Retro Gaming - NES 8-Bit Games on the Wii Virtual Console and Beyond

Originally launched in Japan as the Famicom (Family Computer) in 1983, and brought to America as the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995, the 8-bit NES still has a strong fan base. The Wii Virtual Console offers fans new and old a chance to play many of the system's classic titles.

Getting your 8-bit fix from the Virtual Console, however, is not a perfect solution for everyone. First, there is the problem of availability. Over 800 games were released for the NES. Only a small fraction of these have made there way to the Virtual Console. Even some extremely popular games are lacking. Fans of the original Duck Hunt, for example, are still waiting.

Another issue with the Wii Virtual Console is the control system. While the Wii remote works well to play the classics, it lacks the distinctive feel of the original 2-button controller. Even if Nintendo does decide to release Duck Hunt on Virtual Console, the Wiimote is no substitute for the Zapper.

The traditional solution to getting the authentic feel has been to buy a real 8-bit NES console. Retro gaming fans often haunt flea markets or online auction houses like eBay to pick up the system. As time passes however, this is becoming a less and less viable solution as the aging hardware grows increasingly unreliable. Some turn to illegal ROM image downloads playable on the computer. Even disregarding legal issues, the feel is just not the same.

For the true retro purist, there are still options. Even if your NES console has long since stopped powering up, if you hung on to your controllers, you can relive the 8-bit experience on the Wii.

There are two ways to do this. The first is to pay a visit to RetroZone. The company makes adapters that make old-style NES or SNES controllers compatible with the Wii.

For those with no fear of the soldering iron there is another option. Wii Fanboy offers instructions on how to modify a genuine NES controller to work with your Wii.

Both options require a working NES or SNES controller, but eliminate the need to hang on to the original console and cartridges. Another partial solution is to skip the Virtual Console and all the retro hardware completely.

Without the Virtual Console - New Life For Your Old Games

The next solution assumes your NES and its controllers are no longer working, but you have hung on to your cartridge collection. You could get a genuine NES system on eBay, but it will still contain the old springs and other moving parts that have already failed you once.

Fortunately, there is another option. Messiah Entertainment offers a gaming system called the Generation Nex that will play both the NES and Famicom games. The system costs about $60 and can be ordered directly from the company or purchased on major retail sites including Amazon.com. Using fresh hardware can help eliminate many of the connector problems older NES cartridges are famous for. If your old games are still not working, the company offers a cartridge cleaning solution to help remove accumulated gunk.

Once you are up and running, the play experience has been upgraded without sacrificing the console feel. The Generation Nex does away with the old style RF connectors replacing them RCA cables. It also adds 'dual mono' sound to pipe the 8-bit sound track to your stereo TV speakers, greatly improving the audio experience. With this new hardware, your old 8-bit games may look and sound better than ever before.

Despite these great features, it is best to check out the system's compatibility guide before making your purchase. The Generation Nex supports nearly 750 NES and Famicom games, but a few titles are not playable. Most of the non-working games are extremely rare and unlikely to be in the average collectors archive. One notable exception is Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

The Generation Nex is a solid solution to keep your games for a few more years. Hopefully during this time Nintendo will continue to expand the Wii's virtual NES offerings.