Bless the ESRB and its information-leaking ways. The US software ratings board has granted age ratings to both F-Zero X and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, indicating that both titles are being lined up for an appearance on the Virtual Console.

F-Zero X, Nintendo’s cheek-flappingly fast and futuristic racer, originally appeared almost a decade ago on the N64, and follows SNES predecessor F-Zero onto the Wii download service. The game, which came with a random track generator if our antediluvian memories are correct (ante-what? - Ed), famously sacrificed trackside detail to deliver ridiculously fast gameplay, complete with 30 other racers on screen at once. Even ten years on, it’s eye-wateringly quick.

Talking of speed, Sonic 2 should need no explaining. Widely regarded as the finest of the nippy blue hedgehog’s romps, Sonic’s second game is now almost fifteen years old, and recalls happier times in the spiny mammal’s life - before he was awkwardly shoehorned into 3D and programmed to spout grating, abysmal dialogue. Yes, we're bitter.

No release dates yet, obviously, though you can expect to pay 1000 points for F-Zero, and the usual 800 for Sonic. Both well worth it, we’d say, and some fine choices to kick off the next century of Virtual Console games.