There's more to downloadable content than just the Wii, Xbox 360 and (much maligned) Playstation 3's download services. Valve's PC-based Steam system has already released many excellent and reasonably priced classic and original titles, including recently the brilliant turn-based strategy title X-COM: Terror From the Deep for only $4.95 US.
Steam recorded a major coup this month at Quakecon, with id Software releasing their almost their entire back catalogue (no Quake IV) for sale on the service in a variety of high-value packages.
STEAM
id Super Pack ($69.99 US) — The id Super Pack, for example, contains every id game from Commander Keen to Doom 3 and is astonishing value for any gamer who doesn't already own too many of id's titles at hundreds of hours of entertainment priced at only slightly more than a new Xbox360 or PS3 title. There's nearly something for everyone here, but if you don't want the whole pack, you can choose from one of many smaller, cheaper and more specific packs; I'd particularly recommend the Wolf Pack with every Wolfenstein 3D game (including the excellent Return to Castle Wolfenstein) for $19.99 US and the Commander Keen pack (at only $4.95 US) for some great retro platforming action. 5/5
WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE
Galaga '90 and Devil's Crush (600 Wii Points each) — We've been slightly remiss to not review any of the growing range of TG-16 titles available on the Virtual Console, particular as many of them would be brand new to many readers. Perhaps the biggest problem with the TG-16 titles on the Virtual Console is that they suffer the most from Nintendo's disinterest in updating titles with online components. For example, both Galaga '90, the pinnacle of the fixed-screen arcade shooter genre and Devil's Crush, one of the best video pinball titles ever released, lack online leaderboards. They're still both as fantastic as the day they were released, it's just a shame they're not even better. One final note: Devil's Crush has some vaguely satanic imagery, so watch out if you're not comfortable with that. 4/5 (Galaga '90) 4/5 (Devil's Crush)
Super Metroid (800 Wii Points) — August was designated the "Month of Metroid" preceding the release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, with both Super Metroid and its NES predecessor, Metroid, released upon the Virtual Console to wet gamer's appetites. As far as appetizers go, the original Metroid (at 500 Wii Points) is a soggy bowl of pretzels that's been left out far too long (if pushed, we'd give it 2/5) but Super Metroid is such a delicious morsel that if you fill yourself up on it before the main course you won't complain.
The Metroid series wasn't truly note-worthy until this title came along, and it still stands as one of the best exploration-based 2d platformers money can buy, with atmospheric graphics and music, fun, fast-paced level design and exciting boss encounters. If there's any problems, it's only that it's occasionally easy to get lost or stuck as in many cases you can't progress without finding "hidden" locations, but perseverance always pays off. It's not as good as the GBA prequel Metroid: Zero Mission, but honestly? It's probably still better than any of the Metroid Prime titles. 4.5/5
XBOX LIVE ARCADE
Track And Field (400 Microsoft Points) — The legendary button-bashing Track And Field is rather hard to rate on Xbox Live Arcade. For one, the Xbox 360 pad is so ludicrously unsuited to the title it almost makes the game completely unplayable, unless you want to ruin your thumbstick by waggling it (button-bashing is far less effective.) With only six events, too, it's a bit of a shame they didn't include the (better) sequel Hyper Sports. If you're one of the lucky few with an Xbox 360 Arcade Stick this is worth a shot, but otherwise I suggest you give it a miss. 2/5
Space Giraffe (400 Microsoft Points) — Welsh game-designer and bovinae-fanatic Jeff Minter's back catalogue is likely to have flown well under the radar of the average reader of The Globe and Mail, with his most famous title arguably still Tempest 2000 on the Jaguar.
Space Giraffe, Minter's debut on Live Arcade initially appears to be Tempest 2000 using the Xbox 360's media visualizer (also created by Minter) as a backdrop, but it's very quickly apparent that the title only shares superficial similarities to Tempest, with the addition of (brilliant) concepts such as the "power zone", diagonal shooting and the ability to "bull" enemies off the rim of the webs on which you're fighting.
At Space Giraffe's best, it's superb; a thrilling old-school arcade shooter with some genius design aspects. Unfortunately, thanks to Minter's traditionally insular design, there are many points that don't work: the intricacies of the game are barely explained, enemies wildly change their behavior from easy to kill to impossible without warning, and worst of all you're unlikely to know what's killed you about 80% of the time. In fact, it's completely likely that Space Giraffe just won't work for you at all, so it's nice that Minter has put out a generous demo for gamers to make up their own mind. I rather like it, despite its flaws, so be sure to try it out. 3/5
