i recently downloaded majora's mask on the VC, even though i already have the N64 cart, since i've heard about the wii outputting some vc games in 480p and wanted to see if it really was better.
i fired up the N64 first and had the familiar jittery old polygons i've known for years. the game looks pretty dated in this form and the blurriness of the interlaced picture is really apparent after getting used to 480p wii games, but at least it's still fun to play.
then, to the VC version... holy crap. i expected an improvement, but at times it looks so good that it's as if the game was remade on the gamecube while keeping the same overall look. completely clear and sharp while still looking smooth, no jitters, beautiful colors, every detail coming through even across the longest distances in the game... i don't like saying it, but the original version is an eyesore in comparison. between the component cables and 480p the wii version is a different game, well worth buying over again.
the vc consistently makes these games look better than they ever have before. it's supposedly better to pair old systems with a CRT tv, which is true when using the original systems, but it's absolutely not so with the virtual console. some people think any obsession over resolutions and cables has no place in retro games; i grew up using the RF hookup, possibly the worst (and most retro) connection there is, and have no fond memories seeing my beloved games with the seedless picture they did back in the day. i regard these games as works of art and having the ability to see them in all their glory, as they're supposed to look without the degradation in quality the older video outputs introduced, is truly a great thing. if anyone has felt stupid for considering a game on the virtual console they already own, i say there's no reason to; go for it.
Mario 64 was given a HUGE graphical overhaul, on the PAL version anyway.
i don't think it has anything to do with alterations to the games themselves, just the wii's video output. it seems to me like the wii exactly emulates most, but not all of the original systems' functions, and the video output may be one of the few things it doesn't. which gives you a totally faithful recreation of the original game that depends on the wii's video output to get to your tv instead of trying to mimick the video out hardware of the original system, because honestly i don't even know how that would work, or why they would even try it in the first place. because the wii has better hardware, you can use component cables in 480p for games that could never reach that resolution before, even though they were always capable of it; that's my own guess, i'm not a technical wizard here...
nintendo's customer service never really answers how any of this works when they're asked, and you can assume any response you get is a meaningless brush-off answer. you'd think they might capitalize on the fact that some games look ridiculously better than before to increase sales a little, but no. they don't seem to care much about the virtual console in general these days...
Token+Girl wrote:
I wonder how much of the improvement is based on better output/connections and how much is due to just aging of the original cartridges.
i don't think aging carts have anything to do with it. unless i'm missing something, carts either work or they don't; there's no gray area in between
i don't think aging carts have anything to do with it. unless i'm missing something, carts either work or they don't; there's no gray area in between
That is correct. Carts aren't like say a VHS tape, that will wear out and degrade over time. Carts are still digital and with digital, either it's there or it isn't.
Makes sense since the Wii can push out more than a thousand polygons and the NES can only push out 2D 8-bit sprites.
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i'm even more confused about this now. i tried using the wii's composite cables to level the playing field (the same type the n64 uses) and played majora's mask for a bit, and even then the game still looks better than the original. with same cables and output resolution the VC version still has the edge, so maybe nintendo does do some work cleaning up the games during the process of putting them up for download, who knows. either way your VC games will look better than they used to even if you use a SD tv with the supplied cables.
I was playing SM64 on the wii vc when I saw this thread, so I pulled out my 64 and my SM64 cartridge. By switching back and forth between inputs, I found out that there IS a difference. On the 64, it was blurry, a little fuzzy, and the color was a bit different. And there were black bars around the screen. I have component cables and 480p set on the wii.
They do look nice. I am glad there is an NTSC option for arcade games though since arcade game cabinet monitors were a bit different than normal TV sets.
I remember reading that Nintendo outputs N64 games at a higher resolution than the original system did. I'm too lazy to find a source, but I think IGN mentioned it in their reviews of Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64.
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Topic: VC games can look MUCH better than their original versions
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