Wii's Virtual Console is a really nifty service, allowing you to download classic games for an affordable price. However, you could very easily spend dozens of dollars on classic games and before you know it, all of your cash is gone. For the price of three or four VC downloads, you could get a great GameCube game. We're not saying the legacy games aren't worth it, but wouldn't it be nice if you could get more games with the same amount of cash?

Well, there's a loophole in the whole "play classic games on the Wii" concept. Last generation, the granddaddy game companies started a new trend: Classic compilations. Open up the game vault, put a bunch of classics on a disc and package it for a low price. Many of these compilations wound up on the GameCube, and a few of them were GameCube-exclusive. Since the Wii can play GameCube games, all you need to do to play classic games for less than what Nintendo is charging on a per-game basis is to seek out a classic compilation, pay a heavily discounted amount for a used (or new) GameCube version, pop it in your Wii, and enjoy the classics with a GameCube controller. Just like Virtual Console, but cheaper!

For this special edition of Virtual Console Mondays, we'll make our usual VC recommendations for each of the classic compilations available on the GameCube. Though we've reviewed just about all of them already—you can find our reviews for each game at their respective profile pages—these recommendations are an at-a-glance indication of how worthwhile it would be for you to seek and buy these compilations as a cheaper alternative to Virtual Console. That, and these compilations have a lot of games that you can't get yet on Virtual Console!

Since these games aren't downloadable, we're tweaking our VCM format slightly so these GameCube games can be more easily compared to the Wii Virtual Console service. We've added the following bits of info to help you decide whether tracking down these games are worth it to you:

Going Price: How much the GameCube version of the game costs, more or less, at online game retailers or eBay.

Price Per Game: The going price divided by the number of games in the compilation. Simply put, this is how much each game would cost if they were offered separately.

Total Cost for VC Equivalent: If all the games in the compilation were available on Virtual Console, this is how many Wii Points you'd need to spend to get them all. Since the VC doesn't support systems like the Sega Saturn or arcade machines, some of these figures will be estimates. You'll get the general idea, though.

Sonic Mega Collection

Released: 11/10/2002

Publisher: Sega

Going Price: $12.99 at EBGames (Used)

Price Per Game: $1.44 (144 Wii Points)

Total Cost for VC Equivalent: 7200 Wii Points ($72)

Sonic Mega Collection bundles Sonic's best Genesis (a.k.a. Mega Drive) games in one convenient package. Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and the S&K lock-on combinations headline the compilation, but SMC also includes spin-off Genesis titles (Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Blast, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine). Ristar and Flicky are included as bonuses, as well as some Sonic comic book goodies.

Unlocking all of the games is a pain, since this is done by repeatedly loading a game, but this compilation is an excellent deal. Only Sega aficionados will really enjoy the lesser titles, but everyone should own a copy of Sonic 2, 3 and Knuckles. You may want to pick up Sonic Mega Collection Plus (Xbox preferred) instead for the extra Game Gear and Genesis games, as well as its save-anywhere feature (as seen in Wii VC games), but the GameCube version has the vitals.

Sonic Gems Collection

Released: 8/16/2005

Publisher: Sega

Going Price: About $16 on eBay

Price Per Game: $1.45 (145 Wii Points)

Total Cost for VC Equivalent: 7800 Wii Points* ($78)

Sonic Gems Collection fills in Sonic Mega Collection's gaps. In addition to some of the better Game Gear games included with Sonic Adventure DX (and not in SMC Plus), Sonic Gems includes Sonic CD (originally for Sega CD), Sonic R (originally for Saturn) and Sonic the Fighters (originally for Arcade). Gems also throws the two Vectorman Genesis games, more artwork, and even some remixed songs.

Unfortunately, Gems comes off as leftovers after playing Sonic Mega Collection. Sonic CD is the best of the bunch with its clever time travel mechanics and music, though its controls are somewhat crude. Only the most die-hard fans will squeeze fun from Sonic R's slow pace, terrible 3D camera and sloppy controls, and while some fighting fans genuinely love Sonic the Fighters, most will run away screaming. Enthusiasts may not appreciate the use of Sonic CD and Sonic R's PC ports. Sonic Triple Trouble, Tails Sky Patrol and Tails Adventures are surprisingly fun, but niche Game Gear games cannot save Gems from its limited audience.

*Includes estimates of 500 Wii Points per Sega Game Gear download, 800 Wii Points per Sega CD download, and 1000 Wii Points per Sega Saturn or Arcade download. (Game Gear, Sega CD, Arcade and Saturn games are not available on Virtual Console.)