Virtual Console

The Virtual Console (Japanese: バーチャルコンソール Virtual Console) was a service for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U that allowed players to purchase games released on older game consoles to play them on newer consoles through an emulator. Virtual Console titles were able to be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel for the Wii and on the Nintendo eshop for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U adds the Virtual Console menu that allow players to create restore points and configure button controls (Wii U only). Restore points allow the player to make a temparory save point anywhere that they can return to at any point. Due to the discontinuation of the Wii Shop Channel service, it is no longer possible to purchase Virtual Console titles on the Wii. The Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U closed on March 27th 2023, as such the Virtual Console service has also been discontinued on those platforms as well. Previously purchased titles are still able to be re-downloaded.

The Virtual Console was succeeded by a feature on Nintendo Switch Online that allows subscribers to play a library of old games on their Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo 3DS

 * EarthBound

EarthBound was available to purchase from the Nintendo eshop. Because of the hardware limitations preventing SNES games on the original models, only the New Nintendo 3DS allowed players to purchase and play EarthBound from the eshop.

Wii U

 * EarthBound Beginnings

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of EarthBound releaseing in North America, the original Mother was released for the very first time outside of Japan under the name EarthBound Beginnings. The game was made available to be purchased through the Nintendo eshop on the Wii U on June 15th, 2015, and received strongly positive critical acclaim, though they also noted its balance issues. This release is a port of the previously unreleased "Earth Bound" prototype.


 * EarthBound

On July 18th, 2013, EarthBound was rereleased for the first time on Virtual Console outside of Japan, as well as this also being the first time the game (and series as a whole) was released in PAL regions. The game can be purchased on the Wii U eshop. In the announcement interview, it was revealed that one of the main reasons for the release was due to the fan outcry. EarthBound was immensely successful this time, being one of the most popular downloaded game during in the Wii U Virtual Console lifespan.


 * Mother 3

Mother 3 was released on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console on December 17th, 2015. Because the game never had an official localization, it was never released on international Virtual Console to the dismay of fans. This is notably the only EarthBound series game to not be released on the Wii U Virtual Console outside of Japan.

Mother
In the Japanese version, several enemies' sprites were changed to match their appearance in the localized release, notably the Crow had its cigarette removed from the original game.

Additionally the line about Dragon Quest 4 in the Twinkle Elementary School was removed and replaced with the kid just saying "that game".

Because the western release is a port of the previously unreleased prototype, no changes were made in EarthBound Beginnings.

EarthBound
Several PSI moves with bright flashes such as PSI Rockin γ had their animations toned down to avoid the risk of siezures.

Exclusive to the Japanese version, Lardna Minch mistakes Buzz Buzz for just a "fly" instead of a "toilet fly" like in the original, and the baker in Burglin Park that mentions flies landing on the food giving it more flavor had his dialogue changed to make the flies landing on it seem unintentional.

Mother 3
When Lucas is struck by lightning in the Thunder Tower to learn PK Flash, the lightning was recolored from white to yellow, likely to make it more visible.