Topic: Digital Wii U Games on Switch

A few questions on Wii U and previous console games digital backwards compatibility on Switch. I skipped Wii U and was looking forward to getting Switch, but by toddler will now have to wait 9 months for a Mario game. Since I skipped Wii U, I'm wondering if it makes more sense to buy Wii U now and then Switch in holiday 2017. But I have a few questions on backwards compatibility. Any help is greatly appreciated!...

• If I buy Switch and not Wii U, will I be able to download the key Wii U games digitally on the Switch? Mario games, Zelda, etc, that way my son can enjoy a bunch of titles while he waits for Mario Odyssey (I realize I can't use physical discs)
• Same questions for 3DS?
• If I have virtual console games downloaded to Wii, can I transfer them to Switch? Or will they all have to be bought again?

@awarren82 To be fair, we don't know. But to give you an acceptable answer:

1. No. At least not in the way that you buy a game on the Wii U and that it allows you to download it for free on the Switch. Nintendo will port some Wii U games over to the Switch with added content; Mario Kart 8 for example is coming to the Switch under the name ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''. You need to buy that game again if you want to play it on the Switch.

2. Same is true for the 3DS, although I don't know if the Switch will even play 3DS games at all. Nothing is confirmed at this point, but I don't think they're going to port 3DS games over to the Switch.

3. Without a Wii U it's definitely not possible to transfer them over. I know that you can transfer over VC games from the Wii to the Wii U, but those are stuck in the ''Wii mode'' inside the Wii U. Nothing is confirmed yet, but they wouldn't allow you to transfer VC games from the Wii mode on the Wii U to the Wii U itself, so I doubt there will be a feature that allows you to transfer games from the Wii to the Switch.

Thanks @Octane. So basically my best path forward is to buy Wii U, transfer VC games from Wii to Wii U, sell Wii, play Wii U for a year, buy Switch, hopefully transfer VC games to Switch, sell Wii U. Let me know if you have other ideas. THANK YOU

@awarren82 you should buy the Wii U and keep the Wii U in my opinion. I'd also keep the Wii for GC and other reasons but that's a different discussion. I think Nintendo will be happy to release every Wii U game ever released in a new ultra HD Switch version but I don't think you'll ever be able to transfer the VC and I don't think there will be a VC with Switch at all but that's just my guess thinking of Nintendo's priorities. There will be special online gameplay enabled NES and SNES games separately that we know they talked about.

@awarren82 Still highly doubt that you can transfer VC games from Wii mode on the Wii U to the Switch. They haven't talked about VC on the Switch at all though, apart from a ''stay tuned''.