Top 15 games that still aren’t on the Virtual Console yet

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7: The Lost Vikings (SNES)

Blizzard isn't all orcs, Zergs, and demons. In the 16-bit days they made some awesome games, like the side-scrolling adventure Blackthorne, the isometric sci-fi racer Rock and Roll Racing, and the amazing puzzle platformer The Lost Vikings. Erik can dash, Baelog can fight, and Olaf can use a shield, and you need to use all three vikings' unique equipment and talents to get them back home. This game was clever, it was funny, and it was full of brain-wracking puzzles that kept you coming back.

6: Metal Gear (NES/MSX)

This is where the insanity that is the life of Solid Snake really began. The NES port of the game spawned a thousand jokes and memes, while the MSX version offered one of the first and best examples of genuine stealth-oriented gameplay in video games. Either game would be good, but both would be better. So far, the Virtual Console has neither.

5: Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Once again, a classic N64 game made by Rare ended up remade on the Xbox 360 long before it had any chance of getting a release on the Virtual Console. Banjo-Kazooie was just as big, just as varied, and arguably just as fun as Mario 64 at a time when everyone was trying to capture the same 3D platforming magic as Nintendo and most were failing horribly. It's still a great game, which is why it got a high-def remake on XBLA in the first place. It would still be nice to see the original come to the Virtual Console.

4: Illusion of Gaia (SNES)

This game wasn't made by Square or Nintendo, but it still stands as one of the best hack-and-slash adventures on the SNES. Illusion of Gaia's excellent graphics, varied and puzzle-oriented gameplay, and remarkably emotional story easily puts it on the same level as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Secret of Mana. Plus, it stars a boy named Will who develops psychic powers, so I naturally get a kick out of it. Speaking of which, go feed your dog, Zach.

3: Mega Man X (SNES)

The Virtual Console has already seen the first six Mega Man games, but it's yet to get a single Mega Man X game. While the spin-off series admittedly got convoluted and insanely difficult by the fourth chapter (call it Sonic-itis), the first three games on the SNES still hold up as great side-scrollers. The first in particular was both memorable and entertaining, introducing us to a new generation of heroic robots with even more moves than the original Blue Bomber.

2: Earthbound (SNES)

Nintendo has just been cruel when it comes to the Mother series. While Lucas from Mother 3 is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we've yet to see a North American version of the game. Worse yet, its predecessor, a beloved first-party RPG embraced as one of the finest games on the system, hasn't hit the Virtual Console yet. Earthbound (Mother 2; the original Mother on the NES also never saw a North American release) was smart, funny, and genuinely entertaining from beginning to end. It both mocked and embraced RPG tropes, producing a thoroughly unique experience that's as accessible as the first seven Final Fantasy games but as strange and funny as Viewtiful Joe and God Hand. It's a travesty that Earthbound hasn't come out on the Virtual Console yet.

1: Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)

Okay, every game in this collection has already been released on the Virtual Console. Unfortunately, they're not the best versions of the games. This is the exact opposite of Dr. Mario and Tetris; while the original versions of Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Mario 3 were great, the graphically-enhanced versions in Super Mario All-Stars were superior. It's every Mario game of the 8-bit era, given a 16-bit makeover and a save system while preserving everything that made the games great. What more could you want?

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