After seeing someone attempt to play a life-sized, tracking-controlled Space Invaders game on the stage of the Chicago Theater this weekend, you just can’t help but wish retro games stay the way they are. Luckily, one of this week’s VC updates is Space Invaders: The Original Game for the Super Nintendo, which includes all the old arcade versions of the game in addition to modes enhanced… to 16-bit standards!

• Space Invaders (SNES, 800 Wii Points)
• Forgotten Worlds (Genesis, 800 Wii Points)
  

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How many times am I going to use the “blasts onto” headline for new VC games? About as many times as there are Mega Man games in the franchise. Ba-dum, ksshh!

Mega Man 3 is now available on the Virtual Console for those of you who have finished Mega Man 9, have gotten the Jitterbug, Mr. Perfect, and Truly Hardcore! challenges (or maybe even all of them), and still want more classic Mega Man. Of course, if you’re relatively new to playing the games like I am, Mega Man and Mega Man 9 are more than enough until your hair grows back…

• Mega Man 3 (NES, 500 Wii Points)

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There’s just a single game available today on the Virtual Console, and it’s Space Harrier for the Sega Master System. As much of a Sega loyalist as I was during the pre-Ocarina of Time years, the only Sega system I ever owned as a kid was a Game Gear for which I only owned Sonic games (and The Lion King), so there’s not much I can tell you about this game or others that didn’t involve any sort of blue hedgehog.

Then again, this game was released on consoles from pretty much significant manufacturer, from Nintendo to Hudson, Microsoft to Sony, and even Atari and Commodore. I’ve not played those versions either, so you’ll have to decide for yourselves how the game is. Unless all of you want us to bring back the “Yay or Nay” feature where we’ll have someone play and review them all…do you?

• Space Harrier (Sega Master System, 500 Wii Points)

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As seems to be the running theme regarding me and old games, I only played a little bit of previous Earthworm Jim games. I was more familiar with the cartoon series than anything (because lets face it: 9-year-olds during the 90s had a gold mine of cartoons to choose from).

For those of us that really didn’t get to experience the games, the original Genesis iteration is now available for the Virtual Console in North America. It’ll run you a smooth $8, but it’s a small price to pay for a classic 90s icon.

• Earthworm Jim (Sega Genesis, 800 Wii Points)

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I’ve not played either of this week’s Virtual Console additions in North America. Considering that half of this week’s games were never released in the United States, I don’t think I’m at fault this week for not being much of a gamer. It’s a sequel to the first Gradius game (surprise surprise!).

As for the other title, well… I don’t know anyone that had a TurboGrafx16. In fact, I don’t know anyone that knew anyone that had a TurboGrafx16. Yet, I still keep posting about these games and manage to find some of you that have seemingly played more TG16 games than Genesis games.

• Digital Champ Battle Boxing (TurboGrafx16, 700 Wii Points)
• Gradius II Gofer No Yabou (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 900 Wii Points)
  

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Two new additions to the Virtual Console today. What’s that? A Square Enix title? Really? Yes, it is! And what’s that other one? A third version of Street Fighter II on the Virtual Console? Why, indeed it is!

In all seriousness, I hear this version of Street Fighter II is probably the best of the three. Whether it’s worth the money if you’ve already paid $16 for the other two versions, I couldn’t tell you. What I can tell you is that the first game today? Totally worth it.

• Secret of Mana (Super NES, 800 Wii Points)
• Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (Sega Genesis, 800 Wii Points)
  

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Remember when Super Turrican was the only new Virtual Console game the week it came out? I had nothing to say since I had never played it. Well, this week, Super Turrican 2 is the only new Virtual Console game. Twooooo. As such, I have nothing more to add.

• Super Turrican 2 (SNES, 800 Wii Points)

Maybe if any of you have played it, you could shed some light on the game for us. Otherwise, I’ll probably have to dive in sometime in the future.

You can find the full press release and game description after the break.

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A new console was added to the Japanese Virtual Console today. The Japanese-only NEC SuperGrafx. What the heck is a SuperGrafx? Well, the SuperGrafx is to the TurboGrafx-16 what the SNES is to the NES. Or it would be, if the SNES only pretended to be 16 bits and had a library of, like, 7 games. Perhaps that is why it doesn’t even get to use its own name on the Virtual Console, with its games being referred to as TurboGrafx-16 games.

This is fantastic news for Japanese gamers who were just dying to pay an extra 200 points for a slightly different version of Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, though! Color me jealous!

Nintendo.co.jp
via Wii Fanboy

Two great Virtual Console games are newly available to North American Wii owners today, though I’m sure they’ll be overshadowed amidst the WiiWare releases this week. Super Dodge Ball for the NES and Vectorman for the Sega Genesis are up to bat today, costing you 500 and 800 Wii Points, respectively.

You can read up on the game descriptions after the break, but a video of Super Dodge Ball has been included above. Let me know if you actually watch it… otherwise I’ll know you went straight for the WiiWare shop today!

• Super Dodge Ball (NES, 500 Wii Points)
• Vectorman (Genesis, 800 Wii Points)
  

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Most definitely in an effort to ready himself for his Ninth outing, Capcom’s little blue engine that could (and can) makes an appearance today for just five big ones. Me and Geno still have some unfinished business with a giant sword, so it could be a little while before I pick this one up. Although I do have to say 2 might be my favorite of the series.

• Mega Man 2(NES™, 500 Wii Points)

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