Thanks for the Memories

Nintendo has announced that they will be discontinuing the Wii in Japan, which only signals the beginning of the end for the console in other regions also. The Wii will, sadly, be mostly remembered as the laughing stock of the seventh generation - the little white box that lacked the HD graphics and so-called 'hardcore' games found on the competition's hardware. But that shouldn't be the legacy of this under appreciated console.

The Wii was Nintendo’s revival after years lagging behind Sony. The PlayStation and PlayStation 2 dominated the competition, and many felt Nintendo had come to the end of their time. But the Wii saw a revival that many felt would be impossible.

The Wii wasn't perfect my any means. In many ways it was a terrible console. Apart from lacking the now industry standard HD visuals, Nintendo’s lack of enthusiasm in the online department also resulted in many simply batting off the idea that the Wii was anything other than a casual gaming machine. But the relevance of a console, in my opinion, doesn't come from its features but rather its games. It’s true that the Wii had a lot of shovel ware, but the same could be said for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, yet those are still seen two of the best consoles of all time. At its finest the games on the Wii weren't just as good as the competition – they were better.

Titles such as the Mario Galaxy duo, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, Metroid Prime 3, Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and No More Heroes showed levels of creativity not see on the competition’s hardware. And retro revivals such as Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Punch-Out!! and A Boy and His Blob, as well as party games like Wii Sports, meant the console had something for pretty much everyone.

And of course the lasting legacy of the Wii has to be the Virtual Console, a download service which provided specifically classic retro games from Nintendo’s past. Nintendo released games from consoles such as the NES, SNES and N64 for the service, while Sega allowed Master System and Mega Drive games to be purchased through the service also (which is something Nintendo fans would have at one point thought an impossible act).

Yes, I loved the Wii. It may have been seen as a useless little white box, but it was MY useless little white box. And I loved every minute I spent with it.

I had a lot of fun with the Wii. There was a dry spell, but on the whole, it was an awesome console. I definitely have a lot of good memories with it. I did something similar to the comic, and placed the Wii with the rest of the Nintendo family.

Agreed entirely, it had its gems that wont be forgotten no matter and we can TECHNICALLY still play them what with it being Backwards compatible :D

Nintendo is Awesome. But its time for newer and better game companies to come out!
ME!!!!!!!
Just kidding lol
I still think the super Nintendo is super.
Done

Yeah Wii had too many great games to pass up on. Xenoblade alone made it worth owning, but the library made it a great complimentary system.

Loved the Wii and I probably haven't played 2/3 of its best games. Truly a great console.

@trugs26: Because of my obsession with collecting, and the fact that I have to own and play any game on the console for which it was originally intended, my Wii will be like all my other consoles and never put away, because I'll still play it. That said, that comic strip was the best thing I could find to describe my thoughts on the Wii.

@Blabadon: Although it can be strongly argued that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were better consoles, in terms of their overall package, the Wii was my favourite of the seventh generation when it comes to the main three. Including handheld though, the DS destroys everything.

Wow... I actually felt a little sad reading this, damn you! It makes me really miss my gamhube... My brother stole mine some years ago when he sold it to help pay for his xbox. I guess he figured I wouldn't notice it missing, since I now had a Wii. But... I did. :c I still have my SNES and Nintendo 64 though (sadly never had a NES).

While the Wii may be under appreciated now... I think by the end of the eighth generation, it will be looked back upon, in retro respective, fondly.