Virtual Console
The Virtual Console is one of many special features of the Wii and the Nintendo 3DS. The Virtual Console allows gamers to download games that have been uploaded by their respective companies. The Wii version currently only has video games from stationary consoles, mostly Nintendo's own NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64. Nintendo will not be uploading Nintendo GameCube games to the Wii Virtual Console due to their large sizes of up to 1.4 GB (the internal memory on the Wii is only 512 MB large), and because the Wii is backwards-compatible with all GameCube discs and most accessories. Hudson, Sega, SNK and Commodore are also backing the Wii Virtual Console with Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Master System, TurboGrafx-16, TurboGrafx-CD, SuperGrafx, Neo Geo and Commodore 64 games. For the Nintendo 3DS, only games from portable games have been announced, namely Game Boy and Game Boy Color, and likely the Game Boy Advance, considering the 3DS is not backwards compatable. It's noteworthy however, that demos from NES and SNES were shown at E3.
Wii Points
Wii Virtual Console games are bought with Wii Points via the Wii Shop Channel. Wii Points Cards, which are sold at most game retailers, each come with 2,000 redeemable Points on them. However, in Japan, cards are worth either 1,000, 3,000 or 5,000 Wii Points. Wii Points can also be purchased directly through the Wii Shop Channel with a credit card in blocks of either 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 or 5,000 Points.
Pricing
Wii
| Console | Wii Points |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Entertainment System | 500 |
| Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 800 |
| Nintendo 64 | 1000 |
| Sega Genesis/Mega Drive | 800 |
| TurboGrafx-16 | 600 |
| Neo Geo | 900 |
| MSX (Japan Only) | 800 |
| Commodore 64 | 500 |
| Virtual Console Arcade | 500* |
While this pricing is true for most games, a few select games have been priced differently. Imported games such as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and Mario's Super Picross in Europe and Australia and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels outside Japan cost 100 Wii Points more than usual.
In the United States, retailers currently only sell 2,000 points cards for $20 apiece, at a price of one cent per point.
*Note: Games released on the Virtual Console Arcade are automatically set to 500 points. However, most Virtual Console Arcade games are priced higher than 500 points.
Controllers
Wii
Various controllers can be used to play Virtual Console games.
- Wii Remote - when turned sideways, it acts as a substitute for the NES controller.
- Classic Controller - can play any game; designed to resemble an SNES controller
- Nintendo GameCube controller- can play almost any game.
List of Mario Games for the Virtual Console
Wii
| Game | Japan | America | Europe | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donkey Kong (NES) | 02 Dec 06 | 19 Nov 06 | 08 Dec 06 | 07 Dec 06 |
| Donkey Kong 3 (NES) | 23 Jul 08 | 14 Jul 08 | 09 Jan 09 | 09 Jan 09 |
| Donkey Kong Country (SNES) | 12 Dec 06 | 19 Feb 07 | 08 Dec 06 | 07 Dec 06 |
| Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) | 23 Oct 07 | 21 May 07 | 16 May 07 | 18 May 07 |
| Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES) | 21 Oct 08 | 24 Dec 07 | 25 Dec 07 | 25 Dec 07 |
| Donkey Kong Jr. (NES) | 02 Dec 06 | 04 Dec 06 | 22 Dec 06 | 22 Dec 06 |
| Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES) | 27 Mar 07 | 03 Sep 07 | 20 Apr 07 | 20 Apr 07 |
| Mario Bros. (NES) | 02 Dec 06 | 19 Nov 06 | 22 Dec 06 | 22 Dec 06 |
| Mario Golf (N64) | 30 Sept 08 | 06 Oct 08 | 23 Jan 09 | 23 Jan 09 |
| Mario Kart 64 (N64) | 30 Jan 07 | 29 Jan 07 | 26 Jan 07 | 26 Jan 07 |
| Mario Party 2 (N64) | 02 Nov 10 | File:X mark.png | Dec 10 | File:X mark.png |
| Mario's Super Picross (SNES) | 19 Dec 06 | File:X mark.png | 14 Sep 07 | 14 Sep 07 |
| Mario Tennis (N64) | 31 Aug 10 | 28 Jun 10 | 18 Jun 10 | TBA |
| NES Open Tournament Golf (NES) | 24 Jul 07 | 18 Jun 07 | 11 May 07 | 11 May 07 |
| Paper Mario (N64) | 10 Jul 07 | 16 Jul 07 | 13 Jul 07 | 13 Jul 07 |
| Super Mario 64 (N64) | 02 Dec 06 | 19 Nov 06 | 08 Dec 06 | 07 Dec 06 |
| Super Mario Bros. (NES) | 02 Dec 06 | 25 Dec 06 | 05 Jan 07 | 05 Jan 07 |
| Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) | 10 Aug 07 | 02 Jul 07 | 25 May 07 | 25 May 07 |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) | 11 Dec 07 | 05 Nov 07 | 09 Nov 07 | 09 Nov 07 |
| Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES) | 01 May 07 | 01 Oct 07 | 14 Sep 07 | 14 Sep 07 |
| Super Mario Kart (SNES) | 09 Jun 09 | 23 Nov 09 | 02 Apr 10 | 02 Apr 10 |
| Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES) | 24 Jun 08 | 01 Sep 08 | 22 Aug 08 | 22 Aug 08 |
| Super Mario World (SNES) | 02 Dec 06 | 05 Feb 07 | 09 Feb 07 | 09 Feb 07 |
| Super Smash Bros. (N64) | 10 Jan 09 | 21 Dec 09 | 12 Jun 09 | 12 Jun 09 |
| Wario's Woods (NES) | 12 Dec 06 | 19 Nov 06 | 08 Dec 06 | 07 Dec 06 |
| Wrecking Crew (NES) | 5 Jan 08 | 19 Nov 07 | 24 Aug 07 | 24 Aug 07 |
| Yoshi (NES) | 06 Mar 07 | 09 Jul 07 | 16 May 07 | 18 May 07 |
| Yoshi's Story (N64) | 30 Oct 07 | 17 Sep 07 | 26 Oct 07 | 26 Oct 07 |
| Yoshi's Cookie (NES) | 10 Jun 08 | 07 Apr 08 | 04 Apr 08 | 04 Apr 08 |
Nintendo 3DS
All games on the Virtual Console of the 3DS will have 3D capabilities.
The following games have been announced for the Virtual Console of the 3DS:
| Game | Japan | America | Europe | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Land (GB) | File:Question.png | File:Question.png | File:Question.png | File:Question.png |
Notes
Wii
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was only available in Europe and Australia from September 15, 2007 until October 1, 2007. It was then still available to freely re-download for those who purchased it while it was initially available. On August 22, 2008, it was made available again, this time without any time restrictions.
- This is also the first time that the NES version was made available outside Japan, having been remade for the SNES elsewhere. Thus, its title screen reads "Super Mario Bros. 2", its Japanese name.
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was regarded by Nintendo as the 250th game to be released on the Virtual Console in North America. This is also the first time Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars got an official European release.
- Timed demos of several Virtual Console games are included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, all of which star the game's various fighters. The only default Mario title is Super Mario Bros.; Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario World are the others, but they must first be unlocked.
- Despite being the launch title for the SNES, Super Mario World was actually released several months after the Virtual Console's launch.
- Despite the GameCube controller having built-in force feedback, no N64 game supports the vibration feature (originally requiring a separate peripheral). Also, Mario Kart 64 required a Controller Pak to save ghost data, which the VC version does not support.
Changes
Although Nintendo has claimed they will keep all Virtual Console releases as true to the original as possible, they have made several changes to various games for certain reasons.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
- The attack Flame Wall was recolored to avoid the risk of seizures.
- For the European release, the offensive word "bugger" was replaced with the word "pest".
- Moleville has a notably darker color scheme.
Super Mario 64
- During gameplay, the drop shadow located at the top and bottom of the screen have been removed and can only return if Mario loses all of his Health Points.
Mario Kart 64
- When the Lightning item is used, the flash that appears during the use of that item has been adjusted to avoid the risk of seizures.
See Also
- WiiWare — Applications and games that can be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel.
