As the trend for retro remakes and re-releases grows, there has been a concerted drive to push the nostalgia-driven envelope into peoples homes so as to allow gamers to be able to experience software titles of yesteryear. And whilst companies like GOG have done an admirable job of making previously unavailable PC titles be readily playable on modern Windows machines, the same can't be said for cartridge based console games that came out during the 8 and 16 bit era.
When the Virtual Console service first launched on Nintendo's Wii console in November 2006, the Japanese console manufacturer was universally hailed for its forward thinking approach in embracing the industry's illustrative back catalogue - as games from Neo Geo, Mega Drive and PC Engine all jostled for prime attention alongside Nintendo's more traditional console fare. But as time went on, and with Nintendo easing back on its retro focused strategy, the Virtual Console came to resemble an empty husk of its former self, as eminent titles like Final Fantasy 6 (known as Final Fantasy 3 in USA) failed to transition over to more modern Nintendo systems (like 3DS and Wii U).
In a classic example of the company creating new markets, whilst simultaneously failing to foster and...