I woke up at 8 am today, a most unusual hour for this nightbird. Truthfully, I was Ready to Monday! The reins of this weekly column have been passed from Editor-in-Chief Nick Chester (he doesn't feed me if my posts aren't on time, please someone report him before I die under my desk) to yours truly, and I only hope I can do them the justice that they deserve. If they aren't suck ass titles in the first place, that is.

This week brings Square's King's Knight (NES, 1 Player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii points), which I have exactly zero memory of playing in my obsessive cartridge renting days. I remember the cover though, so I can only guess I played it at some point and promptly forgot it existed. The game is actually a vertically scrolling shooter in which you play a knight who enrolls the aid of three other friends to save a princess from a dragon. The setting is unusual for a shooter -- I actually can't think of any others that went with this kind of theme off the top of my head.

The second release (we get two!) is Namco's Powerball (Sega Genesis, 1-2 Players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii points). The game is a mashup of rugby and football in which you play on a 100-yard field and try to land goals by getting your ball into the opponent's goal net. While I was searching for images of this game, I stumbled upon the score on 1Up, which was an F. Ouch. Let's hope it's better than that.

Will you download either game this week, or are you holding out for different types of VC releases?

Wii-kly Update: Two New Classic Games Added to Wii Shop Channel

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-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii 
Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop 
Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

KING'S KNIGHT™ (NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone — Mild Fantasy Violence, 
500 Wii Points): In the kingdom of Izander, the fair Princess Claire has been 
kidnapped by a foul and insidious dragon, and it is the mission of four brave 
fighters to save her. Through five thrilling, fast-action stages, our gallant 
heroes—a knight, a wizard, a monster and a thief—will take on an army of 
incredible enemies. You must help them reach their goal, as you are now part 
of the team that will fight to free the princess from her imprisonment. Keep 
your wits about you, plan your strategy and set off on an exciting adventure.

POWERBALL™  (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone — Mild Fantasy 
Violence, 800 Wii Points): Eight different teams representing various nations 
are vying to become the POWERBALL champions, and you control one of the eight 
in your quest for the championship. A hybrid of games like rugby and football, 
POWERBALL is played on a 100-yard field. Try to score by either carrying the 
ball into your opponent's end zone or kicking it into your opponent's net for 
points. This one- or two-player game offers both exhibition and league play. 
Jump into a game of POWERBALL and try a brand new sport.