This installment is special, offering a complete selection of games you simply must own. I don’t think we’ll see such a collection of winning titles together again for a long time, so I recommend you stock up on Wii points as of right now. With a spread like this, you’re going to need them!
Newly Available
Gleylancer
Gleylancer is something of a dilemma for me here. On the one hand, I want to wholeheartedly recommend it, as it’s a great shooter with some awesome visuals and music. On the other hand, the game has recently received an excellent fan translation via MIJET, and that version is definitely the one you want to play. I guess legality and convenience wins the day though, since the Virtual Console offers a nice and easy way to play it whenever you want, without the hassles of emulation or having to play on a PC (or modded Xbox).
Pass or Purchase? Gleylancer is a great game, and it’s amazing that Nintendo would allow the import to be released here. Kudos to the company for giving us what Sega didn’t and for allowing gamers to play this excellent shooter.
Shining Force II
If you’ve purchased the first Shining Force for the VC, then this one’s an easy choice. With a better story than the original, more characters, and the trademark visuals and awesome soundtrack, Shining Force II is a great way to spend an afternoon for strategy/RPG fans on the VC. The storylines of all the Shining games (prior to the modern Playstation 2 aberrations) are all inter-connected, and it’s really cool to see how things develop. Sega really messed up this franchise later on, but here’s a chance to see it in its prime.
Pass or Purchase? Fans of the genre need not look any further for a great installment in one of its premier franchises. Easy to get into and a blast to play, Shining Force II is a treat for those with an itch to save the world one more time.
Splatterhouse 2
It’s no secret that Splatterhouse 2 is my favorite game in the series. The third installment’s beat-’em-up style rocks for sure, but I simply love the bigger and better approach that this one took to the original formula. Out to save Jennifer from that spooky old mansion again, and he’s apparently not learned much since the last time out. That’s not really a bad thing, since his limited move set is more than enough to dispatch the monsters that dare impede his crusade.
Pass or Purchase? Since the sequel plays almost exactly like the first game, your mileage may vary as to how appealing that makes this purchase. However, if smacking the hell out of demons with a 2×4 and tackling evil is something that appeals to you, then there’s a mansion I’d like to show you…
Street Fighter II: SCE
Genesis owners were elated the day they learned that Capcom was bringing its flagship franchise to their beloved system. Not content with merely offering a straight port like it did on the SNES, it wisely recognized that a year had passed and instead released a game that incorporated features from the newly minted Champion Edition and Hyper Fighting versions of the arcade game. What we got was undoubtedly the best fighting game on the Genesis, and one of the best playing versions of Street Fighter II on a console.
Pass or Purchase? If you own a Genesis, then this one’s no doubt on your shelf. Superior to many than the later Super Street Fighter II, Special Champion Edition plays incredibly well with the Sega six-button pad, and it offers enough modes of play to keep you and a friend beating each other’s brains in well into the night. It doesn’t get any better than this for Genesis fighting fans.
Super Fantasy Zone
Of all the titles on this list, Super Fantasy Zone, to me at least, is the one everyone needs to pick up first. Aside from Gleylancer it’s the only other game here that never made it stateside, and it’s completely in English (I have the PAL version myself). Great Fantasy Zone arcade action with some of the best Genesis colors and visuals you’re going to find makes this a definite winner. Who doesn’t love Opa-Opa? The guy’s out to avenge his poor father, and trust me, you’ll want to be along for the ride.
Pass or Purchase? Purchase, definitely. The gameplay is as smooth as butter, and the presentation is vintage Sega. Those who have yet to import a copy should do themselves a grand favor and invest 900 Wii points in this incredible game.
VectorMan
Blue Sky’s master piece and a game everyone knows, VectorMan is pure platforming brilliance. The incredible visuals are complimented wonderfully by some incredible visuals, and the level design wraps up this package nice and tightly. Some considered VectorMan to be Sega’s answer to Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Country, and the jury’s still out on whether or not that’s true. One thing is certain though, you simply need to experience this game at least once to see just how far the Genesis hardware can be pushed.
Pass or Purchase? VectorMan should be in every Genesis fan’s library, so this one comes highly recommended. The gameplay is very intuitive, and you’re still going to be impressed by what this game can do. Not to be missed.
Bottom Line
Wow, the sheer amount of quality in this latest list is staggering, and I’m quite impressed that there’s not one but two import shooters! Funny how that works. Back when everyone wanted them and there was no other way to play them, we were denied. Now, with emulation rampant, the games are finally coming stateside. The fact that they’re doing so through emulation is ironic itself, but beggars can’t be choosers, I guess. With all the great titles on this list, you’re going to need a ton of Wii points, but trust me, they’re all quite worth it.
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