It's E3 week, and Nintendo of America provides us with three new offerings for the Wii Shop Channel; one for WiiWare, and two for the Virtual Console. Although not AAA gems by any stretch of the imagination, there are some good games that could be worth giving a shot.

The WiiWare title this week is Mastiff Games' Major League Eating: The Game. Featuring the world's top competitive eaters, this game will not disappoint such fans of annual hot dog eating contest and other eating competitio...

"Prepare to battle it out in the toughest fighting contest of them all, King of Fighters, as ART OF FIGHTING 2TM arrives on Virtual Console! Originally released in 1994 by SNK on NEOGEO, knuckle down for this high-octane fighting game and use a range of deadly techniques to unleash devastating attacks on your opponents to become champion! As in the previous version of the game, using a deadly technique lowers your 'rage gauge', so use them strategically to cause the maximum amount of damage an..."

It's another Monday, and two more games were added to the North American Wii Shop Channel. Today should have been a release for Plaatchen Twist and Paint, but that was later pushed back for later in the month. In it's stead, we have the meager offering of one WiiWare game and one Virtual Console game. Disappointing week to be sure.

The WiiWare title is SPOGS Racing by D2C Games, an arcade-style racer that aims to bring the experience to the home console. The game will sport pick-up-and...

It's kind of hard to compete when last month had one of the best weeks ever. But somehow, just somehow, Nintendo manages to cook up a month that is a ridiculously good follow-up to their June releases. Why can't they show this kind of love to outside Japan?

Famicom:

Dig Dug [Wiki] (July 1st)

Chack'n Pop

Donkey Kong 3 [Wiki]

Super Famicom:

Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 [Wiki]

Nintendo 64:
-Nothing

Sega Master System:

Space Harrier [Wiki]

Sega Mega Drive:

Splatterhouse 2 [Wi...

This week's North American Wii Shop Channel update isn't going to stand up to one of Japan's best weeks ever, but it's not going to come close either. While these are two great games, you can't help but think of what could have been. One WiiWare game and one Virtual Console game this week, folks.

The WiiWare game this week is Magetica Twist, already released in Japan and Europe as Minna de Puzzloop and Actionloop Twist, respectively. It is the latest evolution of the original Puzz Loop ...

"Virtual Console offers users the ultimate retro gaming experience. This week’s titles join the list of 228 classic titles already available for Virtual Console in Europe."

It's Tuesday, so it's Japan's turn to shine with the Wii Shop Channel. Can they top what North America got? Unfortunately for those in that hemisphere, Japan churns out one of its best weeks as of yet, with the dream combo that highlighted this month. That's right, folks: this is the week that we see Super Mario RPG and Phantasy Star IV.

For the uninformed, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is a game highly praised and has been a fan-favorite since its release for the Super Fam...

Another week, another Monday, and another three games are added to the North American Virtual Console. It's an arcade theme this week, feature arcade-style action in the neverending epic quest of good versus evil. The split this week is one WiiWare game and two Virtual Console.

The WiiWare game is the shoot-em-up Gyrostarr, developed by High Voltage Software. Developed using the company's Quantum3 game engine, Gyrostarr boasts stellar graphics with tight gameplay. Three different cont...

A brand new week, and we're back to what seems to be the defacto norm, two WiiWare games and one Virtual Console game, at the very least until the releases pent up from launch have run dry.

The first WiiWare game is Block Breaker Deluxe, developed by Gameloft, and is the company's second WiiWare game, after TV Show King. It's really nothing more than a modernized brick-breaking game, with a stylized graphical style. The game supports up to two players.

The second WiiWare game is Cocot...

"The RetroUSB NES/SNES controller adapters enable gamers to easily attain a more genuine Virtual Console experience through the ability to use original controllers. Some hackers have gone even further, building custom circuitry into old equipment. Custom Nintendo themselves have contributed the Super Famicom Classic Controller to the cause of authentic retrogaming.

Raphnet's projects include not only adapters and fully-modded SNES and NES controllers, but also N64 solutions. Raphaël Assénat..."

The Virtual Console was a wasteland in Europe last week, with the region getting a grand total of zero new games. This week is looking to make that back up, with a whopping five games added to the service.

The first game is Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance, the sequel to the original The Last Ninja game that was already released, for the Commodore 64. The game retains the isometric view and gameplay elements from its prequel, but this time with a more modern setting, set in New York.
...

The train just keeps on rolling.

The fan-favorite and ever-popular Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the SNES was rated by Australia's review and rating board, the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC).

The game, at first being thought to be a pipe dream due to Square's reluctance to release its games on the Virtual Console, is one step closer to reaching North American Virtual Console shores. It is already set to release this month in Japan.

With last week's update, North America got two WiiWare games and one Virtual Console game. This week, the roles are reversed, with the added bonus of the two Virtual Console games being a pair of imports.

The WiiWare game is the long-awaited My Pokémon Ranch, developed by Nintendo. The game will allow a player to transfer Pokémon from his/her copy of Pokémon Diamond or Pearl, and then play and interact with them on-screen. The ranch will level up with the more Pokémon the player brings ...

With one of today's additions already have been announced, and the virtual megaton being uncovered the other day, you would imagine that we would've seen a super stellar lineup available this week. Three new games are available today; two of which are WiiWare, and one headed to the Virtual Console.

The first WiiWare game is a shoot-em-up developed by Argentine developers Sabarasa and Digital Builders, and brought to WiiWare by Ubisoft. The game is Protothea, a redesigned version of the P...

One week removed from WiiWare Launching in Europe, the PAL region continues to get some love from Nintendo of Europe. Three games were added today to the Virtual Console, and it's a pretty diverse list too.

The first game up in this set is Samurai Shodown, the first game in SNK's fighting game series. The series is regarded as one of the top-tier fighting game franchises, with this game and its sequel, Samurai Shodown II receiving high praise from gamers and critics alike.


This week...

Nintendo has released its release list for the Virtual Console in Japan for the month of June, and there are some show-stoppers on that list. It is looking to be another great month for the Japanese VC.

Famicom:

Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa

Transformers: Convoy no Nazo [Wiki]

Nekketsu Koukou Dodge Ball Bu (Super Dodge Ball)

Yoshi's Cookie [Wiki]

Super Famicom:

Super Mario RPG [Wiki]

N64:
-Nothing

Master System:

Ashura (Secret Command in Europe, Rambo: First Blood Part II in the...

This week's update will see two new WiiWare games, along with two Virtual Console games.

The first WiiWare game is Dr. Mario Online Rx, developed by Arika and published by Nintendo. The game features a classic mode (in which you have to use vitamins to exterminate viruses), two battle modes, and an online multiplayer mode. This game was one of the WiiWare launch titles in Japan.

The other WiiWare game made available this week is Family Table Tennis. The game features four characters, f...

With WiiWare launching in North America last week, Nintendo's weekly Monday Virtual Console updates will now include WiiWare games, hence the change in the title from the usual "NA Wii Virtual Console".

This week's update will see two new WiiWare games, along with one Virtual Console game.

The first WiiWare game is Critter Round-up, developed by Epicenter Studios and Konami. The game features more than 50 levels as players try to build fences and corral the animals amidst barnyard chao...

This is the third week of Nintendo of Europe's Hanabi Festival for the European Virtual Console, where US and Japanese imports are made available to be downloaded. Whether this week will be the last for the Hanabi Festival is unknown, but there's a good chance it will be, given that WiiWare will launch in Europe next week.

After last week's release of Cho Aniki, NoE returns this week to release another three games, two of which are even more shoot-em-ups for the Virtual Console.

The fi...

With North America seeing the launch of WiiWare this past Monday, Japan gets the first real Virtual Console update this week. There are a couple gems in this update.

The first game is the Taito classic, Bubble Bobble for the Famicom. With gameplay that stands the test of time, join the two Bubble Dragons Bub and Bob through multiple levels, defeating enemies.


Next up is a game featuring Sega's top mascot before Sonic, Alex Kidd. This game is Alex Kidd in Miracle World for the Sega...

It is the second week of Nintendo of Europe's Hanabi Festival, where NoE will bring US and Japanese imports to the European Virtual Console. For this week, quite possibly one of the most quirkiest games ever will be released on the Virtual Console. It is accompanied by three additional games, making for a four game update.

That quirky title is none other than Cho Aniki for the TurboGrafx16. Featuring two of the most manly men in existence, the game is a shoot-em-up that features musclem...

"The Virtual Console is home to a lot of scrolling shooters. It seems like every week, at least one of the releases in every region is a shmup. This week, three of the four games coming out in Japan are shooters. But after years of seeing the once-prominent genre fall into obscurity, we really don't mind having a download service full of the things.

For that matter, the same goes for side-scrolling brawlers, one of which is the other Japanese release this week. The VC is a great system for ..."

"Sat, 03 May 2008 - By Dazza

Pokemon puzzle fun for all the family

So what wonderful games can you get your grubby mitts on this Monday? Prepared to be amazed as the Virtual Console is getting a new N64 game in the shape of Pokémon Puzzle League.

For those not in the know Pokémon Puzzle League uses the exact same gameplay found in the old SNES and Game Boy title Tetris Attack. You're given a Tetris-like field full of coloured blocks, which you must arrange into horizontal or vertical ..."

"If you're familiar at all with the Mother series (Only the second game was released outside Japan, as EarthBound) you should know it's got an enormous cult following. In fact, EarthBound was the number one wanted VC game in the Nintendo Power poll just a few days ago! Fans have pleaded for Nintendo to release the other games in the series, Mother and Mother 3 in the West, or at least give the series some more attention, but to this day, their wishes still haven't been satisfied. That is all c..."

"It's a rather small week on the Japanese Virtual Console, and one that means virtually nothing to gamers outside of Japan. Usually, Japan's releases allow us a look ahead at what's coming for us. This week's two releases just aren't useful for that purpose.

There's extremely little chance of any of Nintendo's Famicom Tantei Club (Famicom Detective Club) games being released outside Japan, which is unfortunate, because we'd love to play these Nintendo-developed text adventures. The one rele..."

"But let’s be realistic. What could that game possibly be? Ninjas, kung-fu, twin brothers, a gang leader named Willy, girlfriends! This game could not possibly exist, it would contain too much awesome for an NES cart to hold. But wait, what does this press release say? Ninjas? Check. Kung-fu? Check. Twin brothers? Check. A gang leader named Willy? Check. Could it be? Girlfriend’s being kidnapped for blackmail? Check! Double Dragon (NES, 1-2 players, Rated Everyone 10+ — Mild Violence, 500 Wii ..."

"Famicom:

Bubble Bobble

Super Famicom:

Axelay

Ganbare Goemon 2

Front Mission Gun Hazard

Nintendo 64:
Nothing this month!

Master System:

Alex Kidd in Miracle World

Mega Drive:

Gynoug (Known in the US as Wings of Wor)

Super Fantasy Zone

PC Engine:

Star Parodier (CD)

Fire ProWrestling 2nd Bout

Break In

Martial Champion (CD)

Neo Geo:

Fatal Fury 2

Ninja Combat

Burning Fight

MSX:

Eggy

Aleste"

"It seems every two weeks we get a Commodore 64 week now - No complaints from us, especially when it means that we get The Last Ninja, an excellent action platformer/puzzler hybrid featuring an agile ninja with a whole assortment of weaponry. The game was incredibly well-received in its day, being the number one selling original creation on the Commodore 64.

Accompanying it is World Games. In a fashion similar to California Games, it features a number of sports, only this time, from around ..."

"No joke titles, no casual Cho Aniki references, no making fun of the slow release schedule, or any of the usual stuff we do in these -- today is too important, too auspicious an occasion for us to ruin by being jackasses. As of today, Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo, the PC Engine Super CD-Rom Castlevania game, which is the narrative predecessor to Symphony of the Night and also the last traditional Castlevania game, is now available on the Virtual Console in Japan.

Get here soon, please...."

"Following news that publisher Interplay was preparing to revive a number of its owned properties, the company has announced that it will soon be bringing several of its Sega Genesis titles to the Wii's Virtual Console, including Earthworm Jim and Clayfighter.

Buoyed by the $5.75 million sale of its Fallout license to Bethesda, the company said in its 2007 earnings report that in addition to its planned Fallout MMO, it intended to revisit former properties. Interplay owns the rights to a nu..."

"Helping out your friends is often as easy as a ride to the airport or a kind word of advice. But when they fall victim to dastardly kidnappers, things get a little more complicated. Step up and find out what it takes to rescue your imperiled pals in the latest additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel. Both of these classic titles feature distinctive rescue-driven storylines and villain-busting action to help bring out your inner hero. Isn't that what friends are for?

Nintendo adds new games to t..."

"After the 4-game blowout last week, some Europeans wondered if Nintendo of Europe had somehow completely turned around and would start to throw out multiple games every week from now on. This dream has been quickly shattered, because it's just one game again this week.

Apparently not considering the two Master System games last week as a true "Sega Week", Sega has now released a new Mega Drive game. Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom is the sequel to Phantasy Star II, also available on..."

"Of all the gamers and non-gamers that the Wii is designed for, we think we've identified the audience that would be happiest with the system: people who love Wonder Boy. Specifically, people who love Wonder Boy and don't already have the games, either in their original form or the Monster World Complete Collection. If you're over-the-top crazy over Wonder Boy, the Wii is easily the best system that has ever existed. Monster Lair is just the latest Wonder Boy game to arrive in Japan.

Also u..."

"Aksys has confirmed to IGN that it is delivering three NES beat 'em ups to the Virtual Console soon. First up is the beloved River City Ransom, arriving next week. Double Dragon and Renegade will follow in each successive week.

River City Ransom features the same Kunio-Kun characters found in Renegade and Super Dodge Ball. All three games were developed by Technos in Japan.

Double Dragon follows Billy Lee, a buff vigilante who fights his way through numerous thugs and crime bosses to sa..."

"Danger may not be your middle name, but you'll find plenty of it in this week's additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel. Two classic side-scrolling action titles invite players to blast and battle their way to a thrilling climax. In a spaceship or an assault suit, it'll take all the grit and gusto you can muster to survive these perilous, heart-pumping adventures.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connecti..."

"You might remember that Europe got the first two Commodore 64 games two weeks ago. Well, this week two more games join them. But that's not all, because the Sega Master System also arrives, and also brings two games with it!

As a new console is arguably more important, we'll list the Master System's games first - Fantasy Zone is a rather colourful shooter from Sega themselves. The game is unique in that you can fly both left and right at any time you wish, there is no autoscrolling. The ga..."

"The arrival of April means springtime fun is officially back in season. To get Wii™ Shop Channel patrons in the spirit, we're pleased to offer a pair of lively NES® favorites. One is a breezy, puzzle-busting fantasy, the other a classic baseball title to keep sports fans fired up for a new season of nine-inning excitement. Whether your tastes run toward cookies or ballpark snacks, you'll find hours of gaming enjoyment right at your fingertips.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channe..."

"So what’s up for grabs on the European Virtual Console update this week? Well, sadly nothing other than a rather lonely looking Yoshi’s Cookie!

It is hard to get too enthusiastic as the VC already has an abundance of Nintendo puzzlers such as Mario & Yoshi, Wario’s Woods, etc but it is not such a bad thing that this has finally come out even if it is the less attractive NES version opposed to the SNES version we might have preferred.

With Mario Kart Wii coming out on April 11th in the E..."

"The Month of Awesome (as we have unofficially dubbed April for its wealth of Virtual Console releases) has kicked off rather well in Japan, with a bunch of new games available to NTSC/J Wii owners. Surprisingly, only two of these games are scrolling shooters (Sky Kid and Musha Aleste), and of those, one is an absolute classic of the genre. If you like giant robots mashed up with Japanese mythology (and why wouldn't you?) Musha Aleste is right up your alley (and shooting glowing shurikens).

..."

"If you like the number 64 you're in luck today - Not only are there three new games, they're all for the Commodore 64 and Nintendo 64! Obviously this also means there's now a new system on VC. Commodore 64 games cost 500 Wii Points each.

As the C64 is arguably bigger news than a new N64 game (It's not that great of a game anyway), its two games are our "top picks" this week. International Karate is probably the single most popular C64 game. It was ported to a variety of systems, some of th..."

It's March 25th, and thusly, Nintendo's WiiWare has launched in Japan, as a platform for developers with smaller budgets to produce quality, innovative games.

The launch titles are as follows:

Okiraku Ping Pong Wii - 500 Wii Points

Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Wii - 1000 Wii Points

Saku Saku Animal Panic - 1000 Wii Points

Star Solider R - 800 Wii Points

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King - 1500 Wii Points

Tenshi Solitaire - 500 Wii Points

Dr. Mario & Saikin Bokumetsu...

"It's a mad season for basketball lovers, but even the most hardcore hoops fan needs a break from the action this time of year. While they're a far cry from basketball, the latest additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel offer plenty of fast-moving fun and high-scoring thrills of their own. Check them out and get a fresh taste of gaming excitement that can last well into April and beyond.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-s..."

"Tomorrow's Good Friday in most of Europe - Last year, Nintendo of Europe updated the VC a few hours earlier than normal because of this. Not this year though, the update was at the regular time!

Super Turrican was only added 3 weeks ago - But now you can get the game that was originally released before it: Mega Turrican! This game's a bit more similar in feel to the original duo of games on Amiga and Commodore 64 (In fact, it was released on Amiga as well, as Turrican 3), but features some..."

"This week's Japanese Virtual Console update features three games that aren't what they seem. Super Gussun Oyoyo totally looks like a platformer in screens, but it's actually a Lemmings/Pac-Man 2 style game in which you direct an uncontrollable character with falling blocks. Similarly, you might make assumptions about the genre of a game called Bomberman: Panic Bomber (possibly that it is in the Bomberman games genre) but it's also a puzzler!

Most deceptive of all is Nekketsu Kunio-kun. It'..."

"Are you afraid of the dark? If so, this is a great week to face your fears with a pair of eerie new game offerings on Nintendo's Virtual Console™. One will plunge you deep underground to navigate perilous caves, while the other puts you on the front lines of a darkly sinister space war. In either case, your frights will give way to serious fun.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem W..."

"Four games hit the Virtual Console this week in Japan, none of which cost more than 600 Wii Points. Some of them may even be worth those small prices! The Famicom's original 2D fighting game, Joy Mech Fight stands out; though we have no idea if the game's any good, we suddenly have an interest in Nintendo-developed fighting games. Fantasy Zone is, of course, one of the Sega Master System's best: a free-scrolling (Defender-style) shooter in a super-colorful, cute environment.

For us, howeve..."

"Got enough challenge in your daily routine? Chances are that basic everyday tasks - getting to work or school on time, walking the dog, taking out the trash - aren't enough to keep you firing on all cylinders. Luckily, Virtual Console™ is close at hand to help you test your mettle in fresh and unusual ways. Whether you're rescuing a kidnapped pal or mastering a set of mind-bending grid puzzles, this week's new arrivals, imported from Japan, offer a refreshing break from the late-winter blahs...."

In this edition of the Wii Virtual Console Wrapup, we'll review the two weeks that have gone by, and the new games that have been added to the three Virtual Consoles. For those who have been paying attention, the regular on-the-correct-day-non-late-and-actually-on-time articles will resume next week.

First of all, let's recap the last week of February, 02/25/08 - 03/02/08:
On Monday the 25th, the North American Virtual Console was updated with two new games, already previewed on GameGrep...

"This week's additions take players on a psychedelic trip down memory lane. Kirby® is back and armed with a bunch of new talents, including the option to combine abilities. Curious to find out what mixing the Burn and Cutter powers gives Kirby? We won't spoil that for you here. If the colorful landscapes in the pink sphere's world are too much for you and you're looking for straight firepower instead, then try plunging your soul into the mind of a twisted demon. We'll just see how you fare aga..."

Due to me being away for a week, there are Virtual Console updates that were not added to GameGrep. To rectify the situation, I bring you the first (and hopefully last) edition of Wii Virtual Console: Week in Review (name pending).

North America updated on Monday the 18th, with the new standard offering of two games. However, these two games aren't just mediocre low-tier stuff that you'd toss aside.

Game 1 for the NA crowd is Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom for the NES. Th...

"Since the release of the Wii many tech-savvy fans have pointed out that the two USB ports present on the console could open up a whole world of opportunities; one recent firmware update granted the ability to use USB keyboards on the machine, for example. Surely it would be a simple thing for Nintendo to allow Wii owners to hook up external hard drives for storage?"

"The two games joining the lineup this week are considered cult classics, yet they deal with topics as varied as farm management and shooting enemies to the strains of heavy-metal tunes. Just don't get the two mixed up, since most livestock don't like heavy metal and it takes more than turnips to defeat fire-spewing sea serpents.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to do..."

"The third (!) week in a row with just one game! You can now download Lords of Thunder, a Turbografx-CD sequel to Gate of Thunder, which is a fantastic game.

Aside from the fact that the game was listed as costing 600 points instead of the usual 800 (which has now been fixed), there's not much else to report here. Obviously it's annoying that Nintendo are only releasing single games at the moment, when the title in question is as good as Lords of Thunder you really can't complain; this is o..."

"After last week, we thought Nintendo might be returning to form with Virtual Console releases, at least in Japan. We didn't get our hopes up, which is good, because we would be disappointed right now otherwise. Nintendo is continuing to do their best to make people forget about the Virtual Console, with another week light on releases. Not that many games for Japan means even fewer games making it out West. We don't even really care that the games aren't Goldeneye or Earthbound or whatever. We..."

"While Nintendo's 2007 success now seems like a foregone conclusion, it wasn't always so. In 2005, Electronic Entertainment Expo attendees who'd been wowed by the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 unveilings left Nintendo's press conference shaking their heads after being shown a nonfunctional mock-up of a tiny console code-named "Revolution." When that device was renamed the "Wii" in 2006, doubt became incredulity--until Nintendo showed off the console's motion-sensing remote at an E3 event that was..."

"Step into two very different types of action this week. Either battle the bad guys to save hostages and preserve freedom or bury your opponents with magical jewels. Whatever you fancy, you'll need to be ready for a challenge: strategize as a fearless hero or manipulate special jewels to raise the crush bar. How do you plan to win today?

Two new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet ..."

"It had to happen. With SNK supporting the Virtual Console and consequently making some of its wonderful 2D fighting games available for download, it was almost inevitable that someone, somewhere would look at producing a more ‘suitable’ control method than is currently offered by the Wiimote, Cube pad and Classic Controller.

Japanese retailer Rakuten has posted information regarding a new joystick that will be fully compatible with Virtual Console games and should allow for a more ‘faithfu..."

"01./01. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 89,248 / 1,283,000
02./00. [PSP] World Soccer Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008 (Konami) - 76,669 / NEW
03./00. [PS2] Lucky Star: Misasagi Sakura Gakuen Sakura Fuji Festival (Kadokawa Shoten) - 71,512 / NEW
04./02. [NDS] Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo) - 50,169 / 140,000
05./04. [WII] Wii Sports (Nintendo) - 25,788 / 2,714,000
06./03. [NDS] Mario Party DS (Nintendo) - 21,840 / 1,581,000
07./05. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd ..."

"The drought on new games coming to the Virtual Console continues for yet another week as Europe gets just one game today. We’ll try our best to smile because Adventures of Lolo 2 is a great game for anyone who likes puzzlers but we can’t help feeling a little disappointed at Nintendo’s lack of support for the VC of late.

Lolo and Lala are back in this sequel to the popular puzzle game Adventures of Lolo. On their return from the Haunted Castle, the Great Devil kidnaps Lala and challeng..."

"Sometimes, we can't help but compare the Japanese Virtual Console releases to the American ones. In some cases, they're about equal in quantity (which, lately, means low). Not this week. In the U.S. we got one game. Japan? Four. And one of them is Phantasy Star II. We desperately wish that we could say this marks a return to 2007-level release density, but we really can't predict that. Next Monday and Tuesday could roll around and drop one game on us again. Let's just try to be optimistic!

..."

"Awesome news for people who love 8-bit games, or just wonderful things: Sega Master System games will be offered on the Japanese Virtual Console starting in February, with other territories to follow. It looks like the base price for games will be 500 points, with the customary 100 tacked on for licenses. Sega Mark III games and even Game Gear games will be offered for download -- marking the first handheld games available through the VC, all thanks to the Game Gear and the Master System usin..."

"VC gamers in Europe only get one game tonight in what seems to be becoming a trend for recent releases on the VC. C'mon Nintendo, surely you can give us more games than this each week? Anyway, lets not look a gift horse in the mouth - when the game is as good as Super Street Fighter II on the SNES who can complain?

For somebody only wishing to buy one Street Fighter game on the VC this is probably your best bet. It has the most options, its got Cammy, Fei Long, DeeJay and T. Hawk and a num..."

"Despite both of this week's North American VC releases being quality games in their own right, we found the selection disappointing. We only got two games, one of which is only a minor upgrade over an existing release. Why did Nintendo skimp on the releases? And why have they been skimping for the last three or four weeks?

The situation is actually not that much better in Japan. This week only one new game is available: Devil World, the weirdo Famicom maze game designed by Miyamoto. With t..."

"Let's take a quick personality test. Are you the type of person who likes to solve problems by analyzing clues, collecting information and methodically reaching your goal? Or are you more the type to thrust a double-footed kick into someone's face and follow it with a few body blows? Your answers to those questions should help you decide which popular game to choose this week.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed..."

"Hot on the heels of Japan, who got the game on Tuesday, Europe has gotten the next N64 game - 1080 Snowboarding! This is another "realistic" racer, similar to Wave Race 64, except that you're, of course, snowboarding instead of riding jetskis. Like the other 3 N64 racers on VC, it holds up quite well and is well worth checking out.

On the other hand, stay far away from Riot Zone. This is a rather blatant clone of Final Fight and Streets of Rage, and unfortunately for us, it's not nearly as..."

"This week brings another rare (not Rare) Nintendo 64 release, and a seasonally appropriate one at that. 1080 Snowboarding is making its appearance on the Virtual Console for the first time. When it hits the American download service, we look forward to playing it and pretending it's cold outside. Until then, we can just look at screenshots and pretend we're playing it and pretending it's cold outside.

The other two releases are distant cousins. Adventure Island is a remake of Westone's ori..."

"This week you can spend your time carefully planning puzzle strategies or rescuing a damsel in distress. Help one of the most iconic characters in all of video gamedom eat some troublesome ghosts or set off to defeat an evil organization using only your furious fists. The choice is yours. What are you in the mood for?

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the ..."

"Once again, Europe does not get 3 or more games this week. And once again, Nintendo seems to try and make up for it by making one of the games they do release a great one (The other is ok). Well, at least it wasn't just one game again! The great game this time is StarTropics, the first of only two games in Nintendo's (unfortunately) dead franchise of the same name. It's a lot like the original The Legend of Zelda, with some improvements, leading some to refer to it as "everything Zelda II sho..."

"After a week off, Japan's Virtual Console is slow to pick back up. Really slow. Only two games made it to the download service this time, both martial-arts related, and both not very good.

Konami's Yie Ar Kung-Fu at least deserves a bit of respect for being one of the first fighting games. Of course, that means it suffers the fate of all pre-SF2 fighters and isn't much fun. But at least it's better than Urban Champion. Yie Ar Kung-Fu is also notable for its deceptively banal title. Yie and..."

"Can't believe it's already 2008? Soothe that sense of future shock with a visit to the Wii Shop Channel, where we've just added a pair of awesome vintage games from way back in the 20th century. This week's new offerings include an unpredictable island-hopping adventure and a legendary fighting title, each guaranteed to deliver classic gaming excitement throughout the new year and beyond.

Two new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel ..."

"After ending 2007 with a one-game week, people hoped Nintendo would start the next year with multiple games. Unfortunately, they fail to deliver, and it's one game once again!

Just like last week, it's not a complete mess, however, as it's a quality title - Harvest Moon for the SNES. This is the first game in the popular farming series, and it's usually regarded as the best one, as well. The game's notorious among collectors for being extremely hard to find, the cartridge can fetch some pr..."

"December 31, 2007 - What are you doing New Year's Eve? Thanks to the Wii™ Shop Channel, you've got some outrageous new options. This week's classic game additions offer brilliant fantasy and crackling action to help you ring in '08. So if you haven't made any New Year's resolutions yet, allow us to suggest a few: pop more bubbles, battle more medieval beasts and try to save the universe a little more often.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to ..."