No Rare titles on Nintendo's Virtual Console?

This is news that, if true, is going to break more than a few hearts. While at the GDC, IGN's Matt Casamassina chatted with some people from Rare and Microsoft and learned that all Rare-owned licenses will be absent from Nintendo's Virtual Console. Among others, that list includes:

• The Banjo-Kazooie titles
• Conker's Bad Fur Day (not as shocking, as it was rereleased on Microsoft's system)
• Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark
• Blast Corps
• Jet Force Gemini
• Killer Instinct

Fortunately, all Nintendo licenses (the Donkey Kong games) are safe, but the loss (or potential loss) of such classics as Goldeneye and Killer Instict is disappointment, discouraging, and dis unfortunate (especially Blast Corps, a little gem for the Nintendo 64 that was often overlooked by gamers).

Take a look at Rare's timeline of released games. Could you imagine Nintendo's history without many of these titles? Do you want to? We are labeling this as a rumor because (a) no official comment has been made and (b) we really hope it to be untrue.

[via Go Nintendo]