Wii Virtual Console - Timeline
Thursday23rd Mar 2023
News Pokémon Games Continue To Dominate 3DS Charts Ahead Of eShop Shut Down
Catch all the Game Boy classics while you still can
Time is running out for the 3DS and Wii U eShops with the shut down taking place next week on March 27th. Ahead of this, we've got a sales update to show you what's charting on the 3DS eShop in North America with less than a week remaining. The Virtual Console Pokémon Game Boy games are still...
Saturday18th Mar 2023
News Pokémon Game Boy Titles Dominate 3DS eShop Charts Ahead Of Service Closure
Get 'em while you can
We're now nearing the end of the month and that means we're getting closer to the end of the 3DS and Wii U eShop service. If you haven't got around to making any last-minute purchases just yet, and are wondering what's hot on the 3DS eShop right now, the weekly sales chart for North America should help you out. As you can see...
Saturday24th Dec 2022
Soapbox Why Can't Nintendo Offer Both Virtual Console And Switch Online?
Says the writer that will need to redownload a lot of VC purchases on Wii U and 3DS
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Thomas discusses the unnecessary 'choice' by Nintendo between Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online...
Saturday26th Feb 2022
See for yourself
Nintendo yesterday added another game to its Switch Online Expansion Pack and updated the N64 library to Version 2.0.0. There have been all sorts of improvements, but this latest update is even better than expected, it seems. According to "Zelda 64 researcher" and Twitter user
Monday21st Feb 2022
Feature Is It Worth Importing A Japanese 3DS For These Virtual Console Games?
Save money on import classics before it's too late
As we all know the 3DS and Wii U eShops are closing down, taking with them countless classics in all genres. It's a decision that's understandably left many of us scrambling to find our old passwords and make those last minute purchases, finally turning those 'Maybe next time' purchases into a...
Friday18th Feb 2022
PSA Get All The Harvest Moon Games Before The 3DS And Wii U eShops Close
They've bought the farm
If you're embedded within the farming game community, you'll know all about the Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons schism, in which (Western localisation team and publisher) Natsume and (developer) Marvelous went their separate ways. Natsume kept the Harvest Moon name in the West, and cranked out a bunch of wildly disappointing...
Sunday31st Oct 2021
Review Mario Tennis (N64) - The Game That Gave Us Waluigi
Ace
This review originally went live in 2010, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. When Mario Golf was released back in 1999, it was already known that Camelot was working on another Mario sports title for the N64, and following a decent title released for the sadly ill-fated Virtual...
Review Sin And Punishment (N64) - A Genuine Treasure And No Mistake
Run-and-gun fun
This review originally went live in 2007, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Tiny Japanese developer Treasure has a back catalogue packed with classic titles, but one that sticks out more than most is Sin & Punishment. Released in the twilight days of the N64...
Wednesday30th Dec 2020
Random Dust Off Your Wii U, It's Time For Some Banjo-Kazooie And Blast Corps
Update: Maybe not...
Update [Wed 30th Dec, 2020 10:00 GMT]: Nintendo has updated the release schedule on its Japanese website and sure enough it was a mistake. Sorry folks! "Banjo-Kazooie's Adventure" and "Blast Dozer" have been posted as Wii U software delivered on December 30, 2020, but they will not be delivered. We apologize for the...
Tuesday25th Sep 2018
News Hold Me, Virtual Console Data Has Been Discovered In The Nintendo Switch eShop
SNES! Game Boy! Game Boy Color! N64! GBA!
Remember when Reggie said that Nintendo Switch Online was the Virtual Console's replacement? Turns out he might have been economical with the truth in that regard, as one clever devil has discovered that the Switch eShop JSON (JavaScript Object Notation, in case you were wondering) contains references to...
Tuesday8th May 2018
News The Virtual Console Isn't Coming To Switch, Nintendo Confirms
RIP
Nintendo thrilled Switch owners today with hard details about its new Switch Online service, which includes NES games that can be played for free and feature modern elements, such as online play and voice chat. We've known that retro games would form some part of the mooted online package for a while, but many were hopeful that the Virtual...
Monday16th Apr 2018
Talking Point Does Sega's AGES Announcement Mean The Virtual Console Is Dead?
And if it is, does it really matter?
It's fair to say that the Virtual Console was quite a significant part of Nintendo's plans back when the Wii launched; it was certainly significant in the development of the site you're reading now, which some of you may remember as Virtual Console Reviews prior to the triumphant merger with Nintendo Life in...
Friday22nd Sep 2017
Rumour Data Miners Find Evidence of Pokémon Crystal in the Gold and Silver VC Releases
Interesting...
Let’s be real, the VC release of the Game Boy Pokémon games is one of the easiest ways that Nintendo could make itself a nice profit. Pokémon historically is a franchise that moves units and nostalgia is a powerful factor in driving sales of the original, which are rather dated by modern standards. Few are complaining about the...
Monday21st Aug 2017
Soapbox Seriously Nintendo, It's Time For A Switch Joy-Con With A Proper D-Pad
Buttons just aren't as good
After months of speculation prior to the Nintendo Switch being officially revealed in October 2016, it's fair to say that the initial reaction was largely very positive. This early enthusiasm from the gaming community has been backed up by decent software support from Nintendo and a ever-growing install base; the Switch...
Thursday15th Jun 2017
News We Know There's An Appetite For Virtual Console On Switch, Says Reggie Fils-Aime
"What's going to be the best way to make that happen?"
The Switch has just had its first E3 but we still don't know exactly how the Virtual Console is going to work on the system. Nintendo has previously spoken about linking some kind of classic game service to the forthcoming paid subscription system, even going as far as to state that...
Sunday4th Jun 2017
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Online Service Promises a New Approach to Retro Gaming
Delayed, yes, but more relevant in its new guise
It may not be a trend that suits creators, but the public don't like paying for things as much as they used to. It's the great revolution that the internet has delivered - news is free, lots of video streaming is free or has a lower monthly cost, so as a result gamers want their content for less...
Thursday20th Apr 2017
News Rayman 3 and Rayman Advance Arrive on the North American Wii U VC Tomorrow
Yes, it's still kicking
When it comes to the Nintendo Switch, the Virtual Console is still largely a big question mark. We do know that a retro game will be given out each month with Nintendo's upcoming paid online service, but beyond that, details around the Switch Virtual Console have been quite scarce. Fortunately, the Wii U and 3DS VC's are...
Monday20th Mar 2017
News Secret Of Mana Sequel Seiken Densetsu 3 Shown Running On Nintendo Switch
Virtual Console incoming?
The official Twitter channel for the Seiken Densetsu series has tweeted footage of the third game running on the Nintendo Switch. Seiken Densetsu 3 is the sequel to Seiken Densetsu 2 (obviously), a game better known in the west as Secret of Mana. It's widely regarded as one of the best RPGs ever made - as you'll know if...
Thursday23rd Feb 2017
News Virtual Console Will Not Be Ready For Nintendo Switch Launch
"We will share more information in the future"
Nintendo has revealed that its retro-focused Virtual Console service will not be ready for the Nintendo Switch launch. The company has stated that it will share more information on this service "in the future". In slightly better news, Nintendo has also revealed that funds currently held on 3DS and Wii...
Tuesday14th Feb 2017
News There's No 'Concrete Answer' for GameCube on the Switch Virtual Console, But There's Hope
Also, the audio jack on the system works when docked, which is nice
Ever since the Wii U there's been a wait for GameCube on the Virtual Console. Nintendo's current home console never received that library of games, though it was backwards compatible with Wii games and its Virtual Console went right up to Nintendo 64; in other words, the GameCube is...
Monday23rd Jan 2017
Nintendo Download 26th January (Europe)
Castlevania: Dracula X! Inchworm Animation II! More!
We're not quite sure why, but the Nintendo Download Update details for Europe have been elusive today; thankfully the ever generous Daan Koopman has forwarded the Dutch press release that finally came through, and Kenneth Jensen then provided UK prices. In any case, this week comes with an...
Thursday19th Jan 2017
Video The Surprising Origins of the Wii Virtual Console Super Mario Bros. ROM
Claims and evidence that it was lifted from the internet
Here's an interesting topic to get debate going - what if Nintendo lifted a ROM of Super Mario Bros. from the internet and then repurposed it for the Wii Virtual Console a decade ago? It would certainly put Nintendo's policies against emulators in the spotlight. That's the claim made in a...
Thursday12th Jan 2017
News F-Zero X Comes to the North American Virtual Console Tomorrow
Hopefully it's the patched version
F-Zero X has had a bit of a rough time on the Virtual Console this generation. The high-speed racer ran into some serious control issues when it made its Wii U VC debut in Europe, and these issues actually rendered it nigh unplayable. Fortunately, Nintendo listened to fan outcry and fixed the issue a bit later, and...
Sunday11th Dec 2016
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Has the Potential to Deliver the Ultimate Virtual Console
An opportunity for a special retro experience
Over the past decade or so Nintendo has made significant strides in its online / download stores, with the eShop platform becoming vital for both 3DS and Wii U. Those stores both learnt lessons from their predecessors - on Wii and DSi - in terms of becoming more accessible and rewarding for Indies, while...
Friday9th Dec 2016
Poll How Important is the Virtual Console, and GameCube, for the Nintendo Switch?
If the rumours are true...
As part of the big January unveiling, or perhaps not long after, we'd expect the eShop (or new equivalent) to get a big push for the Nintendo Switch. We already know of multiple 'Nindie' developers that are actively working on projects, and considering the growth in importance of downloads it's inevitable that the new...
Wednesday7th Dec 2016
Rumour GameCube Virtual Console Coming To Nintendo Switch
Early games outlined
The Virtual Console has been one of Nintendo's real success stories of the past decade, giving players a platform on which they can rediscover old classics and play titles they might have missed first time around. While Nintendo hasn't given any solid details on what its plans are for the Virtual Console on the forthcoming...
Thursday13th Oct 2016
News Kirby Canvas Curse and Animal Crossing: Wild World Hit the Wii U VC This Week
Double trouble
Over the past few weeks, it seems that Nintendo of America has been keen to play catch up with the European Virtual Console. That trend looks set to continue, as this week's update will be including not one, but two DS games that are arriving nearly a year later on from their initial eShop debut. As always, better late than never,...
Thursday6th Oct 2016
News Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis Arrives on the Wii U eShop this Week
Just a year behind Europe
The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series has undergone a rather bizarre change in identity. What originally began as a continuation of the classic 1981 platformer that started it all, slowly morphed to become a Lemmings style puzzle series wherein you guide miniaturized of various Mario characters to exits. Though it could be...
Tuesday16th Aug 2016
Discuss What Next For The Nintendo 64?
#N64Memories' Steven Smith asks the question
Considering the Nintendo 64 is a twenty-year-old console, the title of this piece may seem odd. However, I personally think there is a potential future for the N64's hardware and software. We are currently in an important period for the console – 2016 and 2017 mark its twentieth birthday, depending on...
Thursday11th Aug 2016
News Mega Man X Lands on the New 3DS VC Tomorrow in North America
X marks the spot
Over this past summer, it seems that Nintendo of America has been focused on playing catch up with it's VC offerings. Of course, there are still some massive gaps to be filled, but the VC has been becoming more and more relevant as it's been gradually built up. The New 3DS SNES VC has also benefitted from this, and it seems that...
