Topic: Why not more GBA games on the VC?

Why only 10 GBA games and not more of them? I know only Nintendo knows the answer but it will never give one if I ask them. Just want some opinions from others here.

They were for free for the Ambassadors only. If you're not an Ambassador, you can't get them at all right now. Maybe they'll start selling all ten of them to the public eventually though plus more but that will probably be a while.

Because there arnt

Personal theory:

There's no point in releasing them until there is a larger consumer base. Once the 3DS population doubles or triples, you can release these games as new and then they're new for much more people.

The people that would buy them now will buy them later. There's no guarantee people two years from now will look through the entire catalog though in search of games released years ago.

That's what I would do.

As an Ambassador, I'll say that the GBA games function much differently than all other VC.

Like DSiWare, the GBA games shut off all of the 3DS's cababilities (WiFi, and sleep mode are the most noticeable). The games don't pause when you press the home button (like all other 3DS software), instead the game simply shuts off, and you get returned to the home screen. Heck, they don't even have the little VC menu on the bottom screen like all other VC (even the NES games had this, sans the restore point feature). Also, every other type of VC game (including the NES games) automatically save when you shut them off. The GBA games don't do this (you have to use the game's own save system).

Pretty much, the games aren't set up to be played on the 3DS at all (even the NES games, with their initial lack of features, always felt like they were set up for the 3DS VC. the GBA games do not).

I'm sure they can make it to where the GBA games have restore points and such and actually be 'normal' like any other VC title. They probably just did what they did because they were low on time. Then again, idk, just throwing my 2 cents in it.

Well GBA games don't need restor points since they save a lot better then GB games do, but I'd like it to be in sleep mode and to be able to StreetPass when on and closed, same with DS and DSi games

Because I already most of the games I would want on GBA. Clearly.

That's because the GBA games Ambassadors has are more like emulations, while the downlodable GB and NES games are more like ports. In other words, the GBA aren't made to run with the 3DS features, while the GB and NES games is uppgraded to do this. If they were to make GBA games available on the eShop they would function the same as the GB and NES games.

First Nintendo would have to get the GBA games running on 3DS with all the features of any other VC game. They are a little rough right now and ported quite directly but that's ok for right now because they were gifts anyway. Even if Nintendo has it figured out right now, I wouldn't expect GBA games available for all for a while. At least not until there is a very solid library of GB and GBC games out.

GBA games play sort of like how GBA games played on an old DS. The only differences are that you can use Y in place of B, and you can press the home button. They're closer to playing a DS/DSiware game than they are a VC title. I think they use the legacy GBA mode that the original DS had rather than emulation. It would make sense, since the DS and GBA both used the same type of processor.

i dont want the Virtual Console menu, i just want them to turn the touch screen off so it dont waste any unnessesary battery power. other than that is fine and i would easely buy Golden sun 1 & 2 for 10€ each even with 3ds vc features that we have now.

I'd like to see them sell games that weren't on the ambassador program to us. (Maybe after the Nintendo DS/i/lite has been discontinued they'll add them) I'd like to see pokemon emerald/ruby/sapphire, and it would count for a dual-slot mode so when we play diamond/pearl/platinum we can use the pal park feature on the 3DS. I'd pay $19.99+ for that!

(I kinda miss that feature)

Oh wow, I had no idea they ran like that.
Well then, question for the ambassadors, did the NES/Famicom games run that way before they were updated? I know the update gave them restore points, but were they played more like how the GBA games are now?

We're almost at that point in Japan now where the Famicom ambassador games are all on sale, and we have a nice list of GB games. GBC games are still low, but the only ones I'm really waiting for are any pokemon games they'd put on, plus the Zelda Oracle games (I think most people are waiting for those. I'd like the see the GBA games, but looks like they'll have to update the exiting ones. I'm thinking end of this year or sometimes in the first half of next year. I'm fine with waiting though, there's lots of good 3DS games coming.

NES games didn't run like the GBA games, they just ran on bare-bones emulators without almost all of features before they're updated (You could still multitask on menus, Streetpass, etc.).

NES Open Tournament Golf just got updated in North America despite not yet being released for non-Ambassadors on the eShop, that'll probably be the next Famicom game for Japan as well.

No. The NES games always functioned like the GB/GBC games, minus the restore point.

@RR529 Hmm, I see. The GBA games will need a major update then.

Yeah, by 2013 I think we've (3DS Ambassador Program-eligible gamers) had the GBA games to ourselves long enough. Having to activate sleep mode from a menu and lack of restore points should be fixed after all this time too. Also, it's an opportunity to add more GBA games.

@Xilef Nintendo packs an emulator and a rom into every VC download. Based on what you're saying, since I'm not an ambassador, it sounds like they're just using an improved emulator.

I don't really care how the game functions, I just want the same games that you ambassadors have. How long must I wait? Sheesh. What a penalty for not having enough money at the time to buy a 3DS at launch...

@Xilef Yeah, for me I was waiting to return to Japan, since I didn't want to get a non-Japanese region, then I wouldn't be able to buy games here. I also missed out on Four Swords because I wanted. Ugh