When Wii launched back in 2006, Nintendo introduced a feature that would become a selling point for many system adopters: the Virtual Console. The Virtual Console offered classic video games that could be purchased for a few dollars, with a library spanning not only Nintendo’s old systems, but also platforms like Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16. Nintendo continued to offer the Virtual Console feature on systems like Wii U and 3DS, but the Switch era saw a big change in how the company offers older games. Instead of selling them a la carte, Nintendo Switch Online lets users access them as part of their subscription.
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This change has been a controversial one; a lot of fans don’t like that there isn’t a way to actually own these games. However, it seems that was not always the plan. As reported by Yakumono’s Blog (via Nintendo Life), leaked emails from iQue seem to show that a Virtual Console was in development for Switch. The blog suggests that Nintendo Switch Online subscribers would simply get to select one Virtual Console game they could download free to play for a month as a perk.
Yakumono’s Blog also details some of the issues that were debated early on. There were some concerns about fans being frustrated about having to purchase games again, and the library not being large enough at launch. Eventually, Nintendo and its emulation teams shifted to the current model, where subscribers are able to play all games on specific platforms based on their subscription tier. According to Yakumono’s Blog, the leaked documents indicate that the current model was designed with the intention of longterm support, which means that we won’t see the current apps rebooted with each console generation.
While emulation of older games isn’t perfect under the current Nintendo model, there are a lot of perks to having these apps, as opposed to selling games individually. Over the years, there have been reports that a lot of third-party developers weren’t happy with the Virtual Console, and the pricing structure made it more trouble than it was worth. Giving subscribers access to all of these games at the same time has encouraged Switch users to try games they probably wouldn’t have paid $5 or $10 to play. Personally, I wouldn’t have bought Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls or Extreme-G, but I spent time with both games when they were added to the N64 app. It’s a safe bet that a lot of other subscribers are in the same boat.
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Nintendo Switch Online isn’t perfect, but it’s hard to disagree with the value the NES, SNES, Game Boy, N64, GBA, and Sega Genesis apps have given the service. The death of Virtual Console might still be lamented by some fans, but if Nintendo really does plan on supporting these apps in the longterm, the value will only get better as time goes on.
Are you disappointed that Virtual Console hasn’t been made available on Nintendo Switch? Do you think the subscription model was a better decision? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
