Every week Cyril Lachel comes down from his giant castle in the hills to provide the final word on all of the classic downloadable games and retro compilations. This is the Retro Round-Up, your official guide to the best (and worst) in classic gaming for the Nintendo Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Join us as we shed some light on what games are worth your five or ten dollars, and what games you should avoid at all costs. For more information about these games (and retro gaming in general) we invite you to check out Defunct Games! This week we have a Zelda clone and two of the greatest 2D action games of all time. If you thought last week was good then you ain`t seen nothing yet ...

Neutopia (Virtual Console)
What Is It?
It`s The Legend of Zelda. No really, Neutopia is just about the biggest rip-off of Nintendo`s classic adventure game you could possibly imagine. It features a cute kid-like hero who battles from an overhead perspective, you fight through dungeons in order to find new items and kill bosses, there are octopi who shoot projectiles from the water, hidden areas you can only access by using your bombs, and a map that looks suspiciously like the map in The Legend of Zelda. But so what? The Legend of Zelda is a phenomenal game and most people can`t get enough of Link`s adventures. The fact that this is the world`s largest rip-off (or homage, if you want to give Hudson the benefit of the doubt) shouldn`t persuade you from having a great time with Neutopia, a solid little adventure game for the TurboGrafx-16. There`s a lengthy quest here that is almost as much fun as the Zelda games (better than Zelda II, worse than the original and Zelda 3) and it`s probably a brand new adventure for most people. If you love The Legend of Zelda but have already gone through all of Link`s adventures on the Virtual Console then make sure and check out this six dollar clone. It`s not quite as good as the best Zelda games, but you could do a whole lot worse.

Does It Still Hold Up?
Seeing as it apes the Zelda formula so much, Neutopia still feels fresh and fun. It`s not original by any stretch of the imagination, but it does control well and you`ll have an enjoyable time battling monsters and exploring this world. The moment Neutopia stops holding up is the moment you realize that The Legend of Zelda is outdated. I hope to never see that time.

Is It Worth The Money?
If you`re a big Zelda fan who wishes Nintendo had produced more adventures for Link, then Neutopia is perfect for you. This game is so much like The Legend of Zelda that you might as well be playing as Link and battling Ganon. At $6 this TurboGrafx-16 game is cheaper than the best of the Zelda games (Zelda 3) and a little more expensive than the worst (Zelda 2), so Neutopia ends up being a pretty good deal in the long run. Don`t expect this game to be as original and endearing as the Nintendo titles, but it is a great adventure that`s well worth your money.




Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja (Virtual Console)
What Is It?
Shinobi III is noteworthy for two extreme reasons: It was the final 16-bit Shinobi game released and it was the last time that name was synonymous with being good. Thankfully Shinobi III left the series off on a high note, giving gamers one of the best 16-bit games of all time. Shinobi III takes everything that worked for the first two games and mixes in some brand new features, including a life bar and vehicle stages. The result is one of the greatest Genesis games of all time, an amazing action game that you`ll want to come back to time and time again. Shinobi III features a length...