Wii Shop Channel To Shut Up, Er, Shop

First the imminent passing of Miiverse, and now the announcement that the Wii Shop Channel is closing. Not for a long while yet, mind, but enough to make you think . I played some lovely WiiWare games: Hydroventure instantly springs to mind, as does Mega Man 9 and Tales Of Monkey Island.

You got to think how many people are still using the Wii and still buying stuff from the Virtual Console and WiiWare on it, it has to be hardly anyone but does make you think when will the Wii U get turned off.

Take it away Drake.

RIP that glorious music.

The Wii Shop Channel was my first exposure to the wonders of digital gaming. I could download Nintendo classics to my Wii with little to no hassle. It allowed me to go through Nintendo's back catalogue and play those NES, SNES and N64 games I missed out on before I owned my Cube.

On a more concerning note, I read that you won't be able to redownload your purchased games when the Wii Shop Channel fades away. That's exactly what I'm worried about when it comes to digital gaming - it can all disappear and you can't play what you purchased.

It is but I think companies would say don't own any way as it's a licence where actually buying.

I mean, I know that, but this is the first instance I can think about where a digital library to the extent of the Wii Shop Channel will be lost. That's a lot of games and a lot of money spent going to waste.

Developers that say that should be subject to false advertising regulations, frankly. They all sell their games as games, not licences. Not unless you peak deep into the small print.

That said, I can't remember much on WiiWare that I'll actually remember with a great deal of fondness. It was when I started playing on the eShop of the ensuing generation that I really got into digital gaming (and I'll still prefer retail, for the reason above and others). Frankly the thing of most value that'll be lost is the music.

It sucks Balla but it's even more true now with service like games which could also be cut off at any point.

I can't hear "Hotline Bling" without the Wii shop any more.

I'll be honest, I thought it'd gone anyway; I tried to access the Wii eShop from my WiiU and the console soft-locked. Maybe that was just a compatibility thing. Either way, I'm glad I transferred all my stuff to the WiiU; maybe one day I'll play Chrono Trigger...

I downloaded the WiiWare Castlevania ReBirth game not so long ago from it, so I'd assumed it was OK.

Also, I'd never seen the Hotline Bling mashup before. Where have I been all my life?!

JayMoyles wrote:

RIP that glorious music.

The Wii Shop Channel was my first exposure to the wonders of digital gaming. I could download Nintendo classics to my Wii with little to no hassle. It allowed me to go through Nintendo's back catalogue and play those NES, SNES and N64 games I missed out on before I owned my Cube.

Aye, same for me. My cock and bollocks almost exploded when I saw that I could get Paper Mario for just over a fiver.

I've got massive nostalgia for the Wii Shopping Channel, I absolutely loved it. Because I'm pretty much IT-illiterate, I couldn't figure out how to get my Wii online to my broadband connection, so I used to humpf the console over to my pals house and download all the games there. Basically, if anything good came out, I was hauling ass to Willie John's bit so I could buy it. I did that loads of times. I eventually sorted my own connection out in late 2009, and used to stay up until midnight on a Friday morning to wait and see what was out that week. I remember when Shadow Dancer was brought out - truly, it was one of those 'I was there' moments in time. There was loads of other highlights too, of course.

WiiWare was fine too! Don't get me wrong, there was some spectacularly shite stuff on there, but Maboshi's Arcade, Excitebike: World Rally, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth and Art Style: light trax is all right by me. Plus, Tomena Sanner, which is a masterpeice.

It's a bit of a shame that all those WiiWare games are vanishing into the ether though. Also, there's a load of Virtual Console games that (original format aside) you can't get anywhere else. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, MUSHA, DoReMi Fantasy and Zombies Ate My Neighbours are just four that I've got - and they're all quality.

I remember being so excited when Nintendo started bringing out games that had never been released in the West before - stuff like Sin and Punishment, which was a blast to play through. Other eShops won't be able to capture that same excitement for me because I take it all for granted now, I suppose.

Got to admit that when I started this thread I was thinking of WiiWare, but yeah, those early days of the VC! Magic coming down your phone line every week, itching to read the Nintendo download info on Mondays on NintendoLife, catching up on Mega Drive games in particular... great, great days. As Jay and Cappa both hint, days that will probably never be repeated.

I wonder if we could see some of the WiiWare games comeback on Switch as we've seen World of Goo but I'm thinking more of a WiiWare VC as something new along with GameCube.

Back before it came out, I was more excited about the Virtual Console on Wii than the actual Wii itself. We were spoiled rotten during that first couple of years - there'd be a few new belters every week. Look at what they launched with: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2006/11/european_virtual_console_update

Imagine playing those for the first time. Amazing! Virtual Console was also the first place I played the aforementioned Sin & Punishment, Pulseman, Wild Guns, Mayhem In Monsterland, MUSHA, Bonk's Revenge, Street Gangs and so many others. It's well cemented itself in my own person gaming history.

Pulseman is an absolute gem.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Back before it came out, I was more excited about the Virtual Console on Wii than the actual Wii itself. We were spoiled rotten during that first couple of years - there'd be a few new belters every week. Look at what they launched with: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2006/11/european_virtual_console_update

Oh, shit. I forgot I bought NES Tennis at launch. What a mug I was.

Didn't they have an online bomberman game on wiiware too or was that 3ds?

I forgot it had S&P! There was a game indeed. The VC was brilliant; the Wii Shop in general I could take or leave.

The_Jaster wrote:

Didn't they have an online bomberman game on wiiware too or was that 3ds?

Aye, Bomberman Blast sure. That's another great WiiWare game, although it sort of had it's baws cut off after the Wii went offline.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Back before it came out, I was more excited about the Virtual Console on Wii than the actual Wii itself. We were spoiled rotten during that first couple of years - there'd be a few new belters every week. Look at what they launched with: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2006/11/european_virtual_console_update

Imagine playing those for the first time. Amazing! Virtual Console was also the first place I played the aforementioned Sin & Punishment, Pulseman, Wild Guns, Mayhem In Monsterland, MUSHA, Bonk's Revenge, Street Gangs and so many others. It's well cemented itself in my own person gaming history.

Agreed - not having lug the NES out to play Super Mario Bros. and having a special Super Mario Bros icon on my console felt special. I'd say I probably imagined there being more undiscovered gems than there actually were, but it was nice; and playing proper SMB2, and another Twinbee, was a bit special. Plus, I got to grab hold of SNES games I missed the first time out.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Art Style: light trax is all right by me

IS THE CORRECT ANSWER

I was just looking back through the Wii votes thread. Fifth-best racing game on the Wii, that. True facts.

BONSAI BARBER! HOW THE FUCK COULD I FORGET ABOUT BONSAI BARBER?

I bloody love Bonsai Barber. A superb idea for a game that's full of clever British humour, and it plays like a dream with the pointer controls. It's absolutely briliant! WiiWare's best game, ladies (no ladies) and gents.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

The_Jaster wrote:

Didn't they have an online bomberman game on wiiware too or was that 3ds?

Aye, Bomberman Blast sure. That's another great WiiWare game, although it sort of had it's baws cut off after the Wii went offline.

Ahh that's the one, I remember even playing that occasionally with fronkhead, dusty & I think Andy as well. Top stuff.