This game coming to the Wii U virtual console is no surprise; it was previously released for the Wii Virtual Console back in 2008, and for the Wii U Virtual Console around the world last year. It is unknown what caused such a major delay for a North American release.
The synopsis for the game, as stated on Nintendo’s website reads:
Super Mario RPG has a legacy of being a great game, evidenced by a popular character from, Geno, being released as a downloadable Mii skin for Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U – as we all know, only great characters make their way to Smash Bros.