March 31^st, 2008 (11:41pm) - It’s a brand new day of irony and joy for gamers. Back in the days of the Sega vs Nintendo war with your friends, whoever thought the two companies’ first consoles would be so closely intertwined today. Perhaps you’re still debating over who’s cooler, Sonic or Mario; Shinobi or Ninja Gaiden but the points moot now as the significant worlds of both companies collide more and more. If the original "Sonic the Hedgehog" being one of the first titles for the Wii’s Virtual Console downloading service wasn’t enough, then how about the fact that he also appeared in the until-now celebration of everything Nintendo, otherwise known as "Smash Bros. Brawl."

And while Sega might still be bitterly grinding its teeth over the aftermath of said console war, the fact is, if you’re a gamer, and you own a Wii, it’s nothing but good news.

When SNK’s Neo Geo was announced as an addition to the VC service, Nintendo showed just how dynamic the Virtual Console can be. And with the addition of Sega’s very first system to the roster, the post-console war irony is all but complete. Sega is just as much a part of the Virtual Console as the company that created it. And the Master System’s extensive 8-bit library is filled with interesting and imporant starts for many of Sega’s later franchises that would grow on the Genesis. The likes Of super stars Shinobi, Alex Kidd, and Wonder Boy, to name a few, all started here.

And what better way to hit off the Master System’s celebration to the VC than with the title that gave birth to the phenomonal Wonder Boy series of games.

Wonder Boy stars Tom-Tom, a cave boy out to save his girl. He wields thrown tomohawk hammers and even a skateboard to get her back. He jumps through prehistoric backdrops and must collect fruit along the way to replenish his ever depleting health...

Sound familiar?
Wonder Boy is the exact same game as Adventure Island. Exactly the same, save for some cosmetic changes to the graphics and the title itself. Due to some weird legal workarounds, the original developer of Wonder Boy, retained enough
of the rights to sell the base game to Hudson, and the two created "Adventure Island" from it (ironically, a series that would go on to represent the first Wonder Boy legacy more than the series that actually bore it). So if you already own Adventure Island, take note.

While certainly not the best game to show off what the Master System could do, Wonder Boy is certainly an important relic of Sega’s past, and it is very fitting it be the first Master System release for the Wii VC.

Now comes the waiting game. Nintendo has only whetted our appetite for more. The Master System had a wealth of potential, and the potential for increased fun with our Wiis has just been realized.

On a side note, "Crusi’n USA", a Nintendo 64 racer, was also released today. Not a bad day for VC enthusiasts.