We Need Gba Games On 3ds Virtual Console

[ElectroYoshi]

I wasn't quick enough about getting my 3DS to qualify for the Ambassador Program thingymabobber, so I do not have any GBA games downloaded on it. They are also not available in the eShop.

Personally, I think it's beyond stupid that Nintendo made a bunch of GBA games free to Ambassadors whereas the rest of us have no means of getting them on our 3DS's. But what you guys think?

[Miniike]

That would be nice, but i think it would be a better idea if Nintendo potatoed.

[Wowfunhappy]

I got my 3DS on launch day, so I DO have the super special GBA games.

I'm not sure why they aren't on the eShop, but it might be because of the kind of hack-ish and unpolished way that they're implemented. The games take ~30 seconds for the games to start up, and ~60 seconds to exit back to the 3DS menu. Even worse, sleep mode doesn't work, and the games have this really odd, really ugly motion blur.

It's likely that none of these problems are fixable, as the GBA games are NOT being emulated. They're being run in the same way the 3DS runs DS games or the PS2 runs PS1 games.

So, that might be the reason they aren't on the eShop... although if that's the case, it's a little bit silly. Despite these oddities, the games are fantastic (and well worth the extra $80 I paid by buying my 3DS before the price cut). Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion, Warioware, and Yoshi's Island are all amazing games and I'm enjoying them a lot. They're also a great way to save battery. I spent four hours playing Minish Cap the other day and when I exited, the 3DS still showed a full four bars of battery.

So, I definitely think they should be added to the eShop, although I think I understand why they haven't done so.

[ElectroYoshi]

That does strike me as a likely possibility, but even so, I really can't find a grounds on which it makes sense to not put them there. Seeing as Nintendo are planning on making Gamecube games available on the Wii U eShop, I don't find it all that reasonable to keep GBA games off the 3DS eShop.

I've recently heard that GBA games may become available on the Wii U eShop, and while I do think that's better than nothing, that seems to me like that would be going to a lot of trouble that's not really needed. It would be a much more difficult project, since the Game Boy Advance is a 6th generation handheld and the Wii U is an 8th generation home console. For that reason, you'd have to beef it up.

Also, I personally don't think that handheld games could really play all that practically on the Wii U. Lemme provide you all with a visual aid to better understand my point.

Here's a picture of a Game Boy Advance

Spoiler

Here are pictures of all the controllers the Wii U is compatible with

Spoiler

Be honest with me here. Do any of these controllers seem like they'd play a handheld game well? They might, but I really doubt it, since a lot of buttons would go unused on the Classic Controller, Wii U GP and PC control schemes, and the Wii Remote and Nunchuk were not exactly made with home console ports of handheld games in mind.

Also, if a game is made for a home console or a handheld console, it needs to stay there. I mean, look at the 3DS version of Donkey Kong Country Returns. The smaller screen makes it more frustrating than fun because the slightest thing can screw you over, which is why I don't plan on buying it.

The bottom line is this: You can make a game for a handheld console or a home console. It's your decision. But if you originally released to a handheld, there's probably a reason.

[Wowfunhappy]

The Wii U Gamepad will work fine for handheld games. It has a button layout that suits pretty much anything, with super easy access to both the joystick and dpad. Yes, a lot of buttons will go unused, but the same can be said about playing gba games on the 3DS. To be honest, the Gamepad is probably better suited to GBA games then the 3DS is, as the dpad on the 3DS isn't in a very comfortable position (and controlling dpad-optimized with the circle pad usually feels strange).

If having unused buttons bothers you, the WiiMote would probably would even better. Held sideways, it's sports a dpad, 1 & 2 buttons, + and - buttons and an A and B trigger which could be easily mapped to the GBA's A, B, start, select, L, and R buttons respectively. Heck, I've personally played several gba games with the Wii Remote via homebrew emulators, and it fits perfectly.

The fact that low-resolution gba games are going to be blown up to several times their size on the Wii U, however, is another story...

The big difference though, is that the Wii U has the technical capability to emulate, rather than virtualize the game boy advance, whereas the 3DS does not.

(But as I said, I DO agree that they should put the gba games were on the 3DS eShop)

[winningkill]

Potato! Joking, I think it should.

[Lysander789]

As much as I like to eat Nintendo french fries (I picked potato in the poll), I would definitely concur on emulating GBA games on my 3DS all the way.

[ElectroYoshi]

-_- That potato option was a bad move on my part...

Also, 3DS Virtual Console already has an extremely limited selection. Most of the games that are available for it are for the NES, like Super Mario Bros. and the first three Megaman games. The only exceptions I can name off the top of my head right now are the Zelda Oracle Games, and there are only two of those. These are also the only handheld VC games I can name off the top of my head, and this doesn't make sense to me. Seeing as the NES is a home console and the 3DS is a handheld, I don't find that to be a very efficient setup, especially when I consider the fact that a lot of the same NES games are available on Wii (U) VC.

[winningkill]

Just to point out, I picked potato.

[ElectroYoshi]

Remind me never to put a potato option on a poll again...

[tta]

Meh, I could care less. The only GBA games I'd like to see on 3DS virtual console other than the ones they already have would be Sonic Advance 1-3, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, Super Monkey Ball Jr., and the European GBA port of Alien Hominid.

[Blank0]

I really do want GBA games on the eShop. However, it doesn't seem to be very likely.