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Virtual Console: The good, the bad and the ugly

David Hinkle
Associate Editor
Updated ·7 min read

Over the last year, Nintendo has presented us with tons of games over their digital download service, the Virtual Console. We've played many of these games, some of which have been bad and some of which have been pretty good. So, we figured it would be nice to take a look at all of the bad games we played and all of the good ones. On top of that, the staff has decided to submit all of their own personal favorites.

Over the past year, we've played a heck of a lot of Virtual Console games. Just look at those lists past the break and tell us there isn't a ton of titles available on the Virtual Console. And, in looking back, we're glad that the majority of them were good, because it fills us with hope for the next year on Nintendo's Virtual Console.



The good

  • New Adventure Island (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Streets of Rage (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Donkey Kong Country (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)

  • Chew Man Fu (TurboGrafx16, 1 - 2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Excitebike (NES,1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • Beyond Oasis (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • SPLATTERHOUSE (TurboGraphix16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Star Fox 64 (N64, 1 - 4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)

  • Dragon's Curse (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • BRAVOMAN (Turbografx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Battle Lode Runner (TurboGrafx 16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Gradius III (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Castlevania (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Final Fight (1player, SNES, 800 Wii Points)

  • Ninja Gaiden (1 player, NES, 500 Wii Points)

  • Ninja Spirit (1-2 players, Turbografx16, 600 Wii Points)

  • Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Blazing Lazers (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Streets of Rage 2 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Golden Axe II (Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Lode Runner (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • World Sports Competition (TurboGrafx-16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • F-Zero X (N64, 1-4 players, 1000 Wii Points)

  • Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • Ecco: The Tides of Time (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Air "Zonk" (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Mach Rider (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • Paper Mario (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)

  • Balloon Fight (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • Devil's Crush (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Kirby's Dream Course (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Shining Force (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Star Soldier (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • Wave Race 64 (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)

  • Cratermaze (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Metroid (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • Shining in the Darkness (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii points)

  • Super Metroid (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Breath of Fire II (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Kirby's Avalanche (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Golden Axe III (Sega Genesis, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Super C (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Streets of Rage 3 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Ninja JaJaMaru-kun (NES, 1 - 2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Sin and Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,200 Wii Points)

  • Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • Magician Lord (Neo Geo, 1 - 2 players, 900 Wii Points)

  • Alien Soldier (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 900 Wii Points)

  • Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • Axelay (Super NES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Super Air Zonk (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)


The bad

  • The Legend of Kage (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • Sonic 3D Blast (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Wrecking Crew (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • Lunar Pool (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • NES Play Action Football (NES, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • Neutopia II (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Silent Debuggers (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Bio-Hazard Battle (Sega Genesis, 1 - 2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Neutopia (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Elevator Action (NES - 1-2 players - 500 Wii Points)

  • Sword of Vermilion (Sega Genesis - 1 player - 800 Wii Points)

  • Sonic Spinball (Sega Genesis - 1-4 players - 800 Wii Points)

  • Double Dungeons (TurboGrafx16 - 1-2 players - 600 Wii Points)

  • Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire (SNES - 1 - 8 players - 800 Wii Points)

  • Dynamite Headdy (Sega Genesis, 1 playe, 800 Wii Points)

  • Galaga 90 (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Galaga (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • DRAGON Spirit (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • LEGEND OF HERO TONMA (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Samurai-Ghost (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  • Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Shockman (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Blue's Journey (NeoGeo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)

  • Ordyne (1 - 2 players, TurboGrafx16, 600 Wii Points)

  • Adventures of Lolo (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  • Street Fighter II Turbo Edition: Hyper Fighting (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  • Pac-Man (1-2 players, NES, 500 Wii Points)

  • NES Open Tournament Golf (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • World Sports Competition (TurboGrafx-16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Yoshi (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • Super Thunder Blade (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  • Volleyball (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  • World Class Baseball (Turbografx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Yoshi's Story (N64, 1 player, 1000 Wii Points)

  • Power Golf (TurboGrafx16, 1 - 2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  • Drop Off (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

The staff

Eric Caoili

  1. Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis, 1 -2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  2. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  3. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  4. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  5. Ninja Spirit (1-2 players, Turbografx16, 600 Wii Points)

Alisha Karabinus

  1. The Legend of Zelda (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  2. Castlevania (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  3. The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  4. ActRaiser (1 player, SNES, 800 Wii Points)

  5. F-Zero (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

Candace Savino

  1. The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  2. Sin and Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,200 Wii Points)

  3. F-Zero (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  4. Bonk 2: Bonk's Revenge (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  5. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points)

Chris Greenhough

  1. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1 - 2 players, 500 Wii Points)

  2. The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  3. Excitebike (NES,1 player, 500 Wii Points)

  4. Super Metroid (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  5. Lylat Wars (or, otherwise known as Star Fox 64) (N64, 1 - 4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)

Mike Sylvester

  1. Bomberman '93 (TurboGrafx16 - 1 - 5 players, 600 Wii Points)

  2. Super Mario 64 (N64 - 1 player - 1,000 Wii Points)

  3. Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis, 1 -2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  4. Star Fox 64 (N64 - 1 - 4 players - 1,000 Wii Points)

  5. Sin and Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,200 Wii Points)

JC Fletcher

  1. Devil's Crush (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)

  2. Super Metroid (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

  3. Alien Soldier (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 900 Wii Points)

  4. Blazing Lazers (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)

  5. Ninja Spirit (1-2 players, Turbografx16, 600 Wii Points)

David Hinkle

  1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)

  2. ActRaiser (1 player, SNES, 800 Wii Points)

  3. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

  4. Paper Mario (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)

  5. Sin and Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,200 Wii Points)