Wii Virtual Console: Super Probotector(Konami)

Remember back in the old days when you had to walk sixteen miles to get to high school, eat liver and onions for dinner every night and the games were bastard hard? - You kids don't even know you're born etc, etc. But seriously, this run n' gun shooter will have you planting a foot through your fancy new HD television when you die on level one for the 30th time. However, it's a stroke of gaming genius that Nintendo fans of old are sure to remember. Probotector ticks all the old school blaster boxes: a grim futuristic setting, level after level of nightmarish bosses and an impressive arsenal of lasers, smart bombs and flamethrowers. Although it can be irritating, this is a game that you can't help have another stab at after every death. The key is in memorising enemy attack patterns and knowing what's coming next. The more you play the more comfortable the experience. Mention must also go to the excellent sci-fi soundtrack that fits the adrenaline-soaked nature of the game. This is considered by many gaming critics as one of the great retro shoot 'em ups of our generation - however, the harsh difficulty may put some off. As alienating as it is addictive. [Dave Cook]