madgear

If they announce I can play my GameCube games on it too (my discs that is - not re-buying 60-odd games) then they'll have a sale - until then I'm sticking with Wii and PC.

For the record, as I forgot to point out, I actually do agree with games being shorter, I just don't think Zelda should be one of them. Zelda is like your epic Lord of the Rings adventure - it's supposed to be a long, perilous task that takes you over long distances. You need to feel the adventure and that takes you to far off places where you can see the path behind you.

However, in addition to games like these, I wish some games were short enough to be completed over a weekend (perhaps at a lower price). Silent Hill Shattered Memories, for example, is just the right length - you can finish it in a weekend yet you feel you've had a good, full experience. The original Resident Evil games were also of the right length. There's no need to stick so much padding on such games - sometimes a game about a zombie mansion or a spooky town only need to take up a weekend's worth of play. After all, I tend to go back to those games more often than not - when you know you can reach the end in a reasonable time, you tend to enjoy multiple play throughs to relive it once more. Zelda, however, is about the epic long adventure and the vast world - one of those every five years is great as you can take your time with it and truely enjoy it. It's the other types of games that need to shorted. More Shattered Memories please.

No. For a start, as a person who is pretty clued up on gaming, I had no idea how long Skyward Sword actually is before I bought it. I'm still playing through it now and still don't know when I'll reach the end. If I don't know, then your average Joe will have no idea if it's a long game or not anyway. Unless there's a big 40+ hours printed on the box who is going to know? Besides NOT having 40+ hours would put people off. Console games are getting longer and longer and bigger and bigger - no one has time to play through them but most games seem to written off as a rip off these days. It certainly would not be a selling point.

The reason it didn't sell well was simply because Nintendo practically abandoned the Wii after the premature Wii U announcement. Only now, in Europe at least, are they trying to pick up the pieces and release some games. It's too late, though - they gave the impression they were ditching the console a full year and a half before the next, so people moved on. If they released Skyward Sword a year before that the sales would be a completely different story.

@MadAussieBloke Lol just because you haven't seen an interesting movie in six years, it doesn't mean it applies to the vast majority of the world. It's a bit like an old lady saying no one uses the Internet because she doesn't.

Games are too expensive, have a short shelf life and most get released the same time of year. So yeah, they do need to space them out a bit (and make them way cheaper). No one has the time or money to buy all those games at the same part of the year - it's impossible for even the most dedicated gamer to fit in more than a couple in that time.

They seem to forget that there's the summer holidays - over six weeks of free time for kids. Surely this is the time to release some lengthy titles. Kids also have birthdays all year round and adults? Well they don't need to wait for Christmas and birthdays and make up a huge portion of games buyers.

It seems games companies just want to drive themselves out of business sometimes. Yeah, people just get games for Christmas - that's the one time of the year. Let's all just compete against each other for one sales slot in an already overcrowded market.

PES has been terrible for years now. FIFA isn't much better but it wins for having actual teams and players. I have to be honest, I don't play football games anywhere near as much as I used to. They've taken the fun out of them - they're too realistic now. Last PES game we got, we just couldn't score ANY goals, and this is PES experts. I'm on the look out for a new contender now - c'mon Sensible Software.

Sad that all the games that have been removed from the service all ranked highly (TMNT, R-Type etc). Curse you complex copyright ownerships.

I'm surprised any games make the sales target on WiiWare. Lack of advertising is the biggest problem - I barely know much about most titles and this is coming from someone who reads a Nintendo news site.

The only two companies I notice on the Wii Shop at the moment is Sega and Capcom, who are probably just taking advantage of having the thing all to themselves. Even Nintendo themselves don't bother to release anything any more. It's a shambles and I noticed they practically abandoned the service altogether the very week they announced the Wii U a full year and a half before launch. You have to take into account the Wii is currently the most successful console this generation so the download service could have been exceptional instead of the mess it is.

Yes SNK - it's an arcade game.

"Even if you weren't around for that era"

There's quite a lot of games on there from the last two years. Get started early kids, there's a lot of gaming to fit in.

It won't happen unless there's a single gaming format. I mean most people own phones and ipads too, but Apple has many exclusives of its own. As long as there's a hardware market, Nintendo will always get sales of their consoles BECAUSE of their games.

Microsoft and Sony don't have this - most of their exclusives are bought third party titles (like with Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil and Crash Bandicoot they eventually end up on other consoles). You have much more chance of them moving to Nintendo than Nintendo moving to someone else. Nintendo own all of their exclusives, they'll never expire and it's their main draw - if they develop for others it'll completely devalue their unique selling point.

I have never found a game scary - ever. How can you be scared when you know your advesaries can be defeated, usually with just a single short or a slash of a knife? The only game that even comes close is Silent Hill Shattered Memories, and that's more to do with atmosphere than anything else. I mean look at Alien and Aliens - which one is scarier there? The one with a small crew of unarmed workers or the one with an army full of trained marines?

As you say, it's a matter of taste, though. Some people may find AR horror titles to be scary - maybe it's the way their imagination works. As far as I'm concerned no game is scary so these are no different to anything else in my oppinion. You have to ask yourself if you've actually been scared by a game and then ask yourself why. I can only speak for myself, but some people seem to pass off being uprepared as a scare, when I think a successful horror has to have you feeling on edge before you've even encountered anything - and that's if you even do.

I'm buying it as soon as I have the spare cash. It's not a cheap game and I'm going to have to wait until next week at least (speaking as if my purchase would put it up a place in the charts).

They could have added trees or something for the blank spaces to make it into a square map like with ALTTP. Looks a bit messy and distracts from the work they've done on it.

I'm not going to bother expressing my view on this again as it's already been said, but I am still curious about the Super Meat Boy file size. I wonder how much over the 40MB limit that game was - it'd be interesting to find out because if it was a few MB and Nintendo didn't make an exception then that's certainly a problem.

Super Meat Boy is a fantastic game and Nintendo really should have worked with Team Meat to get it on the system and found a way around it. It's like turning down the chance to premier a classic movie because it runs a little long.

Yeah, well that's my point. My only games console is a Wii so what I'm saying is from someone who enjoys Nintendo's games, but I will not mindlessly defend them on such things beause they make the games I enjoy to play.

To address the responses - yes they can go develop for another format and that's what they're doing, but it doesn't solve the initial problem. They didn't go into this knowing they would lose money - why would they? When they signed the deal, it would be with the understanding it was fair - however it didn't turn out that way. As a software developer there's not much of a choice of formats you can develop for. Ideally you want to release it on as many systems as you can but you only have a choice of a few formats - making a mistake is just a one in three chance and they can all be mistakes at times. A living has to be made.

And for those of you who don't know, MDK is hardly shovelware or a poor game. It was highly regarded at the time of its release and is a fondly remembered title. The problem here is with Nintendo - their online service is so poor that even I, someone who only owns a Nintendo console, has practically nothing to download from the service other than about three of four Virtual Console games a year. There's no promotion of it, it's slow, the game selection is full of shovelware so the decent titles get drowned out, there's little leniency (they should have made size exceptions for decent titles like Super Meat Boy), it's difficult to search the store etc, no enhanced versions of retro games, no place for enhanced ports (Daytona USA, Guardian Heroes, Sonic CD) etc. To make 6000 sales on such an online store, even with a good title, is going to be very tough. It's the reason the VC is also drying up - I can only assume Sega and Capcom are the only ones releasing anything on it recently is because they don't have any competition for sales any more.

How can any of you defend Nintendo on this? 6000 sales before pay is ridiculous. You're missing the point if you say a game must be shovelware if it doesn't meet that target - it may very well meet that target but the problem is the time it takes before that target is met. Staff need to be paid, they need to invest in the next project - you can't function with a business if the money isn't coming in. 6000 is a lot, especially on a service Nintendo hardly promote and one that most Wii owners don't even bother using.

It's not "their loss" it's their gain. I hope more developers stop working for Nintendo until this policy is changed as it's just greedy and unfair.

I'm kind of for this and against this. On one hand I love 2D Mario games and I'm glad they've made a comeback, however this is a Mario game on new hardware - it's not the best one to launch with. I think people will be looking for something technically impressive like Mario 64 was. People will just see a 2D Mario as something the Wii could do and maybe even doubt the console's power.

So yeah, it's good news in that it's a good game, but slightly worrying they're picking this as their Mario launch game.

"No more pedo's trolling the lesser known rehashes of fighting games."

Haha - it's true, though. They've ruined everything fun on the internet - starting with chat rooms and going right up to online retro Megadrive games. Funny thing is, it's unlikely anyone under the age of 20 will even bother with this title, at least online.

I gave this a go online over the weekend and was quite impressed with the level of opponents I faced. Unlike Tatsunoko Vs Capcom, where the majority of people just stood there hitting the same attack button, I found myself facing some very challenging and entertaining opponents picking from all characters, rather than just Ryu and Ken.

It true that it is pretty basic and souless, though, but I've enjoyed it for actually being able to play some decent Street Fighter players for a change. Now that all the console versions of this game are available, I think they should consider the arcade version of Super Turbo for their next release.

As far as I'm concerned, Resident Evil ended at 4 - the last good RE game for me. I've become something of a retro gamer recently anyway - discovering old classics I've never played before. Great games, no DRM, no patching or DLC - everything modern day Capcom is not. Modern gaming is just a confusing mess these days thanks to the likes of Capcom.

Super Street Fighter 2 for me! It's been almost a full year since they've put something new on the download service I want! I love the Megadrive version - it's my favourite 16-bit home version of the game. Such nostalgia.

@Zensulu To be honest it could be Sega's doing as to why it's a 40MEG cart. Maybe they just wanted it to be the biggest version - they seemed to focus a lot on cartridge sizes back then and it might have been a bit of a selling point.

It could have also been cost - the SNES already had two versions of Street Fighter 2 but the Megadrive only had one. For that reason it was more likely the Megadrive version would sell more as SNES owners would see it as more of the same. Maybe it was worth the extra cost of a 40Meg cartridge for that format but not the other. Who knows, just speculating.

The SNES version is a smaller cartridge, RR529 - 32MEG on SNES and 40MEG on the Megadrive. It just means they were able to fit more on the Megadrive cartridge. Having both versions, I've just noticed those differences and the Megadrive is the one I prefer. If you prefer the SNES then so be it - it's really just down to opinion and both versions are pretty good.

Finally - it's late but at least it's here.

For me, the reasons I prefer the Megadrive version is the music continues into the second round, it has the arcade's sound effects, more speech (SNES misses "round # fight"), better animated intro and more background details. They're small things but I tend to miss them when playing the SNES version and more than make up for crackly speech. Besides, this one also has online play.

@James as far as number of titles per month go, it was good. It's not so good if you're waiting patiently for just one of the games that doesn't show. After all I only download the ones I want.

I think it'd be nice if they just kept us informed rather than announce a release then give us nothing. I wouldn't mind so much if they just said it had been delayed.

Erm Super Street Fighter 2 in March? Knew they'd let us down again.

@Assassin87 well I have no intention to buy a Wii U and the current Wii has a user base in the millions, more than any current gen console, whereas the Wii U's is zero at the moment. I think it makes much more sense to release it for Nintendo's current system. IF I ever get a Wii U, it's not going to be for a couple of years yet - I'm going to see how the next generation plays out.

@Savino

"Of course it will not sell well if they make a game like the older ones! The awfull camera, the tank gameplay, horrible, just horrible... We like those games for nostalgia and only nostalgia."

That's such a ridiculous thing to say. Making a game like the older ones does not mean tank controls and bad cameras - obviously people are happy for those things to be improved. What people want is exploration and adventure. Trying to find a way to get into a locked room, solving puzzles and a creepy isolated atmosphere. That's not outdated, it's a genre of game.

That's the type of game I enjoy playing and if they're not being made then I just start to lose interest in games. If a game has to be an action shooter to be classed as "modern" then I can't see myself playing anything but indie games in the near future.

I used to love the Game Gear - I remember it being fairly popular as I knew a number of people who owned one (I even saw someone playing one recently in a cinema foyer!).

The best games were definitely Castle of Illusion, Sonic The Hedgehog and Shinobi - all original versions rather than ports that stand alongside their 16-bit counterparts.

Well it's looking very unlikely that games are going to be transferable to the next generation now - and that's all consoles if rumours are to be believed. It's all very good having Sonic Mega Collection but that won't work on Wii U either. If I ever got a Wii U I'll be into double figures with Sonic 1 purchases!

PC gaming is the way to go, people. You get to keep your games and transfer them, even if it's a digital download, as people are always making patches to get anything working on new hardware. Every PC game I've ever owned runs on my current system.

Well, it certainly beats having a ton of consoles and cartridges cluttering up your house.

@Lordlz true but there is a top sellers list on the Wii shop and pretty much all the Sonic games are in there amongst the Mario games.

My guess would be they're releasing another Sonic Collection on disc.

Willl that be all the R-Types gone? I wanted to get an R-Type game, which one is the best on the VC?

They do. Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros Brawl, New Super Mario Bros & Super Mario Galaxy are all great games. The rest are the type of games everyone buys just so they have them for when they have guests round, so they're bound to be top sellers. It's not like people play them all the time, they buy them incase they need to entertain (also Wii Fit is a given).

I could always ask you, Jamouse, do you own Sin & Punishment 2? Xenoblade? Shattered Memories? Last Story etc? If you don't own all of theose then, to me, you're not buying some of the games I consider to be the best. That's because you'll have your own favourites that I don't buy - hence why they're not up there. Everyone loves Mario games, though, and everyone likes to keep a social game handy. It doesn't mean people arn't buying the games we consider good, it's just those tastes vary among each gamer so they'll never have the same appeal.

I'd be happy to move to digital only but we need more rights. Even tying them to an account, such as with XBox Live, seems very limiting. There's no way of knowing what's going to happen in the next generation with regards to digital content - will we lose some of it? Will we lose all of it? Will they continue to host games on their servers that have been discontinued forever?

If I want to play, say, my Sega Saturn collection, I have those games to hand. If the Saturn breaks, I just get a replacement console and can still play the games. With my Wii, however, will I always be able to play the digital games? Transfer them to a new machine if the current one breaks in the future after it has been discontinued? It's not likely.

Digital will only really take off if we're given complete freedom to move the files around - and not just with an account, but the files themselves from one console to another. It's unlikely to happen any time soon but, as it is, digital content on consoles is too new to argue the point that we'll always retain our purchases. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the next generation but I predict some outcry when people start losing games with the transfer that they can't even play if they retain their old machine.

Yes! I love the Megadrive version of Super Street Fighter 2. The speech is a bit rough but the music and sound effects are pretty much spot on. Can't wait to try the online.

Yeah this version does lack background music for most of the stages - replaced with crowd cheers and sound effects. 97 is actually my worst in the series - 98 is my favourite, follwed by 95 and 96. Still, King of Fighters is always good and I'm sure a lot will enjoy this more than 95.

Real Bout Fatal Fury! One of THE VC games I'm waiting for! SO ANNOYED Nintendo arn't releasing anything over here. I've not downloaded anything since may 2011 (Chrono Trigger)! C'mon, Nintendo, sort your download service out - it's abysmal and yet it can be so great!

@Limelight_788 - Yeah I hate it when people say "be glad of what we have". I'm a paying customer and I expect the service I bought a Wii for. It's kind of like saying to a film fan "You're complaining that you want Star Wars? You should be greatful that you have Battlefield Earth".

Good Christmas game on the Wii? Sam and Max Season 2 - probably one of the most Christmassy games I've ever played and with a nice bit of Halloween thrown in too.

Edit: I'm also playing through Last Window at the moment on the DS. That's set around Christmas - both of these are great games too.

"Resident Evil first debuted on the Sony PlayStation, and for a long time, it seemed like it would stay there."

I should probably point out it was ported to the Saturn the very next year.

I think we have a right to moan about the download releases. The only thing I have bought for my Wii in months is Xenoblade - and the Wii is my only console. Considering more people own a Wii than any other console, it seems absolutely ridiculous that Nintendo choose to abandon it just because they've announced their next machine.

The 3DS releases are also unforgivable. I don't own the machine but I never see anything of interest. I'm now in the process of choosing a new console - I mean the 360 has the likes of Daytona USA and Guardian Heroes this month. I'd rather stick with Nintendo but there's absolutely nothing to buy. Problem is, if I spend my money on a 360, I aint going to be buying a Wii U next year.

Way to scare off any hardcore gamers you have left Nintendo. Do you honestly think people are going to go a year with nothing but the odd educational title?

People will end up buying a new console and I can't see them then buying a Wii U if they've then invested in a 360 or PS3.

Well I'm still playing through most of my GameCube games - lots still to complete including the likes of Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness and a Zelda title or two. There's no way I'm re-buying them and I doubt I'll get a Wii U either since I also have a ton of Wii games to play through too. I only have one games console at a time so I'm afraid the Wii U is going to have to wait a long time before I can get it - it's a shame, because GC compatibility would have been the thing that presuaded me. Anyway, I won't be missing out since I have my PC for HD gaming.

Do they not do downloads for the Wii any more? I've not bothered to check for over a month now but looks like there's still no new stuff. I was looking forward to Machinarium and a couple of VC titles but looks like it has been completely abandoned now. Sad as it's ages until the Wii U and I'm not planning on buying one anyway - would be nice if my Wii would at least last a little bit longer.

@MasterGraveheart @mariofanatic128 - yeah same here too. I only own a Wii but I'd definately class myself as a hardcore gamer. It's simply not practical for some people to own multiple consoles - if you have a partner, even if they're a gamer, they'll frown at you for spending money on systems you don't really need.

As for this not coming to the West, I can't say I really knew much about it to be disappointed. However I don't understand why they're saying it can't fit on a Wii disc when they've already done it for the Japanese release (and I hope they don't mean the text as even a game full of it in multiple languages takes up the tiniest amount of data).

I've given up on Nintendo too, even though these games are coming to the UK. I'll buy these titles and the new Zelda but, after that, I'm moving on to PC gaming. With consoles we have to put up with things such as region locks, we can only play what they say we can and games have such a short shelf life. I'll see the Wii through to the end but I doubt I'll get another console after that.

Maybe they have disc releases planned like with Sam and Max? It says on their website about Tales of Monkey Island possibly coming to disc and maybe they'll do the same with Back To The Future once the series is complete.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 was relased ... never (it does not exist) - not 2006.

Sonic CD was released in 1993 not 1994