Zelda II Will Be 100th VC Game in N. America

Wii

June 1, 2007, 8:07 am EDT
Total comments: 30

Yep, Nintendo will celebrate this milestone by releasing Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on Monday. Also: updated global VC sales and the top five games.

WII HITS YET ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE: 100TH CLASSIC GAME ADDED TO VIRTUAL CONSOLE

Gamers Worldwide Already Have Downloaded More Than 4.7 Million Retro Games, at a Rate of 1,000 an Hour

REDMOND, Wash., June 1, 2007 – Nintendo is giving video game fans a way to access their favorite classic games, all without leaving the comfort of their homes. And gamers have responded en masse as the library of downloadable game classics continues to grow. The upcoming addition of Zelda II™ – The Adventure of Link® on June 4 marks the 100th classic game available on the Wii Shop Channel. And since going online Nov. 19, owners of Nintendo's hot Wii™ video game system have downloaded more than 4.7 million classic games from Wii's Virtual Console, a rate of more than 1,000 games every hour since launch. The top five classic game downloads globally to date, and their original system are:

1) Super Mario Bros.® (NES®)

2) Super Mario 64® (N64®)

3) Mario Kart 64™ (N64®)

4) Super Mario World® (SNES®)

5) The Legend of Zelda® (NES®)

Wii lets players visit the Wii Shop Channel to redeem Wii Points™ to download classic video games from the original Nintendo Entertainment System®, the Super NES® and the Nintendo® 64, and the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 consoles. These games are nostalgic totems to veteran gamers, and simultaneously, new, easy-to-play entries for younger players. These games demonstrate Nintendo's staying power across generations by letting veteran gamers relive their glory days while their children play them for the first time. The addition of Zelda II – The Adventure of Link brings a fourth Legend of Zelda® game to the Wii Shop Channel from three classic Nintendo platforms, providing exciting adventures that span the decades. Additional classic games are added to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday.

"With an Internet connection rate reaching 40 percent, Wii owners have more options than ever to find the kinds of games they love to play," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Beyond the Wii Shop Channel, all types of people are getting connected and checking out the information and entertainment options available on the Wii Menu. Whether voting, creating a Mii or just checking the weather, everyone has a favorite channel."

The Wii Shop Channel is one of the many entertainment and informational channels that are available via the Wii system. Others include the Forecast Channel, the News Channel, the Mii Channel, the Everybody Votes Channel, the Photo Channel and the Internet Channel. Each of these broadens the appeal of Wii to new audiences and draws in consumers who might not otherwise be interested in a video game system.

Talkback

CericJune 01, 2007

Ha, Nintendo does like me.

theratJune 01, 2007

zelda 2 = wack. i want some new fun innovative 2-4 player wii games.

Spak-SpangJune 01, 2007

Yip. I purchased all top 5 Virtual Console games.

But...to be fair, I have like 20 Virtual Console games, and my taste ranges to from all over the place for Retro gaming. But it is funny to see that I am part of a statistic.

But, I am highly impressed with Nintendo's virtual console so far. Everyone complaining that games aren't coming fast enough 100 games in less than 8 months is fantastic.

Last night I went on a buying spry and bought Ninja Spirit, Punch Out, and Bonk's Revenge.

I am pleased with all of them...Ninja Spirit is great fun and quite an odd title. Bonk's Revenge is mixed bags. The game controls like crap, but it is so bright and crazy in design that you have to love it. It is much better than the first...but that isn't saying much.

LouieturkeyJune 01, 2007

Zelda II was one of my favorite games for the NES. If I ever download a VC game, this may be the first one.

Ian SaneJune 01, 2007

Zelda II is an odd choice to celebrate this milestone. I mean it's a decent game and all but there are other games that better and way more popular.

So the original Zelda has sold better than A Link to the Past? Blasphemy!

Spak-SpangJune 01, 2007

Ian:

I agree with you. I think a better game for the milestone would be either Super Mario Kart or Super Mario Bros 3.

That being said...The Zelda Franchise is almost completely represented on the Wii now

Zelda
Zelda 2
Zelda: Link to the Past
Zelda: OoT
Zelda: Wind Waker (Played through the Gamecube)
Zelda: Twillight Princess

We are basically a single game away from having all the console Zelda games, and we do have all the games that fall in the cannon Zelda story.

Really, if I were Nintendo I would make this a bigger occasion and through more than just Zelda 2 out there...I would want a big celebration releasing really great games from each console on the system.

NES: Zelda 2
Sega: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
TG16: Bomberman 95 (or whatever the next one is)
SNES: Kirby Dream Course
N64: Wave Race 64.

I dunno something where you are releasing great list of huge games in celebration...but not necessarly the biggest games you have in your arsenal.

GoldenPhoenixJune 01, 2007

SMB3 should be the 100th VC game or Paper Mario! Oh well at least I can almost complete my Zelda collection with it (Even though I do not care much for Zelda 2).

CalibanJune 01, 2007

Finally! It's about time they release Zelda II, best VC release to date, including Super Mario Bros, and Monday is my day off hohohohohoho splendid.

vuduJune 01, 2007

SMB3 will be the 1,000th VC game. The wait begins ....

BlackNMild2k1June 01, 2007

Zelda II is the only console Zelda title (that was made by Nintendo) that I didn't like. I was not feelin' the side scrolling elements, and now its the only console Zelda title that I haven't beaten (besides WW & TP).

I quit WW during the find the triforce by slowly floating around this boring ocean for 45 minutes at a time quest. I think I'm close to finishing TP, I just have to get back to it.

NWR_insanolordJ.P. Corbran, Community ManagerJune 01, 2007

Well according to Wikipedia there are currently 96 games available on the NA Virtual Console, which means we are getting at least 4 releases Monday. I wouldn't put it past Nintendo to say Zelda II is #100 while 97, 98, and 99 are big things too.

SvevanEvan Burchfield, Staff AlumnusJune 01, 2007

Or some crap NES sports game that no one wants.

KenologyJune 01, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: Spak-Spang
That being said...The Zelda Franchise is almost completely represented on the Wii now

Zelda
Zelda 2
Zelda: Link to the Past
Zelda: OoT
Zelda: Wind Waker (Played through the Gamecube)
Zelda: Twillight Princess

We are basically a single game away from having all the console Zelda games, and we do have all the games that fall in the cannon Zelda story.

Blasphemy!

The Gameboy Zelda's are legitimate entries in the series!

KlapauciusJune 01, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: Kenology
Quote
Originally posted by: Spak-Spang
That being said...The Zelda Franchise is almost completely represented on the Wii now

Zelda
Zelda 2
Zelda: Link to the Past
Zelda: OoT
Zelda: Wind Waker (Played through the Gamecube)
Zelda: Twillight Princess

We are basically a single game away from having all the console Zelda games, and we do have all the games that fall in the cannon Zelda story.

Blasphemy!

The Gameboy Zelda's are legitimate entries in the series!

Link's Awakening is one of my favourite games of all time.

Does the VC support Gameboy games? I mean, could it support them? Someone should ask Nintendo why they're not putting the classics on VC, like Super Mario Land, the wonderful Super Mario Land 2, Link's Awakening, Metroid 2: Return of Samus, and hey why not Pokemon Red/Blue while they're at it!

GalfordJune 01, 2007

Zelda 2 is an interesting choice for this milestone.

Zelda 2 is both hard and unforgiving by today's standards.
It's gonna make many casual gamers cry.

Oh well.

King of TwitchJune 01, 2007

They celebrate with the weakest, most rushed Zelda. They must be applying george costanza's opposite thing to every aspect of the Wii.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorJune 01, 2007

Anyone who says they don't like Zelda II are just bitter because the game is so hard.

That being said, ZII is my least favorite of the series.

Also, even though it's been said, I'll never miss a chance to say it again. Link's Awakening is the best damn game ever made. It needs to be a Wii download.

18 DaysJune 01, 2007

Top 5 games list is depressing. What people are wasting money on NES games?

KDR_11kJune 01, 2007

Perhaps people who never owned a NES?

IceColdJune 01, 2007

I wonder how much Super Mario Bros sold itself.. Also, give me my Nintendo World Cup already!

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
SMB3 will be the 1,000th VC game. The wait begins ....

Hopefully not - I need to do my Mario Marathon before Galaxy comes out.. every single Mario platformer on one system!

Just need SMB3 and Yoshi's island, though I don't know if I should include that.

GoldenPhoenixJune 01, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: Galford
Zelda 2 is an interesting choice for this milestone.

Zelda 2 is both hard and unforgiving by today's standards.
It's gonna make many casual gamers cry.

Oh well.

And the fact that it was a throw away game with little in the way of development time, with hardly any of the key designers of the original Zelda. OH yeah and Miyamoto said it was a big disappointment and is not proud of it. So I'd say its difficulty is the least of its problems.

ShyGuyJune 01, 2007

Miyamoto is awfully hard on games. Heck, he was disappointed with F-Zero GX.

IceColdJune 01, 2007

Nah, he was talking about the GBA F-Zero games they farmed out (GP Legend, etc..).

GoldenPhoenixJune 01, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: ShyGuy
Miyamoto is awfully hard on games. Heck, he was disappointed with F-Zero GX.

And all the parts about the game not going together like most of his games. Not sure about F-Zero GX but I do know it was a Sega developed game (and besides a disappointment is a big difference from failure, which Zelda II is the only game in my mind that Miyamoto used that term). All you need to do is look at the history of Zelda 2 and will see the game had problems during its development. It was not given the time nor the man power that other Zelda games have gotten (Not to mention key designers). It still is quite odd that fanbois love the game though, it is almost like a cult regardless of the obvious rush job the game received, and said to be a failure by the designer. No accounting for taste I guess.

18 DaysJune 02, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: IceCold
I wonder how much Super Mario Bros sold itself.. Also, give me my Nintendo World Cup already!

!!! YES! I downloaded that rubbish Soccer game THINKING I was getting Nintendo World Cup! My face had an agitated expression on it for weeks.

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Perhaps people who never owned a NES?

Oh like me you mean? I KNEW AND STILL KNOW BETTER!

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorJune 02, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: IceCold
I wonder how much Super Mario Bros sold itself.. Also, give me my Nintendo World Cup already!
Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
SMB3 will be the 1,000th VC game. The wait begins ....
Hopefully not - I need to do my Mario Marathon before Galaxy comes out.. every single Mario platformer on one system!

Just need SMB3 and Yoshi's island, though I don't know if I should include that.

What about the GameBoy SML games? 1 was... okay. But the second one was pretty cool.

KlapauciusJune 02, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob
Quote
Originally posted by: IceCold
I wonder how much Super Mario Bros sold itself.. Also, give me my Nintendo World Cup already!
Quote
Originally posted by: vudu
SMB3 will be the 1,000th VC game. The wait begins ....
Hopefully not - I need to do my Mario Marathon before Galaxy comes out.. every single Mario platformer on one system!

Just need SMB3 and Yoshi's island, though I don't know if I should include that.

What about the GameBoy SML games? 1 was... okay. But the second one was pretty cool.

I mentioned those...

GalfordJune 02, 2007

I'm one of the few people that like Zelda 2.

It's different. It's hard, it's unrepentent in what it does.
Some of the puzzles are wonky be today's standards but you had to find every item
and level up to the max just to survive the trip to the final castle.

The only Zelda that comes close in challenge is Link's Awakening with the Minish Cap a distant third.

Of course this is coming from someone who thinks MP2 is better then MP1.
My tastes are hardly normal.

GoldenPhoenixJune 02, 2007

Quote
Originally posted by: Galford
I'm one of the few people that like Zelda 2.

It's different. It's hard, it's unrepentent in what it does.
Some of the puzzles are wonky be today's standards but you had to find every item
and level up to the max just to survive the trip to the final castle.

The only Zelda that comes close in challenge is Link's Awakening with the Minish Cap a distant third.

Of course this is coming from someone who thinks MP2 is better then MP1.
My tastes are hardly normal.

Darnit you just had to remind me to try MP2 didn't you?

theratJune 04, 2007

damn girl, ur myspace page isnt that cool!

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