Together at last

The long wait for Game Gear titles on the eShop is finally over, with three releases arriving as expected. The DSi and Wii aren't entirely forgotten, while there's some anime on Nintendo Video: let's get right to it.

3DS Virtual Console

Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (Game Gear, SEGA, $4.99) — Before Sonic and Mario became friends, the only way to blast through levels with the famous hedgehog while on the go was through the impressive (for its time) Game Gear. Does this title live up to its illustrious SEGA Genesis contemporaries? We'll find out in our review soon.

Shinobi (Game Gear, SEGA, $3.99) — Running, jumping, slashing and magic, in a ninja setting. Shinobi is one of the most iconic action franchises that is still going today, and this was the first of the series developed for a handheld. We'll be putting the Red Shinobi through his paces soon.

Dragon Crystal (Game Gear, SEGA, $2.99) — This RPG is most likely the least well known of this week's Game Gear releases. An RPG where you need to find your way out of a number of labyrinths, with plenty of weapons, armour and potions to retrieve along the way. We'll see if we get lost in our upcoming review.

Wii Virtual Console

Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge (Neo Geo, SNK, 900pts) — It's yet another Neo Geo fighter on the Wii Virtual Console, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. With chunky, attractive sprites, thrilling battles and a sizeable single-player offering, this is worthy of consideration. Check out our Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge review for full details.

DSiWare

Pirates Assault (CIRCLE Entertainment, 200pts) — Another tower defense title on the DSi service, your goal is to protect your treasure from invading pirates. With a variety of weapons and attacks apparently on offer, we'll see how useful they are in our review.

Nintendo Video

Kid Icarus 3D Anime (Free) — Nintendo is partnering with renowned Japanese animation studios to celebrate the Kid Icarus franchise in a series of short episodes on the 3DS video service. This first anime series, Thanatos Rising, comes from Production I.G.

There's certainly some variety this week, will you be downloading any of these?