Three happy new video games appeared today on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console in North America. The TurboGrafx16 is well represented this time around, sporting both Soldier Blade and Dungeon Explorer, while Gradius holds down the fort for the NES. These games may not carry the fame of Metroid, Sonic or Mario, but dig your nails into them for an hour or so and you'll discover why they're classics in their own right.



Gradius (NES, 500 Wii Points): An immensely popular shooter from Konami that spawned a host of imitators that continue even to this day. Pilot the Vic Viper to save planet Gradius from the Bacterion race. Gather power-ups to upgrade your ship and destroy everything in sight. This game hasn't aged a bit! VC Archive review

Soldier Blade (TurboGrafx16, 600 Wii Points): Take control of a pilot flying a heavy assault fighter to face off against the Zeograd invasion force in this shooter. A few interesting gameplay mechanisms make Soldier Blade an entertaining game, including powers that help you avoid enemies, clear the screen and more. VC Archive review

Dungeon Explorer (TurboGrafx16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points): Aah, old scool role playing has never been so... uh... old school. Dungeon Explorer is a multiplayer RPG that supports up to five people at once, immediately putting it on the radar as a potential party-like game (geeks have strange parties). Choose from the standard stock of fantasy characters and work your way through a series of underground dungeons fighting battle after battle. VC Archive review