How to play N64 virtual console games in widescreen on Wii U

virtual-consolewii-u

I just bought Donkey Kong 64 on Wii U (Virtual Console version) and realised it's got black borders everywhere. The left and right side are especially large.

I thought I could fix it by activating Widescreen mode in the Options in-game, but all it does is squish the graphics, so they don't look stretched on widescreen TVs.

Is there any way I can force the Wii U to fill my screen completely, so I can play in widescreen mode?

Best Answer

There's no way to get a true widescreen mode. Like Rapitor said, when these games were originally released as Nintendo 64 cartridges they only supported the standard SD 4:3 apect ratio, as that's the only aspect ratio TVs came in back then. The game you bought is the original cartridge version running under a emulator (the "Virtual Console") so the game has all the limitations of the original. It's not possible to support a true 16:9 widescreen presentation without updating the game in some manner to add that feature. For that you'll have to wait for a hypothetical HD remix version of Donkey Kong 64.

In the meantime just play the game. It won't be long before you stop noticing the black borders. Alternatively if the black borders really bother you, but squashed characters don't, you should be able to get the game to fill (most of) the screen by setting the Wii U to output 4:3 and having your TV stretch it to fill the 16:9 display.