Topic: 98 Days (and Counting) of No Wii Virtual Console

[NWR_Neal]

The Ignition Factor, released on August 25, 2011, was the last Wii Virtual Console game released in North America. This is a problem.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/28151

Sadly, it looks like the Virtual Console on Wii (specifically in North America) is dead. The last release was in August 2011, and before then, releases were few and far between to begin with. To celebrate/mourn, we're going to list a good Virtual Console game for every day since there has been a game on Virtual Console.

So, check in every day to see the next games on our list. Maybe you'll see something that interests you. We'll update this list every Thursday until Nintendo releases a Wii Virtual Console game.

1. The Legend of Zelda (NES - 500 Wii Points)
2. F-Zero (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
3. Solomon’s Key (NES - 500 Wii Points)
4. Super Mario 64 (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
5. Wario’s Woods (NES - 500 Wii Points)
6. Bonk’s Adventure (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
7. Ecco the Dolphin (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
8. Ristar (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
9. Alien Crush (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
10. Gunstar Heroes (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
    
11. Military Madness (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
    
12. R-Type (TG16 - 800 Wii Points)
13. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
14. Super Castlevania IV (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
15. Super Mario Bros. (NES - 500 Wii Points)
16. ToeJam & Earl (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
17. Gradius (NES - 500 Wii Points)
18. Soldier Blade (TG16 - 600m Points)
19. R-Type III: The Third Lightning (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
20. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
21. Comix Zone (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
22. Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
23. Mario Kart 64 (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
24. Super Mario World (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
25. Kid Icarus (NES - 500 Wii Points)
26. Kirby’s Adventure (NES - 500 Wii Points)
27. Ice Climber (NES - 500 Wii Points)
28. Donkey Kong Country (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
29. New Adventure Island (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
30. Streets of Rage (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
31. Chew Man Fu (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
32. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
33. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
34. Tecmo Bowl (NES - 500 Wii Points)
35. Sonic Spinball (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
36. Beyond Oasis (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
37. Excitebike (NES - 500 Wii Points)
38. Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
39. Dragon’s Curse (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
40. Star Fox 64 (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
41. Galaga (NES - 500 Wii Points)
42. Punch-Out!! (NES - 500 Wii Points)
43. Bonk’s Revenge (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
44. Gradius III (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
45. Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
46. Castlevania (NES - 500 Wii Points)
47. Shockman (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
48. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
49. Ninja Gaiden (NES - 500 Wii Points)
50. Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
51. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
52. ActRaiser (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
53. Kid Chameleon (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
54. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES - 500 Wii Points)
55. Milon's Secret Castle (NES - 500 Wii Points)
56. ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
57. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
58. F-Zero X (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
59. Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
60. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES - 500 Wii Points)
61. Ecco: The Tides of Time (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
62. Air Zonk (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
63. Paper Mario (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
64. Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
65. Super Star Soldier (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
66. Sim City (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
67. Balloon Fight (NES - 500 Wii Points)
68. Dynamite Headdy (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
69. Kirby's Dream Course (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
70. Devil's Crush (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
71. Bomberman '93 (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
72. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
73. Shining Force (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
74. Adventures of Lolo (NES - 500 Wii Points)
75. Galaga '90 (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
76. Wave Race 64 (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
77. Super Metroid (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
78. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
79. Neutopia (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
80. Breath of Fire II (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
81. Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
82. Super C (NES - 500 Wii Points)
83. Adventure Island (NES - 500 Wii Points)
84. Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
85. Landstalker (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
86. Neutopia II (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
87. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
88. NES Play Action Football (NES - 500 Wii Points)
89. World Class Baseball (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
90. Yoshi's Story (N64 - 1,000 Wii Points)
91. Streets of Rage 3 (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)
92. Legend of Hero Tonma (TG16 - 600 Wii Points)
93. Kirby's Avalanche (SNES - 800 Wii Points)
94. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES - 600 Wii Points)
95. Sin & Punishment (N64 - 1,200 Wii Points)
96. Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (NES - 500 Wii Points)
97. Gate of Thunder (TG16CD - 800 Wii Points)
98. Golden Axe III (Genesis - 800 Wii Points)

[Kytim89]

There is still Mischief Makers and DK64 for the N64 that have not been released.

[gbuell]

This is so pathetic. It's not like Wii U launches next month - we've got at least a year.

[broodwars]

This is so pathetic. It's not like Wii U launches next month - we've got at least a year.

I think Nintendo's made it clear that they don't care about the Wii anymore, now that Zelda has gone gold and Kirby's out in stores.  We don't have Wii Virtual Console games anymore because Nintendo's desperate to make the 3DS relevant so it's getting the sole VC slot every week.  Because in Nintendo's warped little world, you can't support two services on different platforms but with similar audiences at the same time.  That would just make too much g-damn sense.

And I don't find the argument that "well, they're just out of VC games for the Wii" valid, not when the SNES is still missing notable titles and the N64 is barely supported at all.  If Nintendo really cared about the service, they'd make the necessary deals with the respective companies to get those missing games on the service.  Instead, they'd rather not support it at all, which pretty much sums up Nintendo of America's approach to the Wii in general lately.

[Kytim89]

The achillie's heel of the Virtual Console was always licensing issues and we all knew that it was going to eventually run into that wall one day. The problem is that there are still a plethora of games that Nintend and third parties could release onto the system, but haven't due to either apathy or, again, licensing issues. I mentioned in the past that if some gaming company went back and bought the rights for Acclaim titles and such that the Virtual Console longevity could be exstended. However, until the Wii U launches and offers Gamecube, Dreamcast and Saturn titles then the Virual Console for Nintendo's home consoles is effectively deceased.
 
Now, if the Gamecube were to appear on Virtual Console then there might not be as many licensing issues because most of the games available are still farely young when compared to what has been available on the service.
 
Overall, I consider the Virtual Console to be one of the best things to ever happen to the gaming industry because it helped nealry three decades of games onto a single system. Perhaps it tried to do too much too fast? I would like to see the serive rise from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix and become much stronger, but until lcensisng issues can be relaxed then that will never happen.

[broodwars]

That's the thing, though: the Virtual Console is in my opinion the Wii's best feature.  It's near-flawless reproduction of classic games exactly as you remember them, but with the benefit of a more ergonomic controller in the Classic Controller Pro.  Nintendo did a fantastic job of supporting it until WiiWare arrived, and then that greatly diminished, and then it went on life support, and then the 3DS released and killed it off outright.

We've been in a huge Wii software drought this last year, and while Zelda will definitely do its part in stemming that, we still have probably another year before the Wii U releases.  Now is the perfect time to use the Virtual Console (and WiiWare, if there are any WiiWare developers left at this point) to fill in the gaps and leave Wii owners with something to play in the interim.  But I guess Nintendo's just decided that since they've done such a spectacularly poor job catering to core gamers, they own one of the competing HD consoles anyway so they don't need to be placated.  It's a huge missed opportunity, though, especially since Square-Enix still hasn't unloaded their entire SNES back catalog on the VC and their titles appeal directly to core gamers.  And Nintendo one of these days could get around to actually trying to emulate the Super FX games, as well as working out the legal issues of releasing Donkey Kong 64.

[Kytim89]

What games have not been released on Virtual Console, but could be released?

[broodwars]

What games have not been released on Virtual Console, but could be released?

Well, off the top of my head...

SNES:

Star Fox
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X3
Illusion of Gaia
Soul Blazer
Secret of Evermore
Terranigma
Lufia and the Fortress of Doom
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinestrals
The Lost Vikings

And...of course...Earthbound, though for whatever reason (it's largely speculated music copyright legal issues) Nintendo just won't touch that one.

N64:

Donkey Kong 64 (note that there are rights issues with this game because of the Rare arcade game)
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (there's no sense having both Castlevania 64 games)
Hybrid Heaven
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (we've gotten the Super Star Wars games, so why not?)
Star Wars Episode 1: Battle for Naboo (ditto)
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer (ditto)
Space Station Silicon Valley
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (and the other 2 Turok games as well, but you might as well stick with what IMO was the only good Turok game)
Mystical Ninja 2: Starring Goemon
Gauntlet Legends
Body Harvest

Granted, there are some questionable games in there, but for the most part I don't think there are major multi-company licensing issues with these games.

[Kytim89]

Nintendo Entertainment System:
Mega Man V
Mega Man VI
Skate or Die! (For North Americans, already available on the European and Japanese Virtual Console!)
1942
1943: The Battle Of Midway
Adventure Island II
Dr. Mario
Bomberman
Bomberman II
Adventure Island 2
Adventure of Lolo 3
Arkanoid
A Boy & His Blob: Trouble in Blobononia
Bad News Baseball
Bionic Commando
Bubble Bobble Part 2
Contra
Contra Force
Destiny of an Emperor
Devil World (In North America, Europeans and Japan already have this game on the Virtual Console.)
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior II
Dragon Warrior III
Duck Hunt
Genghis Khan
Nintendo World Cup
Pro Wrestling
Mario Is Missing!
Maniac Mansion
Metal Gear
Nobunaga's Ambition II
Pac-Mania
Popeye (Still has licensing issues in North America, however, the Popeye series is under public domain in the rest of the world.)
Prince of Persia
Romance of the Three Kingdom
Snake's Revenge
TMNT 2

TurboGrafx-16:
Ys. III: Wanderers From Ys
Bomberman

Sega Genesis:
TMNT: Tournament Fighters
Mega Man: The Wily Wars
ESWAT: City Under Seige (For North Americans, already on the European and Japanese Virtual Console)
Crackdown (Look above)
Strider
Earthworm Jim 2
Shanghai II: Dragon's Eye
Gynoug (In North America & Europe, already available in Japan.)
Atomic Runner (In North America & Europe, already available in Japan.)
Target Earth (In North America & Europe, already available in Japan.)
Warsong (In North America & Europe, already available in Japan.)
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Kid Chameleon
Out Run
Out Run 2019
OutRunners
Revenge of Shinobi
Rocket Knight Adventure
Sparkster
Splatterhouse 3
Vectorman 2
Virtua Racing

Super Nintendo Entertainment System:
Mega Man VII (My most wanted game to come on the Virtual Console)
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X3
Final Fight 2
Final Fight 3
Romance of the Three Kingdom II
Romance of the Three Kingdom III: Dragon of Destiny
Mario Is Missing!
Wario's Wood
Rival Turf!
Tetris Attack
Mario Super Picross (In North America, Europeans and Japanese already have this on the Virtual Console.)
Pilotwing
Actraiser 2
Breath of Fire
Mega Man Soccer
Captain Commando
Double Dragon IV: The Shadow Falls
Street Fighter Alpha II
Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge
Nobunaga's Ambition: Lords of Darkness
Prince of Persia
Star Fox
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Bomberman
Super Bomberman 2
Super Bonk
Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World
U.N. Squadron
Yoshi's Cookie
Yoshi's Squadron
Ys II: Wanderers from Ys
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Rocket Knight Adventure
TMNT: Turtles in Time
TMNT: Tournament Fighters

Nintendo 64:
Pilotwing 64
Mario Tennis
Bomberman Hero
Hey You! Pikachu! (Unless Nintendo uses Wii Speak on this game.)
Aerofighter
Beattles Adventure Racing
Bomberman 64 (1997 game)
Bomberman 64 (2001 game)
Bomberman 64: The Second Attack
Command & Conquer
Cruis'n World
Cruis'n Exotica
Dr. Mario 64
Castlevania 64
Castlevania 64: Legacy of Darkness
Mega Man 64
Earthworm Jim 3D
Clayfighter 63 1/3
Clayfighter 63 1/3 Sculptor's Cut
Excitebike 64
Mario Party
Mario Party 2
Mario Party 3
Quake II
Ridge Racer 64
Turok 1 and 2
(Rare games)

Sega Master System:
Phanasty Star (In North America and Europe, Japanese already have this game on the Virtual Console.)
Shinobi (In North America and Europe, already available in Japan.)
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Golden Axe Warrior
Ms. Pac-Man
Ninja Gaiden
Out Run 3-D
Space Harrier 3-D
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap

Neo Geo:
Fatal Fury Special Edition
World Heroes II
World Heroes Jet
World Heroes Perfect
Samurai Showdown III: Blades of Blood
Samurai Showdown IV: Amakusa's Revenge
Samurai Showdown V
Samurai Showdown V Special
The King of Fighter '95
The King of Fighter '96
The King of Fighter '97
The King of Fighter '98
The King of Figher '99: Millennium Battle
The King of Fighter 2000
The King of Fighter 2001
The King of Fighter 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle
The King of Fighter 2003
SNK Vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos
Art of Fighting III - The Path of the Warrior
Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug X
Metal Slug 4
Metal Slug 5
Neo Bomberman
Panic Bomber

[Kytim89]

Could Nintendo replace th music in Earthbound with chiptunes to avoid any lawsuits?

[broodwars]

Could Nintendo replace th music in Earthbound with chiptunes to avoid any lawsuits?

Nintendo could do any number of things with the music if the music was really the big issue.  Honestly, I don't think it really is considering there are other games with "legally questionable" songs that have been re-released on the VC (like Chrono Trigger and the Mega Man/Mega Man X games).  However, the speculation is that Nintendo won't change the music without the original director's consent, and they presumably don't have it.  I don't know how much stock I put into that, but that's the theory.

[Kytim89]

Megaman X2 was recently rated by the ESRB or something, so there might still be some hope afterall.

[Ceric]

I think everyone is giving to much credit.

I think a lot of the games we have a Dr.Who Scenario.  The original stuff is just lost.  They could get a Rom and probably do have one somewhere but thats different then having the original code.

[MegaByte]

Umm, most Virtual Console games are unmodified ROMs. There are only a few that have been modified in minor ways, like removing Kawasaki from Wave Race 64 (which could be done without needing the original source).

[Ceric]

Umm, most Virtual Console games are unmodified ROMs. There are only a few that have been modified in minor ways, like removing Kawasaki from Wave Race 64 (which could be done without needing the original source).

Probably be a real pain considering how they compressed the assets.

[MegaByte]

Well, Nintendo keeps the source code to their games, so it's not a concern for them. Heck, they even went in and programmed the missing level in NES Donkey Kong, which was only released as a limited edition European Wii pack-in.

[King Bowser Koopa]

Thanks guys, I'm actually writing a feature on games that still could be released on VC and you've just done a whole chunk of my work for me

[famicomplicated]

Maybe Nintendo should consider hiring a second person to work on the Virtual Console?


OK, in all seriousness though, this doesn't bode well for any improvements on the Wii U.
If they can't copy and paste a ROM from one folder to another (which is what they're doiing 95% of the time), we're never going to get updated VC games for the Wii U...


My crazy, never-gonna-happen ridiculous impossible-to-do stupid boneheaded requests for the Wii U service:


*Online second controller, i.e the other controller is being played by an online friend.
*Save states for all games.


I know these are stupid ideas and probably technically not even possible though.


In 1991.

[UncleBob]

Heck, they even went in and programmed the missing level in NES Donkey Kong,

Did they?

[MegaByte]

Did they?

That post has nothing substantiated. In fact, some programmers disassembed the thing to show how the extra level was added in, and the way it was done makes it unlikely that it was ever intended for a cartridge. Here is one of several sources... Dream and Friends even acknowledges they were wrong in a later post.

[broodwars]

Thanks guys, I'm actually writing a feature on games that still could be released on VC and you've just done a whole chunk of my work for me :

Always happy to help.   

[UncleBob]

Ah.  Surprised.  I never read (/saw) any follow-up once the system was actually released.

[Kytim89]

There is Resident Evil2 on the N64 that has not been released.

[NWR_insanolord]

There is Resident Evil2 on the N64 that has not been released.

This is a terrible idea for a lot of reasons, not the least of which being that it wouldn't fit within the file size limit.

[Mop it up]

I don't think the Turok Nintendo 64 games could be released because Acclaim no longer exists, and I doubt the current owner of the Turok licence has the rights to the old games.

*Online second controller, i.e the other controller is being played by an online friend.
*Save states for all games.

Both of these are done on the emulation side, so the actual ROMs don't need to be modified. So it would be easily possible for the Wii U to add these features to its own Virtual Console without making the games unusable on the Wii Virtual Console.

I'd be surprised if we didn't see save states, although the online feature probably won't happen due to the difficulty of getting it to run 100% smoothly, Nintendo's reluctance with online notwithstanding.

[leahsdad]

The achillie's heel of the Virtual Console was always licensing issues and we all knew that it was going to eventually run into that wall one day. The problem is that there are still a plethora of games that Nintend and third parties could release onto the system, but haven't due to either apathy or, again, licensing issues. I mentioned in the past that if some gaming company went back and bought the rights for Acclaim titles and such that the Virtual Console longevity could be exstended.

Yeah, I think the main, though not sole, reason is licensing issues.  It makes you wonder if maybe Nintendo (as well as other publishers) are thinking super-ahead and including some kind of stipulation or clause which guarantees Virtual Console-like releasing rights, maybe even in the event of company dissolution.   Or will our kids, 20 years from now, be complaining about how there are a bunch of Wii titles missing from their VC release list.

[Kytim89]

The achillie's heel of the Virtual Console was always licensing issues and we all knew that it was going to eventually run into that wall one day. The problem is that there are still a plethora of games that Nintend and third parties could release onto the system, but haven't due to either apathy or, again, licensing issues. I mentioned in the past that if some gaming company went back and bought the rights for Acclaim titles and such that the Virtual Console longevity could be exstended.

Yeah, I think the main, though not sole, reason is licensing issues.  It makes you wonder if maybe Nintendo (as well as other publishers) are thinking super-ahead and including some kind of stipulation or clause which guarantees Virtual Console-like releasing rights, maybe even in the event of company dissolution.   Or will our kids, 20 years from now, be complaining about how there are a bunch of Wii titles missing from their VC release list.

As technology grow it is going to become increasingly more common for software emulation to exsist. I am sure that most companies have enough forsight to fututre prrof their games by allowing them to be emulated on whatever consoles that might be on the market in ten or twenty years.
 
Unless more games can be released for the N64 on Virtual Console then that system as far as emulation goes is eliminated from the service in the fututre, or atleast until Nintendo rerelease them in HD format.

[broodwars]

Unless more games can be released for the N64 on Virtual Console then that system as far as emulation goes is eliminated from the service in the fututre, or atleast until Nintendo rerelease them in HD format.

Nah, Nintendo won't release those games in HD, not when they're so handy to have around when the 3DS needs software.

[Kytim89]

I have been doing a little research and found that Touchstone pictures, which is a subsidiary of Disney, owns the rights to Acclaim's titles. They were the ones who developed that Turok game for the PS3 and 360 back a few years ago. From what I have read, that game was kind of a mdeiocre let down, so I assume that we will never see another Turok game again. Why can't a game company like Activision or EA aquire the rights to these games? Also, is it even possible for someone to go back and lossen up some of the licensined games and bring them onto modern consoles?

[Jonnyboy117]

RE2 could probably be brought under 40MB by compressing assets that were indexed outside the main game code, such as MP3 audio and FMV video. This has definitely been done for TurboCD games and also possibly for Ogre Battle 64, which shipped on a 40MB cartridge. (The Virtual Console version would need some nominal space allocation for the customized emulator that Nintendo includes with every game.)

[Kytim89]

RE2 could probably be brought under 40MB by compressing assets that were indexed outside the main game code, such as MP3 audio and FMV video. This has definitely been done for TurboCD games and also possibly for Ogre Battle 64, which shipped on a 40MB cartridge. (The Virtual Console version would need some nominal space allocation for the customized emulator that Nintendo includes with every game.)

Angel Studios was the game that helped Capcom bring that game over to the N64, and that studio is now part of Rockstar games, so there would have to be a little bit dealing to get that game over to the Virtual Console.

[MegaByte]

RE2 could probably be brought under 40MB by compressing assets that were indexed outside the main game code, such as MP3 audio and FMV video. This has definitely been done for TurboCD games and also possibly for Ogre Battle 64, which shipped on a 40MB cartridge. (The Virtual Console version would need some nominal space allocation for the customized emulator that Nintendo includes with every game.)

The difference is that the Turbo CD games weren't compressed to begin with whereas RE2 was (majorly!) compressed already.

[broodwars]

RE2 could probably be brought under 40MB by compressing assets that were indexed outside the main game code, such as MP3 audio and FMV video.

The real question, though, is would we really want those assets compressed further considering how obviously compressed they were to begin with?  It's a real technical marvel that Angel Studios was able to get 2 CDs on a cartridge, but the FMV and the audio to some extent really show the strain of the compression already.

[Kytim89]

Curious to know whether Gamecube, Dreamcast and possibly Saturn will appear on the Wii U Virtual Console?

[Ceric]

I sort of be surprised of Sony, MS, and Nintendo didn't have stipulations in there licensing agreement what will make Virtual Console much easier in the future.

[NWR_Neal]

Updated 10/27 with
Ecco: Tides of Time
Air Zonk
Paper Mario

63 Days!

[jglonek]

I stopped buying Virtual Console games a long time ago. There are tons I want, I just didn't want to spend the money until I found out how Nintendo will handle future consoles/handhelds and iterations of the store.


Not well is the answer, apparently.


Will we be able to transfer our Wii VC sales to the Wii U? Why can't we play purchased Wii VC games on the 3DS? It really should all be one store. Ok, MAYBE there are problems running N64 games on the 3DS. But the NES/SNES games?


I would love it if the Virtual Console was one store where I could buy things and play it on the Wii, Wii U and 3DS. But that's not how Nintendo operates, and probably never will.

[NWR_insanolord]

Well you can transfer DSiWare from a DSi to a 3DS, so that's a good sign for the future. I think Nintendo just regards handhelds and consoles as separate entities, so we're not likely to see crossover support between them, but I think it's almost certain that Wii VC and WiiWare will be able to be transferred to a Wii U.

[NWR_Neal]

Another week, no VC, 7 more games.

[Kytim89]

We should start the funeral arrangements for Virtual Console.

[famicomplicated]

On a level of 1 to 10, how realistic is it to expect Wii VC games to carry over to Wii U?

I hope they don't start from 0 again on Wii U like they did for 3DS. I was half-expecting the 3DS have have access to the same library as Wii, but then I realised this was Nintendo with their "you like the game? buy it 5 times then!" attitude...

[NWR_Neal]

I think it'll carry over. Home console and handhelds are separate in Nintendo's eyes. It sucks a bit, but it's unfortunately true.

I mean, DSiWare carried over to 3DS. I think WiiWare/VC will carry over to Wii U in a similar manner. So, it'll take a long time and feature Pikmin carrying your **** over.

[Ceric]

Maybe we'll get Bigger Pikmin.

[Kytim89]

How about all of Nintendo's mascots carrying it over to the Wii U?

[ThePerm]

the only bought 4 or 5 VC games, so i dont feel i made a huge investment for VC games. I'd rather Nintendo be releasing real games then spending its time on VC games. I dont care if its on Wii or Wii U, I had my fun with Wii, while it was in its initial release it was super awesome. I can still pop in wii sports for some casual fun. I'm kinda glad I didn't spend loads of money on virtual games. I have no idea if Nintendo will let you re-download the game or how thats going to work. I'm sure it pains Nintendo too to not be re-releasing games, i'm sure they made a boatload of money doing it. I think this pause in releasing games will be a good thing. I think they may significantly lower the prices of the games for Wii U, simply to compete with iPhone type game. The best way to prevent an outlash is to not make it so sudden, on the other hand if you can now get games for $1 you could buy 400 games to make up for the 50 games you bought for $400 on wii.

[Chocobo_Rider]

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/12/super-street-fighter-ii-coming-to-virtual-console-with-online-mu/

Boom.

(in this case, Sonic Boom).

[TJ Spyke]

I could have sworn that was confirmed last week (I remember seeing something about it on IGN Daily Fix).

[NWR_Neal]

I'll believe it when I see it...

[UncleBob]

I'll believe it when I see it...

...and now, you have transcended to true Nintendo fandom....  Welcome, brother.

[Chocobo_Rider]

I could have sworn that was confirmed last week (I remember seeing something about it on IGN Daily Fix).

True. But since I largely only frequent NWR anymore I didn't know until now.  I didn't see anything about it on the front page so I thought it was worth sharing.  After all, since people were literally counting the days, you'd think they'd be thrilled over news like this!

I'll believe it when I see it...

...and now, you have transcended to true Nintendo fandom....  Welcome, brother.

haha, that's one way to look at it!

[TJ Spyke]

I'm always happy to see more Virtual Console games, even when I have no interest in the specific game (like with this one). I welcome another game coming out on it.

[Chocobo_Rider]

I'm always happy to see more Virtual Console games, even when I have no interest in the specific game (like with this one). I welcome another game coming out on it.

Anything SF prior to 4 will always have a special place in my heart.  Since I really "came up" in that era, there are few series I "mastered" more than SF.  I even got 2nd place in a local tournament once! (technically that was X-Men vs. SF).

[broodwars]

While it's nice to see the Virtual Console finally get a new title (and one with online play at that), I just have to shrug and sigh at yet another version of Street Fighter 2 on the service.  Hopefully, this is the start of a resurgence for the service.  Let's see some more SNES RPGs on the thing.   

[Chocobo_Rider]

While it's nice to see the Virtual Console finally get a new title (and one with online play at that), I just have to shrug and sigh at yet another version of Street Fighter 2 on the service.  Hopefully, this is the start of a resurgence for the service.  Let's see some more SNES RPGs on the thing.   

Good point.  Still, try not to let it get you down!

[ejamer]

Surprised to see how few people are excited about this news - or at least the online play part. While I don't really want or need another Street Fighter VC release, if this release means there is a possibility of online multiplayer for Virtual Console on 3DS and Wii U then it's great (if long overdue) news.

[MegaByte]

If they brought online Puyo Puyo over, I'd buy it.

[ejamer]

New want: Chu Chu Rocket (GBA) on the 3DS Virtual Console with online multiplayer. Or just a new Chu Chu Rocket game in general...

[Chocobo_Rider]

If they brought online Puyo Puyo over, I'd buy it.

My friend from Japan was just asking me if I had played that before.  Says it's a big deal in his circles.  What can you tell me about the series that has people so psyched?

[MegaByte]

Have you played Kirby's Avalanche or Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine? It's that game.
It's a Tetris-style game where you match and clear colored blobs. Combos send garbage into the opponents playing field. I find it more fun than, say, Puzzle League or Dr. Mario. It's faster-paced and more complex than Dr. Mario, and unlike Puzzle League, individual pieces fall down.

[Kytim89]

The Wii Virtual Console is pretty much dead and there are so many games left to be released onto the service.

[Kytim89]

 

[Chocobo_Rider]

Have you played Kirby's Avalanche or Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine? It's that game.
It's a Tetris-style game where you match and clear colored blobs. Combos send garbage into the opponents playing field. I find it more fun than, say, Puzzle League or Dr. Mario. It's faster-paced and more complex than Dr. Mario, and unlike Puzzle League, individual pieces fall down.

I have not played either of those =\ Though my wife swears up and down DRMBMachine is a great game =P

I actually haven't played many puzzle games outside of Dr.Mario Online and some Tetris back when it came with my Gameboy =)

Perhaps I'll have that friend come over and enlighten me sometime!

[gbuell]

I'm waiting on Mischief Makers.

[NWR_Neal]

Will we make it to 84? The excitement is killing me.

[Shaymin]

If they go to 84, that means they'll go to 86 on the day of the telethon... my irony sense is tingling.

[AV]

6 thursdays left in the year. So 6 possible days to post virtual console game(s).


Thanksgiving ?
Christmas?


i really hope something releases before new year. My guess is YES but it will be crap nobody cares about

[xcwarrior]

Glad to see that VC is getting some love on here at least. Wish more people would buy games on there. Wish Nintendo would actually support their digital platforms. Even the WW/eshop games we do get are mostly garbage.

[Zchammue]

Im not happy with the Wii Virtual Console, theres a lot of missing games we want to download:


Ninterdo Entertainment System (NES):


Adventure Island 2 ( Released in Europe and Japan, months ago)
Felix the cat ( from Konami i think, a good platformer game with colorful)
Battletoads
Battletoads Double Dragon
Don Doko Don 2
Batman returns 3
Tiny Toons


Supernintendo (SNES):


Super Mario World 2: Yoshis island
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
Joe & Mac
Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics


Nintendo 64: (there are aprox 180 games or more, in VC theres only 21):

Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Blastcorps
Jetforce Gemini
Killer Instinct Gold
Donkey Kong 64
Mischief Makers
Bomberman 64 1997
Turok 1
Turok 2
Turok 3
Doom 64
Quake 1 and 2
Hexen
Starwars Shadows of the Empire
Starwars Episode 1: Racer
Starwars Episode 1: Battle for Naboo
Starwars: Roguesquadron
Shadowman
Castlevania 64
Topgear rally
Topgear overdrive
Starcraft
Command & Conquer
Body Harvest
Armorines project swarn
Goldeneye 007


STOP WIIWARE GAMES!! AND MORE GAMES FROM CLASSIC CONSOLES PLEASE!

[TJ Spyke]

Battletoads
Battletoads Double Dragon
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Jetforce Gemini
Killer Instinct Gold

Will never appear on the VC because Microsoft owns them. GoldenEye is a mess because it would require Nintendo, Microsoft, and Activision Blizzard to all come to an agreement on it. Felix the Cat, Batman returns 3, and Tiny Toons are licensed games, which is a big reason it won't happen. Donkey Kong 64 would require Nintendo to re-program the game since it requires you to play JetPac (a Microsoft IP now) to beat it. Etc. Some of those could and should be on though (like SMW2:YI)

[Kytim89]

A few years ago Microsoft approached Nintendo about reviving the Goldeneye 007 game. Apparently they had Rare update the game for XBLA and Microsoft was willing to let their IPs appear on the Wii's VC if Nintendo helped broker a deal with Activision. Nintendo refused on the grounds that the Wii would recieve the inferior version of Goldeneye 007 while its competiton got the better versions. If the deal ever did work again with the Wii U, this is how it could work:
 
 

• Nintendo: One-third of the profits and publishing rights on the Wii U.
• Microsoft: One-third of the profits and publishing rights on the Xbox 360.
• Activision: One-third of the profits and publishing rights on the PS3.
• Each party would have the right to develope its own DLC based missions exclusive to its own console.

[Oblivion]

I can't see this happening after the "re-imagining" was already released on the Wii and HD consoles.

[Kytim89]

I can't see this happening after the "re-imagining" was already released on the Wii and HD consoles.

If the original had online co-op then people would most likely jump at the chance to play it again.

[ejamer]

I can't see this happening after the "re-imagining" was already released on the Wii and HD consoles.

If the original had online co-op then people would most likely jump at the chance to play it again.

Only to be disappointed to find that the original game doesn't hold up when compared to modern FPS titles.


I loved GoldenEye back in the day, but it's probably a good thing to let that game be fondly remembered instead of fighting to see it re-released.

[Oblivion]

Yeah, I find it pretty shitty. I played it last month on my girlfriend's N64, only to turn it off after twenty minutes. I find Timesplitters to be much better.

[Zchammue]

WHY NINTENDO CANT EXTRACT ALL THE DATAS FROM OLD N64 CARTRIDGES, AND THEN PUT INTO WII CHANNEL SHOP, AND REPROGRAM IT TO RECOGNIZE GAMECUBE AND CLASSIC CONTROLLERS....ITS BEEN 7 LONG YEARS OF WAITING AND DESESPERATLY ABOUT GREAT GAMES FROM RAREWARE, ACCLAIM ( SOME ACCLAIM EMPLOYEES MOVED TO RETRO STUDIOS). MY GOD, MY OLD N64 DOESNT WORK WITH MY NEW LED 42 AND THE N64 CONTROL STICKS ARE WEAK AND DEAD!! PLEASE SOMEONE SEND THIS LIST TO NINTENDO (REGGIE, SATORU IWATA, SIGHERU MIYAMOTO TO READ IT):

Ninterdo Entertainment System (NES):


Adventure Island 2 ( Released in Europe and Japan, months ago)
Felix the cat ( from Konami i think, a good platformer game with colorful)
Battletoads
Battletoads Double Dragon
Don Doko Don 2
Batman returns 3
Tiny Toons


Supernintendo (SNES):


Super Mario World 2: Yoshis island
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
Joe & Mac
Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics


Nintendo 64: (there are aprox 180 games or more, in VC theres only 21):

Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Blastcorps
Jetforce Gemini
Killer Instinct Gold
Donkey Kong 64
Mischief Makers
Bomberman 64 1997
Turok 1
Turok 2
Turok 3
Doom 64
Quake 1 and 2
Hexen
Starwars Shadows of the Empire
Starwars Episode 1: Racer
Starwars Episode 1: Battle for Naboo
Starwars: Roguesquadron
Shadowman
Castlevania 64
Topgear rally
Topgear overdrive
Starcraft
Command & Conquer
Body Harvest
Armorines project swarn
Goldeneye 007


STOP WIIWARE GAMES!! AND MORE GAMES FROM CLASSIC CONSOLES PLEASE!

[TJ Spyke]

As I stated earlier, many of your games can't come out for legal reasons (for example, any game owned by Rare will never come out, like Conker and the Banjo games since Microsoft owns them now). Nintendo also can't just take another publishers game and put it up, that publisher has to want to do it. It's also not as easy as you think it is. There is also no reason WiiWare and VC can't exist at the same time, and most WiiWare games are not from Nintendo anyways. So it's not like they are using up time or resources on them.

[gbuell]

PLEASE SOMEONE SEND THIS LIST TO NINTENDO (REGGIE, SATORU IWATA, SIGHERU MIYAMOTO TO READ IT):

I'll get right on that.

[GoldenPhoenix]

As I stated earlier, many of your games can't come out for legal reasons (for example, any game owned by Rare will never come out, like Conker and the Banjo games since Microsoft owns them now). Nintendo also can't just take another publishers game and put it up, that publisher has to want to do it. It's also not as easy as you think it is. There is also no reason WiiWare and VC can't exist at the same time, and most WiiWare games are not from Nintendo anyways. So it's not like they are using up time or resources on them.

On top of all that, from what I understand it is not cheap to get a game rated by the ESRB, I believe it is a couple thousand to do so. So a company has to justify the monetary risk as well.