The SNES had some cool add-on controllers. Why can't Wii emulate them?
Game title: Yoshi's Safari
System: SNES
Developer: Nintendo
Why it's so cool: This game was developed for use with the SNES Super Scope, an awesome shoulder-mounted light gun accessory that was sadly underused for the console. The story went that the kingdom of Jewelery Land was attacked by Bowser and his Koopalings, who stole a set of magic gems that prevented natural disasters, resulting in a cataclysmic earthquake which split the land into two regions of Light and Dark. Princess Peach sent Mario and Yoshi on a quest to rescue the local royalty and put a stop to Bowser's shenanigans.
The game played like a rail shooter title as Yoshi trundled along a set path towards the goal, while Mario used his trusty bazooka(!?) to fend off an onslaught of enemies that came their way. The twisting paths involved turbo boosters and gaps that had to be jumped over as the two moseyed along, giving the game a kind of odd reminiscence of Mario Kart. At the end of each level, a boss character had to be defeated before progressing to the next level, often one of the Koopalings in an extravagant suit of battle armor. (Fun fact: this was also the first time Princess Peach went by that name in an English Mario game, instead of Princess Toadstool.)
So why isn't it out already? Obviously, the Classic controller doesn't work as a light gun, but the Wii Remote sure does! There is little reason why this ROM couldn't be adjusted to use the Remote as a pointer. Add the Wii Zapper to the mix and you have almost the exact same experience as the original SNES version! Perhaps the reason this game hasn't yet seen a Virtual Console release instead lies with the controversial notion of Nintendo's family-friendly mascot Mario wielding a gun. Who knows?
Game title: Mario & Wario
System: SNES
Developer: Game Freak
Why it's so cool: This rare, Japan-only game was directed by Satoshi Tajiri, creator of the Pokémon series!
Using the ill-gotten gains from his Game Boy adventures, Wario purchased a biplane for the sole purpose of zipping around in the air and dropping buckets onto the heads of unsuspecting Mushroom Kingdom residents. Using the SNES Mouse, players would take control of a friendly fairy named Wanda, using her magic wand to make blocks appear or disappear in order to guide a bucket-addled Mario to the goal, where Luigi would free him of his cranial cumbrance.
As the levels progressed, new kinds of blocks would appear, as well as obstacles which Wanda would have to safely guide Mario past as he blindly stumbles onwards. The game featured three difficulty modes: Peach would walk slower while Yoshi would walk fastest, with Mario being the middle ground. Between each world, Wanda would get the chance for some sweet revenge on Wario in a minigame involving smacking him with her wand as he flew about the screen. Despite being only released in Japan, the entirety of the game's text was in English. Mario enthusiasts would really appreciate the chance to own one of the legendary missing Mario games.
So why isn't it out already? With no Wii mouse on the market and strangely no USB support for computer mice, the only option would be similar to Yoshi's Safari—use the Wii Remote's IR pointer as a mouse cursor. For a game like this, however, that would actually work considerably well. A Lemmings-style point and click puzzle game isn't too different to a first person shooter, after all. It's not an impossible thing to imagine.
