Last week's American Virtual Console versus European Virtual Console competition was an easy decision for me, Europe got Super Mario Bros. 2, but my winning vote goes to whichever team has Streets of Rage 2. Which is why, even though America got ActRaiser, Kid Chameleon, and J. J. & Jeff, I've got to go with the European Virtual Console releases this week: Streets of Rage 2, ToeJam and Earl in Panic on Funkotron, Kid Chameleon, World Sports Competition. The first three are all available for 800 Wii Point, and the World Sports Competition will cost you only 600 Wii Points.

In other Virtual Console news, so far Nintendo has sold more than 4.7 million Virtual Console games, at a rate of over 1,000 downloads and hour. They've finally reached their 100th game retro re-release, and on Monday they plan on making the triple digit release plunge with Zelda II – The Adventure of Link. Of all the Zelda games ever released, Zelda II has generally been accepted as the worst in the series, but at least we get another Zelda game to revisit.

Damn you, Nintendo. Just as I had started to get tired of your addictive Mario Kart games, you give us a wacky Wiimote that will probably reinvent the wheel for another year of multiplayer mayhem. According to Jeux-France, Nintendo plans on revealing the next Mario Kart game for the Wii at the upcoming E3 event. The rumors also point to Nintendo finalizing the release dates for Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy, and hopefully presenting plenty of videos for each game as well. In closing, the Nintendo rumor mentioned a "large revelation on the Hardware level," which some are already guessing to be a hidden audio translator chip in the back of the Wiimotes.

You've had more Super Smash Bros. Brawl updates than you can handle? Too bad, here's more racist updates. I say racist, because if there is one set of people I'm racist towards, it is most definitely Delfinos. Fucking hate those Delfinos. I don't care what color Delfino you are, you're fat, and useless, and I hate you. Oh look, a level all about Delfinos, just what I wanted:

"This is the central town of Isle Delfino, the tropical setting of Super Mario Sunshine. Wow! That blue ocean is bright on the eyes. Ahh… It makes me want to swim. This particular battle stage flies around the skies above the island. Fly here and there as you look down on the town below. After a thrilling landing, it becomes a normal battle stage. There are several landing points. This flight path repeats, providing great sightseeing and brawling. The changing scenery is so beautiful, you get absorbed in it. You really feel like a tourist!"

I'm a tourist? Worst tour ever. I hope ten year old terrorists masturbate to goats and then shoot me -- bonus points for telling me what movie that's from. The picture above is just a combined zoom in of two of the four new pictures. I couldn't stand to look at all of Delfino at once, let alone ask you to look at it in all its failure, but if you're feeling daring, feel free to gaze at the gallery below.

Now that they're announcing levels for their game, what other game environments do you want to see make the cut?

The new entries on the Super Smash Bros. Brawl site are updates to the rapid-fire items in the upcoming game. Instead of just sitting in one spot and unloading your ammo, you can now aim your weapon to shoot at different angles by titling the control stick up or down. You can even get up and run around while shooting to make combat even more intense.

They also revealed a new weapon with inevitably racist repercussions. What you see in Mario's hand is the Cracker Launcher, which is the "what were they thinking?" name for their firecracker launcher. This pretty much ensures that one in every four players will scream nothing but "Cracka!" each time they use this weapon during gameplay. Which I can tell you're thrilled about. I've got a friend hated acquaintance who used to spend entire games running around with Link yelling "Boom! Headshot!" as he threw bombs and shot arrows at us. He's already banned from playing Brawl with me. Check out the pictures below for more looks at the Cracker Cannon and images of Wario being a fatass.

It feels like this game has been in development forever, and the most we've seen is a simple multiplayer level in action. These new pictures will help for now, but its October release is still far away. The images show Link indoors, outdoors, in dungeons, on the ocean, and even immersed in battle. The textures and characters look good for a DS game, as long as they keep the amount of ship traveling time to a minimum it should be a great purchase.

Siliconera noticed that Square Enix updated their site with another video they showed exclusively at their recent Square Enix Party, letting us finally see it for the first time. Of all the Nintendo DS games I've ever played, this trailer for Final Fantasy IV contains some of the best handheld graphics I've ever seen. At the very end of the trailer it announces the Final Fantasy IV remake as coming out in 2007 in Japan, so hopefully we'll get this game by early 2008 at the latest.

George Harrison, the guy who claimed Nintendo Wii will sell 35 million copies worldwide by 2012, is back. As Vice President of Marketing, he's got a new bold prediction that seems equally outrageous:

"Nintendo of America Vice President of Marketing George Harrison expects the current console lifecycle to extend beyond the traditional five years and he fully believes that Nintendo will be in complete control with potentially over 50 percent of the market. He also had some harsh words for Sony and Microsoft." 

He backs his words up slightly, although he still comes off as overly bias, yet again. What ever happened to not competing with PS3 and Xbox 360? Now that you're selling like crazy, Nintendo is acting as if the long term trophy is in sight. Well, let's see how things are in three years, Harrison. And until then, try not to lecture about how much better you take care of your customers than Sony or Microsoft. Fix your online setup like we all so desperately want you to, and then we'll talk.

The Nintendo characters just keep getting more and more evil lately. In Mario Strikers Charged we saw Mario's feet of fury, and it seems like his hands are also wreaking havoc. Earlier this week we were shown a somewhat weak looking gooey bomb item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and now Nintendo is revealing their showstopper:

The Final Smash is a secret skill that can be performed but once…and only after obtaining an item called the Smash Ball, which is a precious item, indeed. The basic gist of it? I suppose you could say it’s kind of like a powerful and personalized hammer. (Or maybe not…) You can look forward to experiencing the glowing personality behind each of the many Final Smashes!

[Mario's] explosion launches out and expands vertically as it travels, so in order to inflict the most damage possible on enemies, it’s best to release this from a slight floating or midair position on either the left or right side of the screen. If Mario launches this at you, you’d better flee!

In other words, Brawl will bring those magical Mario Golf clubs onto the battlefield, and let you use each others' heads as golf balls. This should allow them to offer varied visual slaughters, and make up for certain characters' weaknesses by over compensating on the kaboom factor of their final smash attacks. In Melee I was always the one to boldly take on enemies who had hammers, so this doesn't bode well for idiots like me. Any predictions on what other characters' final smash attacks might be? I want to see Pit quote the 300 movie and blot out the sun with raining arrows.

I still have yet to see a pink DS Lite in America, yet a new color is arriving in Australia soon. I suppose a light blue DS Lite will sell better than a generally girly color, although I'd still take a white or black handheld over any fancy color. Might as well just get a flashy decal. If you live in Australia, you can pick up an "Ice Blue" DS Lite starting July 19th in stores, for a limited time at $199.95 each.

Early yesterday I mentioned that ActRaiser was on its way to the Wii's Virtual Console soon, and it's already arrived. Here's this week's update:

ActRaiser (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): A masterpiece of game design originally released in the early days of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, ActRaiser’s enduring popularity stems from its revolutionary combination of action- and simulation-based game play. The user plays the role of the Master, a dethroned deity whose once-idyllic world has fallen under the control of the Evil One. Stripped of godly power, the Master must somehow put an end to the Evil One’s reign and rebuild his desolate realm. Game play alternates between two modes: Action and Simulation. In Action mode, the Master must battle against impossible odds to pacify six lands. Pacifying a land unlocks Simulation mode. In this mode, the Master must oversee the development and repopulation of the territory he has reclaimed. In doing so, he will gain followers who gradually restore his godly might, empowering him to take back the next land and, ultimately, defeat the Evil One.

Kid Chameleon (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): The local arcade is packed with kids, all lining up to play the latest, most realistic videogame they’ve ever seen. It’s called Wild Side, and it uses holographic images to immerse the player in a strange world. But there’s a problem… Kids are literally getting sucked into the game, and now several of them are trapped.Throughout more than 100 levels, you’ll take on several different forms, such as a Berzerker, a Micromax, a Maniaxe or a Skycutter, which will make you much more powerful. It’s up to you, Kid Chameleon, the best gamer in town, to getyourself inside the game so that you can defeat the game’s boss and bring your friends back to reality.

J.J. & JEFF (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): This comical action game features two bungling detectives, J.J. and JEFF, as they travel through a total of six fields. One day, a request comes into their office to take a case that requires them to “rescue a wealthy man who’s been kidnapped.” Choose between the two characters and set off alone to outwit your partner and save the day. Each field is broken down into four areas, where enemies, as well as your partner, will try to keep you from your goal. There are many items throughout each area. Kick around in various locations to make them appear.Jump and spray-paint your way toward your goal. If you find a hidden room, youcan regain health while being completely entertained by its short sketch and surreal allure.

I'll be grabbing Kid Chameleon and ActRaiser this week, how about you? Here's a picture example of each game as usual.