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I Can't Wait To Try Out the Wii Virtual Console

On Thursday I am going to finally go on line with my Wii on my Dad's wifi network. I have been waiting to try out the Virtual Console and spend those Wii Points. I have not been able to find a Wii Classic Controller but it ends up that you don't need a Classic Controller for every Virtual Console. Of course you can play all Virtual Console games with the Classic Controller.

Nintendo has a up on their website about what virtual console games you can play with the controllers. It breaks down like this:
NES and TurboGrafx-16 games can be played with the Wii Remote as well as some Genesis games like Sonic that only need one button.

The Gamecube controller can play NES, SNES, N64 and non-six button TurboGrafx16 and Sega Genesis game. It looks like using the Gamecube controller for Virtual Console games is a really good option to hold you over until you can get a Classic Controller. I can't wait to use my Hori Gamecube Gameboy Player Gamepad on NES and TurboGrafx16 games on the Virtual Console.

Of course the Classic Controller can play all Virtual Console games but it can't play Gamecube games.

Now my local game store is sold out of Wii Points cards but you can use a credit card to buy more online. This is a good idea because it would be crazy to limit the amount of Virtual Console games sold by restricting it to the amount of physical cards shipped around the world. When Virtual Console games are "Purchased" ( legally you do not own them but are licensing the games, legally this is the same as buying tunes for your iPod or Zune) and downloaded with the emulator and manual as a Wii Channel program. The games are not reprogrammed in anyway and include the original ROM image with a pixel perfect software emulator. The file can either reside in the Wii's 512 flash memory or can be put on SD Memory cards if you fill up your on board Wii memory. Each VC game is encrypted to only play on the Wii that you used to purchase it with. If I filled up a memory card with VC games and took it over to BBQ's place and puts it in his Wii they will not play but I would have to bring over my Wii so we could play SNES Street Fighter II on the Wii VC with him. Also if you duplicated the SD card on a PC it would still only play on just your Wii. However you can re-download a game if you accidentally delete it for free. I might need to get a 1-gig SD card if I really go nuts.

Now since putting a VC game on the Wii Connect 24 store is not as simple as just getting a ROM and slap it in an emulator. Nintendo has to work out the licensing rights from the game developer and put together a manual. Japan and got way more games than the US and EU markets at launch but Nintendo plans on stepping up and publishing at least 10 games a month. They also have to run the game by the ESRB and get a rating since NES, TurboGrafx16 and most Genesis and SNES games pre-date the rating system.

They are going to release a NES emulator for Zapper games using the Wii Remote so I'll be able to play Duck Hunt and Hogan's Ally. Other really exciting developments is that Hudson is working on getting publishing rights to defunct game developers and open up even more TurboGrafx16/PC Engine games. I really hope that they will consider selling Japan only TurboGrafx16 games that the US have never seen. Also they can add additional game systems to the Virtual Console line up. SNK Playmore is working on a NeoGeo emulator for the Wii Virtual Console. That would kick soo much ass. We might see eventually see Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Nintendo Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, SNK NeoGeo, SNK NeoGeo Pocket, and Bandai WonderSwan games on the Wii Virtual Console but nothing has been announced.

The conversion rate of Wii Point to US dollars is 100 Wii Points to a buck. This make the prices about the same as finding a use cartridge since it is 500 ($5)points for a NES game, TurboGrafx16 game at 600 ($6) points, SNES and Genesis games at 800 ($8) Points and N64 games at 1000 ($10) points.

On a related note the word came out today that you will need a Playstation 3 to buy, download and play emulated PSOne games for the PSP. So gamers like me that have a PSP and have no plans to get a PS3 are shit out of luck. Nuts to you Sony!

I can't wait to get The Legend of Zelda, F-Zero, Super Mario 64 and Sonic the Hedgehog. Now I have these games as cartridges and I still have the game systems to play them on but it would be cool to have them on my Wii. The Virtual Console is going to really pick up steam when they make out of print, out of distribution old classic games accessible and available for a whole new generation of gamer. Wii VC game are perfect for casual gamers and I would rather download Sonic and Bonk than some lame Java applet to a cellphone.

Jake at November 21, 2006 Games

Comments

Posted by: Boyd at November 21, 2006 3:36 PM

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Posted by: Jacob Metcalf at November 21, 2006 4:35 PM

Posted by: Robert at November 22, 2006 12:17 AM

Posted by: Llydis at November 27, 2006 8:35 AM

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