This Week in Defunct Games - July 27, 2010

What Is It? It's Aero the Acro-Bat and it's the first Virtual Console release in four weeks. Without exception, this is the longest Virtual Console hiatus yet, one that sends a troubling message. Nintendo has three weeks to come up with a classic game to upload, and they decided on Aero the Acro-Bat? If I wasn't convinced that Nintendo's classic game service was on its last legs before, I certainly am now.

But enough about Nintendo's crummy handling of the Virtual Console -- we're here to talk about Aero the Acro-Bat. Originally released on both the Super NES and Sega Genesis, Aero was Sunsoft's answer to Sonic the Hedgehog. You play as a flexible bat who spends most of his time under the big top. It almost doesn't matter what the set-up is, what makes this game stand out from the rest of the 2D platformers was the unique setting and crazy game mechanics associated with this bat hero. But don't get too excited, because Aero only has a limited amount of fun. The single-player game is short and unremarkable, and once it's done there's no reason to go back for seconds. Aero may have something new to say about 2D platforming, but I'm not so sure it's actually worth hearing.

Does It Still Hold Up? The gameplay is precise and there are some clever mechanics sprinkled here and there, but Aero the Acro-Bat doesn't even come close to holding up against the Mario and Sonic games of the world. Hell, it barely stands up next to the second tier of mascot games, including Bubsy the Bobcat and EA's B.O.B. The music isn't bad and the setting is fun for a few levels, but nobody is going to call Aero the Acro-Bat an unappreciated masterpiece.

Is It Worth The Money? A Virtual Console drought can do crazy things to a man, which may be why Aero the Acro-Bat is not getting a "stop" rating. After three weeks, I'm tempted to love just about anything. But alas, I need to keep my head on straight for Aero the Acro-Bat. I will admit there have been times when I've had a lot of fun playing Aero the Acro-Bat, even thoiugh I knew it wasn't close to the competition. And who knows, maybe this game would have been worth it for four or five dollars. But $8 is asking a bit much, and one of many reasons I can't quite recommend this long-overdue Virtual Console release.