It's Monday in America, and that means three new old games hitting the Virtual Console for you people too blind see how glorious and wonderful Pokemon actually are. Without further ado...

Battle Lode Runner (TurboGrafx 16 - 600Points): Never released stateside, Battle Lode Runner is a PC Engine version of the classic platformer. The original PC title was one of the first games to come with a level editor, and so does this one, along with a five-player battle mode which promises you'll have great bouts of fun until you stop. Back in the day there were no Halo VS Metroid debates. It was all about Lode Runner versus Jumpman. Jumpman 4 life y'all.

Gradius III (SNES - 800 Points): One of my personal favorite entries in the Gradius series, II introduced a customizable powerup bar to aid those of you who always went one past the laser power up. Hours of fun blasting moai statues in your trusty Vic Viper.

Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis - 800 Points): Oh Wonder Boy...what is the secret of your power? This is the second Wonder Boy title from Sega, also released as Super Monster World: Super Wonder Boy and Super Wonder Boy in Monsterland. No matter what you call it, this platformer with RPG elements can kill a yak from 200 yards away...with MIND BULLETS. That's telekinesis folks.

So there you go, a lovely assortment of classic gaming this week. It's a pity you'll all be far too busy playing with your pocket monsters to notice. Don't lie, you know you love the Pikachu. Michael Fahey

Wii-kly Update: Three New Classic Games Announced for Wii Shop Channel

Admit it. Somewhere deep inside, you've always wanted to go for the gold, take down Monster World, and have people call you Vic Viper. How cool would that be? Well, pay a visit to the popular Wii(TM) video game system's Wii Shop Channel, and all those fantasies can now come true.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points(TM) to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Gradius(R)III (SNES(R), 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): Return as the pilot of the Vic Viper starfighter to battle the onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire. Blast through 10 action-packed levels in space, destroying everything in your path. Customize and power up your ship with weapons and upgrades including speed-ups, missiles, lasers, options, and shields.

Wonder Boy(TM) in Monster World (Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): Monster World was a peaceful, happy place until one dark day when an army of BioMeka monsters invaded. As a young man named Shion, you've vowed to defeat the hostile foes and make the land peaceful again. You'll attack enemies with swords and spears and guard against incoming projectiles with shields and armor. As you travel through the many different regions of Monster World, you'll talk to the townspeople, collect money to buy items, and gather a large variety of weapons and magic. The further you venture, the more powerful your weapons and equipment, including suits of armor and boots, will become.

Battle Lode Runner(R) (TurboGrafx 16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points): This upgraded edition to the famous Lode Runner series includes a 5-player versus mode. Gold funds have been stolen from the Time Machine Research Center, and the group responsible used a time machine to escape and hide the gold throughout time. The center sends an elite team of "Runners" to go and retrieve the gold.

In addition to the familiar Puzzle mode, the game features Battle mode, where up to 5 players can compete, and Edit mode, where you can create your own original stages. You can enjoy Battle mode in a number of different ways. Be the last one standing to win in Survival. Grab items from enemies and escape to win in Escape. With 4 players, you can separate into two teams to do battle in Tag Match.