Official Weekly Nintendo Downloads Thread

[Leo_A]

It doesn't appear to even be in the pipeline with the future of the service itself even being in serious doubt these days.

Where'd you hear this?

I could see it as a logical explanation of going from a release plan of three-a-week, to two/one-a-week to a slow trickle.

Exactly

And I thought the sentence prior to what you quoted fully explained my statement as simply my personal opinion based upon observation anyways (Statement quoted below).

And with us down to approximately 1 release a month, it's extremely doubtful that delay is even the right word to describe the situation for these titles.

I think we can all agree that the program is certainly not as healthy as it once was. I don't see how you can consider it's status currently as anything but in doubt with the slow decline in releases and the schedule of approximately 1 title a month that we now have.

[Malon_Forever]

How much money does it cost for Nintendo to put up a game on the VC? Seems like a easy way to make money to me.

[Leo_A]

For Nintendo, just the ESRB review fee and miscellaneous cost like preparing a virtual manual.

That's why a high percentage of their 1st party content that doesn't rely on outside IP has been released with few notable exceptions. I suspect the little that remains will continue to slowly trickle out (Such as Pilotwings 64 for a future N64 release) to fill the few holes that remain.

I suspect when all is said and done, every 1st party Nintendo release that doesn't involve licenses that would have to be renegotiated and/or acquired (Such as Earthbound) and titles that used special hardware (Zapper titles, Mario Paint, Super FX titles, etc.) will be out on the service. They're certainly already close to that point now.

The only possible exception that comes immediately to mind is Super Mario All-Stars which they're selling for a total of $12 more as standalone NES titles. But the recent release of Kirby's Super Star, despite the fact that there is a full priced DS release on store shelves, gives hope even for that. If the sales of the 4 NES titles ever decline enough where they think there's more money to be made releasing the SuperNes ports to get double dippers then the potential loss of $12 for people looking to buy those 4 titles for the first time on the VC, I'm sure even that will be released.

For a third party, you have those same fixed cost plus whatever fees Nintendo charges and likely a percentage from each sale. Profit margins are slim enough to keep most publishers away apparantly. And a majority of titles from a console like the NES would have a tough time even paying for their ESRB reviews (Which is why you'll certainly never see titles like The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy or Bignose the Caveman be rereleased).

Nintendo is also controlling to a very high degree what and when content is released. Capcom for example has publically stated that they submitted their entire nonlicensed NES/SuperNes backcatalog to Nintendo early in the console's lifespan and we've only seen a fraction of that content released to date (And there's also the well known refusal to release Bionic Commando that also demonstrates the lack of freedom a VC publisher has). That lack of freedom must also be a deterrent to potential publishers I would think.

[JSoup]

The only possible exception that comes immediately to mind is Super Mario All-Stars which they're selling for a total of $12 more as standalone NES titles. But the recent release of Yoshi's Super Star, despite the fact that there is a full priced DS release on store shelves, gives hope even for that if the sales of the 4 NES titles ever decline enough.

I'm sure you meant Kirby's Super Star, but a Yoshi game of similar awesomeness would be welcome.

[Leo_A]

That's what I meant of course.

[BetaWolf47]

What is this... I don't even...
http://ds.ign.com/objects/053/053885.html

[chrisbid]

i noticed this last year, with a slower release schedule over the summer. things will pick up again as xmas approaches

[Leo_A]

I doubt there is a huge increase in Virtual Console purchases during the holidays (Although there is no doubt a bit of an increase with people recieving Wii points cards as gifts).

And it's not like we went to a 1 release a month schedule last summer. So I'm not so sure I agree with your confidence that it's just a temporary slow down.

[joedick]

It doesn't appear to even be in the pipeline with the future of the service itself even being in serious doubt these days.

Possibly, but I'm not sure I buy that right now. We've been getting VC releases every 3-4 weeks for a while now, it's realistic to say that this is now the regular release schedule. Maybe Nintendo is taking a long-term view with the VC: they want to carry it over to the next system, so they are spacing out the releases to ensure content 5-10 years down the line. A bit optimistic, I know, but I can hope!

[Leo_A]

Possibly, but I'm not sure I buy that right now. We've been getting VC releases every 3-4 weeks for a while now, it's realistic to say that this is now the regular release schedule. Maybe Nintendo is taking a long-term view with the VC: they want to carry it over to the next system, so they are spacing out the releases to ensure content 5-10 years down the line. A bit optimistic, I know, but I can hope!

Well that line you quoted is specifically about Nintendo's handful of Super FX titles.

Clearly the Virtual Console is slowing down or they wouldn't be slowing down their releases to try to bring more attention to each individual title. I don't see Nintendo paying the development cost now to bring Super FX compatibility to their emulator for something like Yoshi's Island when they didn't when the service was booming compared to today's reduced pace of Virtual Console releases.

That makes about as much sense to me as the people that think Sony will develop and release a Playstation 2 emulator for the Playstation 3 once the platform is discontinued. If they were ever going to make that investment, they would've done it when it economically was most beneficial (When the service was so successful it was getting 2-3 titles a week) and not when it's going to just be a mere footnote in the latter days of the system's lifespan.

Of course I'd love to be wrong. I've been rebuying my favorites for benefits like save states in games that didn't have a save function in the past or just had passwords, the clarity of component video, avoiding sometimes finicky cartridge saves, etc. So I'd be first in line to buy Star Fox, Star Fox 2, Yoshi's Island and Stunt Race FX if they ever appeared.

I really doubt they got to the 90% or greater mark for 1st party NES/SNES/N64 content and suddenly decided to slow things down to spread out their releases of their few remaining titles like the Mario Party games and Pilotwings 64. And they certainly aren't doing it to spread out 3rd party content. They've barely scraped the service for great 3rd party classics. Even from Virtual Console supporters like Capcom, there are still dozens of classics with no licensing issues that would be available to rerelease.

And I can guarantee you that your Virtual Console library won't transfer to a WiiHD (Heck, you can't even transfer it to another Wii). So I'm sure the plans if they exist for a Virtual Console on a future platform isn't playing a role in decisions regarding releases on the current service since they're going to be starting over again anyways. Again, I'd love to be wrong but I'm just giving my realisitic opinion of the possibility.

[JSoup]

Taking all that into consideration, I find it almost comical these days that people buy or already own a Wii and don't mod the thing. Transfer and backup programs via Homebrew Browser, no VC worries via Homebrew Channel emulators, having the ability to expand system memory to nearly triple it's capacity with $1 external devices.

[Leo_A]

It's a simple and obvious answer, risk avoidance. Many people, including myself, don't care to take the risk of bricking their Wii.

And even though it's apparantly extremely safe to do these days, it still requires research, going to multiple sites to try to understand exactly what to do, finding a step by step guide that's written for someone that has zero knowledge on such things (You'll find many guides for such task are usually written for people with knowledge somewhat similar to the person that wrote the guide, rather than for the average person), finding other step by step guides to confirm and ensure there's nothing missing from the first guide, etc. And then you have to cross your fingers that you know what to do and that you do it correctly.

It's easier to just rebuy the occasional game I really love on the Virtual Console and not bother with modding it. Even with several dozen Virtual Console releases, probably a dozen WiiWare games, the Fatal Frame IV translation/region patch, and some pictures and mp3's on my 2gig SD card, I still have room to spare. So that negates another reason for it. It's just not worth taking the chance with a console that would cost $200 to replace with probably more then that in DLC investments on it.

A few years down the road when I can walk into a GameStop and buy one used for $50, I'll feel free to take what's a minimum risk (But still a chance of screwing it up if you don't know exactly what to do the last I checked) and buy one to softmod for emulation.

[JSoup]

Modding is actually extremely safe, unless a given person is dumb enough to ignore the 100's of warning to not preform system updates and to leave WiiConnect24 off. Those were never really concerns for me, as a private community I'm part of has a few local computer people who took the already simplified modding method and simplified it further, in so much that it took me a grand total of 15 minutes to do. And it only took that long because I had to download stuff. Actually, in the last month, modding methods have gotten even easier, as a program was created that basically high jacks a wifi connection and formats the SD card with all needed base programs, then installing them, all while the Wii is running. It's completely idiot proof in the most literal meaning of the phrase.

However, I can see where you're coming from. If you don't make use of a system much outside of the occasional game here or there, it makes having instant access to everything kind of useless. I mainly use the mods to run ROMs of old games that either had limited released in the USA or no release outside of Japan at all.

[Malon_Forever]

Modding is actually extremely safe, unless a given person is dumb enough to ignore the 100's of warning to not preform system updates and to leave WiiConnect24 off. Those were never really concerns for me, as a private community I'm part of has a few local computer people who took the already simplified modding method and simplified it further, in so much that it took me a grand total of 15 minutes to do. And it only took that long because I had to download stuff. Actually, in the last month, modding methods have gotten even easier, as a program was created that basically high jacks a wifi connection and formats the SD card with all needed base programs, then installing them, all while the Wii is running. It's completely idiot proof in the most literal meaning of the phrase.

Don't some Wii games need the updates to be able to play them? I remember when I bought Metroid Prime 3, I'm pretty sure I had to download an update to play it. I'm not 100% sure though.

[JSoup]

Don't some Wii games need the updates to be able to play them? I remember when I bought Metroid Prime 3, I'm pretty sure I had to download an update to play it. I'm not 100% sure though.

SOME do, depending on what game it is and which mods you're using. I tested a burned Metroid Prime 3 disk for a friend, but it didn't need a patch. On the other side of that, New Super Mario Bros. Wii required modders to install a separate ISO to nullify needing to update online, otherwise a burned disk wouldn't boot. These are mostly isolated cases, though.

[JSoup]

Today's WiiWare releases are as follows:

My Aquarium 2
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points™
Description: My Aquarium 2, the sequel to the hit WiiWare title My Aquarium, is here. This time, the theme is the mysterious deep sea. With a single Wii Remote™ controller, you can raise fascinating creatures of all shapes and sizes, including deep-sea fish and glowing jellyfish. As with the original My Aquarium, you can customize your aquarium, by choosing which fish to include and where to place various decorations. You can also choose from a variety of colored lights to illuminate your aquarium. In time, your fish might breed to give you a whole new school. Create your very own aquarium for endless hours of relaxing fun and entertainment. This sequel features a larger selection of fish and objects than the original. You can also link up to the Forecast Channel to have your aquarium's appearance reflect the actual weather, or send your aquariums to registered friends via WiiConnect24™. Additional content will be available for purchase at a later date. Dive in and see all the wonderful creatures of the deep blue sea!

Enjoy your massage!
Publisher: Microforum
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Congratulations! You have just been hired as an apprentice masseur at Giselle's beauty farm, one of the most famous in the city. Learn new relaxing massage combinations and use them on your stressed customers. As an apprentice, you'll have to do your best. If your client gets angry, no one will save you from losing your job, but if you prove capable, you might even become the director of the whole beauty farm. So, what are you waiting for? Six clients are waiting for your help!

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24929


As a trained CMT, I don't know how I feel about that last one. I'll probably try it and the thing will tell me I'm horrible. XD

[JSoup]

Today's DSiWare releases are as follows:

TURN: The Lost Artifact
Publisher: Creative Patterns
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: TURN: The Lost Artifact is an adventure puzzler with fun, intuitive game play. Kurt and Camila are explorers on a mysterious journey to find a lost artifact. You guide them through rooms filled with various dangers, from enemies to rolling boulders. Your main power is the ability to rotate the rooms 90 degrees to the left or to the right. Mastering the law of gravity is essential to your success. Everything and everyone in the room is subjected to gravity and falls when you turn the room. Watch your head! Featuring three worlds with nine levels of about 10 rooms each, the game promises a whole lot of brain-twisting fun on your Nintendo DSi system.

Rhythm Core Alpha
Publisher: SoftEgg
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Make music with your Nintendo DSi system! Rhythm Core Alpha is an advanced music creation system, designed for creating and performing live music in front of an audience. Rhythm Core Alpha makes it easy to build drum and instrument loops, and then allows you to play solos over them using the stylus. It automatically detects the key and scale of the music you have created and allows you to change chords at the press of a button. All notes in the solo match the selected key and scale, so you can never hit a wrong note. Rhythm Core Alpha also includes a powerful pattern mode that allows you to set up chord changes and arrange your sequenced parts, enabling you to build a whole song or make sections that you can play back as you desire. Hundreds of adjustable drum and instrument sounds are included. You can edit while the song is playing, so you really can build the song in front of an audience.

Absolute Chess
Publisher: Tasuke
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: This easy-to-understand chess game explains everything from basic rules to aggressive strategies. There are two modes of play. In Free Play, you can play against a number of preset characters, ranging from a young kid to a grouchy old man. The Challenge mode gives players multiple levels and missions to complete. Player support features include a function to indicate possible moves for the player and the opponent, as well as the ability to undo your previous move. You can also enjoy matches with friends via DS Download Play.

Did It Myself ABC123
Publisher: Powerhead Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: EC (Early Childhood)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Did It Myself ABC123 is packed with different activities to stimulate your young child's brain, including counting, colors, letters, drawing and music. The target age range is roughly 2 to 3, but kids aged 1 through 5 should be able to enjoy Did It Myself ABC123. There are options for parents to adjust the counting range, the amount of games to play in "shuffle" mode, and the overall game speed. "Slow" and "medium" are recommended for younger kids, while older kids may enjoy "fast" and "ridiculous."

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24929

[JSoup]

There were no Virtual Console releases today.

Source is: http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=24929

[c0ldb33r]

I bet it's just a porn sim.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Beauty Farm does suggest something eerily close to Bunny Ranch.

Table showers, body slides and happy endings, oh my!