5 Classics That Will Never be Virtual Console Games
5 Titles That Will Never be Virtual Console Games
Wii Virtual Console games have taken Nintendo’s shiny white console by storm. These classic downloads offer old-school gamers a chance to relive their retro gaming days and allow new gamers to experience some of the greatest gems from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Unfortunately, for as many great titles as there are on the Wii Virtual Console, there are also countless others that will never be marketed for gamers to download and enjoy.
Mario Party
Arguably the greatest game in the Mario Party franchise, the first installment is likely to never appear on the Wii’s Virtual Console. This is
due mainly to the fact that the Wii is already filled to the brim with countless party games both good and bad. And without the motion sensing functionality that has become prominent in titles such as Rayman Raving Rabbids and WarioWare: Smooth Moves, it’s obvious Nintendo won’t try to re-release this classic party game.
WWF No Mercy
Considered by many to be one of the best wrestling games of all time, WWF No Mercy impressed wrestling game fans when it was
released one decade ago. Surprisingly, the game still holds up very well to this day, and it is still played by many a wrestling fan. However, due to the fact that the SmackDown vs. Raw series is the current heavyweight wrestling game, it’s safe to say that No Mercy won’t be getting ported to Nintendo’s download service.
StarCraft 64
When StarCraft 64 was released for the Nintendo 64, it was a great port of the PC sci-fi real-time strategy game. Several features were
left out due to technical reasons, but the game still provided gamers with an authentic StarCraft experience. Years later, gamers are still playing the PC version of the game, and this cartridge-based port is hardly ever mentioned. This lack of a fan base is perhaps the sole reason why StarCraft 64 will not be ported as a Wii Virtual Console game.
Jet Force Gemini
It’s hard to imagine any Rare game being ported to the Virtual Console. Since Nintendo and developer Rare parted ways, many
franchises have become but mere legends. Once popular franchises like Banjo-Kazooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day have been subjected to sporadic use, and though Microsoft has used them here and there, they have become lost in the shuffle. Jet Force Gemini was a stellar sci-fi action-adventure game on the Nintendo 64 that combined intense shooting action with Zelda-like adventuring. Due to the fact that Rare and Nintendo are no longer working together, it’s obvious that Jet Force Gemini will not appear on the Virtual Console. It may be ported to Xbox Live Arcade someday, but don’t hold your breath.
Earthbound
The only game on this list to not be a Nintendo 64 title, Earthbound on the Super Nintendo will forever be remembered for being a
unique take on the RPG. Rather than placing you in an ancient setting with swords and magic wands as your weapons, Earthbound featured a young boy named Ness living in modern-day America. This young boy’s quest was simple: save the world from impending doom while taking on hippies, skaters, old ladies, and UFOs. The game parodies many of the standards of Americana at the time, and there are countless pop culture references in the game such as The Blues Brothers, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, and Stonehenge. These pop culture hat tips are most likely what will keep Earthbound from ever getting released on the Virtual Console, and it’s a shame that copyright issues are going to hold this gem of a game back from what was supposed to be a surefire Virtual Console translation.
5 Virtual Console Games That Will Never Be
The Virtual Console currently features hundreds of games, some of which don’t hold up well anymore and countless others that are still revered by gamers as classics. Unfortunately, titles such as Mario Party, WWF No Mercy, StarCraft 64, Jet Force Gemini, and Earthbound don’t seem to be on the radar in terms of a Virtual Console release. Whether it is due to a changing audience, the evolution of a series, lack of a fan base, copyright issues, or wacky pop culture references, it’s safe—and sad—to say that these titles will not get the Virtual Console treatment.
