100 Games now on the Virtual Console, 4.7 million games Sold
Nintendo has sent word that the Virtual Console (at least in the US) will have its 100th game added to the libary on June 4, with Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Also, since the service was switched on in November last year, more than 4.7 million games have been downloaded off the Wii’s Virtual console – a rate that Nintendo says is more than 1,000 every hour. While specific data for each title is not provided, Nintendo did provide a top five list of games sold. 1st Place goes to Super Mario Bros (NES), in Second, Super Mario 64 (N64), in third place, Mario Kart 64 (N64), fourth place goes to Super Mario World (SNES) and The Legend of Zelda (NES) rounds up the end of the Top Five. REDMOND, Wash., June 1 /PRNewswire/ — Nintendo is giving video game fans a way to access their favorite classic games, all without leaving the comfort of their homes. And gamers have responded en masse as the library of downloadable game classics continues to grow. The upcoming addition of Zelda II(TM) — The Adventure of Link(R) on June 4 marks the 100th classic game available on the Wii Shop Channel. And since going online Nov. 19, owners of Nintendo’s hot Wii(TM) video game system have downloaded more than 4.7 million classic games from Wii’s Virtual Console, a rate of more than 1,000 games every hour since launch. The top five classic game downloads globally to date, and their original system are:
1) Super Mario Bros.(R) (NES(R))
2) Super Mario 64(R) (N64(R))
3) Mario Kart 64(TM) (N64(R))
4) Super Mario World(R) (SNES(R))
5) The Legend of Zelda(R) (NES(R))
Wii lets players visit the Wii Shop Channel to redeem Wii Points(TM) to download classic video games from the original Nintendo Entertainment System(R), the Super NES(R) and the Nintendo(R) 64, and the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx16 consoles. These games are nostalgic totems to veteran gamers, and simultaneously, new, easy-to-play entries for younger players. These games demonstrate Nintendo’s staying power across generations by letting veteran gamers relive their glory days while their children play them for the first time. The addition of Zelda II — The Adventure of Link brings a fourth Legend of Zelda(R) game to the Wii Shop Channel from three classic Nintendo platforms, providing exciting adventures that span the decades. Additional classic games are added to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday.
“”With an Internet connection rate reaching 40 percent, Wii owners have more options than ever to find the kinds of games they love to play,”” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “”Beyond the Wii Shop Channel, all types of
people are getting connected and checking out the information and entertainment options available on the Wii Menu. Whether voting, creating a Mii or just checking the weather, everyone has a favorite channel.”” The Wii Shop Channel is one of the many entertainment and informational channels that are available via the Wii system. Others include the Forecast Channel, the News Channel, the Mii Channel, the Everybody Votes Channel, the Photo Channel and the Internet Channel. Each of these broadens the appeal of Wii to new audiences and draws in consumers who might not otherwise be interested in a video game system.
