This is both a joy filled and sour tasting day in the history of Nintendo's Virtual Console. The streak of two releases a week continues, this in contrast to 2007's three-a-week schedule.

Bummer.

However,  the two games we do get are more than worth the price of admission. Phantasy Star II is the stand out for me, being perhaps the best non-Final Fantasy 16-Bit RPG ever. It features an epic story packed with plot twists, space ships, and dying main characters. This is well before Final Fantasy VII made such events common place, mind you. Come to think of it, I think Phantasy Star II may be the first game I ever played where a player character dies a real, permanent death. That alone makes Phantasy Star II an important piece of gaming history. Not to mention the music is totally catchy and inappropriately upbeat.

Speaking of music, where the heck is GameJew with the Mushroom Singdom? At any rate, press release is after the jump.

 

Feb. 18, 2008 Wii-kly Update: Two New Classic Games Added to Wii Shop Channel Some gamers get skeptical when Roman numerals populate the title of a game. But make no mistake – this week's offerings are no mere sequels. They are some of the most highly regarded classic games around. So stock up on some Wii Points™ to battle the Dark Force or complete an action-packed trilogy. 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: Ninja Gaiden™ III: The Ancient Ship of Doom: (NES(R), 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): Join master ninja Ryu Hayabusa, last member of the famous Dragon Clan, in the third and final chapter of the legendary Ninja Gaiden saga. Ryu is framed for FBI agent Irene Lew's murder, and it's up to him to clear his name. Defeating superior life-forms created out of "life energy" called BIO-NOIDs and avoiding enemy ambushes are among the many obstacles which Ryu faces in this unpredictable adventure of mystery, deceit and destruction. Noticeable changes to the game-play mechanics include Ryu's ability to grab on to horizontal surfaces, his reduced falling speed and altered jumping maneuvers, and visible power-ups. Help Ryu defeat the forces of evil once more and discover the real culprit behind Irene's death as one of the most loved trilogies in video-game history comes to a close. Phantasy Star™ II: (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): Hailed as one of the greatest games of all time by fans and media alike, Phantasy Star II is an RPG that features an epic story line and turn-based battles. Play as Rolf, Nei, Rudo or several other characters as you navigate through the Algol star system battling the evil Dark Force. Build your characters, select the right weapons and armor, and take on the forces of evil through various missions as you find the right combination of characters to complete each objective. Experience the magic once again in this great sequel.