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3DS

SNES Games Now Available on New 3DS Virtual Console

by Justin Berube - March 3, 2016, 2:57 pm EST
Total comments: 25 Source: Nintendo Direct

Something we've all been waiting for.

Super Nintendo games are coming to the New Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. These games will have new features including Perfect Pixel mode. Perfect Pixel Mode displays each game in its original resolution.

The first games will be available today and include SNES launch titles like Super Mario World, F-Zero, and Pilotwings. On March 24th Super Mario Kart, Earthbound, and Donkey Kong Country will be sold. Then on April 14th we will see Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, and Donkey Kong Country 2 hit the eShop. More games will be coming in the future.

There will be no cross buy or discount programs for those that have purchased the same games on Wii or Wii U Virtual Consoles.

Talkback

Mop it upMarch 03, 2016

I haven't been waiting for this, I already own everything worthwhile that's been put on the VC.

KwolfMarch 03, 2016

I'm not sure if I am more disappointed in nintendo for not having any kinda crossbuy, or more disappointed in myself for thinking that by now they would have stopped recharging for stuff on the same account.  Kinda killed any hype the announcement had for me.

Ian SaneMarch 03, 2016

I literally own the original SNES cartridge of every one of those games listed.  Aside from Earthbound there isn't anything particularly obscure in that first group.  If you wanted those games before now you could easily have got them in some format.

SorenMarch 03, 2016

NN3DS killer app.

TOPHATANT123March 03, 2016

The EU Report:
- For the first week on sale you have a buy one get another 50% off deal
- Games run in 60hz
- Earthbound and Super Mario World out today
- I will be playing Super Mario World and Earthbound for the first time, I've been meaning to get around to them I swear.

MythtendoMarch 03, 2016

The games are not so intensive that they couldn't put them on the regular 3DS (in fact, 3DS Ambassadors have some SNES games), so very disappointing that they are only on the New 3DS.

kokumakerMarch 03, 2016

I cannot begin to comprehend why a regular 3DS should be unable to play 16-bit games from 20+ years ago. 😠

JRokujuushiMarch 03, 2016

There weren't any SNES games in the Ambassador program. There were GBA ports of SNES games which the 3DS could play by switching to DS mode. 

ejamerMarch 03, 2016

If there is some kind of discount (either promo pricing when first available, or for people who already own on other Virtual Console platforms) I'd re-buy Super Metroid to have a portable version. Otherwise this is pretty much a miss for me.


SNES games available? The same ones I've purchased on Wii and/or Wii U but can't transfer over?  No thanks!

LouieturkeyMarch 03, 2016

Yeah, without cross buy, it's a no buy.

broodwarsMarch 03, 2016

Nope. I already bought so many SNES games on the Wii and then rebought all the ones brought to the Wii U. I'm not rebuying all of them a second time at full price to play them on 3DS. Maybe cross-buy is too forward-thinking to expect of Nintendo on a regular basis, but a Wii U-esque $1 repurchase fee would not be unreasonable.

KhushrenadaMarch 03, 2016

Yeah, I'm feeling the same way. I was hoping that with the new Nintendo Loyalty program beginning to be implemented that it might have helped Nintendo look into cross-buy options as part of the revamp. So far, that doesn't seem to be the case.

I've actually been thinking about finally buying VC games that I already own and selling off the original cartridges I own and creating less clutter. But with the NX soon to come, I want to wait and see what is discussed for that and how its VC is handled. I don't expect Nintendo to create a VC system where buying a game allows you to download to every future console. That said, I don't know why they can't follow the Apple example of iTunes where you can download content you purchased on 5 devices but have to repurchase it after that. If they made a VC purchase good for 2 consoles and 2 handhelds or 1 console and 2 handhelds, I'd start buying a lot more VC games even if I already owned them. If Nintendo expects me to pay $8.00 to download Super Metroid on every future console or handheld I buy, then I'm going to keep avoiding the VC. At the very least, Wii U to 3DS transfers or purchases should be happening already.

Maybe I'll feel differently in the morning (look for an editorial) but right now, $11.29 Canadian can

AdrockMarch 04, 2016

I still think cross-buy is going to happen on NX, and everyone who purchased handheld and console versions of the game will be compensated with Gold Points on My Nintendo. That's the only way to reconcile Nintendo's current system of a really short-sighted and poorly implemented separate Virtual Console across now three different platforms. At this point, Nintendo isn't going to bother trying to fix this on Wii U and 3DS when NX was built from the ground up to unify its platforms. It's still moving forward with Super Nintendo Virtual Console games on 3DS because why not? This isn't difficult nor expensive to implement, and there's likely a solution to the fragmented Virtual Console once the company transitions to NX.

If you already have these games on Wii or Wii U, Super Nintendo Virtual Console on 3DS isn't meant for you. I mean, Nintendo will gladly take your money then compensate you later. However, Nintendo is in a tough spot. It has to keep supporting its current platforms until NX launches. Nintendo put itself in this hole, but its trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Perhaps Nintendo should tell people this. At the same time, it isn't talking about NX at all and probably won't until after the fiscal year ends.

ejamerMarch 04, 2016

Quote from: Shaymin

Maybe I'll feel differently in the morning (look for an editorial) but right now, $11.29 Canadian can

I know these are great games and they still hold up well today.  But $11.29+tax is a very tough sell for people like me who already own the game on at least one other platform.


Also seems like a very steep price to pay for content that can't be shared, can't be easily moved onto different hardware, is available cheaper elsewhere, and is playable for "free" via emulation by most people anyway.  (I don't support or encourage playing pirated games, but it would be silly to assume that is a common opinion.)


Really feels like Nintendo are pricing these games too high.  :(


At $8 (the price of SNES games on other platforms) I would consider buying a game or maybe two.
If there was a discount offered to people who already own the games on other platforms, I'd buy at couple.
Instead, this has absolutely killed any interest in SNES VC on the 3DS...

Almost all these games I already have on Wii, then upgraded to Wii U, as Broodwars said.  That coupled with how limited my mobile gaming is, and I really can't justify double (triple) dipping in paying Nintendo for these games.


Although I'll admit SNES on 3DS virtual console wasn't a priority for me either.  I'd much rather have GBA games on it, even though I'm one that has the ambassador games.

Ian SaneMarch 04, 2016

Nintendo doesn't like things that doesn't have direct revenue generation.  They'll stick with something outdated if changing it will affect theoretical direct revenue.  They'll also not go with something the rest of the industry is moving towards if it doesn't have some clear revenue generation behind it.  Fuzzy concepts like improving customer satisfaction or maintaining a good public image that indirectly improves business or prevents it from suffering don't jive with them.

For example Nintendo made some direct revenue from third parties by being the sole distributor of cartridges.  Switching to CDs meant using a format someone else created and that would eat into that revenue so it was not an option.  The negative impact of losing third party support and how that would affect system sales and have a ripple effect on total revenue was fuzzy indirect stuff so Nintendo didn't take it into account.  Online gaming did not have an obvious revenue generation to it so Nintendo was slow to adapt it.  Building up the infrastructure and experience in something that was to become industry standard as well as coming across as up-to-date and current for your customers all has fuzzy indirect benefits to it so Nintendo wasn't interested.  Even something like demos Nintendo was notoriously stingy about.  Giving something away for free?!  How does that make us money?

Crossbuy?  Well Nintendo in theory makes more money if they sell us the same game multiple times so why would they go with crossbuy?  Yes, crossbuy is what consumers want and probably will become industry standard once someone introduces it but consumer goodwill is fuzzy indirect stuff.  All Nintendo sees is that if they let you buy the game once for multiple platforms they lose the revenue of selling it to you multiple times.  Any potential lost revenue as a result of turning people off with an anti-consumer policy is vague stuff.  But the lost revenue of not selling you a third copy of the same game is hard data.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMarch 04, 2016

I bought Mario World.  Again.  Sorry.

#PartoftheProblem.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterMarch 04, 2016

So when is Trax coming to the VC?

Oh wait, I forgot, they don't put Gameboy games on the 3DS virtual console. Silly me.

RazorkidMarch 05, 2016

All my original 3DS VC dreams come true! I'm so glad I held off on buying these games on WiiU where I new they wouldn't get played. Super Nintendo games belonged on 3DS from day one. Nice to finally see it here before the end. This is only way I'll be able to replay Earthbound.

Bman87301March 06, 2016

This is a pretty baffling move. It would make far more sense to release GBA titles on the n3DS VC instead. I can't understand why they're not-- so many SNES games were ported to the GBA anyway, and those versions where actually optimized to be portable. Since this is needlessly mucking up their tradition of keeping the handheld and console VC libraries separate, it could be a sign of intent for cross-purchasing for the NX... though why they wouldn't try to implement actual cross-purchasing here first to avoid future double-dipping is still beyond me.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMarch 06, 2016

Quote from: Bman87301

Since this is needlessly mucking up their tradition of keeping the handheld and console VC libraries separate

In a world where GBA games have been on the Wii U and NES games have been on the 3DS (since, like, almost launch) - what are you talking about? :D

WahMarch 06, 2016

Brought Earthbound enjoying it a lot! (reminds me of Undertale! ::) )

nickmitchMarch 08, 2016

Lack of cross-buy is sad, but what's weirder to me is that it took so long for this to happen.  The Ambassador games never got a wide release because they weren't up to snuff, but I thought Nintendo could overcome that limitation.  I guess the 3DS was just too under-powered.

TOPHATANT123March 08, 2016

I found that if you hold ZL and ZR then press Y you can control player 2.

And in EarthBound you can just use L to interact with things to save you having to go into the menu.

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