Excitebike 64 is zooming its way onto the Virtual Console this week. Costing $10 (£9), the game arrives on Wii U this Thursday alongside Wario’s stylish Wii adventure, Wario Land: Shake It.
Released in 2000, this classic N64 motocross racer ushered Nintendo’s Excite series into the 3D era, offering an addictive combination of fun mechanics and depth. Featuring a 20-course season mode, a track editor and even a procedurally generated endless ride mode, this was a game that was ahead of its time.
With third parties all but abandoning the system, and Nintendo’s output drying up ahead of the launch of its next console, Wii U owners could do far worse than this racing classic.