VC Tuesday: Salamander's Firey Ambition

What a delightful variety of games on the Japanese Virtual Console this Christmas week! Compare that to the American selection, which is delightful but not at all varied. Japan has four new old games, from four different systems, in four different gameplay styles, including a shmup, a strategy game, a platformer, and a wrestling game -- and great examples of all four genres!

• Salamander (Famicom, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

• Super Nobunaga no Yabou (Super Famicom, 1-8 players, 800 Wii Points)

• Super Wonder Boy: Monster World (Sega Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

• Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Legend Bout (PC Engine, 1-4 players, 600 Wii Points)

WiiWare is also a treat this week, but one the rest of the world has already been served: LostWinds, published in Japan by Square Enix.