History Platform / Wii

[[caption-width-right:350:"Two UsefulNotes/{{GameCube}}s [[ItWillNeverCatchOn duct taped together]]" = ''[[CrazyEnoughToWork Fifth bestselling console of all time]].'']]

By the end of the UsefulNotes/GameCube's [[SixthGeneration life]] (and the beginning of the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoDS DS's]]), Creator/{{Nintendo}} was known for four things: one, being innovative; two, for being the "kiddy" console company; third, for making their products [[TonkaTough durable]]; and fourth, for being dead last in the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars (but only for home consoles, as the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance was still selling strong, with the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS selling strong as well). Third-parties wanted nothing to do with them, and some gamers thought Nintendo would concentrate on handhelds or even go third-party like Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/HudsonSoft, Creator/{{Atari}}, and Creator/{{SNK}}. In the escalating cost of superior graphics in the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars between Creator/{{Sony}} and Microsoft, it was thought that Nintendo couldn't compete. In response, they created an [[NotHelpingYourCase innovative, durable, family-friendly console.]] This time though, they would not be dead last. They [[TakeAThirdOption created the Nintendo Wii]].

Plus it did it all without needing specs that raised the cost of the system (which they could not have afforded). The innards of the Wii are based off the GameCube[[note]]Gearbox Software's 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 ''ElectronicGamingMonthly'' interview[[/note]]. While its total polygon count is much higher, the Wii's hardware is still based off 2001 technology, so while it's cheap, it doesn't have the advanced features more powerful consoles have.[[labelnote:specifically...]]The Wii has no hard drive for the sake of cost and reliability. It's also missing programmable pixel shaders, restricting it to simplistic vertex-based shaders that cannot be modified. This became obsolete with the arrival of DirectX 8 (used in the Xbox) and OpenGL 2, so in terms of shaders the Wii and its competitors are speaking completely different languages.[[/labelnote]]

* '''Ports, Ports, and more Ports''': The Wii, hardware-wise, is very similar to the GameCube (in fact, It is often described as a modded {{GameCube}}) and to an extent the PSP and PS2, so at the beginning of its lifespan, the console was host to dozens of games ported from them. These ranged from popular games like ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'' to sleeper hits like ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' and ''Mercury Meltdown'' to games so low-quality Sony's US department refused to license them, like ''VideoGame/NinjabreadMan'' (this has actually reversed from 2009 onwards -- the PS2 is mostly kept alive by downgraded Wii ports). Developers attempted to port PS3 and {{Xbox}} 360 games, and a few actually worked, like ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty''. Others... were very few actually. After a while, they resorted to a tactic usually seen on portable consoles -- make an entirely new game for the Wii, from scratch, and call it a port. ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'', ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheForgottenSands'', ''[[VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop Dead Rising]]'', and others were given this treatment.

* CPU: IBM [=PowerPC 750CXe=]-based processor codenamed Broadway. Reportedly clocked at 729 [=MHz=]. It's a updated version the GameCube's CPU and it uses [=Power4=] tech when the [=GameCube's=] CPU uses [=Power3=]. However, the [=CPUs=] are in the same family, which explains its backwards compatibility; 64KB of L1 cache and 256KB of L2 cache.
* GPU: [=ATi=] designed GPU codenamed Hollywood reportedly clocked at 243 [=MHz=]. Based on the GPU used in the GameCube, it removes many features unused on the [=GameCube=] in favor of more polygons and more TEV units.

* In addition to GameCube disks, the Wii uses a standard 12mm DVD for its games with capacities up to 8.5 GB.

* Like the GameCube, the Wii could only output standard definition resolutions. It supported all resolution modes in interlaced or progressive scan and in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios.

* There are four GameCube controller ports and two memory card ports for GameCube games. (Removed from the Wii Family Edition and subsequent releases.)

* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (re-release from the GameCube version)
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0'' (re-release from the GameCube version)

* ''VideoGame/BackToTheFuture''

Nintendo's online offerings are a far cry from the other systems, including the [[ScrappyMechanic infamous friend codes]] (although those are being emphasized less and less). Nintendo has focused on local multiplayer, which the other two consoles seem intent on abandoning. The Wii does have [[UsefulNotes/WiiWare an online store]] like its competitors, and a separate UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole store that essentially serves as legal {{Emulation}}. Unfortunately, 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 are available.

* SuspendSave: 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 [[{{Emulation}} emulators]], because it prevents SaveScumming.

[[AC: Memory]]

* ''VideoGame/MarioKart Wii''

* ''MonsterLab''

* ''GuiltyParty''

* ''Franchise/HarvestMoon: [[VideoGame/HarvestMoonAnimalParade Animal Parade]]''
* ''Franchise/HarvestMoon: Magical Melody'' (originally a [=GameCube=] game; released as the only version in PAL countries after the Wii was released before the original system's version could be released, and as an UpdatedRerelease in North America, which originally got it on its original system)
* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonTreeOfTranquility''

* ''Franchise/HarvestMoon: Animal Parade''

By the end of the UsefulNotes/GameCube's [[SixthGeneration life]] (and the beginning of the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoDS DS's]]), Creator/{{Nintendo}} was known for four things: one, being innovative; two, for being the "kiddy" console company; third, for making their products [[TonkaTough durable]]; and fourth, for being dead last in the ConsoleWars (but only for home consoles, as the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance was still selling strong, with the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS selling strong as well). Third-parties wanted nothing to do with them, and some gamers thought Nintendo would concentrate on handhelds or even go third-party like Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/HudsonSoft, Creator/{{Atari}}, and Creator/{{SNK}}. In the escalating cost of superior graphics in the ConsoleWars between Creator/{{Sony}} and Microsoft, it was thought that Nintendo couldn't compete. In response, they created an [[NotHelpingYourCase innovative, durable, family-friendly console.]] This time though, they would not be dead last. They [[TakeAThirdOption created the Nintendo Wii]].

* ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption Corruption]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy Trilogy]]''

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', both ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption Corruption]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy Trilogy]]''

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', both ''3'' and ''Trilogy''

* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon: Tree Of Tranquility''

* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon: Animal Parade''
* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon: Magical Melody'' (originally a [=GameCube=] game; released as the only version in PAL countries after the Wii was released before the original system's version could be released, and as an UpdatedRerelease in North America, which originally got it on its original system)

By the end of the UsefulNotes/GameCube's [[SixthGeneration life]] (and the beginning of the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoDS DS's]]), Creator/{{Nintendo}} was known for four things: one, being innovative; two, for being the "kiddy" console company; third, for making their products [[TonkaTough durable]]; and fourth, for being dead last in the ConsoleWars (but only for home consoles, as the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance was still selling strong, with the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS selling strong as well). Third-parties wanted nothing to do with them, and some gamers thought Nintendo would concentrate on handhelds or even go third-party like Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/HudsonSoft, Creator/{{Atari}}, and Creator/{{SNK}}. In the escalating cost of superior graphics in the ConsoleWars between Creator/{{Sony}} and Microsoft, it was thought that Nintendo couldn't compete. And they didn't. Instead, they [[TakeAThirdOption created the Wii]].

UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen has the only gold one.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Two {{GameCube}}s [[ItWillNeverCatchOn duct taped together]]" = ''[[CrazyEnoughToWork Fifth bestselling console of all time]].'']]

By the end of the GameCube's [[SixthGeneration life]] (and the beginning of the [[NintendoDS DS's]]), Creator/{{Nintendo}} was known for four things: one, being innovative; two, for being the "kiddy" console company; third, for making their products [[TonkaTough durable]]; and fourth, for being dead last in the ConsoleWars (but only for home consoles, as the GameBoyAdvance was still selling strong, with the NintendoDS selling strong as well). Third-parties wanted nothing to do with them, and some gamers thought Nintendo would concentrate on handhelds or even go third-party like {{Sega}}, HudsonSoft, {{Atari}}, and {{SNK}}. In the escalating cost of superior graphics in the ConsoleWars between {{Sony}} and Microsoft, it was thought that Nintendo couldn't compete. And they didn't. Instead, they [[TakeAThirdOption created the Wii]].

Nintendo's online offerings are a far cry from the other systems, including the [[ScrappyMechanic infamous friend codes]] (although those are being emphasized less and less). Nintendo has focused on local multiplayer, which the other two consoles seem intent on abandoning. The Wii does have [[WiiWare an online store]] like its competitors, and a separate VirtualConsole store that essentially serves as legal {{Emulation}}. Unfortunately, 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 are available.

Third-party developers initially either ignored the system entirely or tossed in some quick-and-dirty ports of PS2 games (generally with shoed-in controls) like ''VideoGame/NinjabreadMan'', with more serious efforts coming only after the system's continued popularity established it as a friendly environment. The Wii has also received a reputation as a platform with lots of shovelware, due to its low development costs, although this is a trend that has always dogged the market leader of each generation. Making matters worse is that most Wii games aimed at a "hardcore" audience are rare, thus not enough to grab an audience that a steady stream would, plus a lot of the niche games are declared to not be niche, and thus when they don't sell well, it's blamed on the Wii audience, even though such games don't sell that well on any system. The result is that {{Capcom}}, {{Sega}}, and {{Ubisoft}} are the only 3rd-party companies still focusing heavily on Wii development.

* 512 MB of internal FlashMemory.

* ''[[VideoGame/PandorasTowerUntilIReturnToYourSide Pandora's Tower]]''

* There are four GameCube controller ports and two memory card ports for GameCube games.

In 2012, Canada received the [[https://www.nintendo.com/wiimini?country=CA&lang=en/ Wii Mini in red]]. It's a cute little console, but to make it smaller, Nintendo cut out its network functions and the GameCube based ports, which cut out its backward compatibility support.