After a five-month delay the Wii U's Virtual Console service has finally gone live, with seven games on offer in Europe and eight in North America.
Hardcore Retro gamers will know these games like their siblings, but for everyone else here is our rundown of every launch title and our verdict on whether you should pay up for them.
For reference - in Europe, each NES game costs £3.49 / €4.99 and each SNES game costs £5.49 / €7.99. Prices in the US are $4.99 or $5.99 for NES games (depending on game), and $7.99 or $8.99 for SNES games. At the time of writing, it's yet to be confirmed exactly what each US game will cost.
If you previously bought any of these games on the Wii Virtual Console service and linked both your Wii and your Wii U to your Club Nintendo account, you can buy the Wii U versions (with off-TV GamePad play) of NES games for €/£0.99 and SNES games for €/£1.49 ($1 and $1.50 in the US respectively).
Finally, all European releases are the 60Hz US versions, meaning the slowdown problems of the Wii Virtual Console are a thing of the past.
Super Mario World
SNES / Available in EU and US
Many claim Super Mario World is still the best 2D Mario platformer to date. If somehow you've managed to go all this time without playing it, then this should be considered the only true essential game on day one. Is was a magnificent achievement in its day and, as the years passed with no 2D platform game ever matching its standards, remains a special and unique accomplishment.
Ice Climber
NES / Available in EU and US
Help Nana and Popo, the ice climbers, reach the top of 32 slippery mountains to retain their vegetables, which have been stolen from a large bird. This platformer's showing its age, and while it's entertaining enough for a while we don't reckon you'll be so enthusiastic by the time you reach the final stage. This is only really a game for Nintendo retroheads who want to see how these Smash Bros stars started out.
Mario's Super Picross
SNES / Available in EU only
The hidden gem of the launch line-up. Mario's Super Picross was only ever released in Japan (this still contains Japanese text). Those familiar with Picross will already consider this a must-have, but if you aren't, then try to picture a cross between Sudoku, Minesweeper and pixel art, as you use numerical clues to fill in squares in a grid and create pictures. It's wonderful stuff and with 300 puzzles it'll last you a long time.
Donkey Kong Jr
NES / Available in EU and US
Donkey Kong Jr's reputation is bigger than the game these days, with a measly four levels on offer and frustrating climbing controls. We'd only really recommend this if you long for the days of arcade gaming, when repetition and high scores were the order of the day. Otherwise, steer clear. Music's ace, though.
Excitebike
NES / Available in EU and US
Surprisingly difficult for those who don't take the time to figure out how it works (you have to tilt the bike in the air to land properly and retain speed). Excitebike is nearly 30 years old but is still a fun little racer. That said, it's a bit limited and as such we'd recommend you get the 3D Classics version on 3DS instead, since it has a nifty 3D effect and lets you store custom tracks. Sharing best times on Miiverse could be fun, mind.
Punch-Out!!
NES / Available in EU and US
Featuring some of the most impressive sprites seen on the NES, Punch-Out!! isn't so much a boxing game as a series of boss battles, where learning your opponent's moves and looking for their weak points is the order of the day. That the Wii remake a few years back featured essentially the same gameplay speaks volumes for its quality. Well worth getting.
F-Zero
SNES / Available in EU and US
This Mode 7 racer was a revelation when it launched alongside the SNES back in the day, but (and some disagree with us) it's aged a little these days, with fairly poor handling and slippery-slidey moments. Save your cash for the inevitable release of the much better F-Zero X on Nintendo 64.
Kirby's Adventure
NES / Available in EU and US
An easy but cheerful platformer which was also Kirby's first console game (after Kirby's Dream Land on the Game Boy). It's a decent enough game, but for now there's really no excuse not to get it because it's only 30p / 30c in both Europe and the US until May 16. It may be fairly basic, but at that price you really can't complain.
Balloon Fight
NES / Available in US only
Many Wii U owners will already have this since it was previously part of Nintendo's 30p / 30c Virtual Console trial promotion (of which Super Metroid, Mario & Yoshi and Donkey Kong are still to come). If you missed out, we wouldn't really recommend paying full whack for it because while the endless Balloon Trip mode does enter one-more-go territory at times, it's still fairly pricey for what it offers.
Comments
13 comments so far...
toaplan on 27 Apr '13 said:
Yep, disagree about F-Zero... The original F-Zero has a kind of purity and clarity to it. It's just you against a few rival vehicles on tight, flat, slippery tracks, where mistakes will cost you. The music perfectly reflects the action - it's funky, but in a restrained way. In F-Zero you always have to watch out for the next difficult turn, the next critical jump and for the opponent breathing down your neck as you hear his approaching jet engine get louder and louder.
The handling is initially frustratingly challenging, but can be mastered with practice and patience and ultimately feels like one of the strong aspects of the game. The graphics have dated a bit, but are still very smooth and should look better in terms of detail on the GamePad's lower-res screen, compared to watching on a HDTV.
F-Zero SNES HD gameplay video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ena8yX2HAZY
F-Zero SNES "Port Town" track
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw5ZOEoshfE
F-Zero SNES "Sand Ocean" track
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yrb_yFtSsc
F-Zero X added a lot more opponent vehicles, wider undulating tracks and a horrible rock soundtrack which ruined the game's atmosphere for me. To be fair, I never gave F-Zero X a proper chance and migrated over to the PS Wipeout and Ridge Racer games instead. But from what I've played it, it seems that the focus in F-Zero X is more in trying to avoid crashing into the many opponent vehicles that abruptly appear in front of you, instead of navigating the tracks, which seem to be much wider and more forgiving than in the original F-Zero. Also, the slowdown in F-Zero X can get pretty jarring at times.
F-Zero X N64 gameplay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2uy78sLQak
roland82 on 28 Apr '13 said:
At 11 I thought Super Mario World was one of the best games ever made. Today at 30 I would still argue the same thing. Its a game that every gamer should play.
Laughlyn on 28 Apr '13 said:
I was never a fan of the original F-Zero but the N64 version and eventually F-Zero GX on cube really showed how to do a futuristic racer. GX's speed and tracks were incredible and despite being frustratingly difficult the relief of finally getting Gold in every cup was one the best moments in my gaming life. i could still never expert the story mode level with the tunnel though. i had to use an AR to get the last AX piece lol
Samurai-Don on 29 Apr '13 said:
The European Kirby's Adventure isn't the 60Hz US versions.
Simon Carlin on 29 Apr '13 said:
Just putting it out there but really, I think these games should be free.
I can't see how that would hurt them and what a nice incentive to buy Nintendo "enjoy the future with us but have our past, gratis".
It's 2013, how in the world are these games an exciting prospect to buy once again?
Chris Scullion on 29 Apr '13 said:
Because there will always be people who have never played them, such as younger gamers. Just because they're old doesn't mean they're no longer playable, and if people are willing to buy them I don't see why Nintendo should have to give them away for free. It's a business, after all.
Paul Skinback on 29 Apr '13 said:
Agree with Simon here.
These games, although immensely playable, are over 20 years old.
I picked up F Zero for 30p on WiiU a little while ago and that's what the rest of them should cost.
And let's be honest now, Chris, if you weren't old enough to play them the first time around then it's unlikely that the young gamer will want to spend over a fiver for a 20+ year old game when they can pick up stuff for free to play on their phones no matter how playable those classics are.
In my eyes it would have been a goodwill gesture on Nintendo's part to have given those games for free or charged a token price like the 30p offer.
Barry316 on 29 Apr '13 said:
I can lend you a tenner if you're struggling?
Paul Skinback on 29 Apr '13 said:
Always struggling is me, Baz.
Couldn't make it a score perchance?
Samurai-Don on 29 Apr '13 said:
Nintendo is a business not a charity, so why would they give the Games for free? Beside the game cost a £5-7 or 99p-£1 if brought them from the Wii Virtual console and are the proper US 60hz versions that alone justify the price.
Paul Skinback on 29 Apr '13 said:
The decent ones are more than a fiver.
And 20+ years old.
Nintendo being a business rather than a charity would surely benefit them in the long run to sell these initial games very cheaply or give them away free. N64 games should be around the £5 mark.
Speculate to accumulate.
ricflair on 29 Apr '13 said:
Expecting them for free is ridiculous, as samurai said, they're a business! I think expecting them for a couple of quid is reasonable though, £5.49 is OTT. I don't mind it for Metroid, SMW, Mario Kart etc, but a blanket price for any SNES game is a bit crazy.
Paul Skinback on 29 Apr '13 said:
Why shouldn't they be free though, mate?
At least to early adopters.
They gave 10 games away free to early 3DS owners afterall.