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

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

While the Japanese video game giant hasn't always offered backward compatibility, its efforts to focus on such capabilities intensified in the mid-2000s. But the Switch broke that mold by being Nintendo's first home console from 2001 to not be compatible with its predecessor's game library. This is why some fans have long insisted that backward compatibility is a must for the Switch 2, an opinion Nintendo seems to agree with, as it recently confirmed that its next console will offer actually this functionality.

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A side effect of the Switch 2's backward compatibility is that some Wii U-era games are now guaranteed to be available on three consecutive generations of Nintendo consoles. As originally noted by Game File's Stephen Totilo, this has never happened before. Of the 12 consoles Nintendo has released since 1985, only half of them were backwards compatible with their immediate predecessors, and none were capable of playing titles dating back two generations of hardware. While the Switch doesn't offer any sort of backwards compatibility, it has received numerous Wii U games over the years. This is largely due to the fact that the Wii U was significantly underperforming, so many of its titles were new 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 have been ported to Nintendo's hit hybrid console over the years. These include cross-gen titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and improved editions in the wake of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe AND New Super Mario Bros.U Deluxe. While many of them are first-party games, numerous third-party offerings are similar LEGO City: Undercover AND Shovel Knight: Honey they have also been available on the last two generations of Nintendo consoles and are therefore guaranteed to be played on Switch 2. These will be joined by at least one more game in the form of the recently announced one Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Editionwhose release is scheduled for March 2025.

All Wii U games ported to Nintendo Switch

Seeing how some high-profile Wii U games are still missing from the Switch, there's a chance this list will continue to expand beyond the new release of Xenoblade Chronicles. And while Nintendo's track record suggests that its next console after Switch 2 won't be directly compatible with the Switch library, the fact that these games are about to make history by spanning three consecutive generations of Nintendo consoles serves as a reminder that there's a first for All.

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