Punch-Out!!, Super Mario Galaxy 2 among Wii titles coming to Wii U as downloads

Wii games will be available for download and play on the Nintendo Wii U beginning this month — avoiding the hassle of the changeover to Wii mode — Nintendo announced this morning.

The downloadable titles will appear in the Wii U gamepad's screen like any other piece of software for the console, and will launch without switching to Wii mode.

The first game, Super Mario Galaxy 2, will launch after today's Nintendo Direct presentation. Punch-Out!! will be available Jan. 22, and Metroid Prime Trilogy will be available Jan. 29, all from the Wii U eShop.

Wii games that supported the Wii Classic Controller also can be played using the GamePad instead of the Wii Remote.

The games will sell for $19.99, but will be available for $9.99 for one week after their launch.