Commodore 64 commandeers Virtual Console

The Nintendo Wii has become a phenomenal success by catering to new gaming audiences, but the system clearly has roots in the old school as well, as evidenced by the selection of vintage games for sale on the Virtual Console. Today those retro roots are growing stronger, as Nintendo has added the Commodore 64 to the list of systems featured in the downloadable game service's catalog.

Starting today, gamers will be able to download The Last Ninja, International Karate, and Pitstop II from the Virtual Console for 500 Wii points ($5) each. Each of the titles is fairly self-explanatory. The Last Ninja is an action game featuring a masked assassin named Armakuni, International Karate is a one-on-one fighting game, and Pitstop II is a racing game for one or two players.

The Commodore 64 games aren't the only new downloadable Wii offerings this week. Hudson Entertainment's first-person shooter Onslaught has also been added to the WiiWare catalog. The sci-fi game pits humans against a race of insectoid aliens in online multiplayer matches for up to four players.