WiiWare Gets Critter Round-Up, Star Soldier R, VC Gets Sky Kid

Nintendo has updated its Wii Shopping Channel offerings to include two new WiiWare titles, Konami's Critter Round-Up and Hudson's Star Soldier R, both of which were released with the download service's launch in Japan. Nintendo has also posted one Virtual Console game, Namco's Sky Kid, originally released for the NES. Critter Round-Up (pictured), originally released in Japan as Saku Saku Animal Panic, charges up to four players with corralling escaped barnyard animals over 50 puzzle-action levels. Minigames, such as Snowball Soccer, Predator Rampage, Chicken Catch and Fence Trap, accompany the main game as an alternative to "rounding up critters." Star Soldier R is a single-player shooter in which players aim for the best scores within a two- or five-minute time limit. Gamers can develop strategies to maximize their scores during the time limit and upload their records to compare their skills in the competitive shooter. Previously released for the NES in 1985, Sky Kid is the only new addition to Nintendo's Virtual Console library this week. The scrolling shooter marked the first Namco-developed game to allow two players to play simultaneously. Players dodge incoming fire while picking up bombs to later drop on enemy targets. All three games are now available for download on North America's Wii Shopping Channel, priced at 1000 Wii Points ($10) for Critter Round-Up, 800 Wii Points ($8) for Star Soldier R, and 500 Wii Points ($5) for Sky Kid.