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Nintendo Wii: Nintendo Assures Us That The Wii Virtual Console Isn’t Dead

Despite the lack of high-profile releases for the Wii Virtual Console recently Nintendo of America president says not to worry as there’s still plenty of games to come. Which Virtual Console games are you specifically waiting for?

There is new content coming out on Wii, both on the virtual console and in terms of WiiWare–again small, digital bite-sized chunks of games. We’re launching games every Thursday, not only on WiiWare but on DSiWare and the eShop as well. The packaged content gets all the buzz and the noise, but in the last 12 months when you look at all of our key franchises—so Mario, Zelda and Pokemon—14% of all of those transactions are happening on the digital side of the business.
– Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime

86 thoughts on “Nintendo Wii: Nintendo Assures Us That The Wii Virtual Console Isn’t Dead”

    1. I don’t really think that’s a possibility, don’t see it working with those versions. It’s just basically emulators.

    1. Unlikely. The reason that it’s not already there is because they would need to recreate it from the ground up, as the emulator they use to play SNES games on VC doesn’t support the Super FX Chip for some reason. You’d think that the company that made the SNES would be able to implement Super FX support in an emulator for it.

  1. They should start adding gamecube games to the virtual console since they dropped the backwards compatibility support from new Wii consoles. Also a new gamecube controller that plugs into the wii remote would be handy if they do add gamecube titles to the virtual console.

    1. Actually that’d be a pretty good idea, Or like a connector where you can plug your GCN controller into one end and the other end into the wii remote

    2. You can use your existing Gamecube controller that plugs directly into the Wii if you’ve got an older version of the Wii, you know.. just sayin’

  2. They need to be more consistent with the Virtual Console releases and not squander on the lowest, common denominator. I’m still waiting for games like Donkey Kong 64, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, the TMNT games, the Disney games by Capcom, an import of Tales of Phantasia, Kirby’s Dream Land 3, Diddy Kong Racing, and some more that need to be re-released, badly.

    1. Yes, the majority of those are on my purchase list as well.

      I’d also like Dragon Warrior 1-3, Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers, Goldeneye 64 (hey I can hope!), Mike Tyson’s Punchout (again I can hope), Nobunaga’s Ambition (NES), Mario Party, Mario Party 3… that’s just the beginning, I have a list of NES and SNES games still missing, they got most of the key N64 ones except the ones both of us mentioned.

      1. Well Diddy Kong Racing cannot be done because it is from Rare, part of Microsoft now, and Mario Party cannot be done as well because of what happened when it first came out.

        1. Probably can, they made a new one on the DS.

          I wouldn’t really care since I didn’t like it that much though.

          1. If you’re talking about Diddy Kong Racing then no it can’t happen.

            To clarify, it looks like Microsoft didn’t mind Rare developing some games for handhelds because they didn’t have a system in that market, thus the remake of Diddy Kong Racing sans the Rare-exclusive characters. That may have changed recently though as Microsoft seem to have shut down Rare even developing for Nintendo handhelds.

        2. And they can’t license Mike Tyson because either Tyson or EA owns the rights to the name besides the revised Punch-out!! game is essentially the same game only that they altered Mike’s sprite in order to being connected to Tyson for his involvement with both the domestic and rape cases that occurred when he was in his prime in his boxing career.

        1. This, now as for Goldeneye 64, it’s more complicated, since Rare owns the rights to that game, while Activision holds the rights as a whole to the 007 gaming license, so not only would Nintendo have to talk things over with Microsoft, they would also have to talk things over with Activision, as for a 3DS remake (not a straight up port of Goldeneye Wii and Goldeneye Reloaded), they’d have to ask Pierce Brosnan and Sean Bean permission to use their likenesses in a Goldeneye 64 port/remake for the Nintendo 3DS (I’d like if if Goldeneye ends up on 3DS)

  3. It might as well be dead. Aside from Mystical Ninja 64 and Pilotwings 64, I can’t think of anything else that hasn’t already been added. Well I would say Yoshi’s Island and Earthbound but I’ve pretty much given up all hope on the latter and the GBA version of the former is going to be given to Ambassadors for free.

    1. I have been DYING to play those on VirtualConsole. But there’s a slew of copyright issues with Mother 2. Most of the Mother community has accepted that it’s not going to be on VirtualConsole. Though, so as long as Mother 2 (EarthBound) isn’t on Virtual Console, it’s dead to me. I’m still hoping for a translated Mother 3 and the Mother 1+2 Combo for the GBA Virtual Console, but that is probably never going to happen. :(

  4. Mega Man 6 and 7 so I can get rid of my copy of Mega Man Anniversary Collection. That compilation is a total POS.

      1. its not impossible donkey kong is a Nintendo owned ip regardless if rare made it i’m sure Nintendo owns the rights and could therefore release it again

        1. ^this

          The only things NIntendo wouldn’t be able to get on Wii VC would be Goldeneye 64 (unless something is worked out, though I’d rather it go to 3DS so we could play online possibly), Conker’s Bad Fur Day (which was remade on Xbox and the remake sucks), Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, I think that’s pretty much it

  5. I really want earthbound, or cookers bad fur day, banjo kazooie, devil world, mega man 64, bomberman the second attack, metal Gear (NES), Dragon Quest 1-3, and a translated version of mother ;)

    1. Conker’s BFD and Banjo Kazooie are impossible because Rare is owned by Microsoft. If you really want them for download then get a 360, I know at least Banjo is on there (pretty sure BFD is not though)

  6. I’ve been waiting since I first heard of Virtual Console for a nice Mother collection. Nintendo could even release it on disc like they did with Super Mario All-Stars. At least release Earthbound please.

  7. I’m guessing there gonna use the same VC for the Wii U, so I’m sure the Wii U release will ignite more VC games.

      1. Nope Nintendo owns Donkey Kong Rare just made the game and besides Rare said they don’t know why DK64 is not on VC but a game like Diddy Kong racing can not be on VC since it has Banjo in it.

        1. DO SOME FUCKING RESEARCH!, Nintendo owns the Donkey Kong IP and Star Fox

          Up from the end of 2000, people from Activision and Microsoft visited Rare. In September 2002, the Stamper brothers sold their 51% interest in Rare to Microsoft; following this, Nintendo sold their 49% stake in the company as well. Microsoft paid a total of $375 million to own 100% of the company. Because of this, Rare is now a first-party developer for Microsoft’s Xbox and its successors. This left Donkey Kong Racing, which was due to be released for the Nintendo GameCube, unreleased. The trademarks of the characters from the games that Rare made for Nintendo consoles, such as Conker of Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Banjo of the Banjo-Kazooie series, were retained by Rare, whereas intellectual properties created by Nintendo, such as Donkey Kong and Star Fox, were retained by Nintendo. Star Fox Adventures, originally planned as Dinosaur Planet for the N64, became the only Rare game produced for the Nintendo GameCube.

  8. I agree on so many of those (especially TMNT). For some reason, I want Castlevania 64 (yes I just said that) & Tetrisphere. I know. That’s a weird list.

  9. Nintendo and SNK need to get together and put Crystalis on the Virtual Console! I’ve been waiting over 5 years for it. Please Nintendo!

    1. safespace53078@yahoo.com

      I agree! I loved Crystalis on the NES and would love to play it again on Virtual Console!

    1. I believe they can’t due to copyright

      They would have to change the music but then the fans would bitch about it.

  10. I just want one game really, but that’s Sega’s decision – Psycho Fox.

    (although I would like online versions of Streets of Rage 2 and Shanghai II like they did with Puyo Puyo and Super Street Fighter II, so I could play with me mum)

  11. i would like to see earthbound and the mother games but too bad i know that it is impossible because of copyrights sadly

  12. safespace53078@yahoo.com

    How about Mega Man 6 and 7? They’ve got the first five, and they’ve got the first two in the X series. :-)

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