Poll: Have Your Say On The GamePad's Role With The Wii U Virtual Console

GBA games should be on 3DS, not WiiU.

Its a shame that a lot of major Wii U games don't use the touch screen but the developers just don't want extra work with new technology. That's also part of the reason why Wii U has no third-party support

@XFsWorld The Wii U can always use more games.

I just want my 1080p N64 games with 16xAA and texture filtering already.

The gamepad to me is just a giant Game Boy and I loves it!

I always play these VC games on the gamepad! I tend to play games in bed a lot. I take the gamepad upstairs and play my games from there. When I play normal WiiU games, I make use of the TV. That way I can appreciate the HD graphics more.

I'd love it!

The Wii U Gamepad will be VITAL to playing GBA games how they're supposed to be made, on 1 little screen.

@XFsWorld
Or both. But they should definitely be on the 3DS.

@XFsWorld And the sequel to a console game should be on a console. AHEM Link to the Past (SNES)

I enjoy playing on the gamepad. But if the gamepad is the reason why there are no N64 games (or gamecube) on the wii u, which was one of the reasons I got the wii u, I would gladly play those games not on my gamepad.

@XFsWorld Wonder why the results for that question were so low......

How I wished GBA on 3DS rather than Wii U.......... :3

My first post here! I've been reading all of your comments for a while now and have decided to join the conversation Glad to make your acquaintance.

Anyway, I just bought a Pro Controller on Amazon and plan on using it as my new proprietary controller. I bought it in preparation for Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros, but I am pretty sure that Virtual Console games are compatible as well. So, if that's true, I will be using it for Metroid Fusion and Superstar Saga next Thursday

Gamepad is a gimmick. PS 4 is doing pretty well with a normal controller.

I really wish they'd put the GBA games on 3DS. I know it's beating a dead horse, but GamePad functionality is no substitute for true portability.

Even though I have games on the Wii VC and transferred them to the Wii-U I really like playing them on the Wii-U pad, whenever I'm in the mood I play Super Mario World on and bring up a game guide on the TV it's very handy. I do think that the service should be expanded from the other platforms, whether one day it's N64 or / and Mega Drive. As for GBA games coming to Wii-U I think it's a good move by Nintendo and I am looking forward to seeing them on a TV and as for DS that's going to be very good! I don't know if I speak for everyone who reads articles on Nintendo life but I'd be happy to pay a £1 - £2 extra to be able to download games and play them on 3DS as well as Wii-U. Shame you can't but hay it's good to have retro games on Wii-U!

Most of the time I use the gamepad for SNES games, unless it's multiplayer. I'd love to play some Sega VC games, but since they're only available in the Wii mode, without gamepad input, they're a no deal for me

@XFsWorld

with that logic, NES games should be removed from the 3DS and put ONLY on Wii U

In my own opinion, Off-TV play has been the best feature of the console. It is just too inconvenient for me to tie up the living room television with games anymore, plus I have the luxury of reclining or lying down and playing without too much discomfort. It proved invaluable last time my back acted up and I was stuck in bed for a day.

@XFsWorld

putting out on both systems, they also should allow the Wiiu version be emulated like they played via the gamecube GBA addon

@Darknyht Well said.

@XFsWorld I disagree bigger screen more fun if I have to exchange portalbility for that so be it.

I unfortunately don't own any VC games but I will once nest Thursday hits and will be playing nonstop. Hopefully they fully intergrate Off-Screen and Gamepad support! Here's to the future!

I wish the gamepad screen was sharper. I find most games look too soft or even a little blurry. The original Super Mario Bros (Wii U virtual console) is a prime example. I still enjoy gaming on the gamepad screen though. I just think improvments to the screen could be (should have been) made.

As much as I enjoy Off TV play, I find myself wanting more dual screen experiences (think: ZombiU) as time goes on.

@ValiantPixel Same here. Even with Monster Hunter 3U, I use the Pro Controller, and just have the gamepad sitting next to me for the touchscreen selections. One of the best uses for all 3, to me, was Need4Speed, where I used Pro Controller for driving, and the Gamepad as rearview mirror/touchscreen dashboard options.

The GamePad, I do like it and wish it was utilized more, I just prefer that 60 hour battery and the feel of a normal controller with the with WiiU Pro Controller.

@JasonHadouken just about to comment this exactly basically lol the screen quality just inst good enough for me to want to play games on it when i have my 1080p 60" right there

The idea of having handheld games on Wii U is genius. Now all those whiners who want gba games on 3ds might get a wii u .

@JasonHadouken the solution to this is both simple and something Nintendo won't do. Offer up a GamePad Lite, or second iteration, that among other things introduces a qHD screen. qHD is both cheap enough and visually improved over the 480p screen in the current Pad. qHD is 540p and makes a huge difference at 6.2 inches.

I don't yet own a Wii U, but I would imagine Virtual Console games would work better on a smaller screen, especially the GBA games as they were originally intended to be held in your hands near your face anyway.
I also really like the idea of being able to play these old classics in bed as well, because that just sounds like heaven to me.
Hopefully I'll have a Wii U to try it out soon!

My answers were fairly harsh, but that's not to say that I don't see Off-TV play as a neat option, but I live in a condition where nobody else uses the TV I use to play the Wii U on, so it's not a feature I personally use all that often.
Anyways, it feels like every time Tropical Freeze is brought up, the article feels a need to remind us that it only uses the GamePad for Off-TV play, and I'm getting tired of it. I'm sure Retro's staff was up all night every week, trying to shoehorn another way to use the second screen into the game, but realized that in a game where gameplay is challenging, and speedrunning is supported with online leaderboards, looking back and forth between two screens would hold the game back. I love the GamePad, especially in WWHD, but it doesn't have to be used for every game, even first/second party titles.

@Nintendo_Ninja Wait, what? A second-hand GBA and whatever game you want to play on it is still cheaper than a WiiU and the VC-version of that game.

That's why VC is a bonus and not a main selling point, and should be treated as such, i doubt anybody is going to buy a WiiU because ZOMG GBA GAMES! (Note that i mean this in a non-anti-Nintendo sort of way)

Now that GBA games are coming out once more, we need a western release of MOTHER 3!!

I'm still disappointed that a true console sequel to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (the GameCube original) wasn't made for Wii U yet. I mean c'mon all the necessary technologies are already there (local multiplayer, second screen, touch functionality, online play, etc.), the game just needs to be made.

Both, both, both. Options, options, options.

@MysticX
who would go out of their way to buy a second hand GBA just to play the VC games... yes, it "would be cheaper" in the short run butlong run, hell no. most of those games you'll have a hard time getting them cheaper than $40 , so more GBA's are $60-$70 so I'll take the average of another $65 so that is a total of $105, now, since we are talking about second hand here, you can get a refurbished Wii U off the Nintendo store for $200, now, to buy a GBA game, you are looking at $30-$40 if not more for most of those games going on the VC next month at $8 a pop on the Wii U so lets take a look at this, if you buy 5 of those GBA games, you are looking at $150 to $200 along for those games, plus the cost of the used GBA. Yes, you may be able to find those games cheaper but overall, people sell them for quite a bit because they are hard to get and are more of a collectors item now. Also, might I remind you that the GBA is no longer supported, cannot play the newer games and does not have any services.... really at all. But still, if you were to buy the Wii U, plus the 5 GBA games, you'd be paying about the same price as you would have for a Wii U so don't go give that crap as an excuse as to why they should not be on the Wii U.

GBA games for Wii U? NO. 3DS. ONLY. PLEASE.

@NintendoDolphin

Then NIntendo should remove ALL NES games from the 3DS E-shop

@sagen Believe me, nothing would make me happier either, but the reality is that VC games don't take effort to be made. It'll be easy for Nintendo to release the game in Japan, since the text is in Japanese, but to release it in other countries would require the game to be translated, and thus Nintendo would have to actually work on a VC game. It's for this reason that I think they won't even release the game in Japan; when Mother 2/Earthbound was released, fans from other countries flooded the Japanese Miiverse with comments begging for a western release. In Earthbound's case, it took as much effort as any other SNES VC game, which makes it weird that they added $2 to the traditional eShop price for SNES games, but if Mother 3 is ever released, I'd be okay with it being a bit pricier than other GBA titles.

@allav866 - True.. I guess I'll just have to stick to my GBA flash cart for now (but don't tell anybody )

@ikki5 Nobody would care if they did.

@Doma

Yeah they would, don't deny it. If they removed the NES games, meaning Mario is gone, Zelda is gone, Metroid is gone, Megaman is gone, Ninja Gaiden is gone, Castlevania is gone plus many more, you'll have an army of whining, crying 3DS fans spamming everything Nintendo (the GB games would stay of course). I don't know if you remember but before NES titles were introduced on the 3DS VC. people were asking for them and spamming facebook pages. Heck, you have people raging that there are no SNES games on the 3DS. they though earthbound should be on there, Zelda 3 because the first two were released and Link Between Worlds was for 3DS. I have seen arguments that the Megaman X games should be on the 3DS because the Wii U has it, and the 3DS has the first 6 for NES.. Face it, people will care.

That last question if kind of hard to answer. I never use the GamePad's Off-TV functionality, period. So, I don't think the GamePad is important at all for GBA games, for example. But it's obviously completely necessary for DS games because of the touchscreen.

I love the option of the gamepad, but I have a major complaint. The distance you can use the gamepad. I wish it could be used further away from the console because I'd love to take it to various spots in the house and have the console sitting in the living room. Otherwise, if I'm in the living room, I'm going to use the bigger screen. But, give me the option to take that controller up to bed at night without losing connectivity and I'd be sold.

@ikki5 NES games are far too old and unplayable for the majority of people to care about nowadays. A few whining fanboys can't be equated to an army, lol.

GBA Games should have came to 3DS first then Wii U

I wish the Wii U would hurry up and fail soon so Nintendo's only choice will be to put them on the 3DS Virtual Console.

This conversation is more about wether a game pad is important. Whenit should be about why Nintendo thinks that gba games will make the wiiu succeed. The focus should be on expanding vc with n64 and game cube. Not distracting the wiiu audience with these gba titles. When there has onlybeen one major game release this year. And Reggie,noa's mouth piece said they wouldn't repeat the same software drought of 2013...disappointed much wiiu fans? Why yes..

@ikki5 NES games are rubbish anyway just having whatever consoles have a proper portable version would be much better. (i.e PC Engine and Megadrive games / GBA / GBC / GB). Nearly all NES games are the worst version or an inferior port of an Arcade game (That has a better PC Engine version).

Another good example of Nintendo just not being bothered doing anything properly.

Warioware should have been an eshop release based on the Gamecube version supporting Wiimotes.
Yoshi's Island should have been the SNES version.

Everybody other than Nintendo puts in some effort.

@XFsWorld the 3ds sure has a lot of home console vc titles that have never made it to the wii u. Just sayn

Exactly, GBA VC should've come to the 3DS before the Wii U, or not even coming to the Wii U as a matter of fact. The 3DS is perfect for old classic portable games. And as for the last question, the GamePad's role is vital for the Wii U Virtual Console, but I don't think GBA and DS games are the right fit for a home console, so if it has to come to Wii U, then the GamePad is the only way to go in my opinion, and therefore if we have GBA and DS games on a home console, the most ideal way to play is on the GamePad. But like I said, the best case scenario and the most ideal option above anything else in this context, would be to have GBA VC on 3DS, and not Wii U (or simply just including Wii U).

@unrandomsam you need to do a bit of research the game and wario games originated as tec demos for the game pad.

I wish I could shut off the game pad screen when playing VC games on TV.

It is perfect for retro gaming! I love it

Gamepad allows me to play in bed on weekend mornings so I find it a vital part of my VC experience.

I lean more towards playing console VC games on the TV, as I feel that's how they were meant to be played, but I'd like to play handheld VC games on the Gamepad, as I feel that's how they were meant to be played.

I share a TV with my wife and off screen play is VITAL to me getting game time because I can play while she works out or watches TV. I also watch netflix in morning with breakfast before she wakes up (I am a teacher so am up super early) and not wake her up.

@Goginho if gba games made it to the 3ds owners would be angry if they couldn't get ambassador titles. To sell them to 3ds owners would anger ambassadors seeing as how they have been told by iwata that ninty would never do it. Traditionally if coustomers are going to be mad regardless ninty does both or neither. In this situation both is not possable. I am not an ambassador but do own both systems.

@Doma

So... NES games are too old... then what does that make the GB games and the GBC games... let alone most GBA games are old now as well as more were release more than 10 years ago so to say a game doesn't matter because it is old is a weak argument. As for an army, I am going to say that without a doubt. Take a look at what happened with Earthbound when it was a Wii U exclusive. Did you see the facebook page? Did you see the article about about earthbound on this very website? and that is in the range of what you'd call an old game being almost 20 years old for NA and more than 20 years old for Japan and yet look how much that blew up. SO I doubt the fact of a game being old will mean that no one will care. Even Megaman, Capcom has pretty much ditched megaman so those people that love megaman, won't be able to really get much of a megaman fix except for that shot GB one which is even older than some of the NES ones on there now.

@unrandomsam

yes it is true a lot of NES games were from arcade games and that the arcade version were usually superior but that is not really the point. The point of the NES was so that you could have these games in your own homes a lot easier than having one giant machine sitting in your living room. What I find odd is you saying that they did this improperly yet I am curious to see you do any better let alone at that time, what kind of tech they had to work. If it was today and they were doing this, I am sure you'd see a massive difference in the porting methods and technology.

Now here is another thing that I am going to counter your claim of them not doing things properly. Nintendo, needs to find some way to get some spice to the Wii U, needs a way for people to be interested in it. Well, what do you know, they take the GBA and DS games, and announce them for the Wii U. Obviously, it has gotten a lot of attention from people which is what it needs. People REALLY want GBA games and this point is obvious, this article and the few others in the last week is more than enough evidence to back that up. Now, I am not saying that this could be a system seller, but it is just one of those things that could swing more people into wanting a Wii U. You got the new games in HD, new features, and now, some of the other secondary games that you really wanted and have been pretty much begging for (maybe not you directly, but people in general). Now, tell me where here that this is Nintendo doing THIS improperly, mean, this current subject about GBA games because knowing you, you'll rant a storm. Don't give the the excuse saying they;'d get more business and more money if they released it on the 3DS because that is probably not the point here. They probably know they could make more but would rather give that bit more of a spice to the machine.

@ikki5 this. You are absolutely right

Yeah, the Wii changed everything! /sarcasm

Seriously, though, NL used the GamePad very well; it's too bad Wii U had horrible press from the jump and Nintendo did little to combat said press, otherwise people would be less down on games like Nintendo Land. I'd argue it's as good a use for the GamePad as Wii Sports was for the Wii Remote; and until SS, the Wii Remote was pretty poorly used. It's funny how people forget that...

@faint Well that sucks. I'm not an ambassador, but would love to play those games on my 3DS, seeing as how they did come from a more primitive era, or from a portable system, and thus would fit well in the 3DS Virtual Console. Fans getting angry is kinda stupid imo, I mean, they paid for an arguably overpriced 3DS, sure, but they got those games for free (which are top games btw, so nothing to complain about there imo), and non-ambassadors would have to probably pay the deficit amount in order to reach the same level of content as the ambassadors got (maybe even pay more if each game was priced fairly high, and arguably a bit too high, which Nintendo likes to do), so in the end, there is nothing to be angry about, only maybe the ones that will never ever have access to those games (like you and myself). Sure, one can always say, "well, look at ebay and get an old system", but I mean, if the 3DS already has a lot of old classics, why restrict it from getting the full amount (i.e. the games a certain group of people are "priviledged" to get). Why wasn't there an abassadors programm for the Wii U after the price cut? I think Nintendo realized that that may not have been the best move, regarding future interactions and what not. They maybe didn't look too far into the future, and made it as an impulse move, I guess.

All I'm saying is, portable games are best suited on portable systems, as are other old-school classics nowadays, such as SNES games, respectively, and the 3DS is more than capable. Console games, N64 and on, should be, and most likely will be as time goes by, put on a console's VC. So all in all, my ideal situation or best case scenario, if you will, would look like this: NES, GB, SNES, GBA, DS for 3DS; SNES, N64, GC, Wii, for Wii U (this, including standard backward compatibility). Hopefully with some sort of cross-buy/play involved, but that's already wishful thinking. And nobody should really get mad about that, the ambassadors that would whine about non-ambassadors getting the games they got for free, while non-abassadors are having to pay for them, I feel have no real reason to. But hey, w/e, I can't stop someone from being mad about something like that, I can only state my reasoning. So be it.
In the end though, that sucks if Iwata really said that and if the company really means that

I have my own TV just for the Wii U, soooo....yeah.

Well, with Tropical Freeze I can kinda understand why gamepad fades to black - my theory is, if it actually would run on both, the game could be 30 FPS. I mean, when the demo displays on both screens, there is something wrong going on.

The only fail of WiiU is drought - and that's pretty much it. Quality and replay value or value itself is outstanding. Best Mario games in years, hell, best games in years.
Well, ok, there are few things other than drought - misjudgement. Why would you decide to release portable games on a home console? It would be better if they would've brought some SNES games never released outside of japan, they have still catching up to do with N64 (because gamecube games look like out of the question with WindWaker HD released) and give Advance for 3DS. I mean, Advance games on WiiU look like pretty stupid idea. Yes, there are same games that we all would love to play, like Mario and Luigi, Metroid, WarioWare and all that, but how it will look on HD TV? Probably disastrous... and by having advance for 3DS they could kinda boost 3DS sales by giving pokemon games from advance - I think poketransfer would work without a problem to DS games or Y. Now try that on WiiU - it makes the game kinda pointless. It only shows a desprate attempt to make people stay with this console and having at least something to play on it.
Another thing for misjudgement is that they expected the console will sell by itself, without any ads, hyping or just making people care. Now they are paying for it with lack of games and drought, because instead of at least start learning about HD development earlier, they have nearly 10 year gap to jump, and that's a lot of time to make up for. They went the cheap route, and now they are facing consequences.

WiiU has problems, but gamepad is not a problem (and never was really) and lack of games is also not, because there are excellent titles that can take you from 8 to 80 hrs to complete/100%. That's a lot.

Blaming a gamepad for weak sales is like blaming move and sixaxis for another 8 mln blow for Sony gaming division in last quarter and not, you know, making the console so expensive to develop .
Speaking of Sony, look at PS4 - there are barely any games worth mentioning, worthless tech like the touchscreen and that blue bar thing. And yet is sells like crazy. See, that's a power of strong marketing and creating hype. Sony this time gave people what they wanted, instead of forcing people and insulting like with PS3, and it's paying off.
Now look at Microsoft - this time they went Sony's PS3 way with high price tag, insulting everyone and the only thing it brought them is 150$ price cut after 4 months on the market. It shows that WiiU problem is not even the hardware, like many would like to believe. History likes to repeat itself. Also, Gamepad is at least used for drawing and in some games, good games, it is fun to use it. Now let's talk kinect - it's awesome technology, but it's not used. At all. It's only there to gather dust with crappy games and justify the higher price tag.
Sony stole all the thunder and the delay of games from Nintendo helped Sony even more.

Another WiiU problem is a lack of variety. I mean, if you like platformers with little doze of other games, you're in gaming heaven. Problem starts when people want something more than platformers, and that's the most WiiU offers. TW101 is the best game of the century, but it doesn't change the fact that's the most variety you will get from it. It's dominated with 2D/3D platformers, barely any FPSs, strategy games, TPP, whatever you want. Even releasing GTA5 on WiiU wouldn't boost sales that much, because it's only GTA and there is nothing more. With PS4 and X1 you have what you want - platformers, adventure games, TPP, FPS and most of them are exclusive to the console, meaning you won't experience it anywhere else, rest is secured with 3rd/2nd party deals. With WiiU, you have Mario Kart... and a vague promise of other games coming (I'm not expecting much - Bayonetta and maybe yarn yoshi or Mario Part), with any luck, in Q3/Q4 of this year. We know barely anything, and it's the end of March. That's why WiiU fails, gamepad is not struggling or failing at all, because, as I've said, it is at least used by people, unlike touchscreen annoyance on PS4 or kinect with X1.
Also lack of unified account system - I would buy some games digitally, but I'm afraid every time that something will happen and then all the games and money are not coming back.

My God, disastrous wall of text. I won't blame anyone if it is nonesense that only I understand.

TL;DR Gamepad is not struggling or failing, it does its purpose. The problem with console is lack of variety of games, lack of advertaisment and hype (for which is too late now), wrong priorities (ds and advance games for WiiU? Why?), barely any discounts for EU and overall middle finger from Nintendo. NoE is not even close to NoA. I already expect SMT x FE not released in EU at all or 2-3 years later for a full price without any bonuses or anything. It's their attitude that broke camel's back.

@ikki5 I said 'too old', i'm well aware that EVERY single game on the service is old, thanks. GB games are also too old and crappy, apart from a select few titles. The difference in playability between them and GBA is huge. Just be honest, nobody really cares about NES/GB today (Facebook whining is irrelevant). The games are too primitive to enjoy now, unlike SNES/GBA.

Without an account system and cross compatibility, it's pretty stupid to be spreading games across platforms by mixing handheld/home console games. The idiots in charge of this need to wake up.

GBA games + gamepad= happy.

@smikey666 I fully expect to see more and better implementation of the gamepad from 2014 and out, especially if you include indie games.
That said, it's a really cool option to have both the TV or gamepad for our gaming preferences.

GBA games should ALSO be on the 3DS virtual console.

It's nice for when the TV is being used for something else that doesn't require full attention or I'm just not interested in. I don't mind big chunky retro graphics even on big screens, I know some do. I also prefer nice sharp square corners on my pixels and no the fuzzy recompressed stuff that usually shows up on the GamePad but that's not a big deal.

@Dave24 My theory is this the only way to remove the 16ms extra input lag that comes from having the gamepad is to turn it off completely.

I just noticed, but if I'll buy GBA games on my WiiU I would probably play them on the TV, that's afterall how I used to play them back in the days thanks to the GameCube's GameBoy Player XP

Then again the gamepad can be very comfy and have a way better resolution and backlight then my old GBAs, so I can't totally exclude that I would play GBA games also on it time to time.

Nintendo needs to drive forward with it's Gamepad. Any step back now can't be regained. And in related news: I use the Gamepad Slightly more than the TV, but I do use both.

Regardless of where GBA belongs, the 3DS REALLY needs a new VC console period. That barrel of NES, GB, GBC, and GG games is running near empty. At least lets have the PC Engine/Turbografx that Japan's had since Xmas soon please! :3

I love buying VC titles, I wish there were far more of them. I have spent many $100's between Wii U, Wii, and 3DS VC. However, I'm not buying any of these GBA titles until they have account wide unlocks of purchases, and both 3DS and Wii U versions available for one price. It would be one thing if they were $2, but at $5 minimum each I want to be able to play that game on my Wii U or on the go in my 3DS. I only have so much time to game, and even though I like collecting the VC titles, I can't find the value in how often I'm actually going to play that GBA game vs everything else I have to play, if I am not getting it to use on whatever device I want.

As an owner of a 3DS and a Wii U, I have no interest in playing portable games on my Wii U. Where are the Gamecube or N64 titles?

Being able to play games lying down with feet up on the gamepad or 3DS? PRICELESS! Do that while keeping an ear out to others in the living room watching survivor? DOUBLY PRICELESS!

By the way, the gamepad is stunningly underutilized. Oh well, big third party developers will soon learn that their factory mentality will become extinct when all the indie developers have all the creative ideas, are willing to think outside the box, and are getting better and better at making games.

One option is to just make better looking games that use the wiimote.

What VC? Wii U VC selection is so horrendous it doesn't deserve the name VC.

If I want to pick up a quick game session then absolutely I use the Gamepad and my game of choice will invariably be a virtual console game. Many of the Wii U games I play use the screen on the Gamepad for other things so I'm not keen on off-TV play for those.

Is it essential? No, but it is very convenient sometimes and it's always nice to have options.

@nesvc PS4 has no games, and a gimmick recording options built in + small touch screen on controller... XB1 may have the only regular controller this gen thats INCLUDED with the system.

3DS's 3D is a gimmick yet it sells like hawtcakes.

@Doma If that's the case, then why do NES and Game Boy games tend to place on the charts on the 3DS eshop despite numerous newer 3DS and DSi download games? Why where there so many NES games on the Wii Shop's VC charts despite the SNES, N64, Genesis and other platforms that were "superior" to those games being on there as well?

Yes, certain NES games have aged poorly. But there are tons of classics like the Super Mario Bros games, Castlevania I-III, Mega Man 1-6, Ninja Gaiden, Kirby's Adventure, and numerous others that have aged very well, and are just as playable and enjoyable as they were back in the 80's and early 90's. Many of those even stand up well against their counterparts on the SNES and GBA

If nobody cares about NES games, then why are they on the charts? Surely if "nobody" cared then everyone would stop buying Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros since they lack features that their sequels have, especially ones on the SNES.

I think the SNES is the superior system, but I don't get this logic that the NES is full of unplayable games that nobody cares about anymore. In some cases, the argument could even be made that certain NES games like Super Mario Bros 3 and Castlevania III were superior to their counterparts on the SNES.

I love the SNES and GBA, but I still think the NES and Game Boy are still viable platforms even today. Many of their games stand the test of time, and the few that don't were never really good games in the first place.

As I said before, if people don't care about these dusty old games, then why does Super Mario Bros still appear in charts on Nintendo's shops, despite being a very old game? I just checked the Wii Virtual Console charts, and Super Mario Bros 1 & 3 are at the top of the charts, with numerous NES games on the charts.

I think many people still care about NES games.

Hopefully, the GBA games are a set up for the N64. The Virtual console has been terrible to this point. Where the hell are my wrestling games from the 64? I could care less about licensing issues. I bought this console for virtual console games, especially the N64 and GameCube offerings. What about Sega Saturn, arcade, Atari, neo geo etc? Where is resident evil? Where is Ikaruga? Adding online to VC games would seal the deal. I expect even more after the start of the new fiscal year on April 1st. An account based system not linked to your console, and just a constant influx of games. Give me my N64 and GameCube games. Enough is enough, especially with the amount of money loyal Nintendo consumers have poured into each system since the 80s.

its shame well never see snes games on 3ds and now gba most likely too despite the 3ds having the gba bios ready to go homebrew might solve these issues its same nintendo wont not wanting to cannibalise the sales of virtual console games.

the 3ds is more capable than wii its a great shame nintendo won't take advantage it in terms of virtual console. the 3ds already for gba games but were they ?
and nintendo wonders why its not doing very well

@epicdude12302 There is a rumor circulating forums and Twitter from people who played the preview build that Mario Kart 8 will NOT have 5 player multiplayer! Third parties ultilized this feature!

@ikki5

Don't forget to mention that when purchasing GBA carts, there is also the risk of purchasing a forgery

I don't see the VC as the way the Gamepad stands out. DS and GBA games are not what I expected for the Gamepad but it's nothing that much more special than what the 3DS has done or emulators have done on other devices.

I love the gamepad, I pray they utilize it with the 'Fusion', as with every great Nintendo innovation Sony has shamelessly ripped off off-TV play with the Vita/PS4.

The media's attitude to the gamepad really irritates me. They demand gimmickry, without gimmickry they whinge and complain - conversely they whinge and complain when gimmicks are shoehorned into games! It's catch 22 for developers. Personally I think the screen is nice to have, it's a bonus, the controller feels great in my hand, I love love love being able to play with my TV off.

People work so very hard to try and find fault with everything Nintendo does.

• Just because Nintendo releases GBA games on the Wii U does not mean they can't or won't ever release them on 3DS.
• A lot of people like the gamepad, in fact I'd bet most Wii U owners either loved it from the start or grew to love it. I understand some don't like it and some won't try it because they don't want to like it, but that's the nature of new ideas.
• I am not actually interested in any of the currently announced GBA games at the price offered. Oh well...there are a few I want to catch like the Fire Emblem games and Super Robot Taisen:OG. That's how markets work. Buy what you really want if it has value to you.
• If there are games and features you want, email and contact Nintendo. One short, thoughtful email is worth a thousand angry posts accusing Nintendo of sucking because they didn't anticipate your very specific demand.

Just some things to keep in mind.

I really hate this sentence in the article:

"The thinking behind the controller is clear, as Nintendo saw the rising popularity of tablet devices and the beginnings of multi-screen play and weighed in with its own bespoke solution."

This makes it sound like Nintendo jumped on the touchscreen bandwagon, but Iwata has said the Gamepad was in development BEFORE the iPad came out. Which makes sense as DS was out years before iPad and Nintendo was trying to turn the Wii's successor into a DS, not an iPad.

http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=194200

As for Gamepad use - if I wanted to play games on a small screen I'ld buy a 3DS. I do use the screen for a quick check of eShop or Mivverse but if I am going to play iti's going to be on the tv.

@rjejr - for me, some GBA games just lend themselves to playing on the game pad. Games like Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Breath of Fire, Lufia, Harvest Moon, SRT:OG, Golden Sun, Pokemon, Final Fantasy Tactics, Wario Ware Inc...

Why? Well because they are passive and turn based and lend themselves to us ADD people to play them during a sporting event, commercials, or while being lazy on the couch or futon and listening to music.

@Doma
"GB games are also too old and crappy, apart from a select few titles"
Okay excluding pure GBC games:
Tazmanian Devil: Munching Madness
Link's Awakening.
Gargoyle's Quest
Wario Land 1 + 2
2 generations of pokemon
Donkey Kong Land Trilogy
Darkwing Duck
Kid Icarus
Bionic Commando
Sachen 8 in 1
Gameboy Gallery games
Battletoads
Metroid II (bought and finished on the 3DS no less)
Crazy Castle games
Kirby Games
revelations the demon slayer
Bomberman
These being some of the few I've played and really enjoyed. There are many more I haven't played and could possibly enjoy. Just because games age doesn't make it any less than "modern day" games.

@shaneoh

Can I add these to your list:

Final Fantasy Legend
Final Fantasy Legend II
Final Fantasy Legend III
Final Fantasy Adventure
TRAX
Battle of Olympus
Boomer's Adventure (it's actually addictive!)
Brain Drain
Burger Time Deluxe
Qix Adventure
Castlevania Adventure
Castlevania II Belmont's Revenge
Castlevania Legends
Darkwing Duck
Ninja Gaiden
Gradius
Pipe Dream
Power Mission
Operation C
Aero Star

There is also a game that I think never released in North America called "Revelations" or "Last Bible" for Gameboy or Gameboy Color...but it's technically the spiritual(no pun) father to the Shin Megami Tensei series.

I want that!

@Action51
Already got Darkwing Duck on my list, but the rest I haven't played and therefore could not include on my list

@shaneoh - So when there's trouble, you call D.W.?

Okay fine! Let's get Dengerous!

Haha, yeah that was like a Mega Man game with grappling, very fun effort from Capcom.

@Action51
Yeah it was great, that I actually managed to complete the game as well was pretty rare for me when I was a kid.

Oh and that revelations game you mentioned, I think you may mean "revelations the demon slayer." Only played a little of it so far but it was quite enjoyable

Why did Nintendo see fit to make the data transfer process on Wii U and 3DS so cute and cinematic with the Pikmin (you know what I'm talking about) but they can't make the eshop the same way? Why can't the eshop be a little store your Mii walks into and browses around in? With a cute animated checkout process? Doesn't Nintendo know how fun and entertaining that would make it to buy digital downloads? And why stop there? Change the whole user interface. Why does it still look the same as the old Wii???

Seeing the results of the above polls, I have concluded that the majority of Wii U owners love their Gamepad and want GBA games on the Wii so they can play on their lovely Gamepads. So don't complain on how stupid Nintendo is when they absurdly plan to release GBA games on a upscaled Full HD format on the Wii U. For me? The Gamepad could blow up, it's the very thing that is sinking the Wii U in the market.

I have the Wii U. I'm a long time fan of Nintendo. I have all original games so far for the console, some bought twice, in digital and disc. But that doesn't change the fact the Wii U is a crappy videogame because of the Gamepad, it is a ridiculous piece of hardware which had the ability to make every game a chore to play. I have big hands and still hate the feeling of having an iPad-like thing for a controller. The Wii U is goddam videogame, a console, it is meant to be used with a TV, and not having a TV in the controller. It is stupid. You can't take the controller to your room, because if you stand behind the couch it stops working. But maybe I should buy an adapter, a pack of A-batteries and a bag and go around in buses playing my Wii U portable system, yeah right.

No wonder this thing won't sell and they still think adding portable games on a home console will do. The day Nintendo make up their mind on making it a real console with a proper controller (the pro controller is good, but I can't do certain things with it, such configurations or enter de eshop, which for me is the most idiotic thing ever, if it is a controller, it should be able to work in every instance, the eshop appears on the TV screen, and you can't use a remote or a Pro. Nintendo is just too dumb), the Wii U will hit the roof on sales. But offering it with that useless piece of plastic that the Gamepad is, and making the whole system around it forcing you to play with that hideous thing, well, they will stay where they are. But who cares? Everybody who ALREADY HAS A WII U loves the Gamepad. A shame they have to sell it for those who haven't and seem don't like that thing.

While off-tv play was never the reason I bought a Wii u, I have to admit I use off-tv play most of the time! Maybe it is because the Gamepad screen looks so good! Maybe it's laziness from my part (not in the mood to turn on my television)! I am not sure!

@Aaronzord Problem is there is no TV that exists that can do less than 2 frames input lag on the Wii U. (Perhaps excluding Donkey Kong with the Gamepad totally shut down).

(Actually there is CRT's / Digital Signage Monitors / Computer Monitors).

Thing is I have a 30ms Plasma (Over HDMI) that was bought for 33% of its RRP (£500 instead of £1500). No point in having a TV specifically chosen to be perfect for playing games if Nintendo's poor design choices mean its useless.

I do the Pro Controller / Gamepad combo for VC games. The Gamepad screen is perfect for VC, but the Pro Controller is a far superior controller for these games...

Look, I don't hate the Wii U, I hate the Gamepad and all the stupidity around it. It limits the console. It is like the Kinect, but worse. The Kinect I can turn it off or unplug it and the Xbox will continue its life and let me play my games and operate the system with my controller. Sure, there are games that are made for the Kinect or use it partially, but those are some games made exclusively for it or the ones that have Kinect functions, I'm not obligated to use them. The Gamepad is different. Nintendo wants it to be THE console, and they were dumb enough to show the Gamepad as if it was a new system. If people recall, when they first showed the Wii U, they showed only the freaking Gamepad, and not the console, and people thought it was a new controller for the Wii. But then they realized they screw things up and decided to reintroduce the Wii U, now showing the console. But people where misled by all the confusion, because Nintendo itself was and still is confused. The Gamepad should be an accessory, that you buy if you want one, and ship with a pro controller. Simple as that. Get the freaking Gamepad and you get Nintendo Land for endless hous of Gamepad fun. Nintendo is out of their mind thinking the Gamepad is the selling point of this system, it is the ROCK that is dragging it to the bottom every time it reaches for air at any new game release. If Nintendo was smart and humble enough to admit they failed with it, they could turn it around, but they keep pushing it.

I have every game that is exclusive for the console, minus those which make extensive use of the Gamepad, such as Zombie U. But if a game can be played with a Pro or a remote, I play it. I simply don't touch the Gamepad apart from using it to system config or to enter the eshop. So when DKCTF came out and simply turned off the screen on the Gamepad, I staRted to have a little hope things could eventually change, but then came the GBA on the Wii U. Laughable effort, it is needless to say it should be on the 3DS. Nintendo is losing their freaking heads, I tell you. And be afraid: when Miyamoto says he doesn't know how to do F-Zero anymore, because he's out of ideas, man, be very afraid indeed.

Anyway, I'm supporting Nintendo, but I won't support the Gamepad. Hope in the next system they will realize it has to be a real videogame, like the Super NES and the GameCube. The Wii was nice, it was great because my kid was very young, but now he grew up and he can't get around the Gamepad either. He just won't play with that thing, and I thought it would appeal to him, since he loves his 3DS and his iPad. And if my son was the demographic they were aiming for, they failed. And for the sales numbers so far, it is not assumption, it is a fact.

@ikki5 Nobody would care, aside from Super mario bros.

Off TV play is essential for my household. The wife is always watching something on TV, it allows me to stick headphones in and still enjoy my WiiU. I've also noticed the internet browser is super fast, much faster than my iPad or phone, so I use this all the time. The WiiU Gamepad is an older gamers absolute best friend, I feel like it was made for older gamers with families who need to fit gaming in around other competing interests.

@XFsWorld yes that is true but nintendo wants to focus on wii u to boost its sales and get more people more interested on wii u

I love my wii u. I'm a 32 year old gamer and my wii u get more gamepad use then any console I've ever had. Our ps3 is used for Cod and souls2. That's it. I've played lots of great games on it. But the wii u ends up used even more. I'm playing mh3 again, splinter cell, cloudberry, in between my bravely default and dark souls 2. It's a great console, I wish we get a Zelda and a metroid before Nintendo gives up.

it is odd that gameboy advance games are on the wii u vc and not the 3ds, however, there was the gameboy player (which i own) and thus have already played many of my gba games on my tv and its fantastic

l love the off tv play for all games hopefully 2 player mario cart 8 will use it for split screen!

Shenmue. That is all.

I don't think we should have any discussions about the virtual console without talking about Shenmue; I'm at my wit's end.

@Sionyn

Um, GBA games are coming to 3DS. Didn't you get the memo? They're not coming RIGHT THIS SECOND, but Nintendo announced not too long ago that they've already contracted a developer to bring GBA games to 3DS. So, relax!

Please, Nintendo, add Gamepad support to the Wii mode, specially when using the Off-TV mode with the older Wii games. That would rock!!!

Never understood the hate over Wii U getting GBA games. People act like it's blasphemy or something. My goodness, GBA games are just games. The 3DS got home console games with quite a few NES titles, so why can't Wii U get a few handheld games with GBA titles? Besides, GBA games are coming to 3DS too down the line.

As for the Gamepad, not only do I have no complaints, I'm thoroughly satisfied. People get all rambunctious over games like DKC Tropical Freeze not using the Gamepad (well, it DOES use it for off-TV play), but what were they supposed to do with it? It's a 2D platformer, there's not much you can really use a 2nd screen for, unless you dig up some bizarre implementation that ruins the game. People always say this game or that game should have used the gamepad, but they never say for what. It's cause they don't know, and they can't think of anything. But they still say the game should have used it. Time to face reality- some genres just don't have a use for a 2nd screen.

Now, if Mario Kart 8 comes out and doesn't use the Gamepad for a rear-view mirror and asymmetrical gameplay, THEN we've got issues. Because that's a no-brainer and legitimate use that should be implemented. But acting like every single game should find a clever use for the second screen is not only unrealistic, it encourages gimmickry. Games like X- I fully expect stats, menus and shortcuts to be on the Gamepad. Maybe throw the battle palette row of icons on the gamepad as an option to de-clutter the TV screen. But a game like Smash Bros 4? Off-TV play will be about it. I mean, what else is there?

@epicdude12302

The problem is crappy developers who just want to spew their games to the most platforms with the least amount of work.

Its a question without meaning???? Buy VC games on Wii U. . . . Play them on TV or Gamepad!!! What else is an option?

@pukka-pie

Ps3 & PSP did it first just not very good.

@WilliamK
Gamepad support is available in Wii mode. . . Obviously using gamepad as monitor and Nunchuk n Wiimote for most games. Can't use gamepad for games designed for motion obviously!!

Imo, The Gamepad is the best controller ever invented. It wasn't meant to be a portable handheld to take on the bus, it was only meant to allow two screen gameplay while gaming on the TV, and allow you to continue playing on the Gamepad if the TV is used for something else. And those two things it does very well. I use it for 90% of the games I play. But, if you don't like it, that's fine! Use a Pro Controller. After all, that IS one of the Wii U's top features: multiple controller options for most games. You like dual-screen gaming or off-TV play? Check. You like traditional controller with 80 hour battery life? Check. You like motion gaming with a Wiimote? Check. You too cheap for a Pro Controller and want to use the Wii Classic Controller Pro? Check.

@EdwardCORE

How, in any way, is the Gamepad the rock dragging the Wii U down? It's not hurting anything. It only adds. ADDS off-TV play. ADDS dual screen gameplay. ADDS compatibility with two-screen games (eg DS and 3DS games). The whole thing about being introduced as the system, I get that. I'm not arguing there. But that has nothing to do with us. I don't care if Nintendo is having a hard time selling the system due to miscommunication. That's THEIR problem. All I care about is how fun the system is. And in no way, shape or form has the Gamepad ever made the system LESS fun for me. And there is a pro controller with 80 hours battery life for a reason. If you don't wanna use the gamepad, don't use it!

@EdwardCORE
Lol... Gamepad wouldn't work as an accessory! As soon as u make it an accessory ... Few developers would touch it due to fragmentation... Too risky for devs! Seen it with PS Move (7 compatible games or something).... With Wii - motion controls were a necessity so thats why it was successful. Loved Zombie U and WW HD that really benefitted from pad. Need some more creativity from Ninty..... Sure well get something soon.

@JaxonH Local mutliplayer with everyone using a Gamepad (Not possible). Theoretically it can do 2 at 30fps which is not acceptable. If they had puts the guts into the gamepad then it would be able to be used on the train or whatever and multiple gamepad's could be used with one base system. Or make all those things options.

No such thing as too many options. (If Nintendo does the legwork to make them easy to use).

@EdwardCORE
PS ... Have u even played DKCTF? U don't have option to turn off gamepad.... If u play it on TV the gamepad switches off automatically!

I'd really like it if VC games had a notepad option on the bottom screen so I can pause the game and take notes, considering a lot of old games actually needed you to write things down.

@fluggy I want to know why that is. (I think it is to do with input lag and if that the case I am fairly sure I won't find every other game acceptable). Nintendo doesn't seem to want to explain it. I don't want to use a monitor either because I have a really nice TV (That I hardly use for anything but should be great for games).

One thing most people haven't realized yet is that Wii U failure to grow in the market have changed the whole Nintendo ecosystem. We are not getting GC since they think it wouldn't sell well enough to justify any conversion costs, while the 3DS won't get the GBA since Wii U needs cheap games to boost any kind of sales, which I find very stupid, since it won't. Nobody will buy a Wii U for GBA VC.

The Wii U concept is somewhat a two edged blade. As a Nintendo console it seems to work, but it is failing to captivate the audience it is targeted. The Gamepad IS the reason the Wii U is not selling. The Gamepad is not a game changer, is not innovative enough, it makes the gameplay fragmented when using it like a second screen and haven't draw the developers into it. Nintendo lack of titles that can use the Gamepad in a creative way shows that the Gamepad is an add-on, a peripheral rather than an exclusive feature. It hasn't brought anything new to gaming, deeming it useless as complement device. It is in no way as good as the concept of the dual screen on the DS or the 3DS, because your field of view can accommodate the focus on the two screens at the same time, and on the Wii U, you can't. It is not as useful as the Vita, which can be used on wifi to remote play; the Gamepad stops working if go 10-feet away from the console.

The day Nintendo offer a Wii U without a Gamepad, it will immediately sells better. And will set free third party devs from the stigma of developing outrageous features for a second screen that only breaks the gameplay in half. It is a failure as concept, and unfortunately Nintendo is standing the Wii U on this pillar. Microsoft is doing the same with the Kinect, but it is selling because the Xbox One is a next gen machine which is still a novelty and you can turn that thing off. The second it stops selling because it's not new anymore and because the Playstation 4 is a gaming oriented machine with a better gaming performance and promotion with the Plus and at $100 cheaper, it will drop the Kinect and make it obsolete. I have the Xbox One and the Kinect is not even plugged in. Unfortunately I can't let my Wii U's Gamepad inside the box, because it is need for basic actions, like the eshop and the configuration settings.

If you like the Gamepad, great. I don't. And I just bought the Wii U because I'm a fan of Nintendo games and I'd never be without a Nintendo console. But I know it would be excellent if they had oriented the system more towards gaming, more towards recovering and rebuilding their classic franchises instead of trying to reproduce the magic recipe they had with their handheld and made the Wii U a real videogame and treated it like it more like they are doing with the 3DS actually. I truly miss the GameCube. That was Nintendo's Finest. Maybe the next console they will return to what Nintendo was, but I just hope it's not too late for them.

PS. But you realize I'm not complaining about the games, but the Gamepad. I don't think the Wii U is underpowered or anything. It works well for Nintendo, they seem to push the system well graphic-wise. And I wish they had Sega with them, almost like a first party, and get their arcade classics and all Sega games exclusively to the Wii U and 3DS. The one system I truly wish there was a Shen Mue 3 is on a Nintendo system, apart from a Sega system, of course. Nintendo has to comeback to what they were. To stop trying making versions of themselves and be truly innovative. And innovation is not necessarily in a new tool, but in using a old tool in a new way.

I have always preferred to play every game in its original console, so Virtual Console has never captivated me, I only download this games if they are for consoles I don't own (mostly imports and non-Nintendo) have enough interesting new features (online, content, portability) or are free, extremely cheap, or a promo (DKOE). But its a nice service for those without the original consoles and even for me, since I get to know many games I didn't know, or remember me to play others.

The Wii U Virtual Console games have much more pale colors than the original games or even their Wii and 3DS Virtual Console versions, you cant change the ratio or resolution to fit (up & down) or fill (completely full screen), most of them are extremely overpriced and even if you own the game for Virtual Console on other Nintendo system you have to pay again for the same game. Id prefer if we had the option to play Wii U without turning on the Game Pad, I like the upscaled graphics

In short theres no reason to buy Virtual Console games on Wii U, Miiverse is also available on 3DS and you can get upscaling and customizable controls without all the Wii Us disadvantages, legally (provided you bought another iteration of the game before) running a ROM in an emulator. Nintendo 3DS is a much better fit for Virtual Console games, unlike the Wii U Game Pad you can actually take the system out of the room and play, you can also use Miiverse, it also has Virtual Console menu/functions, and doesn't letterbox the image or washdown the colors.

The game pad is great for all these old games, cause they look but ugly stretched up on the big screen.

@XFsWorld They should be on both with cross-buy and cloud saves.

It's upcoming VC releases like Advance Wars and Yoshi's Island that would make me inclined to get a Wii U. GamePad for these is a bonus.

What I want to know is if the gamepad will support rumble for the games that supported it (For example Superstar Saga supported it if you played on the Gamecube. Partners in Time too if you had the rumble pac)

The Gamepad was a great idea. Some developers have put it to very good use, too. That said more developers should be using it more. Honestly there should be a massive library of first-person games on WiiU BECAUSE of the gamepad. A new Metriod Prime style game should have been at the top of Nintendo's development list as well as an attempt to bring as many FPS games to the system as possible even if they are older titles that traditionally live on PC.
As for VC, the pad is great. However, Nintendo needs to come up with a way for the pad to not be locked to the vicinity of the console. How cool would it have been for Nintendo to be able to present WiiU as an HD console with a built-in portable device for VC? With the battery pack I don't see a good reason why the software can't be upgraded to be able to load up a selection of VC titles and then just take the gamepad wherever you want.

@JaxonH thank you for providing a reality check.

I don't really get a lot of the complaints, or at least I feel they are disproportionate to the actual situations they're upset about.

Like you brought up, there are NES games on both 3DS and Wii U, and there are reports that Nintendo is already working on putting some GBA titles on 3DS.

Before they were announced, the critics were demanding Nintendo put GBA games on virtual consoles, now that they are, it's wrong because they put them on the wrong console first. However, we all know if they came to 3DS first, the critics would be trashing Nintendo for "ignoring the failing Wii U" instead.

Moving on to the gamepad...my god, the irrational reasoning for why it's the worst thing ever are as baffling as they are contradictory at times. Just like the above situation, it's always wrong:

They demand every game needs to use the Wii U gamepad for some integral reason to justify it's inclusion with the console...but that's wrong too because it "inhibits developers" from porting their games. Right now, some games use it more then others, and that's...pretty much what we've come to expect from Nintendo with the DS and 3DS setup. I don't know why this is such a huge issue. It's a tool developers can use or ignore, and it's been a part of Nintendo's hardware setup since the early 2000s. Why is the exact amount of gamepad usage per game so important to the critics? Isn't it best to let each developer decide to utilize or not utilize it the way they see fit for their project? Is that being too radical or too safe?

Then we have the people raging about a 2 frame lag between the gamepad and the television...not sure where that data comes from, but does that 2 frame lag become a 4 frame lag on a 60fps game? It's also important to note that most games run between 30 and 60 frames per second, so if it's true, it's a ...1/15th or 1/30th of a second lag and that makes the entire game pad useless? Again, if that's true(I'd like to see the sources for that), it's a little bit unfortunate...but perhaps a slight over-reaction?

Well, here I am on another rant! Bottom line: GBA games coming to Wii U is a good thing. Buy them if you want, or wait for them on 3DS. The initial selection of games is pretty good and I am anticipating Fire Emblem and hoping for a few previously unreleased NA translations...I'm looking at you Dragon Quest Monsters Caravan Hearts!

@EdwardCORE - I understand that it's your opinion that the game pad is worse then the Kinect 2.0...but that's really pushing it. Really? lol.

@gatorboi352 said: "As much as I enjoy Off TV play, I find myself wanting more dual screen experiences (think: ZombiU) as time goes on."

Why not both! I totally agree on games like Zombi U and Lego City Undercover that utilizing both screens is great. I also think it's great just for off-screen play on games like Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Tekken Tag Tournament 2. So why not both?

@Norik get an emulator and a decent PC... that's the only way. And I'm pretty sad about this.

Hurray! Another thread hijacked by the GBA games on the 3DS crowd. Nothing to see here folks, move along

I would play VC games on it more, if the Gamepad didn't have such bad edge light bleeding. I switched mine twice and it has been horrible all 3 times. At least my latest one is minor. The last ones looked like there wasn't even a screen, just a light shining through.

The only thing that dissapoints me about the gamepad is the range. Cant play it upstairs in my house otherwise it would get far more use.
Maybe Nintendo should release a signal booster. I know I would get one.

One thing I quite like about the Gamepad is how convenient it makes browsing the internet on your console. I don't own a tablet, and my smartphone is pretty limited and not as comfortable as the gamepad to browse, say... gamefaqs or a wikia in the middle of gameplay, and it's really convenient to be able to bring up the home menu and start the internet browser and simply look up the info I need.

I also found that in most cases, inventory management on the gamepad works so much better than otherwise! I tried it on Resident Evil Revelations, as I was playing online for long periods of time at one point and switching weapons via the touch screen makes so much more sense than having to scroll through all of them, or through all of the grenade types for that matter, one by one, until you reach the one you want to throw. I found that more often than not, in the midst of the action, when I was playing with the Wii U Pro Controller (which I tried because it let me play for longer hours without needing to plug the charger in), the time it took me to scroll through my grenades, it was already too late to avoid me getting hit when going for a Trinity bonus. In this case, The gamepad has an advantage over regular controllers.

@nesvc Nintendo doesn't have the same rep as Sony. The point of a gimmick is to draw people in the first place; so that being said, PS4 sold on hype train alone. Which leads to it being sort of uninteresting when you think about it, there is nothing really new to draw people in. Which is also why I'm not getting one til FFXV and KH3. =P

I won't be buying any as I already haveost of them and my lovely Micro to hand.
Disappointing but not surprising that Ninty is again too lazy to put in a basic multiplayer patch, and charges a lot.
Advance wars is great, but it's cheaper to get the superior DS version and play it portably on your 3ds (assuming have one.)

I think the gamepad allows you to experience a different way in gaming options. If you've played Nintendo Land with friends, then you know what I'm talking about.

Also, there are other games where you actually use the Camera, the Mic, the gyroscope and the touchscreen. The problem is, Nintendo Land is the only game that uses the Gamepad's features at .... I'd say 85%.

@Caryslan I'd guess that the only reason they chart is due to being the most recognizable Nintendo IP, combined with the fact they're the cheapest games available on the store. Most buyers probably ignore/discard them after the first 10 mins of play.

@Falco I fail to see what's selfish about that. You think it's a smart idea to be prioritizing handheld games on the WiiU, instead of their actual handheld?

Buy a WiiU if we want them? HA, nobody is that desperate.

@ZeroZX_Dev Look at the WiiU's status at market.. It's a bad joke to be saying the Gamepad is something that drew people in.

@cmk8 Advance Wars 2 on GBA is the best one.

@JaredJ I believe you can in the options. Home menu, controller options, turn off screen.

Nintendo is losing money by not bringing GBA,SNES VC and DS downloadable titles to the 3DS and they are not drawing anyone to the Wii U as people won't buy a Wii U just for VC

@XFsWorld agreed 100%

Does anyone here ever sleep? I have a nice big tv but If I am trying to get to sleep I play games on the gamepad instead of watching them on my tv, or watch netflix or streams.

I'll be playing them on my TV, thank you very much.

I still want GameCube games...

@ferthepoet

I don't think this is about money here. It is about bringing interest to the Wii U and base off the comments, it is working whether people like it or not. The VC might not be a reason to buy a Wii U, there are other games that give that reason but a better VC is much better bonus along with it and if they don't give more to the VC, then people will still complain saying that Nintendo isn't supporting the Wii U. So really, Nintendo supports the Wii U with GBA, something new and people complain. Nintendo doesn't put the GBA games on and say they do it for Wii U, people still complain that they are not supporting the Wii U.

They're lining up a couple good titles, and I might dip in for something like

But I'm wondering just who they think they're reeling in with this.

The GBA is home to the second best library of games behind the SNES & if you count ports it would even beat the SNES. I've been playing them in emulators for about 2 years now & it seriously has one super deep library of games.
It's home to an original Zelda game, an original Metroid game as well as a hell of a remake of the first Metroid, the Advance War series, 3 of the best Castlevania games ever made, Golden Sun series, some of the best Pokemons in the series, Sonic Advance trilogy, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, Mario Golf Advance, Mario Tennis Power Tour, Drill Dozer, Astro Boy, Gunstar Heroes Advance, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Tactics Ogre, 2 Fire Emblems, Super Robot Taisen series, Ninja Five-O, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Wario Land 4, Mega Man Zero series, Mega Man Battle Network series, both Klonoa games, a great Lunar remake, Mother 3, I could go on & on. Hopefully Nintendo mines their super deep catalog on the GBA platform because it truly is home to some of the best games ever made.

I wonder why there can't be any Gamecube games on the virtual console. How great the GBA might be i would rather play gamecube games on my Wii U instead like super mario sunshine or super smash bros melee.

The Gamepad is a cool controller and perfect to act as a map, inventory or as multifunctional object in party-games. I've played ZombiU, Windwaker HD and Wii Party U and I loved the Gamepad's role in them.

When it comes to games like MK8, DKC:TF and definitely Zelda U(I have to play it with the remote and nunchuk ever since Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword), the Gamepad can take a rest. MK8 should be played with a comfortable controller, like the Pro Controller, same goes for DKC:TF. I started playing DKC with the Gamepad and put it aside after the first level, it's just too chunky to play with as a regular controller.

The Virtual Console games are perfect for the Gamepad though and I'm happy GBA games are coming. The Gamepad will flourish as a mini console when you just want to sit in a corner and play some old games.

Cross-play between the 3DS and the Wii U would be way preferrable.
If that option was there _{and wouldn't cost more than an additional €} i wouldn't care at all about off-tv play in games that aren't Wii U exclusives.

@JaxonH - COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC, but I wanted to let you know we just got back from Gamestop w/ DKCTF, Xenoblade and Kirby Return to Dreamland (my youngest wanted to get ready for Triple Deluxe). Glad we got a rainy day to play

@Darknyht thanks for the info! But when you touch any button on the Gamepad the screen comes back on. I wish I could play VC games with the Gamepad with the screen shut off.

The Gamepad is definitely a useful alternative to using the tv but like that i bought the Wii U for use on the tv and not to play to handheld games. Although i'm not a big fan i can see the the logic in releasing handheld systems and games on the VC, it is a good way of using the gamepad and obviously theirs considerable interest there which is good news for Nintendo.

I would say that the GamePad has made a bigger impact on me than the Wii Remote. Never before could I just up and play any of my console games - and now I can play nearly every Wii and Wii U game at any given time. Plus, the controller is comfortable to hold. The only major downside I saw with it was its original battery life. I've never regretted my Wii U purchase - this is the best console I've played on, period.

My only issue with handheld systems coming to VC is if Nintendo's VC releases become too gamepad and handheld focused which would severely limit the progression of the home consoles and their games on the VC. Gameboy Advance releases are OK but i would like the VC to be more about the NES, SNES, N64, Megadrive, Neo Geo, Arcade, Dreamcast, and Gamecube, that sounds a lot more interesting.

Can we just have N64 games on the wiiu virtual console already. SNES games on the 3ds would be nice too. I already know this is a lot but... Minecraft.

@Falco Excuse you, I have a WiiU and it was just my opinion....not trying to annoy people.

@rjejr

Wow.... that's a nice little trip to Gamestop man! I'm so glad you're finally gonna get to play DKC- Idk if you ever played Returns, but if not, just know that the game does require platforming skill. It's by all means doable, but it will test your limits at times. When you beat it, you feel good, like you really accomplished something. That's something I miss from older games that I don't experience much anymore> challenge. But I'm sure that you're no stranger to hard games- you're a Nintendo fan after all

Nice choice in Xenoblade as well btw. And Kirby's Return to Dreamland. That's the first Kirby I actually got into. It's kind of easy, but it's fun. And surprisingly hard to find nowadays- both those Wii games are.

The Gamepad is as bad as any Kinect, 1.0 or 2.0. But it is worse in a way, I can't simply turn it off since Nintendo attached system functions to it, so you have to bare with that useless and pointless peripheral. Playing the Wii U on a Pro controller is like removing the chains you have when using the Gamepad, but not quite, since you still need it for basic system functions. That is the rock dragging the Wii U down. Nintendo fanboys are just too happy with GBA games coming to a pseudo handheld to see it, how idiotic is to play a game in that controller and not be able to even move around the house with it, or the room, for that matter. At least I can play my PS4 from anywhere in my house and even outside it on my Vita, and my Xbox One's Kinect won't get in the way since it's not plugged in and won't make a difference to whatever I do or play on the system. The Gamepad is a nice coaster though. And when I lose the TV remote, the Gamepad is also easier to find, it is that second TV standing beside the real one, you know, the one we play games on.

PS. Since people seem to look at my comments like senseless rants, I must say that if the Gamepad was an option, not a mandatory requirement to navigate the system and play some games, I'd be fine with it. If Nintendo ever make the Gamepad optional, making it intelligently used like they did on Super Mario 3D World, where you can play some extra levels on the Gamepad and have extra gameplay elements when playing on it, without breaking the main game when playing on a Pro or Remote, that was smart use of the Gamepad. They can release functions on games that will accommodate the Gamepad, since you can also have a full experience without it too, on a Pro controller or the remote. So when you have to handle the Gamepad to adjust settings, or navigate through the eshop, that is not giving the consumers, gamers, players, and fans options, and that hurting the system. Look at all the noise people made when Microsoft tried to cut down the options you should have when playing a game console. Kinect was mandatory and now it is not anymore. This is the problem with Nintendo. Nobody thinks the making the Gamepad mandatory is a problem, but I say it as bad as it was the Kinect back then. And Nintendo shows no sign it will give the consumers the right or the option to choose how they use the system. It is not like they can't do it, they can. But if they allow you to go through the system and games without using the Gamepad, it is like admitting the device has no use besides being a peripheral with a second screen, and honestly, that's what it is. They should act more like MS and simply make it easier. I could even start to like the Gamepad, and play on it. But as it is, it stands as a sign of ignorance and intransigence, and just for that, Nintendo have failed to make the Wii U a hit product that would appeal to everyone.

@JaxonH - Finished the 1st world of DK, only had game over once fighting the boss The game is really fun except for the minecart. Minecarts are the original QTEs. Got Kirby for the kid, he was at 82% when it originally came out. Played Xeno for 2 hours, brought me back to the glorious PS2 days. I'm in love w/ Fiora

@rjejr

Whaaaaat? Blasphemy! Minecart levels are the best part of the game! I'm glad you're enjoying it. The game gets REALLY good. What am I talking about- the whole game is good lol. Love the 2nd world, 3rd world is awesome, 4th world is great (that's the underwater world, and it's glorious), 5th is spectacular and the 6th world, well, that's my favorite. The music is epic. Like, every stage in World-6 has some of the best music I've ever heard in a game. Ever. Ya, you're gonna love it!

Xenoblade, yep that's a solid pick right there too. Ya, you did good. That's the kind of score I like to see!

@epicdude12302 no, the gamepad has nothing to do with third party support. Any dev or publisher who says that are avoiding the real reason because the real reason is very bad PR.

It's much more diplomatic to use the gamepad as an escape goat than to say "We aren't going to port our game because we don't think it will make enough of a profit for us to make it worth our effort"

Third party support is in direct correlation with how little third party games sell on Wii U. Want someone to blame for lack of third party support blame the 4.8 million Wii U owners who don't buy third party games, while a consistent 100k-200k of owners that do buy.

If most of these 3rd party ports sold as much as many copies as SM3DW did, 3rd party devs and publishers would be tripping all over themselves to put their games on the system. But like all Nintendo systems since the N64 third party games just don't sell very well

Got my Wii U on launch day, love the console, love the GamePad, regardless of how much or how little it does. Worth every single penny. My main reason for buying the Wii U (apart from the fact I would've bought one anyway lol) was actually the GamePad for off screen play. Never been able to play a console before whilst my wife watches TV, so for me, it's perfect. IMO though, I do think that Nintendo could look into packing a Pro Controller in the box along WITH the GamePad like they did with the Wii Remote bundles, as not only will it then cater for everyone, but parents buying it for their children don't need to worry about buying another controller of sorts, as they'll already have one each, and Nintendo could also get the word out better that THIS is a Wii U and you should use one of THESE controllers to get maximum enjoyment out of it. I don't think ditching the GamePad or offering a cheaper option without one is the way to go, coz TBH, I think they're already cheap enough IMO if you look in the right places offering the right bundles.

GBA and DS games should be on both platforms, with cross platform purchase possibility.