Gradius has already seen its fair share of play on the Virtual Console, with a host of classic installments in the franchise making their way onto Nintendo's online store, ranging from the original 2D shooter to Salamander to Life Force. This week, though, Konami is changing up the game a bit, releasing a new installment in the franchise for WiiWare.

　　Titled Gradius ReBirth, Konami's latest game in the venerable series again sees gamers hopping into the cockpit of the Vic Viper as they attempt to mow down seemingly insurmountable waves of treacherous alien creatures. The 2D side-scrolling shooter offers play for one, but also features global leaderboards for Internet-enabled consoles. It is available for 1,000 Wii points ($10).

　　Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars represents this week's Virtual Console release. Originally released for arcades in 1986 and ported to Sega's Master System in 1988, The Lost Stars features the titular primate-like Kidd platforming across six levels in an effort to capture 12 wayward zodiac signs. As with other Master System releases, it can be purchased for 500 Wii points ($5).