This Week in Defunct Games - July 5, 2011

What Is It? Released a year after the Super NES, Mega Man 5 is the perfect example of Capcom phoning it in. The Blue Bomber is back for yet another formulaic platforming adventure. Instead of jumping to the 16-bit SNES, Capcom decided to stick with the woefully outdated Nintendo Entertainment System. The result is a predictable grind of questionable bosses, cheap level designs and a whole lot of annoying technical problems.

While the Mega Man robots have never been the most original lot, the Mega Man 5 baddies are even more unoriginal than normal. With names like Wave Man, Crystal Man, Star Man and Gravity Man, these bosses sound like they were named by a hippy commune. The manliest robot of the bunch is Napalm Man, and even he sounds like he's overcompensating for something. And did I mention Gyro Man? Perhaps this was Capcom's attempt at targeting Greek gamers. Even die-hard fans of this series have to be embarrassed by the little care Capcom put into this long-running franchise.

Does It Still Hold Up? Breaking news: Mega Man 5 controls exactly like a Mega Man game. Okay, so that isn't exactly the world's most shocking announcement, but I had to do something to make this fifth installment interesting. It's worth mentioning that this 1992 game does try a few new tricks, such as a level that literally has players walking on the ceiling. Unfortunately, a lot of the more ambitious ideas end up in slowdowns and other glitches.

Is It Worth The Money? At this point the only reason to buy Mega Man 5 is to complete the collection. With stale levels and cheesy bosses, this 8-bit NES game isn't worth the five dollars. Then again, seeing as the Virtual Console's output has trickled to one game a month (at best), this may be the best you can do for a while. There's a reason Capcom was forced to give Mega Man a lengthy hiatus, and Mega Man 5 perfectly illustrates each and every one of those reasons. The most depressing part? There's still another 8-bit Mega Man game for Capcom to release.

What Is It? In some ways Final Fantasy III is the perfect ending for the Wii's Virtual Console. Not that there aren't more games worth adding to the service, but this is the perfect game if you want to go out on a high note. Best of all, like the Virtual Console it plays on, Final Fantasy III is the end of an era. This was the last time we saw Square make traditional overhead role-playing game, instead pushing the boundaries of graphics and interactive worlds. It also doesn't hurt that this third U.S. release (the sixth in the series) is also one of the best Final Fantasy has to offer.

At its core this is nothing more than a traditional RPG, where a band of heroes goes on a journey to collect items, fight monsters and save the world. But don't let that fool you, because Final Fantasy III offers an amazing story full of a variety of activities. It's also one of the only role-playing games I've played to make you get up on stage and act out an opera. Even 17 years later, Square's expert storytelling and well-honed combat will keep you engaged from start to finish.

Does It Still Hold Up? With huge bosses, impressive magic spells and a vibrant world to explore, Final Fantasy III is among the best looking 16-bit games of all time. The gameplay mechanics and progression also holds up, though some may find fault with the random battles. After spending so much time with this and Final Fantasy IV (which I recently reviewed on the PSP), I am more convinced than ever that Square needs to make a retro-style Final Fantasy sequel.

Is It Worth The Money? Final Fantasy III is one of the greatest games of all time. It has a deep, yet inviting story, tons of memorable characters and a world you can't wait to jump into. The graphics look great and the game mechanics are as good as ever. The best news is that this classic RPG will also be coming to the PSN, playable on the PSP, PlayStation 3 and Vita. No matter if you spend the $8 on this incredible adventure game or wait for Sony's port, pencil in some time to quest through Final Fantasy III.

What Is It? After remaking/updating everything from Tempest to Defender to Pong, it was only a matter of time before Atari got around to Missile Command. This mildly interesting reimagining manages to add everything you would expect (polygonal graphics, boss fights, cheesy FMV, etc.) while mostly capturing what was fun in the original game. Instead of a trackball you use the system's D-pad, using the targeting system to shoot down incoming missiles. Do this enough and you'll be rewarded with a new background and enemy. The end result is a fun take on the original formula, but a bit too shallow for today's gamer.

Does It Still Hold Up? The good news is you can switch the cursor when playing Missile Command on the PS3 and PSP, thus allowing gamers a chance to use an analog stick instead of the D-pad. That alone keeps this game from receiving a failing score, but still isn't enough to fully recommend. The graphics aren't bad and the action is fast, but the whole ordeal becomes too repetitive for its own good.

Is It Worth The Money? I was surprised by how much fun I had with Missile Command. I went in not expecting much, but clearly Atari found a way to reinvent this arcade hit. If you don't mind repetitive levels, then you'll have a good time with the game's single-player mode. Even though I had fun, there wasn't enough to keep me going for very long. If you're the type of person who loved the original Missile Command, then give this game a try. Everybody else should wait for something better to come along.

What Is It? When I first heard that Tekken was recently uploaded to the PSN, I'll admit that I was skeptical. Surely this original 1995 launch game has already been released on PSN. It's been five long years since Sony uploaded Tekken 2 to the service, so this must be a mistake. It turns out that it's not a mistake; the original Tekken is finally ready to be downloaded.

You know the story: A bunch of characters choose to take part in the Iron Fist tournament and prove their worth. The selection is small (just 18 characters), but large enough to introduce us to some of the most memorable characters in the fighting game genre. We're talking about Yoshimitsu, Jack, Nina Williams and, of course, Heihachi. Fans of the series will be shocked at how basic this original Tekken is, full of weird glitches and an iffy combo system. Still, there's a lot of gameplay to be had for a small price.

Does It Still Hold Up? The gameplay still holds up, though a lot of the moves and combos found in newer games are completely missing. The graphics are also poor, a byproduct of the rushed development cycle. There are some cool cinemas and console-exclusive characters, but that may not be enough to make up for the woefully outdated feel.

Is It Worth The Money? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Tekken marks the first PS1 fighting game released on the PSN this year (Pocket Fighters doesn't count as it doesn't work on all devices ... and isn't really a fighting game). There's certainly nothing wrong with the original Tekken, though it's certainly weird to see it released so late. With Tekken 2 already available (and Tekken 3 coming out eventually), it's hard to go back to this 1995 launch game. If you're serious about fighting games then give Tekken a shot, but everybody else should go ahead and pick a newer model.