Nintendo to Bring DS Virtual Console to Wii U

By Jorge Ba-oh 30.01.2014 10

Nintendo to Bring DS Virtual Console to Wii U on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

The final aspect of Nintendo's more short-term improvements to the Wii U situation is the inclusion of Nintendo DS software on the GamePad.

With the GamePad controller having the core components to emulate DS software - the screen, speakers and face buttons, Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has confirmed plans to bring classic DS games to the Wii U.

Examples of which software will be available has yet to be detailed, but the company "are now sure that we can solve the technical problem of displaying Virtual Console software from Nintendo DS on the GamePad."

More details on DS titles onto Wii U are expected shortly.

What Nintendo DS games would you want brought back on Wii U, for what price and what are your thoughts on the idea?

Comment on this article

You can comment as a guest or join the Cubed3 community below: Sign Up for Free Account Login

Preview PostPreview Post Your Name:
Validate your comment
  Enter the letters in the image to validate your comment.
Submit Post

Comments

Cool!

I'm guessing we'll be having a Nintendo Direct soon with more details.

Boosting the Virtual Console any way is definitely a good thing to do.

This is very unexpected, but welcome news!  I hope there's a Nintendo Direct soon to reveal more details including what games we can first expect.  (Hint:  Reveal some N64 and GBA games too, Nintendo)

And I don't care what games we get, but I would pay between $10-$20 depending on what game.  Bring on Pokemon HeartGold please!

( Edited 30.01.2014 11:06 by TreesenHauser )

Bucky (guest) 30.01.2014#3

It is an exciting announcement but they need to actually provide a good amount of titles to help increase the value of the WiiU.

Also would love for them to include GBA, GameCube, and maybe even GB/GBC titles.

Maybe spruce up Super Mario 64 DS to a HD version? Job done! 

Could easily res up Metroid Prime Hunters as well! Great move by Nintendo!

Bucky (guest) 30.01.2014#5

A fuller virtual console would go a long was as they try to catch up in releasing new titles.

I wonder how they'll handle the split screen when the games require players to use face buttons, however (so not in book format) ?

I guess the main screen on the TV?

And the Wii U desparately needs N64 titles and oustanding NES/SNES games already on the Wii VC - it can't be an issue with licensing as it's already been done for these games on Wii.

( Edited 30.01.2014 18:01 by jb )

Cubed3 Admin/Founder & Designer

This is great news and I am excited for it, but honestly, this along with Nintendo's previous announcement they're bringing GBA support to Wii U's VC and not 3DS' baffles me (which we're still waiting for). Both portables should be released for both VC services, and I feel they should bring them to 3DS' VC service first if they are not going to release them for both at the same time.

There's still a lot more Nintendo could be doing to improve Virtual Console however. A great start would be to add a unified game purchase system (so we're not having to buy the same game multiple times just so we can play it on our 3DS and our Wii U), considerably increase how many VC games are released per week, and add all the classic systems Wii's VC service supported that Wii U's is currently missing.

We know N64 support is coming to Wii U's VC, but they need to make sure the N64's Controller, Rumble, and Expansion Pak accessories are all properly emulated this time. The Rumble Pak should be easy, and the Expansion Pak was already supported on Wii's VC. So there's no excuse why they can't do it for Wii U's. The biggest concern is if Nintendo doesn't emulate the N64 Controller Pak again. That would effectively negate the possibility of some of the N64's best games from coming to Wii U's VC service because you wouldn't be able to save your progress. And that's bull****. Not to mention there were quite a few N64 games that didn't require it to save your progress, but used it for other neat gameplay purposes. Mario Kart 64's Time Trial Ghost save feature is a good example.

I also think it would be in Nintendo's best interest to add support for GB, GBC, Game Gear, Dreamcast, Sega CD/32x, and Saturn to Wii U's VC, and on top of the GBA & DS support mentioned above, add support for Virtual Boy, SNES, N64, TG-16, Arcade, MSX, C64, Neo Geo, Master System, Mega Drive, and all the Wonder Swan & Neo Geo Pocket series to 3DS' VC.

( Edited 30.01.2014 20:17 by Agul )

Chance favors the prepared mind.
NN (guest) 30.01.2014#8

How is this unexpected? It was really obvious that they were going to do this eventually, what with the Wii U having a touchscreen and all that.

By the way (unrelated), I did some quick math. Each pixel would become 5.625 pixels on a 1080 TV.

I'd much rather a DS/3DS slot than have it on VC, though i suppose VC would make the titles future proof for next gen.

ds! are you serious nintendo. Where are the GC games on the virtual console!

if its down to the controller then they should just release a new wavebird with eshop points. i know the ds was successful but come on nintendo! no one outside of those who own a wii u already is going to buy a wii u to play ds games.... might aswell just buy a 3ds or 2ds...or even a ds! ds vc should come about with their nextgen handheld, when ds game cards cant be played on their latest handheld. 3ds eshop games would have made much more sense.. to me any way.

imo they need to work on getting the shit loads of nes, snes, n64 an gc games on the service instead of adding handheld games to the home console service. nintendo of recent are becoming their own worst enemy! the vc is a mess.

Subscribe to this topic Subscribe to this topic

If you are a registered member and logged in, you can also subscribe to topics by email.
Sign up today for blogs, games collections, reader reviews and much more
Site Feed
Who's Online?
Azuardo

There are 1 members online at the moment.