Nintendo made downloading retro games a treat with their Virtual Console and now, Switch Online is here with a wide selection of titles in its subscription service. The question is: were retro gamers better off in the Wii era? Let's find out!

Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console, letting you play amazing games on the tv, and on the go, but imagine playing not only Nintendo Switch games on the tv and on the go, but several Nintendo Classics too! And thus Virtual Console was brought to Switch. Virtual Console Games. Experience some of the top titles from the NES™, Super NES™ and Game Boy™ Advance eras through the Virtual Console service. Nintendo has bafflingly refused to release a console sequel since GX, so the least they could do is a Virtual Console release on the Switch. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. However it is Nintendo continues to roll out classic games on the Switch, the company just isn't going to call it Virtual Console. The old storefront that sold retro titles on the Wii, Wii U. For a limited time, get a free $20 Target gift card with your purchase of a select Nintendo Switch Lite system. Learn more Offer valid 3/28/21 - 4/3/21 at Target, while supplies last.

Virtual Console

Nintendo's Virtual Console debuted back in 2006 for Wii and since then, it has also been introduced for 3DS and Wii U. Over the years, hundreds upon hundreds of retro games were made available to purchase from consoles such as NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, and DS as well as TurboGrafx, Master System, Genesis, Game Gear, Neo Geo, and Commodore 64. Heck, even a bunch of Virtual Console arcade games came out for Wii. Of course, each game had to be purchased so buying them quickly added up to be quite a pricy endeavour. However, with so many top-notch games and oodles of hidden gems, how could you not amass a vast library of Virtual Console games? Some of my favourite titles include Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, Ys Book I & II, R-Type III, Bomberman '94, Recca, Earthbound Beginnings, and Ufouria: The Saga. What an amazing line-up of games! Anyway, let's see how Switch Online fares.

Switch Online

Currently, the collection of Switch Online games is limited to NES and SNES titles with dozens of games to play. With that in mind, you acquire access to the entire library with a Switch Online subscription which is surprisingly inexpensive so you definitely get a lot more bang for your buck. Also, you'd assume that the line-up would only consist of must-have titles but there are an impressive amount of hidden gems to choose from such as Kung-Fu Heroes, City Connection, and Journey to Silius. Obviously, I can't wait for Nintendo to expand the collection of available games and offer additional consoles but as of right now, it's hard to imagine that the selection of games will ever come close to what's available for Virtual Console. Perhaps they'll release premium games that you can pay for and I'd totally be all for that as I'd love to get my hands on a bunch of games that I missed out on when Wii's Virtual Console became discontinued.

As a lover of retro games, it was a lot of fun discussing these Nintendo services but I must pick a winner which is...

WinnerVirtual Console

Although I love Switch Online and find it to be an economical way to instantly gain access to a load of great games, there's no denying just how amazing the library of Virtual Console games is. Perhaps we'll see a similar service on Switch one of these days and until then, I'll gladly enjoy playing hundreds of fantastic retro games on both Virtual Console and Switch Online.

That's just my opinion. Agree? Disagree? Vote now!

Nintendo Switch Virtual Console N64

Nintendo Switch will be able to play GameCube games via its Virtual Console service, three separate sources have confirmed to Eurogamer.

GameCube support is already tested and working, we understand, and three Nintendo games have already been prepped for Switch.

Those games are Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Wii, Wii U and 3DS have all offered a Virtual Console service for downloading games released on earlier Nintendo hardware. Switch will be no different.

And while the number of platforms to be offered on Switch's Virtual Console has yet to be nailed down, we've heard that there should be an upgrade programme similar to that available on Wii U, where earlier purchases of Virtual Console NES games can be 'upgraded' for a small fee rather than being bought again at full price.

We've also heard that Nintendo Switch's Virtual Console is being engineered by (Nintendo European Research and Development) NERD, the studio behind the recent NES Mini micro-console which sold out in many stores ahead of Christmas.

Up next on its slate? A version of the GameCube Animal Crossing is currently being tested for potential release.

Animal Crossing is a particularly interesting title as it included more than a dozen NES classics - such as Donkey Kong, Mario and Zelda - to obtain and play within the game.

Impressively, we've heard that support for these games is currently in Animal Crossing's Virtual Console build and working. So, if all goes to plan, you would be able to be play an emulated NES game within an emulated GameCube game on your Switch on the bus.

Nintendo is also looking at Switch support for the Wii U's GameCube controller adaptor peripheral, although we understand that a final decision has not yet been made.

Fans have been asking for GameCube titles to be made available on Virtual Console for years - so, why now?

Switch's increased power from Wii U is certainly a factor. Digital Foundry actually ran tests to see how the GameCube's Dolphin emulator runs on Nvidia Tegra X1 mobile technology - the chipset which powers Switch.

The results were promising and suggested Switch should be able to run each game at least as well as its original state. How much better, of course, will depend on Switch's final hardware.

Another big push behind GameCube Virtual Console, we hear, is the desire within Nintendo to continue making Super Smash Bros. Melee easily playable. 15 years on from its initial release, Melee is still a hugely popular game in the esports scene, and a regular major draw at huge competitions such as Evo.

Nintendo Switch Virtual Console N64

Melee's easy availability via Switch Virtual Console will help matters, rather than relying on aging hardware or third-party emulation.

Nintendo declined to comment when contacted for this article.

Nintendo Switch Virtual Console Games Eshop

Switch is set to launch in March 2017, and be revealed in further detail at an event in early January.

Nintendo Switch Virtual Console Titles

Eurogamer recently reported that the Switch would have a 6.2' 720p multi-touch screen and next year host its own version of Pokémon Sun and Moon, code-named Pokémon Stars.