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alienjesus
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Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by alienjesus Wed Mar 08, 2023 6:03 pm

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Whoops, I'm late posting another Console of the Month - my apologies (although if you notice I'm late to the party, feel free to start the thread - the upcoming console list is posted in the Together Retro board!)

This month we're talking about the phenomenon that was the Nintendo Wii. Focusing in on motion controls and sticking to underpowered hardware compared to it's contemporaries, the Wii proved to be a massive hit with a more casual market, selling over 100 million consoles in it's lifetime. The cultural impact that the likes of Wii Sports and Wii Fit had cant be understated, and it was a strange day indeed when I got to play a game of Wii Bowling against my granddad - a man who had never played a video game in his life - and he beat me!

That's not to say the Wii had nothing to offer to more hardcore gamers either, with classics like Mario Galaxy alongside cult titles like Sin & Punishment, the system had a lot of high quality titles hidden amongst the waves of shovelware mini-game collections.

Share your memories of the Wii here- What are your favourite games? What is the legacy of the Wii? Let us reminisce!
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by Ziggy587 Fri Mar 10, 2023 8:36 am

I had a fantastic time with the Wii during its lifetime, and I still enjoy it to this day. In fact, I would have to say that it's one of my all-time favorite consoles. During it's time, the hardcore bro gamers loved to put the Wii down, often citing waggle controls and poor graphics. And it was a console your grandmother uses, so it can't be a real hardcore gaming machine. But being a retrogamer, we don't really care about graphics (not in that way, anyway). And while the console had a ton of shovelware and gimmicky waggle controlled games, it also has a lot of great games.

alienjesus wrote:Whoops, I'm late posting another Console of the Month - my apologies (although if you notice I'm late to the party, feel free to start the thread - the upcoming console list is posted in the Together Retro board!)


No worries. I noticed you hadn't posted the new month yet, but I've been so busy I didn't even realize how many days were passing. But, noted, I can post a thread if you're late again in the future.

I'll have to post my thoughts and memories on the Wii when I get a chance, probably over the weekend.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by Ziggy587 Sun Mar 12, 2023 11:16 am

I had such a blast with the Wii during its life. So much so that it is one of my all-time favorite consoles. And that was really surprising to me as a realization. But in a couple of years, the Wii will be 20 years old! At the time that the Wii launched, if you asked me what my favorite console was I would have said the SNES followed by the N64 as a close second. Well in 2006, the SNES was about 15 years old and the N64 was about 10 years old. At the time, being a young adult, 10 and 15 years seemed like a really long time. Those two Nintendo consoles were part of my childhood, and that is an impossible thing to compete with. But being that the Wii is around 17 years old now, about the same amount of time has passed between then and now as it did with the SNES/N64 and the launch of the Wii. At the present, I can look back at myself at the launch of the Wii and think of myself as a child (in a way). I mean, don't get me wrong, having tons of great games is what makes a console one of your favorites. But there's also some other factor. Something that you spent a lot of positive time with years back will become a happy memory, and that's where the nostalgia factor comes into play. I always kind of looked at nostalgia as something from your childhood. But then I realized, it's simply something from your past. No matter how old you are, something could impact you now that, if you live long enough, you can become nostalgic for. And maybe that's another weird part of why the Wii is one of my favorite consoles. That realization was part of a bigger life transformation. Me being a young adult, coming to realizations about a great many things. The Wii was a part of that time in my life, much the same as the SNES and N64 were a part of my life in childhood.

Yes, I've actually analyzed why the Wii is my favorite console on a deeper sub-conscience level LOL.

As a whole though, I have very fond memories of the 7th generation. For me, it was sort of a renascence for video games. And in my opinion, the last truly GREAT generation of consoles. As I said, I grew up with the SNES and N64. But during the 6th generation, the Gamecube wasn't my main console. I had a Playstation 2. And perhaps, being in high school at the time, I was the right age to be more into GTA and FPS. I still very much liked Nintendo (SNES and N64 being my favorite even then, which I still played along side PS2) but I just wasn't as interested in the Gamecube. I briefly owned one during it's life, but I was just more interested in the PS2 at the time. And that's one of the reasons the 7th gen was a renascence for me. Nintendo became my favorite console again, and I was fully invested in many first party Nintendo games. I also owned a PS3 during the 7th gen, but it was a clear second place to my Wii. I spent way more time on the Wii than the PS3.

And just to touch a little on the 7th generation as a whole... Being a young adult, this was the first time I could afford to have TWO current gen consoles. The Wii was my first 7th gen console, and although I was enjoying it immensely, I still wanted either a PS3 or Xbox 360 for the types of games I would be missing on the Wii. At the time, most of my friends owned a 360. And I think I totally would have bought a 360 over PS3 if it weren't for the RROD. But in fact, if I had enough disposable income, I totally would have had all 3 consoles! I mention all of this only to highlight how awesome this generation truly was. All three consoles were worth owning. I guess you can make that argument about each generation of consoles since then, but I don't feel like it would be as strong of an argument as it was for the 7th gen. These were all amazing consoles for their own reasons, with brand new things like online play and digital purchases being standard, and HD (or at least 480p widescreen in the case of the Wii), and tons of amazing games coming out left and right. I feel like video game hardware, in terms of innovation, really peaked during this generation. Strictly in terms of innovation, the PS4 and PS5 as well as the Xbox One and Series S/X just seem like more powerful versions of the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Anyways, I don't mean to go too off-topic from the Wii. It's just important to talk about that generation as a whole when talking about the Wii. It was the weirdest time in video game history, if you ask me, and I think that was a good thing. Every generation before that, it was always about improving graphics and sound quality. Then the Wii comes along, and Nintendo draws a line in the sand. They clearly, un-apologetically, and quite frankly boldly defined exactly who they are. If you want to call the Wii a beefed up Gamecube with motion controls tacked on, you wouldn't be wrong. And that's what got the Wii a bad wrap from the hardcore gaming scene. Here is the PS3 and 360 pushing the envelope in terms of graphical power. And then here's the Wii, looking mostly like last gen graphics and you have to wave your hands around like an idiot. What a strange choice for Nintendo to make, not to compete graphically. But Nintendo is about having fun playing video games, which doesn't automatically mean cutting edge graphics. The Gameboy and the Wii are two of Nintendo's most under spec'ed pieces of hardware, and yet two of their most cherished and best selling pieces of hardware.

That said, I have to admit that I originally bought a Wii because of the motion control gimmick. Didn't everyone? I had a cousin that was able to score a Wii during the launch holiday season, so I got to experience Wii Sports. Very soon after, I purchased a Wii at a markup on eBay (it was impossible to find at retail at the time). But I didn't realize that there would be tons of great games coming out for it, some of which barely use the motion controls (if at all). So my early time with the Wii was showing people Wii Sports and some not-so-great games.

After I first bought my Wii, I only had money for one game. There wasn't a whole lot out for the console yet, and very few of the games at the time appealed to me. So I ended up getting Far Cry Vengeance. I was playing a lot of FPS at the time, in fact it was my favorite genre then. I had played the first Far Cry on the PC, so I figured let me give this one a try. What an awful game, really. I don't know if it was rushed or what, but the graphics are horrible and it's buggy as all hell. I haven't played it since then, but I do recall the gameplay at least being fun. It showed me that FPS on the Wii can be amazing. Using the Wiimote and Nunchuk, it's basically the perfect union of mouse and keyboard with a tradition controller. You get the benefits of mouse aiming, and the benefits of a joystick for movement, and with something that feels somehow more like a controller than it does a keyboard and mouse. For example, you can use this control scheme on a couch whereas that's not very practical for a keyboard and mouse.

I don't want to make this post too long, so I'll cut it off here for now. I think I lost my train of thought anyway. Next, I'll talk about some games that I really enjoyed.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by BoneSnapDeez Sun Mar 12, 2023 4:59 pm

I'm a fan. This is the system that brought me back to gaming after a long hiatus, primarily thanks to oddball JRPGs like Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World.

These days I mostly use my Wii as a GameCube, and I use my Wii U for Wii games.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by marurun Sun Mar 12, 2023 7:35 pm

I also think the Wii is an amazing system. The limitations on power really forced developers to explore approaches to games that weren’t just more FPS and 3PS games. The motion controls also have developers opportunities to really explore gameplay. And while Nintendo had the most consistent success with motion controls, other companies did also see some successes. But for me what really defined the Wii was the Virtual Console. Such amazing selection at reasonable prices. The Wii really poured gasoline on the coals of classic gaming.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by prfsnl_gmr Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:23 pm

BoneSnapDeez wrote:These days I mostly use my Wii as a GameCube, and I use my Wii U for Wii games.


This 100%.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by ElkinFencer10 Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:45 pm

marurun wrote:I also think the Wii is an amazing system. The limitations on power really forced developers to explore approaches to games that weren’t just more FPS and 3PS games. The motion controls also have developers opportunities to really explore gameplay. And while Nintendo had the most consistent success with motion controls, other companies did also see some successes. But for me what really defined the Wii was the Virtual Console. Such amazing selection at reasonable prices. The Wii really poured gasoline on the coals of classic gaming.

The Wii is what got me into the TurboGrafx-16. I'd never even heard of that system before I got my Wii, and playing TG16 games on the Wii VC instantly turned me into a fan.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by Markies Sun Mar 12, 2023 9:37 pm

So, I only just got my Wii a year ago or so. I am only getting into the games and it has been fun. However, constantly having to put batteries in the remotes is a pain. I'll buy a Wii game and just want to make sure it works, so I have to find batteries, put it in the remotes, start up the console and then see if the game works. I don't want the batteries in Wii motes for months on end, so I then have to take the batteries out again.

My friend bought a Wii when they were incredibly scarce and we played that for many years. Most of the games were very waggly, but some of them were very enjoyable. If you enjoy Pinball at all, I would recommend the Pinball Hall of Fame games on the Wii as they are fantastic. Also, for some multiplayer fun, I suggest Fortune Street and Dokapon Kingdom as well.

I'm beginning to discover the Wii throughout the years and I look forward to trying out new titles for the system.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by ZRofel Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:53 am

I remember that, like a lot of folks, when I initially heard about the Wii, it sounded really gimmicky and I absolutely hated the name. But as a steady stream of quality games were released, it really managed to win me over. These days, while I'm still not a fan of motion controls in general, I think the Wii has one of the most dynamic and unique libraries of modern consoles, and I absolutely consider it a top tier piece of Nintendo hardware.

When examining the Wii's library of games, the ones that tried to cram motion controls into traditional gameplay generally fell pretty flat, but the games that fully embraced the concept turned out pretty good. The Wii has some great point-and-click adventure games like Zack and Wiki, as well as ports of some Telltale games, and it's really the last bastion of light gun shooters, including the underappreciated House of the Dead: Overkill and those two awesome Resident Evil shooters. I've heard good things about the Dead Space one too, but I haven't sunk much time into it. And as much as the success of the Wii lead to a glut of shovelware that emphasized motion controls, there are tons of fantastic traditional games on the Wii as well. The two Mario Galaxy games are fantastic 3D platformers, and while it's kind of considered the black sheep of the series now, I think Super Smash Bros. Brawl is an excellent iteration of the Smash Bros. formula. I may be the only person in the world who actually likes Subspace Emissary mode, but I absolutely stand by the assertion. It's silly Nintendo crossover fun. Super Paper Mario is also a really fantastic twist on the Paper Mario formula and features a surprisingly poignant story (admittedly, it's also the story that allegedly lead Shigeru Miyamoto to declare there could be no more elaborate stories in Paper Mario games, hence why everything from Sticker Star onward has been kind of rubbish). Deadly Creatures is a really fun brawler a la God of War/Devil May Cry where you play as a non-anthropomorphized spider and tarantula duking it out across an American desert. It's got a really weird story with a sense of plodding but inevitable doom that you don't get in a lot of video games. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is a criminally underappreciated entry in the Capcom vs. fighting game series. Honestly, it's better than a lot of their more beloved fighting games despite the smaller, more obscure roster. Sin and Punishment: Star Successor is another fantastic Treasure title. There are a whole host of weird, interesting jRPGs that have never been ported anywhere else, including two of the three Operation Rainfall games. Disaster: Day of Crisis is a fun, campy action game that does an excellent job recreating the feel of a '90s American action movie in a video game. Really, its library is fantastic.

And that's not even counting all of the awesome Wiiware and Virtual Console titles. While I'm still not a fan of digital-only games on consoles and handhelds, the Virtual Console is really where a lot of games that never could have received physical releases at the time were allowed to flourish, and a lot of lost console titles from the 8- and 16-bit era were given a second chance. It's hard to imagine Mega Man 9 or Mega Man 10 happening without the Virtual Console. Similarly the three 16-bit Konami Rebirth games.

Really, I have nothing but warmth towards the Wii. It reminded everyone why Nintendo was still a powerhouse in the videogame industry, particularly at a time when the floundering of the N64 and Gamecube were leading a lot of "hardcore" gamers to start clamoring for Nintendo to go third-party like Sega did. And it's really hard to see something as weird as the Switch coming into existence without the Wii coming first. And as the Switch, with its fantastic hardware and rich, sprawling library is well on track to be one of my favorite consoles of all time, that's a real compliment to the Wii.
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Re: Console of the Month (March 2023) - Nintendo Wii

by PretentiousHipster Mon Mar 13, 2023 4:09 pm

Gotta go through more of the library, but tbh even the cheap games can be quite awesome. I REALLY loved Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars for example.

There is this one video that did a fantastic deep dive into notable wii games, and he clearly went down some rabbitholes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFuFV_pQXnU
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