Wii Need Love Too

by: Ethan Yerks (TheDeaditeKnight)

Lately I have been feeling a large pull to play Nintendo games…and I think I know why. It’s obvious that with the Nintendo Switch coming out in March there are many fans that are excited for the future of Nintendo as a brand.  Knowing we have a new Zelda and Mario on the way there is good reason to be optimistic. It would be a big misstep by Nintendo for them to not preserve the few successes of the 4 year run of the Wii U in the form of ports. With the massive failure of the Wii U, there are many great titles like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker that fans can hope will be ported to the new Switch platform.

All that being said, I do not believe it is my excitement for the Switch that is giving me Nintendo fever.  I believe I have the same heart strings being pulled as the 100 thousand plus Nintendo fans that bought the NES Classic: nostalgia.  For many, nostalgia is about comfort and stability. I know, for me, I had a life-changing year in 2016.  I left the radio business (and the 10 plus years of hard work and dreams that went with it) to dedicate my efforts to the new dream of GameZilla. I switched to two different jobs in a new field, moved two times, and married the girl of my dreams.  Thinking about it, it makes sense that subconsciously I would want to engage with something from the past.

I have been loving the fresh but familiar fun that is Mario Maker, and the fast-paced micro memories I get while playing NES Remix.  What I did not expect is this desire for retrieved memories from 2006-2009… The Wii. I have so badly wanted to restart Twilight Princess, go back and unlock the fighters I missed in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, get the wheel grip out and race in Mario Kart Wii, and even play hours of Wii Sports.   

For many, the Wii was a system that was quickly dismissed as a gimmick, or a kids' system. For me, it was my primary game system from 2006-2013 and now, a decade after its launch, I am ready to relive the Wii memories. We are now in the time frame where I believe gamers are starting to look upon their time with the Wii and the memories they made with it in the same way that many my age (late 20s) look back at the beloved N64. I believe it is time to embrace the Wii and preserve its place in game history and in our hearts.

So, my friend, grab your AA batteries, dust off all the crappy clip-on peripherals you bought, and join me in celebrating the Wii, as we remember the last great era of Nintendo in anticipation of what we hope will be their next great era.

Let’s Play Wii