My apologies for posting this thread if there is one already like it. I am on my 3DS right now so I cant really search for one.

Anyway I was browsing through the GB VC games to see what else I can get today along with SML2 and I noticed that some games like Mega Man and SML for example are $3.99 while other titles like Alleyway, Avenging Spirit and Tennis are $2.99. Now I can understand making Links Awakening $5.99 due to the fact that its a GBC game buy why are some GB games 3.99 and others 2.99? To me it seems like the more well known one liks SML2 are 3.99 are the less known ones are 2.99. Is this why the price difference the popularity of the game. I would think Nintendo would have done a price range like they did with the Wii VC where all NES games are one price all SNES game are another etc.

Has Nintendo said anything why the different price ranges for games on the same system?

Its not really going to keep me from buying the games I want but it does confuse me a bit when I have like say 3 dollars left over and the game I want is 3.99 where as other GB games are 2.99.

Yep, any of you who complained DK Jr. Math was the same price as The Legend of Zelda on VC, are you happy Nintendo's apparently listening?

I think in Japan Nintendo did charge an extra 100 points for "marquee" Super Famicom games like Zelda and the Fire Emblems.

I always assumed the price was based on the quality or content of the game. Stuff like Alleyway or battleship for example are really basic and there isn't much to them. A much more popular game or one that has alot of content always tends to cost more. It is strange though how Wii VC games were priced all the same aside from Imports.

I don't know about elsewhere, but Donkey Kong is priced 300 yen in Japan as opposed to the standard 400, and that's a very substantial game. Phantasm/Avenging Spirit is 400 here, though (as is Side Pocket, which is another of those old outdated "only reason to buy is nostalgia" sports games). It seems to be more of a "special deal" price than anything.

Zelda is more expensive because it's GBC, yes. Japan has two GBC games, both priced 600 yen

I think it's better to have the varied prices. There is no way that Baseball is worth the same amount as Super Mario Land or Kirby's Adventure and they should have done the same with the Wii VC

Pac-Man gets the 'premium' price because its a familar character despite it not being high on quality or content.

I like the flexible price range. If there wasn't one, Alleyway and Tennis would cost $3.99, and people would be more reluctant to put up that much for them. If those games cost just as much as SML, chances are consumers will just get SML instead.

It's 300 in Japan, though, so the pricing seems very arbitrary. And Pac-Man is a quality game.
For the record, the full list of games priced 300 yen is: Radar Mission, Alleyway, Tennis, Pac-Man, Golf, Donkey Kong and Baseball. Everything else is 400, except the GBC games Zelda and Card Hero, which are 600 each.

Surprised Donkey Kong costs less in Japan.

Game Boy : US$2.99; AU$4.50
Game Boy (Premium) : US$3.99; AU$6.00
Game Boy Color : US$4.99; AU$7.50
Game Boy Color (Premium) : US$5.99; AU$9.00
Game Boy Advance : US$6.99; AU$10.50
Game Boy Advance (Premium) : US$7.99; AU$12.00

Of course, prices may vary over time, but if the current VC offerings on the eShop are anything to go by, these will be the prices for the foreseeable future.

@sillygostly - so I guess I'm not alone in that kind of thinking then

GBA games won't be on the eShop for purchase. Unless Nintendo has a change of heart, but I'm still doubtful.

The eShop needs more consistent releases across all regions, North America, Europe, and Japan. No more of this "Japan has more games" BS. They need to spread out the releases equally.

And where are all the GBC games? North America only has Link's Awakening. Where are Wario Land 3, Super Mario Bros. DX, Donkey Kong Country, Metal Gear Solid, etc.?

Coming (eventually), most likely not coming since soon the NES Ambassador games will be made available to the public making it useless to have, coming eventually if Rare can't prevent its release, and coming if Konami decides to release it for the VC. Don't expect a deluge of GBC games to come so quickly to the VC; there are a lot of GB games that will come before large amounts of GBC games come, as I'm sure Nintendo believes GB game sales will suffer if there are enough GBC games to woo consumers on the eShop.

That's like saying Master System and NES game sales will suffer since there are Super NES and Genesis games on the Wii VC. A classic game is a classic game, regardless of what system it's on.

Also, Nintendo owns the rights to anything Donkey Kong related, it's their decision whether they bring DKC to the 3DS, not Rare's.

When it comes to the DKC games Nintendo only owns the CHARACTERS rights. The game engine itself and the level designs Rare owns. Which is why Microsoft cant put the DKC games on XBL without Nintendos ok unless Microsoft wants to change all the Kong characters in the game.

Why would Microsoft want to put DKC on Xbox Live? They know they'd have to alter practically everything about the game. Nintendo would never let them do that.

EDIT: I do remember that Rare helped port the DKC games to the GBA. So does that mean Microsoft doesn't care if Rare still makes games for Nintendo systems, even though Nintendo is a major competitor? That would be like Sony letting Naughty Dog make a Metroid game.

The reason that Microsoft lets Rare make games for the DS and other handheld systems is because Microsoft doesnt have a handheld games system of their own so there is no conflict of interest so to speak. Now if Microsoft did have a handheld console like the 3DS, PSP or Vita than they probably wouldnt let Rare make any games for Nintendo's or Sony's handhelds.

I'm not sure it's quite that simple, you'll probably find Nintendo doesn't just own the rights to the characters. In fact Nintendo most likely owns the rights to the whole games. Rare couldn't just change the characters.

Actually its not unheard of Rare switching out the characters. Original the game It's Mr. Pants was going to be Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers but when Rare was bought out by MS that ended the relationship with Nintendo so Rare changed the characters. Also the GBA game Banjo-Pilot was going to be Diddy Kong Pilot a sequel to Diddy Kong Racing but again cause of MS buying out Rare they had to change the characters in the game from Nintendo's Donkey Kong characters to Rare's Banjo characters.

@Tasuki

But Rare did help Nintendo port the DKC games to the GBA, they even added a few new levels and music tracks to DKC3.

Rare also ported Diddy Kong Racing to the DS, but they removed Banjo and Conker for obvious reasons.