Virtual Console

The Virtual Console is one of many special features of the Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, and the Wii U. The Virtual Console allows gamers to download games that have been uploaded by their respective companies. The Wii version currently only has video games from stationary consoles, mostly Nintendo's own NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64. Nintendo will not be uploading Nintendo GameCube games to the Wii Virtual Console, due to the fact that GameCube ISOs use 1.35 GB on the hard drive (the internal memory on the Wii is only 512 MB), and the Wii is backwards-compatible with all GameCube discs and most accessories. Hudson, Sega, SNK and Commodore have provided the Wii Virtual Console with Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Master System, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo, MSX (Japan only), and Commodore 64 games. Also, Nintendo has provided the Virtual Console with arcade titles under the name Virtual Console Arcade. The Nintendo 3DS also has games from the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance (Ambassadors only), Game Gear, and NES. Nintendo also has promised games from the TurboGrafx-16.

Wii Points
Wii Virtual Console games are bought with Wii Points via the Wii Shop Channel. Wii Points Cards, which are sold at most game retailers, each come with 2,000 redeemable Points on them. However, in Japan, cards are worth either 1,000, 3,000, or 5,000 Wii Points. Wii Points can also be purchased directly through the Wii Shop Channel with a credit card in blocks of either 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, or 5,000 Points.

Wii
While this pricing is true for most games, a few select games have been priced differently. Imported games such as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and Mario's Super Picross in Europe and Australia and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels outside Japan cost 100 Wii Points more than usual.

In the United States, retailers currently only sell 2,000 points cards for $20 apiece, at a price of one cent per point.

Similarly, in Australia, retailers only sell 1,000 points cards for $20 apiece.

*Note: Games released on the Virtual Console Arcade are automatically set to 500 points. However, most Virtual Console Arcade games are priced higher than 500 points.

Wii
Various controllers can be used to play Virtual Console games.
 * Wii Remote - when turned sideways, it acts as a substitute for the NES controller. Also good for Master System and TG16 games.
 * Classic Controller - can play any game; designed to resemble an SNES controller. Due to the popularity of the Pro version, the original has been discontinued. Best for SNES and Genesis games.
 * Classic Controller Pro- Classic Controller with grips; is slightly wider and has the cord coming out of the top.
 * Nintendo GameCube controller - can play almost any game, but works best for N64 games.

Wii

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Nintendo 3DS
Games on the Virtual Console of the 3DS do not have 3D capabilities, except for 3D Classics. They are sold via Nintendo eShop.

The following Mario games have been released on the Virtual Console of the 3DS:


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Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program
All of these games are available as free downloads for consumers who purchased a 3DS prior to the August 12, 2011 price drop. The NES titles were first available in Japan on August 31, 2011 for these ambassadors, with the release date for the general public unknown. The Game Boy Advance games were released worldwide on December 16th, 2011. The Legend of Zelda (one of the NES Ambassador games) became available in the Japanese eShop on December 22nd, 2011, and the other games are also being considered for release to the general public.

Mario NES games

 * Super Mario Bros.
 * NES Open Tournament Golf
 * Donkey Kong Jr.
 * Yoshi
 * Wrecking Crew

Mario Game Boy Advance games

 * Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
 * Mario Kart: Super Circuit
 * WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!‎
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * Wario Land 4

Wii

 * Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was only available in Europe and Australia from September 15, 2007 until October 1, 2007. It was then still available to freely re-download for those who purchased it while it was initially available. On August 22, 2008, it was made available again, this time without any time restrictions.
 * This is also the first time that the NES version was made available outside Japan, having been remade for the SNES elsewhere. Thus, its title screen reads "Super Mario Bros. 2", its Japanese name.
 * Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was regarded by Nintendo as the 250th game to be released on the Virtual Console in North America. Its European Virtual Console release was the first official release of that game in the region.
 * Timed demos of several Virtual Console games are included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, all of which star the game's various fighters. The only default Mario title is Super Mario Bros.; Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario World are the others, but they must first be unlocked.
 * Despite the GameCube controller having built-in force feedback, no N64 game supports the vibration feature (originally requiring a separate peripheral). Also, Mario Kart 64 required a Controller Pak to save ghost data, which the VC version does not support.

Nintendo 3DS

 * Multiplayer modes which require more than one controller/system are either not supported or require an alternation between players 1 and 2 by changing the controls. This is done by pressing simultaneously the and  buttons to show the control change command and pressing the  button to make the swap.
 * This feature can also be used when playing Game Boy games to change the screen color from gray to the classic green.
 * However, in specific games, players can utilize the 3DS Download Play mode to allow for local multiplayer games between two systems.
 * If the player holds the or  buttons while loading a Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance game from the HOME Menu, the screen's size will be shrunk (the Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles are displayed on virtual versions of their respective consoles) to match the games' original resolutions.
 * Many games have been given the ability to create one save file each.

Changes
Although Nintendo has claimed they will keep all Virtual Console releases as true to the originals as possible, they have made several changes to various games for certain reasons.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

 * The attacks Flame Wall and Static E! are both recolored to avoid the risk of seizures.
 * For the PAL Virtual Console release, the offensive word "bugger" (used when Croco says "You're a persistent bugger") is replaced with the word "pest".
 * Moleville has a notably darker color scheme.

Super Mario 64

 * During gameplay, the drop shadows located at the top and bottom of the screen have been removed and can only return if Mario loses all of his Health Points.
 * Chain Chomp's mouth is purple instead of red, possibly because the game in general is made a bit darker.
 * Vanish Mario was transparent rather then being dotted for unknown reasons.

Mario Kart 64

 * When the Lightning item is used, the flash that appears during the use of that item has been adjusted to avoid the risk of seizures.
 * The Kalimari Desert course's train has its wheels recolored from red to black for unknown reasons.
 * In Koopa Troopa Beach, the waterfall at the end of the shortcut is recolored blue from the original grey.
 * Saving ghost data is impossible, due to the lack of Controller Pak functionality.

Mario Golf

 * The Transfer Pak feature to transfer characters from the GBC version (Sherry, Joe, Azalea, and Kid) is removed, as are the extra four square boxes used for transferred characters on the Character Select screen.

Mario Tennis

 * The Ring Tournament mode in Special Games is removed, since the service is no longer supported after the official website was replaced with its sequel Mario Power Tennis in 2004.
 * The ability to unlock characters and courts via the Transfer Pak (e.g. Alex, Nina, Harry, Kate, and each characters' personal courts, except for Donkey Kong's) is removed.

Paper Mario

 * The brightness of the light from the Super Block has been adjusted to avoid the risk of seizures.
 * The walls in the temple in Dry Dry Desert appear more curved in the Wii version.
 * For reasons unknown, the sound effect for when the Crystal King clones himself is changed. The original sound effect sounds similar to the effect when Mario grabs a Mini Mushroom. In the Virtual Console version, it is a similar sound effect to when the King generates his Crystal Bits.

Ambassador Program games

 * The NES ports include a save feature.