Three new classic games are making an appearance on the Virtual Console in North America today, all offerings from Nintendo's own NES catalogue. The biggest news is, by far, Kid Icarus. The almost forgotten franchise used the same engine and layout as the original Metroid game but never captured the public's attention. Kid Icarus is a difficult platformer, but the rewards are worth the headache. An excellent round of games for the week!



Kirby's Adventure (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Tthe Dream Spring, a magical well that is the reservoir for all the dreams of the citizens of Dream Land, is no longer working. Everyone is being subjected to their worst nightmares when they go to sleep. Kirby finds out that evil King Dedede has stolen the Star Rod, thus depriving Dream Land of the magical energy. Using 20 unique tricks and the ability to steal enemies' powers by swallowing them, recover the broken pieces of the Star Rod to save Dream Land. VC Archive review.

Ice Climber (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): As Popo, players use a trusty mallet to work their way up the mountain. It's easy to slip off some of the icy levels, as Polar Bears, Toppies and other ferocious fauna don't want players up there. There are 32 challenging peaks to scale in this classic action game. VC Archive review.

Kid Icarus (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): In a time when men and gods lived in harmony, the kingdom of Angel Land was ruled by two goddesses: Palutena, the Goddess of Light, and Medusa, the Goddess of Darkness. Unlike Palutena, Medusa despised all humans and enjoyed destroying their crops and turning them into stone. One day, Palutena decided to punish the evil Medusa and banished her after turning her into a hideous monster. But Medusa would not go without a fight. She created an army of monsters and evil spirits and captured Palutena. Players play as Pit, a young angel trapped in the Underworld, and Palutena's only hope. They use a magical bow to retrieve the Sacred Treasures, defeat Medusa and restore peace to Angel Land. VC Archive review.