Video: 5 Special Wii U Virtual Console Games Not on Switch

I watched this earlier and had no idea that the extra levels were in smb3 advance verison so ill check this out tonight. And thanks to Jon I went ahead and bought drill dozer. Add that to the ever growing February purchases!

I played those e-reader levels last year. All of them. Twice - once as Mario and again as Luigi.

It was my comfort food after my FF7 save file glitched itself to death.

"(If the answer is still yes you were like one of 10 people)."

Proud to say I was indeed one of those 10 people.

I haven't beaten them all because some of them are actually quite brutal, but I did download the VC version of SMA4 and it really did go above and beyond.

Oh wow. I had no idea there were Japanese e-reader levels in the Wii U version of the SMB3 GBA port.

I really, really wish Nintendo hadn't killed the virtual console. It'd have been great to be able to play these GBA games the way they were intended: portably!

@NintendoByNature Drill Dozer gang!

I'm 90% sure I bought SMA4 for Wii U but never actually played it. I'll need to wait till I'm back in Thailand to confirm that though, whenever that may be.

Anybody got the list? Not everyone can watch videos at work.

Drill Dozer was great! I also liked Metroid Fusion. I don't think they changed anything about the game itself, but they included a digital version of the original manual, which was pretty neat.

@Ryu_Niiyama

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Drill Dozer
Duck Hunt
Earthbound Beginnings
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon

@countzero I loved Metroid Fusion. I'd never played it before playing it on Wii U. I think it might be my favourite 2D Metroid. I never did buy Zero Mission though. Hopefully we'll see those on Switch if they ever add GBA to NSO.

@Bobb that was just the controller though...

but yes, i did too considering how rare they are and how much they are now.

I didn't had the chance to play that version of SMA4 on Wii U but I did went to download someone's game save from GameFAQs that got all the e-Reader levels unlocked for the GBA release and play it on my GBA via the Advance EverDrive. Most of those levels were unique and had elements still not incorporated into Super Mario Maker 2 such as the ability to use veggies from Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros. 2 and the Boomerang power-up.

Not above and beyond, but the Wii version of Metroid Prime Trilogy is in the Wii U eShop ($20).

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also in the Wii U eShop (same price).

When those are removed from the Wii U eShop, then you know they are coming to Switch for $60. 😝

@JonComms I'm new to it! Do I need to be sucker punched to join in on the fun?!

I had a couple packs of these e-reader cards when this game came out, and always wanted to see what the stages they held were like. Sadly, I never actually managed to get an e-reader, and now I have to get a hold of an entire WiiU just to see.

(Also, I'm willing to postpone my "Localize Mother 3!!!" tirade and settle for a "Bring Mother 1&2 to the Switch!!!" for the time being)

Drill Dozer is a masterpiece.

Completed Earthbound for the first time on Wii U. In hindsight It had a fantastic VC collection (even if spanning across less consoles than the Wii). I was pretty hyped for SMA4 with its e-reader levels also.

For all the complaints the Wii U got, I personally have positive memories of it (even if it was a bit chunky compared with the Switch). The backwards compatibility was much appreciated snd gave me the chance to complete Metroid Trilogy and the Galaxy titles.

If the console had been able to render/upscale past Wii titles in HD and allowed for Wii U Pro Controller Support (rather than just wiimotes, especially for menus) then I would have been completely satisfied. In the end it was an evolution of the Wii - all games could use the features established in the Wii and more. On paper it was a decent idea.

Sega, SNK, and M2 does something special like this for the Wii VC as well. If you download Sonic and Knuckles and you already had Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and/or Sonic 3 then you could digitally lock-on Sonic and Knuckles to one of those three game to play their special version. Also the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version of Super Street Fighter II includes a special online mode similar to the Xband online service back then where you fight any random opponent online. Also several versions of the NeoGeo games for Wii VC had memory card save feature that allows you to save your game and return to em later for example if you play Samurai Shodown II and lose you can save your progress at the opponent you just lost to and could return to fight that same opponent without using a credit.

I always feel so special when I catch an NL video on youtube before it goes live on the NL website.

Could really do with Duck Hunt on the Switch with Joy Con aiming - mwha! 😗👌

This is why I own 2 homebrewed Wiis. What's that Nintendo? You don't want to release SMB 3 Advance with all the bonus content? That's ok...click... download... what were we discussing? 😄 🎮 📺

I play Duck Hunt on the Wii U all the time, as its my wife's favorite game...when that was re-released, it was a big day at my house. We use the Nyko hand gun peripheral from the Wii era and turn off the aim cursor. It is as fun as it was in the 80s.

Great video, I will check out Drilldozer and SMBAdvance 4.

@JonComms really interesting video! Definitely going to pick some of these up before the eshop shuts down.

My heart skipped a beat when you flipped that Wii U pad at the end though 😂, didn't realise such an informative video would get so white knuckle towards the end!

We have a list going in the forum of games to get before these eShops close down, I might add some of these into a special section in it

Saw this video earlier, geuinely, I want to get Super Mario Advance 4 on Wii U now after watching this. The e-Reader stuff is interesting, this is coming from someone who owns an e-Reader, but never this game.

I was also one of the ten people that downloaded the free GBA games with the embassidor program for when they price dropped the 3ds near launch

I purchased the Mario Advance 3 game on Wii U VC. I ripped the rom file and injected it into a 3DS VC game, works great on the 3DS. This one would also work on a modded switch with an emulator

Nintendo sits eternally on a goldmine of legacy titles worth untold millions of dollars - if only they'd actually re-release them.

If I were them, I'd organize and build a specialized side team of developers whose whole job it is, is to assemble collections of legacy titles Nintendo has the rights to, and release those collections on a regular basis. I'd say maybe one every month to 6 weeks after establishing a reliable emulator on Nintendo's current platform.

I've finally given up on consistent legacy content coming to Switch. It makes too much sense for a company like Nintendo to do. And they wonder why people keep emulating their games...

I loved Metroid Fusion. I'd never played it before playing it on Wii U. I think it might be my favourite 2D Metroid.

@OorWullie I'm sure this wasn't your intention, but... this comment hurts. Deeply. I haven't the means to obtain a GBA or Wii U, and here we have a classic 2D Metroid, inaccessible...

I need to go back and finish Earthbound Beginnings, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Mario Galaxy 2, Earthbound, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and a bunch of games I bought in clearance at the end of the console (Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta, ZombiU, and more).

You can’t get specific with Nintendo’s back-catalogue, you’ll wait a lifetime. I’ve said it before: when they release anything, urban champion, it’s a damned miracle.

@COVIDberry Don't worry, I'm fairly confident GBA will be the next addition to NSO. GBA games came to Wii U VC before N64 games and Fusion was the first game they added.Plus with Switch being a hybrid, it makes sense to have some handheld retro titles on there too. Hopefully it works out much the same for NSO and you get to play it soon.

There is no preservation when a digital store closes a couple years after the product is discontinued, neither when limited releases became their new trend or when classic games are being offered as part of a subscription plan rather than individual purchases. That's the typical 'enjoy while you still can' situation.

@countzero thank you!

Super Mario Advance 4 is the single best Mario game.

Nice flip, Jon Cartwright. Your videos are awesome!

The Wii U's version isn't the only Virtual Console that has retro re-releases with added functionality.

Offhand, I recall that "Pokémon Snap" on the Wii VC (which may also still work on the Wii U VC) updated the way photos could be shared, one of the versions of "Street Fighter 2" on the Wii VC had added online play (which of course no longer works), and "Pokémon Yellow" on the 3DS VC has the surfing Pikachu mini-game automatically unlocked (which originally required having a Pikachu with the move Surf via either "Pokémon Stadium" or a cheat device).

@rushiosan I'm with you on the subscription services, but the digital storefront games are perfectly playable after the servers shut down (save for any online features) as long as you buy and download the games you want before the shut down and then properly keep your data backed up.

I have an e-Reader, some dot code cards for some NES games, & I used to have SMA4:SMB3, which to me, was the spirit of Super Mario Maker, before SMM. My favorite game of all time, favorite SMB franchise game of all time, portable, and the merging of different aspects of SMB games into one title.

Duck Hunt, I also love.

As for the physical vs. digital debate:

I'm in the camp that is of the opinion that physically nothing last forever, except for being well-up-kept (maintained), or simply preserved, like museum artifacts. I prefer physical media over digital, but I'm not against digital; I'm simply against many current practices on how co.s (companies) handle digital.

When the e-shops, and servers shut down, the legal methods of both purchasing the content that was on there, including updates, as well as dlc, and/or redownloading what you have previously purchased, is discontinued. This makes digital purchases very unappealing.

Hypothetically, someone second-hand purchases a Wii with Skyward Sword. Remember, the game had an official free software patch that fixes an unlikely, but possible encounter of the game-breaking bug. But wait, if they can't officially download the free patch, then they must either deal/put-up with the situation, if the bug is encountered, or learn how to manually hack, and apply game patches to their Wii console. Now granted, this is, again, a hypothetical, because for right now, Skyward Sword is on the WU e-shop, presumably with the patch already inserted into the game's files (rom/iso/wad/etc).

Another example would be if I purchased dlc, that I later deleted from my system, let's say to make room for other games I'm currently playing. When the servers go down, I lost data that I paid for, and maybe I had sufficient room on my console, or backup devices, but I forgot about it.

For things like full-game digital downloads, patches, and dlc, the companies should continue hosting it, in some way, and/or allow others to legally host that data, under the software provisions that the data must not ever be "altered", except by the official source of the data.

Companies should also come up with a means of consumers being able to legally sell, and transfer digital download games, along with the license that goes with them, since a digital download is effectively purchasing a license to play the game, not ownership of the game code itself.

Theres some 3DS VC console games that should be on Switch as well, like 92 Recca and Murasame Castle. Surprised ya’ll didn’t know about the extra levels on SMA4. There was a whole news article on it and everything back then. It was exciting and why I bought it! Beat them all too!

@OorWullie Nope. GBA games will be exclusive to the online service for the New Super Switch Pro model. The current system doesn’t have the CPU or horsepower or something.

Already have the original Drill Dozer which I got on import, it's a great game. Definitely need to get Duck Hunt and I'm sure Hogan's Alley is on Wii U virtual console too.
Can't believe I stopped playing half way through the e-reader levels on Super Mario Bros. 3, shame on me.

Those eReader levels were dope af, such a fantastic inclusion in the VC release!

Wow, that additional Mario Bros. 3 [Advance] stuff is very cool indeed.

Shame on you for not mentioning Dead Space: Extraction in the segment on Wii light gun games. It is easily one of the very best examples of the old arcade-style gun games on Wii:

Nintendo killing the Virtual Console, rather than transferring everything over to Switch and just expanding on that, was one of the worst decisions it's ever made imo.

I still have Super Mario Advance 4 in mint with the box and the all the North American e-reader and e-reader cards in mint. I remember using my gameboy player to unlock stuff in games with it.

So when are they launching WiiU Virtual Console Virtual Console on Switch to play this? heh

Don't worry, I'm fairly confident GBA will be the next addition to NSO. GBA games came to Wii U VC before N64 games and Fusion was the first game they added.

@OorWullie If this happens, I may struggle to suppress my excitement long enough to thank you before I play it. But I will try