WiiWare and Virtual Console Roundup

Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition

• Platform: Megadrive
• Wii Points: 800
• In Real Money: GBP 6 / EUR 7.70 (approx)

I hate it when they do this. Quite apart from the wisdom of having three versions of essentially the same game on the VC, it means I have to rummage around in the internet yet again to remind myself what makes this version of Street Fighter II different to the others.

The main difference, it transpires, is that it came out on the Megadrive - the first in the series to do so. Other than that, it actually predates the other Street Fighter IIs already available - Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting and Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers - and while it offers yet another slightly tweaked rule-set, and a group battle mode, it's really not enough to make it an urgent purchase, especially since the Megadrive version's best feature - the six-button joypad - is no longer a factor.

Trouble is, Street Fighter II is an undeniably great game in pretty much all its forms, so logic means I can't really mark this particular one down too much just because it's a variation on a theme. Suffice to say, as always, that if you've yet to download a Street Fighter II then this one is as good as any. Or one of the others.

I do, however, find myself wishing that Nintendo would just upload the best entry from all these really long-running series and then move on to harvesting some of the games as yet untouched by the Virtual Console.

8/10

Mayhem in Monsterland

• Platform: C64
• Wii Points: 500
• In Real Money: GBP 3.50 / EUR 4.50 (approx)

The Commodore 64 clearly has a vocal and powerful defender in the Virtual Console control room. Ever since the format was added to the VC, the selections from its vast software library have been mostly shrewd and knowledgeable picks, clearly made by someone who actually knows which titles are worth the effort.

Case in point: this utterly obscure yet rather wonderful platform game, which was one of the last commercial games to make its mark on the moribund home computer. Only a true C64 geek would even know about Mayhem in Monsterland, so to find it on the Virtual Console is a real treat. If you listen very carefully, you can still hear Kristan squealing in excitement. [Incorrect. I shot him. - Ed]

Mayhem owes a very obvious debt to Mario, but what impressed back in 1993 was the way it managed to make the creaky Commodore architecture look and behave so much like an NES. There's even smooth horizontal scrolling!

Even the gameplay is clever, making you tackle each level twice. First time through, the world is sad and must be cheered up by collecting a set number of magic bags. After that, the world is happy and you're now seeking gold coins. Okay, it's a fairly obvious bit of padding, but it's done with such verve that it's almost impossible to be aggrieved by the repetition.

It's just a shame that, once again, the Wii remote proves a poor substitute for a proper 8-bit joystick. Jumping is mapped to the up direction on the d-pad, rather than a button, which makes the game's many lengthy leaps across deadly gaps slightly hit or miss. Aggravating, but not enough to dim the shine of a lovely little game.

It's also worth pointing out that the original creators, Steve and John Rowlands, will receive royalties for all Virtual Console purchases, so retro fans can spend their points in good conscience.

8/10