I think this article makes an important point. The Virtual Console really started a renaissance for retro games, and solidified "retro" as a gaming genre. That said, after working in the retail video game industry for five+ years, partially during that renaissance, I think the majority of people downloading those games had never played them before. So I'd argue it is a lot less about nostalgia and a lot more about vying to learn more about the past. However, nostalgia can alter how gamers perceive games. For example, FFVII went from a great game to "the greatest game of all time" due in large, in my opinion, to nostalgia. But I digress.
This is just the slow, agonizing move to digital distribution. Companies like Nintendo will want to drag their feet, while companies like Rovio will want to expedite the process as much as possible. Neither side is right or wrong, and both types of content delivery have their benefits, but until the day comes when physical media is officially dead, this debate will rage on.
I haven't bought a DS game in ages... guess it's time to pick up a copy of Dragon Quest IX and prepare for VI's release. Or at least rent it. Great news!
I have to admit I am VERY surprised. Looks like Sonic is making a serious comeback. And that's a guy with my avatar admitting that there was a time when I was concerned lol.
I still don't have Motion Plus... might be worth the 30 bucks. I wish they were discounting the Wii Sports Resort + Motion Plus attachment pack instead, though. Thanks for the tip guys.
Wow, this is what I get for falling off the Nintendo radar for a while - an AWESOME Neo Geo CD import release. Add this to the list of games I must download eventually.
Been a Netflix subscriber for over a year. It's well worth the investment. I requested a Wii disc from Netflix Tuesday, and got it the next day. While I've been watching movies instantly via my Xbox 360 and Boxee on my computer for a while now, it'll be nice to be able to watch on the Wii as well. I did a quick test and it looks fine. I can't recommend Netflix highly enough. If you were on the fence, Wii instant watch capabilities should sway you.
Lots of Data East titles missing, but an insider told me that, "if this release is successful, a sequel is possible." I can't reveal my source, but it's credible. With that said, I'm disappointed with the presentation, but happy with the catalog. Room for improvement, but not a bad compilation either. 7/10 is a fair score. Definitely worth a GameFly rental.
Even if these rumors had some merit, the Wii is focused on casual gamers - and the casual crowd really has no interest in HD. It's still only a fraction of the market. With that said, where else is there to go for Nintendo? If they're going to stick with Motion Control, how can they improve on the Wii if they don't upgrade to HD?
I'm more a fan of the Genesis version myself, but I still have the SNES cart. Both quality games - glad you brought some attention to it. (Looking at the other comments, to my surprise not everyone knew about this one.)
I call BS on this. "We in America,"? That sounds terrible - Nintendo would not use that tone or language in an email.
Regardless of this being real or not, it's still probably more or less true. Oh well, we had a good run I guess. It was fun while it lasted. I'll keep my Wii, but it'll hardly ever get turned on.
I've written about this before - but to make my point brief: Does anyone remember where retro gaming was 5 years ago? I do. To play retro games, I'd have to drive an hour to a quarterly retro gamers club meeting at an obscure game store, buy carts, trade carts, or just hope I can play someone's copy during the meeting. Now TONS of obscure games are available to download for a few bucks. We've made HUGE leaps, thanks to the all-mighty dollar.
What do I mean? Thanks to us, publishers have realized that retro games are profitable. So the win-win is they make money, and we get to play authentic-feeling emulations of the games. (Pirate emulators usually botch the sound, or have bad slowdown, et cetera.) What pisses me off about pirates is that they're detrimental to the process of progress. We're getting to the point where even licensed games can be made available to us thanks to their profitability. (TMNT Arcade on XBLA comes to mind.) Give it time, and keep playing the games legally, and I'm certain publishers will realize retro gamers are a fertile sector of the marketplace just like "casual" gamers are. (If they haven't realized this already.)
Traded in my DS Lite for one of these bad boys to take advantage of the download service. (I have a GBA/GB Micro to play GBA games on.) Gotta tell you guys, the upgrade is worth it.
If you're in the US, you can get 70 bucks for your Lite @ a GameStop. That's 20 extra dollars, and by the time the trade deal is off, I'm sure the surplus of used DS Lites will push the price even lower than 50 - so hurry up and upgrade!
This was released on the Sega Smash Pack for Dreamcast here in the States, so I'm sure Sega can get it re-released again on the Wii VC. Honestly, I like this game - the music is good, and it's just as fun as any other Shinobi title out there.
The "Nintendo games should always be in the updates because the Wii is Nintendo's system" argument is fallacious - if you attribute that argument to retail-release games, how many Wii games would we have? Not many.
The fact that "third parties" can put up VC games is what gives us variety - there are only so many (good) Nintendo games free of red tape to go around.
Comments 131
Re: Feature: Nintendo - Gaming in Black and White
I think this article makes an important point. The Virtual Console really started a renaissance for retro games, and solidified "retro" as a gaming genre. That said, after working in the retail video game industry for five+ years, partially during that renaissance, I think the majority of people downloading those games had never played them before. So I'd argue it is a lot less about nostalgia and a lot more about vying to learn more about the past. However, nostalgia can alter how gamers perceive games. For example, FFVII went from a great game to "the greatest game of all time" due in large, in my opinion, to nostalgia. But I digress.
Re: Netflix has Another Nintendo Console Queued Up
It'd be pretty cool to stream Netflix to the WiiU's controller. Not a deal maker, just a cool feature.
Re: Angry Birds Dev Calls Nintendo Games "$49 Pieces of Plastic"
This is just the slow, agonizing move to digital distribution. Companies like Nintendo will want to drag their feet, while companies like Rovio will want to expedite the process as much as possible. Neither side is right or wrong, and both types of content delivery have their benefits, but until the day comes when physical media is officially dead, this debate will rage on.
Re: Review: World of Goo (WiiWare)
If anyone is reading this, the iOS version is on sale for $4.99 right now. Save 5 bucks, and it looks amazing on iPad.
Re: Review: Mario Party 2 (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
I don't think MP1 would give gamers blisters now - the Classic Controller has a rubberized grip. Who's with me?
Re: Review: Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition (Wii)
Huge disappointment. Add this to one of the reasons my Wii has been collecting dust.
Re: Dragon Quest VI is Nintendo's Valentine's Gift to You, North America
I haven't bought a DS game in ages... guess it's time to pick up a copy of Dragon Quest IX and prepare for VI's release. Or at least rent it. Great news!
Re: Review: Sonic Colours (Wii)
I have to admit I am VERY surprised. Looks like Sonic is making a serious comeback. And that's a guy with my avatar admitting that there was a time when I was concerned lol.
Re: Review: James Bond 007 (Game Boy)
Easily one of the best games for the original Game Boy.
Re: Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition Coming to U.S.
I'm not seeing it on Amazon or GameStop.com.
Re: Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition Coming to U.S.
(two thumbs up)
Re: Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition
USA is still to be announced? Jeez...
Re: Review: Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (DS)
Wow... I totally missed this. Probably rent this from Gamefly, since Dead Rising 2 is on backorder.
Re: Grab a Cheap Wii at Target This Week
I still don't have Motion Plus... might be worth the 30 bucks. I wish they were discounting the Wii Sports Resort + Motion Plus attachment pack instead, though. Thanks for the tip guys.
Re: New Sonic 4 Trailer Almost Makes Up for Delay
Wow... this is the first time I'm excited about a Sonic game in ages...
Re: Complete Your Living Room: My Fireplace Stoking up WiiWare
Just in time for Summer 2010! I smell a blockbuster.
Re: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Lands with Bonus DVD
I'd be upset... but it doesn't really sound like we're missing much.
Re: Ironclad
Wow, this is what I get for falling off the Nintendo radar for a while - an AWESOME Neo Geo CD import release. Add this to the list of games I must download eventually.
Re: Hands On: Netflix Wii
Been a Netflix subscriber for over a year. It's well worth the investment. I requested a Wii disc from Netflix Tuesday, and got it the next day. While I've been watching movies instantly via my Xbox 360 and Boxee on my computer for a while now, it'll be nice to be able to watch on the Wii as well. I did a quick test and it looks fine. I can't recommend Netflix highly enough. If you were on the fence, Wii instant watch capabilities should sway you.
Re: R.O.B. Display Unit Sells for $4K on eBay
How on Earth did all those objects stay fixed in the retail display unit? Are those games plastered down or something?
Re: Review: Data East Arcade Classics (Wii)
Lots of Data East titles missing, but an insider told me that, "if this release is successful, a sequel is possible." I can't reveal my source, but it's credible. With that said, I'm disappointed with the presentation, but happy with the catalog. Room for improvement, but not a bad compilation either. 7/10 is a fair score. Definitely worth a GameFly rental.
Re: Miyamoto Hints Towards Next Console
Even if these rumors had some merit, the Wii is focused on casual gamers - and the casual crowd really has no interest in HD. It's still only a fraction of the market. With that said, where else is there to go for Nintendo? If they're going to stick with Motion Control, how can they improve on the Wii if they don't upgrade to HD?
Re: Review: Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
My only complaint is the price tag. I rented the game, loved it - but it's clearly a 30 dollar title. 50 dollars is way high for a game like this.
Re: Nintendo Download: Monkeys, Rattles, Fantasies and Puzzles (US)
***Troll Alert*** @Superman
Re: Nintendo Download: Monkeys, Rattles, Fantasies and Puzzles (US)
No Super Jedi? Not that Phantasy Star is a bad game or anything.
Re: Nintendo Download: Jedis, Drills and Bubbles (US)
Am I the only one excited for Super Empire? I know it was expected, but still not a bad VC release.
Re: Review: Shadowrun (Super Nintendo)
I'm more a fan of the Genesis version myself, but I still have the SNES cart. Both quality games - glad you brought some attention to it. (Looking at the other comments, to my surprise not everyone knew about this one.)
Re: Nintendo Rep: Virtual Console Being Toned Down
I call BS on this. "We in America,"? That sounds terrible - Nintendo would not use that tone or language in an email.
Regardless of this being real or not, it's still probably more or less true. Oh well, we had a good run I guess. It was fun while it lasted. I'll keep my Wii, but it'll hardly ever get turned on.
Re: E3: New Wii Mario Game In The Works?
Why do I get the feeling this is going to be yet another disappointment?
Re: Nintendo Rejects Intellivision Lives for DSiWare
What the ffffff... seriously, Nintendo? Why? I haven't been this upset @ Nintendo in a while. I love the Intellivision.
Re: Review: Virtual Fishing (Virtual Boy)
This is like a pseudo April Fool's joke - I bet a bunch of people will see this on the homepage and thing, "VB is on the VC?!"
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (15th Apr)
Wow! People in Sweden sure like Bubble Bobble. I wonder when the US will get that game...
Re: Nintendo Download: Mixed Messages, Pitfalls, Magic Tricks and Pirates (US)
Now my DSi AND Wii can collectively collect dust! Hooray!
Re: Nintendo Download: 14 April 2009 (Japan)
http://web.archive.org/web/20071223031133/http://www.vc-reviews.com/
Downloadable manga? The Wii really is becoming versatile...
Re: Talking Point: Copyright and Video Games
I've written about this before - but to make my point brief: Does anyone remember where retro gaming was 5 years ago? I do. To play retro games, I'd have to drive an hour to a quarterly retro gamers club meeting at an obscure game store, buy carts, trade carts, or just hope I can play someone's copy during the meeting. Now TONS of obscure games are available to download for a few bucks. We've made HUGE leaps, thanks to the all-mighty dollar.
What do I mean? Thanks to us, publishers have realized that retro games are profitable. So the win-win is they make money, and we get to play authentic-feeling emulations of the games. (Pirate emulators usually botch the sound, or have bad slowdown, et cetera.) What pisses me off about pirates is that they're detrimental to the process of progress. We're getting to the point where even licensed games can be made available to us thanks to their profitability. (TMNT Arcade on XBLA comes to mind.) Give it time, and keep playing the games legally, and I'm certain publishers will realize retro gamers are a fertile sector of the marketplace just like "casual" gamers are. (If they haven't realized this already.)
Re: DSi Has a Strong Opening Weekend
Traded in my DS Lite for one of these bad boys to take advantage of the download service. (I have a GBA/GB Micro to play GBA games on.) Gotta tell you guys, the upgrade is worth it.
If you're in the US, you can get 70 bucks for your Lite @ a GameStop. That's 20 extra dollars, and by the time the trade deal is off, I'm sure the surplus of used DS Lites will push the price even lower than 50 - so hurry up and upgrade!
Re: Review: Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS)
20 bucks is pretty high... wasn't Devilish released at 14.99? I'll wait for this one to hit the bargain bin.
Re: Review: Odama (GCN)
This is actually one of my favorite GC games. You either love it or hate it. Good times...
Re: Squibs Arcade - LCD Madness From Alten8
This seems more like a novelty or a clever joke than something someone would want to play. You'll laugh for five minutes and then delete it.
... still gonna buy it though. haha
Re: Nintendo of Europe Announces April-July WiiWare / DSiWare Lineup
The DSi list is a little disconcerting...
Re: StarFox Developer Not Interested in Wii Sequel
After Fox's outings on the GC, good riddance. I'll stick with the SNES and N64 outings.
Re: Nintendo Download: DSiWare, Equilibrio & Uncharted Waters (US)
eh... I guess expecting some new DSi games was pushing it haha.
But they could make me happy and just let me download my VC titles onto my DSi...
Re: Modern Games Get a NES Makeover
So many people are making designs in old-Nintendo style box art. I saw a John Cena t-shirt today in this type of design. Weird.
Re: Capcom Mum Regarding Virtual Console Arcade Plans
Capcom has pretty much treated us to all their arcade hits on collections, though - so I'm not too concerned.
Re: Super Punch-Out!! Available in Europe Tonight
Nice. It'd be cool if we could get this in the US to...
Re: Secret Command
This is a great game thanks to the 2 player mode - can't wait for it to get released.
Re: USA VC Update: Summer Games II
Not that Epyx's Summer Games are bad or anything, but it by itself just seems lame. Oh well.
Re: The Revenge of Shinobi
This was released on the Sega Smash Pack for Dreamcast here in the States, so I'm sure Sega can get it re-released again on the Wii VC. Honestly, I like this game - the music is good, and it's just as fun as any other Shinobi title out there.
Re: USA VC Update: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
Whoa, what an awesome surprise! Guess I'm going to have to get some more Wii points immediately...
Does this rival Shining Force II though? ... let the debate begin...
Re: USA VC Update: Commodore 64 Launches With Three Games
The "Nintendo games should always be in the updates because the Wii is Nintendo's system" argument is fallacious - if you attribute that argument to retail-release games, how many Wii games would we have? Not many.
The fact that "third parties" can put up VC games is what gives us variety - there are only so many (good) Nintendo games free of red tape to go around.