Significant system updates coming to Wii U in Spring and Summer; Wii U Virtual Console coming this April

During today's Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata announced that there will be two significant system updates coming this spring and summer. The system updates will be adding new features, but will primarily make your Wii U faster. With these updates, your Wii U will launch software faster and will return to the Wii U menu faster — two complaints that Wii U owners have.

Following the spring update, Nintendo will be bringing the Virtual Console to the Wii U, due out in April. It won't offer all the whole library available to the Wii, but NES and SNES games will be available. NES games will cost $4.99-$5.99, while SNES games will cost $7.99-$8.99. If you already own a game on the Wii and want to buy the game for the Wii U, you'll be able to get the Wii U version at a discounted price — $1 for NES games and $1.50 for SNES games — if you transfer your Wii Virtual Console titles to your Wii U.

The best part about the Wii U Virtual Console is that you'll have the option to play off-tv, solely on your Wii U GamePad.

Also, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the Famicom in Japan (NES known to us here in the states), Nintendo is making one NES or SNES game available each month through July at the anniversary price of 30 cents. That price will be available for 30 days, after which it will return to its normal price. The celebration starts now, as the first game is already available in the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U. The line-up of games are:

• January: Balloon Fight
• February: F-Zero
• March: Punch-Out Featuring Mr. Dream
• April: Kirby's Adventure
• May: Super Metroid
• June: Yoshi
• July: Donkey Kong

As we approach the spring update, I'm sure Nintendo will release more information on all of the Wii U system changes. Until then, enjoy Balloon Fight.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com