Maybe the Nintendo Switch doesn’t need a virtual console after all

Earlier this month, buried in some exciting new details about the Switch’s upcoming online service, Nintendo revealed that it was killing the virtual console as a concept. “There are currently no plans to bring classic games together under the virtual console banner as has been done on other Nintendo systems,” a company rep explained. This careful wording led to many upset fans. Since the original Wii, the virtual console has been a Nintendo staple, a place where you could buy everything from Super Metroid to obscure TurboGrafx games. What does its absence mean for retro games on the Switch? If a few recent releases are any indication, Nintendo’s tablet will be just fine in that regard.