So, yeah, sometimes I spend a lot of time on the internet. I'm sure it won't be long before the AMA makes that a mental disorder as well. I came across a solution to my concerns of missing great games of yesterday because Nintendo could not or would not take the time to bring all of those games to the Wii Virtual Console.

Before going any further, I think Nintendo is doing a great job with their Virtual Console (F-Zero X this week!), but at their current rate, they could not possibly release every game I wanted to take a stab at from their history before the Wii becomes obsolete. So as I stated in my last blog, I would attempt to play those games elsewhere. So I picked up a copy of Breath of Fire for my GBA. While I was playing it I came across news that Japan would be receiving BoF II on the Wii VC making it all the more likely to see a stateside release. But when? Months? Years? I'm ready to play this game (and many other SNES games) now.

Out of curiosity I visited a website that contained ROMs of video games. Clicking on the links I found BoF and BoF II quite easily. A five-second free download and the game is mine. Period. So I started to look around many websites and downloaded the corresponding emulators. As of today, I have NES, SNES, N64, and Sega MD emulators on my laptop and seriously every game worth playing on each respective console. I went out and bought a decent PC gamepad and I was slugging my way through Super Metroid instead of crossing my fingers and praying that Nintendo would show us some mercy and release it.

Now, I know that there are other options available to me. Like buying used games and systems on the internet. The downside to that is that first of all, I'd be making a lot of purchases that won't be gauranteed to work when I crack open my shipment. Cartridges have always been finnicky even when treated with care unlike say a PS2 disc or whatever. Then, there's the cost of buying these games. Let's see: Super Mario RPG=$50, Secret of Mana=$50, Yoshi's Island=$35, Super Mario All-Stars=$35, etc...

I would love more than anything to buy up these games and show friends my kickin' collection. Unfortunately, my apartment and refrigerator would be empty as I would have ran out of money for anything else. Not to mention that I allow myself one game a month. Before long I'd be sitting there thinking: Donkey Kong Country (1994) or Final Fantasy XII(2007)? Both great games, but how many people having not played either one would really choose DKC?

And believe it or not I do intend to spend money on Wii's Virtual Console. There's only one way to truly appreciate Super Mario World and Link to the Past, and it isn't on some aging laptop or tiny GBA screen. But with these emulators I have backup - especially for games that will not be coming to Wii VC. (Specifically developer Rare's Killer Instinct or Perfect Dark or Banjo Kazooie.) I'm sure Nintendo would rather I spend my money on actual Wii games like Twilight Princess, Super Paper Mario, and Resident Evil 4 anyways.

So think of me what you will fellow gamers. You might think that I'm going about it the wrong way, but I found a cheap and easy way to enjoy Nintendo and Sega's golden age of video games.