Nintendo Wii

Nintendo Wii

• Manufacturer: Nintendo | Release Year: 2006

The Nintendo 64 and the GameCube were capable, sustainable consoles with excellent support and fantastic games, but the increased competition from Microsoft and Sony made it difficult for Nintendo to see the same victory it did in the previous years. After two attempts to repeat the success it had with the NES and Super NES, Nintendo decided to shake things up and offer gaming experiences that stray from the expected.

Enter the Nintendo Wii, a system that put much more emphasis on the user interface than it did on the high definition, surround sound experience. The way we play was the biggest change to what we play: the idea was to introduce something that anyone could pick up and understand, and with the new input, it was hoped, a new market would form and a new audience would step forward to play games.

The company gave birth to the Remote, a device that had few buttons but offered motion control as well as a pointing device, two ideas that were relatively new to the console market. But to get this to become a standard, Nintendo had to introduce it as the core device of a new system, not as an optional peripheral for its current hardware.

The strategy worked. The Wii isn't much more advanced than the GameCube, but the controller – a device Nintendo has stated began as a GameCube peripheral – has converted millions of casual gamers to become system owners. The idea of bundling Wii Sports with the system was an incredibly smart move, as people immediately understood what the Wii was and what it could do in a simple to play, well designed experience.

The Wii's overall lifespan as a vibrant platform, however, was cut short by a slew of shovelware releases and a lack of faith and interest from third-parties. As the lineup dried up, most families continued to use the Wii not as a gaming console, but as a dedicated Netflix machine. 

Notable Games

• Super Mario Galaxy

Nintendo's first Mario 3D platformer since Super Mario Sunshine is a brilliant return with wonderful planetary and gravitational gameplay mechanics.

• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Though originally made for GameCube, the Wii conversion brings excellent Remote and motion elements to the familiar franchise.

• Wii Sports

It's the game that started a new revolution. Now your grandparents want to play videogames thanks to these simplified motion-sensing sports designs.

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The awesome Nintendo mascot fighting game goes online for the first time, and offers tons of customizable options.

• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Retro completes its trilogy in fine form with the first real First-person shooter on the Wii console.

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The first Zelda game made for Wii from the ground up utilized pointer and motion controls throughout.