Donkey Kong Country titles about to be removed from Wii Virtual Console in Europe [UPDATED]

****UPDATE**** Nintendo got back to us with the following official reason for the games' removal:

"From time to time, our software lineup changes for various reasons. There are currently over 350 classic Virtual Console titles available for purchase in Wii Shop Channel. We’re confident that consumers will find something they will enjoy."

Oh, various reasons! Glad that's cleared that up.***UPDATE ENDS***

Donkey Kong Country returns... to the ether next week, as all three classic SNES platformers will be pulled from the European Wii U Virtual Console. According to a news update on the console's online shopping page, you still have until the 25th of November to buy Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble.

We have contacted Nintendo to ask why the titles are being removed and will update this story when we hear back. Presumaby a license has run out, or (more excitingly) there's an HD collection heading to Wii U that they want everyone to buy instead of the cheapy Virtual Console versions. Stranger things have happened.

Don't forget, all your Wii Ware and Virtual Console titles are playable on Wii U, so if you can imagine a point in time where you'd want to play one of these SNES classics on your shiny new machine, you'd better get downloading these pronto. However, they are limited to being played on the TV screen (at present) and with old Wii control peripherals, so don't sell your old Classic Controller just yet.

Source: Go Nintendo

CATEGORIES
Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.

Latest in Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong 94
Forget Pokemon Red and Blue, Nintendo's finally brought the secret best Game Boy game to Switch: an expanded version of Donkey Kong with 2425% more levels
Donkey Kong
After 44 years, Donkey Kong player discovers that the legendary kill screen isn't really the end
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong designer reveals his biggest problem with his Rare redesign, and explains how his childhood breakfast cereal ban shaped Diddy Kong, too
Donkey Kong Country 2
After 29 years, Donkey Kong Country 2 players have just discovered a brand-new cheat code in the SNES classic
Donkey Kong Super Smash Bros Ultimate
New Donkey Kong trademark suggests the series could be making a comeback
Donkey Kong Land
Donkey Kong got his original Game Boy spin-off because it was too hard to port Donkey Kong Country
Latest in News
Gemma Chan in Eternals
Eternals star Gemma Chan is hopeful she'll return to the MCU someday: "There's unfinished business there"
two aliens firing miniguns
4 years after shutting down, this dead sci-fi MMO is being brought back to life, but there's no word on its canceled TV show tie-in
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix wants Daniel Craig to join the cast of Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie – but it's not certain if he'll take it
The Last of Us
The Last of Us season 2 trailer breaks HBO viewing records, becoming the network's most-watched trailer
Nicole Kidman in The Perfect Couple
Nicole Kidman’s hit Netflix show could be returning for another season, but she won’t be coming back
Matt LeBlanc as Joey in Friends
21 years later, the Friends spin-off nobody asked for is streaming for free