Topic: DSi, downloadable GBA games?

I heard that we will be able to download GBA games for the DSi on the DSi Ware shop.
(Don't ask where I heard it from)

It's useless information if we can't know where you heard it from, especially since it's been rumored for so long.

It makes sense to release a VC on DSI, there where a lot of decent handheld titles on various handheld consoles mostly Nintendo's, but others too, but I doubt we will see it any time soon, hope I'm proven wrong on that though.

Reggie's comments imply that it's not coming, at least no time soon.
First is the ambiguous comment that the DSi VC is "not something we've talked about."
Then there's his continued emphasis that he wants downloaded games to make use of the DSi's unique features, something a VC certainly couldn't do.

Sorry here's my source:
The big reveal here though, and most likely the reason you clicked on this story, is that original Game Boy games and Game Boy Advance titles will be up to purchase and download very soon. Much like the Wii's Virtual Console service, there will mainly be just first-party Nintendo titles up for grabs at first, and like the DSi shop in general, will all be region locked.
One thing that will greatly please frequent fridge-cleaners is that gamers will be able to save and run these games directly from an SD Card in the DSi System, hopefully a sign of things to come for Wii. 8GB cards have been confirmed to work with the unit, so there should be no trouble with storage space.
Suddenly, Nintendo's decision to remove the GBA slot makes a little more sense. Those sneaky buggers, eh?
Source: ds.kombo.com.
Tags: Nintendo, DSi, Virtual Console, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2009/03/game_boy_legacy_revi...

from the Kombo article, which was updated after the NL article apparently:

EDITOR'S NOTE: Nintendo called Kombo up today and requested that it be known that some of the above information is not officially announced for North America and as a result, may not be completely accurate.

Specifically, they told us that you will not be able to play GB and GBA games directly from your SD memory card. Also, downloadable GB and GBA games have not officially been announced for North America (only Japan, so far).

Nintendo is holding their GDC 2009 key note speech tomorrow. Expect to be informed of the complete capabilities of DSi tomorrow. As always, Kombo will keep you updated.

that's weird, though. why didn't NL retract/update that when Kombo did?

Unfortunately, your source does not seem too credible. Scroll down and read the editor's note. Not only do they admit that it isn't actually confirmed for anywhere but Japan, but there is also no link to a confirmation from Nintendo about Japan getting such a service, so all signs point to Kombo being added to the untrustworthy list.

EDIT: Bested by the Black Dragon!

Hmm..... let's pretend that this was true, and that game boy advance games were on the DSi - what would everyone want to see? I'd pick Kuru Kuru Kururin, Konami Krazy Racers and Super Mario Advance 2 (not likely).

MOTHER3MOTHER3MOTHER3MOTHER3MOTHER3MOTHER3
The first Rhythm Heaven and those Bit Trip titles not made into Art Style games would also be nice, but not enough to make me want the system.

Gradius Galaxies!

I don't remember where and would have trouble finding it again, but I found another site reporting the same thing separately (from another guy who went to one of those pre-release events), which leads me to believe that the feature WAS mentioned at some of them. Not all of them, though, which when coupled with Nintendo's retraction leads me to believe that they weren't SUPPOSED to mention it at all.

Since it's been announced in Japan, I find it VERY hard to believe that it won't hit here sooner or later. Reggie's vague comment sounds more like a way to say "we haven't announced it yet" than "it isn't coming" to me. Sure, he wants DSiWare games to make use of the DSi's features, but why should that keep it from also having a VC? The Wii's VC doesn't make use of waggle controls, after all. And I find the setup of the DSi Shop very suspicious the way it has that one big "DSiWare" button in a location comparable to the VC, WiiWare, and Channel buttons on the Wii Shop Channel. The way it's set up looks ready to shrink that button down to make room for a VC button next to it.

Anyway, on to games I'd like to see. Might we dare dream Shantae? (Yeah, I wish...) More realistically, Link's Awakening (preferably DX, but it's hard to tell after Nintendo put up the wrong versions of Wario's Woods and Yoshi's Cookie on Wii VC), Oracle of Ages and Seasons, Super Mario Bros. DX, all the Wario Land games (and Mario Land too, of course), Metroid II, etc.

@Wiiloveit: Why do you think Super Mario Advance 2 is unlikely? Assuming that they'd rather sell Super Mario World on Wii's VC? I wouldn't put it past them to make both versions available.

As for GBA games I'D like to see, all four Mario Advances, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (maybe they could release it in conjunction with Mario & Luigi 3?), Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, Link to the Past/Four Swords (with wireless link capabilities, if they could swing it), etc. Tons of awesome stuff to choose from.

I eagerly await the proper announcement of the new feature, as well as a fix for the COMPLETELY retarded lack of ability to runs games from SD (they JUST fixed the Wii problem, but made it happen again on DSi...WHY?!?!?)!

@Stuffgamer1: Oh yes! Superstar Saga! That would be brilliant! The first one was way better than the DS one. I wish I hadn't lost/sold it... If it comes to DSi shop I'll get it instantly.

@Stuffgamer1: Super Mario Advance 2 is unlikely since there are two games in one there (Super Mario World and Mario Bros), and I can't see Nintendo being so nice as to put release them both together at once. Unless they release the two separately, that is. All I know is that SMA2 is the best version of SMW, and I NEED TO PLAY IT now that my GBA slot has gone and the lighting on my original GBA is crap.

@Wiiloveit: It may be two games in one, but the two were never available separately on any device that the DSi VC would cover. So unlike Super Mario All Stars, I don't really see a way they could split it up into original releases. For now, maybe you should get a GBA SP. They don't cost all THAT much anymore, y'know.

I don't understand it. I know the Virtual Console is gonna cool to get GB and GBC games but not Game Boy Advance, you already have the DS Lite which has the slot for playing those games but I guess its a cool feature

Well I hope this rumor is not true.

if you go through the comments on the Kombo post, the dude who was there at the event for them posted that he had heard that straight from the lips of the person speaking to him, and had even questioned them about what they had just said, and then after the article was published they got the call from Nintendo. There's no telling whether or not the representative doing the talk was just confused on that fact herself, though, or whether it was actually true (and i hope it's true ).

as for what game I'd like to see first? Superstar Saga! I never had a GBA when that came out, I never got to play it, and everyone says it's better than Partners in Time (which was a disappointment, IMO; there was only one part in the game I really liked and that was it :/). I would love to have that available. :3

edit: why do I keep saying Kotaku? It was Kombo.com... o_O;;

Stuffgamer (or anyone), can you give us a reliable source that confirms Nintendo of Japan's announcement of DSi VC? I know that site that Nintendo-Life cited mentions this, but they also originally mentioned it'd be for NA and EU, too, so I am forced to be a bit skeptical of their word now, whether it's their fault or not.

I reeeeally want to believe this, but I don't.

I went through the first two pages of google results for 'japanese dsi virtual console'... every single page (gizmodo, pcauthority.com. stuff.tv, softpedia, wikipedia, smashgamers.com, computerandvideogames.com, gamersreports.com, play.tm, splegends.com, etc.) that had anything to say about a Japanese VC for DSi was quoting kombo.com... and half of those articles were quoting the original kombo article (pre-edit) as truth. :/

the only thing not related to kombo that I was able to find was an article on gonintendo.com -- here it is -- where their trusted source at a different nintendo dsi event heard the same thing (VC is coming for DSi) from the representative present.

either way, the president of NoA had an interview with Wired.com recently where he says, "The concept of Virtual Console on DSi is not something that we've talked about, nothing that we've commented on. I know it's something many of your readers would like to see, but it's not something that we've talked about,"... so he's either covering it up, or they really aren't working on it at the moment (surely Nintendo of Japan would keep the Nintendo of America president informed about upcoming features/announced features, wouldn't they?).

Well, Kombo's retraction says that NINTENDO told them directly that it hasn't been announced outside Japan, which implies that it was announced there. However, I must admit that I've seen no official announcement outside of that.

This whole thing is highly disappointing. Nintendo would surely rake in the moolah if they did start up this service, and yet they seem to have no plans for it, at least none that they've OFFICIALLY announced. I'm tired of trying to trust much of anything Reggie says, though, partially because of the weird round-about way he talks and partially because he has a history of changing his stance on something for no apparent reason. Nothing is final, that's for sure.