Super Metroid, Shinobi III, Neutopia hit the Wii Virtual Console today

Get a Wii Points Card at AmazonToday Nintendo adds three new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon (see to your right).

Nintendo’s Month of Metroid continues after last week’s NES game Metroid [review] with today’s release of the ultra-classic SNES game Super Metroid [review]. It’s one of the teasers to whet your appetite in advance of the August 27th release of the Wii game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [preview].

We’ve included videos of each game for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:

Get Super Metroid on SNESSuper Metroid (Super NES, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Violence, 800 Wii Points = $8): The Space Pirates, merciless agents of the evil Mother Brain, have stolen the last Metroid from a research station, and once again Mother Brain threatens the safety of the galaxy. Samus Aran must don her awesome array of high-tech weaponry to retrieve the deadly Metroid hidden deep within the cave-riddled planet Zebes. Super Metroid features excellent graphics, with a huge variety of enemies and worlds to explore. The side-view action will be familiar to many players, only now there are new weapons and items, including the Grappling Beam, which allows Samus to swing across large chasms, and the X-Ray Scope, which reveals secret passages.

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master Get Shinobi III on Genesis(Sega Genesis, 1 player, rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older – Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points = $8): In this thrilling sequel to The Revenge of Shinobi, Joe Musashi finds that Neo Zeed – the crime syndicate he believed he had wiped out two years earlier – is indeed still alive and well. The return of Neo Zeed and its leader, the mysterious Shadow Master, forces Musashi to return from exile and confront the growing evil. As the Shinobi, the master of long-forgotten Oboro Ninjitsu martial arts, Musashi must utilize all his powers to overcome his various enemies. Thanks to his considerable combat skills and special Ninjitsu moves, only the Shinobi can thwart Neo Zeed and vanquish the Shadow Master.

Get Neutopia on TurboGrafx16Neutopia (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 600 Wii Points = $6): In this action role-playing game, you take control of a brave boy who sets off on a journey to rescue the kidnapped princess and reclaim the eight medallions that were stolen by the evil demon, Dirth. You’ll need to rely on your magic compass and information you’ve gathered to find entrances to labyrinths and defeat the bosses in them. Solve puzzles, avoid traps, move blocks and destroy walls to uncover secret rooms in the labyrinths. Carefully use your map to uncover hidden treasure and powerful equipment. Travel the land, underground, sea and sky on your quest to recover the medallions. With a save function, the right difficulty level and a system that doesn’t include experience points, this is truly an RPG that anyone can enjoy.