Arcade action ports from the late '80s and early '90s continue to appear, and the latest to hit the Console is Legend of Hero Tonma. This side-scrolling shooter/platformer got its start as a coin-op, and still strongly features that quarter-craving feel – the action is fast and unrelenting, the difficulty level is just a bit harder than it should be, and the overall length of each level and the game as a whole isn't too vast. If you've enjoyed some of the other arcade conversions to come to the VC by way of the Genesis and TurboGrafx in the past, then have a look here. Otherwise save your stack of 25-cent pieces to use on more original, non-ported products.
Tonma is a young boy wizard, the apprentice of the legendary Merlin. But after completing his training in the magical arts, Merlin reveals the truth to his student – that Tonma's really a prince, and he's destined to venture forth and save a princess. Just like any other good platforming hero, Tonma leaps right into action to complete his rescuing quest. But also just like any other good platforming hero, his abilities aren't all that impressive in the beginning.
Tonma can attack his foes by either hopping on their heads, like Mario, or by throwing fireballs at them ... also like Mario. But the small, straight-shooting spheres of flame are upgradeable, and will grow in size and power as you, as Tonma, pick up power-ups. The fireballs will first expand in size, then take on a larger, zig-zagging flight path, then, ultimately, gain heat-seeking properties that curve them directly into contact with the nearest evil enemy.
And there are plenty of those, as Legend of Hero Tonma floods the screen with foes just like Metal Slug or Ninja Spirit – and all it takes is one hit for the hero wizard to get knocked out. Some further upgrades to your arsenal are defensive, like a ring of orbiting shields that spin in a circle around you, and you'll need every bit of help you can get to make it through these stages unphased. This Legend's still an arcade game at heart, and the kind of cheap, unexpected, "let's get them to drop in just one more quarter" style of death will frequently appear.
There are unlimited continues to offset some of the frustration of those senseless deaths, and mid-level checkpoints that assure you won't get thrown all the way back to the beginning of a stage. But your power-ups won't be preserved if you fall in battle, and it'll be difficult to re-upgrade Tonma and ready him for boss fights later in the game if you have to restart near an end-stage encounter. Once you've got him fully equipped with the best fire, shield and optional secondary bombs, try your best to keep him that way – it's disheartening to go back to the standard, basic, forward-firing flameshot late in the game.
Closing Comments
Little boy wizards were around long before Harry Potter, and Merlin's young protégé Tonma is one of the most interesting. His adventures through a fast-paced medieval world full of unfriendlies is fairly fun, but frequently frustrating – understand that you're signing on for a pretty unaltered arcade action experience by investing 600 Wii Points in a download here. Ninja Spirit, Gunstar Heroes or one of the Contra titles would also be excellent options for gamers interested in this style of game.
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