The summer months are a traditionally barren time in gaming, with most publishers judging the average video game consumer is more likely to be going to be out in the sunshine or spending their money to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster than they are to be clamoring for something new to play.
Thank goodness, then, for the demands of the console manufacturers' download services. Both the Xbox and Wii services are bound to deliver at least a couple of interesting titles each month and this July, a month in with barely any notable new titles in stores, has an embarrassment of riches available in downloadable form.
The only service which continues to lag, for no apparent reason, is the Playstation Network. With 14 PS One ports released this month in Japan, that there's only one port released in North America (one already released on Xbox 360) is another black mark against a system that really needs to try harder.
WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE
Paper Mario
(1000 Wii Points) — It's been an incredible month for the Virtual Console. Releases such as Devil's Crush, Kirby's Dream Course and Dynamite Heddy are just a few of the titles that might be worth a download out of nostalgia or general interest, but Paper Mario, at 1000 points, is a title of such incredible value and excellence that it deserves to be spotlighted at the exclusion of all others. It's really that good.
It's easy to quibble about Nintendo's Virtual Console service, with games often a mixed bag of titles that could really do with the addition of online leaderboards and multiplayer features that Microsoft include in Live Arcade titles at a similar price, but something like Paper Mario is a refreshing change: a title that needs nothing to remain relevant. The N64 title which launched Mario's "paper" adventures (most recently continued in well-received Super Paper Mario) Paper Mario is a charming light RPG which tasks Mario with recovering seven star spirits to rescue Princess Peach. As uninspired as the set-up seems, Mario's world is delightfully fleshed out and the story is written with a genuinely amusing tone (Luigi's role in the game is priceless.) With solid and fun battle mechanics and a length that clocks in at around 25-30 hours, this is an unmissable title that even rivals the best the Wii has to offer on disc. 5/5
XBOX LIVE ARCADE
Sonic The Hedgehog and Golden Axe
(400 Microsoft Points each) — Microsoft made a splash at this year's paired-down E3 by releasing these, Sega's first for Live Arcade, during their press conference. At nearly half the price of their Virtual Console counterparts they seem like good value, but I'd recommend anyone interested in playing Sonic pick up the better-value, Xbox 360 backwards compatible, Sonic Mega Collection Plus or the Genesis Collection for PS2, which actually includes Golden Axe too.
The Live Arcade version of Golden Axe is the superior arcade version, so it does have some value, however, and is a better purchase if you just have to have a side-scrolling brawler than Double Dragon or (arguably) TMNT 1989 Arcade. 2/5 (Sonic the Hedgehog) 2.5/5 (Golden Axe)
Bomberman Live
(800 Microsoft Points) — Far better is Bomberman Live, Hudson Soft's debut on the Live arcade service. Despite being one of the simplest core game designs we can think of (players run round a maze dropping bombs, attempting to blow up their opponents) it's amazing to think how many times Hudson have released messed up Bomberman titles, the most terrible and famous of which being Bomberman Act: Zero, previously released for the Xbox 360. Hudson have worked hard to redeem themselves and have released a stripped down Bomberman title with only the essentials, leaving a tight, focused multiplayer title both online and off, with up to eight players possible online.
If there's any problem, it's that perhaps they stripped things down just a little too far. Single player is little more than a tedious exercise in collecting "costume balls" to customize your Bomberman (an irritating requirement) and there's a limited number of game modes and only eight different maps. If you like multiplayer Bomberman, however, this is pretty much essential. 4/5
PLAYSTATION NETWORK
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
($10.99) — Bit of a admission here, folks. I've never really thought that much of Symphony of the Night. Although it's regularly considered to be the pinnacle of the Castlevania series, it's been bested by its sequels, particularly the superb Aria of Sorrow on the Game Boy Advance. So while it's nice to see this available for the PS3, we have to say it's just not as good as everyone remembers. In particular, the second half of the game, the "Inverted Castle" is so depressingly literal it's hard to continue. If you've never played it, though, it might be worth a punt, at least for its hilariously bad dialogue. Just don't expect anything special. You'll have to buy Paper Mario for that. 2.5/5
