Also, Attack of the Friday Monsters, Shantae
Defying all logic, Nintendo hasrandomly releasedEarthBoundfor the Wii U Virtual Console for $9.99 today. This classic RPG by developers HAL Laboratory and Ape was extremely hard to find legitimately, and cart prices skyrocketed into the $200 range for a used copy. But starting today, you may just download it for a cool ten bucks and utilize remote play, save state functionality, and all the other Wii U fix-ins.
As a side note to completely new players, please note that while the game may be dated in some ways,EarthBoundhas a sense of charm that’s completely unique to theMotherseries (its title in Japan isMother 2), and marks its mark on the gaming industry in it’s own way — you’ll want to experience it if you can remotely stomach old RPGs.
Oh, andSmurfs 2for the Wii U is out on July 23rd, andPuddleis on sale ($4.49) until August 1st. In case you missed it,Donkey Kong(NES)is still $0.30on the Wii U Virtual Console.
On the 3DS side, thelong awaited Game Boy Color classicShantaeis hitting the Virtual Console, as isRobot Rescue 3DandUndead Bowling, as well as the brand newGuild02 CollectiontitleAttack of the Friday Monsters. Finally,Denpa Men 2: Beyond the WavesandUndead Bowlingare getting demos.
All in all, it’s a pretty damn good day for the Virtual Console, as two lost classics have finally returned to us.
