Wii's most popular VC games

by Alexander Sliwinski { Aug 9th 2007 at 11:01AM }

Siliconera's Spencer Yip put together the handy-dandy spreadsheet you see above featuring the most popular Wii Virtual Console games, available for review now following the recent Wii update. The list shows Japan on the left and the US on the right. Nobody seems to know how the popularity of these games is determined, after Siliconera made their list, it changed for Wii Fanboy, then again when we checked. Hopefully the system will become clearer in time.

Look at all that Mario in the Top 10, with a heavy dose of Link for the US. This will certainly be an interesting chart to watch as more games become available. Maybe it will finally spur Xbox Live Arcade to get one. It would be interesting to know what's popular on XBLA, at least we know it wouldn't be Mario all the way down.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Tags: chart, popular, siliconera, vc, virtual console

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

T3H WICKERMAN @ Aug 9th 2007 11:07AM

No Earth Bound no wii for me.

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 11:42AM

That's one game I can't really get enough of. I'm still waiting to play Mother and Mother3.

vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2007 11:13AM

Yes, there's a lot of Mario there. But it's going to be a given. A majority of Nintendo's games feature Mario; a majority of the games on the VC feature Mario. The best/most popular games of the past currently on the VC feature Mario. I'd be very surprised if the top games list didn't have Mario in a prominent stranglehold of the standings. There's just not a lot of room for anything else to gain ground on those games.

When Mario 3 comes out it'll be right up there in that list. Same thing for Super Mario RPG.

3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 9th 2007 12:01PM

Even though I already own the original Mario bros 3 and the GBA one, I'm still going to buy it for the Wii, just to play it with the Wiimote.
And of course Mario RPG being my favorite game, I'll get it for sure.

mr nimblewick @ Aug 9th 2007 11:13AM

Hurray for Shining Force sneaking in there!

Steelwurm @ Aug 9th 2007 11:16AM

Having just picked up a Wii, where is the best deal on Wii points to stock up my Virtual Console?

vidGuy @ Aug 9th 2007 11:23AM

I haven't seen any 'deals' on Wii points, so the best way to buy them is via a credit card on the Shop channel. That way you don't pay tax and you'll actually get the points for USD$0.01 a piece rather than paying $21.xx for $20 worth of points. It's also nice because you have the option to buy them in $50 chunks instead of only $20.

Martin @ Aug 9th 2007 11:25AM

Buy them from Target. They are the greatest store on the face of the earth.

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 11:26AM

@VidGuy
Funny thing it actually charges me Texas state tax on all my WiiShop point purchases. I guess it depends on the state you have you credit card billed to.

Brandon @ Aug 9th 2007 2:58PM

If you have a credit card, its best to buy the points directly from the Wii Shop. Retailers usually charge over $20 for $20 worth of points.

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 11:18AM

Yeah Shining Force FTW. Growing up I was one of those Genesis haters so I never actually played it until I downloaded it on the VC. Great game I'm really enjoying it thus far. It deserves to be on that list.

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 11:21AM

Another thing on that list. No TG16 love. I really wonder how well those games are selling.

Martin @ Aug 9th 2007 11:23AM

Maybe if they made something other than SHMUPS then they might have a chance. The only one that has a chance in hell on the TG-16 is Devil's Crush.

Grog @ Aug 9th 2007 11:33AM

TG16 isn't selling as well for the simple reason that the system itself didn't sell as well. Everybody and their brother played Super Mario Bros. when they were a kid, and now they want a little nostalgia. The same cannot be said for TG16, which had a much smaller base.

Monthenor @ Aug 9th 2007 11:21AM

So when the hell do we get Shiren the Wanderer over in the US?

Kizzle @ Aug 9th 2007 11:26AM

Hey, guess what Nintendo? MAKE A NEW PUNCH-OUT FOR CHRISTSAKE

Darkness @ Aug 9th 2007 11:26AM

I just want them to add Shining in the Darkness. I owned that game back in the Genesis days, but I don't have my cart anymore. I'm hoping the game shows up in the next couple of weeks. Good to see Shining Force on the list. It's a great game and well worth playing if you haven't played it already.

Funny that games like Actraiser or Bonk aren't on that list somewhere. Maybe people aren't playing TG-16 games....

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 11:30AM

Well Actraiser is one of those games that was fun but I really don't have any desire to play it again. It's funny I personally have yet to download a TG16 game. The reviews just haven't seemed to warrant a purchase. I might get Bonk 2. What you do you guys think?

mr nimblewick @ Aug 9th 2007 11:33AM

I had Shining in the Darkness too, but I was never really into the dungeon crawl type games. Can't wait for Shining Force 2.

Still hoping for a port of Shining Force 3 to the DS.

gullum @ Aug 9th 2007 11:35AM

I don't really get why people are waiting for games to be release on the virtual console. Just download the ROM and an emulator and you are ready to go. You can also easily make and adapter that will plug your NES/SNES/Genesis controller into your PC.

Darkness @ Aug 9th 2007 11:39AM

It's pretty simple...I don't steal. I'll happily wait for it to be released on the VC.

mr nimblewick @ Aug 9th 2007 11:40AM

For legal reasons and playing them on a TV. I like being to jump out of a wii sports and just start playing bonk's revenge with having to eject a disk or move over to the computer.

And you want me to make an adapter? Seriously?

ForceUnleashed @ Aug 9th 2007 11:48AM

You're a stealer/loser and we're supposed to take advice from you?

Perhaps we don't mind obeying the law...its not that hard to do most of the time...

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 11:55AM

Yeah I used to be a pirate but I had to give up the whole night vision thing. The eye patch just started to really get in the way.

But seriously it's just right. I used to have every single SNES game on a couple disks that I would play using a emulator on my Dreamcast, my slogan was "illegal, egal" (look that one up in German).

But I changed and its just so convenient to go from a wii game to N64 to Genesis to internet to Mythbusters etc on my TV in a matter of seconds without the thought that the Po Po might come aknocking a the door.

I'm really starting to feel this whole "channels" idea that Nintendo was going for. The wii is really just another interactive channel with subchannels that I can turn my TV to.

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 9th 2007 1:05PM

Pirates wore eye patches for night vision.

gullum @ Aug 9th 2007 1:53PM

I understand your point, piracy is bad. Although it's not like you are stealing money from the publisher or downloading ISOs of recently released games. These games have been out of print for years and are no longer for sale. Although that is another argument for another day.

And yeah, making the adapter costs like 3 bucks in radio shack parts and is really easy to make if you have ever used a soldering iron.

Though I must admit, I did buy Mortal Kombat and Gauntlet II for the PSN but that is because of the added value (online multiplayer).

Crono @ Aug 9th 2007 11:53AM

We need saturn games on VC. And, even better, the ability to play dreamcast games natively. But thats a pipe dream.

Give me Panzer Dragoon!

Almack64 @ Aug 9th 2007 11:57AM

DC FTW!!!

mr nimblewick @ Aug 9th 2007 12:07PM

Saturn games on VC? I'd have to sell my copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga while it's still worth money.

3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 9th 2007 12:07PM

The DS needs a VC for old Gameboy and GB Color games.

Slvrgun @ Aug 9th 2007 1:30PM

The Dreamcast is more powerful than the Wii.

Crono @ Aug 9th 2007 1:42PM

"The dreamcast is more powerful than the wii"

ROFLCOPTER!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamcast#Technical_specifications

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii#Technical_specifications

Oh wait, you were trying to be sarcastic and witty, and sucked at both.

John @ Aug 9th 2007 12:02PM

major nelson posts the most popular XBL games weekly. it's not ranked by purchase, but i think it's ranked by hours played each week. for both XBLA and 360 games. (and xbox games, halo 2 etc.)

thispaceforsale @ Aug 9th 2007 12:03PM

I like a vc sales chart, anything that gets more attention going. There are still over 100 very solid games out there that deserve another chance for people to play.

Eric @ Aug 10th 2007 8:06AM

You realize that Wii Shop now has a "Most Popular Titles" button in the Virtual Console menu, right?

Shogan @ Aug 9th 2007 12:44PM

I call BS on the Popularity list. Paper Mario has been out for a VERY short time and it's at the top of the list? That's pretty much impossible. They should give us numbers or some logic in determining how these games are determined to be 'most popular'.