Summary
TheNintendo Wiiwas a groundbreaking development in home console gaming. It ushered in a never-before-seen era of family gaming, creating games likeWii Sportsand the Wii Balance Board to appeal to a broader audience than that of the typical gamer. It was marketed as fun for the whole family, whether it be through fitness, gaming, or dedication to Nintendo’s already successful game franchises. This marketing succeeded exponentially, with over 100 million units sold since its release in 2006 - putting it in the top five best-selling home consoles of all time. It’s nearly undeniable that the Wii isone of the greatestand most innovative consoles ever created.
With this new age of Nintendo gaming came a plethora of incredibly popular andcritically acclaimed games. Upon release, Nintendo bundledWii Sportswith the console, which gave it upwards of 80 million sales. The creation of the Nintendo DS a few years prior meant that the two consoles shared many games, offering them all to an even wider audience. It wasa golden era forMario, with titles likeSuper Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart Wii, andNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. Despite this dependence on familiar faces, there were nonetheless a few brand-new characters that debuted on the Wii - although some were longer lasting than others.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordintroduced Fi, a spirit created by the Goddess Hylia that resides inside the Master Sword. Fi is largely the driving force ofSkyward Sword’splot. She speaks to Link in a dream and guides him to the Statue of the Goddess and explains his destiny.
Fi has an emotional arc, asking to be returned to the statue after she and Link have completed their quest. She informs Link how much she values their adventure and hopes they meet again in another life. Fi has since been referenced in bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, often through a reprisal of her theme. Zelda also references hearing a voice from the Master Sword, which players can assume is Fi trying to once again steer Link towards his destiny -an easter eggonly very attentive fans will have noticed.
The Wii Fit Trainer was first introduced in the firstWii Fitgame, released for the Nintendo Wii in 2007. Unlike anything previously seen in gaming,Wii Fitencouraged using the Wii in combination with the Wii Balance Board to maintain and track fitness. The game included two virtual personal trainers, a male and a female trainer who would guide players through exercises. To add character, occasionally trainers will give players supportive comments or appear to show up late to a class - giving them a layer of humanity that their design lacks.
The legacy of the Wii Fit Trainer is surprising, outliving theirWii FitandWii Fit Plustitles by being featured inSuper Smash Bros. 4for 3DS and Wii U. Although not a particularly popular character in competitive play, both male and female Wii Fit Trainers have multiple statues in the game, and were included inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatefor the Switch.
Some gamers may be surprised to discover that Rabbids made their very first appearance in aRaymanspin-off:Rayman Raving Rabbids. It can’t be overlooked that the game was released on more than just the Wii. However, it was largely applauded for how optimized the gameplay was for the Wii, and its development kit heavily influenced the direction of the game. Originally conceptualized asRayman 4, the Wii specs had a huge impact on the direction developers went when creating the game, and luckily it spawned a whole new spin-off series.
Since their initial release on the Wii, Rabbids have had well over 20 games and DLCs without the help of Rayman. Now, Rabbids are most well-known for theircontinued crossover withMariogames, notablyMario + Rabbids Kingdom BattleandMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. In these games, all popularMariocharacters have Rabbid counterparts in similar outfits, and the two universes work together against a common enemy.
2Mii
The Wii
Miis are now synonymous with Nintendo, having appeared on every Nintendo console after their arrival on the Wii. These adorable little mini-me characters were initially designed to represent players inWii Sports, the game bundled with the Wii upon its launch. Although default Miis are available, most gamers opt to create a lookalike to play as.
Since then, Miis have been the stars of their own games likeTomodachi LifeandMiitopia, taking on an entirely unexpected popularity and life. They’ve also been featured in many Nintendo titles likeMario KartandMario Partyas player characters - as well asSuper Smash Bros. Brawlas an NPC and eventually a PC inSuper Smash Bros. 4. For such a simple concept, Miis added something personable and affectionate to the Wii, and their popularity is evident in their continued success.
The release of the Wii saw the creation of one of the most beloved and successfulMariogames of all time:Super Mario Galaxy.It was met with critical acclaim and immense sales and was one of the most popular non-bundled Wii games.Super Mario Galaxyintroduced Rosalina, a mysterious, space-dwelling carer for the Lumas - a race of star-like creatures.
Rosalina was almost immediately a fan favorite and quickly became one of the most recognizable faces in the franchise. She is often referenced as a key component ofSuper Mario Galaxy’sachievements, and her storybook sections are a beloved aspect of the game. She added a certain depth and emotion to the game that pushed it past many of theMariogames that came before it.
Recognizing that Rosalina was a triumph, Nintendo quickly added her to the roster ofcharacters inMariospin-off games. She appeared as a PC inMario Kart Wiinot even a full year after the release ofSuper Mario Galaxyand appeared in the sequelSuper Mario Galaxy 2in 2010. She has since appeared in multipleMario Karttitles, as well asSuper Smash Bros., Mario Party, and variousMariosports games. Rosalina is also one of the few alternative player characters in a main seriesMariogame, featuring as a PC inSuper Mario 3D World.
