Virtual Console's N64 titles don't rumble

by James Ransom-Wiley { Nov 9th 2006 at 4:20PM }

CVG reports Nintendo 64 Virtual Console games will lack rumble feedback. Not only will the Classic Controller be without rumble support, but the GameCube controller's jiggliness will be nonfunctional when used to play N64 downloads.

It's disappointing that this feature was cut. While not compatible with every title*, the Rumble Pak was one of N64's most significant innovations. How about a patch to support the GameCube controller?

*There are a ton that are compatible!

Tags: Classic Controller, ClassicController, N64, rumble, Virtual Console, VirtualConsole

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Flit @ Nov 9th 2006 4:25PM

Big Mistake. Anyone Remember OoT where rumble was used to find secrets and even get you through a dungeon? It was OoT wasn't it?

Raynre @ Nov 9th 2006 4:27PM

Nintendo has stooped to Sony's level...

reguy @ Nov 9th 2006 4:28PM

meh for games 10 years old

heres what i wanna know will virtual download games be playable online? like mario kart 64, r.c.pro am, double dragon and such?

because if not, pure garbage. but heres hoping they will

Lorben @ Nov 9th 2006 4:29PM

On one hand my Wavebird doesn't have rumble anyway. On the other hand, this sucks.

Minime283 @ Nov 9th 2006 4:30PM

Rumble is overrated. Who cares?

.ed @ Nov 9th 2006 4:32PM

i don't know how true this is... maybe the VC controller doesnt rumble.. but the Wii remote is rumored to clip onto the back of the VC controller, thus adding rumble to the device... why else would they do this if rumble wasn't supported at all?
maybe for motion control while using a standard-gen controller for wii games?

note: look at pics of back of VC controller to see the clips, you'll see what i'm referring to.

Bergasa @ Nov 9th 2006 4:33PM

"Big Mistake. Anyone Remember OoT where rumble was used to find secrets and even get you through a dungeon? It was OoT wasn't it?"

If you can't even remember then I guess the loss of it isn't that influential after all. :)

Kinda sucks, but oh well. I've played GCN for years with my Wavebird and it hasn't hindered enjoyment.

32_Footsteps @ Nov 9th 2006 4:33PM

On one hand, I can tolerate rumble controls.

On the other hand, I've never felt they've added anything to a game, and I could have nothing rumble ever again and I'd be just fine with that.

The only game where I've ever heard people suggest rumble adds anything is Ocarina of Time - and I enjoyed it quite fine without it, to be honest. But beyond that title, I think rumble has been a waste. It's just as well that the PS3 doesn't have it, and it wouldn't matter to me if no Wii title had it.

Unimental @ Nov 9th 2006 4:34PM

Oh noes!!!

Paulcardo @ Nov 9th 2006 4:34PM

It's dissaponting and i can't imagine playing OoF whitout the rumble.

TheBigC @ Nov 9th 2006 4:34PM

This looks like the end for Nintendo.

sonofnone @ Nov 9th 2006 4:35PM

HA HA HA! Oh boy. Gimme just a sec...

...Okay, that' better. All sense of irony aside, it is just me or is a little ass-backwards that the great equalizer in 2006 for next-gen consoles is the rumble feature?

Think about it. If someone had asked you when the N64 came out (Star Fox 64 to be exact) if you would rather have a controller that rumbled or one that could directly controll your character/ship/whatever by simple movement what would you have answered - honestly?

Minime283 @ Nov 9th 2006 4:35PM

"i don't know how true this is... maybe the VC controller doesnt rumble.. but the Wii remote is rumored to clip onto the back of the VC controller, thus adding rumble to the device... why else would they do this if rumble wasn't supported at all?
maybe for motion control while using a standard-gen controller for wii games?

note: look at pics of back of VC controller to see the clips, you'll see what i'm referring to."

It's not rumored, it's required. To make it cheaper, it uses the transmitting stuff is in the wiimote itself

Zorak @ Nov 9th 2006 4:36PM

I don't understand this at all. It shouldn't be any kind of technical challenge at all to implement the rumble, right? Why on earth would this be? It couldn't cost more money to add it in, could it? Can someone please explain this to me?

Huzzah!! @ Nov 9th 2006 4:36PM

Oh come on... the controller makes enough sacrifices as it is! (see: Queer positioning of Z button, no C buttons.) How about games like OoT where you use the rumble to find secrets!?

Todd @ Nov 9th 2006 4:37PM

Eh, for those people who own Majora's Mask or Ocarina of Time for the GameCube, no sweat.

Ninx @ Nov 9th 2006 4:46PM

The Virtual Console Controller sucks from what Ive seen. I don't see why I would buy it, Id rather use my Gamecube controller which looks better suited for N64 titles...

And the lack of rumble in the N64 titles really isn't a big deal for me but it's a matter of concept, bang for your buck. As much as I like the Virtual Console idea, Nintendo can very well make certain simple things if they actually just put just a tad bit of money into this thing that would actually make it really something you'd want even if you had the game before.

Simple things such as rumble, small extra features (They've had the time....). And then this may be pushing it....but how about some online action (at least a leader board since most VC games had point systems).

MetaHuman @ Nov 9th 2006 4:46PM

Meh, chances are all you's guys would be using WaveBirds to play, which is likely better for the N64 games [based on my experienced with OoT/MM GC]. I know I am. :P

But yeah, StarFox 64 without rumble... hmm.

A game that I really enjoyed rumble however was ExciteBike 64.

They should have made the Classic Controller a true shell and use the Wiimote's rumble functionality and give it a slight upgrade with additional hardware.

Oh well. Something tells me I'll enjoy the WaveBird a bit more.

I'd still use it for fighting games. *hinthintCapcom* :)

Cluckyx @ Nov 9th 2006 4:48PM

#14, I'm going to guess it's all about file size. I maybe wrong. But...

.ed @ Nov 9th 2006 4:54PM

minime283, you missed what i was talking about...

everone knows the vc plugs INTO the remote vai the little white cable, but the remote is rumored to actually physically clip onto the back of the VC controller, the VC controller has release buttons and slots on its back.. i'm not talking about the remote.

vc plugs into remote with cord, remote then rumored to hook onto back of vc for rumble. finds pics, youll see ,(thats why i said that in my first comment)

Dirk Dorkelson @ Nov 9th 2006 4:55PM

"Think about it. If someone had asked you when the N64 came out (Star Fox 64 to be exact) if you would rather have a controller that rumbled or one that could directly controll your character/ship/whatever by simple movement what would you have answered - honestly?"

Nice logic. Why should we have to choose one over the other? What the hell is wrong with both?

As someone who missed a lot of the rumble controller era (I owned and SNES, then nothing until I bought an Xbox), I'm hardly an expert on this. But I do have to say that Rockstar Table Tennis, a pretty fun game, would be a totally different game without rumble. You basically use the rumble sensation to figure out how to aim your volly. It's a great game mechanic. Granted, in some games it feels tacked on and gimmicky (vibrating during FFVII's cut scenes, for example), but there are plenty of titles, I'm sure, where it enhances gameplay.

Seroth @ Nov 9th 2006 4:55PM

I'm already playing Master Quest with a Wavebird, so no rumble there, and the game is fine... Sure the Stone of Agony is useless, but I know where most of the secrets are already anyway...

But I do find the lack of rumble in N64 VC games disappointing news.

@ Nov 9th 2006 4:55PM

Its probably different rumble technologies or protocols.

Ie; the GC and Wii are based off the immersion patents while N64 is based off something else.

So, if you implement the protocols on the Wii, it must be immersion-based.. which somehow makes it more complicated to make it backwards compatible with N64 rumble protocols.

crono141 @ Nov 9th 2006 4:57PM

Rumble is just a switch, as far as the program is concerned, so file size isn't the problem.

I was psyched about VC (still am mostly), but this is most dissappointing. It might have to do with the motors in the rumble pack and the motors in wiimote/gc controller being based on 2 different technologies (haptic vs non-haptic).

FuzzyPickles @ Nov 9th 2006 4:58PM

Makes finding 20 skulltulas disappointing.

Anna @ Nov 9th 2006 5:08PM

I can't say it affects me, I have 4 wavebirds, and I was planning on plugging them into the WII.

Phillip @ Nov 9th 2006 5:20PM

: Luke... N64 games will not rumble.
: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!!!!

devi8i @ Nov 9th 2006 5:22PM

STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!!! Nintendo copies sony!!!!

Kevin @ Nov 9th 2006 5:25PM

I remember many years ago when my friend got a promotional video from Nintendo in the mail that focused on the rumble pak. It was quite cheesy, with a story of someone trying to steal the technology or spying on them, I don't really remember. Regardless, it showed videos of Starfox and Goldeneye and their use of the rumble pak. There were other games but those were the biggest. My friend, after seeing footage of Goldeneye four-player splitscreen said "Doesn't that look like fun, running around, shooting each other?" I, being young and stupid, said no, although when it was released I spent hour after hour attempting to beat it on every difficulty before every time limit.

Anyway, regarding no rumble for VC N64 games... I'm not buying a Classic Controller and am using a Wavebird to play VC games, thus no rumble anyway. Rumble for LoZ:OoT was pretty nice though.

Aex @ Nov 9th 2006 5:33PM

Like I said about the lack of ps3 rumble, It doesn't matter. I still don't even notice the rumble when its turned on unless it is sitting on a table during a cutscene and starts making a huge racket.

devi8i @ Nov 9th 2006 5:36PM

I would imagine this has a lot to do with Immersion's patent on rumble haptic technology. Wasnt all n64 rumble through the addition of the plug in rumble-pack, which falls outside the scope of Immersion's patents?

JLC @ Nov 9th 2006 5:41PM

IT´S OVER! NINTENDO IS FINISHED!!!!!1111

AJ @ Nov 9th 2006 5:50PM

Well i don't really care. Besides, PS1 downloads won't have it either.

Steve @ Nov 9th 2006 5:52PM

This whole classic controller thing is filled with too many limitations. I want my analog stick motions to map to d-pad commands but it doesn't. I want to customize setting the analog button on my controller, but it does not. I want to L & R buttons to support analog for Gamecube titles, but it does not. And now they've dropped support for rumble and even when using the Gamecube controller that was built with rumble?

I wonder what other surprises are in store for us virtual console users?

None of this makes any sense! Hopefully the 24/7 connect feature will allow Nintendo to fix this problem in the future.

ackmondual @ Nov 9th 2006 5:56PM

@-#2 Nintendo has stooped to Sony's level...

Not quite. Nin still needs to add the six-way tilting sensor to get there

Steve @ Nov 9th 2006 6:00PM

Wait a sec... Wasn't Nintendo bragging that they were going to be "fully compatible" with NES, SNES, N64 and Gamecube titles? I don't consider a broken feature like omitting the N64's rumble functionality "fully compatible".

Al @ Nov 9th 2006 6:07PM

I thought the Wiimote could attach onto the back of the virtual console controller... which has rumble.

pirahna1 @ Nov 9th 2006 6:11PM

@21
"vibrating during FFVII's cut scenes, for example"

FFVII didn't have any rumble features, actually it wasn't even analog compatable. It came out way before our precious dual analog controller (You remember, the one Sony released in limited quantities here in the US, the sticks were concave instead of convex and didnt have that nifty rubber on em), and way way before the dual shock controller.

I remember playing FFVII with my ASCII one-hand controller, fun times.

bill @ Nov 9th 2006 7:03PM

Well, they might have it now .. but can add it later.

Can't say the same for Sony, eh Joystiq?

Matt @ Nov 9th 2006 7:47PM

@6

http://www.infendo.com/uploaded_images/slots-790200.jpg

It does look like something may clip on to it.

Joshua @ Nov 10th 2006 1:00AM

If I wanted something vibrating in my hands I would buy a vibrator.

Splinter @ Nov 10th 2006 2:01AM

This isnt THAT big of a deal. Seriously, i had a rumble pack from day 1 with my N64. I never really used it, since it required batteries, and it was quite heavy.

Woulda been nice, especially on Star Fox, but nothin 2 cry about.

Yoshi Likes Boys @ Nov 10th 2006 1:41PM

No big whoop. All that matters is that incredibly badass D-Pad.

Grant @ Nov 10th 2006 3:49PM

"4. On one hand my Wavebird doesn't have rumble anyway. On the other hand, this sucks."

i'm surprised no ones made a ruckus about this yet, or even noticed, and considering the wave bird is an official nintendo acc.... well, the point i'm getting to is look at pictures of the GCN controller ports on the wii.
now look at your wave bird reciever.
look like it's gonna fit.
nope.
nintendo just powned you.
lol.
p.s.
nintendo rocks, but this shit is getting sticky, the ports they released on GCN promo disk of zelda games had rumble, it can't be that hard. common guys.

rockintom99 @ Nov 10th 2006 8:28PM

For the most part, I don't really give a damn about rumble. The *only* game where it makes a difference is Shadow of the Colossus. I mean, how can you have a controller *not* shake when a 50 ton giant stomp 4 feet from your character, and the screen shakes like mad?