Holy Moley!! Oo
What a great month with PS IV and SMRPG.

900 points? Aren't Japan getting a little ripped off here? Look at OoT, it cost them 1200 points to download it, whereas North America, Europe and Australia only had to give 1000 points.

... Oh... if it's 900 points in North America, too, that might mean we PAL gamers might have to pay 1000 points for it. (If it's ever released outside Japan and North America, that is... >_>) Ah well, it'll be worth it, I'm sure.

Oh, wow... I just realised... I've never seen actual in-game footage of Mario RPG! I must fix that problem!

Excellent. Its probably 900 points because its a "licensed" game. And I just noticed Transformers. Wow. I now hope the C64 Transformers games come to VC

Grrgh Japan gets Super Mario RPG. Oh and they even get a Transformers game too. I know the NES version is a bit rubbish but i am transformers fan so shoot me.

Fusion Cannon or Particle Cannon?
Wouldn't a European/American release cost 700 points since its an import licensed game? I am a fan too but I won't get if it comes here. Its just too hard.

? Fusion Cannon i supose

Thats Megatron's main weapon. The other is Galvatron's.

I know quite a few people who want SMRPG.

Oh, and Convoy=Optimus Prime. Dear lord the Japanese are getting some good/interesting/wth games! Once again the Japanese show the USA what good games look like while Bizarro world gives the USA what Europe usually got.

At this rate Europe will get Chrono Trigger before we do. Brawl or no Brawl, Europe's getting a lot out of this...

YES! ONE STEP CLOSER! I DON'T CARE IF IT'S 900 POINTS!

Lugia2, since we didn't get Chrono Trigger at all the first time around, I'd say it's fair if we get it first this time.

Jeaslous? Shouldn't they be relieved the game is probably on it's way here?

There are 2 great games (Mario RPG and Phantasy Star IV), they should be released in the Americas soon, I hope.

900 for SMRPG but 700 for PSIV, odd.

i'll take a look at SMRPG when it come's out in NA but i hope its not 900 points, not a problem if it is but still........AND WHY IS THERE STILL NOT ANY N64 GAMES?

Ah, I knew they were cheaper. It's just what with comments of people saying that JPN get crapped on with prices threw me off.

bit off topic, but the caption competition back in January was cool, is there going to be another anytime soon?

mmmm phantasy star 4 AND smrpg
wowsers

Between this and the Earthbound ESRB rating, VC has been getting a lot of good news lately. I have no doubt this will show up in NA within the next couple of months. I really hope Europe will be able to experience this awesome game for the first time as well.

Good news, too bad Japans releases don't coincide with other regions as much as they used to, but its still good news nonetheless.

Good month for Japan and they get Lords of Thunder

wow...I have been waiting like forever for smbrpg, what great news...well if it makes it over here that is.

Super Mario RPG... I wonder maybe it will come this time to Europe.
Next Hanabi Festival?

I just bought the cart for $40

Good to see Mario RPG finally getting a scheduled release, even if it is only in Japan for now. Roll on Europe!

I heard a rumor that Mario RPG might be coming to the Japanese Virtual Console late last week, but I honestly didn't take it too seriously. Shows you how much I know.

I think we don't have to wait till the next Hanabi Festival.
Because SMRPG and PS IV where released outside Japan in the Past.
Both Titles are "must Buy" for me.

I would never complain about the amount of points for SMRPG. I would pay them 10 000 points without blinking an eye in order to add this game to my VC hoard. Same for Earthbound. I'm assuming the big N knows that a lot of the old time hardcore fans are not just children with no jobs and no money.

We've waited 12 years for this game and I'd gladly spend 900-1000 points for Mario RPG, my fingers are crossed that we get this great game in Europe soon, even if is out for a limited time. Like Mario the Lost Levels.... Still Good News though!

by the way super dodgeball was fun on the system and in the arcade, I loved power shots, blowing away the other team. Don't miss this old one either

Lucky Japan, i hope the next Hanabi will feature Super Mario RPG along with Earthbound...

Please come to NA soon... I'd gladly pay 900 points for it, 1000 even.

While I wouldnt be happy if they raised the price from 800 (essentially because everyone wants it) this is a great month for Japan and hopefully a sign that our VC summer will be too. SMRPG, Lords of Thunder, and PSIV! They already have Earthbound, so if we got all 4 of those I could die in peace.

I already have the cart, but it's still cool it's finally getting a VC release. Here's hoping it'll hit Europe soon.

Wooo!! Super Mario RPG is one of my favorite games of all time, and my SNES cart is starting to go bad (the files randomly erase). So this is exciting! Also, I always wanted to play phantasy star IV, but never got around to it. So, hopefully we'll see both of these stateside soon!

dude! i woke up and checked the updates on the site, and i thought i was dreaming! i literally was like "YESSSSSSS!" theres a huge chance of it being released here, they know how much money it will bring in

Brilliant stuff, can't wait for SMRPG: LOTSS, Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa and Secret Command

I'm excited about Phantasy Star IV. SMRPG is pretty overrated, IMO, so I doubt I'll get that right away (I didn't care for it when I owned the cart). Pretty good month for Japan, anyway.

Wow! They are so lucky! They are going to get Yoshi's Cookie! And no N64 Game!
Just kidding, I can't wait to get my hands on Super Mario RPG

900 wii points? a rip off???

OMG!!! i would pay 50 bucks if they wanted to!!!

and i still have the original cartridge!

I've taken the liberty of submitting the news of the Transformers game to Transformers websites.
http://www.tfw2005.com/ (second article down at time of posting)
http://www.allspark.com/ (third article down at time of posting)

HOLY ******! SMRPG!? If this game is anything like Paper Mario, (which I've heard they are similar), then I will love it to death! Plus, if it comes out on June 16 over here that would coincide perfectly with the first Monday I have off for Summer! Please come to the US soon!

The Transformers game gives me hope that we'll get G.I. Joe for the NES. Also, how the hell is SMRPG licensed?! I thought Nintendo owned the rights.

Square's just being greedy.

Japan getting SMRPG - this is a VERY good sign; I don't even care if it costs an extra 100 points; heck, I would even pay 1000 for it. please release soon US & PAL regions!!!

@Bass X0

100 Points extra isn't very much. Sure, Square might be trying to get money out of us (Look at what i said on the Article about Square's lack of VC Support) but If it gets released in Europe, I would happily pay that plus any extra fee of it being an import title. You guys were really lucky to get it the first time round.

yeah. i would gladly pay 1000 points for super mario rpg if it came out in europe.

@Bass - nice going with the linkage on those Transformers site - this is what we like to see! Promotion of VC-Reviews! Esp TFW2005, that is my fave TF site by a mile.

Super Dodgeball is an INSTANT download for me when it comes to the States. That is one of the must own games for me.

I have the SMRPG cartridge as well, but idk how much long its going to last. I hope to see a U.S release really soon.

Everyone who hasn't played SMRPG yet, prepare to have your mind blown. The game looks, sounds and plays like a total dream. The enemies and bosses are bizzare and fun to look at, and the towns are filled with people who always have interesting things to say. Every single second of this game is fun. Seriously.

And the game's atmosphere is phenomenal. You'll know exactly what I mean when you walk into the Forest Maze for the first time.

Hanabi Festival? Eh.... maybe they'll do an America Day, say, about July 4th, and release games that were released in America, but not Europe? Spelunker has been rated for a while now. And hey, give Europe Tecmo Bowl already. People like football outside America too!

I want mario rpg .
I want mario rpg .

I just had to finally change the battery in my Super Mario RPG cartridge. It finally stopped saving. Thankfully, that fixed it right up. Now back to the game.

I wish the US had a "Hanabi". Not that we need it for SMRPG, but yeah. Almost all these games are must-haves. So Japan-June, US-July/August Europe-Hanabi

SMRPG is overrated, it's good for a first time rpg but if you compare it to Final Fantasy 4 or 6, it's quite poor.

Maybe we will get SMRPG soon. I don't care if it costs more points, it's a quality game and it's worth it.

It's bound to come to North America in June too. All AAA games that were announced for Japan came before or shortly after their Japanese counterparts.

I'm not really that interested in RPGs, I do like zelda though, so would I like SMRPG anyways?

@kevenz

I've played alllllllll the final fantasy games, and they are definitely my favorite series. But I still love SMRPG. It's one of my all-time favorite games (alongside FF4, btw)

Who said Hanabi Festivals can only be once a year?
They'll make a new one as soon as they have enough import licenses.

I guess they could make it annual for May and September if they want, but I guess they won't

Bensei, exactly, it was 7 months between our 2. So you never know, maybe in Nov we'll get another

With Gaiden II and III, SMRPG, Earthbound, PSIV and Vania

I'm looking forward to playing Mario RPG once again. I completed it a long time ago in Iowa (when I still lived in the states). I'm also looking forward to Earthbound and Chrono Trigger (never played Chrono Trigger). I seriously think that Nintendo is stepping up their game since the console itself is fanbased and all. Does anyone know if we'll get any of the previous Alone In The Dark-esque games since the new one is scheduled soon? And for the record, there are a lot of clever images posted next to your names. The following I thought were brilliant :

Adamant - Who doesn't love the Black Mage?
Corbie (GRIM? from Conker.?)
Hero10X - Can't believe you found a map of Mario RPG..lol
Phantom5800 - Fire Emblem? Nice.

Meh i don't really care if SMRPG costs 900, Nintendo can charge 1200 points for all i care. I won't die happy untill i have that game in my SNES collection and the VC is the perfect place for me.

Bass X0 nice one posting that TF VC news

This will be the first VC title I buy when it comes out for the US. Just make it Monday and appease us all. Thank goodness that Square Enix and Nintendo worked this out. One of the best games of all time, hands down. SMRPG needs a true sequel more than any other game besides maybe Earthbound.

I'll pay 900 for it!, but evil NIntendo is like:
-"hehehe you wanted it?, you requested it and craved for it?, 900 wii points FOOLS!".

I'm just thinking that Nintendo and Square-Enix decided they can both profit from this. Square-Enix is always about turning a quick buck.

Name recognition and release-begging aside, Mario RPG would still be worth 900 points simply because it's an RPG. Think about it. Nintendo doesn't really want too many RPG's put on the VC because they're bigger, longer, and more captivating games than a mess of shooters and brawlers. If everyone is busy playing through one long game, they probably won't feel like downloading another game until they're finished. This is not good for the money-making ability of the VC. Of course, Nintendo tends to forget that the RPG's would sell WAAAAAY better than a lot of the other stuff on VC, which would overall be a better financial plan. And pissing off your customers never seems like a good idea, yet Nintendo seems to view that as one of their main goals as a company. So anyway, RPG's (the good ones, anyway) are definately worth 100 extra points, and I'd say Mario RPG is a definate insta-buy upon release.

Also, kevenz doesn't seem to understand the draw of Mario RPG. It's true that it isn't the same as Final Fantasy, but they really aren't comparable. Mario RPG is great for its different battle system, but mostly for its super-funny story. It really is a comedy-RPG, same as Earthbound. Comparing games like these to Final Fantasy just doesn't make any real sense, because they aren't meant to be the same. I like all of these games, but the funny ones always stick with me the most (and Chrono Trigger, which has some funny, but I mostly just love well-done time travel).

@Stuffgamer_ You have a point on that.

Yes i really enjoy Mario RPG more than the FF from SNES, because the story but also they are different on many things, so is Earthbound which has no comparison with most RPG, is that unique.

Thanks Viral. I've always been a big fan of Conker's Bad Fur Day and Gregg the grim reaper is my favorite character from the game.

And for anyone that's never played Bio Miracle, you're in for an interesting treat. It's one of the craziest games I've ever played.

Almost forgot to mention Corbie, I hate cats.

Comparing Mario RPG to Final Fantasy is like comparing apples and oranges. They're totally seperate except for the fact they're RPGs. Earthbound is like another nearby fruit, maybe a banana...

Ness ate the cookie. He recovered 6 HP!

Concerning Mario RPG, I say "meh". After playing Paper Mario, it actualy is one of the weakest Mario RPGs on a difficulty standpoint, and that remarkably surprised me.

But hell yes to Phantasy Star 4: I cry for every Genesis gamer when I say that we English speaking personnel are asking for it so bad

@Stuffgamer1: By that logic, no company would ever release anything but RPGs, since people would just buy RPGs instead of the other stuff they put out.

@Adamant
I would love that. RPGs (when done right) offer so much more gameplay and story than most other genres IMO. ME WANT SMRPG.

@Stuffgamer1
I see where you're coming from with the price thing. Which is probably why Square hasn't taken the chance to dump their catalog onto the VC, selling the early Final Fantasy games for 500 points a piece is huge bargain, when you consider the ratio of money you spent on the game to the time you WILL get to spend on the game.

As far as comparing Mario RPG to the FF series, I agree with Viral, how can you compare them, really?
After beating FF3 for SNES, I was ready to the throw in the towel with RPGs. I loved them, and yet I was sick of all the items hidden in various shelves and pots, and having to anally check everything everywhere I went, and I was sick of taking 30 minutes to walk a distance that should've taken five seconds, but takes FOREVER because of all the random encounters.
BUT! It was Super Mario RPG that allowed me to enjoy an RPG experience, without kicking the crap out of me and being SUPER DEMANDING at all times. No random encounters, secrets that you can (usually) go back to if you missed them the first time around, a world map system that did not incorporate battle, etc, etc...
SO, I think Super Mario RPG is the perfect RPG for a casual gamer that wants an RPG experience or just an RPG fan looking for a bit of a more laid back experience. If I hadn't got this refreshing breath of relaxation from Mario all those years back, I don't think I ever would have started up FF7 or FF8, but by the time I finished Mario, I was left WANTING all those over-the-top elements typical to the RPGs we know and love...

So how many of you will be turning on Wii Shop Channel at 12 tomorrow hoping we sucker punched the Japanese and will release this in the states a day before them????

I know i will

I'm with you

@Organized/Bluezealand
That would be awesome. Not that it'll happen. I'll be there anyway though.

"secrets that you can (usually) go back to if you missed them the first time around"

Really, now? Mario RPG's invisible chests were some of the most fiendishly unfair secrets in any RPG. As an example, when you enter Peach's Castle for the first time, you need to jump on Toad's head as he runs towards the throne room, then jump off him right before he enters the door in order to reach the platform above it, where a secret chest can be found by jumping. FF6's secrets are nothing on Mario RPGs.

(Do I even dare even mention the Super Jacket? You're NOT going to get it, believe me. Ever.)

Objection_Blaster
I remember 3 or 4 months ago when I gave up on a Mario RPG VC release, or maybe it was before that, when super mario galaxy come out and no Super Mario RPG, so I will have my hopes for tomorrow.....or at least a june release

That "900 wii points" is a common thing on the JP VC, A link to the past was 900 points on the japanese vc while it was just 800 here.

I think I would be willing to pay 1500 points if they should price SMRPG as such. I have played that game soooooooooooooooooooo many times and in every way is it worth it. Ahh my mouth is watering... I have the cart which i bought a couple years back without even knowing about the game, and I was very pleased. But sadly, my SNES is having troubles.

@Everyone
Don't say your willing to pay this or that because it could be the one time Nintendo listens to its fans! lol

I am with everyone else... the cart cost over 40 bucks these days, and i havent played this game in about ten years, I really dont care about the price

nintendo is way better than paper mario

paper mario is nothing compared to Mario RPG

still, i have all of them

and im goin to say it again, i would pay 50 bucks for mario RPG on my VC if nintendo wanted to

Finally some awesome news! Can't wait for the next Hanabi festival.

Fulgor_Astral >
If you'd buy it for 50 bucs, why not buy the original and BEST instead?
You can find it here and there, try your luck at Ebay, for an example!

Are Mega Drive games always 700 points in Japan?

I will buy the Wii Points I need to buy SMRPG the MOMENT it appears on the European Virtual Console, even if I have to sell my brother for medical research to afford it.

I've played a ROM of SMRPG (although I didn't get very far into the game due to me not being a fan of ROMs due to all the arsing around having to control the game using the bloody keyboard), and I absolutely ADORE it. I bought Paper Mario the MOMENT I saw it on the Wii Shop Channel, played it almost NON-STOP 'til I finished it, and now am playing The Thousand-Year Door after having found it in my local GAME last week for £20 (LEGENDARY find). The Mario RPGs are all just absolutely incredible, and I simply cannot wait until SMRPG hits the European Virtual Console.

EDIT - Wow. This site magically knows I'm from the UK. Spooky, o_o

(I know it's probably just finding me through my IP, =P)

Another monday, another dissappointment

Wow thats awesome I wish Super Mario RPG was coming to the U.S.

Oh well at least this hints that it will be coming to North America soon =D!

i have the opriginal ^^

but i dont have a working snes anymore
thats why ^^

"paper mario is nothing compared to Mario RPG"

Denial. Go play The Thousand Year Door and you will CLEARLY see a much more thought out set of level design and actually CLEVER bosses. Trust me, after the Paper Mario series, I don't get the big fuss over what makes Square's input so "special".

well, i told before, i have all paper marios, and all mario and luigi, still, Mario RPG is the best of the plumber RPGs

It may be your opinion, but are the bosses actually SMART enough to realise your every move? I personally can't remember a single boss that I lost to before triumphing, not even Culex.

Hows this for comment 100? Wouldnt it be really funny if SMRPG came to Europe before US? and then US had to wait like 3-4 weeks more before getting it? Oh that would be so funny, Id never stop laughing !

Was power tennis ever released in the US?

"Was power tennis ever released in the US?"

No.

I seem to have been misunderstood. My whole point was that Mario RPG and Final Fantasy can't really be compared. I was just trying to avoid over-used colloquialisms.
@Adamant: I didn't mean literally all VC games should be RPG's, and certainly not all games period. I've seen too many RPG-haters at Gamestop and among my friends to think that would work at all (even I would miss Tomb Raider [Legend and on], Lego-anything-cool-and-licensed-but-not-the-old-trash [Star Wars, Indie, Batman, and whatever they make in the future], Assassin's Creed...you get the point). Fact is, you can tell from reading the thoughts of the people on this site that RPG's (the quintuple-A ones, anyway) would make much better VC releases than most of the garbage they give us. And I don't mean by that to say that there aren't some great games coming out. More like one great game for every 10 or so lousy ones. Not a good ratio.
@Will: Why do you keep insisting it's funny when you get great games before we do? I'd say you deserve a break once in a while, considering all the great stuff you've never gotten before at all (Mario RPG among them, of course). I'd be happy for you, and take it as further assurance that we'd get it soon, then I'd continue to play all the games I already have to pass the time.

@Stuffgamer1. Im just still miffed over Brawl is all. And I know its childish, but I think it would be the sweetest revenge ever for us to get SMRPG a few weeks before ye. Just so ya know what it feels like

Woohoooooo! I can only hope this means that Super Mario RPG is on its way stateside soon! I will not hesitate to download that awesome title when/if it hits the VC here in the US.

Everyone sing along.

Super Mario-o R-P-G
It is the only one just for me
When I play the game I get lost in the phase
Then I find out I'm stuck in Geno's maze

@Will:

Eh, you guys got Mario Kart Wii before us (which I personally think is better than Brawl anyway). I'm sure we know what it feels like...

My life would be complete if this game were to be released soon.

NO! I WANT!

I kinda feel bad that these games never came out In Europe I think they should get it before the US
A game that would be awesome to come out in July is Chrono Trigger

Zeroagean, one game at a time, lets just get one game at a time

If you haven't played this game and you live in US/JAP...WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?

@Organized Confusion
Lol alright we can go one game at a time I like this game anyway

To be honest, I haven't played Chrono Trigger but I played this game. It was either or and I chose Mario over something I didn't know.

Well Viral Chrono Trigger is a good game and if it comes out on VC you should get it to try it you might like it especially if you like role-play games oh and you got a cool icon thing too complimenting all the other people yours is cool to