Galaga. Ikaruga. R-Type. You've got to love 2D blasters, and it's a real shame that the genre's been so neglected in recent years.

Thankfully, Hudsonsoft have swooped in from Japan with Star Soldier R, the 12th(!) game in the long running series.

And first impressions suggest that this is a very good game indeed, with nicely rendered (if rather familiar) 2.5D polygon graphics and big explosions. Like all the Star Soldier games, R is a top-down shooter, with a horde of aliens to exterminate.

Unfortunately though, the fun proves to be rather short lived because, bizarrely, Star Soldier R consists of a measly two levels. Instead of a varied, multi-level campaign, Hudsonsoft have given us the dubious pleasure of a timeattack game instead, with the emphasis on achieving highscores and moving up the online leader board, where your prowess can be compared with other players worldwide.

This would be a fantastic idea if this was an extra feature released alongside a full, six or seven level campaign, but it's not - and we're left with what feels oddly like a playable demo.

Still, what's here is eminently playable for a day or two, and for 800 points it's not terrible value.

I only hope that Hudsonsoft will get round to releasing a full version, because Star Soldier R feels like the first third of what could be, given the chance, a minor genre classic.

Like the sad, sad man that I am, I lurked around in the living room last night until midnight struck, anxious to see whether Nintendo had let me down yet again... as far as I can recollect, there have been three separate dates for the release of WiiWare in the EU.

To my pathetic, childish glee, WiiWare's up and running, just as the big N said. And it was with considerable anticipation that I handed over my 1000 points in exchange for a download of LostWinds. Forget the saturated hype of GTA IV or WiiFit - it's this little £7 game that, for some reason, has captured my imagination and become one of my most looked forward to titles of this year so far (with Super Smash Brothers Brawl not far behind).

So was it worth the wait? From the first hour or two of play, I must say yes. Who'd have thought that a relatively low-budget, download-only game could feature some of the most captivating graphics I've seen on the Wii? They may not have the eye popping impact of Super Mario Galaxy, but thanks to some stunning character design and subtle effects, LostWinds looks every bit as good.

The detail in the game's central character, a small boy called Toku who sports a strange hat that I wouldn't mind owning myself, is brilliantly realised and animated.

A special mention must also go to the music, which reflects the game's whimsical, dreamy nature perfectly.

Thankfully, LostWinds' beauty isn't skin-deep - it's just as bewitching to play. Toku is controlled by the nunchuck analogue stick, while the game's minor innovation - wind power - is achieved with the wiimote. Striking lines through the screen wafts Toku up into the air, and a scribbling action will gently break his fall.

As you progress through the 2D platform landscape, new powers are added to your arsenal, allowing Toku to drift ever higher to previously unreachable parts of the map.

There are puzzles to solve (blowing flames onto vines to disintegrate them or wafting water onto thirsty seedlings, for example) and enemies to fight, all with your trusty cursor.

LostWinds has a quite unique, almost zen-like atmosphere of ethereal calm - think of the best films of Hayao Miyazaki and you're on the right lines. Most of all, LostWinds feels like a labour of love. It's a small, modest game admittedly, and doesn't exactly push back the boundaries of gaming – but it's beautifully made and a real joy to play.

Possibly the best £7.00 you'll blow (sorry) on your Wii all year.

If Nintendo are to be believed, we Europeans should finally be getting access to WiiWare some time tomorrow (Tuesday 20th May). I for one can't wait - not only is it a great idea (quietly pilfered from the likes of Steam or XBLA, you could argue), there are some truly excellent looking games due for release.

If the previews are anything to go by, Frontier Developments' first offering - 2D platformer Lost Winds - looks like it could be an instant classic. It appears to be one of the few games that will actually make full use of the wiimote, as you use wind power to blow away enemies and waft your big-hatted avatar out of harm's way.

The game's graphics look beautifully designed and realised, and reviewers have so far heaped the game with praise. And at only 1000 points (about 7.50GBP I think) it's a bargain too. I can't wait.

Hudson Soft's Star Soldier R has also got me in a bit of a lather. I've no idea if it will be as good as its predecessors, but I'll be downloading it anyway - we're not exactly swamped with traditional shoot-em-ups these days, after all. Besides, early impressions look encouraging, with lots of spaceships, explosions and big colourful numbers. Just look at this screenshot:

Looks fabulous.

So if Nintendo are as good as their word, I should be playing these lovelies by this time tomorrow evening, so expect some reviews very soon...