Some Wii U games will make history thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2

Dozens of Wii U games will be available over three consecutive generations Nintendo consoles once the Switch 2 is finally released. This has never happened before in Nintendo's history.

While the Japanese gaming giant hasn't always offered backwards compatibility, efforts to focus on such capabilities intensified in the mid-2000s. But the Switch broke this pattern as Nintendo's first home console since 2001 was incompatible with its predecessor's game library. This is why some vocal fans have long insisted that backwards compatibility is a must for the Switch 2 — a point of view that Nintendo seems to agree with, given how it recently confirmed that its next console will indeed offer this feature.

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A side effect of Switch 2 backwards compatibility is that some games from the Wii U era are now guaranteed to be available on three consecutive generations of Nintendo consoles. As GameFile's Stephen Totillo originally noted, this has never happened before. Of the 12 consoles released by Nintendo since 1985, only half of them were backward-compatible with their immediate predecessors, and none were able to play titles going back two hardware generations. Although the Switch doesn't offer any sort of backwards compatibility, it has received many Wii U games over the years. This is in no small part because the Wii U underperformed severely, so many of its titles were novelties for Switch owners.

At least 36 Wii U games will be available on Nintendo Switch 2

Game Rant has identified 35 Wii U games that were ported to Nintendo's hit hybrid console over the years. This includes cross-gen titles The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild And sophisticated versions in the vein of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. However, many of them are first-party games, as are many third-party offerings Lego City: Undercover and Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove are also available on the last two generations of Nintendo consoles and thus guaranteed to be playable on the Switch 2. As recently announced they will join at least one more game. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Editionwhich is scheduled for release in March 2025.

All Wii U games are ported to the Nintendo Switch

Given that some high-profile Wii U games are still missing from the Switch, this list is likely to expand beyond the new version. Xenoblade Chronicles X. And while Nintendo's track record suggests that its next console after the Switch 2 won't be directly backwards-compatible with the Switch library, the fact that these games are going to make history spanning three consecutive Nintendo console generations serves as a reminder that there is. First time for everything.

Nintendo

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September 23, 1889

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Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

parent company

Nintendo

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