The past week's key revelations on the NX, established through multiple sources and reinforced by plenty of checks and off-the-record conversations, have many (including us here at Nintendo Life) confident that there's validity and value to the details.
One key aspect is the use of Nvidia technology to power the system, likely to be a Tegra chip or variation on that technology. There are plenty of positives to that choice, but some negatives in that the customary backward compatibility we're so used to thanks to the iterative architectures of GameCube / Wii / Wii U will be tough to recreate.
The answer, should Nintendo seek one, is emulation. Digital Foundry explores this in its latest video, looking at how a Shield TV (which uses Tegra X1) manages with GameCube and Wii games through the unofficial Dolphin emulator for Android. This sort of testing has multiple provisos - the NX may use a chip more powerful than X1, an unofficial emulator via Android doesn't deliver the optimum results. The experiment's interesting, though, as it demonstrates that emulation is certainly viable on this technology.
It'll be interesting to see in the coming months how big a part the Virtual Console and past-gen games will play on NX. Will Nintendo keep the VC as a key part of its next-gen vision for downloadable gaming, or will the concept take a back seat? We'll see in time, but let us know what you think in the comments.
Comments 95
It already has taken a back seat!?!
Just do a line of remasteted Gamecube classics for the NX. That would be exciting for consumers. Nintendo's pricing on most VC titles is too expensive anyway.
I have a feeling my release day Wii will remain hooked up under my TV set for many, many more years to come.
What happened to this being a RUMOR?
let it be done! GameCube games on NX!
That would be great!
Nintendo, if you're reading this: if you release all first party GameCube titles digital and upscaled like the dolphin emulator does, at a 10-15 price point, in any console, and I'll buy every single one of them, even if I already own it. Just saying.
it would be nice but IF the NX is cartridge based not disc based it would also mean that none of our Physical games would work so we would have to hope that Nintendo released the games digitally and with some GameGube games no longer have a publisher or the rights held with multipule parties (MGS Twin Snakes for example) this could be difficult
of course if it has a disc based system there wouldn't be any problem
If the NX is a simple unobtrusive stand I might be allowed to keep my WiiU plugged in so no issues.
3DS transfer would be useful though.
I'm certainly sure Nintendo will have it's own hardware along with Nvidia that will support VC very well, question is whether they do the VC at all.
"key revelations"
It's like the angels ascended from on high to give us the truth and the glory of the NX.
I wish it was some kind of device that could keep Wii, Wii U and 3DS alive. My favorite Nintendo picks from NES to GC are playable through these 3 machines.
Even if NX can emulate GC and Wii, it would have to be compatible with Wiimote for the Wii and GC controller for authentic experience.
That's why I'll always keep my Wii U hooked up. It plays GameCube and Wii natively, upscaled to 1080p, and you can connect the Smash GC adapter and use real GameCube controllers if you so desire. And it's compatible with Wiimote for Wii games.
But, I'll buy whatever they sell just to support the games again, and it'd be nice to take those games with on the go. Been wanting GameCube on a portable device for a long time.
@JaxonH Yes, the Wii U can play Wii games in Wii Mode.... but it certainly can't play GCN games, unless I'm mistaken.
If it did, I'd never game on anything else.
There is a rumor that wii u will get mario shunshine HD
@HeroOfTime32 no gamecube game on wii u
@HeroOfTime32 You old enough to know The Six Million Dollar Man? Jax's Wii U is kind of bionic like Steve Austion. He calls it Stone Cold.
Decided to watch the video for kicks. I like the part right near the end when he says "But anyway, that's all just speculation for now." Should have opened with that.
@Alexkidd1985 some would argue that yeah, it already has (on the Wii U and vanilla 3DS).
I'm not buying an NX day 1. Wii U taught me at least that much. But when I own one, if there are remastered versions of GCN and Wii games I'll definitely pick those up.
yes. i need vanessa schneider in my gaming life.
@therealgamer @HeroOfTime32
upload pic
That's Paper Mario Thousand Year Door, running on my Wii U, with a Wii U pro controller.
@rjejr
Unfortunately my bionic Wii U cant play GameCube on the go.
And tbh that's something I really, REALLY want. I almost paid this guy to make a portable GameCube from the shell of a Wii U gamepad. But if NX sells GameCube for on the go? It's gonna be my new favorite console.
NX most definetely should have Gamecube games. I have Gamecube and Wii for playing those but a lot of people have missed those great titles available for the system. Put them on eShop, and please, do not ask people to buy all their classic games YET again.
I still don't believe that the NX is using an Nvidia Tegra chip. Could it? Perhaps, but there's no proof. Just because Eurogamer says so and claims anonymous "credible sources" doesn't mean anything, especially when this has happened before, but with regard to the 3DS using a Tegra 2 chip. There are various things regarding the situation that just don't line up. For instance, Nintendo is one of the few that are dedicated to using semi-custom designs, and if I recall correctly, Nvidia doesn't do that.
@JaxonH This this THIS. There's a lot of GC titles I'd like to play on the go. I also need to try out Paper Mario TYD. It being the only Paper Mario I've never played.
@JaxonH Get outta here.
I'd be thrilled if mine would do so. I assume "bionic" means modded. I'm hesitant to feed a GC disc for fear of messing up the console.
@Jimmy_G_Buckets i agree... make a luigi's mansion remastered and the first 2 pikmins remastered and that 4 swords zelda game
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy "What happened to this being a RUMOUR?"
I'm with you on that. Why is everyone taking for granted that these rumoured ideas are the real deal?
These are rumours, everyone. Don't get hooked on these ideas. Nintendo might have something entirely different up their sleeves.
@Ichiyama
Oh no, it doesn't read the discs. I bought a 256gb SD card and put my entire GameCube collection and Wii collection on it. Have exactly 8.5gb of space left lol, a perfect fit.
It's just the vWii mode that's modded, and super easy to do (took me an hour, at most?) since the process has been around so long with Wii and refined to a fine art. Nintendont completes the system calls with the vWii OS to run GameCube natively, with support for Smash GC adapter, Wii U pro controller, and any other HID compliant device. Can even use a PS4 controller I believe, or the new X1 controller that drops in September. If it has Bluetooth, it works. Also games get a widescreen option, upscaled to 1080p and instant cheats for many titles, like unlocking extras or difficulty modes.
Could it emulate Wii U games? I doubt it.
@liljmoore
Oh man, you get to play the BEST Paper Mario last? That was the first Paper Mario I played and every PM since has been worse for me. Well, at least PM 64 was a good game and SPM had the best story in Mario and some interesting set pieces. The newest title on the other hand... not a fan of it.
@JaxonH Aha. Thanks sir/madam. I gotta learn how to do this type of stuff.
I love this site. Not an ounce of typical Internet to be found.
@Luffymcduck I know I'm ashamed that I missed TYD. but during that time I had other RPG's holding my attention like Baten Kaitos 1 and Origins, Kingdom Hearts, Tales of, Final Fantasy X(Favorite game of all time) and XII, ect that I didn't have time for PM. I would love a remake of it.
@therealgamer Mario sunshine HD on Wii U would be a complete waste of time.
Sunshine HD on NX handheld would be awesome though.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy lots of us have accepted that Eurogamer sources are genuine.
@JaxonH How in heaven's name are you running GCN games on the Wii U? Unless Homebrew....
EDIT: Oh, don't worry about it. Just saw your comment about vWii...
@Vee_Flames i read somewhere that since the wii can run gc games, then you just put the wii u in wii mode then proceed from there. i never tried it tho'.
If NX utilizes the X1, its DOA.
It would also go against everything in this other, very similar rumor from the WSJ last October: http://www.polygon.com/2015/10/16/9550113/wsj-nintendo-nx-console-handheld
@JaxonH is it really upscaled? i always thought they jsut couldn't be bothered with that and run all older games at native resolutions with absolutely zero enhancements. .
@Jimmy_G_Buckets so you prefer 3 games at 50 bucks each instead of 20 at 15 each?
Huh... emulate GC/Wii on NX huh? I don't see it happening... ;-; the Wii U out of the box should have been backwards compatible with GC games due to the nature of its hardware. I assumed GC VC on Wii U was going to be a given in 2012. But that never happened. Even with the officially released GC to Wii U controller adaptor, I still got my hopes up again and they got crushed once more. Damn it, Nintendo. :x
@gatorboi352
You think so? I mean, obviously X2 would be ideal, but for a portable, handheld device even an X1 is a huge generational leap from the 3DS.
I think it'll be fine if it's truly portable like a handheld, even if it's just Wii U power, because it's Wii U power in a handheld, know what I mean?
Let's hope for X2 or something similar but, if 3DS can be successful with the computational power of a Gamecube, I think NX will just fine with a leap large enough to bring partiy with a current gen system (even if it is the weakest of the 3, that's still pretty great for a handheld).
@Jamotello
Oh definitely upscaled. Just look at that pic I posted, how sharp and crisp everything is. Not sure about Nintendo's official Wii games but, running though Nintendont the Gamecube games look better than Wii games even.
@JaxonH I waited so long for a Super Mario Sunshine remaster on Wii U. Splatoon just made me want it more. Eventually somebody explained to me about the lack of analog shoulder buttons making it all but imposdible, which it would be. Did Luigi'so vacuum work like that also?
Point being, the NX handheld needs analog triggers, I'll be watching closely for that bit of news.
Have you tried bionic Starfon Adventures? I thought that was one of the best looking games ever until HD, and it's still better than some of those. Scales, fur, animation, color, it's a thing of beauty. An HD version would be nice, but it's still playable as it is, on an SD, HD not so much.
@rjejr
No I haven't tried it yet. I did try Star Fox Assault though and it looks great. Well, everything looks great when it's output in HD.
Surprisingly, Windwaker didn't look half as good as I expected. I think the remaster really spoiled it for me. I was thinking that game would match the remaster or close too, and don't get me wrong it looks great (better than native res on a GC, that's for sure) but that remaster still blows it away.
I'll give SF Adventures a spin later and see how it fares. I haven't tried anything requiring analog yet, mostly because I prefer the Wii U Pro Controller, but I can hook up that Smash adapter and a GC controller if I really need to.
Just please transfer the current VC on Wii U to NX. I don't think I could take yet another restart.... @_@
It has been proved that (digital) GameCube games run perfectly on Wii U, so Nintendo could just release some on the eShop. There's even a GameCube controller adapter for Wii U. Nintendo is missing the chance to please their fans once again.
Of course it technically could. But will Nintendo actually do this? Christ only knows. It's not been able to fully realise the full potential of the Virtual Console since it first announced the Revolution and the ambitious initial idea for the Virtual Console in 2005:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt8CBYAnMYc
@JaxonH Well, if the rumours are true, it will come with basically two Wiimotes.
You mean like how they take advantage of their NES; SNES, N64, GBGBC, GBA and DS VC as it currently is? If they release it its gonna be one of those "look at us, hereäs some old games, we can do VC, but we won't actually release alot of games over the course of the next 5 years"
I'm dreaming about that!
if the Wii U can run Wii Games as digital, then i see no issues of them doing it again. as for Gamecube, yes please!
@kobashi100 Why not have both?
@liljmoore do what I did, I checked out pawn shops i found 1 with paper Mario tyd and it only cost me 1$ without tax and the game worked perfectly.
@Kirk
Kinda, but I'm thinking more like nunchucks with analogs on each, d-pad on left and 4 face buttons on right, with dual shoulder buttons and clickable analogs.
And no motion, obviously.
I really liked how the Nunchuk and Wiimote were each in one hand, but I didn't like the cord between the two or the limited buttons on the Wiimote (motion compensated for 2nd analog but only the A and B were easily accessible) so if they can take that concept but do it right with adequate buttons, no cord connecting them and ergonomically designed (more like Nunchuk than Wiimote) I'd be thrilled.
Time will tell. But I think that's meant to be a luxury for on the go play- kind of just prop it up on a stand, detach and play with actual controller rather than holding the device. For home play I think (hope) they sell a normal pro controller.
Unless the detachables are super ergonomic and has adequate buttons, then I'd be totally ok using them at home also
@edgedino does it come with the case and manual? I like having complete sets.
I'd love to see Gamecube games come to the VC. The Gamecube was the first system I owned myself, and its library includes many of my favorite games. It would be great to replay games like Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, Chibi-Robo, and Paper Mario TTYD (and, as a stretch, the original Animal Crossing) without hooking up my Gamecube. If the NX is portable, that would be even better.
I don't really expect Wii compatibility, though. (Most) Wii games require the Wii remote, which requires the sensor bar. In other words, unlike every platform pre-Wii, Wii compatibility requires more than just an emulator. It would require specific hardware. The Wii's motion controls would also make most of its library a poor fit for a handheld.
I still don't fully believe the rumours Eurogamer has said, if the NX uses Tegra X1 it will basically be as powerful as the Wii U is I'm at the point where I'm just gonna wait for Nintendo to show us the system, the rumours and everything are getting annoying
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy This video is by the guys who released that rumor.
@liljmoore
That´s a plenty of time consuming RPG´s so I understand. I haven't even played most of those (and Baten Kaitos Origins wasn´t released in Europe).
@Ichiyama You haven't met gatorboi yet, have you? He alone supplies more than enough of the "typical Internet" that this site is otherwise mostly devoid of.
@JaxonH Well, I don't know what the exact designs will look like but if this thing does have detachable controllers I expect they will function very much like the Wiimotes we already know, motion control and all (it wouldn't even make sense to have these detachable controllers without the basic motion control functionality imo), with maybe a bit more scope for traditional controls too. And I expect it would make sense to make each one basically identical to the other, so symmetrical designs on either side of the main game system, especially if there's any intention to use them for any kind of multiplayer games. Ideally, they'd also be pretty ergonomic too, and something like the Nunchuck would be great. However, I have no idea how Nintendo would make all of this fit into a design that's supposed to be a simple and non-convoluted/non-intimidating handheld system too.
I think Nintendo will ditch VC completely for NX where instead they say that if you want old games then buy a Nintendo Classic Mini (that being a hardware range which starts with the NES this fall).
Ditto to all the votes in favour of some kind of Gamecube support. Would have loved it on the Wii U but Nintendo couldn't care less about that console now, so on to the nx! I sold my Gamecube and games back in 2006 (skint, needed the cash), and boy do I miss them!
If NX can read Wii and especially Gamecube games, it will really saves our day. I want to play Gamecube games WITHOUT Gamecube memory card. You know, Gamecube memory card issues especially 1019 block can be corrupted easily on Wii. If NX can create Virtual Save Data for both Gamecube and Wii, it will be Perfect. But still my one question hanging, will NX FREE REGION ? And can NX read all region Gamecube and Wii games ? NX just need a region encoding to bypass region locked, just like Gamecube did. But it would be Great too if NX can read Wii U games regardless it region (So, we can play imported Wii U games).
@JaxonH I'm using a 16gb sd card for GameCube backups.
Can I ask what make is your sd card as I want to add my wii game backups
@Ikramali
Here's the one I bought, it's a PNY 256gb SD for $79.99
https://www.amazon.com/PNY-Elite-Performance-Speed-P-SDX256U395-GE/dp/B00WWBCS1Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470004575&sr=8-1&keywords=256gb+SD+card
I used a program called Bootice to format the card, chose the bottom option of "multiple partitions" then set the first 3 to 0mb and the last one to as large as it goes. Then set all 4 of them to FAT32, and left the bottom options as default. Name the 4th partition (the one that has all the size) as vWii SD or something, whatever you want really.
That way the vWii mode recognizes it, and the HBC recognizes it, and the USB loader recognizes it.
@JaxonH thanks a lot. Will look in to it
@faint I get your point but Wind Waker HD was a much more enjoyable experience than replaying the Cube version. I would gladly pay $50 for a remake of Mario Sunshine. I won't ever boot up the Gamecube title again. Not for $20. Not for free.
@JaxonH would you know if usb loader gx supports sd cards or should I stick to wii flow
@Ikramali
Unfortunately USBloaderGX cannot play Wii games from SD, only GameCube.
I use Wiiflow because it plays both GameCube and Wii from SD, and can download cheats on demand right in the loader.
edit
Only thing I hate about Wiiflow is the default oscillation of the covers, so I changed my settings so that the library doesn't sway back and forth- I like it perfectly still like USBloaderGX. But once that's fixed from the settings, it looks great and does everything you could ever need.
@JaxonH yea. I have it all setted up on my old wii with usb loader gx with nintendont integrated.
Just wanted to do the same for wii u but don't want a hard drive. Also use both back USB ports for my GameCube games through nintendont with the adapter
@liljmoore mine had a case for it but not manual but still it was an amazing deal
GC emulation?!
Nintendo please give us GC custom robo as a remastered game D=!
or the DS one for VC.
Or better yet, a new one for NX (If it is just a new one for 3ds that'll work too!!)
@MysteryAozz
The Wii U can run Wii and Gamecube because the CPU architecture is the same as what they used back in 2000. For the NX to run these games, it'll have to be done through emulation.
Well, after watching the video, it's clear that 1080p emulation of GC games and even native emulation of Wii games don't run smoothly on the X1. You can really see in the video how much it takes the fun out of fast-paced games like Mario Kart or NSMB in multiplayer.
Hopefully Nintendo will use at least the X2. If they really want to use mobile graphics, at least they should get the best there is. And hopefully it's really as good as they say...
I got tired of waiting for GameCube on virtual console so I just bought one with four swords adventure and eternal darkness. If they release for the nx I'll buy them again probably. I'm still pretty angry to see a hacked Wii u can play GameCube games natively. A missed opportunity for the Wii u to be the plays 'all' Nintendo games system.
@DoctorOverbuild I hope they continue with the virtual console. I have 13 GBA games on my Wii u just so I can play them on the gamepad like a giant gameboy.
@AVahne
true.
@JaxonH @JaxonH only Wii u doesn't play cube games. If it did woulda packed up my cube by now
@joey302
Go ready post #21
Then grab a box and start packin
@JaxonH saw that my bad! Enjoy! I don't know how to do all that techie stuff lol!!
@joey302
It's not that hard. People write tutorials for the masses who don't know what they're doing. All you need to know is how to follow instructions to the letter.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/the-definitive-vwii-hacking-guide.425852/#26
We need remakes of Sunshine and PM:TTYD
@FullbringIchigo Unless they add sort of a disk addon to the home -base module. Kind of like the Super Famicom disk addon or the N64DD.
@Discostew Nintendo Life seems to have seen these "credible sources" themselves and they agree that they are reliable.
Nintendo has invested so heavily in Virtual Console on both 3DS and WiiU the last years, it would be insane for Nintendo to throw all that hard work straight out of the window with the release of the NX.
If the NX launches with full backwards compatibility through VC, it will immediately have a huge game catalog available at launch!
The Power of that cannot simply be ignored, since that was the main reason of the WiiU's failure! It's utter lack of games at launch and how long it took for it to take off.
Ofcourse, having a couple good "New" launch titles available is equally important, but having Virtual Console immediately available at launch I think is also important, as it will give People Instant access to virtual limitless games through the back catalog!
And it would be even more impressive, if it can run WiiU games as well, at least digital download (and/or hopefully through an optional external disc drive, if the main console is going to be cartridge based).
@Jeronan Why would they want that? Sure, that sounds great and all, but it makes a lot more sense to release them over time, that way they get more time in the spotlight and more attention = more sales. Dumping everything all at once on the VC means that most games get quickly burried under a couple of popular games. After that, everyone forgets about the VC.. The entire concept of VC works because the VC is getting new games on a regular basis.
@Octane It will still get that, as a massive amount of titles is still not available on VC, like from the Gamecube as example.
Ditching VC and backwards compatibility on NX would be a terrible move by Nintendo and could mean doom for the NX from the start.
@Jeronan No, it doesn't. No system ever became popular because it had a VC or had backwards compatibility; look at the PS4 for example. I'm not saying they shoud ditch the VC either, I just don't expect them to dump everything on the system all at once.
Well, backwards compatibility on the NX is pretty much ruled out if the rumour is true. Nintendo is definitely not going with PowerPC again. Whether it is ARM or x86 (although the former is much more likely at this point), neither CPU architecture will allow for backwards compatibility.
@Octane You cannot compare the PS4. Simply because it got massive AAA Third party support and had some really good launch titles.
Also, a lot of people (me included) went from the XBOX360 to PS4, because Microsoft botched their XBOXOne launch!
It was an epic failure and classic example of how NOT to launch a new "gaming" console. /shrug
So Microsoft pretty much handed over this console generation to Sony with their PS4 and why it became such a huge success! So succesful even, that it even managed to pull parent company Sony from the years long red numbers back into the black this year! lol.
Now that is impressive, that their gaming division is now capable of carrying their entire company at the moment.
@Jeronan Sure, but that means that as long as there are plenty of games available on the system, VC isn't a deal-breaker. Unless we expect the NX to be a Wii U 2.0 in terms of droughts..
@Octane Well if they indeed go for Tegra, they will be even further away from getting third party support, as it will be even more expensive/difficult to port games to this system.
Unless Nintendo can prove they are selling the NX like hotcakes first and manage to get all major game engine ompanies onboard to support the NX, so porting will be easier for game studios.
And that will be a Catch 22 situation for Nintendo, as since the "failure" of the WiiU, Third parties are more warry than ever. Especially in todays tricky economic climate.
So in worst possible scenario I really hope Nintendo is wise enough and brokered a good enough deal With NVidia to at least go with the Tegra X2, so they can at least run flawless emulation for VC, including wiiU titles through VC on NX.
More importantly that it has at least enough Power to convice Third party to port their games over to this system, without too much effort and keep parity.
Which was simply not possible with the WiiU, so I seriously hope Nintendo has learned their lesson and not make the same mistake twice.
@Jeronan So do I, but even though I do not buy all of the Eurogamer leak, I do think that Tegra is plausible; especially if this is a handheld first. Still, Wii U emulation on a handheld seems a bit farfetched to me, even if it's using the X2; however then I also worry about battery life.
It's a shame that we know this system rumoured by Eurogamer is pretty much DOA in terms of third party support. It looks like they're not even trying anymore.
@Octane I just hope the Eurogamer article is wrong to be honest.
I love my New 3DS XL and I love the WiiU.
I just hope the NX will be a better iterated Version of the WiiU, With sufficient Power that at least surpasses both PS4 and XBOXOne (which shouldn't be hard anymore today nor expensive).
With a better iterated Version, I mean mainly the gamepad. That is better ergonomically. Same size screen, preferably bit higher resolution and better contrast and much improved batterylife.
More importantly, the NX gamepad being WiFi based (supporting both 2GHz and 5GHz), so it actually can become a handheld for full Remote play within your house.
Don't get me wrong. I do like the prospect of having 2 Devices in 1, but the amount of sacrifice today in power will be too great.
If I want to play on the TV, I want the full 1080p, 60FPS experience. Especially today! As full HD is mainstream now, with more and more People even buying 4K TV sets now.
Unless, like someone suggested, if they can make a Dock console with a powefull APU for TV play and a detachable handheld with mobile APU.
But that is not going to be cheap, but not impossible.
If they really manage to deliver a true 2 in 1 Device with best of both worlds, I do think a 499,- price tag will be more than justifiable!
Both XBOne and PS4 were 499,- at launch. So, a 2 in 1 Device from Nintendo at such a price would be a steal!
@Jeronan Well, that was the sort of thing I was rooting for too, but I think that we've had too many rumours that point towards a not-so traditional console. Even though some of them may be wrong, I still think it's not going to be the system we want it to be.
$499 is too expensive. PS4 was $399 at launch and the $499 price tag did the XOne more harm than good. If this is a handheld-first, it needs to be cheap if they want their 50+ million handheld userbase to switch over to NX. People that buy handhelds are generally looking for cheaper devices. Nobody's going to pay $499 for this weird hybrid thing that tries to do everything at all once, it's just too expensive. It'll have the shortcomings of both a handheld and a home console. They're better off releasing two separate systems if that's the case (which I'm honestly wondering why they're already not doing that..). It seems a big risk going all-in on one system..
Sony is the future of gaming
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