Over a Decade Later, the Nintendo Wii Is Still the Holiday Party King

The Wii may be approaching its 20th birthday, but this motion-controlled console is still perfect for get-togethers and family gaming.

What Was So Great About the Wii, Anyway?

Launched in 2006, the Wii entered a gaming landscape that had somewhat stagnated following the 3D revolution of the previous ten years. Consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sought to compete on pure technological power, but Nintendo’s approach was a little different.

As it had in the past, the Japanese company focused on innovation; in particular, motion control. While Sony & Microsoft went expensive and powerful, Nintendo went cheap and gimmicky. But, wow, what a gimmick.

As soon as families got their hands on those Wii remotes, it was clear that Nintendo was onto a winner. Motion control was easy for anyone to pick up and remains possibly the most natural input mechanism yet created. Your Auntie Jean no longer had an excuse not to join in. The system didn’t require any complicated setup or adjustment, just a thin light bar that sat on top of or under your TV.

Nintendo, being Nintendo, had the games to match. And no game embodied the fun and simplicity of motion control better than Wii Sports, bundled with every Wii sold outside of Japan. With five sports—from baseball to tennis—this game demonstrated the workings of the Wii to great effect. It left us in no doubt how fun it would be to gather our friends together for a bit of semi-physical combat in our own front rooms.

The spirit of Wii Sportslives on in the form of Switch Sports, which attempts to capture the magic of the original game on Nintendo’s modern hybrid console.

Can I Still Use My Wii After 20 Years?

Despite all the technological advances we’ve seen over the past 20 years, the Wii is very much playable on modern equipment. The only challenge you may face is the type of port you plug it into.

The Wii uses a composite cable that plugs into three ports colored red, white, and yellow. Many TVs have these ports in addition to the more common HDMI, but if yours is a newer model, it may lack them. In this case, you can buy a converter for around $15, like the MAYFLASH Wii to HDMI.

The other side of the compatibility coin is software. While you can still play all your old favorite game discs and even digital titles you downloaded, you won’t be able to make new purchases on the Wii shop. But there are plenty of Wii games still available on the secondhand market.

What Are the Best Wii Party Games?

It’s hard to beat the champion of Wii party games we’ve already mentioned: Wii Sports. However, Nintendo released a sequel which is even better: Wii Sports Resort. This version has a total of twelve sports with the addition of canoeing, Frisbee, and more (it also requires the Wii Motion Plus attachment, or newer Wiimotes with the technology built-in)..

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is a fast-paced collection of microgames with a unique feature: a mode that allows twelve players to take part using a single Wii Remote. Its quick gameplay, unusual mechanics, and hilarious subject matter make this title perfect for gamers of all ages.

Mario Kart Wii was a huge early success for the system; by the sixth installment, most of us were familiar with these shell-throwing, banana-baiting antics. The Wii version came bundled with a tiny steering wheel you could slot your Wii remote into, to mimic the real-life experience. A four-player split-screen tournament can still liven up any gathering today, and the game has aged well, even alongside newer versions like the Switch’s Mario Kart 8.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a party fighting game with many different multiplayer modes. Up to 32 players can compete in tournament mode, and the large number of playable characters means that everyone can pick a unique fighter to represent them.

If you’re looking to pick up a secondhand Wii, you should be able to find one for well under $100. Bear in mind, though, that a Wii U can also play Wii games and connects via HDMI, so it may be a more convenient option (as long as it hasn’t rotted away).