The Nintendo Wii was a revolutionary console, that changed the whole gaming world forever. Motion controls and its fantastic library of games made it one of, if not the most successful console ever. The Nintendo Wii remote, also known as the WiiMote, was also, unsurprisingly revolutionary. But that’s not to say it was the best Nintendo Controller ever, far from it.
Regardless of how the Nintendo Wii Remote ranks in the list of best console controllers, it definitely did a ton of things right, and it paved the way for future controllers and devices to follow easily in its footsteps, with modern technical marvels being first laid through it. These are the things the Wii Remote did better than any other Nintendo Controller.
5 Innovation
One of the ways the Wii Remote stood out was through its motion sensing capabilities. The controller was equipped with a three-axis accelerometer and an infrared sensor that allowed players to control the on-screen actions by moving the controller in different directions. This allowed for a more immersive and interactive gaming experience, as players could physically swing the controller to hit a tennis ball or tilt it to steer a car in a racing game.
Partnered with the incredible gaming library the Nintendo Wii had, this controller had a lot of uses, with its motion controllers being utilized to the max with Wii Sports, but also games such as Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and a host of different tennis, golf, cricket and football games, the motion controls were effortless to use, and often meshed well with the games that supported them.
4 Comfort
The controller was lightweight and comfortable to hold, making it easy to use for extended gaming sessions. This is especially relevant given the sort of games on the Wii, often sports or action games which can easily work up a sweat through. Complaints about comfort, even in that context were very rare.
The controller was also lightweight, the buttons were spread out well enough, and could easily be used by most people without fuss. When compared to other Nintendo controllers, which have historically had quirky and unique designs, the Wii Remote stands as one of the few that didn’t sacrifice comfort for said design. This is definitely not aimed at the Nintendo 64 and Virtual Boy Controllers.
3 Versatility
Another feature that made the Wii Remote a great controller was its versatility. The controller could be used in a variety of ways, from the traditional button layout for more traditional games, to the motion-sensing capabilities for more innovative titles. This allowed for a wide range of games to be played on the console, from classic platformers to motion-controlled fitness games.
Coupled with this is the plethora of attachments the Wii Remote Utilizes, while the basic joystick was decent and did its job well enough, players were definitely not starved for choice, there was the wheel which could be used well for racing games of the likes of Super Paper Mario, Need for Speed and Sonic and Sega All Stars. There was also the Wii Zapper, to be used for shooting games such as Call of Duty: World at War. This accessory essentially turned the controller into a toy-gun for easy handling. An honorable mention goes out to the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro which can be used in conjunction with the WiiMote, but on even on their own stand as some of the best controllers Nintendo has made, likely the inspiration for the Switch Pro Controller. While the Switch Joycons offer some degree of versatility as well, they don’t come close to the Wii Remote.
2 Immersion
The Wii Remote also featured a built-in speaker, which added an extra layer of immersion to games. Players could hear sound effects and music coming directly from the controller, making the experience even more realistic.
The motion sensing functions, considering how well they were made already led to solid immersion but in conjunction with them were the various accessories mentioned above, this immersion is taken to the next level, imagine sinking dozens of hours into Mario Kart using the wheel, or World at War using the Zapper.
1 Accessibility
As mentioned before, the Wii Remote was fairly comfortable, and its layout made it easy to use. But a key feature about this controller was the fact that, along with the accessories and the gaming library, the Wii Remote was the most accessible controller ever made. In a time when videogames were arguably alienating casual audiences, the Wii, through its controller and unique characteristics captivated them. Considering all the various uses the remote had, all the different genres of games it worked smoothly with, the Wii Remote did a lot to promote video gaming to audiences beyond the hardcore fps and action-adventure cross-section it had stagnated in.
The Wii Remote’s motion controls were a revelation for technology, its ideas were utilized in gaming controllers as well as the general tech-sphere and its relatively cheap price, and accessible design made in unmatched.