The original arcade Punch-Out!! (left) featured a dual-screen cabinet. Doesn't it look like it was born to be a DS game?

The NES boxing game is a favorite to many, so having a portable version of it makes sense just from a nostalgic standpoint. A lot of people wanted it on Virtual Console, and they got it. Fans also want a DS version, and for good reason. The original arcade version of Punch-Out!! was housed in a vertically-oriented dual-monitor cabinet. Even though the top screen only showed boxer stats, the round timer, and other basic info, that screen freed up the bottom one to show nothing but the boxing action we know and love today.

The DS is obviously well-equipped to handle the original game's two-screen format. Of course, the hardware is a lot more powerful than the arcade boards of the mid-1980s, so a visual face lift would be needed. A clean 3D look could be possible with only two major characters on the screen at once, although large 2D sprites might be better to show the exaggerated style of your opponents. (Then again, seeing King Hippo in 3D would be cool.) The between-rounds Select Button trick that graced the NES version could be revived as a touch screen mini game, where you'd need to rub the screen to regain health as if you were giving Little Mac a good massage. There could even be a touch screen-exclusive mode, where stylus or finger taps produce precise punches. The system's wireless capabilities open the door for Punch-Out!! multiplayer, too.

If Nintendo ever does get around to creating a handheld entry of its boxing franchise, the original arcade version should be included as a bonus feature. Though many have played the NES game on Virtual Console, few have seen where the series began. A Punch-Out!! DS game would be the best way to show that to fans. - Steven Rodriguez

The Wii's game download service is the best of the big three, and by the time the Wii is put out to pasture the cream of the classic console crop will be available to everyone. But what about all of those classic handheld games? There are thousands of Game Boy games that millions of people would play (and pay for), so why not put those games on Virtual Console? It would be nice to play them on a television, of course, but think about the bigger picture.

We want to see classic handheld games work on the Nintendo DS. After purchasing a handheld game from the Wii Shop Channel and selecting it from the Wii Menu, picture having the option to download it to your DS. Once that's done, you can close your DS and play it whenever you want. There should be plenty of memory on the handheld for a Game Boy game ROM and emulator, so there shouldn't be any technical hurdles to overcome.

Let's go another step forward. Upon turning off your DS, you would lose the game you downloaded. That's acceptable for a demo, but what about a game where you can save your progress? You're not going to want to start over from the beginning every time you want to zap Link's Awakening to your DS, that's for sure. If a portable VC were to become a reality, then there should be some way to transfer games back to the Wii, making it possible to save progress.

It would be the ideal setup. Imagine downloading a game like Link's Awakening DX for GBC to your DS and taking it out for the day and closing the lid when you want to stop playing. Upon returning home you can send it back to the Wii and continue playing it on the TV screen from where you left off. Wouldn't that be freakin' awesome?

If Nintendo wants to go for all the marbles, it can get other handheld game systems on the service. The Game Boy and Game Boy Color library is vast to begin with, but can you imagine the selection if Sega included its Game Gear lineup? How about Atari Lynx games? It had some great titles, but few played them. We might as well put in a request for the Neo Geo Pocket Color or the Wonderswan while we're at it. If the DS's 4MB of RAM isn't enough, Nintendo could use the memory expansion option pak included with the Opera DS browser. The sky's the limit here. - Steven Rodriguez

Are there any other games you want to see make the jump across formats? If you've got ideas, we want to hear about them! Discuss your ideas in our forum talkback thread for this special! Feel free to leave any other comments, if desired.