America gets its sixteenth WiiWare game this week in Gyrostarr, which is High Voltage Software's second title on the platform to date. Also, the platformer Alex Kidd in Miracle World becomes the third game available from the Sega Master System, and beat 'em up Burning Fight the twelfth from the Neo Geo.

Gyrostarr uses the Quantum 3 Engine to hurtle players into a "twisting, turning technoplasma" shooter. In each of the game's 50 levels, players will be relentlessly chasing a warpgate at the end of a course full of enemies and power-ups. If they gather enough energy before they reach the gate then they will successfully warp to the next level. Otherwise the results aren't pretty. And just in case the space trip gets lonely, up to four players can simultaneously and cooperatively take on the game's missions. Gyrostarr is rated E for Everyone and can be downloaded for 700 Wii Points in the Wii Shop Channel.

On the Virtual Console side of things, platformer and early Sega franchise, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, has the simian hero go on a sixteen level quest to save his brother from the clutches of the evil Janken the Great. The name "Janken" is actually a reference to the Japanese name for rock-paper-scissors, and Alex Kidd in Miracle World actually challenges players with special rock-paper-scissors boss fights! A Sega Genesis sequel, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, has been available on Virtual Console since April last year. Alex Kidd in Miracle World is available for 500 Wii Points.

Rounding out this week's offerings is Burning Fight, a side-scrolling beat 'em up from the NeoGeo's library. A crime syndicate has left New York and settled in Osaka, Japan, and it's up to rookie detectives Duke, Ryu, and Billy to confront them. One or two players can punch, kick, and leap their way through hordes of criminals as they take down the gang, or risk executing special moves that deal massive damage but drain their life bar. Luckily, they'll also find weapons and restoratives by breaking down destructible objects throughout levels. Burning Fight costs 900 Wii Points to download.

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

June 23, 2008

Everybody loves a classic battle between good and evil. With the latest additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel, your greatest challenge will be choosing where to wipe out the bad guys-in deep space, on mean city streets or in a monster-ridden fantasy world. Whatever the venue, be ready for outrageous enemies and memorable missions you'll relish from beginning to end.

Nintendo adds new and classic 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:

WiiWare™

Gyrostarr™ (High Voltage Software, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 700 Wii Points): Gyrostarr challenges you and up to three additional players to pilot your ships through a series of twisting, turning technoplasma tracks while battling a variety of deadly alien foes at ever-increasing speeds. While fighting and maneuvering, you must collect enough energy to activate the ancient warpgate at the end of each track. Succeed, and you can journey to the next, even deadlier track. Fail, and the gate will slam shut, destroying your ship. Enhance your ship with weapon pickups, coordinate attacks with your friends to fire powerful combined blasts and use your grapple to snag energy and pickups in the midst of combat. Control your ship with the Wii Remote™ controller, Nunchuk™ controller or Classic Controller™, or use the "paired" control system that allows two players to use a connected Wii Remote and Nunchuk or Classic Controller at the same time. Offering 50 levels of intense action, powerful pickups, high-speed bonus levels and mayhem for up to four players, Gyrostarr is a killer arcade challenge.

Virtual Console™

Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Sega Master System, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): In this platformer from the 1980s, you're Alex Kidd, looking for your lost brother Egle. In order to find your brother, you'll have to contend with the evil Janken the Great, who will send his henchmen and monsters at you to thwart your progress. One aspect of this adventure is that you'll have to play the classic game of "rock, paper, scissors" against the henchmen in order to defeat them. With 16 different levels to conquer in order to save Egle, this classic is sure to test your skills and your wits at the same time.

BURNING FIGHT (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1991 by SNK, BURNING FIGHT is a side-scrolling hand-to-hand-combat action game. In pursuit of Casterora, leader of a huge syndicate that has escaped from New York to Osaka, the protagonists are three detectives: Duke, Ryu and Billy. Each character fights using a combination of punches, kicks and jumps, plus his own particular special move, activated by simultaneously pressing the jump and attack buttons. These lethal techniques have enormous destructive force, but they also consume a great deal of energy. For this reason, players must use their special moves with skillful timing. Luckily for the detectives, new weapons and additional health can be found by breaking things like phone booths and street signs along the way. A boss, who must be defeated in order to continue the mission, awaits players at the end of each stage. You can also take on the gang with a friend, but beware-attacks by one player can damage the other, so keep an eye on where your partner is in the heat of the battle. End Casterora's reign of terror once and for all.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.