Retro Release Round-up, week of August 24, 2017
Puzzlers, shooters and sales galore.
Slim pickings this week, I'm afraid, but at least you could actually buy these games if you wanted to, huh?
ARCADE ARCHIVES NEO GEO
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One (worldwide)
- Price: $7.99 / €6.99 / £6.29
- Publisher: Hamster
What's this? A falling-block puzzle game, not dissimilar to Tetris; clear hoorizontal lines to help your airship escape to the top of the playfield.
Why should I care? You've somehow lost interest in Puyo Puyo Tetris, I guess?
Useless fact: There is a two-player mode but Puyo Puyo it ain't.
VIRTUAL CONSOLE
- Platform: Wii U (North America)
- Price: €5.99 / £5.39
- Publisher: Konami
What's this? The sixth entry in Hudson's series of simple, score-focused "caravan" shooting games, developed by Now Production. Shoot, dodge, shoot some more.
Why should I care? The main game is among the weaker shooter offerings on the TG16 but the 2- and 5-minute score attack modes are solid as always.
Useless fact: Final Soldier's caravan mode was given away on standalone HuCards as a promotional item in Japan; roughly 20,000 units are estimated to exist and they rank among the most expensive PC Engine HuCards on the second-hand market.
- Platform: Wii U (Europe)
- Price: €5.99 / £5.39
- Publisher: Konami
What's this? The seventh and final official entry in Hudson's "caravan" series of vertical shooting games. More of the same shoot-and-dodge action with a new power-up system that lets you transform your weapons into bombs for added variety.
Why should I care? Despite being limited to a relatively low-capacity HuCard, Hudson managed to significantly improve the audio-visual aspects from the previous entry and produce something that ranks among the best-looking games released for stock hardware, if not the most innovative.
Useless fact: Most of Hudson's caravan game were developed by other companies but Soldier Blade is one of the few titles in the series developed primarily by Hudson themselves. Good for them.
SALES & MISCELLANEA
- Platform: PC via GOG.com
- Discount: 75% off classic Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake games until August 28, 10 AM UTC
- Publisher: Bethesda / id Software
For the five people on earth who haven't already bought these games several times over, now's your chance to pick up the complete versions of Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny, Doom, Doom 2, Quake, Quake 2, Quake 3 and Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
- Platform: 3DS Virtual Console (Europe)
- Discount: up to 36% off Pokemon Blue, Red and Yellow until September 4
- Publisher: Nintendo
In the leadup to next month's Virtual Console release of Pokemon Gold and Silver, Nintendo of Europe has discounted the original three Pokemon games—36% off with a Nintendo Account, 20% off without.
Sega 3D Classics Sale
- Platform: 3DS (Europe)
- Discount: 55% off 13 Sega 3D Classics ubtil August 31
- Publisher: Sega
Sega and M2's stereoscopic 3D remasters are a high point of the 3DS'library and now you can buy (almost) all of them for next to nothing. Yes, even Altered Beast!
