Editorial: Dream Top Ten Import VC Games (Part II)
Author: Daniel Roswell | Filed in: Featured, Nintendo | Oct 9 2007
The Hanabi Festival is now over and hopefully most of you picked up Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, if you didn’t then you might have missed your only opportunity to do so.
Check out my continuation the top ten list of games that never got a PAL release and really need to be on the Virtual Console, or the DS for that matter, I’m not fussy.
Earthbound
The Earthbound (or Mother) series first appeared on the Japanese Famicom (NES) in 1989 and followed the exploits of Ninten as he fought mind controlling aliens using physic powers to save Earth
The sequel, Mother 2 (Earthbound in USA) introduced us to the now famous NESS, who most will recognise from Super Smash Bros. Melee, he too had physic powers and is considered by some the be Ninten from the first game. Initially set in a 1950′s style America called Eagleland Earthbound soon grows to a globetrotting adventure where you tackle all manner of beasties like aliens, zombies and hippies (I so know hippies were evil) using regular household equipment like frying pans and yoyos.
The game is as crazy as it sounds and is insanely popular in Japan, unfortunately it was not as popular in the states, partly due to it’s direct competition with Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. It hasn’t stopped Earthbound gaining a huge cult following and a campaign to see the final game in the series released outside of Japan.
Follow the link to find out how you can help the cause http://starmen.net/
Chrono Trigger
Regularly found in greatest games lists and is seen as being one of the best RPGs ever released and yet it’s never been on a PAL system much to my disdain. In its day this game was seen as revolutionary for implementing now standard hallmarks of the RPG genre; multiple endings, sub quests that focus on character development and a unique battle system. The game even had the option of facing off against the final boss at any point during the game although this is not advisable until you are powerful enough to do so.
As the title suggests the game is a time travelling quest that takes you though seven different time periods, that range from 65 million years in the past through to the end of time in the future. The games’ battle system is very similar to Secret of Mana, where by the action is in real time and your companions help out according to their battle timer. Secret of Mana also lends its graphical tone to the game with must of the maps and characters sharing a closer resemblance than Secret of Mana 2
Final Fantasy 3
Yet another title with dual identities, this game was known as Final Fantasy VI in the US and A, the story centres around a group of rebels as they attempt to other throw the imperial rule. Sound familiar? Aside from the odd pop culture reference to Star Wars that’s where the similarities end.
Like with all Final Fantasy games, the action takes place in a turn based battle system with a maximum of four characters aloud on either side. Items and weapons can be equipped to make the player more powerful or just protect you from particular attacks.
The game looks like its set around the 19th century, yet the technology which is steam punk can be more advanced than even its modern counter parts, the use of power tools for example. Robots also feature in the guise of Magitek Armor and as a form of travel, as do Chocobos (large flightless birds) for traveling the vast lands without fear of random attacks.
One final point I would like to make is that of my entire top ten this one is the odd one out because it’s seen a European release on the Gameboy Advance and has had an extreme make over on the DS, my argument for the VC is that simply I don’t own it and the DS version doesn’t count for being so radically different.