Nintendo Remains Silent on Third Party Wii Games Coming to the eShop

Pfft, Punch out and I'm happy.

But it does seem a shame. Although... not many 3rd party wii games come to mind that I would like to see on the Eshop

Licensing is still a big obstacle to that.

Actually, we don't know exactly what was said. Destructoid reported that it [Nintendo] didn't have comment. The "no comment" comes from the title of the Destructoid article. Given how Nintendo uses non-comments, it would be interesting to know if it was "no" or "not at this time."

One game that no one mentions is Dawn of Discovery. Awesome little Wii RTS that is accessible and appeals to all. And with the lack of Wii U RTS ganes , it would certainly fill a void. Playing with a Wiimote and the GamePad propped up a stand while lying on the couch is too good.

Of course there is a huge catalog of far more obvious choices that would be excellent, but I just felt compelled to plug this forgotten little gem.

The only 3rd party game I want with this service is Sonic Colours. Easily the 2nd best post-Dreamcast Sonic game and one of the best Wii games!

@blackbox64 I kinda want to play Zack and Wiki...

I think what Nintendo might be saying is that they may have contacted various 3rd parties, but haven't received an answer. It's up to the 3rd parties to decide if they want to release their Wii games on the eShop, and if they choose not to, then there's not much Nintendo can do about it.

@Grumblevolcano ya know, I have a copy of it, just never got around to playing it, got it for like €5 I think.

Would love to see all the Ressy Wii title's come to the WiiU, bit of a kick in the face for the other consoles, lol.

I hope it just means they have nothing to announce...

Given all the Third party Virtual Console games, I'd say they're coming.

DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3 plz thx

I know it's a long shot and it's surely too early for hope so far, but I really hope that not only third parties, but also unreleased games will get a chance thanks to this digital distribution. It's safe to assume afterall that Nintendo won't release phisically anymore Wii games, but Japan still have some gold that never shared with us!

I don't think third party Wii games will come to the Wii U. Even though it wouldn't be hard to do and would cost virtually nothing for the developer/publisher, I still see them using the "small install base" argument as to why they won't do it.

I'm actually thinking of getting the Resident Evil games on Wii along with Silent Hill Shattered Memories.

@Grumblevolcano Yuck, one of the best Wii games? I'm not sure it would make my top 30... Maybe not even my top 50. I swear, the Wii Sonic games are only outstripped by Nights Wii in overrated games on the console. Sometimes I think people are desperate for decent Sega games. I remember choking on my burrito when I read Nintendo Power rank Nights as a top ten Wii game way back when. Gross.

I have a massive Wii library and I'd personally rank pretty much all the Wii Sonic games towards the lower end, but that's me. Sega's output on the system in general wasn't impressive. That said, I'd say there's s great chance of a Wii VC release of Sonic Colors, though, if that's your thing.

@readyletsgo I do too but as Classic Controller is supported then the Wii U eshop version would have Gamepad control support.

@ACK I found Colours to be the only great Sonic Wii game. As for how likely, I think very unlikely given SEGA's financial issues. We seem to be moving into an era where all the main 3rd parties that supported Nintendo are moving into the smartphone and PC only areas. To be honest, you could even argue that Nintendo themselves are moving into the smartphone area with the release of games like Pokémon Shuffle and Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition on 3DS.

I wouldn't mind trying MadWorld again, as long as they fix the problems with the PAL version (interlacing and big borders, if my memory serves me correctly).

@Mega719 That you haven't already is a major oversight. Rectify it immediately.

Start with Archives: REmake, RE4, and Silent Hill: SM. Move onto Arhives : CV and RE2 if you can find them. Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles are worth a spin in co-op.

I don't really expect much of a third party presence with Wii titles on Wii U. I'll stick with Steam, or possibly pick up a PS4 in the fall.

@Cyberbotv2 Well considering the amount of support that the Wii got, it'd be a little foolish for third-parties to pass up the opportunity. The real problem is Nintendo, their policies, release schedule, and overall stewardship of the eShop.

@ACK yeah i will

@ryanator008

Huh?? Third party VC titles are basically non-existent on the Wii U and are greatly outnumbered by Nintendo's own games. The Wii had phenomenal 3rd party VC support but the Wii U has all but been forgotten in comparison.

@Grumblevolcano I agree. I thought Sonic Colors was a great game. A very pleasant surprise because the Sonic games on Wii were generally not good.

I don't care really, simply because as third party games don't sell on Nintendo consoles, they fall in price dramatically. Therefore on most occasions the disc version is the cheaper option.

@ACK

3rd parties (and Nintendo themselves basically) have already given up on releasing VC content for Wii U, and the console was released in 2012. I don't expect things to improve. The Wii had hundreds of VC titles across several platforms by this point in it's lifespan.

I'd like to see Silent Hill Shattered memories...well actually I'd like to see it in HD but a Wii port will do.

I'd love to see third party games like A Boy and His Blob, Madworld and The Last Story. It's a good chance for solid titles that were overlooked a chance to have the spotlight again if just for a bit.

@Grumblevolcano I do agree that Sonic Colors was good, just to call it one of the best feels like a knock on the Wii catalog. Regarding Sega though... A Wii release wouldn't be any sort of significant investment and they did state that they were focusing on mobile AND the Sonic brand. The implication to me was that Sonic games would be the focus of any console releases. We'll see.

I have to think that Sega would be one of the first to jump in, considering their support of the VC and other digital services. Here's hoping.

@MasterBlaster

I agree. I think Nintendo is moving into "survival mode" over "success mode."

@MasterBlaster That is probably due to NOA's stewardship. My feeling is that they blamed some of the poor Wii third-party sales on stuff like the VC... I mean, NOA's marketing and sales departments are hardly competent, but they aren't likely to point the finger inward or anything. They need a scapegoat.

Anyway, check out the Japnese Wii U VC. According Wikipedia, there have been 260 VC games released so far, approximately double the NA catalog. The lack of support in NA/EU doesn't appear to be solely due to the waning interest of third-parties.

@MasterBlaster who said that? They do release VC just in smaller quantities. Almost every week we hear of more games on this site

I guess Last Story and Pandora's Tower would classify as 3rd party in U.S. I'd also like Arc Rise Fantasia.

Red Steel 2 and Mad World would be nice but Mad World is pretty easy to find for $10.

Would really like if Sin and Punishment came to NA, I need a reason to bust out my Wii Zapper (and I'm not planning on getting Duck Hunt).

Please... I want to play RE4 on the gamepad!

PLEASE bring Japan-only releases over digitally. Captain Rainbow needs to exist here. (*here = USA)

That's it, I'm packing my bags and moving to Europe, a land flowing with milk, honey, and virtual console releases.

Seeing that RE4 image just makes it sour all over again that Revelations 2 is skipping Nintendo platforms. Aaaaaaaaaaaargh....

I could see Sonic Colors, Sonic Unleashed, and Fortune Street making it onto the Eshop

@shaneoh Damn I completely forgot about this game. I would love for Namco Bandi to allow Nintendo to add this game to the download list.

@JaxonH Like all the VC releases that both territories have?

@Quorthon I'd say the VC stuff is less Nintendo being in survival mode and more of them just sorting their priorities. New retail titles (remake or not) are far more important than a bunch of ports of old games that people have played countless times already. The VC shouldn't be a priority to Nintendo, and it isn't.

@TingLz He wants that DKC trilogy

@ACK : I'm not too sure what Nintendo is doing anymore. I was reading the ps now service is dropping 5 games weekly for that service. Meanwhile, Nintendo gives you a morsel from the back catalog whenever they wish, and it's become tiring. Tiring enough to the point I have zero interest in their next console. I'm sure a lot of Wii U owners are feeling the same way.

@Mega719 Yeah, claiming the VC is dead compared to Wii is ignorant of some basic facts. The Wii VC released with something like 30 titles, for one. But after WiiWare came about we were getting 1 or 2 a week. That is because of the drip feed policy to give WiiWare devs more exposure since most people would rather buy a subpar VC game lime TMNT over something like LA Mulana.

Beyond that, we can't ignore the stuff we clamored for on Wii (Earthbound, Demon's Crest, MMX2/3, GBA, etc.) that has actually been released on on Wii U. What I assume is a that since the Wii VC is still available through BC, third-parties are less concerned about revisiting those releases. Honestly, I often prefer the Wii VC versions to those on the Wii U.

Either way, it's clear to me that there is more to this than Nintendo and/or third-parties outright abandoning the platform.

@Cyberbotv2 Well, the PS4 is the top-seller, same as when the Wii VC was seeing a lot of releases. And all those Wii VC games are available on the Wii U so there is less of an impetus in that regard.

Again, the Japanese VC has about twice as many games available for Wii U. Since NOA is so tight-lipped, the only explanation we have is Dan Adelman touting the drip-feed policy. It sure seems something is rotten in the marketing/sales department.

I played more Goldeneye on the Wii than I care to admit. That would be my first choice for download. Murasama would be a day-one buy for me too.

@ACK

"Honestly, I often prefer the Wii VC versions to those on the Wii U."

Just curious, in what way do you prefer some of the older versions?

@Osiris11235 The audio quality on some of the Wii U VC releases is horrible. Like there's games where the audio quality is nice and loud (Balloon Fight for example) and then there's ones where you can barely hear it and it's not very clear (Kid Icarus for example). The Wii VC release has different audio quality (better for Kid Icarus, worse for Balloon Fight).

@IceClimbers

Are you using the EU VC releases? I'm wondering if you're experiencing some of the lamentable PAL conversion issues.

All I want is Xenoblade. If they put that up for download by the end of the year, I'll be thrilled.

Wow so the replacement for the lack of third party games,are Wii games?That's sad and pathetic.

@Osiris11235 Nope, I'm using the US version.

I wouldn't mind if MadWorld was on here. Fun game.

Pandoras Tower? I never got that game, can't wait! With that and the Xenoblade 3DS version i wont miss out on the last games in the Wii cycle.

@ACK

"Yeah, claiming the VC is dead compared to Wii is ignorant of some basic facts."

Basic Facts: The Wii U VC has games from the SNES, NES, GBA and if you want to count it as such...the Wii.

The Wii VC had games from NES, SNES, Genesis, Master System, Arcade, N64, C64, TG-16 and the Neo Geo.

Think the title should probably be "Non-News: Nintendo Remains Silent on Third Party Wii Games Coming to the eShop"

Okami or riot.

@MasterBlaster Though if we're to rightly consider only the Nintendo consoles, Wii VC boils down to NES, SNES and N64. The reason why the others shouldn't be considered is because that is not Nintendo's decision, SEGA already said they have no interest in putting games on Wii U VC for example and that cuts the list down massively.

Does anyone know if the Wii U pro controller is compatible with these Wii games?

I need No More Heroes in my life (LOL enjoy that play on words).

@Ragnarok10 : Nope, games are either wiimote nunchuck combo, or classic controller.

@electrolite77 : Exactly the reason I feel current Wii U owners will not be following Nintendo into the next generation.

Nice opinion, but this current Wii U owner will never go to MicroSony

Do you guys...just want something to play on your Wii U? Resident Evil 4 looks absolutely hideous on the Wii U. Jag city. Why would you want that?

Most of the third parties are already in chaos so I don't think having their games on Nintendo systems is gonna motivate consumers to by Nintendo products.

There are some exceptions like SEGA and Capcom but that's just about it.

Third party games need to be there. I think it'll be inevitable. Also, where are the N64, Gamecube, Genesis, Saturn, TG-16, Arcade, and Dreamcast games for eShop?

@DaemonSword I'll be dead in the cold ground before I buy an Xbox.

@SilentHunter382
Me too, even though it's unlikely. Best fighting game I've ever played, keep the controls the same between characters and just alter the moves. The game is made for epic battles

Come on Nintendo/Capcom, I'm so ready to put another 100 hours into tatsunoko vs Capcom.

Nintendo spoilt us at first with one Wii VC title a week. However, it is unlikely to stay that way and soon we will be on one game every few months. You know its inevitable.

I am sure there will be some, though I mainly want the rarer ones that go for quite a pretty penny nowadays.

@Cyberbotv2
If we are talking about VC games then the PSN is far worse as it's once in a blue moon that they release PS1 or PS2 classics and when they do it's something like Dora the Explorer.

@electrolite77
Technically the entire Wii catalogue was playable on day one, but it is more awkward than it should have been because of Wii mode and different point/money systems. The Wii shop should have just been combined into the eShop, with Wii only games labelled as such.

@JaxonH and cool Club Nintendo rewards! ;( Lemme know when you get there. This way we can coordinate the plan to scalp all the great rewards CN has to offer... We will rule the WORLD! Sorry... Got carried away. I always seem to want the special offers NoE offers.

I'll just copypaste my wishlist here and everywhere possible. There are surprisingly lot of interesting Wii games, but these are my strctly narrowed down most wanted games:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers
Fragile Dreams
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Okami
No More Heroes 2
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Last Story
Trauma Centre: New Blood
Another Code: R
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Conduit 2
Wario Land
Zack and Wiki
Boom Blox 2

Resident Evil 4 HD wii edition and Red Steel 2 please!!!

Nintendo has many great games but the variety and just sheer choice of games that third party support brings is badly needed for the VC and eShop. The Wii U is a good console with some solid Nintendo titles but there needs to be some alternatives added it can't just be all about one brand, Wii U owners are missing out on some great games from alternative games makers that would be undoubtedly downloaded if they were made available.

@IceClimbers

I don't mean just the VC, I mean Nintendo in general. There is little in their current behavior that convinces me that they believe the Wii U can be truly turned around. They want it to be a simple revenue box, and adding Wii games is just a simple way to accomplish that. It's even noted that they auto-launch Wii Mode (which I argue that all Wii games should already do, while being available from the main Wii U menu) which indicates that they are not actually doing anything notable in the porting process. They're trying to fill the library without having to spend any money to create an illusion that there are a lot of games coming out for it.

You're right in that the VC really has little going for it in the vein of actual growth potential, and is thus a lower priority. But the Wii games--many of which can still be easily found at GameStop, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc. appear to be here more to simply keep something "bigger" coming out to garner some easy revenue to fill the massive voids the Wii U now has in it's release schedule with the missing 3rd party support.

Hell, they seem to be fully aware that the New 3DS will largely only appeal to current fans as they're just assuming you already have a charger for it.

They're fully stuck in N64 and GameCube-era survival mode now. I think they've resigned themselves to thinking the Wii U cannot be turned around like the PS3 or XBO were beforehand. It can only be kept afloat and, likely in their view, replaced fairly quickly. They are no longer likely to make huge profits--just enough to scrape by.

I don't expect 3rd party publishers are going to care much about porting their Wii games to the Wii U eShop. They barely made any money on the Wii, and that had over 100 million in sales. Why would they make money on the successor to the Wii, which has barely a tenth of those sales?

@ZeMegaMan

It's a shame you're so closed-minded in your gaming choices. There is an incredible wealth of offerings on Sony and Microsoft consoles, multiplatform and exclusive. You have no idea what you're missing, and it's unfortunate that you refuse to want to see more.

Nintendo seems to think that they have something for everybody with there library of games and while they can tick a lot of boxes no one company can tick them all. It's understandable that Nintendo wants to support there own product but reducing alternative choice is never a good thing.

The lack of third party games is frustrating but frustrating too is the fact that many of the games that are being released on Wii U VC aren't even home console type games, there for handhelds.

I dont think we'll see 3rd parties Wii games as these downloads, though i obviously hope so. There is a mind boggling number i would love to see including the ones mentioned above!

@Quorthon I'm not as closed minded. I like both Nintendo and Sony. I owned a Gamecube and PS2 at one time. I just don't like Microsoft. Some of the bad things MS has done was unforgivabe in my book.