When the Nintendo Wii was released in 2006, it was an immediate commercial hit for the Japanese company and it thrived as the premier family home entertainment console for the next few years. It was revolutionary with its motion controls, allowing gamers to be “immersed” in what they were playing. But as years went on the console became seen as a fad that was a mere flash-in-the-pan system, as the game library was becoming polluted with endless games that were so sub-par they were given the nickname “shovelware”. However, the Wii is one of my favorite consoles to be released purely because of its accessibility to the casual gamer and it’s first party support that blew competitors out of the water.

The Wii has many games that are seen today as the best of all time including Super Mario Galaxy, and games that belong on the best sellers list like Mario Kart Wii and Wii Sports. That should signify that the console shouldn’t be overlooked, but nowadays games for the Wii can be found at your local GameStop for the average price of $8. The Wii has so many games for the system that are enjoyable, entertaining and fun for everyone. Everyone that I knew who had a Wii enjoyed more than one game that played on the system. Even if someone hated the Wii game library, the Wii was able to play Gamecube games and stream Netflix so there really wasn’t much room for complaint.

The graphics are not nearly as good as the competitors of the PS3 and the Xbox 360. In fact, most saw the graphics as minor upgrades from the Nintendo GameCube. For me, I never saw the graphics as the definitive asset of a console. I think it’s all about the game play that makes the gamer coming back for more.

The Wiimote is definitely polarizing among gamers, but I find it to be a very enjoyable remote for what it was initially intended to do. However, when trying to play games like Super Smash Bros or Goldeneye 007, the Wiimote alone just simply will not suffice. Party games, sports games and children’s games are what the Wiimote excelled at.

Overall, I really wish that the console got way more praise as I believe that it is a true pioneer in the gaming industry, even if it may not be everyone’s favorite Nintendo console.