Happy Cinco de Mayo from the land of classic videogames! This week’s Virtual Console update isn’t exactly the celebration of victory one might be hoping for, however, as it features a lackluster addition to a genre whose concept has been perfected elsewhere on numerous occasions, and a re-skinned version of a game that could have made it to the Wii for half the cost.
Renegade is the third NES beat-em-up from Technos to come to the Virtual Console in as many weeks, but this time the excitement of River City Ransom and Double Dragon just doesn’t carry over. Actually, Renegade will make you wish you were playing those games, instead. As for Pokemon Puzzle League, it is basically the Pokemon-coated version of Tetris Attack. That’s not a bad thing, but if it was replaced by Tetris Attack (an SNES game), then gamers would have been able to save five bucks.
From the press release:
Pokémon Puzzle League (Nintendo 64®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Get ready for a new kind of Pokémon battle where the power and speed of your brain are just as important as the strength of your Pokémon. Join Ash, Brock, Misty and many more characters from the Pokémon animated series as they gather in Puzzle Village to compete for the title of Pokémon Puzzle Master. Just match three or more blocks of the same color in any direction. Sounds simple, right? But the actual game play is surprisingly addictive and deep (chains and combos anyone?), especially when you’re facing off against a human opponent. Choose from six different modes offering a wide range of action, from story or puzzle modes to continuous play or timed play. If that’s not enough, take on the challenge in 3-D and get ready for more blocks than ever before. Featuring animated cut scenes combined with bright, fun graphics, there’s enough to satisfy any fan of Pokémon or puzzle games.
Renegade (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): Renegade follows the story of a vigilante who fights his way through countless gangs in order to bring peace back to his city. Battle your way through subways, parks, alleyways and parking lots. For added fun, there’s a wild motorcycle ride to challenge you. Use your arsenal of kicks, punches (including the infamous sit-on punch) and jump kicks, as well as a variety of throws to knock your opponents into submission. Along the way, pick up items like a hamburger that restores your life, a heart that increases your lives by one, a power-up to increase your attack strength, and a speed item that gives you a speed burst while on your motorcycle. You’ll need all the help you can get to take out your aggression on street punks, thugs, outlaw bikers, killer kung-fu females and an array of bosses standing in your way. Take the law into your own hands to defeat countless scumbags and take your city back like the renegade you are.
