Digital preservationists advocate using the Internet Archive to back up games you already legally own or to access abandoned software that is no longer commercially viable. How to Utilize Wii U ROMs from the Archive
The Wii U utilized proprietary optical discs capable of holding up to 25GB of data. Preserving these games requires converting the physical data into digital formats, commonly referred to as ROMs or ISOs. The Role of the Internet Archive internet archive wii u roms
The Wii U utilizes a unique gamepad-and-console ecosystem. Software designed for this dual-screen setup cannot be easily replicated or understood without preserving the original, unaltered game data. The Role of the Internet Archive The Wii
The community continued, not as vigilantes, but as caretakers. They built better documentation, advised collectors on handing over legitimate dumps, and published histories that treated digital ephemera with the same respect museums afford old postcards and plaster casts. Preservation, they agreed, is not theft; it is the decision to remember. They built better documentation
For those who want to stay on the right side of the law, the best way to get a backup is to dump your own games.