Wii Shop Channel - The final buying guide (points can't be added anymore; purchases until 1/30/2019)

[levious]

EDIT:
To clarify, March 26th, 2018 is the last day to add points to your account. Purchases with points already added can be made through January 30, 2019. Redownloads of previously purchased content can be made after this date (as well as Wii to Wii U system transfers), they have not yet announced when the download service will end, only that it will in the future. But yes, get your games downloaded and backed up and maybe practice reinstalling games to make sure you have everything right.


With the deadline to add Wii Shop points to your system account approaching (March 26th) I wanted to compile a list of Virtual Console games not available on the surviving Wii U eShop. This is a work in progress and I will continue to update or correct the list.

Please feel free to post summaries or recomendations for games and I will add them here. I will try to add my own information and recomendations as well. Also, for the genesis list I simply listed everything, but I will highlight which games are not available on other digital services.

Good Retronauts article on some essential Wii VC games not easily available elsewhere: http://retronauts.com/article/602/16-games-you-need-to-buy-on-wii-virtual-console-before-its-too-late

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NES - 500 Points each unless otherwise stated

A Boy and His Blob
Adventures of Lolo 2
Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa
Blades of Steel
Bubble Bobble
Burger Time
Double Dribble
Elevator Action
Faxanadu
Final Fantasy
King's Knight
Lunar Pool
Milon's Secret Castle
NES Play Action Football
Ninja JaJaMaru-kun - JPN Import 600 points
Operation Wolf
Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom
Star Soldier (3DS eShop)
The Legend of Kage
Zanac

SNES - 800 points each unless otherwise stated

Actraiser
Aero the Acro-Bat
Aero the Acro-Bat 2
Chrono Trigger
Darius Twin
DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's Doki Doki Adventure - JPN Import 900 points
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Ghoul Patrol
Gradius III
Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures
Kirby's Avalanche
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
Prince of Persia
Secret of Mana
Space Invaders: The Original Game
Super Adventure Island
Super Adventure Island II
Super Bonk
Super Star Wars
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Super Turrican
The Combatribes
Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Nintendo 64 - 1,000 points each

Bomberman Hero
Cruis'n USA
Pokemon Puzzle League
Super Smash Bros.

Sega Master System - 500 points each unless otherwise stated

Alex Kidd in Miracle World (XBLA, PSN)
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars
Enduro Racer
Fantasy Zone (JPN PSN, arcade version on 3DS eShop)
Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (JPN PSN, arcade version on 3DS eShop)
Phantasy Star
Secret Commando - JPN Import (Rambo in NA) 600 points
Sonic Chaos
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Space Harrier
Wonder Boy
Wonder Boy III
Wonder Boy in Monster Land

Sega Genesis - 800 Points each unless otherwise stated. Bolded titles I believe are only available digitally through Wii Virtual Console.

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Steam)
Alien Soldier - JPN Import 900 points (Steam, JPN PSN)

Alien Storm (Steam)
Altered Beast (Steam, XBLA, PSN, 3DS eShop)
Beyond Oasis (Steam)
Bio-Hazard Battle (Steam)
Bonanza Bros. (Steam)
Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure
ClayFighter
Columns (Steam)
Columns III: Revenge of Columns (Steam)
Comix Zone (Steam, XBLA, PSN)
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Steam)
Dynamite Headdy (Steam, JPN PSN)
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim 2
Ecco Jr. (Steam)
Ecco the Dolphin (Steam, XBLA, 3DS eShop)
Ecco: Tides of Time (Steam)
Eternal Champions
Forgotten Worlds
Gain Ground (Steam)
Galaxy Force II (Steam, arcade version on 3DS eShop)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Gley Lancer - JPN Import 900 points
Golden Axe (Steam, XBLA)
Golden Axe II (Steam, XBLA)
Golden Axe III (Steam, XBLA)
Gunstar Heroes (Steam, XBLA, JPN PSN, 3DS eShop)
Landstalker (Steam)
Light Crusader (Steam)
M.U.S.H.A.
Mega Turrican
Mercs (Capcom Classic Collection Vol. 1 - PS2/XBOX/PSP)
Monster World IV - JPN Import 900 points (XBLA, PSN)
Phantasy Star II (Steam, XBLA)
Phantasy Star III (Steam)
Phantasy Star IV (Steam)
Powerball
Pulseman - JPN Import 900 points (platformer developed by GameFreak)
Puyo Puyo 2 - JPN Import 900 points
Ristar (Steam)
Rolling Thunder 2
Shadow Dancer (Steam)
Shining Force (Steam)
Shining Force II (Steam)
Shining in the Darkness (Steam)
Shinobi III (Steam, 3DS eShop)
Sonic & Knuckles (Steam, XBLA)
Sonic 3D Blast (Steam)
Sonic Spinball (Steam)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Steam, XBLA, PSN, 3DS eShop)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Steam, XBLA, PSN, 3DS eShop)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Steam, XBLA)
Space Harrier II (Steam)
Splatterhouse 2
Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
Streets of Rage (Steam, XBLA, 3DS eShop)
Streets of Rage 2 (Steam, XBLA, PSN, 3DS eShop)
Streets of Rage 3 (Steam, XBLA)
Strider (Original arcade version available with Strider 2 for PSone)
Super Fantasy Zone - JPN Import 900 points (JPN PSN)
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
Super Thunder Blade (Steam, arcade version on 3DS eShop)
Sword of Vermillion (Steam)
The Revenge of Shinobi (Steam, XBLA, PSN)
ToeJam & Earl (Steam, XBLA)
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (Steam, XBLA)
Vectorman (Steam)
Virtua Fighter 2 (Steam, XBLA)
Wonder Boy III - JPN Import 900 points (Steam)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Steam, XBLA, PSN)

TubroGrafx-16 - 600 points each unless otherwise stated
(games in italics were originally released on CD format)

Just thought about something : is Rondo of Blood 60hz in Europe ?

Edit : "TurboGrafx-16 games are the only Virtual Console games to actually run in 60 Hz on PAL Wii systems; this is because the game data was never changed for release in PAL territories, the original hardware itself performed the conversion to a 50 Hz signal."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Console#PAL_issues

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Bravoman
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - JPN Import 900 points (PSN via Dracula X Chronicles - playable on PSP/Vita/Vita TV)
Chase H.Q.
Cho Aniki - JPN Import 900 points
Cratermaze
Dead Moon
Dragon Spirit
Dragon's Curse
The Dynastic Hero - 800 points - Remake of Wonder Boy in Monster World (XBLA, PSN)
Fighting Street - 800 points
Galaga '90
Gate of Thunder - 800 points
Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou - JPN Import 900 points

J.J. & Jeff
Military Madness (remake also available on WiiWare, XBLA, PSN)
Monster Lair
Ordyne - JPN Import
Psychosis
Riot Zone - 800 points
Samurai Ghost
Splatterhouse
Street Fighter II: Champion Edition - JPN Import 700 points
Super Air Zonk
World Class Baseball
Ys Book I&II - 800 points

Virtual Console Arcade

1942 - 800 points
Altered Beast - 1,000 points
Black Tiger - 800 points
Commando - 800 points
Exed Exes - 800 points
Gaplus - 600 points
Ghosts 'n Goblins - 800 points
Golden Axe - 900 points
Mappy - 500 points
Ninja Gaiden - 600 points
Rygar - 600 points (JPN/NA PSN)
Shinobi - 800 points (XBLA, PSN)
Solomon's Key - 600 points (NES version available on 3DS eShop and Wii U eShop)
SonSon - 800 points
Space Harrier - 800 points (3DS eShop)
Star Force - 500 points
Super Hang-On - 900 points (3DS eShop, XBLA, PSN)
Tecmo Bowl - 600 points (presented in widescreen, original arcade setup was two monitors side-by-side)
The Tower of Druaga - 500 points
Wonder Boy in Monster Land - 800 points (XBLA, PSN)
Zaxxon - 800 points

Will add WiiWare titles next:

Retronauts: WiiWare, Nintendo's weird and wonderful wasteland

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Thanks for this, totally forgot about Blaster Master.

WiiWare
(I am trying to list games either unique to the service or worth checking out, rather than listing every title, feel free to make suggestions)

Adventure Island: The Beginning - 800 points
Alien Crush Returns - 800 points
And Yet It Moves - 1000 points
Arkanoid Plus! - 600 points
Art of Balance - 800 points
Art Style Series - 600 points each
- Cubello
- Light Trax
- Orbient
- Rotohex
- Rotozoa
Blaster Master Overdrive - 1000 points
Bomberman Blast (8 player support on original Wii System with wiimotes plus gamecube controllers) - 1000 points
Bust a Move Plus! (might be the same game as XBLA Bubble Bobble, this series has always confused me) 600 points
Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth - 1000 points
Contra Rebirth - 1000 points
Dr. Mario Online Rx - 1000
Drift Mania (overhead racing by Konami, supports 8 player mode with combo of wiimotes, nunchucks, and/or classic controllers) - 800 points
Excitebike: World Rally - 1000 points
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King - 1500 points
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord - 1000
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (Also on PSP, DS style graphic version on Steam) - 800 points
Fluidity - 1200 points
Gradius Rebirth - 1000 points
Harvest Moon: My Little Shop - 1200 points
Let's Catch (Prope/Sega nuttiness) - 1000 points
LIT (Wayforward) - 800 points
Lost Winds (also available on Steam) - 1000 points
Lost Winds 2 (also available on Steam) - 1000 points
Maboshi's Arcade (truly unique multiplayer/high score game) - 800 points
Mr. Driller W - 800 points
Muscle March (crazy game that is very "Wii") - 500 points
My Pokémon Ranch (Miis plus Pokémon) - 1000 points
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy - 1000 points each
Pokémon Rumble (4 player co-op) - 1500 points
Star Soldier R - 800 points
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (5 episodes) - 1000 points each
Tales of Monkey Island (5 episodes) - 1000 points each
Tetris Party (mii support, balance board mode) - 1200 points
Wario Ware DIY Showcase (works with DS Wario Ware DIY) - 800 points
You, Me, and the Cubes - 1000 points

Additional Recommendations

No love for Bonsai Barber?!

It's one of my favorite WiiWare games, if not my favorite! Such a charming game, and in my opinion one of the best uses of the Wii Remote's IR pointer controls. Cutting the hair...er, leafy parts of all these colorful vegetable characters as they desire is such an experience. It may sound lame but it's surprisingly fun and rewarding! It's been years since I've played it, but just thinking about it makes me want to break out the AA batteries and grab a Wii Remote, lol. It's 1,000 Wii Points if you want to grab it before it's gone forever! (I really hope it gets ported to Switch someday and isn't just lost to time...)

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Both Castlevania the Adventure ReBirth and Contra ReBirth aren't available anywhere else and are great pickups if you have expendable income and don't mind short games (sub 1-hour each).

It's hard to recommend them for those strapped for cash because the value and replayability are non-existant, and at close to $15CAD a pop, it's a tough pill to swallow.

Ultimately the games are super fun and amazingly polished, I just wish more thought had been given to their content.

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[woodypop]

Is there a way anymore to add Wii Shop points without using a credit card?

 

[levious]

Sorry posted in wrong forum.

Credit card only woodypop. Unless you can track down point cards but they always seem overpriced online.

 

[MrSaturn99]

I'll probably snap up some SNES titles (FF2/ActRaiser/Super Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) and gradually collect all the Nintendo-published/developed WiiWare titles before it closes.

 

[Medalion]

Godspeed best Nintendo shopping music evar

 

[woodypop]

Credit card only woodypop. Unless you can track down point cards but they always seem overpriced online.

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Yeah, I was afraid of this. There are some real gems that I'd still like to download, but I'm hesitant about entering my credit card info into their system.

 

[cj_iwakura]

So they'll all be on sale right?... :(

 

[Soda]

It's a huge bummer that so many games made it to the Wii but not the Wii U and probably not the Switch.

 

[preta]

Is there a list anywhere that's specifically of VC games that aren't available through any other means of digital distribution?

 

[levious]

Is there a list anywhere that's specifically of VC games that aren't available through any other means of digital distribution?

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I am researching this as best I can I will add what info I have later today or tonight.

 

[Wanderer5]

Oh yeah, forgot about this. I'l probably get on this upcoming week to look at the Konami Rebirth titles.

 

[modoversus]

Really want the complete Konami Rebirth series, but there seems to be rumors of a re-release on modern consoles. I already have Contra, but would really like the Castlevania. Hopefully something is made official soon.

 

[Meatwad]

Idiotic that all of these games never made it to Wii U VC

 

[maximumzero]

I'll probably pick up a fresh SD Card to try to ward against failure and do a backup onto my Macbook for good measure.

 

[Deleted member 249]

Yeah, I was afraid of this. There are some real gems that I'd still like to download, but I'm hesitant about entering my credit card info into their system.

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For what it's worth, the information isn't actually stored on the servers, and has to be re-entered for each transaction. Every. Single. Time.

 

[thepenguin55]

It's a huge bummer that so many games made it to the Wii but not the Wii U and probably not the Switch.

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Yeah, I worry that Nintendo sees a VC-like service to be a bad move because of declining interest in it over the years. Nintendo didn't seem to get that declining interest in the Virtual Console was a multi-faceted issue that's mostly their own damn fault. It's the product of:
1. NOA fucking with VC releases in the US only resulting in minimal (and often bad or unremarkable) games getting added each week
2. Declining popularity of the Wii starting in mid to late 2010
3. The WiiU had BAD emulation
4. The WiiU was an unpopular system so of course VC wouldn't be very popular
5. Rigid pricing. For $5 you can get NES Baseball or fucking Super Mario Bros 3? WTF? Knowing Nintendo though they would probably take the wrong lesson from this and be like "You're right. Super Mario Bros 3 should be $10!"
6. The fact that VC games could only be straight emulations of a game.

In my eyes, the VC banner should be used for any and all retro games released on a Nintendo platform. For example, Hamster's Arcade Archives games would be under the VC banner. If Sega brings the Christian Whitehead versions of all of the classic Genesis Sonic titles to the Switch it should be under the VC banner. Also, I want an Arcade Archives-like or M2-like version of Super Mario Bros 3 where for $8 I get access to every US and Japanese version of SMB3 including the NES version, SNES version and GBA version. Basically what I'm saying is I want a section of the Switch eshop dedicated to retro games, I want them categorized by what system they were on and I want Nintendo going out of its way to get retro games on the system.

On a side note, VC on 3DS was always a bit of a mystery to me and didn't really hold much appeal for me until SNES games started arriving onto the 3DS eshop for the New 3DS but by then it was too little too late for me to care.

 

[levious]

Added information for genesis titles only available digitally through Wii Shop Channel. Please correct any errors.

 

[robox]

i'll have to unbox and hook up my wii to see what i have in there

 

[Chairman Yang]

Good Retronauts article on some essential Wii VC games not easily available elsewhere: http://retronauts.com/article/602/1...uy-on-wii-virtual-console-before-its-too-late

 

[Mega Man Zero]

The only ones I'm really worried about are Rondo of Blood and the Rebirth games. The only other place you can buy Rondo is on the PSP Chronicles game. This is the only place to get Contra, Gradius, and Castlevania Rebirth, and Star Soldier R. There was some rumor about Konami re-releasing those, but who knows about that.

 

[levious]

Good Retronauts article on some essential Wii VC games not easily available elsewhere: http://retronauts.com/article/602/1...uy-on-wii-virtual-console-before-its-too-late

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Thank you for this, added to OP.

 

[randomelder]

I am researching this as best I can I will add what info I have later today or tonight.

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This is a really great clean-looking effort so far, thanks. I made a half-assed attempt to start something similar at the old place here. It'll definitely take work to narrow down the real digital exclusives, so I hope more people chip in (just off the top of my head, I know several of those TG16 games like Dragon Spirit, Rondo of Blood and Ordyne are available on PSN in some form).

So many things to get ugh.

 

[xir]

WiiWare count? Fluidity is a secret Mario 64 game and it's so good. From gameplay, to art, it's really a masterpiece. The 3ds version sucks.

 

[fireflame]

Idiotic that all of these games never made it to Wii U VC

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Some publishers are rather stupid about that.Like Konami which brought bad gameboy castlevania games to VC, but not Rondo of Blood on Wii U nor the good Castlevania Gameboy game with Sonia Belmont.

 

[-shadow-]

I have €38 left to spend (I purchased a 2 3000 point card for €20 years back so had luck there), but what's annoying is that I'm European and most Virtual Console games drop off entirely due to their 50Hz nature. I still want a couple of the VC games that I never got for some reason, I apparently never got Chrono Trigger so I'm still getting that one, so I still technically have 2900 points left.

 

[randomelder]

The Retronauts list is solid but Jeremy mentioned that he put it together really quickly and didn't mean for it be comprehensive in terms of games you can't actually get elsewhere. There's lots of games in that list you can pick up on PC, XBLA or PSN (through PS3/PSP/Vita).

 

[MoxManiac]

So my understanding is that once the Wii Shop closes, owned games will no longer be redownloadable?

 

[Nosgotham]

Wiiware list incoming?

Some great games on Wiiware.

Final fantasy crystal chronicles: my life as a dark lord

Lilt line

Light Trax

Tomena Sanner

The Rebirth Games

 

[Hieroph]

So my understanding is that once the Wii Shop closes, owned games will no longer be redownloadable?

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Yeah after March 2019. The Wii Shop will close completely, you can't connect and you can't redownload your purchases anymore. Better have your SD card full and backed up several times over by then.

 

[FinFunnels]

I'm tempted to go on a Virtual Console shopping spree because there's so many great games on there that I still haven't purchased.

But, I'm also hesitant to do so because, AFAIK, the purchases are tied to my Wii console, and if that dies I'm SOL even if the games are backed up to an SD card.

 

[Windrunner]

I'm tempted to go on a Virtual Console shopping spree because there's so many great games on there that I still haven't purchased.

But, I'm also hesitant to do so because, AFAIK, the purchases are tied to my Wii console, and if that dies I'm SOL even if the games are backed up to an SD card.

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You can create installable WADs from your purchases if you don't mind using homebrew.

 

[Dynamite Cop]

What about WiiWare?

 

[Emergency & I]

Wow, great idea!


Will I be able to download all my titles once it's down at least?

Godspeed best Nintendo shopping music evar

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Man I missed this track.

 

[Windrunner]

Wow, great idea!


Will I be able to download all my titles once it's down at least?

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After January 2019 you're on your own.

 

[Sacul64]

Yeah, I was afraid of this. There are some real gems that I'd still like to download, but I'm hesitant about entering my credit card info into their system.

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Because your account is locked to the Wii and thus can only be physically stolen along with no option to save your card info on the Wii shop there is no real concern of your info getting stolen.

 

[Emergency & I]

After January 2019 you're on your own.

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Hmm, I'll have to invest in storage :(

 

[Mizeris Lutz Ether Lanai]

Is there any way to purchase wii shop points other than a credit card anymore?

 

[Windrunner]

Retronauts: WiiWare, Nintendo's weird and wonderful wasteland

 

[ConanEdogawa]

I really wish we had gotten some kind of VC/Wiiware Compilation discs to preserve these games. It's only going to get worse for each successive generation with games being lost for good.

 

[Radarscope1]

Yeah, I was afraid of this. There are some real gems that I'd still like to download, but I'm hesitant about entering my credit card info into their system.

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This shouldn't be much of a concern. But everyone has their own thresholds I suppose

 

[Nabbit]

I guess my post linking to previous threads I'd made on the subject at the old place was not allowed. My intention was only to provide additional opinions on Wii Shop game, not to rankle any feathers. My apologies to the mod who had to take care of it for their trouble.

-

Regarding the end of service itself, can you still buy Wii Shop games with a CC rather than Wii Points after March? I'm trying to remember if it let you do it that way, or if only points could be used on purchases.

 

[Deleted member 17361]

Godspeed best Nintendo shopping music evar

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Yup :(
The GOAT

 

[Deleted member 30569]

For what it's worth, the information isn't actually stored on the servers, and has to be re-entered for each transaction. Every. Single. Time.

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LOL, yea.... Tell me about it. I went on a bit of a shopping spree there in December, and yea, you have to enter the info every single time.

By the way, if you don't enter the County (last field) in the address section, your attempt WILL be denied, even if all there other info is valid. At least it was denied for me, the several times I tried it before I figured out they don't want that field blank.

 

[Deleted member 30569]

By the way, the Wii has a "240p" mode, and these games look absolutely FANTASTIC. I have the Wii hooked up to a Framemeister via component, and the image is just beautiful.

 

[Thores]

Ooh thank you for this thread, I was hoping for something like this! Now to figure out what to get and how much I should budget aside.

 

[Deleted member 71]

Super Fantasy Zone and Alien Soldier are both available through PS2 Classic M2 Sega Ages port compilations on Japanese PSN.

 

[JetmanJay]

Oh damn, thanks for the heads up on this.

Will definitely have to grab a few of these outliers and hard to find ones before this gets shut down.

 

[BassForever]

I'm only really interested in the wii-ware games that'll likely be lost forever like that Casltevania Rebirth game (unless it got ported under my nose). Does anyone have a list of that yet?

 

[mrmickfran]

11 years and Contra: Hard Corps was never released.

 

[Radarscope1]

I guess my post linking to previous threads I'd made on the subject at the old place was not allowed. My intention was only to provide additional opinions on Wii Shop game, not to rankle any feathers. My apologies to the mod who had to take care of it for their trouble.

-

Regarding the end of service itself, can you still buy Wii Shop games with a CC rather than Wii Points after March? I'm trying to remember if it let you do it that way, or if only points could be used on purchases.

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Pretty sure the answer is no.