With 47 years in the video game industry, it's no wonder that Nintendo has had its fair share of ups and downs. While the playing card and toy manufacturer made it big in the 1980s with its Nintendo Entertainment System, widely considered to be the first truly successful home console, it hasn't been all smooth sailing for the company. Over the years, Nintendo has had a few less-than-successful inventions, but the Wii certainly isn't one of them, and a great deal of its early success can be attributed to an unassuming little pack-in title, Wii Sports.
Included with every purchase of a Wii console upon its release in 2006, Wii Sports has been played by millions across the globe. While it may not be the first game people think of when they hear the name Nintendo, Wii Sports is remembered very fondly today, and its legacy can be seen in a variety of Nintendo's modern day offerings. To many, Wii Sports is a modern day classic.
The Best-Selling Nintendo Game of all Time
A fact some people may find a little surprising, Wii Sports is Nintendo's best-selling game of all time. Selling 82.9 million copies over its 16-year lifespan, Wii Sports beats out Nintendo icons such as the original Pokemon trilogy combined, Super Mario Bros. and all of its ports, and Mario Kart 8 on both Wii U and Switch.
In one of the smartest decisions Nintendo has ever made, Wii Sports was packaged in with the Wii console at launch. This would prove to be an excellent move on Nintendo's part, as in the early days of the Wii, Wii Sports became a phenomenon.
Appearing on late night talk shows like Conan and the Colbert Report, along with being featured repeatedly on national news broadcasts like ABC and NBC, Wii Sports quickly shot into the public conscious and became the face of the Wii. With even older news anchors being able to pick up a Wii Mote and play, the Wii cemented itself as an extremely accessible console. While its competition was focused on producing the best graphics and most realistic experiences, the Wii marketed itself as the true family console, a selling point that would land the console in homes around the globe.
Wii Sports acted as a gateway, enticing families to buy the standard Wii bundle, some with no intention of ever buying another game for the system. But once they were through the door, many were enraptured by the console and its incredibly intuitive motion controls. Wii Sports acted as the perfect demo for the console, introducing the main motion control gimmick that would remain throughout the system's life.
The sheer accessibility of the game, combined with controls that could be learned instantly even by those who have never held a controller before, lent itself to family gatherings. No matter the occasion, the Wii and Wii Sports would be a staple of just about any 2006/2007 family gathering. It's not often that a game can be enjoyed by multiple generations at once, but Wii Sports managed it, and is undoubtedly a large factor in the Wii's early success.
Another contributing factor to the early success of the Wii and the process of Wii Sports becoming a global phenomenon, was the introduction of Miis. A mascot for the Wii and Wii U era, Miis helped to make Wii Sports a more personal and family-based experience. The act of creating a Mii of a family member or friend became an entertaining process in itself, using the minimalist sliders to create a stylized avatar that resembled them just enough while still looking suitably cartoon-y.
In Wii Sports itself, Miis were implemented perfectly, acting as the player-characters. Though it wasn't groundbreaking, the novelty of seeing these stylized avatars dash across a pitch and smirk playfully to the camera never stopped being entertaining, especially in a party setting.
An Enduring Legacy
Wii Sports' presence as a pack-in title has meant that the vast majority of Wii owners have played the game at least once. When almost 83 million people play a game, it's bound to be remembered fondly. Over the years, Wii Sports has only grown in popularity, becoming a symbol of many gamers' childhood, and the success of the Wii era as a whole.
Wii Sports received a few sequels following its unprecedented success. Wii Sports Resort launched in 2009 and filled a similar role to its predecessor, being used to market and sell the new Wii MotionPlus controller. Wii Sports Resort included twice as many sports as the original, and had a wider variation of games, ranging from sword-based activities to wakeboarding. As of 2022, Wii Sports Resort has sold over 33 million units, which isn't quite as successful as its predecessor, but is still Nintendo's 9th highest-selling game of all time.
In 2013, Wii Sports Club was released on the Wii U eShop. Acting as a remaster of the original game, Wii Sports Club consisted of the same five sports, with identical gameplay, but implemented some new social features, including Miiverse integration.
Over the last few years, Wii Sports has had a resurgence in popularity, especially with younger audiences. Scrolling through TikTok nowadays, it only takes a few swipes before the iconic Wii Sports music can be heard. Wii Sports-based memes have persisted for a few years now, acting as a constant reminder of the game's extraordinary cultural influence, whether it's pictures of the boxing legend Matt or reminders of the bizarre Mii jumping animation when the ball rolls backwards in bowling.
In just a few weeks' time, Nintendo Switch Sports is releasing. A sequel that fans have been asking for for years now, Switch Sports is bringing six sports to the table, including classics like bowling and tennis along with new additions like badminton and soccer. From the trailers released so far, it seems as though Switch Sports will be a solid game, but whether it can carry the same legacy as Wii Sports is yet to be seen.
Wii Sports is available for the Nintendo Wii.