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Quartet of titles hit Wii's Virtual Console

Ice Hockey, Gunstar Heroes, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Alien Crush are now available for purchase from Nintendo's online store.

217 Comments

The wave of old-school games continues to pile onto the Wii's Virtual Console. Nintendo today announced that four more games from the days of yesteryear are now available for purchase. Joining the ranks of Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Sonic the Hedgehog are one title from the Nintendo Entertainment System, a pair from the Sega Genesis, and one from the TurboGrafx-16.

Gamers who like their hockey 8-bit can now download Ice Hockey for 500 Wii points ($5). Originally released in 1988 for the NES, Ice Hockey features six national teams and three different weight classes of players, allowing coaches to go with a nimble lineup or a team of crushing bruisers.

Gunstar Heroes, which first appeared on the Sega Genesis in 1993, brings side-scrolling run-and-gun action to the Wii. Playing as one of the famed Gunstar twins, gamers will take on Colonel Red and a host of his minions in an attempt to foil his plans of destruction. Gunstar Heroes will set gamers back 800 Wii points ($8).

The curiously named Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, also originally a Genesis title, is a puzzle game featuring characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Like the popular puzzle game Puyo Puyo, this game tasks gamers with matching four blocks of the same color and causing mayhem for opponents. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine costs 800 Wii points ($8).

Late last week, Hudson Entertainment dropped a few hints that a TurboGrafx-16 game would be making an appearance on the Virtual Console today. Based on clues, many suspected it would be Alien Crush...and they were right. Alien Crush was originally released in 1989 and sells for 600 Wii points ($6).

All four games can be purchased from the WIi Shop Channel. Nintendo plans to add new Virtual Console games each Monday.

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Avatar image for RivalBattousai
RivalBattousai

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no super mario?

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Da1ShrpSh0trGrl

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No battletoads or Ninja Gaiden yet?

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Supersonic2000

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I must buy Gunstar Heroes.

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insane5674

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gunstar heroes is such a good game. there all good but gunstars is the only one worth the only.

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LivingDeadNinja

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Wow! How nice, that's actually 4 good games! I'll only get Gunstar Heroes for now though. I was SO awaiting this game, like THE VC title i needed. Woohoo!

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templesweeper

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I downloaded Donkey Kong Jr and Sonic....heh heh heh......they are fun. Takes me back (sniff, sniff, sniff)

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SHEATH013

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Dah, I thought that headline said Quartet for the Virtual Console. Such a great game, but I hadn't heard of Sega doing any Arcade or SMS adaptations. It's too bad it was just a misunderstanding, Quartet is a great one to revive.

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NRIAgent

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Waiting for classic FF and Zelda LTTP... The golden age shall return =)

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jefflyall94

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dr robotniks mean bean and sonic 1 are on GC sonic mega collection, hmmmmmmm

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comthitnuong

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why so many virtual console games? i meant its not bad but what about real games

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Darko31786

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people who are **** about pricing, if you bought any of these games off eBay, the only place to get them these days, they are twice if not three times as much money. The VC pricing is a steal. When i bought contra for NES of eBay it was 20 bucks, Zelda 2 $15. Your not getting ripped off believe me.

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Avatar image for I_Stole_the_Tv
I_Stole_the_Tv

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Gunstar Heroes is the best game on the Wii.

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vassalofodin

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Wow, I hope the arcade gets even better--but even right now, it looks to be pretty good. I want Ristar and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine!

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runstalker

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If you've never played Gunstar Heroes and you have a Wii, you'd be out of your mind not to get it. Have a second controller for a friend in co-op mode. It puts so many modern games to shame. Considering most of you were around 3 to 5 years old when this game first came out on MD/Genesis, I'm sure some have not played Treasure's first real masterpiece.

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gatsbythepig

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thank you nintendo

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LordAndrew

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Can't wait to play Guitar Hero on the Virtual Console. :P

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eric2mrng

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keep em coming nintendo!

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CheddarLimbo

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Did anyone else read "Guitar Hero" the first time? Anyway, Ice Hokey is some old-school fun. I used to sneak into my living room in the middle of the night to play that game.

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wooooode

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Got Gunstar Heroes this mourning and it is still great.

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Spartan4001

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STILL waiting for Rogue Squadron

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Cipher92

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THey should release all of the games at once and then people will go VC crazy... instead of releaseing 4 or 5 at a time so people buy them in moderation and end up buying more.

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Merl57

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GUNSTAR HEROES. GOD I tried to find out the name of that game forever. FINALLY FINALLY I get to play it again YAY! Too bad the VC way overprices games.

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bdhoff

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Alien Crush! Yes! Devil's Crush?

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crills

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weres super metriod hurry nintendo i need to play that to

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crills

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were are you crono trigger and soul blazer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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suprsolider

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Damn it. I want a god damn Wii right now. I just can't seem to get a hold of one. It's pissing me off. Oh, well, I guess I will have to wait until after Christmas when the demand goes down to get my Wii.

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downPlayDemon

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wow nintendo is doing good with the vc. it topples xbox live arcade as it stands. i would kno i have a 360. im waiting for the ps3 to become available i might just buy this "wii" as you kids call it. as soon as the black one s available. the 360 stands out in my room since it is the only nonblack elctornic in my room. well that and my razr and tv

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AgileNate

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I like Nintendo's virtual console idea but I dont like there pricing.

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juanfraino

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Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is effing hard :x ... :cry:

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skemaal

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Alien Crush.....incoming YAY

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The_Spoony_Hou

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Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine?! I want Puyo Puyo, dammit!

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Re_ensurer

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I'm going to have to go check out the shop.

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Kahuna_1

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ohh i see...well hopefully they hit nintendo

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4lic

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Ugh...there's just one good...and it's Mean Bean Machine..

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SirSpudly

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Just dl'ed Ice Hockey, Comp beat me 10-2. Man i forget how hard games used to be. Thank you Nintendo!

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gothicdragon216

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because microsoft got to them first. They are 3rd party, meaning they weren't made by nintendo, therefore, microsoft can grab at them. Sonic The Hedgehog (a new platformer) is coming to XBLA as well.

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FallenOneX

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Picked up AC and Hockey as soon as I could. Now if we could only get Blades of Steel.......

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MegaManX9101

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Sweet.... GunStar Heroes... I've been waiting for that one. :D

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shasam712

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Where are the SNES and N64 games? Seriously. I want more of them and Kid Icarus please...thankyou Nintendo! :D

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Kahuna_1

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i just wanna know why street fighter and mortal kombat(snes games) are on xbla

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LordAndrew

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There are probably enough games available that they can continue releasing games every Monday for quite a while, unlike XBLA

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frankeyser

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virtual console is breaking me... with it and all my arcade games i have been downloading on live i cant afford real games.

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rentfn

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Earthbound and the world will be a special place

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Greydawg

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New games EVERY Monday! Now THAT'S a sweet idea! I hope they can keep it up at this rate for a long time.

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Willy105

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Still waiting for more N64 titles....

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deactivated-57fce817a4cf5

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Excellent. The library becomes ever more amazing. I have a horrible feeling I will be spending more on the Virtual Console than on new games!

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hazuki

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It'd be nice if they would put everything on the japanese virtual console on the american one. People say they will in time, but how about now? A "somewhat" free wii sports isn't worth not having these many virtual console games.

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