The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006 and quickly became a massive success, surpassing its competitors, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, in terms of sales. What’s interesting is that the Wii was the weakest of the three consoles in terms of raw power. So how did it manage to win the console wars?
One of the main reasons for the Wii’s success was its unique approach to gaming. Nintendo shifted its focus away from traditional gaming controllers and introduced a motion-based control system instead. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk allowed players to physically interact with games in a way that was completely new and intuitive. This approach to gaming appealed to a broader audience than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which were more focused on catering to traditional gamers.
Another factor that contributed to the Wii’s success was its affordability. The Wii was priced lower than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (with its infamous 599 USD price and urging you to take a second job to afford it), making it a more accessible option for gamers. This lower price point, combined with its unique gaming experience, made the Wii a popular choice for families and casual gamers.
Additionally, the Wii’s family-friendly image and library of games made it a hit for parents who were looking for a console that they could play with their children. Games like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Mario Party were popular with both children and adults, further expanding the Wii’s appeal beyond traditional gamers.
The Nunchuk, on the other hand, was not a gimmick or a fad. It was an essential part of the Wii’s motion-based control system, allowing for more complex and varied gameplay. The Nunchuk allowed for more precise movements in games like Zelda and Metroid Prime 3, and it also made multiplayer games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl more engaging and enjoyable.
The success of the Wii and its innovative control system even inspired Microsoft and Sony to introduce their own motion-based controllers, the Kinect and PlayStation Move, respectively. However, neither of these controllers was as successful as the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, as they failed to capture the same level of excitement and innovation that the Wii had brought to the gaming industry.
As to emulating the Wii, one would be hard-pressed to try it due to the nature of the controls. But most games do not really hinge their controls on the Nunchuck’s motion-based controls, even if those games use the Nunchuk, the traditional way of controls is still used as an alternative. Some games, however, rely solely on motion controls, making it impossible to play without them.
One example of such a game is Wii Sports, which is a collection of sports games, including tennis, bowling, golf, baseball, and boxing. These games require players to mimic real-life actions using the Wii Remote, such as swinging the remote to hit a ball or punching with it to throw a punch. Without motion controls, it would be impossible to play these games as there are no other buttons or inputs to perform these actions.
Another game that requires motion controls is Just Dance. In this game, players must follow on-screen dance moves by mimicking them with their body movements. The game tracks the player’s movements using the Wii Remote, making it impossible to play without motion controls.
Similarly, games like Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus require the use of the Wii Balance Board and Wii Remote for exercises and activities that involve balance and movement. Without the motion controls provided by the Wii Remote and Balance Board, players would not be able to accurately perform these activities.
Thankfully, the first (and only viable Wii emulator) on this list had allowed MotionPlus emulation. Here are the two Wii emulators for your favorite gaming hardware:
1. Dolphin
Dolphin is an incredibly popular emulator for the GameCube and Wii consoles that supports many extra features which are not present on the original consoles. It is also capable of basic Game Boy Advance emulation using its built-in version of mGBA with a stripped-down GUI for the sake of GameCube games that support connectivity features. Although early development was supported by a very active homebrew scene, proper emulation is still underway as of 2023, and improvements are still being made as Wii games continue to have issues.
One of its standout capabilities is its support for widescreen output, allowing you to enjoy your favorite games in a more immersive and cinematic format. While the emulator can override the aspect ratio of the original game, this may cause some issues, so it’s recommended to use Swiss for a more reliable widescreen experience. With Swiss, you can even enjoy widescreen on a real GameCube or Wii console.
Dolphin also supports netplay, allowing you to play your favorite multiplayer games with friends over the internet. Additionally, there is an old fork of the emulator that includes VR support, known as Dolphin VR. However, the Dolphin Team is currently working on an official VR implementation using OpenXR.
Finally, Dolphin lets you dump game textures and replace them with custom ones, thanks to its texture pack feature. This can give your favorite games a fresh new look and feel and is a great way to breathe new life into classic titles. Overall, Dolphin is a versatile and feature-packed emulator that is beloved by gamers and emulation enthusiasts alike.
Pros
- In (very) active development
- Works on a lot of devices
Cons
- No Retro Achievements although it is part of Libretro
- Only 37.1% of games run perfectly
Download from the Official Website (All Platforms)
2. Wii Mode
Wii games can be played on the Wii U through a feature called “Wii Mode”. When you launch Wii Mode on the Wii U, the console essentially switches over to the Wii operating system, allowing it to play Wii games. Just like the GameCube before it, a WiiU is just two Wiis duct-taped together.
To play a Wii game on the Wii U, you’ll need to have a Wii Remote controller and a sensor bar. You can connect the sensor bar to the Wii U’s sensor bar input or use a wireless sensor bar. Once you have your controller and sensor bar set up, simply insert the Wii game disc into the Wii U console or access the game through the Wii Shop Channel, if you’ve purchased it digitally.
Also, fair warning, WiiU digital stores are closing on March 27, 2023, bringing down the ability to purchase the Virtual Console games with it. This means that after that date, it will no longer be possible to purchase Virtual Console games or any other digital content for the Wii U.
It’s worth noting that if you’ve already purchased Virtual Console games or other digital content for the Wii U, you will still be able to access and play them even after the digital stores close. However, if you haven’t yet purchased a particular game that you’re interested in, you’ll need to act fast and buy it before March 27, 2023, or you’ll miss your chance.
This decision by Nintendo to shut down the digital stores for the Wii U is not entirely surprising, as the company has been moving away from the Wii U platform in favor of the much, much, much more successful Nintendo Switch.
Pros
- Accurate
Cons
- Dead, very, very soon
