Wii U Virtual Console announced, adds GBA games

So you've got yourself a shiny new Wii U, but you're longing for old games to play. Fear not, gentle player, Nintendo announced this morning that the Wii U's Virtual Console is on its way soon. Old games sold on the Wii U will come jazzed up with game saves, Miiverse Communities, and the ability to play them away from your TV on the Wii U GamePad.

It's slated to arrive after the Wii U's spring system update, and Nintendo hinted at an April launch. Wii U Virtual Console will only offer selected NES and SNES games at launch, rather than the full range seen on the Wii. On the bright side, it will eventually stock Game Boy Advance games too.

For people who have already bought a game on Wii and transferred it onto their Wii U but would like the new Wii U features, Nintendo will heavily discount the new version. NES games will cost $1 if you own a copy transferred from Wii, rather than $5-6, and SNES games will be $1.50, down from $8-9.

To herald the launch, Nintendo's deeply discounting some Virtual Console games in a 'Trial Campaign.' From today through July, one game each month will be only $0.30. It kicks off with Balloon Fight, and will then bring F-Zero, Punch Out, Kirby's Adventure, Super Metroid, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong.