Downloads #9

It feels like it's been forever since I download some digital games, over a month in fact. So I picked up my first DSi Points card and two Wii Points cards. Here's what I bought.

Mighty Flip Champs (DSiWare)

I've been listening to the Mighty Switch Force! Official Soundtrack so much that I just had to download the first two Mighty games. Mighty Flip Champs may seem a bit simple and a bit pricey for 800 points, but after playing a few stages, it was so worth it. Playing as Alta, your objective is to rescue your friends and reach Fishman to complete the stage. Sounds easy enough but each stage is populated with all kinds of nasty traps and hazards and Alta is a one hit point wonder. The main gameplay mechanic here is that Alta can flip between areas of the level. The current area shes in is the top screen, where she'll end up next when flipping is displayed on the bottom screen. Levels can have up to two to six areas. I've already died a ton of times and I've just started out. It's great when you finally figure out the solution to clearing a stage. You're ranked on how much time it takes you clear a level and how many flips you use. Thus far I've only gotten two S ranks and a few B ranks. Mighty Flip Champs is great for long and short play periods. I was able to clear one stage yesterday before clocking on at work.

Mighty Milky Way (DSiWare)

Since I downloaded Mighty Flip Champs, getting Mighty Milky Way only seemed natural. Unlike Mighty Flip Champs, Mighty Milky Way is played almost completely with the stylus takes some huge risks with gameplay being completely different from it's predecessor. Controlling Luna, instead of rescuing friends in numerous rooms, you're out in space, pulsing off planets to reach the gateway exit. You don't really have direct control over Luna. All she can do is run around planets and pulse off them via gravitational pull. Like Mighty Flip Champs, Mighty Milky Way offers simple but brilliant gameplay. I wanted to try this one out a bit and I'm still getting used to making different sized planets and the play style of pulsing. I'd like to finish Mighty Flip Champs before moving on to Mighty Milky Way, but we'll see how that goes. So worth the 800 points.

Super Mario RPG (SNES)

Back when I was first getting into RPGs, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was among the earliest that I'd played, getting it as a present on my 15th birthday. Even if you aren't into RPGs, I still recommend this game. It has lot of elements from the Super Mario series, you can see enemies on the field and avoid combat if you wish, and said combat is pretty involving thanks to timed hits. If memory serves this is the first time Mario and Bowser ever teamed up and it was great to have the King of the Koopas on your side. I'm really looking forward to playing through this game again. I've been trying to get into RPGs but their time consuming nature has kept me away as of late. It usually takes me under 30 hours to finish Super Mario RPG so it should be perfect for me when I want an RPG to play.

Mario Kart 64 (N64)

The first 3D Mario Kart. I haven't played Mario Kart 64 in ages so I was a bit worried how I'd feel about this one. Thankfully, it's still a lot of fun to play, even if the controls are pretty slippery on turns. The track designs are still some of my favorites and when you get hit by an item, you really feel it, unlike the last few Mario Karts where being hit with a shell seemed like a minor problem at best. As much as I love the original Super Mario Kart, it saddens me to say that Time Trials just aren't as fun in that game. The drifting and mini turbos in Mario Kart 64 made Time Trial a far better experience. I do find it interesting that 150CC and the Special Cup was available from the get go when I started the game up. You usually have to unlock that stuff, but I'm guessing Nintendo wanted to make more of the game accessible. Maybe I'm a bit rusty but even on 50CC, the AI is putting up a fight. I had to defend my place on all three laps on each race!

Gradius III (SNES)

Gradius III was my introduction to the Gradius series and I'm happy to report that even with slowdown, Gradius III on the SNES is still a fantastic shooter. Though I've played the arcade version on Gradius III & IV on the PS2, the SNES version is still my preferred version because it shows some mercy on the player. Some of the music on the SNES version also sounds a bit more fleshed out, another nice difference between the two games. That's not to the arcade version's music is bad, certainly not, just the SNES music sounds a tad more lively. By the time I made it to Accident Road (the stage with the really intense speed) I'd lost my first few lives and started using continues on the following boss rush stage.

Zanac (NES)

Man, I wish Compile was still around. Space Megaforce, MUSHA, Blazing Lazers; they made some of the best shooters. I was fortunate enough to pick up the NES version of Zanac some five years ago and loved it. Imagine my surprise when I browsed the NES games on the Virtual Console and saw Zanac. Finally got around to downloading it last night. If you've never played Zanac before, it operates on a fluctuating difficulty. The firepower of your ship determines just how strong the opposition will be from the enemies on the screen. If your p-shooter is on the lowest level, things will be a breeze, but if you're decked out, then your adversaries will want your blood. I've only made it to the third area. From what I understand, Zanac had around 12 areas or so and considering this is a Compile game, the levels are lengthy.

Dynamite Heady (Genesis)

I remember reading about Dynamite Heady when it first came out back in 1994. It wasn't until around 2007 or so that I found a copy and experienced it first hand. Like most Treasure games, Dynamite Heady stands out from everything else in the genre. You use your head to attack enemies and the game is full of strange levels and bosses. I only played a few levels of Dynamite Heady when I bought it years back, but I was very glad that I purchased it. It was definitely a stand out Genesis title. I've read that the American version of Dynamite Heady is harder than the Japanese version but still doable. Guess I'll have to summon all my old-school gaming skills if I wanna finish this one.