Neo-Geo & MSX to join Wii VC (in Japan)
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Feb 23rd 2007 at 12:58PM }
Neo-Geo and MSX are dusting off their parts and going for some of that virtual pape', joining the swarm of out-of-retirement consoles on Wii; the two will debut this spring in Japan (and likely worldwide shortly thereafter). Nintendo has already confirmed Eggy (Eggerland?) and Aleste (both 800 Wii Points) for MSX, but has yet to list any Neo-Geo titles. Additionally, more third parties want in on the Virtual Console enterprise, including G-Mode, Pony Canyon, Spike and (obviously) SNK.Both new VC formats have the to potential to bring notable franchises to the download service, including Neo-Geo's Fatal Fury, Metal Slug, King Of Fighters, and Samurai Showdown; and MSX's Bomberman, Castlevania, Contra, Dragon Quest, Elite, Final Fantasy, Gradius, Metal Gear, Puyo Puyo, and Wizardry.
[Via CVG]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Vidikron @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:02PM
NeoGeo! That's a pretty sweet pick-up for the Wii VC. That will be very popular in Japan.
I've got the NG games on my modded XBox and many are blast to play.
BPM @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:02PM
MSX was confirmed for VC support long ago. The Japanese placeholder page for VC always had the MSX logo next to the other system logos we have supported over here.
As for Neo-Geo... Massive woot!
JodyAnthony @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:07PM
Pony Canyon, eh? One step closer to getting the NES version of Ultima: Exodus on Wii
Crono @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:06PM
What would really be nice is dreamcast support, both downloadable and with discs. That would rule.
Vidikron @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:06PM
I guess the next question is will they NG games be the AES or MVS versions? My guess would be the AES home console version. But most of the ROMS of these games have both version built in, so they likely could support switching between both versions if they wanted.... I have little faith in Nintendo to support a feature like that, but it would be cool.
Chris @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:41PM
Everyone wants downloadble Dreamcast Games. But isn't that a little unreasonable, esp for the Wii?
What is the average size of a Dreamcast game?
Brian @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:40PM
Games from a notoriously expensive console showing up on the least expensive console? Irony?
I'm psyched, but I wonder how well the classic controller would handle the fighting games. Anyone with Street Fighter have a comment?
jamchild @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:31PM
We really need to start revolting over the over-pricedness of these VC games.
haavardf @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:34PM
I remember playing River Raid on my MSX. Good times. I hope that game ends up there, as well as H.E.R.O.
Flit @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:37PM
For how hard it is to find these (hard copies or otherwise) this is much bigger news than any nintendo title, even for you people who play illegally. Some of those Neo-geo games are great!
JJC @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:44PM
hooray! oh wait, who cares?
on the other hand if they supported the dreamcast that would be soooo awesome and my views on the wii would change completely. i would sink a lot of money on wii points if that ever happened.
Zertoss @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:46PM
IIRC, Dreamcast's GD-ROMs had a capacity of around 1 GB. That would make a downloadable Dreamcast game too big for the Wii.
It sure would be nice to play some of those awesome DC games again, though.
DarkTetsuya @ Feb 23rd 2007 1:47PM
That's great and all, but did they forget that 'Metal Slug Anthology' already came out on the wii? (even though it had all those stupid tacked-on wiimote control schemes.)
dantebk @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:00PM
#9 Brian
The Neo Geo fighting games only use four buttons, not six like Capcom fighters, so the classic controller should work fine.
kevinski @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:01PM
I believe that Dreamcast downloads could probably be up to 5GB in size, depending on the game. (D2, a 4-disc game, used a ton of space for pre-rendered movies.) As for reading the actual GD-ROM's, I'm not so sure that it'd be possible, since regular drives aren't capable of detecting all sectors of the discs.
PhilLaj @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:07PM
Ultima exodus? lol
I never understood why I went trough the pain of completing that game...it was kinda good, but sucked bad too. Hard to say...in the years it was decent for sure!
Draco @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:09PM
Dreamcast games I could see coming to Microsoft or Sony, I think the new limit for MSFT is 500MB probably a CD's worth, but Sony could easily allow for Dreamcast sized games, I remember you could rip DC games to fit on a CD and they would play in your system fine.
Crono @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:09PM
Kevinski, GD-Rom readability is only a firmware update away.
NintendoFanbot @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:10PM
OH SHI--
SAMURAI SHOWDOWN! Finally coming to my home after all these years?
Maybe not Dreamcast, but can Saturn join the mix? I wants me some Fighters Megamix as well. :p
Brian @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:20PM
thanks dantebk! Now my psyched-ness is complete.
Darkness @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:15PM
Brian, I have Street Fighter 2 on the VC and it's the same as playing with a SNES pad. I haven't had any issues so far. I wonder if there will be some arcade sticks released for the Wii if teh NeoGeo games hit. Playing Mark of the Wolves on with the classic pad would be okay, but an arcade stick would be better...or an ASCII 6-button pad would work, too. :D
Slaziman @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:19PM
What did we learn from this? Whenever a 600$ console comes to the market, we are better off waiting 17 years, all it's games will be cheap and downloadable by then! *Buys PS3 games for 8$ each in 17 years on the OMGii"
/just kidding, don't get pissed PS3 fanboys
Miharu @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:20PM
800 points for MSX games? Excuse me?
grable @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:22PM
Neo-Geo for the VC might actually make me buy some wii points.
Super Puzzle Fighter and all the other puzzlers here i come!!
skr1lls @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:23PM
@4
MVS and AES Versions are the same..they are just different shaped cartridges and connectors so you couldn't buy the cheaper arcade ROM and plug it into home AES system. Trust me I'm a serious NG collector.
RYAN @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:24PM
I FUCKING LOVE YOU NINTENDO.
THAT IS ALL.
Shadow @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:46PM
Hello Metal Gear! I own the first one(And Snake's Revenge) on the NES, but I would love to get my hands on the original MSX version, plus the true sequel to Metal Gear. Being a diehard Nintendo fan since I was a little kid I never thought I would say this, but my love for Nintendo is actually growing more and more every day.
I don't think we'll see Dreamcast support with this generation, maybe Nintendo's next generation system? However, I would love to see some Sega Saturn support. I don't know how feasible that would be because of the system's dual processors and other complexities, but if they could make it run smoothly then I'm all for it.
Breserk @ Feb 23rd 2007 2:47PM
Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
That will be all.
generaldane @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:07PM
this is pretty sweet since i didnt know what neo geo was when i was younger
RYAN @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:07PM
yeah, Sega Saturn support WOULD be sweet.
but then again....i could always just bust out my Sega Saturn and 30 game library :) :) :)
Vidikron @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:13PM
@25
They are the same game, but not the same interface. One gives you the arcade interface and the other will give you the home console interface... but, yeah, they are the same games... just presented differently. I almost always play them in MVS mode, but I've switched to AES from time to time just to see what sort of menus that would give you. Some games are the exact same, but some have a different UI in each mode.
@24
I think you are confused. Super Puzzle Fighter II is a CPS2 game. CPS1 and CPS2 games are the Capcom arcade games. You see them with the NeoGeo games all the time because emulators like FBA and Kawaks specalize in NeoGeo, CPS, and other Motorola CPU based arcade games. But just because the Wii is getting the NeoGeo games doesn't also mean that it is getting the CPS games.
Shadow @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:31PM
Ryan, you are my new best friend, and I'll be over in an hour, bust out the Saturn :p.
Seriously, I never got the chance to play the Saturn, and it's one console I've always wanted to get my hands on. I know a store that actively sells them, but it's about a 3 hour drive from where I live. My first non-Nintendo console was the Dreamcast, and my friend had a Genesis I would always play, but neither one of us ever got the Saturn.
Crono @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:50PM
I want saturn support for just one game, Panzer Dragoon.
Coolest game I ever played that gen.
RYAN @ Feb 23rd 2007 3:54PM
@SHADOW
lol come on dude! Virtua Fighter and Panzer Dragoon all round!!
I pride myself on my Saturn collection. I have some real gems and rare imports!
kevinski @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:02PM
@Crono
No, Wii won't be able to read GD-ROM's with a simple firmware update. I guarantee you that Wii won't be able to read anymore than regular PC CD-/DVD-ROM drives are able to read of GD-ROM's, which is virtually nothing of use. (Usually, you could access some wallpapers and whatnot on your PC, but not much else.) GD-ROM's require special drives.
Mr Khan @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:08PM
I hope this comes to America (it should, its got the kind of niche appeal that appeals across regions)
I will buy Metal Slug, possibly MSX Bomberman
kevinski @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:09PM
I just realized that I might actually get to play SNK Vs. Capcom Chaos without having to buy a console in addition to Wii. That's awesome news, as I played the game on MAME before and loved it.
rhork. @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:28PM
Am I the only one who thinks this might be the most ironic thing ever?
The wii vc is recruiting a library of games from a system invented by Microsoft (in a matter of speaking) and manufactured (to some extent) by Sony.
I can't get over that. Haha.
Darkness @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:31PM
If we're talking about the Saturn, then I want to see Dragon Force and Lunar showing up. I could live without that crappy Working Designs dialog, but I would love to play it again after all of this time.
I would also like to see Sega CD games make it to the Virtual Console, because playing Shining Force CD and Batman Returns CD would rock. Heh, lots of potential there.
LongshotX @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:36PM
I love the Xbox 360 (have one and the stellar title Crackdown) but XBLA is terrible. They need to get some classic games from the older systems like Nintendo is doing. It's almost like everyday I hear something good about the VC, which by the way isn't going to convince me to pick up a Wii, but the titles being released for the Wii are helping the VC pick up a lot of steam. Nintendo got it right. Microsoft should take a good look at this.
Almack64 @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:45PM
Dreamcast FTW!!!
/moment of hysteria
Anyway I think its great to see more companies support the VC. Being a big Nintendo supporter for such a long time its still really weird playing these other games on a Nintendo system. (Then again it was pretty weird emulating Nintendo games on the Dreamcast.)
Crono @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:52PM
"A normal CD-reader will not read beyond the first track because, according to the CD table of contents (TOC), there is no data there. With modified firmware that looks for a second TOC in the high-density region it is possible to read data from the high-density region even on a normal CD-reader."
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GD-ROM
Striderhayasa @ Feb 23rd 2007 5:29PM
Saturn...hmmm that would rock. But keep Virtua Fighter. After getting VF5 on Ps3 i doubt I could go back to the original or VF2. Plus I have a Saturn and Virtua Fighter 2 along with some other great Capcom and Sega titles along with three DC consoles and about 70 games.
What I really want from the Neo Geo library are Cabal, Nam 75, Magician Lord, Fatal Fury 3, King of Fighters, 98,99, Samurai Showdown 2
Last Blade, Mark of the Wolves and King of Fighters 2000 I already have for Dreamcast.
While we're talking about it...sega....where's Mystic Defender, Gaires and Shinobi 3...can you throw in a Zillion and Kenseiden remake while you're at it. Thanks
Rubang B @ Feb 23rd 2007 6:01PM
Although this is awesome news, especially on top of Ocarina of Time and 2 other games coming to the VC this Monday, and the 4 games Sega just announced, do not buy Metal Slug on the VC. Just get the Anthology disc. It's only $40 and has all 7 arcade games, including 6, which hasn't come to U.S. arcades yet. 40/7 is $5.71 per game.
I can't emphasize enough how hard I recommend getting Metal Slug Anthology, Sonic Mega Collection, Sonic Gems Collection, Mega Man Anniversary Collection, and Mega Man X Collection. You'll be up to your ass in games that you can't even beat. That's what's helping me hibernate until the Wii goes online with Strikers.
syco @ Feb 23rd 2007 6:37PM
Were there any really good non-fighting games for the NeoGeo? I'm thinking adventure, platformer, or arcade shooter (ex. ikaruga or gradius) The list on Wikipedia seems to be 90% fighting games... :(
Stakker @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:02PM
Konami made some excellent MSX exclusive games by the top Konami dev teams with lots of extra ROM space in the carts and an extra SCC soundchip included in the carts. They are really top-quality products as MSX was massive in Japan at the time.
I've got two great MSX exclusive games right here for you: 1) Penguin Adventure and 2) Maze of Galious. (These do not have the soundchip though.) Also, the MSX Gradius/Nemesis 2-3 versions have different content from all other games in the series and they are absolutely worth picking up. Salamander too. (For me, the MSX Nemesis (what Gradius was called in Europe) versions are the real ones and the others are just bad copies ;-)
idioteraser @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:15PM
"40. I love the Xbox 360 (have one and the stellar title Crackdown) but XBLA is terrible. They need to get some classic games from the older systems like Nintendo is doing. It's almost like everyday I hear something good about the VC, which by the way isn't going to convince me to pick up a Wii, but the titles being released for the Wii are helping the VC pick up a lot of steam. Nintendo got it right. Microsoft should take a good look at this."
The reason the XBLA isn't getting the old games like Wii is because the XBLA people listen to the so called gamers who want online added to games. Guess what that decreases the odds of a game appearing on XBLA by 99%.
Also another reason is that upgrading a game reduces the amount of profit the license owner would get.
Peter S. @ Feb 23rd 2007 6:59PM
I think the reason MSX games are 800 points is that the MSX was technically marketed as a computer... and the games were EXPENSIVE as a result. Neo Geo games were... about $200 here in N.A. Getting them now for about 8 bucks is a whopping deal so to speak.
No sorry, not going to bitch about VC prices. We never got the MSX, so it's irrelevant to us. If Nintendo does release MSX games over here, then they'll probably be 600 points (seeing as how the system was technically inferior to the SNES and even PC-Engine). Neo Geo will mostly likely remain at 800 or even go up to 1000, but when you think about what you once had to pay for Neo Geo games in the past... Yeah.
nikiwu @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:05PM
Waku Waku 7 was such a fun fighting game on the Neo Geo system.
I doubt we'd see any MSX or Neo Geo loving over here in Australia... seeing that we're not getting any Turbo-Grafx loving at the moment.
NintendoFanbot @ Feb 23rd 2007 7:40PM
@ SYCO
Neo-Geo had lots of sports games, beat-em-ups, shooters, fighters, but yeah. Not the variety of a traditional console, becuase all Neo-Geo was basically for was to play their actual arcade boards (in cartridges, of course) at home (rather than 'down-porting' for SNES/Genesis).