Nintendo Wii Virtual Console

What is a "Virtual Console?" is there gone be one for 3DS?

It is the name of the new name used by Nintendo of America Corporation to describe a system of networking an programming in which the user of Wii console called the "Revolution" connects to a network created by Nintendo and downloads onto digital memory cards, from the Virtual Console network that can be accessed by Wii, (SD/Secure Digital Cards in this case) a "ROM" of a previous Nintendo video game on a previous Nintendo console (note: rumors and speculation exists that it is possible Sega games will be played on this Virtual Console system) that will work with an "Emulator", or as Nintendo calls this specific cluster of emulators, "Virtual Console" that is built into the Nintendo Wii.

"Nintendo is considering a variety of options for the virtual console service for our next console, code-named Revolution, although details have not been announced at this time," Nintendo of America said in a statement today. "In our normal course of business, Nintendo conducts consumer research for many of our products with information and imagery that do not represent actual product specifics."

Nintendo is expected to reveal much more about its still-codenamed Revolution console, including details about its virtual console functionality, at this May's Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

Download freeware Nintendo Wii, NDS, GBA, SNES, new 3DS and Nintendo DSi emulators for Final Fantasy games.

3DS and Wii DRM

DRM is the abbreviation for the words "Digital Rights Management". In this case, each ROM is programmed to prevent a PC or other digital device from playing Virtual Console games, so that the Revolution is the only device than can play the Virtual Console roms. This system in which only a single device can access a program or virtual data is called a "proprietary system".

Download Fees

For downloading of Virtual Console roms - three different pricing structures. The first was a subscription based package that would enable users to rent and play any game they wanted for $14.99 per month. Meanwhile, NES titles were listed for approximately $2.99 and N64 titles for a more expensive $19.99. These numbers are naturally neither finalized nor confirmed by Nintendo itself.

3DS and Wii U Compatibility

Due to the DRM/proprietary system, the ROMS from Nintendo's virtual console network will not be copmatible with any other device. In addition, it will not be able to accept the actual original cartridge based ROMs of the NES, SNES and N64, which are the current confirmed libraries available for download.

NES Games

S-NES Games

N64 Games

What

Nintendo has pledged all of their first party games to this system. It is not known right now how Third Party game makers will be included in this, though it is deifinite some, if not all, will be. The third party makers may possibly make their games a different price.

Revo development   Read More >

Many games featuring Nintendo's classic franchises, such as Mario (most likely the long awaited Mario 128), The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Super Smash Brothers, have been announced.

According to Game Informer, Hideo Kojima is developing a Revolution game with the team from Kojima Productions that developed Metal Gear Acid [26]. A new video game company called NIBRIS is said to make an exclusive game called Raid over the River. It will be a futuristic overhead shooter. On December 8, 2005, Electronic Arts officially declared its support for the Revolution. On February 6, 2006, Activision's CEO said that it would have at least one game ready in the console's first four months. It is possible that this could be a launch game for Revolution. No details were given as to what the game would be, or whether it is an existing franchise or a new intellectual property. [27] On February 13, 2006, Blitz Games announced they had signed a deal with a major publisher to develop a game for the console, which is not Possession, but an entirely new game[28]. Tecmo has announced that it will be bringing a popular Korean PC golf game, Pangya Golf, to the Revolution also. [29] When the Official Nintendo Magazine 're-launched', it confirmed that "a new version of Animal Crossing, an update of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, the next Super Smash Bros, [and] an all-new Mario" game were in the making. [30] This particular issue of the magazine also listed 'Smash Bros Revolution' and 'Metroid Prime 3' in its 'Official Release Dates' under 2006, albeit with 'TBC' (to be confirmed) attached. On February 21, the online edition of the Orlando Sentinial confirmed that Geist developer N-Space, Inc. is working on multiple projects for the Revolution. [citation needed] Yuji Naka of Sonic Team has expressed significant interest in the controller of the system, and though he has not officially announced any titles, a new Sonic or NiGHTS game is expected.

It has also been hinted that older games such as Kid Icarus will be on the Revolution as well, though as of most of the Wii's details this has only been based on speculation. Nintendo has also announced that it is in the process of developing an entirely new and original franchise to be added into the Nintendo universe alongside the Revolution, in the same way as Pikmin alongside the GameCube, although all other details about this project are unknown at this time. It has been speculated that the new franchise might be more mature than most previous Nintendo games. Square-Enix is working on a sequel to Crystal Chronicles. Ubisoft is releasing Splinter Cell 4 on all major consoles including Revolution, and has announced an exclusive FPS and another non-exclusive game. Blitz has announced that Possession will come to all three next-gen consoles. Koei and Namco/Bandai (merging) have made announcements that they will develop for the Revolution. Also, Camelot has announced that they are currently working on a Revolution RPG. This game could possibly be a sequel to Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Killer 7 producer Goichi Suda, aka Suda 51, has confirmed that Grasshopper Manufacture is planning to make a Revolution game. [25]

Not that there's anything wrong with prancing around the room and hacking off limbs with a beam of light, but we feel that the Wii has a bit more potential than merely indulging us in our geeky Star Wars fantasies (though admittedly, that's an important feature of any console). Luckily, some of the other responses raised some more interesting issues.