Nintendo announced that one of the earliest Super Nintendo RPGs, ActRaiser, has been released today on the North American Wii Virtual Console. Following its release in Japan and Europe, it became the first (and to date, only) Square Enix game on the classics download service.

ActRaiser is a still-unique hybrid of RPG, simulation, and action. The title was developed by Quintet and is the unofficial first game in the company's so-called "heaven & earth" series, which went on to include Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia. The game tells the story of a long slumbering being who has woken up to find his world overrun by the powers of darkness, its people dead. In one half of the game, he must battle monsters with sword and magic, while in the other half he commands an angelic servant as it rebuilds civilization, cultivates the land, and guides the people in their struggle against evil.

The game is available for download on the Virtual Console now for the price of 800 points.