VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Yet another game called 'Ninja Gaiden'

For its second Virtual Console Arcade release, Tecmo is offering the first, and perhaps least familiar, game to be called Ninja Gaiden. Originally known as Ninja Ryukenden in Japan (as the series in general is), the arcade game looks similar to the NES version millions of gamers love, but is totally different. Unlike the NES game's fast-paced combat and technical platforming, the original arcade game is more of a brawler. Like Bionic Commando or Strider, Ninja Gaiden became something else entirely in the transition to Nintendo. And now the arcade version is on the same Nintendo platform as the NES game! Magical. The other arcade game is a Namco shooter whose promotional video is more intro than gameplay.

On WiiWare this week, the Okiraku sports/casual game series continues, the JoySound karaoke software arrives in downloadable form, and a game based on Tomy's toy car series is pretty cute.
Virtual Console:

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

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

WiiWare:

• Okiraku Tennis (1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)

• Karaoke Joysound Wii (1-8 players, 1,000 Wii Points)

• Tomika Drive (1-2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)