Nintendo might stop releasing Super Nintendo games for the Wii U’s Virtual Console, the beloved if not underwhelming marketplace that makes a back catalog of select SNES favorites accessible on the Wii U.
Nintendo’s recent shift to include Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS games on the Virtual Console looks to be the culprit, and the Japanese gaming giant may just phase out the platform altogether.
According to Natsume, the renowned dev studio responsible for a number of golden oldies, Nintendo has no more interest in the 16-bit realm. Engadget spotted the following quotes on the company’s Facebook page:
Will the two Pocky & Rocky SNES games ever be re-released on the Virtual Console?
– @ominiq (Twitter)“At this point, it’s unlikely we’ll see any other Natsume SNES games coming to the Virtual Console, as Nintendo’s interest has moved onto other classic systems.“
And when asked if Lufia (another SNES gem) would be made available, Natsume said “If it’s not up now it’s not coming”.
Natsume went on to discuss how Nintendo handles the politics behind the Virtual Console service. Nintendo has full discretion over which games are added, and publishers work alongside the company to strategize price points and brainstorm which games will sell best.
Ultimately Nintendo does the “bulk of the work”, and if Natsume can be believed, the Japanese games maker just doesn’t want to deal with SNES any more.
Everyone who owns a Wii U has been waiting a long time for Nintendo 64 games to come to the Virtual Console. But gamers never knew the cost of having new platforms added would mean others become redundant–something like that would surely give us pause.
As it stands the Wii U’s Virtual Console’s selection of Super NES games leaves much to be desired.
While the SNES Virtual Console does include fantastic games like Earthbound, Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, whole chunks of the console’s lineup are missing; there’s no Chrono Trigger, or Final Fantasy V or even Secret of Mana.
Keep in mind that this news hasn’t been confirmed and no one knows for sure if Nintendo has halted Super Nintendo VC games.
Nintendo hasn’t made any official announcements or statements on the matter, although I expect the company to be tight-lipped up until the very minute they spill the beans. Let’s hope it’s not true and that we’ll get the great SNES games we’ve been asking for all these years.
Read More: Nintendo Announces New DS and Nintendo 64 Virtual Console Games
