It’s a big week for the Wii. Not only is Nintendo launching its New Play Control! games this week with New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis and New Play Control! Pikimin, but MadWorld and a new Sonic game (Sonic sells, no matter how bad) are also hitting the system. As such there’s plenty to play on the shiny white box other than the VC and WiiWare releases. This week’s new games are Gradius ReBirth (Konami, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points) for WiiWare and Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (SEGA MASTER SYSTEM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, Crude Humor, 500 Wii Points). Will anyone pick them up over the other Wii options of the week?

If this was a decade or more ago than a new Gradius game would have people a bit more excited. As the industry is now, 2D shooters are the throwaway-game du jour. I don’t know if Konami is up to the standard Gradius quality of shooter here, but if they are ReBirth could actually be a modern classic and if it is, hopefully the name signals more to come. Alex Kidd on the hand is a series I hope stays dead. While they were great for their time, having gone back and played Miracle World again, it just doesn’t stand up. R.I.P. Mr. Kidd.