In my previous post, I discussed a fact I learned from Marc Normadin’s Retro XP retrospective on the Nintendo Entertainment System (“NES”) version of Wario’s Woods. Here, I will note a fact in the article that I certainly knew at one time but since forgot (along with the most likely reason I forgot).

All of these little historical bits obscure that Wario’s Woods also released for the SNES, with 16-bit graphics, different sound, and also some differences in gameplay. What also obscures that it came out on the SNES is that Nintendo basically pretends that it did not. Because Animal Crossing on the GameCube included playable NES games, Wario’s Woods’ NES release was the only option.

March Normadin (Retro XP) [Emphasis added]

I received the original GameCube Animal Crossing very shortly after it was released in 2002. Back in 2024, I ranked it number four on the list of video games that left the biggest impressions on me. One of the many neat things about the original Animal Crossing was that it included a good selection of obtainable NES games. I recall having found Balloon Fight, Excitebike, Pinball, and Tennis, with Animal Crossing being my first exposure to the first three. After reading Mr. Normadin’s Wario’s Woods perspective, I remember having wanted to acquire Wario’s Woods in Animal Crossing (having never played it before), but having never done so. I see that it was only available on the vacation island, which I had. But alas, I never found that rare NES game.

Come to think of it, maybe I should start and document a new (original) Animal Crossing play-through and try to collect all the in-game NES games, including Wario’s Woods.

(Fun aside: I do have Wario’s Woods for Super Nintendo, but the fact it is still in the plastic wrap from whichever used game store I acquired it from suggests I never got around to playing it.)