Three new games just hit the virtual console and I wouldn’t be surprised if Streets of Rage 3 was the hit of the bunch. The final entry (so far!) in the Streets of Rage series keeps the two player beat-em-up action and throws in three secret characters to play as. Give Blaze a break and try out Roo the kangaroo or Shiva, Mr. X’s Bodyguard.
Kirby’s Avalanche may be worth a look if you didn’t get the other Puyo Puyo clone, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. If you’re into obscure games check out Irem’s Legend of Hero Tonma, a TurboGrafx-16 arcade port where you throw multidirectional fireballs.
Unfortunately, Nintendo of America isn’t releasing any rare stuff like Mario Picross, Super Mario Brothers 2 or Sin & Punishment. The latter just landed in Japan and is coming to Europe soon. I have my fingers crossed Nintendo of America doesn’t forget about it.
Kirby’s Avalanche™ (Super NES®, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii
Points): Everyone’s favorite round, pink hero takes a break from swallowing his enemies to put your brain to work in this fast-paced puzzle game. Players take control of Kirby and match wits with well-known enemies from the Kirby series (including his archrival, King Dedede) in an effort to win the First Annual Dream Land Avalanche Competition. The simple-but-addictive game play revolves around brightly colored blobs and boulders. When the right amount of matching blobs are stacked, they explode and rain down on your opponent’s field of play. Repeat this until your screen is clear to move on to the next round. But be careful—the farther you advance, the faster the blobs fall and the smarter the opponents get. Are you good enough to help Kirby become the avalanche king?
Streets of Rage™ 3 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and
Older – Violence, 800 Wii Points): Just when you thought the world was safe from the Syndicate and its shady leader, Mr. X, they have returned to torment the city once again. Mr. X has developed lifelike robots to take the place of various city officials so he can be in complete control. Now it’s up to our old heroes Axel, Skate and Blaze to stop the threat with their amazing fighting skills. With more weapons and combat moves, as well as secret characters and various endings, this return to the streets is one you won’t want to miss.
LEGEND OF HERO TONMA (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone – Mild
Cartoon Violence, 600 Wii Points): LEGEND OF HERO TONMA is an action game that puts players in control of the magic-user Tonma, whose role – as was typical for game heroes of the day – is to travel to another world and save the princess. Fight your way through seven stages using Tonma’s jump ability and shot power. Collect power-ups and barriers to grow in strength and pummel your enemies. Bring that strength to the end of each stage to face off against and defeat the menacing bosses that aim to keep you from the princess. This well-detailed game’s comic visuals and feel will have players wanting to come back for more frantic and exciting action.
