Virtual Console, sometimes abbreviated as VC, is a specialized section of the Wii Shop Channel, an online service that allows players to purchase and download games and other software for the Wii gaming console. The Wii Shop Channel is a service for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console games and WiiWare content The Virtual Console lineup consists of titles originally released on now defunct past consoles. These titles are run in their original forms through software emulation. An emulator duplicates (provides an emulation of the functions of one System using a different system so that the second system behaves like (and appears to The library of past games currently consists of titles originating from the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Nintendo 64, as well as Sega's Master System and Mega Drive/Genesis, NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and TurboGrafx-CD, SNK's Neo Geo AES, Commodore 64 (Europe only) and MSX (Japan only). The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit Video game console that was The, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo 's third home Video game console for the international market is a multinational Video game Software and Hardware development company and a former Home computer The Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based Video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 is a Japanese multinational IT company headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan. The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The Neo Geo is a cartridge -based arcade and home Video game system released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK. MSX was the name of a standardized Home computer architecture in the 1980s ^[1] Over ten million Virtual Console titles have been downloaded as of December 2007. ^[2]

Library history

While the gameplay remains unchanged for all of the classic titles offered for the Virtual Console, Nintendo has stated that some games may be improved with sharper graphics or better frame rates. ^[3] Certainly, many PAL SNES games run with significantly reduced borders compared to the original cartridge releases. As with disc-based games, the Virtual Console service is region-locked - that is, different versions of games are provided to different regions, and game availability may vary from region to region. ^[4]

Nintendo had stated that the Wii Shop will not be used exclusively for retro games, and Wiiware games have appeared in North America as of May 12, 2008. WiiWare are downloadable games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. ^[5] However, when original games are made available, it will be through the WiiWare part of the Wii Shop, as opposed to through the Virtual Console. WiiWare are downloadable games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo.

Satoru Iwata stated in a speech on March 23, 2006, that Nintendo, Sega, and Hudson Soft were working in collaboration to bring a "best of" series of games to the Wii. is the fourth President and CEO of Nintendo succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002 Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. is a multinational Video game Software and Hardware development company and a former Home computer Hudson Soft Company Limited is a Japanese Electronic entertainment publisher ^[6] At the following E3, Hudson also declared it would bring upwards of 100 titles to the Wii's Virtual Console. The E3 Media and Business Summit, formerly known as Electronic Entertainment Expo and commonly known as E3, is an annual Trade show for the computer Additionally, Hudson mentioned that its lawyers were working on acquiring the licenses to games from now defunct companies. ^[7] Nintendo announced MSX compatibility on September 19, 2006,^[8] announcing on February 23, 2007 that the MSX titles Eggy and Aleste would be released in Japan. MSX was the name of a standardized Home computer architecture in the 1980s Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. is the first game in the Aleste series of Shoot 'em up Video games Developed by the Japanese developer Compile and released in ^[9] In February 2007, a heading for Neo Geo games was added to the Japanese Virtual Console page,^[10][11] and in September of that same year games for that system appeared on the list of future releases, priced at 900 points each. The Neo Geo is a cartridge -based arcade and home Video game system released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK. ^[12][13] Also in September Hudson announced that games made for the TurboGrafx-CD format would also join the Virtual Console beginning in October 2007, with five titles to be released for the remainder of 2007 and ten titles for 2008. The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October October 2007 is the tenth month of that year It began on a Monday and 31 days later ended on a Wednesday. They will be priced at 800 points. ^[14]

On June 1, 2007, Nintendo of America issued a press release to announce the upcoming release of its 100th Virtual Console title, which was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Zelda II The Adventure of Link is an Action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and it Within this press release, Nintendo stated that more than 4. 7 million Virtual Console games had been downloaded, at a rate of more than 1,000 titles an hour. ^[15]

Neo Geo support was added on September 18, 2007 for the Japanese Virtual Console on September 18, 2007, becoming the first addition to the list of consoles since the TurboGrafx-16 was added two days after the U. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. S. launch. ^[16][17]

On October 9, 2007, Nintendo announced that 7. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 8 million VC titles had been downloaded. ^[18]

Over ten million Virtual Console titles have been downloaded as of December 2007. ^[19]

Games from several new past consoles were added during 2008: Sega Master System on February 26, 2008 for Japan's Virtual Console, with other regions and Game Gear support under the Master System label to follow at currently unknown times; ^[20] Commodore 64 support was added on March 28, 2008 for Europe's Virtual Console. The Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based Video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. The Sega Game Gear is a Handheld game console which was Sega 's response to Nintendo 's Game Boy. ^[21] and MSX support was added on May 27, 2008 for Japan's Virtual Console. MSX was the name of a standardized Home computer architecture in the 1980s

Third party support

Unnamed Nintendo employees have reportedly speculated that licensing issues will be a predominant factor in determining whether a game is available for Virtual Console,^[22] giving the examples of GoldenEye 007 and Tetris as games that might be too expensive to license for the Virtual Console. is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on GoldenEye 007 is a 1997 First-person shooter Video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 Video game console, Tetris (Тетрис is a Video puzzle game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in June 1985 while working for the Dorodnicyn Tecmo has announced it plans to "aggressively" support Virtual Console by re-releasing classic games such as Ninja Gaiden, Rygar, and Tecmo Bowl. (formerly known as Tehkan Ltd) is a Japanese Video game corporation that is best known for the Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive For the 2002 PlayStation 2 game see Rygar The Legendary Adventure. Tecmo Bowl is an arcade Video game released in 1987 by Tecmo Inc ^[23] Tecmo was the first third-party game developer to release a game on the Virtual Console (Solomon's Key from the NES). A third-party developer is a developer not directly tied to the primary product that a consumer is using is a puzzle game developed by Tecmo in 1986 for arcade release on custom hardware based on the Z80 chipset Since then, Capcom and Konami, among others, have also released titles. For the original NASA meaning see capsule communicator. is a leading Japanese International developer () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines

Matt Casamassina of IGN reported that Rare titles absent of Nintendo-owned characters, such as Banjo-Kazooie, would be unavailable for purchase due to Microsoft's acquisition of Rare,^[24] but Rare has hinted the possibility of such titles being released on Virtual Console. Matt Casamassina (born December 22, 1975 in California) is a Video game Journalist working for IGN. IGN (abbreviated and formerly known as I magine G ames N etwork is a multimedia news and reviews Website that focuses heavily on Video Rare Ltd (formerly known as Rareware) is a United Kingdom -based video game development company. Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure hybrid Video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo in Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer ^[25] SNK Playmore has announced intentions to release the Samurai Shodown series and a few other games to the Virtual Console and have brought the Neo Geo to the list of consoles available. Samurai Shodown ( Samurai Spirits in Japan) is the name of a Fighting game series by SNK. ^[26] Midway also plans to bring classic Mortal Kombat games to the Virtual Console. ^[27]

Confirmed third-party companies supporting Virtual Console include:

Pricing

On September 14, 2006, Nintendo revealed that Virtual Console games in Japan would be priced starting at JP¥500 for NES titles, JP¥800 for Super NES titles, and JP¥1000 for Nintendo 64 titles, with points purchasable via credit card or a "Wii Points" card. is a Video game developer based in Yokohama, Japan. It was founded by Minoru Kidooka in 1988 Artdink is a Japanese developer of console and Computer games, currently based in Tsukishima, Tokyo. is a Japanese Computer and video game developer and publisher. For the original NASA meaning see capsule communicator. is a leading Japanese International developer is a Japanese Video game developer specializing in console RPGs. Commodore Gaming are a manufacturer of high-end gaming specific PCs which feature a process called C-Kin (pronounced Skin which allows users to customise the outer case with a range is a Japanese magazine Publisher established on April 1 2000. Factor 5 is an independent Software and Video game developer. Fujisankei Communications International Inc ( FCI) was founded in 1986 in New York City as the American arm of the Fujisankei Communications Group Hudson Soft Company Limited is a Japanese Electronic entertainment publisher is a Japanese Video game console developer and publisher, and formerly a developer and manufacturer of Arcade games as well Jaleco was founded as Japan Leisure Corporation on October 3 1974. Kemco (Kotobuki System Co Ltd is a Video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as a Subsidiary of Kotobuki Engineering & Manufacturing This article is about the software company For the Japanese era name see Kōei (era. () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines Midway Games ( (formerly Midway Manufacturing) is an American Video game publisher. This article is about the holding company and the group of companies it owns is a Japanese Video game developer in Shinjuku Tokyo, founded on October 20, 1987. is a Japanese Computer game company The company was founded in March of 1981 by Masayuki Kato. is a Video game development company based in Japan So far Paon has been given the right to work with the Donkey Kong series from Nintendo, following the is a large Japanese company established on October 1 1966, which publishes Music, DVD and VHS videos movies and is a multinational Video game Software and Hardware development company and a former Home computer is a Japanese Video game developer and publisher. Most of the staff were part of Human Entertainment. is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its Console role-playing game franchises which include the Final Fantasy series the Dragon is a Japanese Video game development company founded on April 16, 1971 as a division of Sun Corporation itself a division of Sun Electronics or The is a Japanese developer of Video game software and arcade hardware wholly-owned by RPG publisher Square Enix. (formerly known as Tehkan Ltd) is a Japanese Video game corporation that is best known for the Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive for the town see Takara Central Africa Republic Takara Co Ltd Tomy Co Ltd is the legal English name for the Japanese toy children’s merchandise and entertainment company created on March 1 2006 by the merger of "former" Tomy Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In the United States, Wii Points are priced at one cent per point (with the ability to buy in denominations of $10, $20, $30 and $50), with game prices of US$5, US$8, and US$10, respectively. ^[28][29]

Country	NES Master System Game Gear C64	TurboGrafx-16 Mega Drive	MSX	SNES TurboGrafx-CD Mega Drive/Genesis	Neo Geo	N64
Wii Points	500	600	700	800	900	1000
Australia	$7. The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based Video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. The Sega Game Gear is a Handheld game console which was Sega 's response to Nintendo 's Game Boy. The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 MSX was the name of a standardized Home computer architecture in the 1980s The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit Video game console that was The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 The Neo Geo is a cartridge -based arcade and home Video game system released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK. The, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo 's third home Video game console for the international market For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. 50	$9	-	$12	$13. 50	$15
Canada	$6. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page 25	$7. 50	-	$10	$11. 25	$12. 50
Eurozone	5 €	6 €	-	8 €	9 €	10 €
Japan	¥500	¥600	¥700	¥800	¥900	¥1000
Mexico (only available online)	$50 MXN	$60 MXN	-	$80 MXN	$90 MXN	$100 MXN
New Zealand	$9	$10. Euro Enlargement of the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The peso ( sign: $; code: MXN) is the currency of Mexico. The symbol used for the peso is " $ " basically New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island 80	-	$14. 40	$16. 20	$18
Saudi Arabia (with points bought on point cards)	$8. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi 4	$10	-	$13. 4	$15. 2	$17
Singapore (with points bought on point cards)	$9. Singapore 50	$11. 40	-	$15. 20	$17. 10	$19
South Korea	₩4000 (400 points)	-	-	₩6000 (600 points)	-	₩8000 (800 points)
Sweden (approximately)	46 SEK	55 SEK	-	74 SEK	83 SEK	92 SEK
United Kingdom (with points bought on either point cards OR online)	£3. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 75/ £3. 50	£4. 50/ £4. 20	-	£6. 00/ £5. 60	£6. 75/ £6. 30	£7. 50/ £7. 00
United States	$5	$6	-	$8	$9	$10

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has indicated that new small-scale titles could be developed and sold through the Wii Shop Channel at a price of between JP¥500 and ¥1000 (approximately US$5-$10, GB£2-£5),^[30][31] and that free downloads may be offered as a bonus with the purchase of specific Wii titles, similar to Nintendo Europe's VIP 24:7 incentives. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the is the fourth President and CEO of Nintendo succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002 ^[32]

The Wii Shop Channel has functionality to allow games to be updated. This has been used four times so far to update Military Madness, Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (in North America and Europe)^[33] and Mario Kart 64 (in Europe and Australia). Nectaris ( Military Madness in the US was a series of Sci-fi -themed Hex map Turn-based strategy games for a variety of systems known in Australia and Europe as Lylat Wars due to trademark issues, is a Scrolling shooter Video game for the Nintendo Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards, known in Japan as, is one of few Kirby titles not directed by Masahiro Sakurai, released on the Nintendo 64 in the year is a racing Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console Several NES and SNES games released before March 30, 2007 have also been given updates in Europe and Australia to fix previous problems with the Wii Component Cables. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. These updates are free of charge to those who have downloaded a previous version of the game.

Storage

Games downloaded from the Virtual Console library are stored in the Wii's built-in 512 MB flash memory. Flash memory is non-volatile computer memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed

Games can be transferred to a removable SD card for backup purposes only – they cannot be played from this external memory. Secure Digital ( SD) is a non-volatile Memory card format developed by Matsushita, SanDisk, and Toshiba for use in If the internal memory is filled, Virtual Console games can be deleted to create more room, and the games can be downloaded again at a later date at no additional cost, or can be copied back over from an SD Card.

Virtual Console games are locked to the Wii on which they were purchased—they cannot be transferred to another Wii via an SD card, although it is possible for Wii owners in North America, Europe and Australia to purchase games in the Wii Shop Channel and send them as gifts to people on their Wii Friends list. ^[34][35] In the event that a Wii is damaged and the Virtual Console games can no longer be played, Nintendo will provide support. ^[36]

Game saves and save data

Game saving is functional and intact on the Virtual Console for all games which originally had a save feature on their cartridge. Saved games are saved to the Wii Internal Memory and function exactly as the original cartridge did. A game which in its original cartridge form did not have any form of save feature will not have any save game feature on the Virtual Console (though depending on its original system it may have the suspend feature as described below).

Most first-party N64 games used internal cartridge memory for game save data and thus will save properly on the Virtual Console. A select few first-party and nearly all other N64 game cartridges utilized the extra memory capability of the N64 Controller Pak. The Controller Pak was the Nintendo 64 's Memory card, comparable to those seen in the PlayStation and other CD-ROM -based Video game ^[37] Saving of data to the Controller Pak is not supported by the Virtual Console, so for those games which used this feature, the save feature will not work properly in the Virtual Console. Mario Kart 64, Wave Race 64, and Cruis'n USA used internal cartridge memory for progress and save game data. is a racing Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console Wave Race 64 is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27 1996 in Japan and on November 5 Cruis'n USA is an arcade racing game released in 1994 It was developed by Midway Games and published and distributed by Nintendo. Consequently all progress is saved properly (since it was saved to the cartridge itself) but one of the features in Mario Kart 64 (saving ghosts for racing at a later date) will not work since that particular feature utilized the Controller Pak, and the option to copy data to the Controller Pak won't function in those games.

Suspending play

Like other emulation software, the Wii Virtual Console enables the user to suspend play of a game at any time. To do this, users simply return to the Wii main menu from the game. ^[38] Two exceptions to this are the N64 and Neo Geo titles which do not support this feature. ^[39] Note that suspending play enables the player to pause the game indefinitely but does not function as a "save state" in that once the game is resumed the user will be able to pause play again but will not be able to return to the previously suspended state. ^[38]

The suspend feature will not be available if the user resets the Wii with the reset button on the front of the console, and if the Wii loses power there will be no further suspend state nor will there be a way to restart from the previous suspend state.

Control

Virtual Console games can be played using three different controllers. The Wii Remote itself (turned on its side) can be used for NES, TurboGrafx-16, and some Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Neo Geo games, and the Classic Controller (sold separately from the console) can be used for all Virtual Console games. The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 The Neo Geo is a cartridge -based arcade and home Video game system released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK. The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's The controllers from the Nintendo GameCube can also be used. The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. As a result the wireless GameCube controller (the WaveBird) has seen increased popularity. The WaveBird Wireless Controller is a Radio frequency (RF based Wireless controller manufactured for the Nintendo GameCube Video game ^[40] The Nintendo GameCube controller can be used for all games on the Virtual Console except for some TurboGrafx-16 games.

All Virtual Console games have their buttons mapped to the respective buttons on the controllers, however, in certain circumstances users can use X and Y instead of A and B, if the original controller does not have X and Y buttons (for example the NES). ^[36] In certain titles, such as Nintendo 64 games, there may be specific control tailored to the Classic Controller or GameCube Controller. So far, none of the Nintendo 64 titles released have been able to support the Rumble Pak feature of the N64 controller.

With the release of Bomberman '93, it was revealed that TurboGrafx-16 games can support full 5 player games. Bomberman '93 is a video game in the Bomberman series It was released on the TurboGrafx-16 in 1992 in Japan with western releases following Since a single Wii can only have four Wii Remotes and four GameCube Controllers connected at the same time, a combination of the two is needed for 5 player games. At least one player has to use a Wii Remote or Classic controller, and at least one player has to use a GameCube Controller. The other three can use either one.

Platform	Wii Remote	Classic Controller	GameCube Controller
NES/Famicom	Y	Y	Y
SNES/Super Famicom	N	Y	Y
Nintendo 64	N	Y	Y
Sega Master System	Y	Y	Y
Mega Drive/Genesis	Some*	Y	Y
TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine	Some*	Y	Y
Neo Geo	N	Y	Y
Commodore 64	Y	Y	Y

Titles

North America

Main article: List of Virtual Console games (North America)

There were 12 titles total of NES, SNES, N64, and Genesis games available at launch on the Virtual Console for the North American region. The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit Video game console that was The, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo 's third home Video game console for the international market The Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based Video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The Neo Geo is a cartridge -based arcade and home Video game system released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK. Two TurboGrafx-16 titles were added two days later on November 21, 2006. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. New releases are on Mondays at around 12:00 PM EST/9:00 AM PST (although they have been released an hour or two early on several occasions^[41][42]) and typically consisted of around 3 games on average; but starting in 2008, updates began to consist of 1 or 2 games. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common As of June 2, 2008, there are 227 Virtual Console titles available, with the list growing weekly as per the above. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Though the Virtual Console lineup initially only covered games that had been released in North America, first George Harrison indicated in an interview that there was a possibility that Nintendo or other Virtual Console providers would localize Japanese games that have never been released in English. George Harrison was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communication at Nintendo of America when he left at the end of December 2007 ^[43] This later came to reality, and former Japan-only games have appeared on the North American Virtual Console. The first game to be added with such localization was Sin & Punishment from the Nintendo 64. is a Rail shooter developed by Treasure Co Ltd and published by Nintendo. While other previous Japan-only titles had been released through Virtual Console prior to this, the first being Battle Lode Runner from the TurboGrafx-16, added on April 23, 2007, this and all others were originally written in English and required no localization. Battle Lode Runner is a Video game based on the Lode Runner series of games originally released for the NEC PC Engine by The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Despite the fact others fit the category, there are only 6 titles listed under the "Import" genre: Sin & Punishment, Alien Soldier (although the game was available in North America through the Sega Channel), Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure, Puyo Puyo 2 and Ninja JaJaMaru-kun. is a Rail shooter developed by Treasure Co Ltd and published by Nintendo. Alien Soldier is a side-scrolling Run and gun Video game developed by Treasure Co Sega Channel was a project developed by Sega for the 16-bit Sega Genesis console Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels, known in Japan as, is a platformer Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Famicom Disk is a 1996 game released only in Japan for the Super Famicom by Hudson Soft. Puyo Puyo Tsu (ぷよぷよ通 also known as Puyo Puyo 2, Puyo Puyo Tsuu or Puyo Puyo 2 Tsuu) is the sequel to Puyo Puyo is an Action game released in Japan on November 15, 1985 by Jaleco for the Famicom and in 1986 for the MSX

Europe

Main article: List of Virtual Console games (Europe)

A total of 17 NES, SNES, N64, Mega Drive and Turbografx games were available at launch on the Virtual Console for the European region. The store updates every Friday at 12:00AM CET (at 1:00AM during daylight saving time). Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST ^[44] The number of games per update has varied, but is usually 2-3. There are currently 222 Virtual Console titles available for the European Virtual Console.

Though the Virtual Console titles primarily cover only the games that have been released in Europe, Nintendo UK has recently commented that there is a possibility that in the future, Nintendo will localize Japanese and North American games that have never been released in Europe. ^[45] In March 2007, Hudson released three Turbografx games which were not originally released in Europe: Double Dungeons, Dragon's Curse,^[46] and Battle Lode Runner. Double Dungeons is a role playing video game developed and published by NCS for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1989 in Japan and in 1990 in North America Wonder Boy III The Dragon's Trap (AKA Dragon's Curse and Monster World II Dragon No Wana in Japan) is a 1989 Platform Battle Lode Runner is a Video game based on the Lode Runner series of games originally released for the NEC PC Engine by During September 2007, Nintendo contributed Japan-only games to the service as part of its "Hanabi Festival" campaign, releasing games such as Mario's Super Picross and the N64 cult-hit Sin and Punishment and in May 2008, the second "Hanabi Festival" campaign took place with games such as Cho Aniki, Gley Lancer, Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou, Puyo Puyo 2 and Star Parodier. Mario's Super Picross is a Super Famicom sequel to Mario's Picross. is a Rail shooter developed by Treasure Co Ltd and published by Nintendo. is a Japanese Video game series that debuted in 1992 for the PC Engine system Gley Lancer is a Scrolling shooter game developed by NCS. It was released in 1992 in Japan for the Sega Mega Drive game is a horizontally- Scrolling shooter published by Konami in 1988 for Video arcades Gradius II never saw Availability in North America Puyo Puyo Tsu (ぷよぷよ通 also known as Puyo Puyo 2, Puyo Puyo Tsuu or Puyo Puyo 2 Tsuu) is the sequel to Puyo Puyo Star Parodier is a Shoot 'em up developed by Hudson Soft for the PC Engine CD-ROM.

Australia and New Zealand

Main article: List of Virtual Console games (Australia)

There were 11 titles total of NES, SNES, N64, and Mega Drive games available at launch on the Virtual Console for the Oceanic region. The store updates on Fridays, in Australia at 9:00AM and in New Zealand at 11:00PM AEST. ^[47] There are currently 215 titles available for the Australian and New Zealand Virtual Console. The updates are usually the same as in Europe; currently, the only exceptions have been when Turbografx games were first added to the Australian VC from July 6, 2007 until August 17, 2007,^[48][49] the October 12, 2007 update,^[50] and the updates from the March 28, 2008 onwards, there Commodore 64 games have been released in Europe only. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[51]

Japan

Main article: List of Virtual Console games (Japan)

There were 38 titles of Famicom, Super Famicom, N64, Mega Drive, and PC Engine games available at launch on the Virtual Console for the Japanese region. Available titles The following is the complete list of the 373 Virtual Console titles available for the Wii in Japan sorted by system and release date The store updates on Tuesdays and there are currently 323 titles available.

South Korea

Main article: List of Virtual Console games (South Korea)

There are 13 titles total of NES/Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom and N64 games available on the Virtual Console for the South Korean region. Available titles The following is the complete list of the 28 Virtual Console titles available for the Wii in South Korea sorted by system and release Games on the South Korean Virtual Console are playable in either Japanese or English (depending on the game), or in some cases, both (Super Mario World). is a Platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Companies currently supporting by publishing games are Nintendo, Konami, Hudson Soft and Windysoft. is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines Hudson Soft Company Limited is a Japanese Electronic entertainment publisher

Criticism

Wired's Chris Kohler had protested the disparity between the American and Japanese libraries, both in quantity and quality. Wired is a full-color monthly American Magazine and on-line periodical published in San Francisco, California since March 1993 Chris Kohler is a Video game journalist and editor who has written for several publications in the past decade including Wired, Animerica ^[52] The difference between the two libraries has since become minimal, and he has changed his stance. ^[53] In addition, Kohler has also criticized the overall release strategy, with a handful of games at the beginning and two or three every week. Kohler also took issue with the Virtual Console's aspect ratio which stretches the 4:3 games when the Wii's system settings are set for a 16:9 television. The aspect ratio of a Shape is the ratio of its longer Dimension to its shorter dimension ^[54] The pricing has also been criticized as too high, especially for the NES games,^[55] given the prices of many of the games available as used and the near-zero costs of manufacture and distribution. It has become apparent, however, that the effort involved in emulating these games can be significant, as evidenced by several serious bug fix updates (see "Pricing", above) and by significant differences in the emulated versions' game features, including added capabilities (See "Differences from original games", below). Further adding to the cost is getting older games rated by the ESRB. The Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, Advertising guidelines and All games released on the Virtual Console must be ESRB-rated, and many have not been as regulations did not exist at times of publishing.

Differences from original games

Nintendo has stated that the Virtual Console releases will be faithful to the original games, eliminating the possibility of graphical enhancements, customizable controls, or added online multiplayer features. ^[56] However, for various reasons, the gameplay experience is not always identical to the original. For example, in F-Zero, when the player hits the rails on the track, the track no longer flashes in black as in the original SNES game. is a futuristic racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES

Some Nintendo 64 games originally required peripheral hardware (which the Wii hardware does not support) in order to use these features, and they play the same way they originally would without the peripherals plugged in. For example, none of the Nintendo 64 Virtual Console games feature force feedback, which originally required a separate Rumble Pak peripheral. The Rumble Pak is a removable device from Nintendo that provides Haptic feedback while playing video games ^[57] Mario Kart 64 no longer supports saving of "Ghost Data," which originally required a separate Controller Pak on the Nintendo 64. is a racing Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console The Controller Pak was the Nintendo 64 's Memory card, comparable to those seen in the PlayStation and other CD-ROM -based Video game ^[58] Cruis'n USA and Wave Race 64 also cannot access the option to transfer save data to and from a Controller Pak. Cruis'n USA is an arcade racing game released in 1994 It was developed by Midway Games and published and distributed by Nintendo. Wave Race 64 is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27 1996 in Japan and on November 5 However three NES games—Excitebike, Mach Rider and Wrecking Crew—made use of a peripheral called the Famicom Data Recorder (not available outside Japan) to save data of player-designed tracks and courses; this feature was fully implemented in their Virtual Console incarnations by way of saving the course data to the Wii's internal memory. is a Motocross racing Video game franchise made by Nintendo. It first debuted as a game for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 for a price of Mach Rider is a Futuristic driving video game created by Nintendo. Wrecking Crew is a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, starring Mario. Famicom Data Recorder HVC-008 is a compact cassette data interface for the Famicom Family Computer. ^[59] One N64 Virtual Console game that does support an extra feature is Pokémon Snap which allows players to send one in-game photo to the Wii Message Board per day-- emulating the original version's sticker-printing feature which could be used by bringing the Game Pak to special in-store kiosks. is a video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The line is a line of battery -powered Handheld game consoles sold by Nintendo.

Some reviewers have reported that games play differently due to the different controllers. Super Mario World, for instance, has been cited as more difficult to play due to the GameCube controller's button placement. is a Platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Classic Controller, which has buttons arranged differently, works as a better alternative. The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's ^[60] The Nintendo 64 controller featured more face buttons than either the GameCube or Classic Controller, so most N64 games released so far have mapped the C-buttons to the right analog stick and the Z button to the L button on the Classic controller, which some reviewers have described to be somewhat awkward. ^[61]

Hardware differences aside, most Virtual Console games released thus far have not changed from their original versions; however, Nintendo 64 games render polygons at increased resolution. One significant exception is Tecmo Bowl, which originally featured real player names via the NFL Players Association, but because of licensing issues, their names have been removed, and only their numbers are shown. Tecmo Bowl is an arcade Video game released in 1987 by Tecmo Inc Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is the A similar case has occurred with Wave Race 64, which had all of the Kawasaki ad banners replaced with Wii and Nintendo DS banners, because Nintendo's license with Kawasaki expired. Wave Race 64 is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27 1996 in Japan and on November 5 ( is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato Tokyo. The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Other documented changes are in Kid Icarus, whose password system has been altered^[62] and in the previously unreleased-outside-Asia title Sin & Punishment, whose menu commands, and certain in-game text (all originally written in Japanese), have been translated into English. For the title character see Pit. For the series as a whole see Kid Icarus (series. is a Rail shooter developed by Treasure Co Ltd and published by Nintendo. The title screen logo and in-game subtitles, however, haven't been translated from their original Japanese versions.

Reports have surfaced stating that when the Virtual Console version of Punch-Out!! is played in progressive scan, the game suffers from a lag in controls, which significantly raises the difficulty level compared to the NES version. Punch-Out!!, known originally as, and later re-released as Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr Progressive or noninterlaced scanning is a method for displaying storing or transmitting Moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in ^[63]

PAL issues

With the launch of the Wii in territories using the PAL television system, it has become apparent that in most cases the games supplied for the Virtual Console run in 50Hz mode and in their original unoptimized state. PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a colour -encoding system used in Broadcast television systems in large parts of the world Unoptimized PAL games run roughly 17% slower than their original speed in 60Hz and have borders covering the top and the bottom of the screen. Setting the Wii console to 60Hz mode does not force the 50Hz game into 60Hz mode (as is possible on emulators and modified PAL consoles).

All currently released Nintendo 64 games are partially PAL optimized, resulting in full screen games (although still running in 50Hz and locked to the original slower gameplay speed). This optimization was not the case for the original cartridge versions of Super Mario 64, Wave Race 64 or Mario Kart 64, making the Virtual Console versions superior in that regard. is a Platform game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Wave Race 64 is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27 1996 in Japan and on November 5 is a racing Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console

Additionally, some Super Nintendo games are also partially PAL optimized with reduced borders but still retaining the slower run speed of the original PAL release (Super Mario World, Super Probotector and Street Fighter II). is a Platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Contra III The Alien Wars, published in Japan as and in the PAL region as Super Probotector Alien Rebels, is a 1992 SNES is a 1991 competitive fighting game by Capcom. It is widely credited with launching the fighting game genre into the mainstream and extending the life of the worldwide arcade

A select few games were already optimized in the original release to begin with, and are thus just as fast as their 60Hz counterparts this time around (The most obvious examples being Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest). Donkey Kong Country ( Super Donkey Kong in Japan is a Video game developed by Rare, featuring the popular arcade character Donkey Donkey Kong Country 2 Diddy's Kong Quest is a Platform game made for the SNES Video game console.

Turbografx games are the only Virtual Console games to actually run in 60Hz on PAL Wii systems; this is because the game data was never changed for release in PAL territories, the original hardware itself performed the conversion to a 50Hz signal. The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October

One example of a poor PAL conversion is seen in the Virtual Console release of Sonic the Hedgehog, which retains the slower framerate and borders of the original PAL Mega Drive version,^[64] despite the fact that the GameCube release Sonic Mega Collection allows PAL users to choose which version of the game they want to play. is a Platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis system is a Platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis system The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. is a compilation of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series

Recently, during Nintendo's 'Hanabi Festival' campaign, certain titles that were never released in Europe are being added to the Virtual console. Some of these games, namely the Japan only titles such as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, are run in 60Hz only, thus keeping the original speed and gameplay. Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels, known in Japan as, is a platformer Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Famicom Disk A small reminder is shown when previewing the game's channel. Interestingly, these games can actually be played in both PAL60 (480i) and 480p modes. This makes these releases look significantly better on Progressive displays such as LCD TV's. The fast moving sprites in NES and SNES games generally create a significant amount of interlace artifacts on such displays that the 480p option resolves.

Initially, some PAL Virtual Console games would not display correctly on high-definition televisions when connected via the component lead. However, starting with the April 13, 2007 update of the PAL Virtual Console, certain newly added games, such as Punch-Out!!, support the "Wii Component Cable Interlace mode. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Punch-Out!!, known originally as, and later re-released as Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr " This is a temporary fix to problems with various Virtual Console games being played over component cable on HDTVs. The mode can be enabled by accessing the operations guide of the game, and (with the Nunchuk attached) pressing the buttons Z + A + 2 simultaneously. A sound is played if the mode is enabled correctly. Several older games also have updates available to enable the feature, such as Super Castlevania IV. Super Castlevania IV, known as in Japan is a platform game developed and published by Konami and the first Castlevania game for the Super The mode can be disabled by using the same method, but with the button combination Z + A + 1 instead. A full list of games supporting this mode is available at nintendo. no,^[65] an English version can be found at vc-forums. com. ^[66]

References

External links

• Nintendo - Official Nintendo of America Website
• Virtual Console - Official Virtual Console site
• TurboGrafx-16 Virtual Console - Hudson Official Virtual Console site