Virtual Console

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The Wii Virtual Console's logo.
The Virtual Console logo.

The Virtual Console is one of many special features of the Wii. The Virtual Console allows gamers to download games that have been uploaded by their respective companies. Nintendo is the main backer of the feature, promising to fill it with their immense backlog of games from the NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64. Nintendo will not be uploading GameCube games to the Virtual Console due to their large sizes, and because the Wii is backwards-compatible with the system. Hudson, Sega, SNK and Commodore are also backing the Virtual Console with Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Master System, TurboGrafx-16, TurboGrafx-CD, SuperGrafx, Neo Geo and Commodore 64 games.

Wii Points

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, 4,000 or 5,000 Points.

Pricing

NES games: 500 Points
SNES games: 800 Points
N64 games: 1000 Points
SG games: 800 Points
TG16 games: 600 Points
Neo Geo Games: 900 Points
MSX Games (Japan only): 700 Points

While this pricing is true for most games, a few select games have been priced differently. Imported games such as Super Mario RPG 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.

List of Mario Games for the Virtual Console

  • File:Question.png – The game was announced at some point in that region, but the release date is currently unknown.
Game NA JP EU AUS NA Release Date JP Release Date EU Release Date AU Release Date
Donkey Kong (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 11/19/06 12/02/06 12/08/06 12/07/06
Donkey Kong 3 (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 07/14/08 07/23/08 01/09/09 01/09/09
Donkey Kong Country (SNES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 02/19/07 12/12/06 12/08/06 12/07/06
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 05/21/07 10/23/07 05/16/07 05/18/07
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 12/24/07 10/21/08 12/25/07 12/25/07
Donkey Kong Jr. (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 12/04/06 12/02/06 12/22/06 12/22/06
Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 09/03/07 03/27/07 04/20/07 04/20/07
Mario Bros. (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 11/19/06 12/02/06 12/22/06 12/22/06
Mario Golf (N64) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:X mark.png 10/06/08 09/30/08 01/23/09 N/A
Mario Kart 64 (N64) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 01/29/07 01/30/07 01/26/07 01/26/07
Mario's Super Picross (SNES) File:X mark.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Question.png N/A 12/19/06 09/14/07 TBA
NES Open Tournament Golf (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 06/18/07 07/24/07 05/11/07 05/11/07
Paper Mario (N64) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 07/16/07 07/10/07 07/13/07 07/13/07
Super Mario 64 (N64) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 11/19/06 12/02/06 12/08/06 12/07/06
Super Mario Bros. (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 12/25/06 12/02/06 01/05/07 01/05/07
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 07/02/07 08/10/07 05/25/07 05/25/07
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 11/05/07 12/11/07 11/09/07 11/09/07
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 10/01/07 05/01/07 09/14/07 09/14/07
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 9/01/08 6/24/08 8/22/08 8/22/08
Super Mario World (SNES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 02/05/07 12/02/06 02/09/07 02/09/07
Super Smash Bros. (N64) File:Question.png File:Check small.png File:Question.png File:Question.png 01/10/09 TBA TBA TBA
Wario's Woods (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 11/19/06 12/12/06 12/08/06 12/07/06
Wrecking Crew (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 11/19/07 2/5/08 8/24/07 8/24/07
Yoshi (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 07/09/07 03/06/07 05/16/07 05/18/07
Yoshi's Story (N64) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 09/17/07 10/30/07 10/26/07 10/26/07
Yoshi's Cookie (NES) File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png File:Check small.png 04/07/08 06/10/08 04/04/08 04/04/08

Notes

  • 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 redownload 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

See Also

  • WiiWare — Applications and games that can be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel.