Newsbriefs: Tecmo Bowl VC, XBLA Gets TMNT, EA Extends Bejeweled

[UPDATED: 9:25am PST] Today's regularly updated newsbriefs include Tecmo Bowl and Sonic added to Wii's Virtual Console, PopCap and EA extending their Bejeweled franchise, and Konami's arcade classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles coming this week for Xbox Live Arcade. - Nintendo has released three “new” games for download over the Wii's Virtual Console. Purchasable from the Wii's online Wii Shop Channel, the games released today include NES classic Tecmo Bowl for 500 Wii Points ($5), as well as Sega's 16-bit pinball take on Sonic the Hedgehog with Sonic Spinball for 800 Wii Points ($8), and Hudson's two player dungeon crawler for the TurboGrafx-16, Double Dungeons, available for 600 Wii Points ($6). - Casual game publisher and developer PopCap Games (Bookworm, Zuma) has extended its licensing agreement with major publisher/developer Electronic Arts, granting EA Mobile the exclusive worldwide mobile publishing rights to Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2 through 2008. “PopCap’s Bejeweled is a timeless and tremendously popular game on the mobile platform,” said David Rohdy, vice president of worldwide publishing for EA Mobile. “Over the next two years, EA Mobile will continue to invest in the franchise, working closely with PopCap to release enhanced versions of the game, including an innovative over-the-air multiplayer version later this year.” - Microsoft has revealed that it will release Konami's arcade classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Xbox Live Arcade on Wednesday, March 14. The game, which was originally released in 1989, will cost 400 Microsoft Points ($5) and feature leaderboards, 12 Achievements, and the ability to earn 200 Gamerscore points. The side scrolling beat-em-up will feature all seven levels from the arcade original, and will be able to be played alone, or with up to three other players over Xbox Live.