# Nintendo DS Titles Coming To Wii U Virtual Console



## GameWinner (Jan 30, 2014)

Just announced a little while ago, Nintendo will be offering NDS games on the Wii U's virtual console.

Source: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140130/02.html
Via: http://www.siliconera.com/2014/01/29/nintendo-ds-titles-coming-wii-u-virtual-console/

[prebreak][/prebreak]I did NOT see this coming.


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## rdurbin (Jan 30, 2014)

cool, seems like it could work, wii game pad being bottom screen and tv being top, but may be awkward for some game looking back and forth, since game pad will be at least 10 feet away from tv.  hopefully it wont look too bad stretched out on tv.


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## Foxi4 (Jan 30, 2014)

rdurbin said:


> cool, seems like it could work, wii game pad being bottom screen and tv being top, but may be awkward for some game looking back and forth, since game pad will be at least 10 feet away from tv. hopefully it wont look too bad stretched out on tv.


I'm sure they won't release games in which that could be an issue. All things considered, this is great as long as the prices will be _"right"_ - the setup is perfect for that kind of thing and I can see it working very well.


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## SirAileron (Jan 30, 2014)

I didn't expect it to actually happen, but I certainly did ask for it. I mean, Meteos would be fucking grand on the game pad.


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## loco365 (Jan 30, 2014)

Didn't see this coming. Hopefully they'll have a 3DS app that will allow you to copy games you already own onto your console.


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## TyBlood13 (Jan 30, 2014)

inb4anotheraceattorneyrelease

Sounds cool enough I guess


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## DiscostewSM (Jan 30, 2014)

This is nice.....but you know, one of the problems with the VC on Wii U is the frequency of new releases each week. The Wii had a lot more VC games (both Nintendo-based and non-Nintendo based devices) at this time in its life. It even had N64 titles from day 1. We need more titles per week. We need N64 VC. We could even use GC VC. And, imo, we need cross-play for those that have both a Wii U and a 3DS. Nintendo is going to be defining games to be NNID-based and not system-based, so why not?


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## chavosaur (Jan 30, 2014)

Thats kinda neat I guess. I wonder why they wouldnt offer digital downloads of DS games on 3DS as well. And before i get bombarded with stupid, yes I KNOW the 3DS can play DS carts, that doesnt mean that people who prefer full digital (like me) wouldnt mind being able to download his favorite DS games onto his handheld.

either way, I cant say im too excited yet because I have no idea what the price range of these games are gonna be. Nintendo probably isnt going to treat this like virtual console, and If I know them, theyre gonna have full retail price range in mind T_T


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## FireValk01 (Jan 30, 2014)

this may help pull me in to buynig one


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## Harsky (Jan 30, 2014)

First thoughts, "huh, this is something I didn't expect. What a nice surprise."
Second thought, "Urgh, how am I suppose to play DS games, which I actually bought, on the Wii U?"

That said, I don't want to imagine how awful it'll look when the game is blown up and stretched on the gamepad or the TV.


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## GameWinner (Jan 30, 2014)

I might as well stick this here...

Iwata plans to merge handheld and console game together but is unsure how. Maybe something similar to what Sony is doing with the PS4 and Vita?

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/BL-DGB-32432


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## chavosaur (Jan 30, 2014)

Article Lists Mario Kart 8 as coming out in May~ Thats another decent tidbit


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## Foxi4 (Jan 30, 2014)

Team Fail said:


> Didn't see this coming. Hopefully they'll have a 3DS app that will allow you to copy games you already own onto your console.


Yeah, no - don't count on that. 

The idea is to draw DS/3DS fans to the Wii U's _"double screen"_ concept and show them that it works very much the same as on their beloved handheld - it's unlikely that Nintendo will forfeit profits. Here's for hoping that the prices will be approachable though - I wouldn't mind playing a couple of my favorite DS games on the big screen... Not that I can't do that right now with a laptop, but the gamepad sort of changes the equation.

Still not going to buy a Wii U just for that, but hey! It's still neato.


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## Harsky (Jan 30, 2014)

Also, what about games that requires the lid to close to solve puzzles like Phantom Hourglass?


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## trumpet-205 (Jan 30, 2014)

Harsky said:


> Also, what about games that requires the lid to close to solve puzzles like Phantom Hourglass?


Or Hotel Dusk 215.

My guess, either not going to make an appearance on eShop or sleep function by pressing Home Button.


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## Hanafuda (Jan 30, 2014)

That's cool and all, but 1) it says sometime in the future, 2) they say there's still a technical hurdle to overcome before they can do it, and 3) the DS has to be the most pirated console in history, and everyone still has theirs. I'd like to be wrong, but I don't see this helping the Wii U as much as they're probably hoping.

Why don't they get some Gamecube on the Wii U's VC, pronto? At $15 a game, Super Mario Sunshine, F-Zero, Metroid Prime, Paper Mario TYD, Killer 7 ... there's a shit-ton of GOLD on the Gamecube. And I'll bet there are fewer 'technical hurdles' involved, too.

Some actual Wii U games, more than the handful currently worth buying, wouldn't hurt either. 

Don't get me wrong I love Nintendo and I even love the Wii U .... but Iwata and friends have walked them so far off the path of gaming righteousness it gives me heartburn just thinking about it. Chalk it up to Japanese corporate deference culture I guess, that nobody has had the balls to tell the bosses that this here is some stupid shit:











That's gamer repellent right there. Concentrated.

They've chased the casual gamer dollar right off the cliff, because if there's one thing a casual gamer is going to be, it's casual about gaming. One Wii Party game is enough for a casual gamer. One Wii is enough is enough for a casual gamer. etc. etc.


Ugh.


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## BORTZ (Jan 30, 2014)

This
Is 
Awesome. 

I know this wont be a system seller to people who want to play normal wiiu games, but this is exactly what I saw when I was first introduced to the Wii U. I remember thinking "Its like an HD DS. I'm really excited for this.


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## Duo8 (Jan 30, 2014)

Expect it to be blurry as fuck.


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## Nah3DS (Jan 30, 2014)

I hope they add some magnification filters like hq2x or 2xSai
but knowing Nintendo... they won't


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## the_randomizer (Jan 30, 2014)

*reads thread title*

WAT? Well, I didn't see that coming, a pleasant surprise to say the least 



NahuelDS said:


> I hope they add some magnification filters like hq2x or 2xSai
> 
> but knowing Nintendo... they won't




I've seen GBA games on the game pad (at least via emulation) and with a basic bilinear filter, it doesn't look that bad, so DS games shouldn't look too worse. In fact, all VC games are filtered on the game pad, just not on the TV for some reason.


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## Gahars (Jan 30, 2014)

Harsky said:


> Also, what about games that requires the lid to close to solve puzzles like Phantom Hourglass?


 
Not every game will be able to make the leap. Those games probably just won't be sold at all.

To be fair, though, not having "Phantom Hourglass" on the service is actually a pretty big plus.


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## Hanafuda (Jan 30, 2014)

Gahars said:


> Not every game will be able to make the leap. Those games probably just won't be sold at all.
> 
> To be fair, though, not having "Phantom Hourglass" on the service is actually a pretty big plus.


 


I actually enjoyed Phantom Hourglass. As a handheld Zelda game, I thought it was very enjoyable. I didn't expect it to be on-par with the home console releases, so I wasn't disappointed. But Spirit Tracks was one pull too many on the same taffy.


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## the_randomizer (Jan 30, 2014)

Gahars said:


> Not every game will be able to make the leap. Those games probably just won't be sold at all.
> 
> To be fair, though, not having "Phantom Hourglass" on the service is actually a pretty big plus.


 

The fact the Wii U is having these game at all is surprising, I would assume that the Wii U more than powerful enough to emulate the DS which on a normal PC, requires somewhat beefy specs to achieve full speed.


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## Gahars (Jan 30, 2014)

Hanafuda said:


> I actually enjoyed Phantom Hourglass. As a handheld Zelda game, I thought it was very enjoyable. I didn't expect it to be on-par with the home console releases, so I wasn't disappointed. But Spirit Tracks was one pull too many on the same taffy.


 

I just don't think it was a very good game, Zelda or otherwise.

What killed it for me the most was the stupid, blatant padding dungeon. Seriously, whoever thought that forcing players to repeat the same exact puzzles over and over and over again would be fun should've had their ass kicked to the curb.


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## Foxi4 (Jan 30, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> The fact the Wii U is having these game at all is surprising, I would assume that the Wii U more than powerful enough to emulate the DS which on a normal PC, requires somewhat beefy specs to achieve full speed.


Requires _what?_ C'mon, the_randomizer... you're not being serious, right?  You can achieve full speed DS emulation on just about any contemporary PC, beefy or not. If you can't, you're really doing something wrong.


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## Vappy (Jan 30, 2014)

Kind of disappointed it won't be a Gameboy Player type deal. On the one hand it's cool when backwards compatibility like this gets added, especially when it's offering a new way to enjoy older games, but on the other hand_ paying for games you already own._


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## jalaneme (Jan 30, 2014)

Vappy said:


> Kind of disappointed it won't be a Gameboy Player type deal. On the one hand it's cool when backwards compatibility like this gets added, especially when it's offering a new way to enjoy older games, but on the other hand_ paying for games you already own._


 

hah, not in this day and age, it's more profitable to charge individually for games than let you play the whole library for free, it's the same reason why sony launched the ps now too.


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## zachtheninja (Jan 30, 2014)

Seems cool, but It'll all depend on which titles they decide to put on the service.


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## driverdis (Jan 30, 2014)

what I want to see is SM64 DS make its way to VC since that will be the closest thing to an actual 3d mario game (Sunshine/SM64 like) on the Wii U.


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## the_randomizer (Jan 30, 2014)

Foxi4 said:


> Requires _what?_ C'mon, the_randomizer... you're not being serious, right?  You can achieve full speed DS emulation on just about any contemporary PC, beefy or not. If you can't, you're really doing something wrong.


 

Sorry, I meant to get at least semi-accurate DS emulation and not like no$gba, which has a lot of emulation issues


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## shakirmoledina (Jan 30, 2014)

mario & legend of zelda all over again. well executed nintendo.


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## the_randomizer (Jan 30, 2014)

shakirmoledina said:


> mario & legend of zelda all over again. well executed nintendo.


 

There are other games, thousands on the DS to choose from if I'm not mistaken, (and is Nintendo's most successful handheld device) but okay.


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## WiiUBricker (Jan 30, 2014)

I reckon Metroid Prime Hunters being fun on the Wii U (if it supports online multiplayer).


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## Gahars (Jan 30, 2014)

jalaneme said:


> hah, not in this day and age, it's more profitable to charge individually for games than let you play the whole library for free, it's the same reason why sony launched the ps now too.


 
Sounds like some ol' Nintendo BS if you ask me! They're literally worse than the Yakuza. Literally.

...Or, perhaps, it's a bit more complicated then that. The Game Boy and the DS lines are two entirely different beasts (you might've noticed in the difference in number of screens, for starters). The DS' unique setup means that it's not a simple 1:1 translation to get the games running on a console, especially with the configuring that needs to be done for the Wii U's tablet. The Game Boy Player was, when you get right down to it, basically a GBA slapped onto the Gamecube; the DS requires a bit more finesse.

Plus, as others have pointed out, some games will likely be impossible to ever get running properly. This sort of work has to be done on a game-by-game basis.

Besides, this isn't replacing the original games; it's not like Iwata is sneaking down chimneys and smashing cartridges while the little ones sleep. It's just an alternative option for people who want a digital copy on their Wii U. If that doesn't appeal to you, then you can easily ignore it. If you already have the game and don't want to buy the game again, then just don't buy the game again. Wham, bam, you can thank me, ma'm.

I mean, I know the corporate conspiracies are fun and all, but it wouldn't hurt to put a little bit of thought into them.


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## slingblade1170 (Jan 30, 2014)

Very surprising, didn't see that happening but awesome.


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## KingVamp (Jan 30, 2014)

Funny. We talk about this a lot when the Wii u was first coming out. Mostly about a DS player, but this works too.


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## Bladexdsl (Jan 30, 2014)

Team Fail said:


> SNIP
> 
> Didn't see this coming. Hopefully they'll have a 3DS app that will allow you to copy games you already own onto your console.


 
mines better 






as for peeps saying it's hard to look at the tv and pad back and forth no it's not. multi-task people!


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## Taleweaver (Jan 30, 2014)

Vappy said:


> Kind of disappointed it won't be a Gameboy Player type deal. On the one hand it's cool when backwards compatibility like this gets added, especially when it's offering a new way to enjoy older games, but on the other hand_ paying for games you already own._


Or, you could, y'know...buy DS VC you do _not_ already own.


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## Bladexdsl (Jan 30, 2014)

well the wii-u is just a giant DS anyway


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## Hadrian (Jan 30, 2014)

Harsky said:


> Also, what about games that requires the lid to close to solve puzzles like Phantom Hourglass?


 
Not a problem, closing the "lid" puts the DS into "sleep mode".  On the 2DS, you just use the sleep switch and it does the same thing, Nintendo could easily do the same on this...though I can happily skip both DS Zelda games, PH was OK but it was very by the numbers and Spirit Tracks was just crappy anyway.

It's a nice move by Nintendo but it would be better if 3DS owners could also do the same, buy one game...play it on both consoles.

I personally reckon adding 3DS titles would help a lot, certainly for me as next week I'm going to get either a 3DS or Wii U...and so far it's 3DS all the way.


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## Wisenheimer (Jan 30, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> The fact the Wii U is having these game at all is surprising, I would assume that the Wii U more than powerful enough to emulate the DS which on a normal PC, requires somewhat beefy specs to achieve full speed.


 

That is mainly due to the inefficiency of the emulators for x86 processors.  They are just community projects after all.

The Wii U is believed to have 5 CPU cores, two of which are ARM based and reserved for the OS, but might be able to be repurposed to execute DS code natively.  If not, the PPC CPU should be beefy enough to handle DS emulation.


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## Nathan Drake (Jan 30, 2014)

I still am not entirely sure why people would be okay rebuying games so soon that will likely be cheaper to buy and have shipped to you from some online shop than to purchase from Nintendo's VC. I mean, hell, if you want a digital collection, there are certainly cheap, free, easy ways to turn your physical collection into one cart of titles. It isn't like they're offering what are now expensive or rare games like what older consoles on the VC can accomplish for cheaper. I mean, I understand what Nintendo is trying to accomplish, but I'm baffled as to why everybody is so excited about this. Was playing the games on your DS really so bad? Or are you just infatuated with a cumbersome system of either gamepad/TV use, or essentially just using a single screened DS via the gamepad?


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## Wisenheimer (Jan 30, 2014)

Nathan Drake said:


> I still am not entirely sure why people would be okay rebuying games so soon that will likely be cheaper to buy and have shipped to you from some online shop than to purchase from Nintendo's VC. I mean, hell, if you want a digital collection, there are certainly cheap, free, easy ways to turn your physical collection into one cart of titles. It isn't like they're offering what are now expensive or rare games like what older consoles on the VC can accomplish for cheaper. I mean, I understand what Nintendo is trying to accomplish, but I'm baffled as to why everybody is so excited about this. Was playing the games on your DS really so bad? Or are you just infatuated with a cumbersome system of either gamepad/TV use, or essentially just using a single screened DS via the gamepad?


 

Until very recently, I never owned a handheld game system before so, for me, it would have been nice to have been able to play the handheld versions of the Zelda and Metroid games I liked on m


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## HtheB (Jan 30, 2014)

WTF nintendo... WTF... Seriously... wtf?!

Why the hell don't you bring VirtualBoy games to the 3DS Virtual Console!?!!?!!!?!


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## Duo8 (Jan 30, 2014)

HtheB said:


> WTF nintendo... WTF... Seriously... wtf?!
> 
> Why the hell don't you bring VirtualBoy games to the 3DS Virtual Console!?!!?!!!?!


 
Because 5 games isn't worth it.


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## HtheB (Jan 30, 2014)

Duo8 said:


> Because 5 games isn't worth it.


 Oh yeah.... and a Wii U self is worth for like 5 games?.......


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## Duo8 (Jan 30, 2014)

HtheB said:


> Oh yeah.... and a Wii U self is worth for like 5 games?.......


 
I think you mean at least 20.
Also, out of the literal 5 games on the VB, only 2 were good.


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## HtheB (Jan 30, 2014)

Duo8 said:


> I think you mean at least 20.
> Also, out of the literal 5 games on the VB, only 2 were good.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virtual_Boy_games

That is more then 5 games... 
And also the unreleased games were actually pretty good, for example: Bound High !!!


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## jacksprat1990 (Jan 30, 2014)

It was inevitable given the design. The emulation should be able to up the resolution at least and make it look a little better. I'm never a fan of this though. If I physically own the game already, I'm limited to playing on my DS still.



HtheB said:


> Oh yeah.... and a Wii U self is worth for like 5 games?.......


 
It has 20 games at least ffs.


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## Duo8 (Jan 30, 2014)

HtheB said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virtual_Boy_games
> 
> That is more then 5 games...
> And also the unreleased games were actually pretty good, for example: Bound High !!!


 
Still not enough though.
And those good titles... WHY JAPAN ONLY?


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## emigre (Jan 30, 2014)

Bladexdsl said:


> well the wii-u is just a giant DS anyway


 

Just without the gaems.


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## Clydefrosch (Jan 30, 2014)

expect games to cost 20 bucks each.

also, considering that ds is pretty much the most hacked nintendo thing ever, why go that way? why not gamecube or gba? and why not release 400 snes games in a week?


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## Guild McCommunist (Jan 30, 2014)

T-the Wii U is saved!

Really though have fun rebuying your old DS games so they can be horribly blown up on a large screen.

I don't even know how we can be excited her when all we do is pirate DS games anyway.


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## chartube12 (Jan 30, 2014)

can't help but think this was announcement meant for July (e3 time) but done early to give some Nintendo hype n distract from the bank not being released yet.


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## the_randomizer (Jan 30, 2014)

Wow, I didn't know Nintendo was forcing people to buy DS games on the Virtual Console they already own.


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## KingVamp (Jan 30, 2014)

Also, about that stamp thing. Couldn't you just turn the screen towards the TV and it would just detect that as sleep mode?


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## Qtis (Jan 30, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> Wow, I didn't know Nintendo was forcing people to buy DS games on the Virtual Console they already own.


 
I know right, it's just like Sony and their Mafia for PSX/PS2 titles! Damn them for letting people legitly discover games they haven't played!


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## duffmmann (Jan 30, 2014)

Gahars said:


> Not every game will be able to make the leap. Those games probably just won't be sold at all.
> 
> To be fair, though, not having "Phantom Hourglass" on the service is actually a pretty big plus.


 

I never understood the hate for the DS Zelda games.  The controls are awkward at first, but once you get it down, they are both very rewarding game experiences.

As it is, the 2DS can't solve the Phantom Hourglass puzzle either.


Anyway, I do think this is pretty cool, but I really don't get why Nintendo doesn't create an adapter for the Wii U to play your physical DS games and possibly your 3DS games.  It would fall in line with their model of releasing (to the masses) a player for every other video game system that could play their current handheld games. (Super GB for the SNES, and GB Player for the GCN).


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## Qtis (Jan 30, 2014)

duffmmann said:


> I never understood the hate for the DS Zelda games. The controls are awkward at first, but once you get it down, they are both very rewarding game experiences.
> 
> As it is, the 2DS can't solve the Phantom Hourglass puzzle either.


 
Dedicated sleep button. In other words, the console can be put to sleep and it acts like a folded console.


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## GamerzHell9137 (Jan 30, 2014)

Ok

*plays DS games on 3DS*


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## duffmmann (Jan 30, 2014)

Qtis said:


> Dedicated sleep button. In other words, the console can be put to sleep and it acts like a folded console.


 

Wait the 2DS has that?  (I don't have nor have I played one)  If so, then I suppose that would certainly be a possibility on the Wii U.


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## Arras (Jan 30, 2014)

duffmmann said:


> Wait the 2DS has that? (I don't have nor have I played one) If so, then I suppose that would certainly be a possibility on the Wii U.


Yeah, it is. From what I know the only thing that can't be done like that is the one puzzle in Another Code/Trace Memory where you need to close the DS halfway and match up the reflection from both screens.


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## Maxternal (Jan 30, 2014)

I would still prefer something along the lines of the GameBoy Player or the Super GameBoy just with a 3DS hardware instead (I'd assume it would have to connect to the bottom port on the gamepad because I don't see anywhere else on the Wii U that would be able to accept something like this, though) as the Wii U is quite compatible with 3DTV's ... even if it doesn't advertize that fact as much. I'm sure a big reason for choosing this form, though, is that it avoids people just plugging a flashcart into their Wii U.
Even in this form, as I'm sure I'll be buying a few of them since I personally have never owned a handheld past the GBA.

As far as not having to look between the two screens, I wonder if they'd implement off screen play by placing both screens on the gamepad side-by-side for some games. I know this would work fine for most games and there are even some games, I imagine, that ONLY use the touch screen and don't use the buttons could have the gamepad just turned sideways and fit both screens in that way without any questions about correct orientation.

As far as the technical issue. I'm sure it's just getting the thing running full speed given how long it took for public DS emulators to be refined to the point of running accurately and at a reasonable speed. Given that they have the people who wrote the SDK, though, I'm sure it shouldn't take them nearly as long and since just the PPC side of The Wii U has about 5x the processing power of the Wii (just considering clocks and cores) and Desmume Wii can run most games faster than 1/5 the correct speed it should be quite doable. (I'm sure moving some of it over to the ARM processor would GREATLY improve the performance but I'm also sure that would be far bigger of a "technical hurtle" to cross as well since that area is quite off limits to stuff compiled with the normal SDK ... The original Wii could have done the same thing but only having one screen kinda would have put a damper into that part)


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## duffmmann (Jan 30, 2014)

Maxternal said:


> I would still prefer something along the lines of the GameBoy Player or the Super GameBoy just with a 3DS hardware instead (*I'd assume it would have to connect to the bottom port on the gamepad because I don't see anywhere else on the Wii U that would be able to accept something like this, though*) as the Wii U is quite compatible with 3DTV's ... even if it doesn't advertize that fact as much. I'm sure a big reason for choosing this form, though, is that it avoids people just plugging a flashcart into their Wii U.
> Even in this form, as I'm sure I'll be buying a few of them since I personally have never owned a handheld past the GBA.
> 
> As far as not having to look between the two screens, I wonder if they'd implement off screen play by placing both screens on the gamepad side-by-side for some games. I know this would work fine for most games and there are even some games, I imagine, that ONLY use the touch screen and don't use the buttons could have the gamepad just turned sideways and fit both screens in that way without any questions about correct orientation.
> ...


 

USB port.  I've thought about that too, but I think you could make something work this way through a USB device.


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## Maxternal (Jan 30, 2014)

duffmmann said:


> USB port. I've thought about that too, but I think you could make something work this way through a USB device.


Yeah, I guess I still have my head stuck back in the old video game world of proprietary connectors.

With a USB device, too, they would be able to make PC software that could take advantage of it, too (and if they didn't, I'm sure someone else would) and if it were to follow the patter of the GBPlayer and SuperGB, there's not much loss to Nintendo either since it would contain most of the same hardware found in the handheld version (which also reminds me that the price to the end user of such a device is probably a big part of why they've chosen to stick with VC emulation on this one.)


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## Nathan Drake (Jan 30, 2014)

Qtis said:


> I know right, it's just like Sony and their Mafia for PSX/PS2 titles! Damn them for letting people legitly discover games they haven't played!


To be fair, Sony has done a good job releasing a lot of good older PSX titles at a very manageable price tag on the PS Store. A lot of the really good titles on there you'd have a hard time picking up for the $10 price in a physical format. Nintendo's VC in general tends to kind of be a disappointment though. When it comes to DS releases, they either won't release very much on there, or they sure won't release it at a very appealing price. Even then, the DS is the best selling handheld ever. I doubt there are going to be too many games the handful of Nintendo diehards that act as Wii U owners haven't experienced. Either way, Nintendo's sub-par VC isn't all that comparable to Sony's legitimate online shop for digital content.


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## Qtis (Jan 30, 2014)

Nathan Drake said:


> To be fair, Sony has done a good job releasing a lot of good older PSX titles at a very manageable price tag on the PS Store. A lot of the really good titles on there you'd have a hard time picking up for the $10 price in a physical format. Nintendo's VC in general tends to kind of be a disappointment though. When it comes to DS releases, they either won't release very much on there, or they sure won't release it at a very appealing price. Even then, the DS is the best selling handheld ever. I doubt there are going to be too many games the handful of Nintendo diehards that act as Wii U owners haven't experienced. Either way, Nintendo's sub-par VC isn't all that comparable to Sony's legitimate online shop for digital content.


 
Indeed. I was trying to go with the flow 

As a side note, I've purchased PSX games worth more than 100€ from PSN and I own pretty much all of them already on physical format (including FFI-IX (all games from the PSX generation)). Sony has done something with PSN that GoG.com has done with PC gaming: make me a good enough offer to buy again the game(s) I own already. Sure Steam is a good contester, but the DRM kinda offs me on many cases due to not having a stable internet at the place where I enjoy my retro and classic games i.e. my summer cottage (honestly, it's in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and a big ass lake).


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## Ykr1113 (Jan 30, 2014)

They're really trying to make me get this console aren't they ...


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## bobmcjr (Jan 30, 2014)

I still like my setup better:


Spoiler


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## Dork (Jan 30, 2014)

bobmcjr said:


> I still like my setup better:
> 
> 
> Spoiler


What am I looking at here?


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## bobmcjr (Jan 30, 2014)

Dark S. said:


> What am I looking at here?


Nexus 7 2013 with DraStic emulator+HDTV. Not shown is a PS3 controller.


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## Maxternal (Jan 30, 2014)

^that's cool. I wasn't aware that Drastic has multi-screen support.
One of those tablets with built in gaming buttons would have been ideal, though.

Also, just occurred to me that this might be able to do DSi enhancement, too, with the gamepad camera and such as long as the emulation can take the extra processor speed.


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## Qtis (Jan 30, 2014)

bobmcjr said:


> Nexus 7 2013 with DraStic emulator+HDTV. Not shown is a PS3 controller.


 
The closeness to the TV really messed up the perspective. I thought it was a phone 

Gotta try this setup, because I could basically get the same results (Nexus 5/7, PS3/4 controllers, etc)


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## XDel (Jan 30, 2014)

Praise the Lord! What Nintendo should have done on day one, but hey, better late than never!

Come on Konami, you know what three titles I want to see on this!!!


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## Mario92 (Jan 30, 2014)

Problem would be DS titles resolution compared to even gameapads one. Image quality will be horrible unless they do some magic.

It would be easy to just turn gamepad sideways and play that way or like with emulator that screens are shown side by side. They are on point that not that many games actually use gamepad more than maps or pause screen - actually 3DS seems to have same problem where games want to use upper screen where many DS titles liked to keep upper screen for extra info. 

There's only one thing Nintendo NEEDS to fix before that: being able to play once bought Virtual Console title on ALL platforms it's available. They already have account system in place and people have bought their old games so why be super greedy bastarts and require buying games again! This meaning they could re-release DS title which then could be downloaded to 3DS and Wii U, even better would be DSiWare games working between devices now that would be selling point for those games. Even better would be cloud syncing but I'm not sure if Nintendo has even heard of that  
Anyway who the fuck would actually buy digital copy which is locked to your machine while you can buy cheap second hand games and even buy flashcards or emulate them? There's even (proof of consept) DS emulator for android!


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## Arras (Jan 30, 2014)

XDel said:


> Praise the Lord! What Nintendo should have done on day one, but hey, better late than never!
> 
> Come on Konami, you know what three titles I want to see on this!!!


I'll hazard a guess: Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia? Those are the only Konami games triplet on the DS I could think of.


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## XDel (Jan 30, 2014)

Arras said:


> I'll hazard a guess: Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia? Those are the only Konami games triplet on the DS I could think of.


 
Does Konami make any other games?! If so I was not aware. Metal Gear what?


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## Ashtonx (Jan 30, 2014)

So Wii U will finally have games worth playing. Then again it's cheaper to buy 3ds or nds, I'm also guessing most of people who bought wii u are n fanbois that already got the console.


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## XDel (Jan 30, 2014)

Ashtonx said:


> So Wii U will finally have games worth playing. Then again it's cheaper to buy 3ds or nds, I'm also guessing most of people who bought wii u are n fanbois that already got the console.


 
According to my Wii U game play experience, and the over whelming reviews on most of the games... the Wii U has some killer titles. I'm REALLY REALLY tight with my money, and I don't regret having bought the system or any of the games for it that I have. I guess that does make  me a fan boy, but I will also tell you, that I'm the sort of fan boy that if I'm not impressed, I won't hesitate to say it, but ya, Wii U and it's game library impresses me over all, very much so.


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## Ashtonx (Jan 30, 2014)

XDel said:


> According to my Wii U game play experience, and the over whelming reviews on most of the games... the Wii U has some killer titles. I'm REALLY REALLY tight with my money, and I don't regret having bought the system or any of the games for it that I have. I guess that does make me a fan boy, but I will also tell you, that I'm the sort of fan boy that if I'm not impressed, I won't hesitate to say it, but ya, Wii U and it's game library impresses me over all, very much so.


 
And how many of those games were not made by nintendo ?


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## XDel (Jan 30, 2014)

Good question, lemme check...

6 out of 11 are not by Nintendo.


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## xwatchmanx (Jan 31, 2014)

I'm not opposed to this idea, but that said...

Nintendo, why? Playing what is arguably your greatest generation of handheld games on a big screen is a cool novelty for sure, but why is this your priority? Let's look at the facts...

Every handheld that Nintendo still manufactures (the DSi and 3DS families) supports DS games. The sole exceptions to this are select games like Guitar Hero, which require peripherals that don't physically fit on the 3DS. So why would anyone buy a Wii U for DS VC games when they can have an arguably better experience on the actual dedicated hardware that supports it?
The Wii U's virtual console is not only abysmal compared to that of the Wii in the same time frame, but doesn't even cover all the same systems yet (namely N64). Shouldn't you focus on taking care of that before adding new VC for a freaking handheld system? And if you're going to add a new system to VC, why not do the GameCube, the most obvious choice? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like way more people would buy Super Smash Bros. Melee than Zelda: Spirit Tracks (especially considering the GCN had a much smaller install base than the DS, meaning less people who actually played GCN games on the original hardware).
The 3DS has already proven itself capable of handling GBA VC, and yet we don't have any except for those half-assed ambassador titles and the Four Swords Anniversary remake for DSi. Why is this not a bigger priority than DS on a console? Seriously, even GBA VC on the Wii U (like Nintendo mentioned a while back, I believe) would've been a better idea than DS on the Wii U.
Finally, what are you going to do about the tons of DS titles that use both screens in tandem? The gamepad is already getting complaints from users (myself included) on how immersion breaking it is to switch between the TV and the gamepad, compared to the fluid transition had on the DS and 3DS. If you can't even do it in dedicated Wii U games, how the heck do you expect to do it with DS games that were designed around the ability to quickly switch your glance between either screen? Are you seriously going to exclude every game like Yoshi's Island DS and The World Ends With You that require constant attention to both screens? That's going to seriously cut down your options.
So again I ask, Nintendo... what the hell?


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## VashTS (Jan 31, 2014)

i was hoping i could have a way to pay for a game multiple times! thanks nintendo!


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## midnight1001 (Jan 31, 2014)

I agree 100% !!! Why would nintendo release ds games on the wiiu when they are currently still playable on a handheld!! I mean why? This would have been my last choice of game libraries to come to the wiiu... I mean I just played most of these top grade ds games to death last gen! 
I find it frustrating that nintendo is recycling the same games over and over for vc! I've never played the GameCube or any of its games and heck if love to try paper mario Tyd, mario sunshine, smash bros and all the other great titles on GC. Even N64 would be welcome with new games like donkey kong 64?  These were games made before I owned a console and I'd love to try these games! But no we are getting the same old recycled stuff that doesn't even feel that old! I really hope that nintendo starts bringing something new to VC and soon not in 2 years either!
Sigh... I just don't get nintendo sometimes :/


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

And the butthurt begins. Seriously people, calm your tits, if you don't want to buy the games, don't buy the games. You speak as though you have to repurchase them and Nintendo is holding you by gunpoint. If you already have them, great, then keep them.


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## trumpet-205 (Jan 31, 2014)

xwatchmanx said:


> So again I ask, Nintendo... what the hell?


I think Iwata has lost touch with reality. If you look at the entire presentation, you'll find no big changes to its current business model.

Brining DS games to WIi U will make little difference to its current predicament. So are greater focus on Gamepad's NFC, Quick Start from Gamepad, QOL elements, etc.

The entire presentation gives the feeling that Nintendo will be the same as before.


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## xwatchmanx (Jan 31, 2014)

trumpet-205 said:


> I think Iwata has lost touch with reality. If you look at the entire presentation, you'll find no big changes to its current business model.
> 
> Brining DS games to WIi U will make little difference to its current predicament. So are greater focus on Gamepad's NFC, Quick Start from Gamepad, QOL elements, etc.
> 
> The entire presentation gives the feeling that Nintendo will be the same as before.


 
Normally I would defend Nintendo, but seriously... there's just no way to defend them from this.


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## Kikirini (Jan 31, 2014)

I'd kinda prefer to download them onto my 3DS. (Along  with some GBA games.)


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## xwatchmanx (Jan 31, 2014)

Kikirini said:


> I'd kinda prefer to download them onto my 3DS. (Along with some GBA games.)


 
Said every Nintendo fan, ever.

See, this is what I was talking about. Why is this so hard for Nintendo to understand?


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

xwatchmanx said:


> Said every Nintendo fan, ever.
> 
> See, this is what I was talking about. Why is this so hard for Nintendo to understand?


 

Because they're too hellbent on making only the ambassador users to be the only ones to have GBA games. Nintendo doesn't want our money confirmed.


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## SickPuppy (Jan 31, 2014)

I'm a Wii U ambassador, bought it on launch day, and then a few months later the price was dropped. I want my free eShop games, NNNNNOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!!


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## XDel (Jan 31, 2014)

Hmmm... at first I was put off with my experience with the touch screen in relation to the tell lie vision set, but as I went on, played a bit more, I found it really didn't annoy me quite like it did at first. I merely needed to adjust.

I will say this, I am dying to play Super Princess Peach and those stupid games by Konami on the big screen. WHY OH WHY MUST KONAMI KEEP RELEASING THESE STUPID GAMES?!?!
Sighh, sorry, had to get my resentment against Konami out of my system. So yes, blurred or not, boxed (ala Gameboy Advanced Player) or not, I wanna play this stuff on my TV screen so very much! Granted I could do it with a puter, but the charm of doing it with Nintendo's hardware is just too great to resist, something that seems meant to be...

And that makes me wonder, how long has Nintendo been at work on this? Is this emulation, or is the game code being adapted to the new hardware?


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## KingVamp (Jan 31, 2014)

OK. Let me go ahead and start a petition to stop the DS games from coming to the Wii u because it's such a big deal.


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

KingVamp said:


> OK. Let me go ahead and start a petition to stop the DS games from coming to the Wii u because it's such a big deal.


 

I can see it now, "change.org - petition Nintendo because they're coercing me into buying games I already own" and on Twitter #ButthurtSelfentitlement


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## DSGamer64 (Jan 31, 2014)

chavosaur said:


> Thats kinda neat I guess. I wonder why they wouldnt offer digital downloads of DS games on 3DS as well. And before i get bombarded with stupid, yes I KNOW the 3DS can play DS carts, that doesnt mean that people who prefer full digital (like me) wouldnt mind being able to download his favorite DS games onto his handheld.
> 
> either way, I cant say im too excited yet because I have no idea what the price range of these games are gonna be. Nintendo probably isnt going to treat this like virtual console, and If I know them, theyre gonna have full retail price range in mind T_T


 

I'd rather buy some of those old DS games that I no longer own on the 3DS eShop then buy them on the Wii U. Seriously though I'd rather have more N64 and GC games on the Wii U then DS games.


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## Kippykip (Jan 31, 2014)

NahuelDS said:


> I hope they add some magnification filters like hq2x or 2xSai
> but knowing Nintendo... they won't


 
I hope they have no filters at all, just pixelated hopefully


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

Kippykip said:


> I hope they have no filters at all, just pixelated hopefully


 

Lolwut? Low-res games look like s**t on anything above 480p.


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## SuperrSonic (Jan 31, 2014)

Doesn't the Wiiware Ace Attorney games use the same resources as their DS versions? All the sprites are the same, making that a possibly good example of how they would look like.


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## MarioFanatic64 (Jan 31, 2014)

I *hope* they're not going to release them at native 256x192 resolution.

Upscale them to at least 480p please. Knowing Nintendo though... Prepare for the jaggies.


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

mariofanatic64 said:


> I *hope* they're not going to release them at native 256x192 resolution.
> 
> Upscale them to at least 480p please. Knowing Nintendo though... Prepare for the jaggies.


 


Screw 192p, 480p would be a lot better. I never understood why NES games had filters on both the game pad and TV, but not Snes? Trololol lazy Nintendo


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## Kippykip (Jan 31, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> Lolwut? Low-res games look like s**t on anything above 480p.


 
I prefer pixelation over blur
Blurring looks awful in my opinion just hurts my eyes :\


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

Kippykip said:


> I prefer pixelation over blur
> Blurring looks awful in my opinion just hurts my eyes :\


 

Well, as long as the game pad looks decent enough


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## Kippykip (Jan 31, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> Well, as long as the game pad looks decent enough


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## Bladexdsl (Jan 31, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> Lolwut? Low-res games look like s**t on anything above 480p.


you must be using the wrong tv they look stunning on my panasonic VIErA TH-P65VT20A 65" but than again everything does on this baby


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## Gaiaknight (Jan 31, 2014)

well this was unexpected from nintendo lol


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## Nah3DS (Jan 31, 2014)

Kippykip said:


> I prefer pixelation over blur
> Blurring looks awful in my opinion just hurts my eyes :\


 
bilinear filter = blur
hq2x, hq4x = no blur


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## Kippykip (Jan 31, 2014)

NahuelDS said:


> bilinear filter = blur
> hq2x, hq4x = no blur


 
I like the hq#x filters but just simple blurring (bilinear filter) I don't like
I'd doubt nintendo would ever put hq filters on though


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## Guild McCommunist (Jan 31, 2014)

Really I don't see it as "forced rebuying" of your games. Stop being so dramatic people. You can still buy a DS or a 3DS to play your DS games, it's just another option. I don't see N64 owners crying about rebuying Super Mario 64 or hell I don't see any of you people crying about paying $60 for a "HD remake" of Wind Waker that is basically just Wind Waker with minor adjustments. And you paid $60 for it.

I just think it's kinda a bland idea compared to just offering digitally distributed DS games on the 3DS or Gamecube games on the Wii U. This is neat at most, unexciting at worst.


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## Ryupower (Jan 31, 2014)

the VC system is nice, so new people can play, the classic games, that they never had a chance to play

there are many game on DS (and other systems), that   can are classic games, that cost over $60, used, and be hard to find, for a real copy of that game
and the VC system let you get the game for $10 or less right for the eshop

it not a bad thing

also
maybe Nintendo will see how will the DS game sell on the WiiU, and might bring top seller to the 3ds at some point


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## Arras (Jan 31, 2014)

Ryupower said:


> the VC system is nice, so new people can play, the classic games, that they never had a chance to play
> 
> there are many game on DS (and other systems), that can are classic games, that cost over $60, used, and be hard to find, for a real copy of that game
> and the VC system let you get the game for $10 or less right for the eshop
> ...


The problem is knowing Nintendo's track record one game will be released every 6 months.


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## The Real Jdbye (Jan 31, 2014)

Interesting, I didn't expect this. Since the 3DS already plays DS games one would think this would take away some potential profit.
Those who already have a DS/3DS probably won't get the Wii U just to play their DS games on it, while those who already have a Wii U will now be less inclined to get a DS/3DS.


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## Kippykip (Jan 31, 2014)

The Real Jdbye said:


> Interesting, I didn't expect this. Since the 3DS already plays DS games one would think this would take away some potential profit.
> Those who already have a DS/3DS probably won't get the Wii U just to play their DS games on it, while those who already have a Wii U will now be less inclined to get a DS/3DS.


 
What about those that have all 3


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## Maxternal (Jan 31, 2014)

Kippykip said:


> What about those that have all 3


Well, now you have even more choices of how to play/buy.


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## Clydefrosch (Jan 31, 2014)

For the average gamefaqs user, by the time you bought 4 games on vc, you couldve probably gotten a used lite+flashcard anyways. Expecting a just a 10 $ price point is kinda extremely optimistic, isnt it?


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

Bladexdsl said:


> you must be using the wrong tv they look stunning on my panasonic VIErA TH-P65VT20A 65" but than again everything does on this baby


 

Student budgets ruin everything  One of these days I'm getting a new TV with the money I make from my old-ish college-budget TV  Snes games look pretty good on the VC....never mind


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## trumpet-205 (Jan 31, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> Student budgets ruin everything  One of these days I'm getting a new TV with the money I make from my old-ish college-budget TV Snes games look pretty good on the VC....never mind


You could just force Wii U on 480p and use XRGB-Mini. Doesn't require new TV and this upscaler beats pretty much all TV's upscaling capability.


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## WiiCube_2013 (Jan 31, 2014)

Give me this one and I'm good.


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## the_randomizer (Jan 31, 2014)

trumpet-205 said:


> You could just force Wii U on 480p and use XRGB-Mini. Doesn't require new TV and this upscaler beats pretty much all TV's upscaling capability.


 

Don't have money for those, need a job before I can buy such a device. And besides, 480p on the Wii U seems kinda strange to me when I have it on HDMI   I'd use my Wii if I wanted 480p


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## chavosaur (Jan 31, 2014)

I wonder if they'll wait a year and then out really bad DS games on Club Nintendo for Wii u


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## iceypathx (Feb 1, 2014)

This is good, a really good idea from Nintendo. Just a joke; what's next? The next Wii console emulating 3DS games! HAHAAHA - ok not funny


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## the_randomizer (Feb 1, 2014)

chavosaur said:


> I wonder if they'll wait a year and then out really bad DS games on Club Nintendo for Wii u


 

You mean they don't release crappy games on the VC already?


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## chavosaur (Feb 1, 2014)

the_randomizer said:


> You mean they don't release crappy games on the VC already?


The difference is charging money for said crappy games and having said crappy games be free


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