Wii Virtual Console

Virtual Console is the name of a new video game download service offered by Nintendo, accessible to users of the company's upcoming console, the Wii. Described (by CEO Satoru Iwata) as “the video game version of Apple’s iTunes music store”, the service will feature classic titles from past Nintendo consoles (from the NES to the N64) as well as from formerly competing systems, such as the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16. Virtual Console may also offer new and original content from independent developers. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has indicated that new small-scale titles could be developed and sold through the Virtual Console at a price of between ¥500 and ¥1000 (approximately US$4-$9, GB£2-£5), and that free downloads may be offered as a bonus with the purchase of specific Wii titles.

More than 1,000 Revolution (Nintendo Wii Codename) controller development kits have been sent out to various software houses in order to familiarize studios with the workings of the device.

Wii Vistual Console info*

Confirmed Wii Emulated Games

Bonk's Adventure TurboGrafx 16 New Adventure Island] TurboGrafx 16 R-Type TurboGrafx 16 Super Mario Bros. NES Super Mario World SNES Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis Super Mario 64 Nintendo 64

* To make your Wii emulators and roms compatible and be able to run GameCube and Wii backups you need to install a wii modchip in your console. Cyclowiz, Wii Key, D2CKey, WiiD

Wii ROMs Compatibility

Nintendo has stated that Wii will be backward compatible with all GameCube software and most peripherals. This backwards compatibility is achieved through a set of ports on top of the console concealed by a panel. There are four GCN controller ports and two GCN memory card slots as there were on the GameCube itself, so the GameCube microphone should be compatible, as well as the GameCube-GameBoy Advance cable. There is no indication that the Wii has the high-speed port of the original GameCube, which means that unless otherwise indicated, the GameBoy Player (which required this port) will not be compatible with the Wii.

Virtual Console.info - nWii VC Game Reviews and Free Games. downloadable access to titles originally released for Nintendo 64 (N64), the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). also will feature a "best of" selection from Sega Genesis (SEGA) titles and games from the TurboGrafx console (a system jointly developed by NEC and Hudson). It also will be home to new games conceived by 3rd party indie developers whose creativity is larger than their budgets and hopefully homebrew comunity with free PD roms.

How much is Nintendo going to put into some of the virtual console games? Are they just pretty much going to release all games as is (or as was, I guess), or are they going to take advantage of Wii upgrades to the games that have come out over the years.

For example, take a look at the original Final Fantasy. This came out for the NES, the Wonderswan Color, the GBA/DS, and a few more to boot. So is Nintendo just going to stick with the basic NES original, or are people going to get the option to use one of the newer builds. And if we do have that option for the newer builds, will it be a one price for all, or are we going to have to choose and buy each one (if we wanted more than one).

And on a related note, what about games that never crossed the Pacific, but were missed. Games like FFV (originally, before the PS port), Seiken Densetsu 3, etc. These are games which have already had decent unoficial fan translations done in some cases, if another hasn't been done already. Will Nintendo work with the old developers to provide a Wii release for these titles that most of us never got a chance play? Maybe a premium price package for some of these? (I might pay a little more for a fully translated version of SD3 than I would for Excitebike (which I can already pull out of Animal Crossing if I want)).