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GBA Virtual Console Games on Wii U Feature Original Manuals, No Multiplayer

by Justin Baker - March 28, 2014, 9:57 pm EDT
Total comments: 13 Source: GoNintendo

You can check out scanned manuals for next month's slate of GBA Virtual Console games.

Nintendo is including scanned versions of the original instruction manuals from the GBA games on the Wii U Virtual Console in Japan. It's not clear if this is also the case in North America and Europe.

Additionally, all of the GBA games slated for release will be playable in single player only according to current listings, regardless of whether or not the original game featured multiplayer. This could mean that GBA releases on the Wii U will not be able to take advantage of multiplayer options included in soon-to-be-released titles such as Kirby & the Amazing Mirror and Advance Wars.

Talkback

KITT 10KMarch 29, 2014

I'm not one who cares a whole lot about multiplayer, but even I think leaving that out is a stupid move. I'm sure there's a reason, but I doubt most would care for the reason for those who like multiplayer games.

the asylumMarch 29, 2014

come on, nintendo. no multiplayer for games that support multiplayer? what clown-shoes move is this?

ejamerMarch 29, 2014

Lack of multiplayer support is disappointing - I mean, Wii U already has a second screen right?


Shouldn't  be a problem for Advance Wars though. Didn't that game offer a "hot swap" multiplayer mode for playing on a single GBA?

Mop it upMarch 29, 2014

I doubt it would have been difficult to include at least 2-player multiplayer where player 1 uses the GamePad and player 2 uses the TV with a Pro controller. Too bad they didn't think of it.

And yeah, Advance Wars has "pass the GBA" multiplayer so that should still be useable.

jg233March 29, 2014

"You can check out scanned manuals for next month's slate of GBA Virtual Console games."

I was expecting to be able to actually do this in the article.

marvel_moviefan_2012March 30, 2014

at this point is anyone honestly surprised when Nintendo does something stupid and gets away with it? I mean seriously if there are still hard core fans left they had better be pretty damn hard core.

AdrockMarch 30, 2014

I don't think difficulty has much to do with decision. Nintendo weighed their options. Was it worth the extra effort to implement mutliplayer? In other words, was it going to increase sales enough to justify having someone go into the code and make it work? Probably not. As a consumer, I still don't agree with it. However, it isn't especially surprising.

I bought a GBA at launch. I never once owned a link-cable, even when they were less than $1 used. Of all the games that had multiplayer, only Pokemon strikes me as a big enough title that's really affected by the the lack of multiplayer since you can't, you know, catch 'em all. That still doesn't make it okay, but I think most people can live with it.

smallsharkbigbiteMarch 31, 2014

@Adrock


Eventually, Nintendo has to do something to bring excitement to their system and I'd love it if they would push some VC love. 


-Local multiplayer is tough to get now for these old systems.  Online multiplayer should be a standard add-on for these VC games (even if they make you pay another $2 for it). 
-These games should have filter options like current emulators do.  Want 1080p upscaled it should do it.  Want neon colors to replace the in game colors?  You should be able to do it.  These are things that any emulator should do.
-They should release additional levels (for a fee of course).  So those Mario 3 levels on the GBA ecards?  Those should be available for purchase.  I even think they should make new levels available for some of their popular games.  $5 for Mario 3 world 9 add-on with new Bowser battle would sell like crazy and move VC sales of the original if that were a requirement to buy the add-on stuff. 
-Pricing just needs to be looked at.  Okay, so Nintendo doesn't want to give cross-pay for free?  At least have the discount option available when you purchase.  Pay $8 for LOZ Wii U and they you can pay $2 for the 3DS version.  Cross-play is a huge opportunity that's missed.  That and Steam has many Genesis games (and some SNES ports Mega Man X) for $5 or under.  I have no problem with Nintendo charging $9.99 for Earthbound.  But seriously this $5 for NES Baseball has got to stop.  It's turning VC into a joke.  If they want to release it fine, but $1.99 should be the price point, and it should be released alongside a good game so it doesn't kill VC momentum. 


I love retro gaming.  I went in big with the original VC before realizing that I didn't like Nintendo's trickle pace and I didn't like the fact that bunches of games weren't going to get released.  Since then I've spent probably $2,000 on retro games/systems largely ignoring the VC games available.  Surely I can't be the only one willing to spend coin on these older games and I wish Nintendo would give them the time of day. 


That's the big problem with the GBA releases.  Yes, they are a good selection of games.  Multiplayer isn't a huge deal since most probably didn't use it much.  But as most fans of Nintendo, I already own all of the games on this list that I want for GBA.  Why should I purchase it on my Wii U?  Oh, and my GBA games are cross play compatible on the Gameboy player and my DS.  Some people may have put their gamecube away, but I still have mine hooked up.  They need to add value to these games if they expect them to get people to get excited about them.

Ian SaneMarch 31, 2014

Games like Mario Kart and F-Zero are pretty lame without multiplayer.  One of the nifty features the GBA had was that some games had single cart multiplayer modes so even if the other person didn't have a copy of the game there was some scaled down multiplayer still available.  So the GBA's philosophy was to be as accommodating towards multiplayer as possible and the Wii U's is "eh... fuck it."

This isn't stupidity on Nintendo's part, just laziness.  To do full proper GBA multiplayer support you need to emulate multiple systems and multiple copies of the game, up to four in many cases.  Conceptually that's a little complicated.  It's not as simple as just outputting player two to the Gamepad.  It should be feasible.  I'm sure the Wii U could emulate at least two GBAs at once and if you just limit the multiplayer to online gaming then each console is emulating a GBA.  Lag might be an issue, perhaps?  I'm sure hackers already have emulators doing this stuff so it's all feasible but it just takes effort on Nintendo's part to do it and Nintendo's philosophy under Iwata is to do the least amount of effort they can get away with.

The GBA VC ain't going to save the Wii U even with multiplayer so, while I don't like it, I can see why they wouldn't bother.

Mop it upApril 01, 2014

Quote from: Adrock

I bought a GBA at launch. I never once owned a link-cable, even when they were less than $1 used. Of all the games that had multiplayer, only Pokemon strikes me as a big enough title that's really affected by the the lack of multiplayer since you can't, you know, catch 'em all. That still doesn't make it okay, but I think most people can live with it.

Though I agree that few GBA games have worthwhile multiplayer, the Kirby game they are releasing was specifically designed for multiplayer. When they re-release titles like that with no multiplayer, it's just odd.

azekeApril 03, 2014

I am guessing this is how GBA manuals look like (miiverse screenshot):
https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzRudQ1gGndoGME

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterApril 03, 2014

Quote from: Ian

Games like Mario Kart and F-Zero are pretty lame without multiplayer.  One of the nifty features the GBA had was that some games had single cart multiplayer modes so even if the other person didn't have a copy of the game there was some scaled down multiplayer still available.  So the GBA's philosophy was to be as accommodating towards multiplayer as possible and the Wii U's is "eh... **** it."

This isn't stupidity on Nintendo's part, just laziness.  To do full proper GBA multiplayer support you need to emulate multiple systems and multiple copies of the game, up to four in many cases.  Conceptually that's a little complicated.  It's not as simple as just outputting player two to the Gamepad.  It should be feasible.  I'm sure the Wii U could emulate at least two GBAs at once and if you just limit the multiplayer to online gaming then each console is emulating a GBA.  Lag might be an issue, perhaps?  I'm sure hackers already have emulators doing this stuff so it's all feasible but it just takes effort on Nintendo's part to do it and Nintendo's philosophy under Iwata is to do the least amount of effort they can get away with.

The GBA VC ain't going to save the Wii U even with multiplayer so, while I don't like it, I can see why they wouldn't bother.

Both mario kart and F-zero are pretty lame without multiplayer.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterApril 03, 2014

Or I mean on the gba... DAMNIT THIS POST EDITING THING IS RIDICULOUS.

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