Virtual Console Dreaming: A March Mario Triple Threat
Mario Clash by Nintendo
March 10th is Mario Day (Mar10) and Nintendo has decided to bless us with three more Nintendo Classic titles as part, but hopefully not all, of the festivities.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong for the Game Boy Advance leads this batch. Meant to be a spiritual successor to the early days of Donkey Kong (you know–that game you had to beat twice to get the Nintendo coin in DK64?) and it’s equal parts puzzles and platforming. It reviewed well at launch and got a full remake for the Switch in 2024.
We’re also getting Mario Clash and Mario’s Tennis in the same update. So if you’ve finished all the games that launched with the Virtual Boy library (and if you did, how are you even reading this? Is your whole world awash in crimson?), you’ll have a couple more bite-sized experiences to look forward to.
Here is my wish list (truly a living document if there ever was one) for the Classics Catalog. There have been no alterations since Pokemon Day.
SNES
Pocky and Rocky 2
Secret of Mana
GBC/GBA
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
Mother 3
Onimusha Tactics
Pokemon Pinball
Tony Hawk misc.
Nintendo 64
Beetle Adventure Racing
Bomberman 64
Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!
Bomberman Hero
Castlevania 64/Legacy of Darkness
Goemon’s Great Adventure
Mischief Makers
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Quest 64
Resident Evil 2
Road Rash 64
Snowboard Kids
Snowboard Kids 2
GameCube
1080 Avalanche
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
Battalion Wars
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest
Donkey Konga 1-3 (rerelease the bongos!)
Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat
Eternal Darkness
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Geist
GoldenEye: Rogue Agent
James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
James Bond 007: From Russia with Love
James Bond 007: Nightfire
Killer 7 (if we’re not getting a port of the Steam version)
Kirby Air Ride
Lost Kingdoms
Lost Kingdoms II
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Kart: Double Dash
Mario Party 4-7
Metroid Prime 2 (if we don’t get a proper remaster)
P.N.03
Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 & 2
Resident Evil 2, 3, and Code Veronica
Skies of Arcadia Legends (I think this is the one I want the most)
SSX 3
Starfox Adventures
Starfox: Assault
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
Super Smash Bros. Melee
TimeSplitters 2
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk’s Underground, Underground 2, and American Wasteland (if we don’t get remakes)
Turok: Evolution (if Nightdive doesn’t do its thing)
Viewtiful Joe 1 and 2
Wave Race: Blue Storm
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Falsebound Kingdom
You know what else comes out on Mario Day? A little 3D platformer by the name of Mr. Sleepy Man. Full disclosure: I work for the publisher, and therefore, am biased as hell–but I love this little game. It was made by one person over the course of six years and is a genuinely unique take on the genre. Imagine if Mario 64 played like Majora’s Mask and was also a musical. Go wishlist it if you’re into that sort of thing (or you love me).
We’ll talk soon. If you need me, I’ll probably be playing Resident Evil.