For players who prefer the original gamepad experience, a soft-modded Wii U console can run archived games. Tools like Tiramisu or Aroma environment allow users to install game backups onto an external USB hard drive.

Insert the SD card into the Wii U, launch , select the game, and choose to install it to either your System NAND or an external USB drive. Safety and Best Practices

This is the most transformative category, where a game's assets are heavily modified to create a completely new experience. This includes full-on "Romhacks," which often use a patched base game to run their modifications.