As the “Hanabi Festival” on the Virtual Console draws to a close, Nintendo is having a blast releasing a pair of action packed games which have previously never been released in Europe: Sin And Punishment and Gradius III.

First on the list this week is Sin And Punishment, the classic Nintendo 64 3D third-person shooter game, developed by Treasure Co. Ltd. Originally released in 2000, this non-stop action title will see you assuming the role of a young resistance fighter facing an onslaught of bio-genetic monsters called Ruffians. These monsters, originally bred to boost dwindling food stocks on Earth, have turned against their creators and are trying to take over! In order to save the planet players must battle their way across land, sea and skies collecting energy, time and point bonuses as they go. A cool head and a strong trigger finger are essential to defeating the hordes of enemies that stand between our hero and victory! To enable players to better enjoy this cult Japanese classic, some in-game text has been translated into English, especially for this Hanabi Festival release. Sin And Punishment can be yours to download now for 1200 Wii Points.

Next, buckle up and prepare for battle in Konami’s much-loved 1990 side-scrolling shooter Gradius III. Players seize control of their Vic Viper Starfighter and take on the armadas of the Bacterion Empire. With ten levels to fight through, players will have their work cut out for them! With a variety of different weapons at your disposal you can mix and match lasers, missiles and shields to create customised set-ups giving you a fighting chance. This Super Nintendo Entertainment System version, originally released in the U.S., comes to Europe for the first time and is available now for 900 Wii Points.

If you want to try something a little magical, then Legend of Hero Tonma is this week’s non “Hanabi Festival” offering. In this platform shooter, players assume the role of Tonma, a trainee magician who must rescue a princess from prison, using magic spells to battle giant bosses and work their way through seven stages riddled with treasure chests and unusual power-ups! Legend of Hero Tonma is available now for 600 Wii Points.

For those of you who haven’t yet got your hands on the epic Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, it will only be available on Virtual Console up to and including 30th September 2007. So make sure you don’t miss out and download it now!

With the addition of new games never seen before in Europe released over the “Hanabi Festival”, Virtual Console offers users the ultimate retro gaming experience. This weeks titles join the list of 141 classic titles already available for Virtual Console in Europe.