Nintendo in April released Switch Sports, a direct sequel to the legendary Wii Sports, a pack-in game for one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles, the Nintendo Wii. …
Nintendo in April released Switch Sports, a direct sequel to the legendary Wii Sports, a pack-in game for one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles, the Nintendo Wii. That’s great news for most people, but I barely noticed. Because despite the fact we’re very clearly living in 2022, I’m still playing my Nintendo Wii. And it turns out I’m not alone. Some context: It was the summer of 2019, and I was a rising junior at the University of Texas focused on one critical task: setting up a killer college apartment. My friend and I were moving into the place, and we were determined to make it snazzy for our guests. I was bringing the TV, she was supplying the vacuum. But we needed one more thing. Something that would truly take our pad to the next level.
“I want a Wii”, I texted my friend, who, because she’s supportive, immediately agreed this game console that first came out in 2006 was necessary. “We are riding the nostalgia train all the way baby”, I replied excitedly. “All. the. way. “
That’s how, at age 20, I bought a second-hand Nintendo Wii, a gadget that had been a fixture of my childhood. It seemed like something other college students would appreciate if they came over, a blast from the past with tons of recognizable games. We paid $60 for the Wii from a seller on OfferUp, and slowly built a small stack of games that included some of the greats: Mario Kart, Wii Sports and Just Dance 3. There are many reasons I continue to invest my time (and money) in this bulky, discontinued console, even as people I know are playing better-looking game remakes on the Nintendo Switch or waiting in line for a shiny PS5. The Wii is a conversation starter, and it isn’t hard to find affordable games. Bottom line: There’s just something about firing up a familiar, low-res Mario Kart circuit I can’t get anywhere else. When the Wii debuted in November 2006, George W. Bush was president, SexyBack was high on the Billboard charts and Happy Feet was playing in theaters. The Wii cost $250, which was less than Sony’s Playstation 3 ($500 and up) and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 ($300 and up).
