This Week in Defunct Games - January 5, 2010

What Is It? Talk about a missed opportunity. With 2010 upon us, it would have made sense for Nintendo to upload Capcom's classic (and timely) Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight. Could there be a more appropriate choice for this new year? The good news is that even though we don't get Street Fighter 2010, we do get a Final Fight sequel. This is Final Fight 3, a game that singlehandedly makes up for the two disappointing installments on the Super NES. Instead of just giving us more of the same, Final Fight 3 adds a lot to the formula to become a spectacular 2D brawler. Unfortunately it has been criminally overlooked. It's easy to understand why gamers would be skeptical of this release; after all, Capcom managed to screw up both Final Fight and Final Fight 2, so why would they sudden get everything right? The truth is that it doesn't matter why they would get it right, just as long as they are capable of righting the sinking ship. Final Fight 3 finally adds some technique to the otherwise simplistic combat, allowing for some cool running attacks. Better yet, the game received some Street Fighter-influenced special moves, which really add to the depth of the gameplay. What's more, the graphics and music have been considerably improved this time around. I know it's hard to believe given Capcom's track record, but Final Fight 3 is easily one of the best 2D brawlers ever made. It gives you everything you wanted from the first two games, plus a few extras you never knew you wanted.

Does It Still Hold Up? It's easy to dismiss the Final Fight series as nothing more than a bunch of button mashing, but Final Fight 3 gets it right. The controls are responsive, the levels are cool and you have a bevy of special moves at your disposal to take out your enemies. There's a lot more depth here than I expected, which is why this is easily the best of the Super NES Final Fight games.

Is It Worth The Money? If you've been suckered into buying the other three Final Fight games (including Final Fight Guy), then I can understand being a bit hesitant about this game. But I assure you, Final Fight 3 is the version to own. It's two players, has loads of cool fights, the levels are spectacular, the graphics are strong and the gameplay is exactly what you've been wanting out of a Final Fight game. It may not be Street Fighter 2010, but Final Fight 3 is a great way to start out the new year.

What Is It? If there's one thing Nintendo is good at, it's giving us specially crafted games that show off the assets of each new game system. When Nintendo wanted to introduce the analog stick with the Nintendo 64, they turned to Super Mario 64. When they wanted to show off the Wii's motion control, they gave us Wii Sports. When it came to the Super NES's advanced 3D scaling and rotating abilities, Nintendo gave us Pilotwings, the tech demo-turned-real game that showed us that gaming was about more than jumping on platforms. In case you missed the game the first time around, Pilotwings allows you to take part in a series of sky-related mini-games that emphasize Nintendo's brand new Mode 7 technology. One minute you'll be skydiving trying to make it through hoops, while in another game you will be piloting your own hang glider. This casual Super NES game went on to spawn the mildly successful sequel, Pilotwings 64. Outside of this port, the franchise hasn't been heard from in over a decade.

Does It Still Hold Up? Nintendo knows how to develop good looking and playing games, and Pilotwings is no exception. The controls are tight and the gameplay mechanics are unlike anything else on the Virtual Console. The only problem I have is in the lack of replay. The game only gives you a few things to do. It won't take long before you've seen and done everything there is in the game and will simply tire of the repetition. The graphics and sound are still good, but nothing about this game is going to blow you away in quite the same way that it did 19 years ago.

Is It Worth The Money? When Pilotwings came out it was a must-own, if only so you could show off how amazing the Super NES was. Unfortunately what was impressive 19 years ago is nothing by today's standards. This is the type of game that got by at the time solely on its good looks and innovative gameplay. But these days these events are all old hat. The game is over too quickly and you'll no doubt question why this game was so successful at the time. This isn't a bad game by any means, but I suspect that a lot of people will feel ripped off by paying $8 for this minimal experience. I'm happy to see Pilotwings on the Virtual Console; however that's not enough to make me recommend it.