It was a fine name. It communicated the idea that you had a virtual version of those consoles you could buy games for. It encouraged collecting and made it clear those games were for other, older machines (because you couldn't have a virtual 360 on a Wii.)

Compared to other Nintendo names (Wii U caused huge damage and probably cost millions of units in sales) Virtual Console is pretty perfect.

i think it's dumb insofar as it's a strange way to conceptualize software.

i mean i get it- if you're trying to express the idea to someone who doesn't broadly understand how hardware/software works, calling emulated software a 'virtual console' title kinda sorta communicates the idea. but if it were me i would have just gone with words like 'criterion' or 'classic' or 'legacy' or 'vault,' thereby putting the emphasis on the importance of the software vs. the physical device it came from.

just a matter of taste, though.

@kingbonesaw: I mean...it would be a better way to deliver old games to players if it were actually delivering a sufficient number of the right old games.

2 NES games a month, many of which are terrible games nobody would play, ain't doing it for me.

I've heard a lot worse, at least it gives a reasonable sense of what it actually is, unlike the Xbox names... although at least I have absolutely zero clue what they'll call the next gen Xbox, so I have a surprise to look forward to I guess...

I thought it was totally fine.

Dumb name because whenever i hear the name i think its a subscription service

The name is whatever, my issue is people misunderstand what is really is. Then again Nintendo and terrible names for things are kind of par for course at this point. Just like Nintendo calling indie games on their platform Nindies. It's a cringy, terrible stupid name and anyone using it makes me want to kick in the face.