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Why have the Donkey Kong Country games been removed from the Virtual Console?

This is already being discussed in the Nintendo downloads thread, but I think this is notable enough that it deserves its own thread.

Earlier today, all three Donkey Kong Country games were pulled from the North American VC. They're also going to be pulled from the European VC on the 25th. Why is Nintendo pulling their own games? I can understand why games with legal issues like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would get pulled, but this is strange. Was there some sort of problem with Rare, or does this have to do with the imminent Wii U launch?
 

Eusis

Member
You'd think some of the big Mario games would be the first to get pulled...

Still, this is what I hate about DD: not only do games have the potential to be delisted and unbuyable, there's no honor system or hard rule to tell us in advance that hey, you may miss your chance to ever get this game if you don't act! That alone would help mitigate the problem, instead shit like this happens even with one of Nintendo's bigger series. :/
 

Eusis

Member
Not going to lie, that'd probably get me to buy a Wii U.
Well, the assets are probably the easiest to make (or at least replace with identical alternatives) HD of all worthwhile SNES platformers, not to mention the visuals age TERRIBLY when it comes to playing on higher resolution displays. Lots of pixel stuff and still look nice at higher-than-intended resolutions so long as the scaling's good, but DKC is NOT a series of games you want to see the individual pixels clearly for.
Thank god I already bought DKC 2.
Yeah, never did get DKC1 or 3 though.
 

Drago

Member
It's probably either something to do with Rare, or the trilogy is first in line for WiiU VC updates. Or for some other stupid reason.

I only have the first, and I've always wanted to dl/play the second and maybe third. Why the fuck didn't NoA warn me about this?!?
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Guessing: Wii U Virtual Console launching with the DKC trilogy.
 
Someone said music, but that sounded like a load of crap.

My theory on this is because VC games needs to be relicensed in order for it to be available on Wii U. And since the Wii Shop Channel is segregated from the Wii U eShop, unlike with the DSi Shop, they would have to remove it until it's relicensed for use on Wii U. I mean it was removed today for the US, and the Wii U comes out tomorrow, and the 30th for Europe, so it's being taken down on the 25th instead of today.
 

Socreges

Banned
DKC 1-3 with the DKCR engine would be amazing.

And would never happen.

As people have said, more likely a licensing issue.
 
DKC2 has a few subtle Killer Instinct references. That's the most I can think of though and they weren't removed when it came to the GBA/Wii ports. Pretty sure DKC and DKC3 don't have any similar cameos to anything non-Nintendo either. There's also Sonic shoes and Earthworm Jim's blaster, but I doubt that'd cause much of an issue either.

I'm going to take this opportunity to burst your bubble.
GOTTA KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
The day before the Wii U launch, I think the chance of this being random "licensing issues" is very, very low.
 

Eusis

Member
They did allow the GBC in Conker though and the N64 in Banjo-Kazooie, so unless Microsoft suddenly decided to be assholes I think they've got a sort of agreement on this. Hopefully it IS just in prep for Wii U and nothing that's a bigger problem, but I'd think we'd be missing a swath of games if that were so.
 

Dantis

Member
They did allow the GBC in Conker though and the N64 in Banjo-Kazooie, so unless Microsoft suddenly decided to be assholes I think they've got a sort of agreement on this. Hopefully it IS just in prep for Wii U and nothing that's a bigger problem, but I'd think we'd be missing a swath of games if that were so.

I doubt it's an MS thing.

Although let's be honest, after the Goldeneye HD thing, Nintendo would kinda have it coming.
 
Each game remade with Return's engine would be amazing. DKC1 would need some heavy amount of reworking (if you don't already count DKCR as a pseudo-remake of it) and DKC3 has a lot of stupid fluff like the Simon-says minigames and Kiddy Kong's existence, but there's only a small handful of details holding DKC2 from being one of the best platformers in my book. They'd definitely need Wise back on board if that was the case though.

That's pretty stupid to be honest, you'd have to remake the whole game doing that.
I'm pretty sure that's exactly what they're proposing.
 

Watch Da Birdie

I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
Fuck, I do a regular Donkey Kong Country playthrough every year...thank God I have all three still downloaded. :(
 

Fox Mulder

Member
So are they going to sell two version of VC titles?

VC titles currently require you to play them in wii mode with wiimotes. Seems like a stupid thing for a new console to do.
 
"Stupid" is a strange choice of words. Impractical, sure. Like I said, it would never happen. Far too challenging and resource-intensive.

True, but at the same time, there would be people suggesting it anyway, and they probably would've believed it. We gamers tend to ask for things regardless of how reasonable it is whether its cost efficient or even possible to do. I mean sure, for example, our money isn't worth as much as the yen, so localizing isn't as practical, but you're not instilling goodwill very well, and you need to sell your product anyway.
 
Someone said music, but that sounded like a load of crap.

My theory on this is because VC games needs to be relicensed in order for it to be available on Wii U. And since the Wii Shop Channel is segregated from the Wii U eShop, unlike with the DSi Shop, they would have to remove it until it's relicensed for use on Wii U. I mean it was removed today for the US, and the Wii U comes out tomorrow, and the 30th for Europe, so it's being taken down on the 25th instead of today.

That makes sense.
 

DDayton

(more a nerd than a geek)
The other wacky possibility is pulling them to patch out the giant Rare logo at the beginning.
 
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