By Mike Loder 

Looking back, there was something magical—and a little surreal—about the Frutiger Aero aesthetic of the Wii era. It felt like we were stepping into a biologically infused corporate future, where nature and machine intertwined, all wrapped in glossy interfaces and shiny white plastic.

Codenamed “Revolution,” Nintendo knew it had to do something different. The GameCube had struggled to break into the mainstream against the dominance of Xbox and PlayStation, so Nintendo pivoted—hard.

 A Remote Control Revolution

I wasn’t impressed at first. A remote control? That’s how they expected us to play games? It felt completely foreign—especially for franchises like Zelda and Mario Kart. But hey, I’m happy to admit I was wrong. 

I bought the console alongside Zelda: Twilight Princess. The E3 trailer had completely drawn me in. I downloaded it in 1080p (on a connection that barely handled it) and waited ages just to watch it. I’d sit there, staring at the screen as it buffered, obsessed with its style and epic, Lord of the Rings-like tone.

Back then, fishing was somehow a key highlight in every demo, and the staff at EB Games were hyped: “Swing the sword! Aim the bow!” The excitement was real.

The result? Me getting stuck on the very first cast of the fishing minigame—flailing around hopelessly.

Of course, “waggle tech” was soon shoehorned into nearly every Wii title—especially ports from other consoles—and the system was flooded with shovelware that tried to make use of the motion controls. But amid the chaos were real gems, like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the Metroid Prime Trilogy.

 Wii Changed the Game

Wii Sports was a family hit. For the first time, video games became part of our Christmas celebrations. Dad, a bit of a tennis star in his day, loved it. Pa was all about the golf. And my nana? She cried laughing when her Mii popped up during character selection.

The Mii Channel itself was a moment. So many of us spent hours building out our little avatars—caricatures of ourselves, our families, or whoever we could dream up. It felt like a digital toy box full of expression.

Then there was Wii Fit. I actually used it—on and off over the years. The psychological effect of logging in, seeing that balance board avatar waiting… it was surprisingly profound. I really wanted to believe gaming could help people get fit.

It also had some of the best minigames of the era, with clever uses of the balance board that went beyond simple gimmicks. That said, it definitely called me out of shape more than once.

At work, I was running aftercare programs for school kids. During holiday programs, I brought the Wii in after long field trips—instant entertainment. Watching kids pick up the controls so naturally was pure joy. They just got it. And yes, I’d sometimes jump in to show them who was best—think the dodgeball scene from Billy Madison.

I also had a school friend named Kim—one of the few who, like me, truly believed in the Wii dream. We spent hours on WarioWare, flailing through rapid-fire minigames, laughing uncontrollably as the absurdity unfolded.

 More Than Just Games

Beyond the games, Nintendo was also trying to reshape the living room. I remember actually getting excited about the News Channel and Photo Channel—I genuinely thought we’d be using them to exchange updates and pictures, almost like early social media.

The Virtual Console didn’t quite grab me at the time, mostly because I was still deeply invested in my physical collection—a bit of a purist who wanted the hard copy, not just the download. But I’ll admit, it was ahead of its time.

One thing I absolutely adored? The fact that the Wii could still play my beloved GameCube games. You’d plug the memory cards and controllers into the top, and suddenly that sleek white console was just as capable as that iconic purple cube. 

Also—this might sound small—but I loved the soft blue glow that would pulse from the disc slot when the console was idle. It felt like a little nightlight.

 The Hardcore Hope

I had high hopes for light gun games on the Wii, but they never quite became the staple I wanted. Titles like Red Steel and The Conduit aimed to bring a “hardcore” edge to the console—but let’s be honest—they were up against the juggernauts of Call of Duty and Halo.

I remember trying to sell my friends on the console: “This is the future!” I’d say... I was all-in.

There were ports of House of the Dead, too—a game I wasn’t even allowed to play in arcades as a kid. Now I had it at home, with my own gun controllers. Talk about growth.

The Dead Space and Resident Evil franchises also took a stab at the point-and-shoot arcade formula on the Wii. Some titles made genuine attempts to add depth and narrative weight to the experience—but truthfully, they never quite landed for me.

Then came the Wii Zapper—Nintendo’s family-friendly attempt to integrate a bit of firepower into their ecosystem.

It launched alongside Link’s Crossbow Training, which, while surprisingly fun, was short-lived. And let’s be honest: calling it a Zelda title felt like a bit of a tease, especially at a time when we were all eagerly awaiting a true follow-up to Twilight Princess.

 That said, House of the Dead: Overkill really scratched the itch. Despite some janky performance here and there, it was a solid arcade shooter with a great lineup of weapons and unlocks. Even better—it was easy for mates to pick up and play.

And yes, it helped that the copy I bought came bundled with a pair of oversized, magnum-style revolver shells to house the Wii Remotes. Ridiculous? Absolutely. But undeniably satisfying. 

 While I did occasionally fall victim to the wave of Wii-era plastic peripherals, I’m proud to say I never caved to the Sports Pack sets—you know, those clip-on bats, rackets, and clubs that ended up forgotten on shelves or buried in garages everywhere.

 Skyward Sword and Solitude

By the time Skyward Sword came out, things had changed. We’d graduated high school, and fewer of my mates were still into gaming—especially Zelda—so playing it felt... lonely.

This was also around the time the Wii Remote was reinvented with the Wii MotionPlus add-on. I even lined up at a midnight launch for Wii Sports Resort and the MotionPlus accessory—one of my last midnight releases. A story for another time!

But Skyward Sword was a special little game. The 1:1 motion tracking was a huge leap forward from Twilight Princess. I leaned into the physicality, holding my sword at my side as it twisted and turned with my wrist, tracking my every move.

Even my dad had a go—slashing so enthusiastically that he scratched the TV in the process.

It was around then that I started to reflect on how gaming experiences like this could bring people together—family, friends, even classmates. I once hosted a lunchtime gaming stall during Business Management class. While some students sold lemonade or cupcakes... I set up the Wii. For me, it was all about the games.

 Motion Control Mania

I recently replayed Guitar Hero on the Wii with Levelhead Gaming contributor Nathan. Sure, the graphical drop was obvious—but the system still sang. We even fired up a PS2 EyeToy game for a laugh.

It’s funny how, for a while, motion gaming really did get us off the couch. PlayStation had the Move. Xbox had Kinect (the last time I saw one, it was scanning luggage at Singapore Changi Airport’s baggage check-in!).

It was actually a clever idea—affordable, surprisingly powerful, and built with off-the-shelf parts. Many of these components weren’t even being fully taken advantage of by gamers at the time... trust me.

I even brought the Kinect into aftercare once, but it never had the same impact. The kids couldn’t figure out how to navigate the menus by waving their hands. The Wii was intuitive—Kinect just wasn’t.

It was a transitional time, both for the gaming industry and for me. I was starting to think about how to make gaming a part of my professional life.

I remember seeing people online using Wii Remotes for everything from robotics to augmented reality. And yeah—controlling the Wii with two candles instead of a sensor bar? That actually works. Try it.

 The Echo of a Generation

The Wii era feels like a lonely place now—a bright, optimistic future we were once promised, now faded into nostalgia (I am starting to see a theme here with my writing). 

It was a time when fun and innovation felt inseparable or at least how I perscived it. Today, these consoles are often spotted tucked beneath TVs at holiday homes, packed into boxes with tangled peripherals and old game discs, or gathering dust in aged care facilities.

There was even a time when studies highlighted the Wii’s benefits—how it improved mobility, encouraged physical activity, and brought joy to people who might never have otherwise picked up a controller. It really felt like something bigger than just another console.

Booting it up today, hearing that charming chime and the soft echo of the menu music… it takes me right back.

I’ll always advocate for motion controls when they’re done well. But more than that, I’m thankful I got to experience the growing pains of that generation—when gaming was experimenting, reaching, and believing in something new.