Wii

The Wii is a console created and marketed by Nintendo, released in 2006. It belongs to the seventh generation of consoles, alongside the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This console debuted with a large catalog of games, the most well-known being Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Wii Sports, and the characteristic Miis.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata led the development of the Wii with a strategy focused on attracting a broader audience through innovative gameplay, rather than competing with Microsoft and Sony in computing power. Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda headed the project, which was initially codenamed Revolution. The result was a console that prioritized new forms of interaction, particularly through its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which featured motion-tracking controls, gesture recognition, and pointer functionality.

The Wii was Nintendo’s first console with native internet connectivity, enabling online play and digital distribution through the Wii Shop Channel. It also offered wireless connectivity with the Nintendo DS handheld for select games. Early models were fully backward compatible with GameCube games and accessories. Later, Nintendo released two more affordable versions: the RVL-101, which lacked GameCube compatibility, and the Wii Mini, which removed even more features such as online connectivity and SD card storage.