Nintendo announced three new titles for the Virtual Console today, including the delayed Dungeon Explorer for the TurboGrafx-16. In addition to the five player multiplayer Gauntlet style Dungeon Explorer, Nintendo also offers Star Soldier for the TurboGrafx and the classic shooter Gradius for the NES. Both TurboGrafx titles sell for 600 Wii points and Gradius will sell for 500 Wii points. The TurboGrafx console struggled in the US, despite some strong software titles; it is good to see these getting more exposure on the Virtual Console.

The full press release continues below.

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ANNOUNCED FOR WII SHOP CHANNEL

Jan. 8, 2007

Today Nintendo adds three new classic games to the popular Wii™ video game system’s Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. 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 retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

Gradius® (NES®, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Across the galaxy, there exists a distant planet known as Gradius. Gradius’ peaceful existence has been brought to an end by an intense space invasion by a race known as the Bacterion. To save the planet, the hyperspace fighter Vic Viper has been deployed to fight the Bacterion invasion. Players pilot the Vic Viper through seven stages, shooting and dodging through deadly obstacles, while using various power-ups, including missiles, lasers, options and shields. The Vic Viper’s target is the enemy fortress, Xaerous. The only way to end the war is to plunge deep through the enemy forces and destroy its very core.

Soldier Blade® (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): A new shooter in the “Star Soldier” tradition. Players play as an SIA (Special Interception Airforce) pilot flying the heavy assault fighter “Soldier Blade.” Players face the Zeograd invasion force with weapon attacks that change each time they grab a power-up item. Players can unleash three different kinds of attack depending on the color of the power-up item. New features, such as the “Gunbody” option for avoiding enemy attacks and the “Burst Out” system (which has a different effect depending on the power-up level), add a strategic element that requires players to make snap decisions about which items to grab and when to use special attacks. Awesome boss battles await players at the end of each operation. Playing in “CHALLENGE” mode requires players to try to get as many points as they can in a limited amount of time.

Dungeon Explorer™ (TurboGrafx16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points): Dungeon Explorer is a multiplayer action/role-playing game where up to five players can play at the same time. The story takes place in underground dungeons. Players can choose from eight different character types: Fighter, Thief, Warlock, Witch, Bishop, Elf, Bard or Knome. Depending on the character, the types of magic, attack strength and movement will all vary. To survive, players most know all about their enemies’ weaknesses. Players also must know about the special attributes of each magic spell and use them to their greatest advantage. In team-play games, working together is the key to victory. Any combination of Wii Remotes and Nintendo GameCube™ controllers can be used in multiplayer games.