Remembering the Wii

Billy Schafer, Writer

Nintendo has released several great consoles over the years, all of which try to have something new. The SNES had 16-bit graphics, the N64 had 3d, the Gameboys and DS systems were all portable. But the Wii was the first system to introduce Motion controls, and it had several great and memorable games. 

 

Origins, features, and sales: 

 

 

Wikipedia.com
Wikipedia.com

 

The Wii was released by Nintendo in 2006, 5 years after the GameCube. Its main focus was motion controls, wireless controls, and a home screen with different “channels.” These included a shop where you could buy classic Nintendo games, Indie games, and there was a mii maker where you could make custom characters that would show up in certain games. Many of its games had motion controls and could have up to 4 players and were some of the most popular games that Nintendo had released. The console could also connect to the internet, allowing for online gameplay, and the first versions were backwards compatible with GameCube games. It was released around the time of the Xbox 320 and the PlayStation 3. 101.63 million consoles were sold worldwide, and 41.70 were sold across the US. It was Nintendo’s home console at the time, with the DS being Nintendo’s portable console. 

Games:

The Wii had several memorable titles that are well known classics today. These games ranged from competitive multiplayer fun to exciting single player adventures. These titles included Wii Sports, a multiplayer sports themed game that included Tennis, Bowling, Baseball, Boxing, and Golf. It was released as a display of the Wii’s motion control, and you could play with up to 3 other people, and you could play as a mii. Another great game was New Super Mario Bros Wii, a side scrolling platformer that you could play with 3 other people this made for cooperative, and a little chaotic fun. A more competitive game was Super Smash Bros Brawl, you could fight as your favorite Nintendo character, with up to 4 players, tons of characters, modes and a unique story mode, Super Smash Bros Brawl would give hours and hours of fun. Another great competitive game was Mario Kart Wii, where you raced with motion controls across tons of fun stages and quirky items, it was an amazing game to play with your friends. Additionally, some exciting single player experiences included Super Mario Galaxy(2), where you got to explore space as your favorite plumber, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, where you can battle monsters with motion-controlled sword action., and the Metroid Prime Trilogy, where you could play as Samus Aran in first person! All of these are just a few of the great games that where on the Wii, there were also many New Play Control! Titles that were enhanced with motion control. 

Legacy and types:

 

The Wii came in white, black, and blue. A red one was released for Super Mario’s 25th anniversary, and a cheaper Wii Mini that lacked online access was released later. The console that came after the Wii was the Wii U, which had a Gamepad controller for new game experiences. Unfortunately, the Wii u did not as good as the Wii and was one of Nintendo’s weaker consoles. But many Wii games have sequels or remakes that are on the Nintendo Switch! Some of these include Switch Sports, Skyward Sword HD, and New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe.