11. Mother 3
While Nintendo’s Virtual Console catalog has never been as big as it should be, the ability to be able to quickly access classic titles at a low cost is still very important to Nintendo’s brand and is net good for gaming. So much so that it would benefit Nintendo to have a decently stocked selection on day one for early adopters to take advantage of in between $60 purchases. One particular highlight for the Virtual Console previously was the much-anticipated port of SNES niche classic Earthbound, alongside the game’s precursor under the name Earthbound: Beginnings. Called Mother in Japan, Earthbound: Beginnings had never before been released outside of its home region, which was cause for excitement for longtime fans of the JRPG genre. But Mother has another sequel that also hasn’t been released outside of Japan. Mother 3 is easily one of the most requested games both by Nintendo fans and JRPG fans to be released in other territories. In fact, fans have even self-translated the Japanese version of the game in the past just to play it. The Switch is clearly aiming to be a console for all kinds of audiences, but that only drives home the need for such a strong goodwill gesture towards longtime Nintendo fans. A huge title launched on the Virtual Console would be a hit, while not costing Nintendo or customers nearly as much as a brand new release.
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