Excitebike arrives on Wii VC

Nintendo's regular Monday-morning update of new releases for the Wii's Virtual Console downloadable game service has gone live, and the new titles include one offering each from the NES, the TurboGrafx-16, and the Sega Genesis.

Leading the pack this week is the NES motorcycle racer Excitebike. Originally released in 1985, Excitebike challenged players to race against a pack of competitors while negotiating jumps, avoiding track hazards, and monitoring engine temperature. It also stood out among early NES titles for its full-featured level editor, which allowed players to design new courses on par with those already found in the game. Excitebike is rated E for Everyone and is available for 500 Wii Points ($5).

For gamers interested in fare that isn't so family friendly, there's the TurboGrafx-16 action game Splatterhouse. As a university student wearing a cursed mask that can't be removed but grants its owner power, players must hack their way through a monster-infested mansion with cleavers, shotguns, and other weapons in order to save a fellow student. One of the gorier games of its day, Splatterhouse has received a rating of T for Teen, and sells for 600 Wii Points ($6).

The last of the new Virtual Console releases also features an ancient relic granting the player supernatural powers. The action role-playing game Beyond Oasis casts players as Prince Ali, bearer of a golden armlet with the ability to summon spirits. The golden armlet has a silver counterpart created for destruction, and Ali must traverse the land of Oasis to keep the silver armlet from being used for evil. Beyond Oasis is rated E for Everyone and is available for 800 Wii Points ($8).