Gaming Why is Nintendo so STINGY with Virtual Console games?

[Kikirini]

I never realized how many people want to play old games. I'm guessing new games have become too mainstream?

Probably has something to do with the fact that some old games are gems. And some people just like to replay old favorites.

 

[PolloDiablo]

And the inability to run. Doki Doki is considerably different for that one fact alone.

yeap, they tweaked the game a little

 

[totalnoob617]

when i bought a 3d system i was actually under the impression that there would be 3d games released for it in the VC, remakes of the best nes ,snes, etc

 

[RodrigoDavy]

And the inability to run. Doki Doki is considerably different for that one fact alone.

In the famicom version of Super Mario Bros. 3, if you got hit you turned to small mario no matter what item mario was using

In the NES version of Super Mario Bros. 3, if you got hit, you only turn to small mario if you are hit as big mario. If you're a fire mario, racoon mario or else you turn to big mario.

They're still considered the same game

I don't think the fact that you have the option to scroll faster in SMB2 makes it a different game than Doki Doki Panic

 

[The Milkman]

When are people going to stop complaining about this? I mean, VC isnt even that good. Overpriced old games packaged with a mediocre emulator arent exactly something I would think people would clamor for.

 

[TripleSMoon]

When are people going to stop complaining about this? I mean, VC isnt even that good. Overpriced old games packaged with a mediocre emulator arent exactly something I would think people would clamor for.

Overpriced? Have you looked at the average price of most of those games in your local retro game shop, or even on Amazon?

And how are the emulators mediocre? They run with perfect performance and compatibility (except for mild hiccups on select N64 games on the Wii, which still play better than any unofficial N64 emulator out there), with no frameskips, and one save state for good use if you're playing a game without a save feature (like so many Gameboy and NES games).

 

[Foxi4]

Overpriced? Have you looked at the average price of most of those games in your local retro game shop, or even on Amazon?

And how are the emulators mediocre? They run with perfect performance and compatibility (except for mild hiccups on select N64 games on the Wii, which still play better than any unofficial N64 emulator out there), with no frameskips, and one save state for good use if you're playing a game without a save feature (like so many Gameboy and NES games).

Those retro titles often sell for a dollar - literally. Retro stores ramp up prices - they're not the only places where you can get old games. There are always flea markets, EBay, garage sales etc., not to mention that many users still have their retro games, so re-purchasing them makes no sense whatsoever.

As for Nintendo's built-in emulators, they reach great performance due to per-game patches but lack in every other aspect - homebrew emulators simply have more options to choose from, including Save States, Real-Time Saving, Screen Capture and whatnot. Built-in emulators give you what's essential to play the game and nothing beyond that, and that's "too little" for some users.

Also, I'm not sure if it's not too late to post this... who am I kidding, it's never too late to post this... Virtual Console, huh?

 

[TripleSMoon]

Those retro titles often sell for a dollar - literally. Retro stores ramp up prices - they're not the only places you can get old games. There are always flea markets, EBay, garage sales etc., not to mention that many users still have their retro games, so re-purchasing them makes no sense whatsoever.

As for Nintendo's built-in emulators, they reach great performance due to per-game patches but lack in every other aspect - homebrew emulators simply have more options to choose from, including Save States, Real-Time Saving, Screen Capture and whatnot. Built-in emulators give you what's essential to play the game and nothing beyond that, and that's "too little" for some users.

Also, I'm not sure if it's not too late to post this... who am I kidding, it's never too late to post this... Virtual Console, huh?

I suppose if you frequent flea markets, you have a point. That really doesn't mean anything though for those of us who don't live near one, though.

And idk, maybe it's just different in your country. But I've never see a game on ebay or amazon for anywhere less than $5 at minimum for a decent retro game (the only exception being Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt at like $0.75, and that's just a demo cart).

And I see your point about the emulator features, but there's a difference between "mediocre" and "simplified." Nintendo's official emulators are designed for one thing, and one thing only: Being able to play retro games digitally from the comfort of your newest system, with a save state thrown in for games that lack save features, and so you can play in short bursts on the go. They're not meant for the billions of other things that homebrew emulators are meant for.

 

[heartgold]

As for Nintendo's built-in emulators, they reach great performance due to per-game patches but lack in every other aspect - homebrew emulators simply have more options to choose from, including Save States, Real-Time Saving, Screen Capture and whatnot. Built-in emulators give you what's essential to play the game and nothing beyond that, and that's "too little" for some users.

Interesting to note that 3DS supports real-time saving/save states for its emulators. That's how I beat NSB. XD

 

[Foxi4]

And idk, maybe it's just different in your country. But I've never see a game on ebay or amazon for anywhere less than $5 at minimum for a decent retro game (the only exception being Metroid Prime Hunters: First H

Well, yeah - Virtual Console titles are relatively cheapo, but that said, you don't have a cartridge or a box you could put on your shelf...

...not a very good argument for a person who just wants to play the damn game, I know! Geez... EMULATORS LOL.

Interesting to note that 3DS supports real-time saving/save states for its emulators. That's how I beat NSB. XD

All of'em or just select ones? I don't have a 3DS so I wouldn't know - I'm going by the Wii's Virtual Console.

 

[Jayro]

????

Anyway the way nintendo distributes games is not by simply using an emulator and loading a game.
They tend to use methods to emulate every game on a separate basis using the consoles hardware wherever possible.
To achieve this it will cost time and money.
For third party games, there are lots of reasons not to re-release some games due to the copyrights.
at least that is what I suspect....

Due to copyrights, we'll never get a Goldeneye port for the Wii/Wii U/3DS.

I was looking forward to that game the MOST from the Wii's VC... And it will never happen unless it's emulated. :/ It's pretty sad that my old Brick of an original Xbox can emulate Goldeneye near-flawlessly, but the Wii struggles and chokes. It's not only poor coding, but the Wii console's hardware leaves much to be desired. The Wii U is what the Wii should have been to begin with... able to keep up with the PS3 and the 360 with HDMI output. Too little, too late if you ask me.

 

[TripleSMoon]

Well, yeah - Virtual Console titles are relatively cheapo, but that said, you don't have a cartridge or a box you could put on your shelf...

...not a very good argument for a person who just wants to play the damn game, I know! Geez... EMULATORS LOL.


All of'em or just select ones? I don't have a 3DS so I wouldn't know - I'm going by the Wii's Virtual Console.

All of the 3DS VC I've played supports one real-time save state. There's even an optional toggle that makes it auto-save every time you close the game.

And I've only played a handful of Wii virtual console titles, but the ones that don't have saving built in (Mega Man X, Mega Man, Super Mario Bros.) have an auto real-time-save that activates when you return to the Wii menu.

 

[TripleSMoon]

Due to copyrights, we'll never get a Goldeneye port for the Wii/Wii U/3DS.

I was looking forward to that game the MOST from the Wii's VC... And it will never happen unless it's emulated. :/ It's pretty sad that my old Brick of an original Xbox can emulate Goldeneye near-flawlessly, but the Wii struggles and chokes. It's not only poor coding, but the Wii console's hardware leaves much to be desired. The Wii U is what the Wii should have been to begin with... able to keep up with the PS3 and the 360 with HDMI output. Too little, too late if you ask me.

You sure about that? The Wii is definitely a more powerful system than the original Xbox.

If emulators on the original Xbox are better, it's just due to better coding and diferent architecture.

 

[PolloDiablo]

In the famicom version of Super Mario Bros. 3, if you got hit you turned to small mario no matter what item mario was using

Japanese are hardcore!
I remember that too... I grew up with the pirated famicom cart version (the one that you could choose whatever item you want from the get-go )

 

[Jayro]

You sure about that? The Wii is definitely a more powerful system than the original Xbox.

If emulators on the original Xbox are better, it's just due to better coding and diferent architecture.

I think so too. I mean, it wasn't difficult to port already-well-working x86 emulators to the Xbox. With the Wii, people are writing them from scratch, or porting over Gamecube ports to run on the Wii.

 

[Foxi4]

I think so too. I mean, it wasn't difficult to port already-well-working x86 emulators to the Xbox. With the Wii, people are writing them from scratch, or porting over Gamecube ports to run on the Wii.

Or porting over any PowerPC emulators...

Seriously though, the gross majority of emulators these days are written in relatively portable languages - it doesn't matter which architecture you build for unless the emulator uses specific types of hardware acceleration unavailable on other machines.

Other than that, it all runs down to how well the emulator is programmed and how "capable" the architecture is at emulating another.

 

[heartgold]

You sure about that? The Wii is definitely a more powerful system than the original Xbox.

If emulators on the original Xbox are better, it's just due to better coding and diferent architecture.

Xbox was class. It's CPU is better than Wii's in raw performance and programmable shaders i believe. Although Wii has other ways to get around with extra RAM and improvements like bandwidth and speed in components to outperform the Xbox. Still some of the best Xbox games really stand out against most Wii games.

 

[RedCoreZero]

I believe the Wii/DS/3DS/WiiU have an emulator built-in but accesses games from the home menu like the DS Mode,it's built in but you access games from the home menu.Unless each app has a built in emulator and takes up space.

 

[Foxi4]

I believe the Wii/DS/3DS/WiiU have an emulator built-in but accesses games from the home menu like the DS Mode,it's built in but you access games from the home menu.Unless each app has a built in emulator and takes up space.

Each app has a built-in emulator, there's no Virtual Console "sandbox". That's because Nintendo has decided to build a slightly different emulator for each game so that they maximize performance. On a hacked Wii, you can actually mix and match, injecting different ROM's into different emulator "cores", sometimes ending up with working games that are otherwise unavailable on standard Virtual Console.

 

[Ethevion]

Nostalgia is a powerful thing in the gaming industry.
+ If gives a chance for newcomers to play older masterpieces.

I'm guessing nostalgia

It's not the start of some digital hipster shit, raving about Pong being the best game ever, or the Atari 2600 having better games than the Wii U. Some games just stand the test of time. Chalk it up to that.

Probably has something to do with the fact that some old games are gems. And some people just like to replay old favorites.

While nostalgia plays a big part for me when I play older games, I wont go out and buy them.We have the internet available to use and lets be honest, everyone has at least thought of pirating games, especially old ones.
Still, you guys are probably right. gamefan5's point about newcomers is actually a really good one.