Playing the oldest software on the newest hardware

I have noticed a blossoming tradition with myself that perhaps the amazing reader might recognize. When I buy a new game console today, I immediately buy the oldest software game to place on it (a good game). Why do I do this? I don’t know.

When the Wii came out, I bought it at launch and immediately went to the E-shop (after getting my butt kicked in Wii Sports) to buy and download Mario Brothers. (Super Mario Brothers would not be available until Christmas day.) I am in love with Mario Brothers and never had a chance to buy it for the NES (it was an old game then and never reprinted). The Mario Brothers NES game had a ‘holy grail’ type of aura to it with my friends and myself. We could never find the game. There is something extremely charming about these very early and basic NES games.

Above: Such an awesome game!

What I hope to do with the Wii U is to purchase another very old game. It would be NES Pinball. I remember renting it during the NES era and having so much fun with it. How can such a simple little pinball game be so much fun? I figured it would be amazing if the Wii U’s GamePad can play Virtual Console games on the tiny screen. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks highly of the little game:

Another game I might consider is the NES version of Lode Runner. I already have the Turbographx 16 version of the game. But there is something… comforting about the NES version. I don’t know what I love about these really, really old games. Lode Runner would be terrific with the GamePad and making levels.

Of course, if Guardian Legend was available, I would get that. I’ve been wanting to get Guardian Legend for the longest while but it is not available! (I know Pinball and Lode Runner are available now so why can’t they be available for the Wii U launch?)

For some reason, I’m finding it a tradition to buy the newest game console and then buy the oldest game for it. Maybe it is more technologically impressive to me that these game consoles can ‘time travel’. And maybe it is from being burnt from consoles in the past that cut us off from our beloved classics.

I’m going through the VC list now… and if all they do is allow what is available *today* on the VC to be available on the Wii U, I’ll sink an extra hundred dollars provided games are account bound and if they can be played on the Gamepad. Can you imagine playing Lolo on the Gamepad? Hell yes!