What a difference two years makes, what was impossible at launch is now available for purchase. Nintendo backtracks on its Wii Gamepad support and future downloadable Wii titles will benefit from it.

But what about those of us who already own those Wii retail games, can we also use the Gamepad? And what about Wii's own digital content, will Nintendo allow users to play the compatible CC titles on the Gamepad? Or will they even let them make their own Wii WiiU shortcuts?

Remember that all of the Wii's VC, much richer and diverse than WiiU's, include CC support. So you could have access to all of that via the gamepad and its control. Only missing feature from WiiU's own VC would be save states and resolution(?), but you'd have access to N64 and even C64!

Here's a list of all the CC Wii compatible content: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_that_use_the_Classic_Controller

I was a bit miffed when this didn't happen at launch (sounded like a selling/upgrade feature to me), and although late Nintendo is getting to it. I just hope they don't only want to charge for it just as they did with VC. I already own said content and would like to benefit of these features as well.

Well, they sadly left SMG2 untouched (no original CC compatibility) for the eshop release, so we still can't play it with the GamePad.

It's nice to see some Wii downloadables get GamePad support, but yeah, what we really want is support in Wii Mode for the CC games; retail and VC. 

That's it. Time will tell, whenever they release a CC Wii title or perform a WiiU update.

The games are just Wii disc images with a WiiU shortcut that goes into Wii mode. Whenever those CC games come, the excuse that Wii content can't run on the Gamepad becomes invalid.

I noticed that from the announced digital titles, there are already two that have CC controls (bolded):

• Super Mario Galaxy 2 (out now)
• Donkey Kong Country Returns (out now in Europe)
• Punch-Out!! (out now in North America, coming soon to Europe)
• Metroid Prime Trilogy (29th January)
• Kirby's Return to Dream Land (coming soon / Europe)
• Pandora's Tower (coming soon / Europe)
• Sin & Punishment: Star Successor / Successor of the Skies (coming soon / Europe)

Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for them in order to see the Gamepad controls.
And Nintendo could then show us that the "VC" Wii games aren't only isos, shortcuts and scanned manuals.

Sin & Punishment is  one of the best examples of Wiimote controls being superior to classic controls.

Didn't have a CC when I bought S&P, but I do now since mid January, maybe I should retry it.
I've also been told that Xenoblade plays worse with its classic controls.

And taking it to the matter at hand, Gamepad touch controls seemed to cheapened the wiimote Sword & Soldiers feel I had on WiiWare. Also shams's game, Flowerworks HD, deteriorated with classic controls.

Nintendo really should just update the controls of Wii games being released on the VC to be classic controller compatible. Theres kind of no excuse for it other than laziness and cutting corners. I can't see it as being too hard or expensive to do. I would imagine that one guy could probably code it all and test it himself within a month. I'm sure they have templates for that sort of thing and it would be as simple as a driver update to make the original game recognize a different controller.

I just want to play Paper Mario with the gamepad. It's been collecting dust in Wii mode since I don't have a classic controller. :/

CC compatible games are easily mapped, but adding extra mapping options is extra work... remember that the Wii "VC" is not being emulated but runs natively through the Wii mode. But you're right that Wii games that ran with NES-style wiimote controls could also be mapped to the Gamepad.

The IR games require more work for them to be gamepad compatible, you could map the cursor with the touchscreen-stylus, and although that would be cool it will not work on all games.

Which of those games are coming to North America? And where did you get this list? I totally want Kirby Dreamland if it supports gamepad controls.