[mrklaw]

Does the wii eshop have an account? First things first I'd want to transfer my VC stuff from there to wiiU

[slackboy72]

gamecube. games.

Like these?

[JustAnotherOtaku]

Hopefully. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic retro systems and games like the NES, MD, SNES, PCE etc, but I 've bought and played the best on those systems multiple times in my life, I need some new/more obscure systems games to get me really hyped. 32X, Dreamcast, even Gamecube would be really nice.

[Kokonoe]

WHAT. How did I not know this about Wii U? Seriously no analog triggers on the GamePad? What are they thinking?

Not sure, it really down plays Gamecube games that use them like Super Mario Sunshine. Someone confirmed it in one of the Wii U testing threads.

[edeo]

No

I'll never see the 3rd party games I really desire. Like Ducktails or any other Disney property. Or FF games SE would rather repackage for $40.

[Mako_Drug]

People keep citing that VC games will be transferable (and I sure hope they are since I spent money on them) but was there any actual confirmation beyond that one offhand remark by some Nintendo rep (or was it that awful exec from the e3 conference)?

I mean it wasn't in a PR statement or announced at a conference, right?

[Monty Mole]

Not sure, it really down plays Gamecube games that use them like Super Mario Sunshine. Someone confirmed it in one of the Wii U testing threads.

Gutted. Was looking forward to the potential of revisiting SMS on the Wii U one day.

[Crewnh]

Not if they keep pricing titles the way they are.

[MrT-Tar]

No I'll never see the 3rd party games I really desire. Like Ducktails or any other Disney property. Or FF games SE would rather repackage for $40.

FF I - VI are on the Virtual Console, however only I, IV and VI if you live outside of Japan

[EulaCapra]

Gamecube and Dreamcast games at the very least please. Let's just hope their pricing isn't as insane. Please, pretty interface this time.

Although I demand a solution for VC Super Mario Sunshine!

[Canis lupus]

What Nintendo should do is stop confusing me and have just 1 main shop. I havent played the Wii in years but I remember all the different shop names: eShop, Virtual Console, Wiiware, etc, all very confusing.

[samman6]

Lots of great ideas in here. Drop the prices, dump all the games at once on there, make them tied to an account so i dont lose them forever if my hardware breaks. Those for me are the big ones. It also would be cool if you could sort the games by system in a folder style format.

[rjc571]

No Analog Triggers though.

Original Classic Controller has analog shoulder buttons.

[Oni Link 666]

What Nintendo should do is stop confusing me and have just 1 main shop. I havent played the Wii in years but I remember all the different shop names: eShop, Virtual Console, Wiiware, etc, all very confusing.

It doesn't sound like you remember. The name of the shop is the Wii Shop Channel and it's just 1 shop on Wii. Virtual Console is a name used for old console games, WiiWare is the name used for downloadable games (kind of like XBLA games), and eShop is the 3DS store.

[Canis lupus]

It doesn't sound like you remember. The name of the shop is the Wii Shop Channel and it's just 1 shop on Wii. Virtual Console is a name used for old console games, WiiWare is the name used for downloadable games (kind of like XBLA games), and eShop is the 3DS store.

Thanks, hadnt played my Wii much since 2009 other than Xenoblade.

[Belzebuth]

You ask if they will try, again, to sell you emulator roms for the n-th time? Are you doubting it?

[redcrayon]

Why would 8-bit and 16-bit games need achievements? I didn't need achievements to play them over and over again first time around as the games were usually engaging enough to do so (usually by dumping the player in the thick of the action), and we shouldn't encourage the 'all must have prizes' thinking that only a digital trophy is a suitable reward rather than the satisfaction of play itself.

Keep that rubbish out of retro games.

[walking fiend]

If the 3DS is anything to go by....no.

3DS has a rather good attach rate for its eShop (5 games per person who have purchased games; considering price of games, like 25 iOS games), and the charts is dominated by VC games:

latest chart:

1. Donkey Kong 2. Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario Land 4. Bird Mania 3D 5. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX 6. Colors! 3D 7. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins 8. Photo Dojo 9. Cut The Rope 10. Pushmo 11. 3D Classics: Kirby’s Adventure 12. 3D Classics: Kid Icarus 13. Plants vs. Zombies 14. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! 15. Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble 16. Art of Balance TOUCH! 17. GO Series 10 Second Run 18. Order Up!! 19. GO Series Undead Storm 20. Brain Age Express: Sudoku

http://nintendoeverything.com/94284/...-charts-71612/

[Neff]

Do You Think the Wii U Could Re-Invigorate Virtual Console?

Not if the majority of the European library is locked at 50hz again, no. This was a surprisingly large setback for Nintendo's otherwise fine VC program. 50hz compatibility is simply not relevant in 2012, so they'd be foolish to replicate such a scenario.

Exporting the US shop's contents, or offering both if people really want them, would be the ideal solution.

[Jader7777]

I wish I could buy every game according to console/developer/genre/price/whatever.

I wish Nintendo would actually release everything instead of trickling out 1 game a month.

I wish it didn't cost huge piles of cash, some of these games I've bought 3 or 4 times with Nintendo's re-releases.

So far the Homebrew emulator has better performance, more customization and a bigger backlog *snicker* than the VC.

[Goldmund]

I wish I could buy every game according to console/developer/genre/price/whatever. I wish Nintendo would actually release everything instead of trickling out 1 game a month. I wish it didn't cost huge piles of cash, some of these games I've bought 3 or 4 times with Nintendo's re-releases. So far the Homebrew emulator has better performance, more customization and a bigger backlog *snicker* than the VC.

Nintendo would release much more if acquiring the rights wasn't such a hassle.

[Ein Bear]

Whilst I want Cube games on the Virtual Console, I can't help but think that Nintendo will take the lazy way out and leave them running 4:3/480p.

The Wii U has the Wii hardware built into it anyway, so wouldn't they just use that for Cube support instead of porting them? The U isn't doing anything to pretty up Wii games afterall.

[MarkusRJR]

I mainly bought my Wii for virtual console and I'm not disappointed with it in that respect. They totally need to add an account system though. I had a Wii with $150+ of VC and broke. After dealing with Nintendo (they sent me back a unit with a broken SD card and disc drive) I got a working unit. It broke a year ago, and I ended up buying a new Wii completely to avoid Nintendo's "support". The $150 of content I had on my old Wii? Unusable and nontransferable. Nintendo has got to fix this with the Wii U.

That aside I've spent over $550+ on VC in the past year and a half. I absolutely love it. I've bought all of the games I need in the current library (Yoshi's Island, Star Fox, Earthbound, and Donkey Kong 64 aren't coming it seems), and I'm particularly excited for getting GameCube games on VC next generation. I missed a lot of good games on the GameCube and being able to buy them for non-ridiculous prices would be amazing for me. Oh, and Dreamcast support would make me instantly buy the Wii U.

To the topic on hand... how to reinvigorate the Virtual console. I think this would work:
-Add new consoles to the mix (GCN and DC being the obvious ones)
-Do sales on specific games or franchises upon the release of a related game (ex. new Mario game -> sale on SMB 1-3, SMW, SM64). Time sales so people constantly open the shop. For example, have one game in a series on sale before moving to the next in the series (SMB1 one week, then SMB2 next week, etc, etc).
-Create an account system so people feel safe about their purchases.
-Integrate the shop more with the OS. I know a lot of people who have never heard of the Virtual Console because they seldom open the Wii Shop Channel.
-Include a few download codes for VC games in retail products (games or classic controllers) or with the console itself. This'll get the average user to go on the shop and hopefully notice the vast library of games available.
-Design a more accessible and appealing shop. The 3DS sort of did this, but to be honest they took a step back from the Wii Shop. Finding games is kind of bad on the 3DS eShop while it's a lot easier on the Wii Shop Channel. They did make it prettier though even if they did ruin the awesome Wii/DSi shop music. Nintendo needs to take a look at Steam, XBLA, and PSN also. They're simple and provide easy ways to find games.

[IrishNinja]

No Analog Triggers though.

do we have confirmation on this? i thought this was an assumption based on the old build that had sliders instead of clickable sticks.

to the OP: yeah, its been said but there need to be events (your point on Super Metroid & Prime 3 is a great one, shoudlve seen lots of that), sales, additions like achievements, etc - nevermind a new front end which at the very least, i expect that much.

online co-op for some classic titles would be amazing, but ill not hold my breath.

[Stealth20k]

the virtual console is still going pretty strong and has amassed a pretty giant library

[radcliff]

Hopefully other glaring omissions like Contra, Bionic Commando, Dragon Warrior, Demon's Quest, and CPS 1 & II games come to the Wii U VC. Also, since Nintendo is now allowing translated games, how about finally bringing over Seiken Densetsu III! I've only been waiting to play that game since 1995!

[Glass Joe]

Why would 8-bit and 16-bit games need achievements? I didn't need achievements to play them over and over again first time around as the games were usually engaging enough to do so (usually by dumping the player in the thick of the action), and we shouldn't encourage the 'all must have prizes' thinking that only a digital trophy is a suitable reward rather than the satisfaction of play itself. Keep that rubbish out of retro games.

The same reason why they could use borders, filters, button mapping, etc. Easy to implement and achievements could reinvigorate interest in a title. It would certainly take away nothing and would probably convince me to beat a game that I've otherwise put down, silly as that sounds. If the 'cheevos in a particular game are stupid, just enjoy the game for what it is and ignore them. But the pricing in the shop is premium. Even if they lower prices, showing love for their history and the old school fans with actual effort would only be a good thing.

Really the main thing I would want from an achievement system is confirmation that I've beaten the game. Or easy access to my high score to compare with friends, depending on the actual game. Additional achievements for 100%'ing a title or doing something game specific would be nice but not essential.

Super Street Fighter II for Genesis is online and out everywhere. Also Puyo Puyo (arcade) is online and out in Japan. Sega did both of them and they are both VC games, not WiiWare.

Interesting that they did that. But I have to wonder since I'm not sure: Are the ARCADE versions of Street Fighter II also available on Wii Shop, and do they have this option? When the competition has that, and also HD Remix available, suddenly a Genny VC title with online seems like less of an ideal solution.

It would be nice to see Street Fighter III and IV in the shop too. Either as Wii Ware or "PC" games or some other cute titling to ignore the fact that they were best known for being on competing systems. If they're doing Ninja Gaiden III as a U release, having NG 1 & 2 would be nice too. Final Fantasy 7. Basically any and all titles that originally found popularity on a Nintendo console but the new ones never came, they should work to get into the Nintendo shop.

[IrishNinja]

Why would 8-bit and 16-bit games need achievements? I didn't need achievements to play them over and over again first time around as the games were usually engaging enough to do so (usually by dumping the player in the thick of the action), and we shouldn't encourage the 'all must have prizes' thinking that only a digital trophy is a suitable reward rather than the satisfaction of play itself. Keep that rubbish out of retro games.

ugh, cmon with this. ideally it could be optionally turned off.

i think it'd be an awesome feature though - id love to know which of my friends can beat Contra without the 30 man code, or KO Mike Tyson or stuff like that. its logically not different from bragging about high scores in the day, i don't see how it'd stand to do anything but make the experience a bit more social, if done right.

[Glass Joe]

ugh, cmon with this. ideally it could be optionally turned off. i think it'd be an awesome feature though - id love to know which of my friends can beat Contra without the 30 man code, or KO Mike Tyson or stuff like that. its logically not different from bragging about high scores in the day, i don't see how it'd stand to do anything but make the experience a bit more social, if done right.

Exactly. Even Nintendo's first big hit, the arcade Donkey Kong, is played competitively to this day. Imagine how different that game's longevity would be if it didn't keep score. Competing with friends is natural to video games and anything that brings that competition to the forefront for these old classic but somewhat forgotten games would be welcome for me.

[Majine]

No. The VC is something Nintendo likes to say they have, but they can't be arsed to keep it going.

[Bisnic]

They need to put more N64 games and less overall shitty games.

[Diddy Kong]

I think the Wii-U VC will get a nice revamp. Although NoA is lacking with the 3DS VC.. so who knows. Hopefully we get Earthbound, Star Fox, and Yoshi's Island though.. and Gamecube/Dreamcast games.

[klier]

Guys, I am able to transfer every game I bought online on the Wii to the Wii U, right???

I have a lot of virtual console games. All the Marios, Mario Karts, Zeldas ect.

[IrishNinja]

Guys, I am able to transfer every game I bought online on the Wii to the Wii U, right??? I have a lot of virtual console games. All the Marios, Mario Karts, Zeldas ect.

Fortunately, we already know Wii purchases will indeed be transferable.

^

[Wiz]

Should we instead be asking this question to NoA (and to a lesser extent, NoE?)?

From what I've seen Japans VC library is waaay more exapnsive than any other region, and while that makes sense, the other regions should really follow suit and give it more of a push. 8-bit summer is a good start for NoA, and NoE has been doing well with 3DS releases. Hopefully these trends continue into the Wii U.

[Snowden's Secret]

3DS has a rather good attach rate for its eShop (5 games per person who have purchased games; considering price of games, like 25 iOS games), and the charts is dominated by VC games:

I'm pretty sure that average includes the free games/apps, which unsurprisingly are five in number (Swap Note, Four Swords, Pokedex 3D, Netflix, and Nintendo Video).

[Berg]

No Analog Triggers though.

The game pad doesn't have analog triggers, but im pretty sure the Wiiu Controller Pro does.

[MadeInBeats]

Has anyone else ever thought that with all this VC game been tied to accounts and new platforms, Nintendo will eventually start making less and less money off old games? Suppose there's always new generations of gamers being born to fill it in somewhat. I don't know, just thinking aloud.

Edit: think I'm talking a load of arse.

[Katori]

IDEAL: Wii U Virtual Console overhaul, all currently available games (that don't have licensing issues, which unfortunately most third party ones probably do) are available Day 1. Nintendo slowly releases updated versions of existing games (free update for current owners) that integrate Miiverse functionality like achievements and Mii clothing/items. Folder system allows you to group like titles together and assign an icon, new emulator features, bonus content like concept art/dev interviews/making ofs, and some sort of filter (AA?) to smooth out the resolution. Adds GCN, DC, Saturn, PC games. LIKELY: Exactly the same as Wii VC, maybe with a folder system. All currently available titles (barring those with licensing issues) available day 1. WORST CASE: Exactly like the Wii VC, but purchases don't carry over and catalogue resets at zero.

Miiverse does not have Achievements, stop fooling yourself that Nintendo would ever do something people want. Maybe after the outcry they will, like Sony did, but right now they are refusing to step into this decade.

[Christopher]

give us a cloud like service already just how many times do you expect the cosumer to buy your game again and again...? Standard fee - own it for good.

[rjc571]

I'm pretty sure that average includes the free games/apps, which unsurprisingly are five in number (Swap Note, Four Swords, Pokedex 3D, Netflix, and Nintendo Video).

Nope, 4.7 paid downloads on average.

[LuchaShaq]

Unless Nintendo does a subscription service to ALL of their first party games from nes/gamboy to Wii/DS I have zero interest in virtual console or any hd remakes or whatever overpriced nonsense people lap up nowadays.

[RedSwirl]

Fact is that most vc games ran in interlaced mode on Wii (and that was already an unaccettable issue for non-crt owners, and due to that I actually bought almost nothing other than sin&punishment on wii). They have to allow prog-scan now for old games to work, given that HDMI is at least 480p (i know this is technically a non-issue, but you know, it's nintendo)

I'm pretty sure they all already run in progressive scan. It's been noted. I even think Miyamoto mentioned how every piece of Wii software runs in progressive mode.

I myself have noticed a clear difference between old Nintendo games running on their original hardware, and those same games running on VC. People have also noted a clear IQ upgrade with N64 games.

You ask if they will try, again, to sell you emulator roms for the n-th time? Are you doubting it?

Isn't that the point though? They wouldn't be able to release nearly as many VC games if they were doing anything more than ROMs with new instruction manuals. Sony is also basically just selling you PS1 ISOs over PSN (save files are even inter-compatible with PS1 memory cards). The point of it all is how you sell those ROMs.

Because of that, I don't think we're gonna get achievements or anything that adds actual content to the games. Especially not for the entire existing back catalog. The best we can hope for is better emulation features and a better storefront.

[Metal Gear?!]

How about a unified VC first?

[JimboJones]

Not if the majority of the European library is locked at 50hz again, no. This was a surprisingly large setback for Nintendo's otherwise fine VC program. 50hz compatibility is simply not relevant in 2012, so they'd be foolish to replicate such a scenario. Exporting the US shop's contents, or offering both if people really want them, would be the ideal solution.

Yeah this soured me on the Wii VC, some of the games I bought don't even display on my HDTV and don't have an interlace mode.

Then we had to pay a premium on import titles some of which arn't even translated.

It was a pretty lazy bare bones service that I stopped caring about a long time ago.

[Gravijah]

Like these?

no, not like those. like games i haven't played before.

[chertipros]

Saturn, Dreamcast, And gamecube games put on the virtual console in hd like the gen 6 re releases on xbla will definitely get me buying more vc games thats for sure

[hatchx]

I just hope that I can play any of my current VC games on the gamepad screen, and the gamepad is smart enough to replicate the classic controller allowing me to play all my N64 VS games.


Lying in bed playing starfox 64, 1080 64, or a sweeping number of SNES games.....almost reason enough for me to pick up a wii U.

I'd also be swell if wii games that can be played with the classic controls can be played on the gamepad as well. I should be able to play Xenoblade on my gamepad using the given controls.

[rjc571]

Saturn, Dreamcast, And gamecube games put on the virtual console in hd like the gen 6 re releases on xbla will definitely get me buying more vc games thats for sure

You mean the Xbox originals? Those games aren't in HD, they only run at 480p.

[Silas Lang]

Needs a lot more titles and consoles. Hell there are many great first party Nintendo games still not on it. Pricing needs more variation as well.