Virtual Console No-Shows: Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf (NES)

101. Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf (NES, SNK)

Brief Synopsis – Despite the aggressive title, SNK’s “Fighting Golf” is devoid of any fisticuffs. In reality it’s a fairly rudimentary but well-programmed golf game for the NES, sponsored by one of the bigger names in the sport at the time, Lee Trevino, aka Supermex. In my opinion, which is based completely on memory :p , this is the best golfing title for the console.

Why is it Missing? – SNK Playmore have only gone so far as their NeoGeo software on the Virtual Console, and have completely ignored their NES output.  PSN has gotten several arcade ports, but I don’t think the arcade Fighting Golf is among them.  They could strip out Trevino and his likeness if they ever wanted to re-release the game, but if Crystalis, by far their best-hailed NES game, continues to be absent, I suspect a more curious title like this one will never see a second coming.

Other (Legal) Options – NES cartridge and old arcade boards, anyone?  Those are your only options.

Virtual Console No-Shows: Pokemon Stadium (N64)

100. Pokemon Stadium (N64, Nintendo/HAL Labs)

Brief Synopsis – Pokemon Stadium essentially was a clever marketing ploy by Nintendo that allowed players to send Pokemon from the first generation into three-dimensional battles!  The key selling point was the Transfer Pak attachment, which allowed you to upload your own Pokemon from the Game Boy Red, Blue and/or Yellow cartridges into the game to conquer its challenges.  As an overall game, there wasn’t too much to it beyond some mini-games, a tournament mode, the ability to play Pokemon Red, Blue or Yellow on TV,  and rendering the Pokemon battle engine into 3D, but it did quite well sales-wise and a sequel soon followed.

Why is it Missing? – Nintendo’s Pokemon empire is so far removed from its earliest days that this game would almost feel pointless.  Only 151 Pokemon to play as?  Not to mention the loss of using the Transfer Pak, which would cripple a lot of the appeal of this game.  I think it’s ultimately a relic in the history of the franchise, and that Nintendo is thinking of bigger and better things.

Other (Legal) Options – The game is a N64 stalwart, and you’ll need a Transfer Pak and a copy of the Game Boy Pokemon Red, Blue and/or Yellow to get the most out of it.  You may want to consider the sequel for the N64 as well, which features the ability to incorporate Pokemon from Gold/ Silver/Crystal on top of the original trilogy.

Virtual Console No-Shows: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Genesis)

99. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Genesis, Sega)

Brief Synopsis – Minnie Mouse has been taken by the sinister witch Mizrabel, who plots to steal way Minnie’s youth for her own evil purposes.  Mickey vows to save her, and enters the Castle of Illusion to win her back.  It’s a fairly standard platforming affair, with Mickey bouncing off of foes to conquer them, but it is programmed spectacularly, and is considered one of the best examples of the genre on the system.

Why is it Missing? – Licensing has a lot to do with it.  Much like Capcom’s Disney titles, Sega would need to talk Disney to re-release this, or Disney themselves (who probably retain the rights to their characters no matter who does the work) would have to become Virtual Console supporters.  I’m hoping that Disney will jump on board someday, because with the announcement of Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion for the 3DS, Disney is continuing the storyline Sega began with Castle and World of Illusion, and it would be great to be able to revisit those classics without having to hunt down Genesis cartridges and hardware.

Other (Legal) Options – The aforementioned Genesis cartridge and hardware is the only way as of right now.

Next time is Game #100!  I’ll really have to think about what to spotlight!

Virtual Console No-Shows: The Goonies II (NES)

Hm, America is apparently taking a significant break from the VC…again. XD  Onward, with another game that’s worthy of consideration!

98. The Goonies II (NES, Konami)

Brief Synopsis – Loosely based on the movie The Goonies (note – Americans only saw a NES release for the sequel to the original Famicom game, thus the inexplicable “II” in the title.  The first did see limited release in Nintendo’s Vs. System or Play Choice-10 arcade cabinets), you play as Mikey, who must rescue the rest of the Goonies and a randomly determined mermaid (wha?) from a small-time criminal family, the Fratellis.  You play the game in two perspectives, side-scrolling and first person, and the game has a Metroid-esque feel in how it progresses, with Mikey able to improve his skills to access new areas previously blocked off from him.  I haven’t had the good fortune to play it, but it’s supposedly very good.

Why is it Missing? – Two major reasons here: one is that it is a licensed game based on a movie, and two, we haven’t seen anything from Konami come west in a long time.  I suspect that Konami isn’t too keen on continuing to support the Wii VC, and especially not too keen on re-licensing this game no matter how good it is.  Let’s hope the NA/PAL 3DS Virtual Console will see some of their Game Boy games they’ve released in Japan recently, so I don’t have to write posts on those. XD

Other (Legal) Options – The NES is the lone console for you here.

Virtual Console No-Shows: Little Nemo the Dream Master (NES), Golden Axe Warrior (Master System)

With America taking a little break from the VC and Europe receiving the Game Boy Dr. Mario (already accessible on the Wii VC), I felt it was a good time to hit up a couple new titles missing from the service.

96. Little Nemo the Dream Master (NES, Capcom)

Brief Synopsis – As Little Nemo, a boy granted the ability to subdue monsters with candy and then take on some of their forms, you have to hunt down keys to progress deeper into Dream Land to rescue the entire kingdom from nightmares.  Another strong example of Capcom’s early licensing prowess.

Why is it Missing? – Capcom themselves have an answer for me this time.  Brelston, commenting on the game’s music on Capcom-unity, throws in this explanation:

The odd state of Little Nemo copyrights likely makes new content problematic, what with some content being public domain and other content belonging to various companies…

In short, licensing limbo is holding this back.

Other Legal Options -The NES cartridge is your only ticket.

97. Golden Axe Warrior (Master System, Sega)

Brief Synopsis – Since I haven’t played this, I’ll let Racketboy explain:

Golden Axe Warrior was a RPG spin-off of the popular Golden Axe arcade series that follows a young warrior who was trying to avenge the death of his parents by exploring nine caves and collecting missing diamonds. The infamous Death Adder, from Golden Axe, makes a cameo as the boss of the game.

Why is it Missing? – Sega’s backed off from releasing much for their own systems for the Wii Virtual Console as of late.  Barring Strider, they haven’t released anything on the service since April 2010.  Maybe with their involvement with emulating Game Gear games on the 3DS we’ll see some new stuff on the Wii VC, like this Zelda-esque adventure.

Other (Legal) Options – To my knowledge, this is a Master System exclusive.

Virtual Console No-Shows – Devil World (NES)

95. Devil World (NES, Nintendo)

Brief Synopsis – Shigeru Miyamoto’s stab at a maze arcade game, you control the adorable Tamagon, who must collect crosses to gain the ability to spit fire and combat the Devil’s forces.  After the first wave, you need to collect four bibles and unleash a seal to force the Devil off, but while you do these tasks the Devil forces the maze to move around in an attempt to crush Tamagon.

Why is it Missing? – It’s never landed here in American shores.  Any guesses why? :p  Seriously though, I think Nintendo of America is frightened of the religious mechanics in the game and have no plans on releasing it here.  Ever.  Shame, too, as it’s a clever take on the genre from what I can tell.  Europe and Japan do have the game on their VC service, too, which adds to the frustration.

Other (Legal) Options – Alas, there is not one in America barring importing hardware and software from other regions.

Virtual Console No-Shows: Contra (Arcade)

Due to school studying, I may need to limit myself back down to one game per week again.  That’s the case this week, alas.

94. Contra (Arcade, Konami)

Brief Synopsis – A run-n’-gun legend, where two marines armed with a multitude of weaponry (yet no body armor?!?) take on a massive alien horde.  The origin of the classic franchise.

Why is it Missing? – Konami, as mentioned often as of late, have seemingly backed completely away from Nintendo’s Virtual Console services.  The last one we saw in America was Castlevania: Rondo of Blood in early 2010 – before that, it was Life Force in early 2009.  Why they’ve decided to cease support is unknown, but it’s a huge detriment to Nintendo’s services, that’s for sure, as Konami’s output in the 80s and 90s was phenomenal.

Other (Legal) Options – For the arcade Contra, the game is on Xbox Live and the DS comp Konami Arcade Hits.  The NES one, arguably the best version, has its options detailed out here.

Virtual Console No-Shows: Hyperzone (SNES), Kabuki: Quantum Fighter (NES), Revenge of the ‘Gator (Game Boy)

91. Hyperzone (SNES, HAL Labs)

Brief Synopsis – A rail shooter that plays very heavily with the Mode 7 technology of the Super NES to create a 3D-esque world.  Flying Omelette has a lovely little shrine for the game for those curious.

Why is it Missing? – HAL Labs as a developer are horribly underrepresented on the Virtual Console in terms of their own content (which is why I’m doing three of their titles today).  There’s no shortage of Kirby games, and the Lolo series is well covered, but that’s not all HAL did (There’s Metal Slader Glory, too, but that’s Japan-only)!  There’s a lot of experimentation with HAL that would be great to see on the Virtual Console, like with Hyperzone’s unique spin on the shooter predating Nintendo’s Starfox.  Alas, much like Arcana and the two others on this list, it may not be possible due to either Nintendo’s reluctance towards their second party’s independent titles seeing daylight or HAL’s own indifference.

Other (Legal) Options – Super NES cartridges are the only medium it appeared on.

92. Kabuki: Quantum Fighter (NES, HAL Labs/Human Ent.)

Brief Synopsis – One of the more interesting (i.e. bizarre) games on the NES, your hero is Scott O’Connor, descendant of a proud line of Kabuki actors, who digitally enters a rampaging defense computer, takes on the guise of a Kabuki, and spends the majority of his game flinging his long hair and chip-based artillery to take on the CPU.  A little kooky, that it is.  Human Entertainment developed this one, and it’s a bit like Sunsoft’s Batman.  HG101 has a full article if interested.

Why is it Missing? – This one may not be in HAL’s court to re-release.  Pack-In Video (which sounds more like a VHS rental chain than a game publisher to me) had the Japanese rights to the game, and it’s likely that Human Entertainment retained their license for their own work.  Alas, that’s all speculation, but this would be a great game to re-release if everyone could get together.

Other (Legal) Options – NES only!

93. Revenge of the ‘Gator (Game Boy, HAL Labs)

Brief Synopsis – A pinball game with a lot of alligators.  And it’s really good, from what I understand.

Why is it Missing? – With the Game Boy Virtual Console still in its infancy, it’s too early to predict this game’s fate.  With any luck, it’ll be popping up in the near future.

Other (Legal) Options – The Game Boy alone will serve you here.

Virtual Console No-Shows – Contra Hard Corps (Genesis), Decap Attack (Genesis), The Final Fantasy Legend (Game Boy)

88. Contra Hard Corps (Genesis, Konami)

Brief Synopsis – The lone unique chapter of the Contra franchise to make it to a Sega console, Hard Corps stands out from its cousins by featuring characters with their own specialized arsenal and talents, as well as multiple paths to choose throughout the insane action.  Otherwise, it’s pretty standard 2D Contra fare, which is of course excellent.

Why is it Missing? – Seems like I’m repeating myself a lot these days, but it’s still the same situation – Konami didn’t work on getting anything of their Genesis backlog set up for the Virtual Console (or elsewhere).  Doesn’t help that the service is relatively dormant.

Other (Legal) Options – Unfortunately, there’s only the Genesis.  As I said, Konami’s apparently uninterested in reviving the Sega side of their 16-bit output.

89. Decap Attack (Genesis, Sega/Vic Tokai)

Brief Synopsis – As Chuck D. Head, a reanimated mummy with its face in its torso (don’t ask), you have to stop the machinations of the crazy Mad D. Cap.  It’s a westernized version of Vic Tokai’s Magical Hat no Buttobi Tabo! Daibōken.  A quirky platformer, that’s for sure.

Why is it Missing? – A good question, that.  Sega clearly retained rights to it since they’ve put it on both their recent Genesis compilations, but it never made the leap onto the Virtual Console.  No concrete idea for this one.

Other (Legal) Options – Sega, as I said, has two Genesis comps that feature this – the PS2 Sega Genesis Collection, and the PS3/Xbox 360 Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection.  Probably easier to find compared to the Genesis cartridge.

90. The Final Fantasy Legend (Game Boy, Square-Enix)

Brief Synopsis – This is actually not Final Fantasy at all, but a rebranded Makai Toushi Sa·Ga, aka the beginning of Square’s experimental SaGa franchise.  Since I’ve not had the pleasure of giving this a go, here’s a summary of the game courtesy of Wikipedia:

In The Final Fantasy Legend, the player navigates a character throughout the game world with a party of up to four characters, exploring areas and interacting with non-player characters. Most of the game occurs in towns, castles, caves, and similar areas. To aid exploration on the field screen, the game makes use of various signs within towns.  The player is initially limited to the World of Continent to explore, and given access to later worlds as his or her party climbs the Tower. Players can save their game anytime and anywhere when not in combat to a save slot for later play.

Players can journey between field screen locations via the world map, a downsized representation of Final Fantasy Legend‘s various worlds. Players can freely navigate around the world map screen unless restricted by terrain, such as water or mountains. The goal in each world is to find the entrance to the next level of the Tower. Random enemy encounters occasionally interrupt travel across the world map screen and hostile areas, as in other Final Fantasy related games.

Why is it Missing? – Square-Enix is a little slow to jump onto the Virtual Console bandwagon.  It took them some time to get onto the Wii VC, and I imagine they’re binding their time for their Game Boy lineup.  However, another factor could play into this – Sunsoft of all publishers relicensed the release of this and other GB Final Fantasy titles in 1998, and maybe in some bizarre twist they hold the rights to the Game Boy code.  To counteract this argument, Square-Enix has ported the game following this licensing to the Wonderswan (2002) and mobile Japanese phones (2007).  Regardless of who holds the NA rights, we have yet to see them as of right now.

Other (Legal) Options – There’s two NA releases for the Game Boy, doubling its chances of being found.  Beyond that, unless you have access to Japanese mobile networks or a Wonderswan, that’s all you’ve got.

Virtual Console No-Shows – Strider (NES), Metal Walker (Game Boy Color)

No Virtual Console support for America this week?  When Europe gets the nifty Trip World AND 3D Classics – Kid Icarus?  For shame!  A quick double dose of Capcom gaming we could have had, then!

86. Strider (NES, Capcom)

Brief Synopsis – Unlike its arcade cousin, the NES Strider is infused with some RPG elements, a bit of Metroid-style exploration and backtracking, the gathering of gear to get to certain areas a la Zelda, and follows the plot of the manga it’s based on.  It’s a little wonky due to some spotty programming, but it’s a good game in its own right.

Why is it Missing? – Considering its more famous arcade cousin has only just made it to the Virtual Console in Japan (and it’s the Genesis port to boot), it’s clear that Capcom has had some intentions of getting Strider Hiryu back into the collective minds of gamers.  With the Wii Virtual Console in limbo, though, and the Genny port hibernating for Westerners, it’s doubtful the less popular NES Strider will see the light of day without some major resurrection of the concept.

Other (Legal) Options – Lucky for you, there’s more than the NES cartridge.  Capcom released a three-pack of NES titles for the Game Boy Advance very late into its lifeline called Capcom Classics Mini-Mix.  I’ve harped about it quite a bit on LVLs., since it’s the best way of getting the NES Bionic Commando on something remotely modern legally.  Strider is also a part of that package, and along with Mighty Final Fight, it’s a good way to get some portable gaming goodness for that handheld.  I don’t know how tricky that is to find now, though.

87. Metal Walker (Game Boy Color, Capcom)

Brief Synopsis – Having never played this, I’m going to let Wikipedia do the explanation of this mecha RPG for me:

Metal Walker’s battles are unique from other games in the genre due to their billiard-style nature. Players move their Metal Walkers across the battlefield by hitting them into items, walls, or enemy Metal Walkers.

More here.

Why is it Missing? – The Game Boy Color side of the 3DS Virtual Console is a little slow.  I expect that Capcom’s titles will appear eventually, and since this was fairly well praised, this may be among the earlier releases from them.  It’d fill a nice JRPG void in the current line-up, that’s for sure.

Other (Legal) Options - It’s only available on the GBC, and I’d imagine it’s rarer than most.