Wii series
| Details | |
|---|---|
| First installment | Wii Sports (2006) |
| Last installment | Nintendo Switch Sports (2022) |
| Other installment(s) | Wii Play (2006) Wii Fit (2007) |
| Related serie(s) or game(s) | Subseries : Wii Sports series Wii Play series Wii Fit series Wii Party series Related Series: Personal Trainer: Walking Ring Fit Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Wii Wii U Nintendo 3DS Nintendo Switch |
- This article is about the various video game series, and should not be confused with the console of the same name.
The Wii series[1] is a video game series that is comprised of accessible games developed for the the Nintendo console bearing the same name, such as Wii Sports, Wii Play, Wii Music, Wii Party and so on, as well as the follow-up released for those games, such as Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus or Wii Party U.
Nowadays, the Wii series isn't a term used by Nintendo anymore, as most of the games that are parts of the series have since formed their own respective subseries, with some of them even continuing to receive games on other consoles, sometimes no longer bearing the "Wii" title, such as Pilotwings Resort on the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch Sports on the Nintendo Switch, both parts of the Wii Sports series and marketed as part of the Wii Sports series[2] instead of the Wii series, with only a few Wii series games not receiving sequels for various reason, like Wii Music.
In addition to the four subseries listed above as well as Wii Music all being considered as part of one series, various games and applications could also be considered as part of the Wii series due to having the "Wii" name, either because of a marketing strategy or simply because of using the name of the console in the title, like Wii Chess, Wii Karaoke U by JOYSOUND, Wii no Ma and so on, putting them in a gray area concerning their inclusion due to having few connection to the rest of the series.
Some Wii series games have also been used as a way to market Wii accessories, such as extra Wii Remotes, the Wii Motion Plus, and Wii Balance Boards.
Series description
Despite the fact that the subseries of the Wii series game aren't technically part of the same series anymore, most of the games can be linked together via multiple factors besides the title. The primary connection is between them is the uses of Miis as the playable characters and most NPCs, as well as and the artstyle of the games being somewhat simplistic and similar between them.
In addition to those factors, some of the Wii series were developed during the same time and make references to one another, such as the location Wuhu Island being in both the Wii Sports series and Wii Fit series or Sebastian Tute and Party Phil from the Wii Music game and Wii Party series respectively having similar designs.
Genre(s)
Due to most of the Wii games being in their own subseries made of a different genre: sports simulation for the Wii Sports series, fitness for the Wii Fit series, rhythm for the game Wii Music, party for the Wii Play and Wii Party series, etc, it is impossible to point to a precise genre in which the general concept of the Wii series could be placed, instead being a mix of multiple genres changing between games.
Gameplay
There is no set gameplay shared by all of the games, as each subseries is set in vastly different genres.
The main similarities between the games is that the player plays as a Mii, the game mainly consists of other games inside of it, and the game is usually made with the intent to showcase something new.
Artstyle
The artstyle of the Wii series is somewhat simplistic, being made of vivid color and rough bold shapes, being chosen to fit well with the fact that almost every character is a Mii.
Cast
In almost every game in a Wii series, an almost entirely Mii-based cast is used, with both the player's avatar and most NPCs being one, from a list of player created and premade ones.
List of games
As of February 2024, there exist four subseries to the Wii series and a single game confirmed to be part of the series, with various other games and application not being confirmed to be part of the series.
The first and last installments in the Wii series are games from the Wii Sports series, with Wii Sports released in 2006 and Nintendo Switch Sports released in 2022. Partially due to it being the first subseries, the Wii Sports series is often considered to be the "main" subseries, being the largest of them all as well.
The 3 other subseries, those being the Wii Party series, the Wii Fit series and the Wii Play series (the latter one not being marketed as a series in Japan despite the two games being part of a series anyways), could however easily stand on their own with 2, 3, and 2 main entries respectively.
Along with these series, a one-off game titled Wii Music was released as part of the series in 2008 yet never got any sequel.
With all of these, two games, being Wii Karaoke U by JOYSOUND who, despite utilizing Miis, is not considered to be a subseries of the Wii series due to its first game not being developed as such, and Wii Chess who is exclusive to Europe and only uses the "Wii" name due to the console it released on, are in a gray area concerning their inclusion in the Wii series.
Finally, due to the popularity of the various Wii series, as well as simply being the name of their respective console, applications such as Wii no Ma, Wii Panorama U and Wii Street U powered by Google used the Wii title while having very few links to the rest of the game having "Wii" in their name, some not having Miis, some not having the typical artstyle of the Wii series and some not having both, leaving them in a gray area concerning them being "Wii" games.
List of Wii subseries
Wii Sports
(2006)
Wii Play
(2006)
Wii Fit
(2007)
Wii Party
(2010)
List of one-off Wii series games
Wii Music
(2008)
Debatable Wii series games and application
Wii Chess*
(2008; Did not feature Miis)
Wii no Ma
(2009)
Wii Panorama U
(2013; Did not feature Miis)Wii Street U powered by Google
(2013; Did not feature Miis)
* Wii Chess is a chess game developed by Nintendo released exclusively in Europe on January 18, 2008 for the Wii. While this game was exclusive to Europe, Japan later got it as a WiiWare title under the name "通信対局 ワールドチェス", Tsūshin Taikyoku: World Chess", roughly translating to "Communication Game: World Chess" and was not a part of the Wii series in that region. This game is rather odd as it does not feature Miis anywhere, not even as the save file or player's icon.
Cancelled games with "Wii" in the title
It is unknown how close to the rest of the Wii series these games would have been due to them never releasing.
- Wii Qube and Wii Relax: Two games announced in spring 2009 that would have used specialized accessories. Wii Qube was a form of Tetris in 3D, and Wii Relax was software designed to improve the player's well-being.[3][4]
These series are not part of the Wii series, but do incorporate elements from it beyond simple references.
Super Smash Bros. series
The Super Smash Bros. series, being a crossover between various Nintendo franchises, have represented various Wii series in the series.
Pilotwings series
A crossover with the Wii Sports series and the Pilotwings series called Pilotwings Resort was released in 2011
Mario Kart series
Wuhu Island from the Wii Sports and the Wii Fit series is used as two race tracks and as a battle course throughout the seriesKaraoke JOYSOUND series
The Karaoke JOYSOUND series is the original series that Wii Karaoke U by JOYSOUND was a part of. Note that Karaoke Joysound Switch also utilize Miis.
Personal Trainer: Walking
Personal Trainer: Walking is closely linked to the Wii Fit series, in various ways. Note that this game also utilize Miis.
Ring Fit Adventure
Ring Fit Adventure could be considered a spiritual successor of the Wii Fit series and has a rhythm mini-game that plays a medley of Wii Fit music.
Reception
Most of the Wii series games achieved remarkable commercial success, with almost every single well known game selling millions of copies. Notably, as of 2024, Wii Sports is currently the fourth best-selling video game in history and holds the distinction of being the top-selling video game exclusive to a single gaming console, helped by being a pack-in game at the launch of the Wii.
With the exception of a few lesser known titles, all titles that are part of a Wii series have been released worldwide, Wii Sports and Wii Play were the first two games of the seventh console generation to surpass 10 million units sold, Wii Sports having sold other 82 million sales, a significant portion of those coming from bundling.
Trivia
- Nintendo Switch Sports is the first main game in the series to:
- Not have Miis as the only playable characters.
- Not have "Wii" in the title.
