Without a doubt, October held the most significant development in downloadable content yet, with Nintendo choosing to release titles previously un-released in North America on the Virtual Console. Although they've only taken small steps so far, releasing only a few titles, such moves bode well and we can keep hope alive that Nintendo will release other celebrated titles which never saw the light of day here.
WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE
Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth (1200 Wii Points) — Of course, even if they never released another title, the simple fact that they've released Sin and Punishment, a technically astonishing (and extremely hardcore) N64 rail shooter would be more than enough for many gamers.
Possibly the high point of developer Treasure's illustrious history, the title features English menus, voice-acting and instructions, but that's not to say it's very accessible. It features a plot so incomprehensible it would probably make as much sense to English speakers in its original Japanese, and the control system, which requires you to control both your character and an aiming reticule, is idiosyncratic to say the least.
However, Sin and Punishment is one of the greatest shooters ever made, with several action-packed stages that still impress graphically. The game is rather short, but packs so much high-quality content in that it's unlikely you'll notice. Not a title for everyone, but a title for everyone who likes shooters. 4.5/5
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (600 Wii Points) — Super Mario Bros. 2 (as it's known in Japan) is probably the most requested title never to be released in North America, as gamers have felt they've missed out on Super Mario Bros.'s "true" sequel. Such gamers have finally got their wish, but we can't really see what all the fuss is about. The Lost Levels is a brutally unfair and frustrating version of Super Mario Bros. for people who want to play a game that hates them. If you're good enough at the original Super Mario Bros. that you can complete it blindfolded with broken hands then this is the game for you, but expect only pain otherwise. 2/5
Fatal Fury (900 Wii Points) — Last month we gave Fatal Fury Special on Xbox Live Arcade a rather harsh review for being a bit boring. We'd probably have been a bit nicer if we'd known that Nintendo were going to release its even more boring predecessor for over twice the price on their service, and without any of the extras (online play, etc.) that you get on the Xbox 360. 1/5
XBOX LIVE ARCADE
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (1200 Microsoft Points) — If this isn't already one of your favourite, most played games on your Nintendo DS, then be prepared for it to be one of your favourite, most played games on your Xbox 360.
Although Puzzle Quest really is only a slight modification of casual game sensation "Bejeweled" with some RPG trappings, there's enough depth to the new mechanics to make the game bizarrely addictive — you'll find yourself playing it for hours without even realizing.
If there are some problems, it's that the plot so forgettable they shouldn't have bothered putting it in, and that, although your hero gets progressively stronger, each battle still takes an age to complete. At 1200 points we'd still recommend you pick up the (only slightly more expensive) Nintendo DS version instead, but if you don't have one, you should get this. 4/5
Speedball 2 (800 Microsoft Points) — Not the most recognizable retro title to a Canadian (unless they are one of the very few who ever owned an Amiga) Speedball 2 is probably the only "future sport" title that's ever been worth playing. A fast and brutal game roughly similar to ice hockey, this would be brilliant value at 400 points, but unfortunately along with the original graphics they chose to include an option for awful 3D graphics (that looks like mid-90s CGI) and thus double the price. If you play with the original graphics this is the best sports game on Xbox Live Arcade, but even gamers nostalgic for the Amiga are better off waiting for Sensible World of Soccer's release later this year. 3/5
PLAYSTATION NETWORK
Everyday Shooter ($9.99) — We haven't been able to play this yet, but we still think it deserves a mention, as it was developed in Toronto by independent developer Jonathan Mak. $10 would be worth it alone to support independent games development in Canada, but from what we've seen the game really is something special. Check it out — it's really not like they've released anything else on PS3 worth your money recently.
