This Week in Defunct Games - February 17, 2012

What Is It? Strider was the first must-own game of the 16-bit generation. It was an arcade-perfect port of one of Capcom's best games; the type of game that turned heads in the early days of the Sega Genesis. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave this blockbuster title the coveted game of the year award in 1990, making this the console's first killer app. After six long years, Nintendo has finally uploaded this genuine masterpiece to the Virtual Console. It's about time.

As the title suggests, you play a character named Strider Hiryu, a futuristic ninja on a mission to rescue Soviet Kazakh from a dictatorship. Political mumbo jumbo aside, Strider is a balls-to-the-wall action game where you wield a giant light sword that moves so fast enemies will barely be able to see you swing it. Through city streets, forests, mountains and even an airship, our hero tracks down evil wherever it hides. Now is your chance to find out why so many people consider this one of the best 16-bit games of all time.

Does It Still Hold Up? Like a lot of 1980s arcade games, there isn't a lot to the gameplay. You run from left to right slashing enemies and avoiding bullets. But Strider has a few surprises up its sleeves. You can coerce robotic animals to fight and extend your sword to reach across the television screen. Some levels will have you fighting on the ceiling, while others will force you to navigate tricky airships. Although the game is short, there's a surprising amount of variety in this 2D action game.

Is It Worth The Money? There are a lot of people that seem to think there are no more games worth releasing on the Wii Virtual Console. At 393 games, you could certainly argue that a lot of the biggest hits have come to the online service. But Strider proves that there are still countless video game gems just waiting to come home. Anybody that has read the site over the years knows that Strider is, without a doubt, one of my favorite video games. This port is flawless, offering one of the most exhilarating experiences on a 16-bit platform. After half a year of silence, Nintendo definitely chose the right game for the resurrection of the Wii Virtual Console.

What Is It? Long before he fought Wart, collected warp whistles, shot a water gun and traveled the galaxy looking for stars, Mario was just a regular dude. He and his brother were just regular old Italian Plumbers, nothing more than Mario Bros. It wasn't until the love of his life, the Mushroom Kingdom's princess, was kidnapped by an evil dinosaur that this working class hero leaped into action and became Super Mario.

Originally released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, this is Super Mario's very first adventure. Here you see the birth of the franchise's greatest trappings, like warp pipes, turtle shells, mushrooms and, of course, Toad. Through eight stages (each with four smaller levels) gamers have to contest with tough platforming challenges and even tougher boss fights. Although it was originally released on the 3DS as part of the Ambassador's Program, this is the first time Nintendo has made Super Mario Bros. available for sale on the Virtual Console store.

Does It Still Hold Up? This is the Super Mario Bros. you know and love, for better or worse. This Virtual Console release is based on the 27 year old NES game, not the slightly more modern 16-bit Super NES remake. The gameplay still manages to hold up, despite a few archaic moments from time to time. My only real gripe with this release is the Nintendo 3DS hardware. I find the button layout cramps my hand more than most games while playing Super Mario Bros. Too bad players aren't given a choice of button layout (like the Game Boy Advance re-releases).

Is It Worth The Money? For early adopters of the Nintendo 3DS this is essentially an off-week. Many of us downloaded this game months ago, taking a lot of the thrill out of today's announcement. Still, if you didn't get the games for free, the Super Mario Bros. is certainly worth checking out. By now you know what you're getting yourself into. Even if you've played the game a thousand times before, there's something downright intoxicating about the music and levels in Super Mario Bros.