As you peer through your turkey coma, you see a few ports, a little rehash, maybe a spin-off off or two looming on the digital horizon. Nothing major, perhaps nothing even worth rousing yourself off your lazy couch to download, but maybe a few of these things will be worth blowing a day’s lunch money on when you finally relocate your sluggish mass. And that’s all you’re really looking for, right?
[[image:jh_081202_dlc01.jpg::left:0]]Space Invaders Get Even
Taito | WiiWare | Invaders reversed
How far we’ve come in 30 years. Now instead of fighting off the space invaders, you control them. More specifically, you control the high-point-value UFO and direct swarms of invader bugs with the Wii Remote. So it’s sort like Pikmin, then. It doesn’t look as good as the sublime Space Invaders Extreme, but it’s one of the more interesting WiiWare releases in recent weeks. Certainly way better than…
[[image:jh_081202_dlc02.jpg::left:0]]Pit Crew Panic!
Hudson Soft | WiiWare | Fix cars quick
If you’re tired of just fixing racing cars, why the hell not try a car with a cake for an engine? Or a freakin’ toilet? Why the hell not, indeed!? This fever dream of a game is yet another WiiWare title that seriously needs a demo to be considered. And since Nintendo doesn’t offer demos…
[[image:jh_081202_dlc03.jpg::left:0]]VC: Metal Slug 2
SNK | Wii | Run run, bang bang
We’ve discussed cheaper ways to get this game and a gaggle of other Metal Slugs before and the relative merits of Wii’s superlative emulation versus the crummier emulation on the various collections, so I won’t belabor the point. Suffice it to say that if you love Metal Slug 2 enough to spend $9 on this game, you probably won’t be let down. It’s one of those value judgments that every man must make for himself. Or woman. Women are allowed to dig on Metal Slug, too, you sexist lout. [I’d hold out for Metal Slug X, MS2’s jankiness-free cousin. — Parish]
[[image:jh_081202_dlc04.jpg::left:0]]XBLA: Banjo-Kazooie
Rare | Xbox 360 | Platformus collectathonus
Want to relive your N64 days on the Wii with a Virtual Console download of Banjo-Kazooie? Well, ya can’t, because Microsoft owns Rare now, sucker. But you can get the game for the 360 now! That’s not so bad, right? Well, OK, maybe it’s bad.
[[image:jh_081202_dlc05.jpg::left:0]]PSN: Super Stardust Portable
Sony | PSP | Geometry Wars + Asteroids
This port-plus-enhancements of one of the best of the Geometry Wars is pretty and it’s fast and it’s tough. And it belongs on your PSP, although the dual-stick game design should prove an interesting challenge to port over to the one-stick system.
[[image:jh_081111_dlc01.jpg::left:0]]PSN: Brain Challenge
Ubisoft | PS3 | Mindercise
This came out on Wii and Xbox 360 a while ago. It wasn’t impressive then, it isn’t impressive now.
I thought the PSP version of Metal Slug collection was the only one that suffered emulation issues – the PS2 and Wii versions were fine (though the Wii controls were awful). And yes, Metal Slug X is what you should play instead of Metal Slug 2.
“because Microsoft owns Rare now, sucker. ”
Given what they paid, that has more than one meaning.
I always thought MS’ Rare buyout was one of the most poorly researched decisions ever made. At the time, Rare was a big name due to the Donkey Kong games, the Star Fox thing they were working on, Golden Eye and Perfect Dark. The first three they didn’t actually own the franchise rights to, and the actual developers of the last two had long since left to form their own company. Either that or they were just REALLY impressed by that early Kameo build.
Nintendo willing to sell them should also have been a really big red flag.
And yet, Microsoft is closing Ensemble down after Halo Wars. UUUUURGH
After playing PSN’s Everyday Shooter with the digital control option (D-Pad for movement, face buttons for shooting) I can easily see the superlative Everyday Shooter being a great investment on PSP. Heck, for $10 I know I’m going to pick it up. If I can aim in Syphon Filter with the face buttons, I can probably shoot asteroids with ’em as well.
I’m left handed and had to steer my ship with the face buttons on Geometry Wars Galaxies DS, and it was fine.