The weeky Virtual Console update is nice and tasty for the old school NES fans out there. This Monday you get three certified cult hits: Kirby's Adventure, Ice Climber and Kid Icarus. Kirby as we all know went on to mainstream success, while Nana and Popo chilled out at the North Pole until a surprise reappearance in Smash Bros. Melee. Kid Icarus is of special note--it's one of those games that everyone wants a sequel to but it never seems to get made. Metroid's sister game back in 1987, it was developed by the same team and on the same engine as Samus's first outing. Kid Icarus had a lot of cool ideas but little Pit never gained the appeal of his spiritual cousin Samus. Maybe with Pit showing up in Smash Bros. Brawl later this year (and looking suitably badass at that), he might get a Wii adventure all his own.
Feb. 12, 2007
Wii-kly Update: Three New Classic Games Announced for Wii Shop Channel
Today Nintendo adds three new classic games to the popular Wii(TM) video
game system's Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9 a.m
. Pacific time.
Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a
high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points(TM) to download the
games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail
outlets. This week's new games are:
Kirby's Adventure(TM) (NES(R), 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Not everything
is well in Dream Land. For some mysterious reason, the 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 every time they go to sleep. Upon reaching the Dream Spring, Kirby
finds out that evil King Dedede has stolen the Star Rod, thus depriving Dream
Land of the magical energy that feeds its spring. Using 20 unique tricks and
the ability to steal enemies' powers by swallowing them, players have to make
their way through a horrific land filled with all kinds of nightmares. Recover
the broken pieces of the Star Rod and everyone in Dream Land will sleep
peacefully once again. Fail and the citizens of Dream Land will be subjected
to a lifetime of terrible nightmares.
Ice Climber(TM) (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): As Popo, players use a
trusty mallet to work their way up the mountain. They chip away at the blocks
overhead, then jump up through the resulting hole to the mountain's next
level. Once Popo reaches the top level, he enters a fast-moving bonus stage
in which he can pick up veggies and, hopefully, reach the summit for a big
point payoff. Of course, not everyone's supportive of Popo's pastime. Toppies
fill Popo's holes, so players must jump through the gaps quickly. 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 -- players can face them alone or with a friend.
Kid Icarus(TM) (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.
The list of downloadable games is updated weekly on Nintendo's Online
Press Room at
press.nintendo.com.
