VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Burning Force, not lighting cigarettes

The selections on Japan's Wii Shop are all over the place this week. On Virtual Console, two titles are available, including the universally loved Shinobi and Burning Force, a game with which we must admit unfamiliarity. One look at the linked YouTube video, however, cleared that right up. It's like Space Harrier on water, and it looks awesome.

WiiWare this week is loaded with stuff, including the stop-smoking app, a quiz game, a card-battling game, and Reel Fishing. The most interesting WiiWare game in Japan this week is Mobius Drive, an online racing game that looks surprisingly good for a Wii download.

Virtual Console:

• Shinobi (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

• Burning Force (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

• Raku Raku Kinen Appli Wii (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)

• Mobius Drive (1-2 players offline, 2-8 players online, 800 Wii Points)

• Hirameki Card Battle Mekuruka (1-2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)

• Kentei! TV Wii (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)

• Fish Eyes Challenge (1 player, 500 Wii Points)