At the ripe age of 23, I'm getting nostalgic for my youth, and nothing warms my heart more than the humble Nintendo Wii. As a devout Nintendo fan, my fondest memories were formed when dangerously swinging at my TV during a heated game of Wii sports – and increasingly it seems I'm not alone.
As Gen Alpha slowly usurps the Zoomer (that's me), we Gen Z elders are finally free to revel in nostalgia. Call me bitter, but it feels like retro game consoles get all the love and there's a severe deficit of appreciation for the Wii. It raised a generation and I won't let it fade into obscurity – here's to the Wii revival.
A new frontier
When the Wii first burst onto the scene all the way back in 2006 it was seen as somewhat of a joke, but regardless of its mixed reception, Nintendo's hot new innovation was a pioneering piece of tech. As one of the first domestic consoles to feature motion controls with accelerometers, the Wii's ability to measure static and dynamic acceleration made refined motion control accessible to the consumer market.
The Wii soon became Nintendo's best-selling console (until it was overtaken by its trendier cousin the Switch, in 2021), partly due to its games. With releases such as Wii Sports and Mario Kart taking the top spot, mid-2000s gamers yearned for a refreshing change from the typical platformers and fighting games.
Thanks to motion control, the Wii had a more tangible game feel that was simple and (mostly) intuitive for players of all ages. Finally, there was a solution to younger sibling player 2 syndrome, with games focussing on minigames that were compact, competitive and accessible.
Where is the love?
In its heyday, it felt like the love for the Wii would never end. Sadly (and inevitably) it has died a death – but I feel like I'm only one of the few that's mourning. Why is the Wii not coveted like its older relatives the N64 and SNES?
I have a few theories, but predominantly, the popularity of the Switch has cast my beloved Wii aside. A lot of games that were once exclusive to the Wii are now also available on the Switch, making the janky geriatric console practically obsolete.
Another factor is time. It feels like only yesterday that we were gyrating to Just Dance in our living rooms, so perhaps the nostalgia hasn't caught up yet. While the Wii is officially considered a retro console, it may be a while before more people start reminiscing. You heard it here first, a Wii renaissance is incoming.
It's also a matter of marketing – while the Wii was arguably iconic, it was never cool. I'll admit that a family-friendly box-shaped console with a host of gimmicky accessories doesn't have the same glamour as the traditionally favoured retro consoles. The consumer-friendly palatability of the Wii was its greatest feature and subsequently, its greatest downfall.
The great Wii revival
I refuse to accept that the Wii is going to regress into obscurity, and even now I'm starting to see glimpses of nostalgia creeping into the public conscience. Whispers of the Mii channel music undulate through the airwaves of TikTok and streamers are capitalising on Wii sports for the nostalgia bait. For now, it may be an underground movement, but soon, we'll all be Wii partying.
If you're after more nostalgia, check out the wild Y2K phone design that's bringing back some fond memories. For more Nintendo news, take a look at our Switch hub to stay up to date with all the latest Switch Pro updates.
