Retro Wii Relaunch: Kirby's Adventure, Ice Climber, and Kid Icarus Hit Wii Virtual Console

It's that time again, as Nintendo's "wiikly" retro releases of new Virtual Console content on the Wii Shop Channel hit the street. And today, I start tracking all the retro fun in a new weekly series. I have yet to decide if this will replace my Game Time column from last November, or if I will resume it after a three-month holiday hiatus - so in the meantime, please allow me to provide you with something new to hold you while I await my personal decision to come forward in my mind.

With that out of the way, here's the lowdown on the latest in retro fun for Wii owners hooked on the Virtual Console. And this week, it's all the way back old-school with three timeless NES classics. This week, Nintendo gives us Kid Icarus, Ice Climber and Kirby's Adventure. Yes, in celebration of Pit's upcoming return to active duty in the upcoming Smash Bros. Brawl, starting today we can relive the game which made the hero of Angel Land famous for turning back the forces of the villainous Medusa while developing a cult following of many old-school gamers still waiting for a follow-up to this classic game and it's sequel from the original Game Boy. Thankfully, the big N is at least giving us the original for now, along with the Smash Bros. cameo; now, is this only the beginning of bigger plans or will fans of the original games remain outside in the cold again? Time will tell, but at least Nintendo is at least checking the proverbial waters, just in case they decide to do more with the franchise.

Kirby's Adventure, meanwhile, is an old-school 2D platformer which has players rushing across a mysterious world of dreams to restore the waters of a mystical spring whose power is said to maintain the peace and tranquility of the dreams of the dreamworld's citizens. Unfortunately, King Dedede has hijacked the spring and shattered it's mystical Star Rod - not to mention that he also sent the entire kingdom spiraling down into their worst nightmares every night since as a direct result of his actions! Fortunately, Kirby has offered to set things straight and repair the damage before chaos and pandemonium take hold.

Finally, Ice Climber puts you in control of a mountaineer climbing his way to the top of a snow-covered peak, Everest-style. To succeed, he must use a mallet to break through each layer of ice above him, then pull himself through the ice sheet before the mountain creatures fill the holes he leaves in the ice, making each climb more frantic than the last.

All games are priced at 500 Wii Points (approximately $5 USD). Full information follows below for each game to summarize what I have discussed (courtesy 1UP.com):

Kirby's Adventure (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Not everything is well in Dream Land. For some mysterious reason, the Dream Spring, a magical well that is the reservoir for all the dreams of the citizens of Dream Land, is no longer working. Everyone is being subjected to their worst nightmares every time they go to sleep. Upon reaching the Dream Spring, Kirby finds out that evil King Dedede has stolen the Star Rod, thus depriving Dream Land of the magical energy that feeds its spring. Using 20 unique tricks and the ability to steal enemies' powers by swallowing them, players have to make their way through a horrific land filled with all kinds of nightmares. Recover the broken pieces of the Star Rod and everyone in Dream Land will sleep peacefully once again. Fail and the citizens of Dream Land will be subjected to a lifetime of terrible nightmares.

Ice Climber (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): As Popo, players use a trusty mallet to work their way up the mountain. They chip away at the blocks overhead, then jump up through the resulting hole to the mountain's next level. Once Popo reaches the top level, he enters a fast-moving bonus stage in which he can pick up veggies and, hopefully, reach the summit for a big point payoff. Of course, not everyone's supportive of Popo's pastime. Toppies fill Popo's holes, so players must jump through the gaps quickly. It's easy to slip off some of the icy levels, as Polar Bears, Toppies and other ferocious fauna don't want players up there. There are 32 challenging peaks to scale - players can face them alone or with a friend.

Kid Icarus (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): In a time when men and gods lived in harmony, the kingdom of Angel Land was ruled by two goddesses: Palutena, the Goddess of Light, and Medusa, the Goddess of Darkness. Unlike Palutena, Medusa despised all humans and enjoyed destroying their crops and turning them into stone. One day, Palutena decided to punish the evil Medusa and banished her after turning her into a hideous monster. But Medusa would not go without a fight. She created an army of monsters and evil spirits and captured Palutena. Players play as Pit, a young angel trapped in the Underworld, and Palutena's only hope. They use a magical bow to retrieve the Sacred Treasures, defeat Medusa and restore peace to Angel Land.