This week is Sci-Fi week, and is also the final week of the Virtual Console’s ‘Hanabi Festival’.

For the past few weeks we have been blessed with some titles which have not been seen on our shores (unless you know a good game importer!). With themed weekly releases such as Mario week, Ninja week and finally Sci-Fi week, and some great games such as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels and Ninja Gaiden, I certainly hope that this festival thing is going to become a regular event.

Here’s this weeks Sci-Fi themed releases:

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

• Gradius III (800 Points)

  Strap yourself into your Vic Viper starfighter and engage the armadas of the Bacterion Empire, in Konami’s classic side-scrolling shoot ‘em up from 1991.

  Tool up with different pre-set weapons systems or mix and match lasers, missiles and shields to create your own custom set-ups; and get set for one of the most challenging shooters ever!

Nintendo 64

• Sin And Punishment (1200 Points)

  Treasure’s acclaimed 3D third-person shooter makes its eagerly-awaited debut on Virtual Console. Battle through wave after wave of bio-genetic and mechanical enemies as you fight to save the Earth from its own destruction.

  This Virtual Console version has been specially updated to include English menu and tutorial text, and English subtitles in the end sequence.

TurboGrafx 16

• Legend of Hero Tonma (600 Points)

  Legend of Hero Tonma, out now on Virtual Console, is a Turbografx platform shooter that tells the story of Tonma, a trainee magician tasked with rescuing an imprisoned princess.

  Blast enemies with magic spells and battle giant bosses as you travel across seven stages filled with treasure chests and outrageous power-ups like the Groundhog Bomb and Treasure Goblin!

Don’t forget to check back soon to find out what we think of these new titles and more in our Virtual Console Archive. Want to write your own review for these, or any of the previous Virtual Console releases? Then check out our Virtual Console user reviews thread over on the WiiDS.co.uk Boards.