Ecco, Golden Axe hit Virtual Console
by Kyle Orland 
{ Nov 28th 2006 at 4:15PM }
Seems we were a little premature in declaring Nintendo's latest Virtual Console release as a "slow-play" of their classic library. Two new Genesis games -- Ecco the Dolphin and Golden Axe -- are now available for download at 800 Wii points each.We can't be sure that these games didn't go up some time after Super Star Soldier late last night, but it seems that they actually hit sometime earlier today. Combined with last week's late launch of TurboGrafx-16 games on the Virtual Console, this makes two times that Nintendo has released new VC content on a day other than Monday.
Is this a sign that we should now expect Virtual Console launches to come at any time throughout the week, or is Nintendo just running into some early technical glitches in its "Virtual Console Mondays" plan? You'll know the answer as soon as we do.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
[Update: Second paragraph edited to clarify the Monday vs. rest of week point.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
flash @ Nov 28th 2006 4:24PM
BoOoOoOooOOoOo!!!!!!!!!!! The wii and every thing it stands for.
bill pullman @ Nov 28th 2006 7:08PM
"Is this a sign that we should now expect Virtual Console launches to come at any time throughout the week, or is Nintendo just running into some early technical glitches in its "Virtual Console Mondays" plan?"
it's a sign you guys should calm the hell down. it's Tuesday. take some pills or something.
Drop A Load @ Nov 28th 2006 5:32PM
You will get them when Nintendo gives them to you ....shut the hell up.
Vlad @ Nov 28th 2006 7:29PM
probably just early goof-ups, but either way...Monday, Tuesday, close enough. I personally only want a couple of these old games anyway, so I don't really care what day of the week they come out. as long as eventually get Super Metroid...
BPM? @ Nov 28th 2006 4:42PM
BoOoOoOooOOoOo!!!!!!!!!!! The trolls and how they make fans of any system look like complete idiots.
Seriously, Nintendo needs to pick up the pace with Virtual Console updates. I mean, how hard can it be to upload a bunch of decade-or-so old games in their pure, unadultered states?
hegemonyhog @ Nov 28th 2006 4:45PM
XBox 360 - "We're sorry, your system has a massive chance of failing completely out of nowhere. We'll fix it by the year and a half mark."
PS3 - "We're sorry, our system doesn't exist, you might get shot for it, and it'll cost you double sticker price to get unless you camp out. For days."
Wii - "We're sorry, but we released additional classic games on our five-system Virtual Console a few hours late. Hope that free game we gave you tides you over."
Nintendo really is coming out of this looking like a million bucks...er, Wii Points.
gman @ Nov 28th 2006 4:58PM
GOLDEN AXE 2 PLAYER.....OH YES
Mr. Khan @ Nov 28th 2006 4:59PM
Now; where's that Toe Jam & Earl we've been promised??
& Vlad: i'm with you on Super Metroid
number40one @ Nov 28th 2006 6:47PM
Ecco is out. I now have a reason to buy VC points. (dammit! now i have to decide if i want to keep the change on hold, or buy... uh... sonic?)
Robert Jung @ Nov 28th 2006 6:47PM
"I mean, how hard can it be to upload a bunch of decade-or-so old games in their pure, unadultered states?"
Maybe -- unlike Microsoft (*cough*ahem*Contra*cough*) -- Nintendo wants to make sure the games work right before releasing them to the masses?
--R.J.
Sonic_13 @ Nov 28th 2006 5:21PM
"this makes two times that Nintendo has missed its stated goal to make 'new Virtual Console games ... become available weekly every Monday.'"
Seeing as how a new VC game was added yesterday (Monday), that makes only one time that Nintendo missed its stated goal, and considering it was the day after launch I was surprised they even decided to add new games then.
jcraig1701 @ Nov 28th 2006 7:55PM
Has anyone actually downloaded these yet? I remember reading that Genesis games would not be compatible with the gamecube controller, and then when i downloaded sonic, it was compatible. I'm thinking that the reason for the Delays is to make sure that every game is compatible with the Gamecube controller now that Nintendo realizes how short on Classic Controllers they are. Why release downloads if 95% of your console owners will not be able to use them? So if waiting a little more times means i can use a gamecube controller to play all games, then i'm perfectly fine with that.
PodMonkeys @ Nov 28th 2006 6:32PM
I for one think Nintendo isn't doing all that bad with this console release. I can't wait to see what other VC games are coming, but I also hope they might do some new content as well. Theres a lot of classics I'm waiting for. PacMan for one!
Tonight... Its Golden Axe night!
Devwar @ Nov 29th 2006 6:41AM
Nintendo has only missed its goal once, the system came out on a sunday, did you seriously think they'd release games the VERY next day? Of course not.
LuigiHann @ Nov 29th 2006 1:19AM
Let's look at other things "updated mondays:"
Strong Bad Email
VG Cats
How often do they come out on tuesday? Fairly often, and from time to time they'll skip a week.
Granted, this is comparing apples to buffalo, but the point is that the internet makes people so impatient.
Number One @ Nov 28th 2006 9:45PM
GUNSTAR HEROES!!!!
ChrisL @ Nov 28th 2006 6:04PM
Golden Axe is probably the most replayable side scroller ever. Fun stuff, I wish they had did a touch up on the horrible sound effects though.
ChrisL @ Nov 28th 2006 6:05PM
had did, wtf is that? I better go hide before the grammar police arrive.
Sonic_13 @ Nov 28th 2006 7:40PM
"this makes two times that Nintendo has released new VC content on a day other than Monday."
Very well. I do agree with your point.
It would be nice to have a more consistent schedule, although finding a new game every once in a while on another day as a surprise would be cool.
But as you mentioned, the delay probably has to do with smoothing out the uploading / approval process for VC games.
jimmy @ Nov 28th 2006 8:36PM
dang! and to think i just got Bomberman since i had to get my VC fix on when i would have rather gotten Ecco.. argggh! oh well.. still have my 2400 points left.. :P
so... why won't nintendo just release 5 games a week and make them i don't.. actual classics??? why play the stupid waiting game rather than just release mario allstars or mario golf 64 or starfox 64? wouldn't enticing VC titles sell more even consoles ??
i think it would.. peace
mo @ Nov 28th 2006 7:20PM
#1
if you hate the wii than stop reading articles about it
and cmon be honest..... your just sad u didnt get one, but unlike sony there shipping 1 million so theres time so dont cry too much ull get one :)
mike @ Nov 28th 2006 7:14PM
The biggest problem isn't getting them to work. All the games have to be re-rated by the ESRB to the current standards. This doesn't happen overnight.
Shagi @ Nov 29th 2006 11:18AM
Maybe if nintendo included any kind of network play your microsoft comparison would fly. But no, its just emulated, it doesn't play over the network, it doesn't have upgraded graphics, its just the same exact stuff you played 10 years ago.
BIG-JG @ Nov 28th 2006 7:56PM
Tecmo Super Bowl Please and Tecmo Bowl as well...when that happen that will be sick!
Zachary Hinchliffe @ Nov 28th 2006 9:36PM
@ #14:
That may be true, but ESRB has re-rated far more games that are currently available on Virtual Console. Where's my Ristar?!
TwilightKnight @ Nov 28th 2006 9:25PM
Because Nintendo should and most likely hold onto the AAA VC titles within the lull of any good Wii titles coming out. Why bother releasing Super Metroid now when you have oh so much goodness in Zelda and any other game that came out at launch?
Right now I'm mooching off my roomate who also has a Wii and can't stop downloading VC titles.
Off to play Bomberman!
Tom @ Nov 30th 2006 12:13AM
Anyone else boycotting these VC downloads because the price is unacceptably high? Genesis games should be no more than 5 bucks, NES games no more than 3. I didn't start buying music online until it hit the price (99cents per song) where I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off. I will do the same with VC games.
Omegasquash @ Nov 29th 2006 5:45AM
These two games were up early in the morning, say around 4:30 a.m. EST, as I checked it around that time. I'm going to buy the Sega collection though, so there's no point in buying them twice.
Regarding people whining about them not being up on Mondays: blow. I defy you to find a web service that is always and 100% up to date. Nintendo is sort of new at this.
I do agree though, that they need to hustle it up and put out a wider offering of VC games. I mean, the amount of companies that have signed on creates a library of literally hundreds of games. They could have a higher quantity of them up, to be sure.
Jonas @ Nov 29th 2006 1:09PM
@27:
Isn't that the reason to buy it in the first place? o.O
I would burst in tears if they released Super Mario World, the Donkey Kong series or Zelda: A Link To The Past in N64 graphics, then the magic isn't there! All the nostalgia, all the woken nights, and just everything completely blown away. That would be the real punishment to the fans!
(I'm not a complete Nintendo fan boy, I exchanged my Gamecube with a original PS2 system(the fat one).)
But it's maybe just my own perspective of this "problem, other people maybe got different thoughts..