While news that DS games were coming to the Wii U are not new, it has recently been reconfirmed that they will indeed reach Nintendo's latest console. In honor of this recent announcement, I have compiled a list of the DS games that I would like to see the most on the Wii U Virtual Console. And yes, I’m lumping series into 1 slot.
02/04/14, 07:39 Edited: 02/04/14, 07:38
The Legend of Zelda DS Saga
I always wished that Nintendo had released Top Down Zelda games with traditional controls for the DS. We eventually got this on the 3DS with The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. For the DS, however, we got The Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, both of which were controlled almost exclusively with the stylus. I was never a big fan of these controls but I recognized that the games were good. So, I’d be willing to give them another try if they are re-released on the Wii U VC. I’d be more interested in the first one, Phantom Hourglass.
Metroid Prime Hunters
I’ve never actually played this game, other than the demo that came with the original brick DS. I thought it was pretty good, even if the controls seemed a little cramped. I assume it would feel less cramped with the Wii U screenpad, so I’d be willing to give it a chance.
Elite Beat Agents
A group of motivational government agents are sent on cases to encourage people to solve their problems. And how are they encouraged? Through dance of course! How else do people solve problems? The better you do on the game, the better the problem is resolved. I've always wanted to play this game and now, maybe I’ll get an excuse to do it.
Ghost Trick
Now this is a very interesting one. In Ghost Trick, you play as a ghost trying to uncover your identity and the identity of your murderer. Sissel, the ghost, can possess objects and use them to change the environment, influence people, etc. It’s a very fun game and it would be great if more people got to play it.
999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
In this game, 9 persons are trapped inside a ship and they have 9 hours to find a door numbered 9 in ordered to escape the main antagonist, Zero. The game involves puzzle solving and interacting with the other prisoners. By interacting with the characters and choosing different paths, the player will unlock six endings (why not 9?).
Super Mario 64 DS
I hated Super Mario 64 DS on the original DS because of one thing, digital controls. They really made the game play differently for me, and using the thumbstrap (for those who remember) wasn't much better. When the 3DS came out, I tried playing SM64Ds on it and, lo and behold, it magically played much better just because of the C-Pad. So, since the Wii U also has a C-Pad, I expect this game will control just as well on it. Plus, this game has added bonuses such as extra characters and stages that the 64 version doesn’t have.
Hotel Dusk Saga (Room 215 and The Last Window: The Secret of Cape West)
Hotel Dusk is one of my favorite DS games. In it, you play as Kyle, a delivery man who arrives at a hotel and becomes involved with the mysteries surrounding the hotel guests, all the while trying to solve the mystery of his missing partner, Bradley, from when he was a detective. The game is a point and click adventure with a great story. It also has great visuals which remind me of the music video for "Take on Me" by A-ha. I’m most interested in seeing the sequel, The Last Window: Secret of Cape West, which is set a year after the events of the first game. The sequel was never released in the US so it would give us a chance to play the game without having to spend $80 on an European copy.
Phoenix Wright Saga
I’m sure this game is on pretty much everyone’s DS to Wii U wishlist. You play as attorney Phoenix Wright and solve cases with a mix of investigation and court room gameplay. I’ve only played the first one and it’s really cool. It can be morbid at times, but also really funny. A perfect mix in my book. I’m most interested in seeing the first one, since I like to do these in chronological order.
Professor Layton Saga
Another no-brainer on pretty much anyone's list. I absolutely love Professor Layton, even though I’ve only played the first one. It’s a mix of point and click exploration with puzzles. Some of the puzzles can be really hard or downright unfair. At least you get 3 hints for each one. But my favorite thing about the game has to be it’s presentation. Both the graphics and the music have this European flair that gives the game a unique vibe. I love it! I’d like to have the Layton games in chronological order, too.
Castlevania DS Trilogy
This should come as no surprise to those who know me. The Castlevania DS Trilogy are some of my favorite games on the system (except for the last one). Dawn Of Sorrow continues the story started in Aria of Sorrow. It is set in the future where Dracula has been killed for good, and yet trouble is still brewing. Portrait of Ruin is set during World War II and our heroes must enter portraits inside the castle which contain worlds inside them. Order of Ecclesia, my least favorite but still good, stars Shanoa, an amnesiac girl who can use magic because of the Glyph etched into her body. Out of all these, the one I’d like to see the most is Dawn of Sorrow.
While I'm not as optimistic as I once was regarding Virtual Console releases, given the slow trickle of games for the Wii U and 3DS, I still hope Nintendo can realize that we will keep rebuying these games as long as they keep re-releasing them. And it would also be a great way to introduce Western audiences to games that have never been localized.
A break from that style of Castlevania game was probably a good thing though. I would still very much like to see a 3D Castlevania game that is able to combine that kind of action-adventure, RPG, exploration based design with a solid, fun combat system.
@Shadowlink I'm fond of the GBA original but I've never touched AW on DS.
@r_hjort How could I not put any Cing games in here. I thought about putting GTA in but I actually prefer the game on the PSP.
@Tranquilo I've never played Lunar Knights. I always wanted to play Boktai but I never wanted to do any of that sun sensor stuff. From what I've read, you can play both ways in this game, with or without the sensor.
@ludist210 I count, at least 18. And I'm just counting the Phoenix Wright Trilogy, not even the spin-offs. Whenever I reference a series, I choose the one I want most from it, which is the one whose artwork is displayed.
@GameDadGrant I would have chosen Pokemon as my #1 but, I honestly don't see Nintendo doing any kind of work on connectivity for any of these games, which is pretty essential for them. So, I chose to not have them on the list on that technicality.
@Hinph I've also wondered for a long time what Iga has been doing.
10. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box 9. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia 8. Professor Layton and the Curious Village 7. Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 6. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes 5. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future 4. Kirby: Canvas Curse 3. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky 2. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow 1. Advanced Wars: Dual Strike
So does anyone think these will be in hd? At least, the polygonal parts? The games are lower res than the 64 was, and even the 64 was upres'd for SD TV's on the Wii. That'd be pretty cool but I just don't see it happening.
It could also potentially look weird since the DS characters are make up if like 3 polygons.
I'm getting the feeling that the games won't be displayed on the TV at all. They'll just be on the Gamepad. So...maybe they'll be "upres'd" a bit to 480p on the controller, but they aren't gonna be scaled up to 1080p for a modern TV set. At least, I don't think so.
