I mentioned a while ago that Nintendo has produced a special adapter for its Wii U console that allows the old GameCube controllers (and Wavebird wireless controllers) to be used with the upcoming Super Smash Bros. sequel.  Yesterday the product became much more interesting when the company announced that the adapter would bring GCN controller access to any game that accepts Classic Controller or Pro Controller input, but today the other shoe dropped and now Nintendo has backtracked on that news with a clarification that the only Wii U game that supports the adapter will be Smash.  Eurogamer fills us in:

The Wii U GameCube controller adapter will only be compatible with Super Smash Bros., Nintendo has now said.

The company has changed the listing on the accessory's official product page and apologised for the mix-up.

"The GameCube Controller Adapter for Wii U is compatible with Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U specifically - it is not compatible with any other Wii U software," a Nintendo UK spokesperson has told Eurogamer.

"The adapter is also not compatible with Wii and we apologise for any confusion."

Initially, the adapter's listing stated that it would be compatible with all games that utilised the Wii Classic Controller and Classic Pro Controller, as well as the Wii U Pro Controller. Both of these statements have now been removed.

That's disappointing.  I was wondering if I needed to buy one of these adapters with future use beyond Smash in mind; for all I know, this adapter is one of those bizarre peripherals that Nintendo sells for about three months, then ends production and support forever.  If the adapter was usable on other games besides Smash, I'd consider it a must-have, but I'm happy playing the brawler on the GamePad and don't expect to do much local multiplayer with it.  Then again, just because the adapter isn't backward compatible doesn't necessarily mean it won't work with future releases created with it in mind.  And whatever happened to those GameCube games for the Virtual Console?  Certainly they'd support the adapter if they ever make it to the eShop.  So I appear to be right back where I started here: do I buy one for potential future use or let it go and risk it vanishing from the market after the first production run?  Nobody ever said being a Nintendo fan was easy.