Nintendo Switch Had Plans For Virtual Console According to Leak

by

Summary

  • Leaked documents revealed Nintendo Switch was to include Virtual Console, which was eventually replaced by Nintendo Switch Online.
  • Nintendo aimed to streamline its game release process and long-term maintenance by opting for Switch Online over Virtual Console.
  • Developers wanted to avoid forcing consumers to repurchase games on new systems, a common issue with Virtual Console.

Documents leaked from iQue, a developer previously associated with Nintendo, hint at an early design for the Nintendo Switch that incorporated a classic Virtual Console emulator. This feature has been a common topic among Nintendo enthusiasts discussing the console’s content, but Nintendo has yet to reconsider this idea since discontinuing the service and halting any related support. iQue was instrumental in developing the Virtual Console emulators for Nintendo, and they were fully acquired by Nintendo in 2013. Rumors from 2023 indicate that iQue also developed the Nintendo 64 emulator found within the Nintendo Switch Online platform.

The Virtual Console, a cherished feature from past Nintendo generations, is deeply missed. This service was available on the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS consoles, offering users an extensive collection of classic Nintendo games through emulation. Unfortunately, in 2019 for the Wii, and 2023 for both the Wii U and 3DS, the Virtual Console service was shut down. Since then, retro games on the Switch have stopped using the Virtual Console name.

Online gaming enthusiast LuigiBlood, recognized for his passion in video game preservation and emulation, recently disclosed insights from leaked iQue emails suggesting Nintendo had plans for a Virtual Console on the Nintendo Switch. After examining company documents, LuigiBlood discovered that a Virtual Console, codenamed “Clipper,” was under development as early as 2015, potentially in collaboration with iQue and M2, a well-known developer known for emulation projects. However, instead of Clipper, gamers received a project called “L-Classics” by Nintendo, which eventually became the Nintendo Switch Online service. The proposed Nintendo Switch Virtual Console was designed to extend capabilities beyond what was previously available, offering features such as Netplay supporting up to four players, with controller control passing every 30 seconds, shareable emojis, predefined messages like “thank you,” “sorry,” “please,” and “see you later,” and a highly-detailed CRT TV mode that mimicked the vintage television experience.

Virtual Console Was The Switch’s Retro Gaming Plan

It seems that the primary cause for choosing Nintendo Switch Online over a Switch Virtual Console lies in the company’s ambition to consistently release multiple games on a regular schedule, maintain long-term support for the Nintendo Switch emulation library, and do so seamlessly across different hardware platforms. Previously, this was challenging because developers had to meticulously test each retro system emulator (NES, SNES, Nintendo 64) for every platform that the Virtual Console appeared on.

LuigiBlood mentioned that along with preventing scenarios consuming excessive time and funds for every update, developers also wished to steer clear of a recurrent annoyance among customers – the need to buy the same virtual console release on different systems. It seems that Nintendo Switch Online successfully navigated the challenges of Virtual Console, yet many players still yearn for the charm of older Nintendo platforms.

Read More

2025-01-12 04:40