History Platform / Wii

* ''VideoGame.WaiWaiWorld2SOSParselyJo''

# Holding up the rear in the MediaNotes/ConsoleWars (only for home consoles, mind you. They remained king of handhelds, with the Platform/GameBoyAdvance still selling strong and the Platform/NintendoDS a good amount ahead of Creator/{{Sony}}'s Platform/PlayStationPortable).

Nintendo's first true foray into internet-based play started on the Wii[[labelnote:ex:]]the company toyed with the concept a few years earlier with select DS titles[[/labelnote]] and, much like the console itself, were a far cry from the other systems. These included the [[ScrappyMechanic infamous friend code system]] that would be phased out in later generations in favor of more traditional usernames. The Wii did have [[Platform/WiiWare a surprisingly deep online store]] like its competitors, and a separate Platform/VirtualConsole store that essentially served as legal UsefulNotes/{{emulation}}. Unfortunately, it was not possible to download normal games, just smaller [=WiiWare=] ones, and patching wasn't feasible. Additionally, a true mass storage solution (like, say, an external hard drive) didn't appear until the end of March 2009, and only a limited number of demo versions of the games were available.

Sadly, in the case of third-parties, most developers would either ignore the system entirely, or toss in some quick-and-dirty ports of Platform/PlayStation2 games (coupled with half-baked controls), with more serious efforts coming only after the system's continued popularity established it as a friendly environment. The low development costs compared to its HD cousins allowed for many unusual, financially risky games, often [[AcclaimedFlop critical darlings but commercial failures]]. A common debate involving the Wii is whether a [[VideoGame/LittleKingsStory real-time strategy game slash life sim where the protagonist is a little boy]] or a [[VideoGame/MadWorld spiritual successor to an equally cult PS2 beat 'em up]] would have done well on any other system. The lower development costs also meant the system ended up hosting large amounts of UsefulNotes/{{shovelware}}. The newfound audience of casual players didn't know any better, being more susceptible to buying cheaply-made games with motion controls slapped on. However, it would still see third-party successes such as ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', ''VideoGame/LEGOStarWars: The Complete Saga'' (while not an exclusive, it sold the best on the Wii), ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'', ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'', and most notably, ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes''.

* 512 MB of internal UsefulNotes/FlashMemory.

* SuspendSave: Platform/VirtualConsole can suspend some games. It can suspend SNES games, but not N64 games. This feature is less useful than the save states in other [[UsefulNotes/{{Emulation}} emulators]] - including later Nintendo consoles - because it prevents SaveScumming.

* ''VideoGame/GHOSTSquad''

Plus, it did it all without needing specs that raised the cost of the system (which, following Japan's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Decade_(Japan) "Lost Decade"]] of economic instability, they could not have afforded regardless). Much of the Wii's internals were based off the [=GameCube=],[[note]]Creator/GearboxSoftware president Randy Pitchford even [[http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/13/interview-gearbox-president-sounds-off-on-wii-ps3-360/ referred to the Wii as a "supercharged GameCube"]] in an ''Magazine/ElectronicGamingMonthly'' interview; and Chris Hecker of Maxis [[MemeticMutation infamously]] called it "two [=GameCubes=] duct-taped together" at the 2007 Game Developers Conference[[/note]] an already pretty powerful piece of hardware (for its time), but made even more powerful. It had numerous fundamental differences to the [=PS3=] and 360. The make a good analogy comparing the systems is that the Xbox 360 and [=PS3=] are modern, top-of-the-line supercars, while the Wii is a tuned-up roadster from a decade ago, modified to yield higher horsepower. [[labelnote:ex:]]The Wii had no internal hard drive for the sake of cost and reliability. It also lacked programmable pixel shaders, restricting it to simplistic, vertex-based shaders that could not be modified to yield higher resolution. Becoming obsolete with the arrival of Microsoft's UsefulNotes/DirectX 8 (used in the Xbox) and [=OpenGL=] 2. Simply put, in terms of shaders, the Wii and its competitors spoke completely different languages.[[/labelnote]]

* DigitalAvatar: UsefulNotes/{{Mii}}s. Players can make a Mii in the Mii Channel, then use it in ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' and other supported games. Nintendo later brought Miis to the [[Platform/Nintendo3DS 3DS]], Platform/WiiU and [[Platform/NintendoSwitch Switch]]. Microsoft and Sony played FollowTheLeader with their own avatar tools, though Sony would quickly abandon them.

** ''Kirby's Dream Collection''

[[caption-width-right:350:"Two [[Platform/{{NintendoGameCube}} [=GameCubes=]]] duct-taped together" = ''[[CrazyEnoughToWork the best-selling console in its generation]].'']]

** ''Endless Ocean: Blue World''

* ''Grand Slam Tennis''

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear XX Accent Core''

* ''Max & the Magic Marker''

** ''Namco Museum Megamix'' (UpdatedRerelease of ''Remix''. Contains all of its games plus those listed below)

* ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter'' series: