Why can't I demo my VC downloads? (Wii annoyance #011)

by Ross Miller on Dec 4th 2006 9:15PM

Sure, the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel is full of classic titles that many remember from childhood, but does that mean we should buy games on nostalgia? Maybe we've been spoiled by Xbox Live's demo system, but Microsoft's service has been around long enough for Nintendo to learn from its competitors.

Given Nintendo's tiny disk space, we don't expect demos of traditionally-released Wii titles. But these are retro titles being charged at a premium. Not everyone has played the classics, and beyond that there are original titles that have been promised. If not a full-fledged demo, why not a 5-minute time constraint, and our purchase can turn off the clock -- that shouldn't be too much of a logistical issue.

We love the little console, we really do; that's why we don't want to see WiiConnect24 (or PlayStation's no-use-for-a-name online network) function below its predecessors.

PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyances
Wii delights vs. Wii annoyances
Xbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances

Tags: virtual console, VirtualConsole, wii annoy, WiiAnnoy

Reader Comments (54)

Hak Foo.. wait till you get to later in the game. Some of those games are difficult. For one of the dance ones my girlfriend and I had to control the wii-mote and nunchuck separately to beat it.

The idea of offering a demo of such old games, regardless of if their hasn't been alot of people to play the game, isn't worth the extra steps to Nintendo and I can understand why they would not offer such a thing.

However, if they offered a small free downloadable movie clip of the gameplay that would help alot. storage would not be an issue as each new demo clip would just overwrite the previous one (or just view these clips online at nintendos web site).

To those people saying to emulate the VC games as a demo...You're missing the point of an "annoyance" completely.
The Joystiq poster was used to the demo feature from XBLA. Not having it on the Wii was incovenient, thus the existance of this annoyance. So what do you guys suggest? Go find, download, then emulate the games just to see if it's worth a purchase? Like that's very convenient.

If you find this annoyance invalid, then how about the following:

Wii annoyance #12: must skirt IP laws by inconveniently having to find game and then emulate it on computer before being able to see if game should be purchased on the Wii.

lol. a 5 minute time constraint? you have seen those videos where people beat Castlevania, Mega Man, Super Mario Bros, and Contra in less than 15 minutes right?

hell, a 5 minute demo would have you through a quarter of the game when you get good enough. lol.

all kidding aside, it would be nice to be able to preview the game before you buy it, especially when looking at the price of particularly NES games.

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