Can anyone answer this? the two most important things I have been trying to find out but nobody seems to mention...

1. If I transfer my Wii content to the Wii U why would I have to re-download all the games stored on my SD card? if the purchase list is transfered then shouldn't it see them as purchased games and let me play them without downloading them again? I could use a different card for the transfer so that my games stay on the original.

2. If I have to re-download games then how do I get games that have been removed from the shop channel?

Thanks

You can still download those games, because there are no games, that have been literally removed from the Wii Shop. They are just hidden, so that just those, who have already purchased them can see and re-dowload them.

I'd really appreciate the answer to this if anyone knows. I've downloaded many virtual console and wiiware games to my Wii. So many, in fact, that they will not all fit in my Wii's memory. So, I've taken advantage of the SD card menu that was introduced on the Wii a couple years back. My question is, how will the Wii to Wii U transfer work if not all of my games are currently in the Wii's memory (some of them are stored on my Wii's SD card)? Thank you.

Me too, I have close to 100 games on my SD card and I really do not want to download them again, that would take forever with the way the shop channel works.

Transferring now... I'll let you know how it goes, I probably have 45 minutes to go...

If you have games stored on the sd card, they would show up in the sd card menu like on your orignal Wii when you complete the transfer.

Btw alittle heads up with transfering Wii points, It doesn't transfer/convert into the Wii U eshop. It stays in the Wii shop channel. Learned that the hard way.

Bad news, all my games on my original Wii's SD card shows up but it won't let me play any of them. It has a message saying this channel cannot be launched on this wii console. So now It will take probably days to redownload like 100 games...

Good to know. I saw the game the same way but didn't test it to see if it plays, I was rushing to play more Wii U games. Thanks for the heads up SteveW

i thought so too when i use the sd card in my wii to do the transfer so i had to delete them all invidiually and download everything again it was no biggie except the immediate chance to experince the wiiu but in the end it was awsome regardless at least the save files work

I think I'm going to try to put all my smallest games on my Wii internal flash so that it doesn't leave as many files to have to redownload 1-by-1. I already tend to leave the smaller ones there anyway.

Thanks for answering everyone but I'm still not understanding something. I thought you had to use a fresh SD card for the transfer. If this is true, and since the Wii can only hold one SD card at a time, how will the Wii U know which games were on my other SD card? Easier way to think of it:
SD card 1: blank, used for transfer
SD card 2: in my Wii right now with a bunch of games on it that won't fit on my Wii memory

The list of all the games you have purchased is in the Wii main memory no matter where your games are stored. I hope that is what you were asking...

the transfwer process also carries over your purchase history, so any games that currently was not on your wii, will be made available for you to redownload

You don't need a fresh SD card, just one with at least 512 MB free. I did the transfer using the same SD car that I've copied extra WiiWare games to. The existing data has no effect on the transfer process. It isn't used by the transfer, it doesn't get in the way, and it doesn't get modified (although any games moved to an SD card before the transfer effectively become useless there, since they can't be used on the old Wii after the transfer and have to be downloaded again to use on the Wii U).

Thank you everyone, that did answer my question. So all your games can be re-downloaded immediately? (after all the necessary updates) Are they shown in the eShop for download? (hidden from those who haven't purchased them before)

Yes, there is a section in the shop that lists all of your purchased games. It's tedious but they are all there. I've been re-downloading Wiiware games for hours.

Thank you, SteveW. Are the VC/WW games still playable on the Wii after the transfer or only on the Wii U?

I've got a question: For games like SSBB that have a friend code for the online part of the game, does it generate a new friend code if you're playing on Wii U? I haven't my copy of brawl or mario kart with me at the moment to try it out. Just wondering

Hooked my Wii U up at 5pm. After the updates, transfers, and VC/WW redownloads, it was ready for me at 11pm. Still havent played the two U games I have!

The transfer erases evrything on the Wii and you can't re-download them on the Wii unless you buy them.