This week's VC releases: Ralf Jones and Mike Jones are not related

9:46 AM on 01.07.2008   |   Nick Chester

49 comments

Traditionally (with a few exceptions), Nintendo has dropped three Virtual Console titles each Monday. But to kick off the new year, Nintendo have decided to say "Screw you!" to tradition, this week only offering two classics on the Wii Shop Channel. 

The first is the action-adventure/role-playing game Star Tropics (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points), which holds the distinction of being one of Nintendo's earliest games that was solely intended to be marketed towards an English speaking audience. This is evident in many aspects of the game, the least of which is that the main character is not only a baseball player, but is named Mike Jones, which wins the award for most generic sounding American name of 1990. If memory serves me correct, this game also features dolphins; I can hear Chad Concelmo squealing from across the country.

For gamers just looking to kick the crap out of each other, The King of the Fighters '94 (Neo-Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points) might be a better bet. For those not familiar with the series, the King of the Fighters games feature an SNK all-star orgy cast, with this particular installment home to characters from all sorts of games, ranging from Art of Fighting to Ikari Warriors.

Both games should be on the Shop Channel by 9 a.m. Pacific time. The full press release (along with coffee and cake) can be found after the jump.

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

Jan. 7, 2008

Can't believe it's already 2008? Soothe that sense of future shock with a visit to the Wii Shop Channel, where we've just added a pair of awesome vintage games from way back in the 20th century. This week's new offerings include an unpredictable island-hopping adventure and a legendary fighting title, each guaranteed to deliver classic gaming excitement throughout the new year and beyond.

Two new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel 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:

Star Tropics™ (NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): Find out just how resourceful you can be in this classic game, with its mixture of adventure and RPG elements. Step into the shoes of Mike Jones, a teenage star pitcher from Seattle who has come to the tropics to visit his famous archeologist uncle, Dr. Jones. After being told that his uncle has been abducted, Mike begins a perilous quest in order to rescue him and figure out the mysterious plot behind his disappearance. Luckily for Mike, he meets helpful villagers and finds more powerful weapons as he explores numerous locations and island-hops using his uncle's submarine. You'll never know what to expect next as the cosmic story unfolds over the course of eight action-packed chapters, ranging from Dr. Jones's lab on C-Island to an alien spacecraft. Who knew a tropical vacation could turn into a mission to save the world?

THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Animated Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Alcohol & Tobacco Reference, Violence, 900 Wii Points): As the first game in the long-running KING OF FIGHTERS series, THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94 brought together popular characters from other well-known franchises and pitted them against each other. Match warriors from Fatal Fury against favorites from its sister series, Art of Fighting. Or see if the casts of the Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier series better suit your fighting style. Plus, there's a set of brand new characters, exclusive to the KOF series, who are willing to join the fray. But there's a twist: Instead of the standard best-two- out-of-three-rounds fight setup, players choose one of eight teams, each made up of three teammates. To win, all members of the other team must be eliminated before your fighters are knocked out. Use the game's power gauge to inflict maximum damage and end the round with a devastating finishing move. It's a battle royal unlike anything else-a game whose inspiration is easily seen in the fighting games that followed it. Can your team be the last one standing?