# Nintendo reduces Virtual Console output to 1 game a week **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 5, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227 "2008-03-05T20:10:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/21 "2008-03-05T23:06:51Z")
[QUOTE=Autumn Almanac] Square-Enix has said that they’re not interested in making their games available on VC. [/QUOTE] I officially hate Squenix. They’ve made a lot of damn good RPGs, including some that haven’t been released here ever (There’s a great title involving dragons whose name I can’t recall offhand that I was hoping would appear on VC). Most of the currrent offerings on VC don’t interest me much, and I was really hoping to get my hands on ports of some of their older titles. Way to piss off your fans. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/22 "2008-03-05T23:31:21Z")
[QUOTE=Autumn Almanac] Square-Enix has said that they’re not interested in making their games available on VC. Which is really lame. I really want to be able to play Secret of Mana without digging out my SNES. Why is it that the whole Final Fantasy series can get re-released for PSX, GBA, PSP, cell phone, and God knows what else, but Secret of Mana has gotten zero love since 1993? :mad: [/QUOTE] I’d like to see a cite on that - they’ve already released _Actraiser_ on the VC, and the Dragon Warrior games are high on most people’s want lists. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/23 "2008-03-05T23:32:38Z")
If I had to guess I’d say Square-Enix probably isn’t doing the VC because they can make a lot more money selling slightly revised versions of their old games on other platforms. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/24 "2008-03-05T23:37:18Z")
My main complaint about the current crop of VC games is that they’re mostly those early, crappy games for all of the systems involved. Where are the legendary killer apps per console? Why has Nintendo focused almost exclusively on those primtive, Atari-esque titles like _NES Baseball_ and _Mario Bros_ (not Super!) to the exclusion of the games that really made the system? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/25 "2008-03-05T23:59:03Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] My main complaint about the current crop of VC games is that they’re mostly those early, crappy games for all of the systems involved. Where are the legendary killer apps per console? Why has Nintendo focused almost exclusively on those primtive, Atari-esque titles like _NES Baseball_ and _Mario Bros_ (not Super!) to the exclusion of the games that really made the system? [/QUOTE] Bingo. Give us the choice of every flippin’ Nintendo game ever made. Really, it can’t be so hard. It looks like foot-dragging. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/26 "2008-03-06T00:18:27Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Bingo. Give us the choice of every flippin’ Nintendo game ever made. Really, it can’t be so hard. It looks like foot-dragging. [/QUOTE] Have you looked at which games have been released on the VC? Aside from a few very notable exceptions, all of the good stuff has already been released. [ul] [li]3 of the first 4 Castlevanias[/li][li]All 3 Ghosts n Goblins games[/li][li]3 of the 4 Sonic games from the Genesis[/li][li]All 7 Mario games (including Mario Bros and SMB The Lost Levels)[/li][li]StarTropics[/li][li]Punch-Out!![/li][li]Super C and Contra III[/li][li]All 3 Ninja Gaidens[/li][li]All 3 Donkey Kong Country games, the original DK and DK Jr[/li][li]All the Zeldas except Majora’s Mask[/li][li]Sin & Punishment (first time in America)[/li][li]All 3 Streets of Rage games[/li][li]And on and on and on[/li][/ul] > **[Virtual Console](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virtual_Console_games_(North_America))** > > The Virtual Console\[a\] is a discontinued line of downloadable video games for Nintendo's Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U video game consoles. The Virtual Console game library consisted of games previously released on past consoles and were generally run in their original forms through software emulation and purchased through the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo eShop. > On Wii and Wii U, the Virtual Console's library of past games consisted of titles originating from the Nintendo Entertainment System ... And I reiterate, anyone who says the Wii lineup “sucks” doesn’t like video games, period. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/27 "2008-03-06T00:48:14Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] I’d like to see a cite on that - they’ve already released _Actraiser_ on the VC, and the Dragon Warrior games are high on most people’s want lists. [/QUOTE] [Cite from 1Up.com.](http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3158958) ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/28 "2008-03-06T00:48:19Z")
[QUOTE=Just Some Guy] If I had to guess I’d say Square-Enix probably isn’t doing the VC because they can make a lot more money selling slightly revised versions of their old games on other platforms. [/QUOTE] True enough, but the only ‘other platforms’ I’ve seen them release on are the Playstation line and the Nintendo handhelds. And that’s been mainly the Final Fantasy franchise and Chrono Trigger. Besides, wouldn’t the Virtual Console system be easier for selling copies? No cartridges, no shipping–just upload it to a server and wait for the downloads to happen. Last time I looked at the avaliable lineup there were no decent RPGs avaliable. Given that the SNES era was the god of the genre, that is completely messed up. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/29 "2008-03-06T01:54:29Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] Have you looked at which games have been released on the VC? Aside from a few very notable exceptions, all of the good stuff has already been released. [ul] [li]3 of the first 4 Castlevanias[/li][li]All 3 Ghosts n Goblins games[/li][li]3 of the 4 Sonic games from the Genesis[/li][li]All 7 Mario games (including Mario Bros and SMB The Lost Levels)[/li][li]StarTropics[/li][li]Punch-Out!![/li][li]Super C and Contra III[/li][li]All 3 Ninja Gaidens[/li][li]All 3 Donkey Kong Country games, the original DK and DK Jr[/li][li]All the Zeldas except Majora’s Mask[/li][li]Sin & Punishment (first time in America)[/li][li]All 3 Streets of Rage games[/li][li]And on and on and on[/li][/ul] > **[Virtual Console](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virtual_Console_games_(North_America))** > > The Virtual Console\[a\] is a discontinued line of downloadable video games for Nintendo's Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U video game consoles. The Virtual Console game library consisted of games previously released on past consoles and were generally run in their original forms through software emulation and purchased through the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo eShop. > On Wii and Wii U, the Virtual Console's library of past games consisted of titles originating from the Nintendo Entertainment System ... And I reiterate, anyone who says the Wii lineup “sucks” doesn’t like video games, period. [/QUOTE] Compared to the total library, that’s a drop in the bucket. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/30 "2008-03-06T02:12:18Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] “Suck” is subjective. I say they suck from what I’ve heard. I’ve played on a Wii (with Wii Sports). I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid. Again, I’ll be getting a Wii for Mario Kart. [/QUOTE] Wait, from what you’ve heard? So you’re saying that these games suck, but you haven’t even _played them_? You might not like the types of games that the Wii is offering, but that doesn’t make them bad games. Also, I tend to agree with **Justin\_Bailey** regarding the VC. The Wii has been available for a little over a year, and we already have most of the heavy-hitters for each console. The one’s that we’re going to get, anyway. There’s nothing Nintendo can do if Square doesn’t want to play along or if licensing issues get in the way. The latter is actually really annoying, since that means we almost certainly won’t get Duck Tales on the NES, Aladdin on the Genesis, and possibly even the other Ninja Turtles games (the ones that are actually _good_). And the N64’s library is basically gutted without any titles developed by Rare. At any rate, it’s understandable that Nintendo would want to save some heavy-hitters (Castlevania 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Earthbound, Vectorman, Smash Bros. 64, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, etc.) for down time in-between game releases, to coincide with new releases in a franchise, etc. Not having every single great game on every console immediately available is also helpful in letting lesser-known games get some attention. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/31 "2008-03-06T05:10:04Z")
It’s always the same people saying that the Wii lineup is lackluster, and it’s always the two of you defending it to the utmost. Don’t you think that we can stop having this discussion in every single thread at some point? Everyone has their opinions, we can all deal with it, can’t we? 😛 Signed, Wii Owner Who Thinks It’s Entirely Worth It For The 4 Games Currently Worth Buying ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/32 "2008-03-06T13:29:06Z")
[QUOTE=Kiros] It’s always the same people saying that the Wii lineup is lackluster, and it’s always the two of you defending it to the utmost. Don’t you think that we can stop having this discussion in every single thread at some point? Everyone has their opinions, we can all deal with it, can’t we? 😛 [/QUOTE] I just wanted to be the first person to welcome you to the Internet. As a new user of it you may find some of the common irrational behavior strange but these quaint customs such as repeating the same arguments in a loop indefinitely go back Internet centuries (a.k.a. at least six months). ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/33 "2008-03-06T14:13:32Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] Wait, from what you’ve heard? So you’re saying that these games suck, but you haven’t even _played them_? You might not like the types of games that the Wii is offering, but that doesn’t make them bad games. Also, I tend to agree with **Justin\_Bailey** regarding the VC. The Wii has been available for a little over a year, and we already have most of the heavy-hitters for each console. The one’s that we’re going to get, anyway. There’s nothing Nintendo can do if Square doesn’t want to play along or if licensing issues get in the way. The latter is actually really annoying, since that means we almost certainly won’t get Duck Tales on the NES, Aladdin on the Genesis, and possibly even the other Ninja Turtles games (the ones that are actually _good_). And the N64’s library is basically gutted without any titles developed by Rare. At any rate, it’s understandable that Nintendo would want to save some heavy-hitters (Castlevania 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Earthbound, Vectorman, Smash Bros. 64, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, etc.) for down time in-between game releases, to coincide with new releases in a franchise, etc. Not having every single great game on every console immediately available is also helpful in letting lesser-known games get some attention. [/QUOTE] That’s correct. I don’t have a Wii and I haven’t had the opportunity to play every single Wii game. Yes. That’s correct. I have heard things and read reviews, though. I’d like to try Super Mario Galaxy, because I’ve heard good things about that. I’m moderately fired up for Mario Kart, and after I get a Wii, I’m sure I’ll get Smash Brothers. Outside of that, I’ve got little enthusiasm for any of the other games. Again, these aren’t fanboy arguments. I’ve got nothing against Nintendo and my formative video game years were all on Nintendo consoles. I want them to do well, but I’m simply not getting it yet. Maybe I’ll fall in love with other titles when I get the Wii, but from the times I have played with a Wii, I’ve been underwhelmed. It’s a good and fun idea, but I haven’t seen it implemented in the revolutionary way it’s “supposed” to be. Can we stop being so protective of our consoles here? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/34 "2008-03-06T14:19:16Z")
In any case, I’m sure that once I have a Wii and get more exposure to it, I’ll warm up to it, but I’ll let you guys all know when I get it. (missed the edit window) ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/35 "2008-03-07T00:49:39Z")
[QUOTE=Just Some Guy] I just wanted to be the first person to welcome you to the Internet. As a new user of it you may find some of the common irrational behavior strange but these quaint customs such as repeating the same arguments in a loop indefinitely go back Internet centuries (a.k.a. at least six months). [/QUOTE] I know, but we’re more awesomer than the internet… or at least we think we are! ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/36 "2008-03-07T01:15:07Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Again, these aren’t fanboy arguments. I’ve got nothing against Nintendo and my formative video game years were all on Nintendo consoles. I want them to do well, but I’m simply not getting it yet. Maybe I’ll fall in love with other titles when I get the Wii, but from the times I have played with a Wii, I’ve been underwhelmed. It’s a good and fun idea, but I haven’t seen it implemented in the revolutionary way it’s “supposed” to be. Can we stop being so protective of our consoles here? [/QUOTE] I’m with you on this. I love Nintendo as a company; I had an NES when I was a kid and have bought each of their systems since. I bought a Wii about a month after they were released. I _want_ them to succeed more than anything, but they’re really letting me down right now. They remind me of the Democrats, with the whole “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/37 "2008-03-07T01:36:20Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] The Wii has been available for a little over a year, and we already have most of the heavy-hitters for each console. The one’s that we’re going to get, anyway. There’s nothing Nintendo can do if Square doesn’t want to play along or if licensing issues get in the way. [/quote] Well, they could let us load ROMs from an SD card… ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/38 "2008-03-07T01:49:37Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] I’m with you on this. I love Nintendo as a company; I had an NES when I was a kid and have bought each of their systems since. I bought a Wii about a month after they were released. I _want_ them to succeed more than anything, but they’re really letting me down right now. They remind me of the Democrats, with the whole “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory” thing. [/QUOTE] Not only that, but I think they’re using text chat with their games online? How 10 years ago! ---
**Author:** ![Fredescu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@Fredescu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fredescu)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/39 "2008-03-07T02:03:51Z")
It’s worse than that. Mario Kart Wii will have text chat, but only from a number of preset phrases. Nintendo is not the place to go for quality online gaming. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227/40 "2008-03-07T02:51:21Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Can we stop being so protective of our consoles here? [/QUOTE] I don’t think I’m being protective (and besides, I own every current console/handheld except for the PS3 and PSP), I’m just trying to dispel some of the myths that have built up around the Wii. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-reduces-virtual-console-output-to-1-game-a-week/440227.md?page=3)