We store cookies, you can get more info from our privacy policy.

NES Ambassador Games Slowly Rolling Out in North America

by Neal Ronaghan - August 31, 2011, 7:01 am EDT
Total comments: 77

Check your 3DS. You might have some free games waiting to be downloaded.

The 10 NES Ambassador games, revealed yesterday, are becoming available in North America today. However, it appears they might be slowly rolling out throughout the day.

The method for downloading the games is unfortunately obtuse. You have to go to the Settings/Other menu, and then sort through your Your Downloads. If you have a long list of downloads, you likely have to scroll to the end to find the NES games. You have to repeat this for each game. However, you can use the Menu icon on the main screen of the eShop to expedite the process slightly.

Additionally, the Ambassador Certificate is available for download. This allows Nintendo to send you SpotPass notifications about the Ambassadors Program.

Good luck, intrepid ambassadors!

Watch a video of the download process below.

Talkback

house3136August 31, 2011

I’ve got my games and my certificate. However, I do have to say the button mapping for Super Mario Bros. is horrendous. They made the (B) button dash and the (A) button jump, just like in the original. However, the (B) button is lower than the (A) button on the 3DS, meaning you have to contort your thumb at an extremely weird angle just to play. Most of the finesse of playing that game comes from the dash button, so if it feels unnatural, it renders the game almost impossible to play. Is it really that hard to map dash to (Y) and jump to (B)? C’mon Nintendo, did absolutely no one realize this in the month+ you have had to get the game ported? We shouldn’t have to wait another God-knows-how-long for Nintendo to release the updated version to get this; that is if they correct this major flaw at all. Nintendo: “I’ve got it; you know how we have had the same excellent control scheme for Super Mario Bros. for the last 25 years, where you hold dash with the tip of your thumb and press jump with the base of your thumb. Well this time lets map then to the same buttons even though the gameplay is the reciprocal of what people are used to, yeah that’ll work.


TheFleeceAugust 31, 2011

By some stroke of luck I've got all the games, usually I have to wait well into the afternoon for an update from Nintendo or the eShop. One caveat I have is with 2 player options. Right now it seems like one system will have to be passed between players, but I hope that there will be some local or online wireless update for the future.

house3136August 31, 2011

As well, what’s ironic is that I have to strain my wrist just to play Super Mario Bros. because of the button mapping, and there are no health warnings at all for this game. When I play Wii there is always a warning, and yet I have had no problems with the system. I am not a litigious person at all, I just think it’s kind of funny.

Bman87301August 31, 2011

All ten are up as of now and I've downloaded them all. Contrary to what the article says, they're actually listed under 'Your Downloads' not 'Recent Downloads'.

I'm happy to say that unlike the Wii VC releases, LoZ and Zelda II are the real NES versions with their original 'Engrish' in tact, not the 2003 GameCube updates.

Bman87301August 31, 2011

Quote from: house3136

As well, what’s ironic is that I have to strain my wrist just to play Super Mario Bros. because of the button mapping, and there are no health warnings at all for this game. When I play Wii there is always a warning, and yet I have had no problems with the system. I am not a litigious person at all, I just think it’s kind of funny.

Actually, there were never warnings in Wii VC games. The warnings were always only in actual Wii games.

Bman87301August 31, 2011

Quote from: TheFleece

By some stroke of luck I've got all the games, usually I have to wait well into the afternoon for an update from Nintendo or the eShop. One caveat I have is with 2 player options. Right now it seems like one system will have to be passed between players, but I hope that there will be some local or online wireless update for the future.

That's already been officially confirmed. There will be updates and they will enable wireless multiplayer.

TheFleeceAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: Bman87301

Quote from: TheFleece

By some stroke of luck I've got all the games, usually I have to wait well into the afternoon for an update from Nintendo or the eShop. One caveat I have is with 2 player options. Right now it seems like one system will have to be passed between players, but I hope that there will be some local or online wireless update for the future.

That's already been officially confirmed. There will be updates and they will enable wireless multiplayer.

Good to know. My other thought is what will players, for example, who are Luigi do while Mario runs around. I'm curious about how this will work out.

AdrockAugust 31, 2011

It'd be cool if you could watch player 2's progress from your screen.

Bman87301August 31, 2011

Quote from: house3136

I’ve got my games and my certificate. However, I do have to say the button mapping for Super Mario Bros. is horrendous. They made the (B) button dash and the (A) button jump, just like in the original. However, the (B) button is lower than the (A) button on the 3DS, meaning you have to contort your thumb at an extremely weird angle just to play. Most of the finesse of playing that game comes from the dash button, so if it feels unnatural, it renders the game almost impossible to play. Is it really that hard to map dash to (Y) and jump to (B)? C’mon Nintendo, did absolutely no one realize this in the month+ you have had to get the game ported? We shouldn’t have to wait another God-knows-how-long for Nintendo to release the updated version to get this; that is if they correct this major flaw at all. Nintendo: “I’ve got it; you know how we have had the same excellent control scheme for Super Mario Bros. for the last 25 years, where you hold dash with the tip of your thumb and press jump with the base of your thumb. Well this time lets map then to the same buttons even though the gameplay is the reciprocal of what people are used to, yeah that’ll work.

This is nothing new. GB games are the same way, as were GBA games when played on the DS, and Wii VC titles (on the Classic Controller). You really should have expected this.

CericAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: TheFleece

Quote from: Bman87301

Quote from: TheFleece

By some stroke of luck I've got all the games, usually I have to wait well into the afternoon for an update from Nintendo or the eShop. One caveat I have is with 2 player options. Right now it seems like one system will have to be passed between players, but I hope that there will be some local or online wireless update for the future.

That's already been officially confirmed. There will be updates and they will enable wireless multiplayer.

Good to know. My other thought is what will players, for example, who are Luigi do while Mario runs around. I'm curious about how this will work out.

I hope they ghost each other.

TheFleeceAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: Adrock

It'd be cool if you could watch player 2's progress from your screen.

That would be cool, but it would be cooler if you could control some enemies or if you got to play a minigame during that time. But I don't really expect any of that to be implemented.


Ceric: THAT would be really cool!

Bman87301August 31, 2011

Quote from: Adrock

It'd be cool if you could watch player 2's progress from your screen.

It's pretty much a given that you will be able to do that once the updates come.

Remember, the NES only displayed one screen, so both players always saw the same thing. That being said, VC releases would have to work the same way since VC games don't get updated features...

Unless the updates turn out to be in the form of '3D Classics' releases (which many originally speculated, but the same press release that confirmed the wireless multiplayer updates seemed to indicate that they would remain VC versions).

TJ SpykeAugust 31, 2011

I am happily surprised they are available now since Nintendo said September 1 (tomorrow).

house3136August 31, 2011

@Bman87301 I can understand that for the Gameboy and the GBA; because they only had two buttons; the 3DS has (X) and (Y) as well; and the level that they are triangulated is sharper as well, which makes it worse. But, I didn’t but the 3DS for Super Mario Bros. so maybe I’m exaggerating. But it is frustrating to see something so simple be overlooked. Now, if they screw up Super Mario 3D Land, then maybe I’ll have a legitimate reason to complain.

Nintendo seriously needs to hire better UX designers.
Two complaints:
As if the download process for these games wasn't backwards enough, it sends you back to the main shop screen after every download, making downloading 10 a real pain.
My battery was low, and it refused to download the games. But it doesn't tell you this until you have already clicked through several screens and hit the final download button.

Ian SaneAugust 31, 2011

I am not surprised about the button mapping.  It's been a common thing to just assign the NES buttons to B & A.  It doesn't quite work because the NES buttons were perfectly horizontal with each other, instead of the diamond design we've had since the SNES.

There was a time where Nintendo was really on the ball about these things though.  They clearly recognized the potential issue on the Super Game Boy.  You can pick two control schemes, either using the same B & A design as the Game Boy or assigning B to Y and A to B, creating a vertical setup, like the run and jump in Super Mario World.  It was the absolute perfect way to go about it and I usually experiment with both configurations to see which works better for each game.  But this was before Nintendo was so totalitarian.  Remember how Super Metroid has completely customizable button configuration?  When do you see THAT in a Nintendo game?  If Nintendo just let people map the buttons as they wish then this is a complete non-issue.  I have no idea why they are so against that idea.

I see they implemented a TV blur filter with no way to turn it off. WHY

TanookisuitAugust 31, 2011

Well, it sounds like these games will be slowly upgraded over time, so maybe we'll have button-mapping options eventually.  I can't wait to spend a long flight next week plowing through these NES games!

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorAugust 31, 2011

I don't understand.  We have the technology to force downloads to the system - why not use it?

Send down the Ambassador Certificate with the list of ten NES games.  Let us check the ones we want.  Give us an option to "Download Now" or "Download While in Standby Mode".

Really...

CericAugust 31, 2011

They didn't design the eShop for this type of service.
In the background what they are literally doing is updating the tables that tell what games you system has downloaded with these games.  Thus making them available only to the appropriate people.

The eShop itself probably doesn't have a way to limit more granular then Region.  We've also proven that they can only push little things to your 3DS be it Policy or Tech.  Why did they push a link to download the video channel instead of just putting it there?  Very silly.  I would have rather woken up with all these games ready to go but, that's not in the cards.

pandaradoxAugust 31, 2011

I think they did the redownload method to bypass club nintendo issues?

CericAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: pandaradox

I think they did the redownload method to bypass club nintendo issues?

I'm fairly sure its because its the fastest behind the scene way to do it.

Ian SaneAugust 31, 2011

Nintendo inability to offer downloads in a way that isn't completely obtuse, archaic and borderline insane does not fill me with confidence in their ability to attract the core gamer with the Wii U.  This is 2011.  If you can't get this internet shit down pat by now, you're NEVER going to.

Nintendo's short-sighted decision to not go online with the Gamecube has put them in a permanent state of being behind the rest of the world in online gaming.  Their anti-HD stance on the Wii was another short-sighted decision.  So are they going to be perpetually behind with that as well?  They have to make some sort of leap to catch up at some point.  If they're just going to move at the same rate and be five years behind forever and ever, they're fighting a losing battle.  And what will they be behind on next?  Since the N64 cartridge debacle Nintendo is ALWAYS one step behind on SOMETHING crucial.  You want to be more than the casual fad console?  Then get your shit together and be cutting edge for a change!  And, no , stupid gimmicks are not cutting edge.  You have to get the basic stuff right first.

Nintendo's idea of cutting edge is putting a GPS in a horsedrawn carriage.

ShyGuyAugust 31, 2011

I need to tell my cousin about this, he had no idea about the ambassador program until I told him.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorAugust 31, 2011

Funny story. Just had Super Mario Bros. totally lock up.


Because of the save state system... it would stay locked up even if I closed and reopened from the home menu. Thankfully, the VC menu still operated so I could pick "reset system" there.

CericAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: Pale

Funny story. Just had Super Mario Bros. totally lock up.


Because of the save state system... it would stay locked up even if I closed and reopened from the home menu. Thankfully, the VC menu still operated so I could pick "reset system" there.

Welp there will definitely be updates it seems.

CalibanAugust 31, 2011

Has anyone been finding any odd bugs with these games? So far I've only found one that is still persistent, but a reset of the game might help: In Zelda II, the red potions are not filling your life bar as they should, instead they fill the magic bar.

Also for the first few times I was playing SMB in 1-1 that 1Up would not show up, nor would the block that makes it pop out. I just played the game again, but this time it popped out.

It's very strange that with their long history of NES emulators, such bugs are cropping up.

Mop it upAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: Caliban

Also for the first few times I was playing SMB in 1-1 that 1Up would not show up, nor would the block that makes it pop out. I just played the game again, but this time it popped out.

It was like that in the actual NES cartridge game as well, it seems random whether or not the invisible 1-up blocks will appear. I don't know if there is some formula to it, but I don't think it is a bug, certainly not one present only in the 3DS version.

The formula is that you have to collect all of the coins in the preceding -3 stage or warp to that stage. This does not apply to 1-1, though.

Mop it upAugust 31, 2011

Ah, interesting. I never looked it up so I wasn't sure. What determines the one in the first stage, then? It's definitely not always there for me in the NES game.

I think it's always there unless you die and restart the stage.

Mop it upAugust 31, 2011

I'm not that bad at the game! I guess I'm just extremely unlucky. :(

It's possible that it has something to do with memory not getting initialized uniformly. I've seen some very bizarre behavior on the original NES related to that. Maybe the 3DS emulator is actually doing "better" by emulating random quirks?

UltimatePartyBearAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: Caliban

In Zelda II, the red potions are not filling your life bar as they should, instead they fill the magic bar.

Not a bug.  Red potions fully restore your magic meter, whereas the greenish blueish ones refill about one block's worth.  The only ways to heal are to cast Life or hire a prostitute in town.  My memory's not clear, but finding hearts, beating the palaces, and leveling up your life stat might or might not do so as well, but that's rarer stuff.

Protip: with the above in mind, the best place to stop and grind levels for a while is the entrance to the Island Palace.  Strike the head of the Ironknuckle statue, and it will either drop a red potion or come to life.  The red potions give you a chance to heal while you repeatedly kill Ironknuckles.  Once you're level 8 in each stat, you'll get bonus lives whenever you earn enough experience, and you'll need them.

It'll be a while before I get to try it, so how does saving work in Zelda II?  I seem to remember that you had to press up and A on controller 2 while paused to save and quit.  There isn't a controller 2 on 3DS.

You can switch to controller 2 by holding L&R and pressing Y.

gojiraAugust 31, 2011

I don't have any issues with the button mapping as it is.  Obviously more options would be better, but I have no problems playing Mario just like on the NES. 

CalibanAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: UltimatePartyBear

Quote from: Caliban

In Zelda II, the red potions are not filling your life bar as they should, instead they fill the magic bar.

Not a bug.  Red potions fully restore your magic meter, whereas the greenish blueish ones refill about one block's worth.

D'oh! I have no idea why I thought the red jars would fill the life meter... honestly, and I've played this game a lot lol.

ejamerAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: MegaByte

You can switch to controller 2 by holding L&R and pressing Y.

So I'm not the only one who actually looked at the manuals?


Oddly, I couldn't get the password feature to work in Metroid. The manual says that pressing up and A on controller 2 would display the current password for that game, but nothing happened when I tried. Disappointing, since I had just fallen down a pit with no way out that didn't require obscene amounts of skill/luck.

zachs1997August 31, 2011

Quote from: MegaByte

I see they implemented a TV blur filter with no way to turn it off. WHY

really I did not notice.

Quote from: Caliban

Quote from: UltimatePartyBear

Quote from: Caliban

In Zelda II, the red potions are not filling your life bar as they should, instead they fill the magic bar.

Not a bug.  Red potions fully restore your magic meter, whereas the greenish blueish ones refill about one block's worth.

D'oh! I have no idea why I thought the red jars would fill the life meter... honestly, and I've played this game a lot lol.

It's that damn muscle memory. Remember, red potions = health in every Zelda game after that.

OblivionAugust 31, 2011

Seriously, it may be because I never lived in the NES period, but I find almost all of these games just unbearably bad. Now I know they aren't considered bad games but I just find them horrible. DX

zachs1997August 31, 2011

I know its hard to remember that

UltimatePartyBearAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: Shaymin

Quote from: Caliban

Quote from: UltimatePartyBear

Quote from: Caliban

In Zelda II, the red potions are not filling your life bar as they should, instead they fill the magic bar.

Not a bug.  Red potions fully restore your magic meter, whereas the greenish blueish ones refill about one block's worth.

D'oh! I have no idea why I thought the red jars would fill the life meter... honestly, and I've played this game a lot lol.

It's that damn muscle memory. Remember, red potions = health in every Zelda game after that.

I just escaped from that site, you jerk!  And I might ask about Link's Awakening, in which everything is green, but then there's DX and I don't know what color the potion was there.

Tween20August 31, 2011

Quote from: Oblivion

Seriously, it may be because I never lived in the NES period, but I find almost all of these games just unbearably bad. Now I know they aren't considered bad games but I just find them horrible. DX


I grew up in the NES era, but haven't been back to the originals since.  I still love the games (required by law), but I forgot how unforgivingly balls-hard some of them could be!

How to crash your 3DS:

1) Download and run Metroid
2) Enter password "ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER ****ER"
3) ???
4) Profit!

TJ SpykeAugust 31, 2011

Played a couple of the games, brief impressions:

I hate the controls of Ice Climber. Jumping to the higher platforms should be so annoying. Rather simple, but I died several times because of the controls.
Yoshi is simple, but fun for a few minutes. I was never a huge fan of the game, and glad I never paid the full price of the game even back then.

zachs1997August 31, 2011


Is it online

zachs1997August 31, 2011

Quote from: Shaymin

How to crash your 3DS:

1) Download and run Metroid
2) Enter password "ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER ****ER"
3) ???
4) Profit!

Profit

CalibanAugust 31, 2011

Quote from: Shaymin

Quote from: Caliban

Quote from: UltimatePartyBear

Quote from: Caliban

In Zelda II, the red potions are not filling your life bar as they should, instead they fill the magic bar.

Not a bug.  Red potions fully restore your magic meter, whereas the greenish blueish ones refill about one block's worth.

D'oh! I have no idea why I thought the red jars would fill the life meter... honestly, and I've played this game a lot lol.

It's that damn muscle memory. Remember, red potions = health in every Zelda game after that.

Oh good lord that makes so much sense hahahahahahaha.

RasSeptember 01, 2011

I was pleased to see DKjr has the electric sparks level.  I only had the Coleco version, which did not, and never got the Adam version, which did.  I had a friend who claimed the Atari 2600 version of Donkey Kong had the "pie factory" level, accessible if you pulled the cartridge out while it was running, but he LIED.

The games look pretty good to me on the 3DS screen.

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)September 01, 2011

On the Japanese side of things, I noticed that Zelda is called "Zelda no Densetsu 1" (Legend of Zelda 1)
Zelda 2 is just called the Adventure of Link as usual.


Any ideas why this is the case?


Also the carts have a red backing like the Famicom carts did!

Zelda 1 was re-released in cart format several years later in Japan. They added the 1 to the title screen at that time. The better question is why did they go with the (musically inferior) cart version?

Bman87301September 01, 2011

Quote from: famicomplicated

On the Japanese side of things, I noticed that Zelda is called "Zelda no Densetsu 1" (Legend of Zelda 1)
Zelda 2 is just called the Adventure of Link as usual.


Any ideas why this is the case?


Also the carts have a red backing like the Famicom carts did!

Here's what I know: There were two separate versions of the original Zelda in Japan-- the original 1986 release was for the Famicom Disk System. Years later (after the FDS was discontinued), Nintendo released a Famicom cartridge version-- which used a new font for the in-game text, re-named the 'Bible' to the 'Book of Magic', and added warnings to hold in the RESET button at the 'Game Over' screen (essentially the version the rest of the world got years earlier, only translated back into Japanese). It also added "1" to the title screen logo.

So, the VC release is apparently the cartridge release-- which seems to make sense since if they're being touted as 'Famicom VC games' and the original release was technically a 'FDS game'.

As for Zelda II, it too was originally released in FDS format. I'm not 100% sure whether or not it also got the cartridge re-release treatment, but if it did, there wouldn't be any reason for the logo to be changed since it was always "The Legend of Zelda 2: Link no Bouken".

Bman87301September 01, 2011

Quote from: MegaByte

Zelda 1 was re-released in cart format several years later in Japan. They added the 1 to the title screen at that time. The better question is why did they go with the (musically inferior) cart version?

Dang, you beat me to the punch.. :-(

Bman87301September 01, 2011

Quote from: house3136

@Bman87301 I can understand that for the Gameboy and the GBA; because they only had two buttons; the 3DS has (X) and (Y) as well; and the level that they are triangulated is sharper as well, which makes it worse. But, I didn’t but the 3DS for Super Mario Bros. so maybe I’m exaggerating. But it is frustrating to see something so simple be overlooked. Now, if they screw up Super Mario 3D Land, then maybe I’ll have a legitimate reason to complain.

No, you seem to have misunderstood...

I wasn't talking about the original systems' button positions. I was talking about the original DS/DS Lite (which had same button layout as 3DS). When you played GBA games on it (which also had only B and A buttons),  you always had the same issue of having to use the DS's B and A buttons rather than Y and B. 

The same also applied to playing NES games on Wii using the Classic Controller, and even again on 3DS with Game Boy VC games (which have been available since June). So my point was, this is nothing new and you should have expected it.

Quote from: Bman87301

As for Zelda II, it too was originally released in FDS format. I'm not 100% sure whether or not it also got the cartridge re-release treatment, but if it did, there wouldn't be any reason for the logo to be changed since it was always "The Legend of Zelda 2".

Zelda II didn't have a cart version.

Bman87301September 01, 2011

Just out of curiosity, has anyone made it far enough into Zelda 1 to encounter the Pols Voices? If so, I'm curious to know if the Japanese microphone trick (which has always been unusable here in the States due to the lack of a mic on the NES hardware) works now via the 3DS's microphone. I still haven't made it far enough to try it yet, so I'm curious.

P.S. If anyone does try it, remember to switch to Player 2 before blowing!

Mop it upSeptember 01, 2011

Interesting question, actually. I can't find anyone who's tried it yet, but I'm sure someone will eventually.

ShyGuySeptember 02, 2011

Oh Metroid, you're still amazing...

TheFleeceSeptember 02, 2011

Quote from: Bman87301

Just out of curiosity, has anyone made it far enough into Zelda 1 to encounter the Pols Voices? If so, I'm curious to know if the Japanese microphone trick (which has always been unusable here in the States due to the lack of a mic on the NES hardware) works now via the 3DS's microphone. I still haven't made it far enough to try it yet, so I'm curious.

P.S. If anyone does try it, remember to switch to Player 2 before blowing!

I just tried it and nothing happened. Well, I got taken out by a Gibdo. Do I need the Recorder to do this?

Bman87301September 02, 2011

Quote from: TheFleece

I just tried it and nothing happened. Well, I got taken out by a Gibdo. Do I need the Recorder to do this?

No, it has nothing to do with the Recorder. All you should have to do, while you're in a room with Pols Voices, is switch to Player 2 then blow or yell into the mic, which would result in them instantly dying.

I have since tried it myself and can confirm it doesn't work. Hopefully, this will be fixed in the updated version. There's really no excuse for not making it functional now that there's a working mic available.

Someone should ask Famicomplicated if it works in his Japanese version-- I have a feeling it still won't.

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)September 03, 2011

I've never played Zelda 1 for more than a few minutes, Zelda 3 was my first, so I don't know what you're talking about.

However, Danny.B is well accustomed to the game, I'll ask him to check it out.


However I will say one thing: it's very un-Nintendo to rework modern (read: original) features into a VC game, hence no rumble in StarFox 64 etc...

TJ SpykeSeptember 03, 2011

Other than the rare exception like letting you share pictures taken in the VC version of Pokemon Snap.

Quote from: Bman87301

I have since tried it myself and can confirm it doesn't work. Hopefully, this will be fixed in the updated version. There's really no excuse for not making it functional now that there's a working mic available.

Except reprogramming assembly code? I'm pretty sure the NES version played on Famicom would still not yield the desired results. I'm not sure about the Japanese cartridge version though, and I'm interested to hear the results.

Chozo GhostSeptember 03, 2011

Quote from: Ian

Remember how Super Metroid has completely customizable button configuration?  When do you see THAT in a Nintendo game?

That was back when Gunpei Yokoi was still alive. Maybe that was why things were better back then.

ejamerSeptember 03, 2011

Disappointing that the Pols Voice trick doesn't work, I guess. But I really didn't expect Nintendo to add anything to Virtual Console games.


Adding multi-player options is something handled by the emulator code, so that should happen. Same with restore points. Heck - throwing fully configurable buttons should happen too! But actually changing ROM code to take advantage of the 3DS hardware or to update/improve certain parts of the game? Unless there is a 3D Classics release, I strongly doubt Nintendo would make the effort.

Bman87301September 03, 2011

Quote from: famicomplicated

I've never played Zelda 1 for more than a few minutes, Zelda 3 was my first, so I don't know what you're talking about.

However, Danny.B is well accustomed to the game, I'll ask him to check it out.


However I will say one thing: it's very un-Nintendo to rework modern (read: original) features into a VC game, hence no rumble in StarFox 64 etc...

Actually, that's really only been the case with N64 games... And I think they just chose to exclude rumble in order to prevent the GameCube controller gaining favorability over the Classic Controller. Then, not allowing savability via emulation of the Control Pak was just their way of trying to look consistent.

If you look at VC games from other systems, special features are consistently supported. Games that originally supported 4 players via an adapter, will support 4 players. Excitebike's save feature never worked on an original NES since the Famicom Data Recorder was never released-- but the feature did work when the game reappeared as an unlockable in Excitebike 64 and Animal Crossing, as well as its GBA release as part of the NES Classics Series. And let's not forget the multiplayer support already promised for these games for a future update.

With all that in mind, it's really more 'un-Nintendo' not to support an original feature for a non-N64 VC title.

Bman87301September 03, 2011

Quote from: ejamer

Disappointing that the Pols Voice trick doesn't work, I guess. But I really didn't expect Nintendo to add anything to Virtual Console games.


Adding multi-player options is something handled by the emulator code, so that should happen. Same with restore points. Heck - throwing fully configurable buttons should happen too! But actually changing ROM code to take advantage of the 3DS hardware or to update/improve certain parts of the game? Unless there is a 3D Classics release, I strongly doubt Nintendo would make the effort.

We're not  talking about necessarily adding a new feature here... It wouldn't be changing the original code at all if it was originally coded in the first place but the NES hardware simply lacked the mic. If that's the case (and it's my understanding that it is), it would only be a matter of emulation, just like multiplayer, etc.

Let's not forget that games that supported the Famicom Data Recorder in Japan, not only didn't have the support for it removed from the NES versions, they were even marketed as being part of a "Programmable Series". At the time, NOA was entertaining the idea of eventually releasing an NES Data Recorder, which of course never happened.

Keeping that in mind, and the fact that Zelda's US manual still referenced Pols Voice's hatred of loud noises, it seems quite plausible that the feature was left in with the consideration that they might later release a microphone enabled controller as an add-on accessory.

Bman87301September 03, 2011

Quote from: MegaByte

Except reprogramming assembly code? I'm pretty sure the NES version played on Famicom would still not yield the desired results. I'm not sure about the Japanese cartridge version though, and I'm interested to hear the results.

From what I've read, the feature has been tested using a US cart on a Famicom via an adapter and the feature supposedly has been shown to still work... Of course, not everything posted on the Internet is worth being believed, so it could be a bogus claim, especially as no video was shown.

But I do know for a fact that the Japanese cartridge version did still support it (and keep in mind, it was released after the original Famicom model was discontinued, and the mic was excluded from the newer model.  And considering that that cartridge version was basically the same version we got, only in Japanese text, it seems very likely to be true).

Mop it upSeptember 03, 2011

Quote from: Bman87301

And not allowing savability via emulation of the Control Pak was just their way of trying to look consistent

Cruis'n USA used the Controller Pak and that's on the VC.

Bman87301September 03, 2011

Quote from: Mop

Cruis'n USA used the Controller Pak and that's on the VC.

I wouldn't know since I've never played the VC version of Cruis'n USA. But I have Mario Kart 64's VC version and it doesn't support the Control Pak's Ghost Data saving feature. But if other games do, then it proves my point even further-- Nintendo is willing to support special features for VC releases.

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)September 03, 2011

Allowing Ghost Data in Mario Kart to be saved to SD card would be just the same as what they did for Pokemon Snap, yet they didn't do it. (and never expected them to)

Changing the banners in Wave Race 64 was a legality, but man, the Pokemon Snap thing is still surprising to me now.

But I do agree with multiplayer options they're quite good, like I heard there are some 5 player games (Bomberman possibly) that are supported using 4 remotes and a GC pad, that's kinda cool.

Maybe we'll get all these features in the 3D classics versions on the eShop full $40 retail games that will inevitably come out in the future.

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)October 09, 2011

I have definitive answer about the Pols Voice trick on the Famicom VC games on the 3DS.


I finally arrived at the fourth dungeon (which is all new territory for me) and bumped into those little rabbit dudes that take 3/4 hits to kill, I left one guy alive and switched to controller 2, blew like crazy into the mic aaaaaaand.............


Nothing.


So yeah, even though its the FC version being emulated, they haven't emulated that particular FC controller feature into this version of the game...


Yet?


Although it does somehow make me want to track down the cart for real and try it, it would be cool to kill those pesky buggers all at once. I'd rather it worked on the Darknuts though, god damn they're pain in the arse. (2 hits, invincible from the front)

CericOctober 10, 2011

Quote from: famicomplicated

...
Although it does somehow make me want to track down the cart for real and try it, it would be cool to kill those pesky buggers all at once. I'd rather it worked on the Darknuts though, god damn they're pain in the arse. (2 hits, invincible from the front)

They are and I don't think You've gotten to the Blue ones yet.  Here's a hint.  Use Bombs.  Shame You can't do that in Zelda 2 but you can jump so its a fair trade.

Mop it upOctober 10, 2011

If you're going to use bombs on a Darknut then remember that the bomb blast will be blocked if Link is facing the shielded side of the Darknut when he sets down the bomb.

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)October 11, 2011

Thanks for the tips! I actually managed to figure out that bombs hurt them.


I have encountered the blue ones, absolute sons of bitches they are too!

Got a news tip? Send it in!
Advertisement
Advertisement