Whether you like it or not, it’s unquestionable that the Wii did a lot of things right. From becoming the biggest selling system of the latest console generation, thanks in no small part to great advertising and the inclusion of people who didn’t play games previously, to releasing a number of quality, memorable titles, such as Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the Wii had a great run for a console that introduced completely new control mechanics.
However, Nintendo’s golden system had many blunders surrounding it as well. And, like with everything, it’s important to look at those missteps as well. So, without further adieu, we present the Top 9 Wii Mistakes.
Wii Play
The quality of most first-party Wii titles is hardly debatable. Though certainly not for everyone, it’s undeniable that Nintendo’s signature polish can be seen in most of them. A few, however, were little more than blatant cash grabs.
A Bonus? More Like the Only Redeeming Factor
The worst of these titles, however, was Wii Play, a mediocre attempt by Nintendo to push more Wiimotes by packing in a “mini-game collection” pitched as something similar to Wii Sports. The actual game? Something even McDonalds wouldn’t want to put in a Happy Meal for being “too boring.”
Japan Only
Nintendo has always had an issue with bringing certain Japanese games to America. In years past it was far more expensive to translate and press whole new games and, if they might not go over well, why expend the money and effort. And, even now, some games may not be worth the effort of “Americanizing.” However, it was inexcusable to see Nintendo of America nearly refuse to bring Xenoblade Chronicles and its sequels to the Wii.
Finally On Wii…Right on the Tail of the Wii U
A coalition of gamers should not have to be raised simply to bring a game to North America that has been already translated into English. Operation Rainfall, the group that eventually got the titles released in the US, should not have existed because Nintendo of America should have brought the games to the States to begin with. If Nintendo can release a rip-off of Ubisoft’s Imagine Fashion Designer, they can certainly release a series of acclaimed, successful RPGs.
No New F-Zero Game
Nintendo has released three major racing games for the Wii. The first was a slow, but very successful, installment in a certain mascot kart racing franchise, while the others were fast, fun titles in a franchise nobody cared about. Why not go for the best of both worlds and release an F-Zero game?
An F-Zero for Wii? Yes, Please!
Speaking of which, why did Nintendo not release games for other series seemingly made for the Wii? Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin, and Star Fox all seemed like perfect candidates for a brand new title with motion controls, but the closest we got were re-releases of the old games. Hopefully Nintendo will redeem themselves with the Wii U with new titles for series like Pokemon Snap or Puzzle League, seemingly perfect fits for the new gamepad controls.
Graphical Limitations
Everyone knows this mistake by now. The biggest technical issue with the Wii is, undoubtedly, its limited graphical capabilities. Though there were many great looking games for the Wii, they were all muddied by its lack of graphical prowess.
Hmm…There’s Something Different Here…
While the gameplay itself is the most important thing, as Nintendo has stated many times, graphics are an essential tool of conveying an interactive experience. To ignore graphics is like a painter completely ignoring a type of brush. While the Wii U does fix this problem for the future, it’s still a shame that many Wii games will never get their graphical heyday.
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