News Article

EU VC Releases - 14th September - Double Japan-only games

Posted Fri, 14 Sep 2007 by Marcel Van Duyn

Never released outside Japan!

Never released outside Japan!

very big surprise for Europeans today, as they get not one, but TWO titles that were previously only released in Japan. And Europe gets Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland and Super Paper Mario today as well!The first game today is Super Mario Bros.: The Lost..

very big surprise for Europeans today, as they get not one, but TWO titles that were previously only released in Japan. And Europe gets Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland and Super Paper Mario today as well!

The first game today is Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, AKA the REAL Super Mario Bros. 2. This game was previously released as part of Super Mario All-Stars for SNES, and as part of Super Mario Bros. DX for Game Boy Colour as "Super Mario Bros. for Super Players". However, the fully complete original version has never been released outside Japan. A big warning though if you want the game: It will be removed at the end of September. If you do not get it before then, you cannot get it. Also, it costs 600 Wii Points instead of 500!

Second today is Mario's Super Picross for SNES. Also never released outside Japan previously, this is one of the best Picross games Nintendo's made. If you like Picross, download it. If you haven't played Picross before, download it. It's one of the best puzzle games ever, and once you get the hang of it, it's really fun. This title's got an increased price too: 900 Wii Points! Note that the game has not been translated!

Finally today we have Neutopia II. This brilliant sequel to the original is a great game, but will probably go ignored because of today's other two games! Still, check it out when you've got the time, as it's worth your money.

A really big surprise for Europe this week! Three great games, two of them previously Japan-only! Check out the reviews:

Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan) - NES - 600 Wii Points - Only available to the end of September

Mario's Super Picross - SNES - 900 Wii Points

Neutopia II - Turbografx - 600 Wii Points

Tags: Virtual Console.

User Comments

ness

1. Gizmo Germany 14 Sep 2007, 01:30 BST

YES, YES!!! Thanks, Nintendo!!!!! =)

oliver

2. Oliver Germany 14 Sep 2007, 01:34 BST

How nice of Nintendo not to release Super Metroid... again!

And the new marketing trick with artificially limiting availability... very clever. And even with increased prices... something every manager could only dream about.
Why the increased price? Must be the skyrocketing oil price or the rising demand in asian markets... only Nintendo knows for sure.

Am i the only one getting _slightly_ annonyed with the VC? Most SNES Titles are not playing properly on Wii with YUV Cable, Titles released simultaneously on XBLA are looking much better (compare Sonic 1 and 2 on XBLA to VC; granted, VC has far more Games available)
Still no Conversion of Nintendo Stars into Wii Points...

matt2

3. Mazero United States 14 Sep 2007, 01:49 BST

Thanks to you, I've realized we have Sper Metroid, better than Mario Picross and Super Mario Brothers 2 Japan

storm101

4. Storm101 United States 14 Sep 2007, 01:53 BST

What were they thinking? Lost Levels is limited-time only? That's stupid. I hope it comes back on later.

But yeah, Lost Levels is a must have.

angelic_lapras_king

5. Angelic Lapras King United Kingdom 14 Sep 2007, 02:05 BST

I bet those Japan only Mario title will return, the next time Nintendo want to promote a Mario game over here no doubt (Galaxy perhaps?)

kokoo_psy

6. KoKoO_Psy Sweden 14 Sep 2007, 02:05 BST

Oh dear god, i need points now!

Lost Levels cant be missed.

oxking

7. OxKing Germany 14 Sep 2007, 02:35 BST

Hmm... Japan exclusive titles are sure a good thing,
and it will be one of the best things of the invention of the VC.
But i want Super Metroid! And not just a week before the MP3 release!
Have already complained about that by Nintendo. But they don`t care.

powerlegend1

8. PowerLegend United States 14 Sep 2007, 02:41 BST

Not jealous about Mario's Super Picross (have Picross DS)

but SMB2J is something. Quite odd that it's limited time though.

Also, I think the increased price is because of the component cables.

*goes to play Super Metroid*

dan

9. danstan Australia 14 Sep 2007, 03:21 BST

It appears as if Mario Lost Levels has been optimized for PAL, however you can see the scan lines quite clearly. How unexpected...

pegasus

10. Pegasus United States 14 Sep 2007, 04:26 BST

It does seem like a pretty dumb thing to do. If they're going to put SMB 2 on the VC they should keep it on there. Oh well.

bj

11. BJ United States 14 Sep 2007, 04:42 BST

Available through September? That's unfair! I hope when the game comes to the US, they won't do the same thing to us.

serpent01

12. Serpent United States 14 Sep 2007, 06:38 BST

Awesome. Two games that were never released outside Japan. Nintendo seems to be finally listening.

marvin666

13. Marvin666 Germany 14 Sep 2007, 10:02 BST

Oh Man, this sucks ! Where is Super Metroid ?

peda

14. peda Austria 14 Sep 2007, 10:26 BST

i never thought that games originally released only in japan would come to europe's VC! i hope there will be some more coming soon! but what the hell is that with only available to the end of september??? can anybody tell me what is the reason for this? is that also true for mario's super picross? because in the shop you can see a small star beside both games, but a statement is only given to super mario bros 2 japan!!! i hope that this kind of marketing is not getting standard for the VC!

ray2

15. Ray United Kingdom 14 Sep 2007, 10:30 BST

I'm not falling for it. Increased price... time limited availability... Nintendo is exploiting its fan base. Anyone who is anyone played Lost Levels in Super Mario Allstars anyway so who cares? And why not even bother translating Super Picross? I may have been interested then. Go suck a lemon Ninentdo!

pault

16. aphexbr Spain 14 Sep 2007, 11:17 BST

Note to Nintendo: you are not making any fans in Europe by ripping us of again and again. Yes, this is a nice deal on the face of it but by giving a 2 weeks limit and 100 point increase for Mario is pretty cheeky, especially after we've been forced to wait so long for Super Paper Mario (which I assume is what this VC batch is meant to tie in with).

Also, does anyone know if these games have definitely been translated? I assume they have but I need confirmation before I can think of dropping 6€.

eva

17. Eva United Kingdom 14 Sep 2007, 11:24 BST

In game text for SMB2 is English (at least it was on the Famicom mini release). Picross has not been translated.

dark_warrior

18. Dark Warrior Portugal 14 Sep 2007, 11:27 BST

It´s a good week. And about Super Metroid, it´s just a month left. But... only available until the final of September? That´s... weird! And if somebody is buying a Wii in October?

schlauberger

19. Schlauberger Germany 14 Sep 2007, 11:41 BST

Super Metroid is delayed because of several issues not so easy to solve. But it will be released latest in october.

hokuto_no_rob

20. hokuto_no_rob United Kingdom 14 Sep 2007, 11:45 BST

900? 600? We already pay more than anywhere else in the world. Why are we getting ripped off even further? Oh yeah, I forgot, it's Nintendo.

emmanuel

21. Simbabbad France 14 Sep 2007, 11:45 BST

I bought SMB2j and it's amazing. Also, I bought it to show 60Hz some support. This is huge, people, not buying it could send the message that Japanese "imports" and 60Hz are not welcome on the PAL VC.

novanth

22. Novanth Norway 14 Sep 2007, 12:08 BST

Huh.. the limited time only stuff sounds like sony attitude. but they prolly trying like Emmanuel said, "not buying it could send the message that Japanese "imports" and 60Hz are not welcome on the PAL VC."

So go buy it! :P

starwolf_uk

23. Starwolf_UK United Kingdom 14 Sep 2007, 12:13 BST

Time limited SMB2j? Weird.

So I take it both games are in 60Hz, UNTRANSLATED and COST MORE (on top of the alreadt very expensive PAL prices). At least tell me the manuals are in English.

phonebone

24. Phonebone Netherlands 14 Sep 2007, 12:27 BST

I could forgive the extra 100 point increase, if they'd actually taken the time to update these roms with a translation patch (which could be easily done, as emulation has already tought us).
But paying an extra euro for a SNES title, just because they've released a rom from a different region, doesn't sit well with me.

I'll still buy Sin and Punishment when it gets released though.

pokeparadox

25. PokeParadox United Kingdom 14 Sep 2007, 13:29 BST

While I think it's great that they are testing the waters with "foreign" releases... I can't understand the inflated prices, and the lack of bothering to translate Super Picross... I can, to an extent, see why they put a "limited offer" on SMB2J though(Testing the market).

I sincerely hope that they'll realise the mistakes here, apply some tweaking, and continue to extend the catalogue with other games which were never released in Europe.

khaoshar

26. KhaoShar Germany 14 Sep 2007, 14:12 BST

I don't really know about the rest of europe, but I for my self are even paying more for my Wii-Pionts already because shops in my area refuse to sell the Point-Cards for less than aprox. €23, instead of €20 as was originally intended! I could cope with R-Type fpr TG-16 beeing 800P 'cause it's easely one of the best games on that sytem, but two titles at +100P? Just because they've never been out of japan? NINTEND, WHE'RE TALKING ONLINE HERE, NOT IMPORT MARKET! AT LEAST MAKE FULL TRANSLATIONS FOR THE EXTRA MONEY, GODDAMIT!!! So, now thats been said *grmbfx*!!

oui_oui

27. 14 Sep 2007, 17:34 BST

Smb2... Limited time only?
I have 2 weeks to get some points?
Why!?
Why did I spend it all on wave race! :P
It's an awesome game... But I'll wait. It'll be back on VC soon enough

deckers

28. 14 Sep 2007, 19:55 BST

yeah, i dislike the attidtude nintendo has too
but what can we do about it?
it seems like the real Hardcore Nintendo fans keep gettin' screwed over and over again -_- it's not funny

they make that much money,
and why do we have to pay so much for "Roms"

Even sonic 2 with better grafix has been released on the 360 for a merely 4€ i feel bad that i bought it on my Wii for 8€
where all being sucked dry for coins -_-

Nintendo needs to Drop the prices , They're still printin' money
but it's our money they want, The fans

le_bla

29. Tides of Chaos United States 14 Sep 2007, 22:56 BST

Wow, this is a sticky situation for Euro buyers. The price is raised and Mario Bros. is only around for a limited time. But, they are both in 60Hz (I'm not sure how good it is though...) and were never released before. I hope that NOA makes the right decision and makes the titles 500 and 800 points like they should be.

shortay_01

30. Shortay United Kingdom 14 Sep 2007, 23:25 BST

A good week, (Although no Super Metroid, not that I was in anyway expecting it) but it's also a rip-off week

emmanuel

31. Simbabbad France 15 Sep 2007, 00:50 BST

Why so much people complain about translation ? SMB2j is ENTIRELY in English, just like the first one. And from what I've seen Picross has only its main title in Japanese. That complaint doesn't make much sense.

SMB2j is the price of a PC Engine title, which is fair IMO, and at last WE HAVE 60HZ ON PAL VC. I've waited until Wii launch for this.

pokeparadox

32. PokeParadox United Kingdom 15 Sep 2007, 22:56 BST

Emmanuel... you do have some good points. I have waited since the Wii launch for 60Hz VC games... but the fact of the matter is that the prices should not be higher. Yes SMB2J is completely in English, and little of Super Picross might be in Japanese, but if no extra effort has gone into the European release of the games, then why are we expecting to pay a higher price? So it's entirely justified.

ian_chamberlin

33. Ian Chamberlin United States 16 Sep 2007, 04:01 BST

I know man, they should just give us all these games for free. God forbid we pay for them. :P If you couldn't download any of these on the internet, you folks would be feeling like this was awesome. If you don't like it, ust don't buy it and stop complaining. I don't really understand...

tom41

34. Tom41 United Kingdom 16 Sep 2007, 08:22 BST

I downloaded SMB2 Lost Levels straight away; don't want to miss the chance to have the original - even though I already have Mario All-Stars for SNES!

I hope they don't make the game 'expire' at the end of September and auto-delete from your Wii!

sckkktttrrrr

35. SKTTR Germany 17 Sep 2007, 02:08 BST

Must have! I'm a nerd yeah I'M AA NEEERRRDDD!
This is the start of all my wishes coming true! ;)
Downloaded The Lost Levels and Mario's Super Picross right away.
I'm thinking about supporting such games in the future by downloading them all.

But I don't like the way of having them only for a limited time. Definately put those games back on at the end of the wii's lifespan.

Both games are great! But they're not the top of what has been released in JP Only. I want more! Even thinking about getting Ninja Jajamaru-Kun, Ninja Gaiden and Gradius III.

Sin & Punishment is a must have and a dream of youth coming true!

paulymate

36. Paulymate United Kingdom 17 Sep 2007, 10:56 BST

To answer Emmanuel, above: no, it's more than the titkle screen in Japanese in Picross. Almost all the text is still in Japanese: the puzzle names, the training mode text, even the 'yes/no' to hints box. The only English I have seen is a little on the puzzle selction screen, some on the pause menu, and the words 'game over'.
I am afraid is bascially untranslated, not that it really matters for this game

lone

37. Lone Sweden 20 Sep 2007, 02:17 BST

That they demand more points for games just because they haven't been released outside Japan before is pure bull... And to not even translate Picross... I guess that means no previously Japan only RPGs will come to the VC. Like Seiken Densetsu 3 which I've been dying to play... Actually there has been very few Squaresoft (Square-Enix) games on the VC... has there been any at all? Well, there was Actraiser from Enix... I guess Square-Enix is being stingy with their games =/

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