This week’s WiiWare and Virtual Console update gives us a single offering in both categories, along with additional downloadable content for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King.

On the WiiWare front is the ball-busting puzzler Magnetica Twist (1,000 Wii Points). Featuring five varied play modes as well as multiplayer support, players pilot a launcher using a Mii of their choice and shoot marbles with matching colors before the time runs out.

Moving over to the retro side of things, NeoGeo fighter Fatal Fury 2 (900 Wii Points) is now available on the Virtual Console. For Nintendo provided details on this week’s additions to the Wii Shop Channel, hit the jump. more »

This week’s Wii Shop Channel update is headlined by High Voltage Software’s recently announced sci-fi shooter Gyrostarr. Priced at 700 Wii Points, the title features 50 levels of pure shoot ‘em up action, 4 player multi, and a unique control scheme that allows players to use a Wii Remote and Nunchuk or Classic Controller at the same time.

Joining Gyrostarr are two new offerings on the Virtual Console, namely Sega Master System platformer Alex Kidd in Miracle World and NeoGeo combat-action game Burning Fight. Both titles are available now for 500 Wii Points and 900 Wii Points, respectively. more »

This week’s Wii Shop Channel update is headlined by WiiWare titles Block Breaker Deluxe (800 Wii Points) and Cocoto Fishing Master (700 Wii Points). The former is an arcade style block-busting puzzler complete with multiplayer support for up to 2 players, while the latter is a fishing game that lets players use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as a real rod to catch over 30 different kinds of fish.

Over on the Super Mario RPG-less Virtual Console front this week is SNK’s Neo Geo fighter Samurai Shodown (900 Wii Points). Released back in 1993, the title features head-to-head multiplayer and twelve selectable warriors. more »

Square’s 1996 SNES hit Super Mario RPG has been given a rating by Australia’s OFLC. Considering the European Virtual Console usually receives the same titles that Nintendo releases over in Australia, it looks like Mario RPG will make its Euro debut in the near future.

As is the norm for import offerings, expect to pay a small premium when the title is finally released.

Another week, another Wii Shop Channel update. This week sees the release of My Pokemon Ranch on WiiWare. Priced at 1,000 Wii Points, players are tasked with managing a ranch filled with Pokemon creatures. In the game, you can take pictures of Pokemon and send them to friends via the Wii Message Board, as well as link-up with the DS titles Pokemon Diamond/Pearl to deposit collected Pokemon into your ranch.

Joining Pokemon Ranch are two Virtual Console titles, namely NES arcade conversion Dig Dug and Konami’s platformer Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa. Both titles were never released in the U.S. and as such carry a price of 600 Wii Points each, the standard rate for NES imports. more »

This week’s Wii Shop Channel update kicks off with the addition of Ubisoft’s top-down shooter Protöthea for WiiWare. Previously seen on PC, the game spans 10 missions across four distinct worlds.

Joining Protöthea is Two Tribes’ frantic egg-gathering puzzler Toki Tori. Utilizing the Wii Remote in a variety of unique ways, the game consists of 70 levels ranging from simple to complex.

Over on the retro Virtual Console front is 1990′s combat-action classic Ninja Combat. Originally released on the NEOGEO, players take control of ninjas Joe and Hayabusa in a struggle against a malevolent group known as Kage Ichizoku. more »

Finally. The masterful Square Enix and Nintendo collaboration, otherwise known as Super Mario RPG, will hit the Wii Virtual Console this June in Japan. The title will cost 900 Wii Points, compared to the usual SNES price of 800 Wii Points.

Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn’t love us as much as Japan and never releases its VC release schedule early here in North America, so it’s impossible to say at this point if the title will head stateside next month as well. Either way, rest assured that Super Mario RPG will be coming home — eventually.

Today is a holiday in the states, but that isn’t stopping Nintendo from unleashing its weekly Virtual Console and WiiWare update.

This week highlights the release of Dr. Mario Online Rx. (1000 Wii Points) on WiiWare. As with previous entries in the Dr. Mario series, players are tasked with the challenge of maneuvering multicolored pills to eradicate viruses of corresponding colors. In addition to the traditional pill-popping classic mode, the game features two battle modes and an online-enabled multiplayer mode.

Joining Dr. Mario in his germ-battling ambition is Aksys Games’ Family Table Tennis (500 Wii Points), a cel-shaded sports title featuring four “table tennis-tastic” stages and a one-on-one versus mode.

On the retro front, this week’s offerings include SNK’s hit Neo-Geo shooter Metal Slug (900 Wii Points) and NES title City Connection (500 Wii Points). more »

Today marks the beginning of a new era for weekly Wii updates, as a combination of two WiiWare games and a single retro Virtual Console title have been added to the Wii Shop Channel.

Headlining the WiiWare lineup this week is Hudson’s Star Soldier R (800 Wii Points), a fast-paced futuristic shooter that challenges players to vie for the best scores in an imposed time limit of two or five-minutes.

Also on the WiiWare front is Critter Round-Up (1000 Wii Points), a puzzle-action romp developed by Konami in which players are tasked with the objective of mending fences as fast as possible in over 50 challenging levels, with locales ranging from a deserted outback to the icy arctic.

Last but not least, is Namco’s NES shooter Sky Kid (500 Wii Points), the sole addition to the Virtual Console this week. more »

Headlining the weekly Wii Virtual Console update on this fine Monday is Nintendo 64 title Pokemon Puzzle League. Priced at the standard N64 fare of 1000 Wii Points, the game is essentially a carbon copy of Tetris Attack with the Pokemon name slapped on it. Players match three of more blocks of the same color, while racking up massive point combos and chains.

Joining Pokemon Puzzle League is 1987′s NES beat ‘em up Renegade. In it, players take control of a street vigilante who is on a mission to rid his city of the crime underworld. more »