Yoshi somewhat annoys me.

There, I said it. Maybe it's because my sister has a horrifying obsession of all things Yoshi, or maybe because I enjoyed ditching him in mid-jump while playing Super Mario World as a child, or maybe because I've always liked Toad better in Mario Kart. Regardless, Yoshi and I... we are not the closest of friends.

Still, one of this week's games not only features Yoshi, but is also one of my favorite puzzle games ever. This week's releases also feature a solid retro title. But which games are they?

Yoshi's Cookie (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Take one part puzzle game, combine with intuitive game play, add a pinch of multiplayer action, and top with a layer of everyone's favorite dinosaur. Mix together and let set for roughly 100 stages' worth of time. If that sounds like a winning recipe to you, then step into the kitchen and get ready for a batch of fast-paced puzzle action. Hunker down to move rows and columns of randomly placed cookies in an effort to align all the cookies of the same type. Successfully assemble a row or column to make the line disappear, then move to a new one. If you're good enough, you may even be able to make a Yoshi cookie appear! Feel like taking on a friend? Fire up the two-player mode, where you can attack your opponent while competing to match as many cookies as possible. Be careful, though — if your timing is off, you could end up attacking yourself. Who knew dinosaurs had such a weakness for puzzle games and sweets?

Bases Loaded (NES, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Bases Loaded is a baseball game with an arcade feel and plenty of options from which players can choose. Select one of 12 teams, set your lineup from the 30 players available (each with different strengths), then play a single game or try to win the pennant. During game play, the screen shows two different viewpoints: one from behind home plate as you're batting, and the other from the pitching mound in a television-style shot (unique for its time) as your team plays in the field. Strong play control and excellent graphics add to the excitement as you decide what pitch to throw (you can even try to provoke the opposing batter into charging the mound), control all positions on the field, or do your best to get a hit. So step to the plate and find out why this is one of the most popular baseball games from the NES. Can you pull through in the clutch?

Yoshi's Cookie came out last week on the European Virtual Console. Bases Loaded is debuting on the North American Virtual Console. Both are available for download off the Wii Shop Channel.

Check back next week for the latest Virtual Console/WiiWare news and reviews!

Editor's note: For every view this entry gets, $1 will be donated to the Yoshi Abuse Prevention Fund, a fund to rescue and support abused Yoshis. So what if Yoshis are fictional and the fund is headed by me? It's the thought that counts, damn it.