The Virtual Console Thread

[Hyperion]

So there have been a number of discounts running on various virtual console titles recently and in the last few weeks I've picked up Earthbound, Super Punch-Out and Donkey Kong GB.
Have never played Earthbound and always wanted to so am enjoying that a lot. Picked up Super Punch Out as it was cheap and have just beaten the minor circuit.
Donkey Kong I used to play on my friends Game Boy so will dip in and out of that trying to finish it eventually.

Current Virtual Console titles on sale
Fire Emblem — €4.89 / £4.40, regular price is €6.99 / £6.29
Donkey Kong (3DS Virtual Console) — €2.79 / £2.51, regular price is €3.99 / £3.59
Donkey Kong (Wii U Virtual Console) — €3.49 / £2.44, regular price is €4.99 / £3.49
Kirby's Adventure (Wii U Virtual Console) — €3.49 / £2.44, regular price is €4.99 / £3.49
Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Wii U Virtual Console) — €5.60 / £3.85, regular price is €7.99 / £5.49
Kirby's Dream Land (3DS Virtual Console) — €2.80 / £2.52, regular price is €4.00 / £3.60
Kirby's Dream Land 2 (3DS Virtual Console) — €2.80 / £2.52, regular price is €4.00 / £3.60

What are you playing currently on the virtual console? What are you waiting for Nintendo to pull their finger out their arse and release?

[NickSCFC]

When are N64 games coming to Wii U?

[Super Dragon 64]

I was very impressed by DK '94 and I can see why everyone loves it so much. I'm only on the second world but I'm looking forward to playing more of it.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

When are N64 games coming to Wii U?

Are they definitely coming to wii u? I can't see why not. Also why is it taking nintendo so long to release titles for the virtual console on wii u?

[Squinty]

Started Golden Sun but 3 hours in and I'm not feeling it. Ditched it back in the day as well

[Dig Dug]

When are N64 games coming to Wii U?

Are they definitely coming to wii u? I can't see why not. Also why is it taking nintendo so long to release titles for the virtual console on wii u?

On Wii all the VC games ran on emulators more or less. On Wii U every game has to be worked on to allow gamepad compatibility. In other words a nintendo is once again being held back by the controller.

[TheTurnipKing]

When are N64 games coming to Wii U?

Are they definitely coming to wii u? I can't see why not. Also why is it taking nintendo so long to release titles for the virtual console on wii u?

On Wii all the VC games ran on emulators more or less. On Wii U every game has to be worked on to allow gamepad compatibility. In other words a nintendo is once again being held back by the controller.

it just means the Wii U version of the emulator has to properly support the gamepad.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

When are N64 games coming to Wii U?

Are they definitely coming to wii u? I can't see why not. Also why is it taking nintendo so long to release titles for the virtual console on wii u?

On Wii all the VC games ran on emulators more or less. On Wii U every game has to be worked on to allow gamepad compatibility. In other words a nintendo is once again being held back by the controller.

it just means the Wii U version of the emulator has to properly support the gamepad.

Surely it cant be that much work to sort out the control compatibility. They've done for snes, nes, gameboy etc without any problems.

[TheTurnipKing]

It certainly shouldn't be.

But there's little way of telling how Nintendo does it internally or what processes they have in place. A VC release will almost certainly require more work than just sticking a ROM in an emulator, bearing in mind it has to include stuff like the online manual.

BUT at the same time, it's work that shouldn't need to be duplicated for every new platform Nintendo makes, but I increasingly get a sinking feeling that Nintendo have adopted a horribly inefficient method of creating VC releases.

[Squinty]

I can't imagine this situation being repeated on later consoles. I think they've learned from this. But time will tell.

[Ad7]

The most frustrating thing for me is I can get N64 games running (after a fashion) on the Wii by hacking them in, yet I can't legitimately and legally buy a game for my Wii u.

I just want to buy mario 64 and be able to play it off screen, is that really too much to ask?

[GrinWithoutaKat]

Surely the 'gamepad' functionality is part of the emulator, rather than the game? I admit I know nothing about this sort of thing, but it would seem to make sense for it to work that way. I love the Virtual Console as I never owned a Nintendo console before the Cube, but find the way it's being handled the last few years to be so frustrating.

It wouldn't surprise me if they're just being slow so they can wait for the userbase to increase. Likewise, are GBA games really too much for the 3DS VC to handle, or are they just trying to boost the Wii U's desirability by putting them on there instead? I don't mind them being on Wii U, as it's pretty nice playing on the gamepad, but it would make so much sense to build up a collection of old handheld games on the actual handheld.

[TheTurnipKing]

are GBA games really too much for the 3DS VC to handle, or are they just trying to boost the Wii U's desirability by putting them on there instead? I don't mind them being on Wii U, as it's pretty nice playing on the gamepad, but it would make so much sense to build up a collection of old handheld games on the actual handheld.

I wouldn't have thought so, but spec-wise it does run a lot closer to the line. GBA games on 3DS are likely to need quality assurance to ensure that the end result is playable from start to finish.

[NickSCFC]

Mario 64 looks so much better on Wii U than Wii thanks to HDMI, glad to see that a new generation get to experience it too

[Qikz]

I noticed that someone mentioned that Mario 64 was 9paan on the European E-Shop right? It and all the other games for N64 are max price 1028yen which is about 5.70. I don't know why the prices differentiate so much between regions, but I think I'll happily take my cheaper games.

[Lime]

are GBA games really too much for the 3DS VC to handle, or are they just trying to boost the Wii U's desirability by putting them on there instead? I don't mind them being on Wii U, as it's pretty nice playing on the gamepad, but it would make so much sense to build up a collection of old handheld games on the actual handheld.

I wouldn't have thought so, but spec-wise it does run a lot closer to the line. GBA games on 3DS are likely to need quality assurance to ensure that the end result is playable from start to finish.

I don't think it can be a technical issue, as I have the 10 Ambassador GBA games on my 3DS which work just fine. Perhaps they decided never to release them more widely as a kind of respect to the 3DS Ambassadors. I would think by now that Ambassadors would have got over it.

Ambassadors.

[jawafour]

Ambassadors.

Will the real Ambassadors of Funk please stand up .

[TheTurnipKing]

What are you playing currently on the virtual console? What are you waiting for Nintendo to pull their finger out their arse and release?

Nothing on the virtual console, but I highly recommend Axelay.

[gamerforever]

It is nice still having these gba games on my new 3ds xl!

[Squinty]

Upgraded Mazza 64. I'll give it a whirl later and see how it compares.