Six Reasons Why You Need a Revolution

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Forget PS3 and Xbox 360. This is 2006's essential launch

4) You'll play the classics

Mario. Zelda. Metroid. All greats. All major names that draw a crowd anytime they appear. To this end, the Revolution will serve as a "Virtual Console," drawing upon over 20 years of classic video games with its online capabilities. It plays GameCube games with no problem. Beyond that, you'll be able to buy titles from the NES, SNES and N64 eras for play on the Revolution, instantly packing the console with hundreds, if not thousands, of incredible retro titles.

Nintendo hasn't officially announced how much each game will cost. An online survey the company ran shows tentative prices of $2.99 per NES game and $19.99 for more involved Nintendo 64 titles. There's also talk of a $14.99 monthly subscription service that lets you grab as many titles you want for a flat rate. Behold: the iTunes Music Store of gaming. While these games aren't cutting edge, they will grab people's attention. After all, the NES Classic series on GBA sold gamers young and old over 100,000 brand new copies of 1985's Super Mario Bros.

There have been some preliminary lists floating around the internet containing possible downloadable games. Obviously the staples will appear, but more interesting are the lost classics, the overlooked or forgotten games many have probably never played. Equally enticing are the piles of third party games that could end up on the Revolution. Many popular, contemporary series got their start on the NES, and their presence would only make Nintendo's latest all the more desirable. Playing the PS1 and PS2 or, ahem, "select" Xbox games, that you already physically own, is dandy. But how do you compete with more than two decades of incredible software?

Brett Elston
Brett Elston

A fomer Executive Editor at GamesRadar, Brett also contributed content to many other Future gaming publications including Nintendo Power, PC Gamer and Official Xbox Magazine. Brett has worked at Capcom in several senior roles, is an experienced podcaster, and now works as a Senior Manager of Content Communications at PlayStation SIE.