Curious about Virtual Console...

[zedrein]

Hey guys this is my first post here and I hope that you all can help answer some of my questions. First off, I have been an avid gamer for over 14 years and I absolutely love classic games (anything in the 8-16 bit era) I know that PC console emulation is very taboo nowadays, but it is a very good way of preserving classic games. My only question is, which is better, Nintendo's Virtual Console, or modern day PC emulation? When I think "better" I am considering the following things;

*Which emulation format has better controls? The VC obviously uses the "Classic Controller" and "Wii-mote" and PC uses either the keyboard or a USB powered gamepad. Which best preserves the "feel" of the original games?

*Which looks better? As in, which format looks most like the original software?

*And finally, what are (if any) the drawbacks to each?

I would sincerly appreciate all of your feedback. Un-biased opinions are preferred and all criticism needs to be left at the door.

[marktheshark]

Wii Virtual Console

pros: Legal, better controls

cons: 1-2 games per week, quite a bit of games cost more than the original cartridge (mainly NES games)

PC Emulation

pros: You can download all your favorite games for free, no waiting required unlike the VC

cons: Playing with the keyboard feels akward, Illegal

[Spore]

Originally Posted by marktheshark

PC Emulation

pros: You can download all your favorite games for free, no waiting required unlike the VC

cons: Playing with the keyboard feels akward, Illegal

You can buy a USB attachment to hook up your favorite SNES controller or N64 or whatever controller the attachment is good for. But yeah, illegal.

[Pocketim]

Virtual Console
Pros: Legal, Some games have added features (e.g. Pokemon Snap, Wrecking Crew), Supended play, great controls (use Wiimote for NES and use Classic Controller for SNES and use Gamecube Controller for N64
Cons: Only 1-2 games get released a week, can't save ghost data in Mario Kart 64, Only 1 N64 game gets released a week and most of them are CRUD

Emulation
Pros: Free, If you have a laptop, (like me) Portable
Cons: Illegal, Slower, Glitchy, Awful Controls

[Spore]

Do note that suspended play isn't a Wii only feature considering emulators have the freeze state and thaw state options.