Here is the breakdown by platform:
Thus, "Complete" here means complete available library , not a perfect theoretical one. Because the Wii Shop Channel is dead, you cannot build this collection from scratch legally. However, if you find a used Wii that was active between 2006 and 2019, you can check its "Download History" in the Wii Shop Channel. Wii NTSC-U Complete Virtual Console Collection
In the pantheon of video game preservation, few endeavors are as daunting—or as rewarding—as assembling the Wii NTSC-U Complete Virtual Console Collection . For the uninitiated, the term reads like a cryptic spell. For collectors, retro enthusiasts, and digital archivists, it represents a holy grail: every single classic game released for Nintendo’s pioneering digital storefront, specifically for the North American (NTSC-U) region. Here is the breakdown by platform: Thus, "Complete"
If you find a dusty white Wii at a garage sale, plug it in. Open the Shop Channel. You might just stumble upon the beginning of the ultimate collection. Have you started your Virtual Console collection? Which title is the one that got away for you? Share your story in the comments below. In the pantheon of video game preservation, few
Today, you cannot buy a single game on this list new. You can only hunt, preserve, and admire. For those who own a complete set, they don’t just own a Wii; they own a definitive slice of gaming history.
Launched in November 2006, the Wii Shop Channel was Nintendo’s first serious foray into digital distribution. Before the Switch eShop, before the 3DS Theme Shop, there was the blue, blocky interface of the Wii Shop. Over its 12-year lifespan, it amassed a library of hundreds of titles, spanning the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo, Commodore 64, and even MSX.
A complete collection means owning all 94 NES titles, plus all 74 Genesis titles, plus the obscure 15 Commodore 64 games—and everything in between. Not all Virtual Console games are created equal. While you could buy Super Mario Bros. for $5 any day, other titles were only available for a matter of months. In a complete collection, these are the "system sellers." 1. Final Fantasy III (SNES – 2013) Square Enix released the SNES version of Final Fantasy VI (labeled III in the US) extremely late in the Wii Shop's life—April 2013. By then, most Wii owners had moved to the Wii U. This title was available for only 18 months before the Shop closed. Finding a Wii that has this specific download is incredibly difficult. 2. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES – 2007) While technically hidden in a compilation, the standalone NES version of the "real" Super Mario Bros. 2 was a direct import. Because it was a niche, harder-than-hell Mario game, fewer casual players bought it. It is often missing from "complete" libraries. 3. Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (N64 – 2010) The N64 section is the smallest, but this title is the rarest. It was a late N64 port to VC, cost 1200 Wii Points ($12), and required a Classic Controller. Its file size was massive for the time. Many Wiis simply ran out of internal storage before they could download it. 4. Striker’s Edge (TG-16 – 2007) A bizarre paddle game from Hudson Soft, Striker’s Edge is obscure even by TurboGrafx standards. It was delisted in many regions due to licensing issues with its soundtrack. A complete NTSC-U collection cannot exist without this forgotten gem. 5. Bomberman '94 (TG-16) The holy grail. Bomberman '94 was a TurboGrafx-16 title that featured a 5-player battle mode using the Wii's four controller ports plus a GameCube controller. It was briefly available in 2009. Because the TurboGrafx emulator on Wii was less stable than Nintendo's own, many people skipped it. Today, it is the single most sought-after title in the collection. The Hardware Trap: How Do You Even Store This? Here is the cruel irony of the Complete Virtual Console Collection : The Wii has only 512MB of internal flash storage.