F-Zero X races onto Euro VC

Futuristic racing game F-Zero X will be one of two new titles available for European Wii owners to download from Virtual Console today. F-Zero X was originally released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 system, and is a sequel to the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System title F-Zero and the third in the series.

Produced by gaming legend Shigeru Miyamoto, gamers can control 30 different futuristic hover vehicles and play on more than 20 tracks. The game has five different modes--Time Attack, Death Race Mode, multiplayer VS mode, Grand Prix, and Practice Mode. F-Zero X is the 100th title that Nintendo has released for the European Virtual Console.

The second game up for grabs is J.J. and Jeff, a side-scrolling platform game originally released on the TurboGrafx in 1990. The game, called Kato-chan and Ken-chan in Japan, features two bungling detectives muddling through a kidnapping case. The pair run, jump, kick, and spray-paint their way through six levels, battling enemies and munching hidden snacks to give their energy a boost.

F-Zero X can be downloaded for 1,000 Wii points (approx. £7.00), whereas J.J. and Jeff costs 600 Wii points (£4.20).