Download Digest: "..."
- April 23, 2007 17:53 PM PST
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GamePro lists the available downloads this week for the Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, and the PlayStation Store.
By Eugene Huang
While the titles available for download this week on next-gen consoles aren't necessarily "bad", they certainly don't succeed in turning people's heads either. Like, you won't expect friends to rummage through your game collection and exclaim, "Oh, schnap! You got Gradius III? Lemme play!"
Sadly enough, Gradius III might be the best title available on Virtual Console this week.
The downloadable titles on the other two consoles don't look half bad, but they don't inspire the enthusiasm usually commanded by a title like Symphony of the Night, for instance. But then again, not many games do, so maybe we're being too picky.
Anyway, let's get things started.
Wii
Once again, three titles have been made available for Virtual Console this week, and all of them are relics from the 16-bit era. But to our knowledge, none of them were known as system sellers per se, even during their respective heydays. The first is the SNES version of Gradius III, a popular side-scrolling shooter that continues the Gradius tradition of being annoyingly difficult. Thankfully, unlike the original arcade version of this game, the SNES programmers were at least kind enough to offer the option of continuing once all of your lives are lost. Apparently, frustration in limited dosages can be purchased for 800 Wii Points.
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Also available for 800 Wii Points is the Genesis version of Wonder Boy in Monster World. Yes, you read right. Wonder Boy in Monster World. For 800 Wii Points.
And last on the list is the TurboGrafx-16 version of Battle Lode Runner. Classic Lode Runner fun with a 5-player versus mode. 600 Wii Points.
Today, I present to Nintendo a serious question that they can answer in any way they choose:
Is the American version of the Virtual Console even trying anymore?
Xbox 360
For fans of the great pinball machines of the 90's -- you know, the ones with the flashing lights, electronic screens, and all of those nifty metal wire ramps -- Microsoft proudly presents Pinball FX for Xbox Live Arcade. Developed by the pinball experts at ZEN Studios, this game boasts realistic table physics not seen before in most pinball-to-video adaptations. The full version will contain three unique tables, but the developers promise to release new tables as future downloadable content. Although Microsoft has not yet announced a release date for this title, it can be safely assumed that this game represents this Wednesday's mandatory addition to the XBLA library.
PlayStation 3
Last week, GamePro mentioned that Super Rub a Dub would be offered on the PlayStation Store, but due to the fact that Sony failed to issue an official announcement, we half-expected that that wouldn't be the case. Unfortunately, pessimism won out, and Super Rub a Dub is still nowhere to be found. Logic suggests that it will finally be made available this Thursday, but we'll reserve our enthusiasm until we see it in writing.
There is the remote possibility that the PlayStation Store might see the addition of two games this week, with Incognito's Calling All Cars rumored to be released before the end of April. Considering that Sony only updates their network with new content on Thursdays, that leaves only one possible day left. But, much like the situation with Super Rub a Dub, we'll choose to get excited only after we receive an official announcement. This isn't the first time that this game has been delayed, after all.
