According to the official Japanese Virtual Console release list, Nintendo seems to think Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is worth two dollars more than the rest of the Nintendo 64 library. When the game hits Japanese Virtual Consoles in February, it's going to run gamers 1200 points; that's 200 points more than what gamers have come to expect from a Nintendo 64 release.
Ocarina of Time certainly represents a defining moment for the Nintendo 64, and is easily one the console's best titles. But when the game was originally launched at retail, it came in at an MSRP that was in line with other releases.
If Nintendo is going to start charging more for games based on what they perceive is quality and/or popularity, perhaps they might want to consider lowering the prices of some of the D-list classics that are no doubt going to eventually hit the Virtual Console. Castlevania 64, for example, should be 150 points, 850 points less than other N64 games.
This is not the first time we've seen Virtual Console pricing that's not in line with what consumers have expected.
R-Type was released earlier at 800 points, 200 points more than other TurboGrafx-16 titles. In that case, the reasoning behind that price increase made sense that actually weighed in our favor (the US version contained all eight levels at 800 points; Japanese owners had to purchase the game in two parts, each at 600 points a piece).
Although it's unlikely, unless the VC release of Ocarina of Time also contains the expanded Ura Zelda (or "Master Quest"), it might be hard for some gamers to swallow the price increase.
Let the whinging commence
Contest:
1:45 PM on 01.30.2007
| 
awww come on man, you know when you were young and Castlevania came out on the 64 you were stoked. Don't lie. PS did it better but don't hate. Wolf man FTW.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/index.html
Ocarina is listed, along with it's 1200 point price tag.
I thought EA was bad with the whole madden thing, but this is just as bad. We need somone QUICK to figure out how to play hacked roms on the Wii, then it would be cool.
Free is better, stolen is perfect :o)
usb dongle would be a great band name btw.
also, GC zelda's collector's disc FTW! only cost me $20 with a ninty power subscription. I should have gotten more...
Fuck you Nintendo and your overpriced VC rip-off bullshit.
I'm not paying for your fucking ROMS.
But who cares if the jack up the price...aslong as they released others for 1000, I am fine...like Turok!
If you already have it, hmmm how about DON'T buy it again! There are some people who have never played Ocraina of Time or countless other games so $10, or $12 or $8 might not be a horrible price.
Anyone know how to write?
Otherwise, [generic comment about VC games being $2 too expensive]. Also, [generic comment about already owning a copy of Ocarina of Time and being "forced" to buy a new version].
I am. I'm giving my moneys to Xbox live arcade instead of the VC. This is just stupid. I got OOT for free for registering games on nintendo.com. I don't need to pay some stupid huge price for it. What is Nintendo even thinking?
Does is have better graphics than the PS2?
Though I wonder if this version of ocarina has the same sensitivity issues that it had when it got ported to the gamecube... also, why the hell didnt they map the Z button on the gamecube??? WTF
same here.
I'm willing to pay for certain games (I didn't own a TG-16 back in teh day, so I'm loving that; some of the Genesis stuff is worth it too) but what they're asking for is utterly ridiculous. Much as I'm loathed to say anything nice about them - Lik-Sang still burns - the PlayStation Store charges much less for PS1 games. NES games should be 200 points, Genesis/TG-16 300-400 points, N64 400-600 points. I'd download a ton for those prices. But nobody will listen to that anyway.
I dread to think when the first Wii price drop will happen. Look! It now comess in a lot of new colors, and that costs tons of money to manufacture, so it's worth more than $200!
i wish the ninty fanboys would smarten up too...but no matter what we say they're still gonna eat whatever-the-fuck is put in in their troughs
soon nintendo will shit directly into their mouths.
nintendo is a great game maker but i've had enough. We gotta put some pressure on them, they're completely slacking especially with this online TRASH!
I'm sick of people saying that Nintendo fans need to wise up and stop buying these games. Yeah, I'd love for the prices to be lower, but that doesn't mean I don't think they're reasonable. $8 for R-Type is a steal, considering I've probably played that game for at least ten hours now. If you don't want to pay it, that's fine. But don't call me retarded because I do.
Just a cynical and evil mechanism to try and squeeze a few extra dollars out of you by muddying the waters.
Europe paid 1200 points for Mario Kart, we paid 1000.
So, OoT is 1200 in Japan. Until it shows up in the VC here, I'm not expecting it to be any more than 1000 points.
I'll more than likely buy OoT when it's available for $12. I plan on buying LttP on Thursday(payday) for $8. OoT cart goes for $17 around my parts, and LttP goes for $25, so I don't see the problem with the prices at all.
Bottom line, if a game is released for $5, $6, $8, or $10(even $12), and I feel it's a great game worthy of paying the (up to) $12, then I have no problem. I'm not going to buy everygame they have out just because it's out. But Mike Tyson's Punch Out will be worth the $5, as will Mario Bros 2 and 3, Zelda(is worth it). There are tons of SNES games I will want to get, and $8 is a fair price if you ask me. For $8 at local video game stores, you could get a copy of Michael Jordan:Chaos In The Windy City. I'd much rather have SimCity, Super Metroid, Super Mario, or DKC for my $8. On the same token, I don't know what I WOULDN'T pay to get Mario RPG on my Wii. I seriously regret selling my gem mint copy of that.
Nick had the best idea, with lowering prices of lesser games. Question is, would anyone even pay $1.50 for Castlvania 64?
"We're still complaining about the Virtual Console games not being updated in any way and how they're too expensive? If I hear another, "I already bought this" comment I'm going to f**king scream. These comments were valid whines the first time these games were announced and maybe the first few round of Virtual Console releases."
I agree with this post, but you were commenting on the people already complaining about the vc. So start screaming about your invalid post.
But seriously, the reason bad games wont be cheaper is that people wont want those no matter what the price.
Nintendo is a business, and their goal is to make as much money as possible. They set the price at the point they think will be most profitable; if you think their price is unreasonable, don't buy it.
I agree prices should be a bit lower, but $10 for an N64 game is reasonable in my mind, provided they are not going any higher. I don't like the R-Type pricing, but I'll buy their explanation. And what's wrong with the points? Though it varies in other countries, in the US, you can buy 1000 for $10, an exact trade; how is that slimy?
My major complaints: I've been taxed on buying points. Games are coming too slow, even at this point. You don't fully "own" the games since Nintendo has some stupid licensing thing. Also, I can't just put all my NES games in one NES channel on the main screen. Otherwise, people need to quit bitching, it's really not as bad as you might think.
Oh, and if you already own a copy of Ocarina of Time, keep playing that and just DON'T BUY THE VC VERSION. No one is forcing you to buy it. It's obviously for people who didn't get that very limited bonus.
P.S. Urban Champion is worth no more than $1.
I don't really consider it a rip. Remember, if VC, XBLA, or Playstation Store didn't exist, more than a few of these companies will be charging $50-$60 for their games. Anyone remembers the GC Resident Evil re-releases?
That being said, what they are charging is ridiculous. Not because some people can pay and others can't afford, but because it is a market that costs them nothing to produce and develop. There isn't any overhead to distributing the software except cost of a limited scope bandwidth (as most games are only a few meg).
Nintendo is supposed to be the great lover of cheap in this next gen, but for a company making a huge profit off of console sales alone, they seem bent on milking their audience for all it's worth.
*nod*
Sure, there's nothing wrong with debating the sensibility of pricing, but Nintendo has the right to charge a million vc points if they want; you don't have to download it, and they're not extorting anything from anyone.
"awww come on man, you know when you were young and Castlevania came out on the 64 you were stoked. Don't lie. PS did it better but don't hate. Wolf man FTW."
I agree with "PS2 did it better" BUT i feel old Now cos when i was a kid i was playing Simon's quest on the NES.