone's favorite pellet-chomping yellow ball thing. And Riot Zone (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) looks to be one of the many generic (yet fun) side-scrolling beat 'em ups that flooded the market in the early 90s. How generic? Hudson Soft's brawler features enemies with names like "Johnny," which you'll pummel in such settings as the harbor, an abandoned warehouse, and the ghetto.

Both games will be available on the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. PST.

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Jan. 14, 2008

This week you can spend your time carefully planning puzzle strategies or rescuing a damsel in distress. Help one of the most iconic characters in all of video gamedom eat some troublesome ghosts or set off to defeat an evil organization using only your furious fists. The choice is yours. What are you in the mood for?

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Pac-Attack (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Pac-Man makes a rare appearance outside of a maze environment in Pac-Attack, a fun and quirky puzzle game. This unique entry in the genre puts its own twist on established conventions and adds one of gaming's most iconic characters to the mix. The goal is simple: Keep your screen clear of falling blocks and ghosts by lining up blocks horizontally, causing them to disappear. Clearing the ghosts, though, requires the help of a hungry Pac-Man (who just happens to swing by every so often for a snack). It's up to you to get all of the ghosts lined up for him, because Pac-Man will keep eating them until he is stopped by a block or he runs out of ghosts. In addition, his range of movement on the playing field is limited to horizontal or downward—thus adding further strategy. There are three game modes to choose from: 1 Player Normal, 2 Player VS., and the challenging 1 Player Puzzle. Feel like gobbling up some ghosts?

Riot Zone (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Tobacco Reference, Violence, 800 Wii Points): Riot Zone is a side-scrolling fighting game that follows two heroes as they fight to take down an evil organization. The crime syndicate Dragon Zone has kidnapped Hawk's girlfriend and it's up to him and his partner detective, Tony, to get her back. Join them as they jump "fists first" into the grim Kowloon district. Play as Hawk or Tony and fight through all five stages in the deadly Kowloon district. Smash down the Dragon Zone goons in areas like the Harbor, Abandoned Warehouse and the Ghetto. Both characters have unique skills and attacks. Hawk is a master of karate, while Tony is a hard-hitter. That being said, both guys are massive and possess killer techniques. The hard-boiled action is enhanced by the game's realistic sound effects.

LAUNCH GALLERY (5 IMAGES)
Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo
 

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tsunamikitsune's Avatar
tsunamikitsune at 01/14/2008 08:26
I actually kind of like Pac-Attack, but the fact that I could hunt down a used copy of Pac-Man Collection for less than $8 (I paid $10 for it new a few years back), I think I'll pass.
Koobert's Avatar
Koobert at 01/14/2008 08:46
Why exactly would anyone wait for Keith Courage? You can have my copy of it, dude.
Savant's Avatar
Savant at 01/14/2008 09:01
I'm waiting for Keith Courage, believe it or not, because it was my fiancee's favorite game as a kid. It isn't a bad game, really. But it certainly isn't great, either.
Einhander's Avatar
Einhander at 01/14/2008 09:03
Riot Zone looks like another TG-16 clone of another popular Genesis game; I didn't realize that they were this bad with cloning!
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 01/14/2008 09:09
When are we getting some 3rd party platformers?

BTW, next year, are we scaling down VC releases to 1 game a week?

My fantasies for 2008: Mega Man, Bionic Commando, Duck Hunt, Castlevania 3.

I can't wait to get paid tomorrow. I'm going to bust a nut all over the VC and pick up like a dozen games I missed over the last few months.
dadudebob's Avatar
dadudebob at 01/14/2008 10:15
im always looking forward to monday for the vc games, this week not so much
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 01/14/2008 10:15
Sucky week is sucky.
skullivan's Avatar
skullivan at 01/14/2008 12:12
Nintendo hasn't missed a week because all they do is put up ROMs. Once WiiWare gets going, then they can be compared to XBLA and PSN.

Putting out two titles a week is just lame, especially when they're sucky. If you're gonna put up only two titles, one or both had better be a really good one.

At 2 games a week it would take them like 10 years just to release the entire NES library. That doesn't even cover SNES, Genesis, N64, Turbo, NEOGEO and whatever other systems they add to VC later (MSX, GB/GBC/GBA, SegaCD, 32X).

They should be releasing *at least* five games a week.
13thDragon's Avatar
13thDragon at 01/14/2008 12:25
"Whears' that warrant you promised?" lol
Batthink's Avatar
Batthink at 01/14/2008 12:35
@ 13thDragon; yeah, haha. You've got to love that Engrish.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 01/14/2008 14:58
Meh Meh Meh.

Where the hell is Mega Man? Every other territory has it!
Scary Womanizing Pig Mask's Avatar
Scary Womanizing Pig Mask at 01/14/2008 16:26
I think to have Pac-Attack for the GBC. I remember it being pretty fun, so I might download it. Wish the VC had demos.
Novakaine's Avatar
Novakaine at 01/14/2008 19:03
Why do you deny me Harvest Moon, Nintendo?!

*raises arms in despair*
dadudebob's Avatar
dadudebob at 01/15/2008 03:44
theyre almost at 200 games, 196, to be exact, so either 2 more weeks of 2 games or 1 more week of 4 games? #200 should be an important game, or something
Fading Star's Avatar
Fading Star at 01/15/2008 05:24
Riot Zone? Pac Attack? Cool.
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