Here’s a list of virtual console games that I wish were released on Wii U VC but never released:
Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story
Super Princess Peach
Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald
Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green
Zelda Link to the Past & Four Swords
Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platnum
Pokémon Black and White 1 and 2
Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver
Golden Sun Dark Dawn
Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania Order of Ecclesia
It’s strange some of the games like Mario & Luigi 3, Castlevania DS games and Golden Sun 3 never made it to VC given the previous entries were released. Also strange VC games like Super Smash Bros and Pokémon Puzzle Challenge that were released on Wii VC never came out for Wii U. Do you think had the Wii U been more successful and lasted longer we would have gotten more VC games including the GBA Pokémon games? It’s also strange Star Fox and Yoshi’s Island SNES never received virtual console release at all yet they arrived on SNES classic edition and NSO.
I think the reason Bowser's Inside Story didn't come to Wii U might be because there are parts of the game where you have to hold the DS on its side and the action is spread over both screens. That definitely could have been done on Wii U using just the GamePad, but if you were playing the game using the TV as the top screen and the GamePad as the touch screen (which I think is the default setup for DS VC on Wii U) it would be a bit jarring to have to change it mid-game.
But I agree it's a shame the Wii U VC wasn't more expansive. I would have loved to see some of the more expensive DS and Wii games come to it, like The Last Story, Ghost Trick, Solatorobo, Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, and the DS remakes of Dragon Quest 4-6 and Chrono Trigger. I'm not sure mainline Pokemon would have arrived on it even if the Wii U had been a success though, because it would have been difficult to preserve the multiplayer aspects on a home console.
I think the reason Bowser's Inside Story didn't come to Wii U might be because there are parts of the game where you have to hold the DS on its side and the action is spread over both screens. That definitely could have been done on Wii U using just the GamePad, but if you were playing the game using the TV as the top screen and the GamePad as the touch screen (which I think is the default setup for DS VC on Wii U) it would be a bit jarring to have to change it mid-game.
But I agree it's a shame the Wii U VC wasn't more expansive. I would have loved to see some of the more expensive DS and Wii games come to it, like The Last Story, Ghost Trick, Solatorobo, Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, and the DS remakes of Dragon Quest 4-6 and Chrono Trigger. I'm not sure mainline Pokemon would have arrived on it even if the Wii U had been a success though, because it would have been difficult to preserve the multiplayer aspects on a home console.
Good point about Bowser’s Inside Story. I remember tilting my 3DS in the boss battles when I played the remake version. As for post GBC Pokémon retro titles, I’m still hoping we will at some point see Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald GBA version released on the Switch eshop.
There's a three year gap between the virtual console and the remake, so it's likely they started development after the WiiU release, or the release was far enough into the future that they didn't mind.
Also with both remakes coming one year apart, chances are there was a development overlap as well, so the remake of BIS was likely already considered from the start.
Here's two more theories:
(fatalistic) The WiiU was pretty much already dead by the time BIS would come into the release schedule, so why bother.
(conspiracy) With the remake being arguably inferior to the original (depending on who you ask), maybe they didn't want to further hurt sales of the remake by having the original fresh in people's minds.
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Topic: Missing Wii U virtual console games
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