Every Thursday Defunct Games wants to take a moment and reflect on all of the classic games that were given new life. Thanks to video game compilations, Nintendo's Virtual Console, the Xbox Live Arcade and even the PlayStation 3, fans of retro games are able to find all sorts of crazy old games. But what games are good? How well have these games held up? Which ones should you spend your money on? In This Week In Defunct Games we plan on answering those questions in both written and audio podcast form. So without further ado I give you the podcast version of This Week In Defunct Games, followed by our full guide to the best (and worst) classic games of the week.
NOTE: My hand may be better but that only means that I'm spending all of my time playing catch-up, which is probably the worst game of the year. This means that for another week we won't have a podcast, but don't worry, we're planning a major new podcast right now and chances are you will be listening to it in a week's time. I hope you can wait that long! Thankfully you can still enjoy my take on these three Virtual Console games ...
Ninja Spirit (Virtual Console)
What Is It?
At some point in life everybody has an argument over which is cooler: ninjas or pirates. While I'm sure there are a lot of people around the world that would choose pirates, there's no denying that when it comes to video games ninjas are the clear winner. Between Ninja Gaiden, I-Ninja and just plain old Ninja, video games have had a love affair with masked men and their powerful martial art moves. While other franchises have hogged the spotlight there is one ninja game that stand above the rest, a 2D action game that almost nobody owns but everybody should play. I'm talking about Ninja Spirit, the TurboGrafx-16 action game that is not only one of the best ninja games ever made but also one of the most exciting sidescrollers ever produced. Ninja Spirit combines the fun and excitement of Contra with the appeal of the ancient Asian warriors, complete with amazing boss battles, several different weapons (all that can be upgraded) and shadow fighters that are both effective and cool looking. Better yet, this TurboGrafx-16 game features two different ways to play the game - an arranged console game and the arcade game. Sure Ninja Gaiden gets all the press, but it's Ninja Spirit that deserves your full attention this week.
Does It Still Hold Up?
Ninja Spirit holds up for two specific reasons. On one hand it's always been an amazing action game, the combat is fast and the controls are responsive. But on the other hand we're talking about a classic game that almost nobody had a chance to play back in the early 1990s. What sets this game apart from the rest of the ninja games is that you start with several weapons you can switch from at any time, I'm talking about everything from dynamite to swords to ninja stars to this weird hook thing that extends to about half of the screen. And what's more is that these four weapons can be upgraded along the way. In fact, the power-ups in Ninja Spirit are still better than most modern ninja games (or action games for that matter). This may be a 2D experience, but Ninja Spirit still feels as fresh today as it did back in 1990.
Is It Worth The Money?
There are a lot of good games on the Virtual Console that you should spend time with, but Ninja Spirit is a GREAT game, the kind of game that you would be foolish not to buy. At $6 this is a steal, the game would be well worth buying at $40 or $50, so you shouldn't bat an eye at six dollars. Not only do you get one of the best TurboGrafx-16 games of all time, but you get to experience it in two slightly different ways. Now is your chance to finally play this forgotten gem, so don't make the same mistake and miss out on one of the best action games of all time.
Pac-Man (Virtual Console)
What Is It?
It's only one of the most popular video games of all time, an icon that has been around longer than Sonic, Zelda and even Mario! It's Pac-Man, the dot eating hero that loves fruit and hates ghosts. The good news is that Pac-Man on the NES is a mostly accurate recreation of the arcade hit, the graphics are a little washed out but the actual feel of the game is spot on. The bad news is that this is just Pac-Man, the same old game we've seen in countless collections already. Just like its arcade brother, this NES Pac-Man features level after level of mazes that you need to clear in order to beat your high score. Unlike Ms. Pac-Man and other Pac-related titles, the original Pac-Man only features one maze, so the only way to tell the difference between levels is the speed and fruit. Still, Pac-Man remains addictive because of its simple game play and ease of use. All this remains true in this NES version of Pac-Man, even if the graphics aren't quite as "good" as what we saw in the arcade.
Does It Still Hold Up?
I know it's probably asking a lot, but wouldn't it be nice if Nintendo allowed companies to actually enhance their retro games? I'm not looking for brand new graphics or crazy 5.1 music or anything, but just little things that made the game better. As I played the Virtual Console version of Pac-Man I couldn't help but want online leader boards and cleaner graphics. When other consoles are going that extra step (and charging the exact same price) it tends to make the Virtual Console version feel like a rip off. The good news is that this version of Pac-Man (like most versions of Pac-Man) feels exactly like the arcade game, which will no doubt remind us old gamers of how crazy addictive the game was in the first place. The fact that the controls are so simple is the brilliance of Pac-Man, no matter how old that pizza-shaped guy gets he still gets the job done. I suppose the kids that grew up with Grand Theft Auto and Halo will wonder what the appeal was/is, but there's no denying that Pac-Man was a good game then and remains a solid game now.
Is It Worth The Money?
If you're one of the many people who owns an Xbox 360 then you're better off buying that version for the exact same price. Let's face it, the Xbox 360 version of Pac-Man is arcade perfect, offers leader boards, includes some optional enhancements and is easily the best version of Pac-Man released on a home console. If you don't own Microsoft's next gen console then you're better off spending the money on one of the dozens of Namco collections that feature Pac-Man. That's not to say that this version of Pac-Man isn't good, but with so many better (I.E.: arcade perfect) versions on the market there's no reason to pick up this one.
Ninja Gaiden (Virtual Console)
What Is It?
It's the other (more popular) ninja game of the week. It's Ninja Gaiden, the single best ninja game ever made for Nintendo's 8-bit console. While it shares the same name as a "hit" arcade game, Ninja Gaiden is actually a 2D action game and not a faux-3D brawler. You play Ryu Hayabusa off on an adventure to battle evil and whatnot. What really sets this action game apart from all the other ninja games of the era (or action games for that matter) is that there's this strong narrative running through the whole thing. Looking back at the story today it's almost comical (especially the cheesy dialog), but it's unique to have such a strong action game using cinemas to tell what ends up being a rather lengthy story. But even though the action is solid and the story is interesting, it's important that you realize that this is one of the hardest video games ever made. A lot of new gamers may be tempted to pick this up on the name alone, but Ninja Gaiden has a punishing difficulty that will test you every step of the way. If you can put up with an unfair level of difficulty you will no doubt discover that Ninja Gaiden is one of the very best 8-bit games of all time.
Does It Still Hold Up?
Although it may look and feel a bit dated in a world of 3D graphics and ten hit combos, Ninja Gaiden is able to retain most of its charm. What worked in this 2D game nearly twenty years ago still feels fresh and exciting, the levels are a lot of fun and the bosses are all very cool (if not a little too difficult). The only real problem I have with Ninja Gaiden is the extreme difficulty, which at times feels like it's daring you to finish the game. While the first few levels aren't all that difficult, by the time you reach level six you'll be grasping for air. The final level is so unfair that you almost need a cheat device to beat it, something that you aren't going to find on the Wii. That's not to say that it can't be done, but there's just something troubling about losing to the end boss and then having to go through the entire last level all over again. If you though the Xbox Ninja Gaiden was hard then you ain't seen nothing yet!
Is It Worth The Money?
On any other week Ninja Gaiden would likely be the best game of the week, it's an amazing (if not punishing) action game that is full of great level designs and a fun (albeit cheesy) story. But this is no ordinary week, because Ninja Gaiden is forced to compete with a slightly stronger ninja game: Ninja Spirit. The good news is that you can buy both and not feel ripped off. While it's true that both games share some similarities, Ninja Gaiden is able to hold its own. In truth the one you like more will probably come down to personal taste, I personally prefer Ninja Spirit, but I can certainly understand why somebody would want to play Ninja Gaiden. Regardless of which way you go you won't be disappointed, Ninja Gaiden is a fantastic game that is worth every penny.
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