According to a recent article in Famitsu magazine downloading classic Nintendo games onto your Revolution will not be free. Boss man, Satoru Itawa, explicitly stated the fact, but added that some games might be available for free download as a bonus for purchasing a Revolution title or through special promotions. Packaging retro titles with current games is nothing new, but perhaps Nintendo will put a revolutionary spin on the concept—say, buy Mario Revolution (not a real title) and download any three Mario-related games from the past.
No word yet on the cost of downloads, or whether or not pricing will vary based on generation. We’ll keep you posted.