Hey, you know what series was really overdue for a WiiWare revival? Gradius, apparently, as Gradius ReBirth joins the Nintendo download service today. On the Virtual Console front, there’s Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars, and I’m starting to wonder if I’m missing out by never having played any games in the series. All in all, not the most exciting week ever, but not too shabby. Hey, at least we didn’t get anything along the likes of Family Games Party to the Max Xtreme, or another version of the first Sonic the Hedgehog.

Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars
Sega Master System
1 player
500 Wii Points

In this platformer from the 1980s, help Alex Kidd in a race against time to find the 12 missing zodiac signs hidden in six challenging levels—including toyland, the robot factory and an outer-space level—all complete with crazy enemies.

Gradius ReBirth
1 player
1,000 Wii Points

Blast your way through levels filled with alien spaceships and otherworldly creatures in this retro side-scrolling shooter. Pick your weapons carefully and upgrade them to create a devastating arsenal of space-aged weapons that will aid you in your challenging mission. Players can post their high scores to worldwide leader boards via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection and see where they rank against all the other Gradius ReBirth players. Test your skills with Gradius ReBirth and see if you have what it takes to beat this action-packed arcade shooter.

[Image source]

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