Two popular franchises are getting sequels this week, and these sequels aren’t just knockoffs.

NES: Ninja Gaiden III: the Ancient Ship of Doom, 500 Wii Points

The NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy comes to a close with this installment. Ryu Hayabasa is alleged to have killed his girlfriend, Irene Lew, and now he must go and clear his name while taking out a new evil menace. As you make your way through the levles, battling BIO-NOIDs, you’ll notice that Ryu’s jumping abilities, as well as falling speed, have been altered a bit from earlier installments, as well as his ability to climb on top of buildings or across hanging pipes. Besides that, the core gameplay hasn’t changed much, which can be good or bad depending on your perspective.

Genesis: Phantasy Star II, 800 Wii Points

This 1989 Genesis RPG set a precedent for the genre, and is widely considered one of the best games ever made. Playing as Rolf, Nei or Rudo, you’ll travel through the Algol Star System and work to defeat the evil Dark Force. Your party will contain a total of eight characters, any four of which you can bring with you on a mission; choose your party carefully and take advantage of your characters’ skills. You’ll build up each character individually as you buy armor and weapons, and engage in battles; such game elements are standards now, but back in the day the Phantasy Star series was treading new gorund.

I’ve heard a lot about the Phantasy Star series; I may have to try one of those games out.