History Platform / Wii

* ''VideoGame/SpongeBobSquigglePants''

By the end of the Platform/NintendoGameCube's [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames life]] (and the beginning of the Platform/NintendoDS's), Creator/{{Nintendo}} was known for four things:

# Holding up the rear in the UsefulNotes/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).

Many Japanese third-party developers dumped Nintendo for Sony following the Platform/Nintendo64, and many gamers thought Nintendo would concentrate on their handheld dominion or even go third-party like former console makers Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/HudsonSoft, Creator/{{Atari}} and Creator/{{SNK}}. Things were ''this dire''. In the escalating cost of superior graphics in the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars between Sony and [[Creator/XboxGameStudios Microsoft]], it was thought that Nintendo needed to change their strategy. Instead, they doubled down and created an [[NotHelpingYourCase innovative, family-friendly, durable console]]. This time though, they would not be dead last. Meet the '''[[TakeAThirdOption Wii]]''', Nintendo's fifth console released in 2006.

Much to the surprise of the gaming press, doubters, and nay-sayers, It sold well. '''[[CrazyEnoughToWork Ludicrously well]].''' The Wii's crushing marketing victory, Day 1 profitability, and unprecedented sales numbers make it the most successful console of [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames its generation]].[[note]]As of the end of March 2013 it has sold about 100 million units, compare 78 million for the Platform/Xbox360 and 75-78 million for the Platform/PlayStation3.[[/note]] From its launch until late 2008-- a period of ''two years''-- the Wii was constantly backordered across retailers everywhere, along with everyone and their grandparents (quite literally) getting their hands on one. It worked so well that 4 years later, all hypocrisy broke loose and both Sony and Microsoft [[FollowTheLeader came up with copies of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk]], namely the Kinect and [=PlayStation=] Move, right after having their marketing team call it a useless gimmick meant for "casual gamers".

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 [[UsefulNotes/WiiWare a surprisingly deep online store]] like its competitors, and a separate UsefulNotes/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.

* Wii component cables are much easier to come across than their [=GameCube=] counterparts thanks to component video having become much more accessible these days, and the fact that the Multi AV port outputs standard analog video means that third-party component cables from companies like Nyko are not only possible, but also widely available (the [=GameCube's=] component cables plugged into the Digital AV port and thus required a proprietary DAC chip). Because of this, Wii-through-component serves as a much more affordable method for playing [=GameCube=] games in 480p, with the only caveat being the lack of UsefulNotes/GameBoyPlayer support and a slightly fuzzier picture (though the difference is trivial at worst and isn't too noticeable without a side-by-side comparison).

* SaveScumming: Unlike later Nintendo consoles, the Wii's UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole feature uses {{Suspend Save}}s as opposed to proper save states in order to [[DefiedTrope prevent this trope]].

* SuspendSave: UsefulNotes/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.

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

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

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

Sadly, in the case of third-parties, most developers would either ignore the system entirely, or toss in some quick-and-dirty ports of UsefulNotes/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''.

* 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 [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]], UsefulNotes/WiiU and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch Switch]]. Microsoft and Sony played FollowTheLeader with their own avatar tools, though Sony would quickly abandon them.

By the end of the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube's [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames life]] (and the beginning of the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS's), Creator/{{Nintendo}} was known for four things:

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

Many Japanese third-party developers dumped Nintendo for Sony following the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64, and many gamers thought Nintendo would concentrate on their handheld dominion or even go third-party like former console makers Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/HudsonSoft, Creator/{{Atari}} and Creator/{{SNK}}. Things were ''this dire''. In the escalating cost of superior graphics in the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars between Sony and [[Creator/XboxGameStudios Microsoft]], it was thought that Nintendo needed to change their strategy. Instead, they doubled down and created an [[NotHelpingYourCase innovative, family-friendly, durable console]]. This time though, they would not be dead last. Meet the '''[[TakeAThirdOption Wii]]''', Nintendo's fifth console released in 2006.

Nintendo focused on an innovative, motion-based control scheme involving the Wii Remote, or the FanNickname "Wiimote," a controller which can best be described as a fusion between an [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] controller and a UsefulNotes/{{television}} remote control, that could sense both the button presses and motion-based movements of the person holding it. This lowered the difficulty curve immensely. Usually, a beginning gamer would have to not only to learn how to control their character, but also learn how to control their ''controller'': "'[[VideoGame/{{Halo}} Hold X to perform action?]]' What's performing an action? What's X? Do I have to hug him? And is X [[MemeticMutation doesn't afraid of anything]]?" ...Okay, maybe we're exaggerating it a little bit. But maybe we're not. Television has been around for the better half of a century and basically everyone knows how to hold a TV remote. For all intents and purposes, anyone who can buy a Wii already has a grasp on how to use one, so you can see how clever this design trick can be in getting non-gamers to become new gamers.

Much to the surprise of the gaming press, doubters, and nay-sayers, It sold well. '''[[CrazyEnoughToWork Ludicrously well]].''' The Wii's crushing marketing victory, Day 1 profitability, and unprecedented sales numbers make it the most successful console of [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames its generation]].[[note]]As of the end of March 2013 it has sold about 100 million units, compare 78 million for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 and 75-78 million for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3.[[/note]] From its launch until late 2008-- a period of ''two years''-- the Wii was constantly backordered across retailers everywhere, along with everyone and their grandparents (quite literally) getting their hands on one. It worked so well that 4 years later, all hypocrisy broke loose and both Sony and Microsoft [[FollowTheLeader came up with copies of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk]], namely the Kinect and [=PlayStation=] Move, right after having their marketing team call it a useless gimmick meant for "casual gamers".

The Wii was succeeded by the UsefulNotes/WiiU in 2012, and [[https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/vyWpoM6CBIe6FjW8NIY7bvzOrgBURhzw Nintendo ended Wi-Fi service for the Wii on May 20th, 2014.]] Though as with any popular {{Defunct Online Video Game|s}} and with the console cracked wide open by that point, the Wi-Fi shutdown hasn't deterred the modders as they have established the [[https://wiimmfi.de/ Wiimmfi]] and [[https://rc24.xyz/ RiiConnect24]] private servers to keep the Wii's Wi-Fi multiplayer and online services respectively open.

* Output: Your options were composite, S-video, and component. The Wii notibly lacked an HDMI port unlike its competitors, the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 and UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, which became a point of contention during the console's life cycle. This was the first Nintendo console with no support for RF Coaxial. The Wii introduced a different AV plug from its predecesors, so SNES/[=N64=]/GCN cables were not compatible.

* There's two USB ports in the back. The only thing to use them officially is a USB to Ethernet adapter, Wii Speak, and keyboards.

* ''VideoGame/TheAntBully''

* 8 ''VideoGame/TheSmurfs2''

* ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon''
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro''
*** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyroTheEternalNight''
*** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyroDawnOfTheDragon''
** ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' series:
*** ''VideoGame/SkylandersSpyrosAdventure''
*** ''VideoGame/SkylandersGiants''
*** ''VideoGame/SkylandersSwapForce''
*** ''VideoGame/SkylandersTrapTeam''
*** ''VideoGame/SkylandersSuperChargersRacing''
* ''VideoGame/TheSmurfs2''

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro''
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyroTheEternalNight''
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyroDawnOfTheDragon''

* ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' series:
** ''VideoGame/SkylandersSpyrosAdventure''
** ''VideoGame/SkylandersGiants''
** ''VideoGame/SkylandersSwapForce''
** ''VideoGame/SkylandersTrapTeam''
** ''VideoGame/SkylandersSuperChargersRacing''
* ''VideoGame/TheSmurfs2''

** ''Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure''
** ''Skylanders: Giants''
** ''Skylanders: Swap Force''
** ''Skylanders: Trap Team''
** ''Skylanders: [=SuperChargers=] Racing''

** ''VideoGame/WarioWare: Smooth Moves''

* ''VideoGame/NamcoMuseum Remix''
** ''Namco Museum Megamix''

** ''Phineas and Ferb: Quest For Cool Stuff''

* ''Franchise/PhineasAndFerb'':

* FollowTheLeader: The Wii's runaway success caused the development of things the [=PlayStation=] Move and the Xbox Kinect. Neither saw much success, though the [=PlayStation=] Move controllers would gain new life in the following generation thanks to {{virtual reality}} becoming a viable gaming market, while Microsoft would repurpose the Kinect outside of gaming as part of various mixed reality projects such as [=HoloLens=].