@@dixoncider5046 I was heavy into first person shooters at the time with Halo 2. I would say that ocarina of time was an excellent game but as soon as they started like wii bowling with the grappling hook i was out. lol, I do admit it did kinda look interesting watching my friend play his but I always thought id never pay for a system to do that tho. Even though all those years later I bought a $2k gaming laptop to run Halo infinite.. with the grappling hook. lol
I worked at Toys R us black friday 05, 06, and 07. They let me clock out early at the wii launch so I could get in line in time to get one. Played it for 24 hours straight after that
It was Christmas of 2006 and there was nothing in the world that my brother and I wanted more than a Nintendo Wii. When Christmas Day came, we finished opening our gifts, and we didn’t get the Wii. It was okay, because we were extremely thankful for our gifts regardless. After we finished unwrapping, my mom asked us to set the table for breakfast. We opened up the cabinet that contained our placemats for the table and boom, there was the Wii, sitting there. We were shook. One of my most cherished memories. I wanna hug my parents extra tight after watching this!
2006 had been a rough year for my family. First my Grandmother died after a long illness in February, then my dad suddenly died of a heart attack in August, weeks after my 26th birthday. To top that off, my 16 year old cat died in Mid-December. Just a couple of weeks before Christmas, I had decided to go to Wal-Mart after my shift at a local grocery store. I wanted to find a copy of Napoleon Dynamite on DVD for my sister, who loved that movie at the time. I was in the electronics section in the back, and as I was browsing, I suddenly saw someone with a big cart full of Nintendo Wiis, coming right through to stock them! I asked if the consoles were on hold for anyone, and when she said no, I immediately grabbed one! I thought I was gonna have to wait months to get one of these. It was a Christmas miracle! Talk about a high note on which to end an extremely bad year. You can't do much better than that.
Wow man that's deep. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I'm only a year younger than you but last year I got a ps5 for my son a month before Christmas day but wasn't going to give it to him until Christmas day came around. He didn't know I'd got him one. Then a week after I bought it his mum died. Me and his mum had broken up many years before and my son has lived with me for years anyway with me and my partner, but wow it was a trying time for him. Luckily me and my son are very close and always have been and share a passion for videogames. It's her first anniversary of her death in about 8 days, so just keeping a close eye on him and being there for when he needs me. I hope you have a good Christmas. I'm in the UK so we don't celebrate thanksgiving here, but I hope you have a happy thanksgiving too
I got up at 5 am, rode my bike to the local walmart, and stood in line all day and got the FIRST Nintendo Wii sold at my store! I will never forget that day, people brought tvs and xboxs and walmart let us plug em in.
I worked at Walmart when the Wii and PS3 launched. (Well... the night before) My shift ended at 1am, a huge line had already formed outside in the cold. I felt bad, so I went to a nearby Krispy Kreme and bought around 4 dozen donuts and hot chocolates. I came back to the line and started handing them out for free. One guy scoffed and said, "this is all we get??" Luckily, other folks in line knew it was coming from my pocket and not Walmart. They told him and he was like 'whatever'
Worked Toys R Us from 2004 - 2007. Black Friday was always nuts. Lines to the back of the store. People pushing/shoving. Our store paid an off duty police officer to keep an eye on things (sweetest gal, she always brought us treats). I remember one of those Red Bull Mini Coopers stopping by and giving all of us employees free energy drinks. As crazy as those days could be, still a lot of great memories. We're losing all of this to the online empire that is Amazon.
I worked Black Friday in 2000-01. Cheap DVD players and PS2 consoles caused many a fist fight. It was insane. Literally people tackling each other for a $79 Apex DVD player.
My mom spent all day on Black Friday and next few weeks trying to find the Wii but it was sold out everywhere, even in neighboring states (we lived in the tri-state area where going to another state's Walmart was a quick 20 minute drive). She finally found one online and managed to pick it up in the next state over from a guy who wasn't a scalper and had an extra set for some reason. I was so happy on Christmas because I lost all hope on getting it. I remember being so amazed by the Wii as a kid and my family thinking that it was so high tech because of the motion control which truly was in retrospect.
I get choked up in a good way seeing these videos. Makes me have that feeling when I was kid and being able to now give that same feeling to my kids and creating that memory I once had with them. Hopefully my kids will see it how you do and when I'm gone, pass that along to their kids.
Bro, your videos make me sad (happy sad). Like, I miss being a kid so much. I'm 37 years old and your videos imcapsulate the nostalgia that most millennials long for. its just wild.
I agree man. Whenever I watch retro lifes videos, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy, but at the same time It makes me feel sad that my young years are over. I'll be 39 in a month 😢. Nothing will ever be like it was in the 2000s.
This is why I'll never miss my retail employee days thanks to this infamous day. Back when I was at Best Buy working Black Friday was mandatory with no possibility of getting the day off. Getting up at the ass-crack of dawn and heading to the BB store I worked at I had to make sure to show I was an employee with my blue polo shirt heading towards the front entrance of the building as those waiting in line around the building would just glare at you in thinking that maybe your were trying to cut in line or do something deceptive. Nowadays I just sleep in on Black Friday and treat it like a relaxing day off work!
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed my personal account of the Black Friday MADNESS surrounding the Nintendo Wii in 2006. Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it. I'm thankful for ALL OF YOU. Good luck Black Friday shopping!
I remember having a wii as a first console first game ever played was sonic and the black night best ever sonic game ever made I sold my wii for a xbox 360 though when I got older best consoles ever made my dad had a ps3 slim console around 2011 or 2013 reach and halo 4 was my favorite game on the 360 best good games ever made ❤
@MyRetroLife I have no footage of my childhood. But you have all the same memories as I do. It's like I live my past through your videos. It's so heartwarming
I remember back on December 28, 2006 which was my birthday me and my mom went on a search for a Nintendo Wii, the first store I asked if they had any, no, second store I asked the same question again, no, but then we went to my local GameStop which had been my favorite location because of it being so reliable in the past, but when I walked in I didn’t ask at first because I was looking at their games and didn’t honestly think they’d have a Wii, my mom asks if they did and they actually did, I remember the reaction we both had, it was something else. The funny thing is when the Wii U came out the same thing happened except the third store we went to was Best Buy, and my mom was the one to speak up once again. I doubt I’ll have another experience like that again, but it’s those kinds of memories that are what make them so special.
It was such a huge deal when I got a Wii at age 10. I especially loved playing Twilight Princess. Thank you for bringing back those memories, I can hardly believe it’s been nearly two decades.
I was working for a contractor who was mostly building high-end spec houses for investors at the time and clients were starting to back out of future projects that we were putting together bids for. We ended up getting enough work to mostly stay busy through 2007, but the wheels were clearly already starting to fall off the bus.
I got my Wii in Christmas 2009 with Wii Sports Resort & New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I think the best thing about the console is the ability to play older Nintendo games. I never had a GameCube, and my mind was blown by how amazing its library was, and I thank the Wii for that.
i never understood the Virtual Console's appeal. I had emulators.... that was nothing more than paying for ROMs. I already have ROMs............. I already have ways to play ROMs on my TV.... I can play them on my phone I can play them on my tablet... I don't need them on my Wii. I mean it's still cool it has the option of course, but uh.... it's like paying for leaves. They're lying around everywhere and we'll never run out. You just pick them up... you don't go to the leaf store.
@@Turk_2023 Just about everyone in existence (except me) had one, so I think it's pretty common knowledge, yes. I didn't even have one and know that. I didn't have a Gamecube either. I have a Wii controller now, and a Dolphinbar to use it on my computer, so I kinda have one via emulation but I rarely use it.
Here’s my story: I was on the midnight line for the Wii on Black Friday for about two hours, outside in the cold. Suddenly an employee announced that they had units for the first 50. I was 53. I slumped home, defeated. A week later I got wind that Gamestop might have some units in on Friday morning at opening. I took a gamble and parked my car out front at midnight. There I sat, focusing my eyes on the storefront, unblinking, for hours. At 4:30, a car parked near mine. Then another, then another, then another, until finally one guy got out to wait next to the door. I followed quickly, and since he knew I was there first, he gave me his spot. By opening there had to have been 50 people on line. Yes, they told us they did have units! I was able to get the Wii, a copy pf Twilight Princess, and their only 2nd spare Wiimote. Awesome! Then I went home and fell asleep. Worth it! Will I ever do that again? No! We have a great new episode coming later today! I hope you and your family had a fantastic Thanksgiving, Tyler!
Same story with me. I was on a line on launch day at Best buy by 6:00am. I was 48 and they had 50. Me and my brother got lucky. After Twilight princess, and the gimmicky Wii sports, the Wii was probably my least played console ever.
I always wondered what its like working at a game store in the 2000’s so to see the most ICONIC black friday in gaming launch history on film was probably the quickest click ive ever made on a video LOL thank you Tyler for another amazing story to start off my day with 💙
Even when I was a kid I was too enlightened for that, because it was clear Nintendo and Sega both had awesome games. The sad thing is there's people in their 40's or older, that have their blind fanboy-ism, and are still fighting those wars for their corporate daddy's today.
Your retro videos always hit home and bring a tear to my eye. Thank you and your father for letting me relive my childhood, and remembering my father the same way you do.
What a great story. I rebought a Wii a few months ago to let my kid and her cousins experience it (ages 10/12). Once we start playing Wii sports they were hooked. So many shouts and yells and celebratory dances just like I did back in 2006. It’s such a different console compared to the 360/ps3. It’s comfort, it’s fun, and definitely brings back the coach coop feeling of the nes/snes consoles.
Camped out at walmart for 18 hours on launch day. They had 20 in stock and I was 19th in line. Talk about lucking out. Played Twilight Princess all weekend w my roommates it was such a fun time!
Lol. This brings back memories. I worked at Kmart, Black Friday was the only time I remember having to work overnight from Thanksgiving Thursday to the next morning in Black Friday. Then going home to sleep for 6 hours and going back to do Black Friday. What a time, lol. Thanks for the memories Tyler!
Your right. A Nintendo console is such a way to get a core memory. Especially as your first console. I remember it’s mine. It was Christmas 2010 my parents knew as a 4 year old I was getting into gaming. So they got me a Wii on Christmas of 2010 I always remember my excitement. My parents are awesome. They truly started my love for gaming and my love for Nintendo. It’s a tradition I’m going to pass on when I have kids down the road in my life and a niece or nephew you know. It’s something I will always cherish as a gamer. Your dad would be proud.
I worked Best Buy in media for the Wii days. We would answer the phones “thank you for calling Best Buy, we do not have Wii in stock and we do not know when we will have it in stock.” But it was great when we would randomly get them in and a parent or grandparent happened to be there when we dropped them on the shelf, got many thanks for making their kids Christmas special. I wasn’t able to get one on launch day but my boss let me camp out for the next ad sale which was like a week after. Good memories for sure.
looking back on 2006 was a great memory for me too! In 2006 I was 15 and my brother was 19. I'm originally from Brooklyn, so we both went into Manhattan to the Nintendo World store and waited in line until midnight for the Wii release. Thanks for the reminder!!!
Tyler, I normally don't comment but I just wanna thank you for all the happiness, joy , and sadness. I've discovered your channel earlier this year!! I've completed watching your whole channel, I've laughed and cried to your videos, it was quite an enjoyment to watch all your videos on your channel. I can relate to you so much because I had a similar childhood growing up with my family. You're like one of my favorite UA-cam channel. I'm thinking about becoming a patron too. I can't wait to see more videos to come!! Keep it up brother!! 💪
I worked Black Friday at GameStop 07, 08... Wild times man, it was like that with the Wii for years. I remember going into the back and rewinding the camera footage to watch it from that day, it was a circus.
I worked at Hollywood Video with a Game Crazy attached, and I too recall the madness of black Friday 2006. It wasn't just that day that was nuts it was the entire launch window of the PS3 and Wii. My goodness the amount of calls and walks in looking were rediculous. Even my side because we were guilty by association were getting inundated with the calls and walk up enthusiasts. Lucky for us my Game Crazy received 12 wii preorders, and like the savages we were the manager let us employees have first dib if we paid in full. I got that Wii. The PS3 was not so lucky, we only had 3 systems come in at launch and maybe 2 or three trickle in every other week. What a time to work electronic resale.
Very moving Tyler. Appreciate you sharing the emotional connection of the Nintendo Wii to your dad. Its a fitting tribute to your hero and legend. I'm watching a lot of your Christmas videos this Christmas season. They are very special
Worked Black Fridays from 2004-2011 at Best Buy. Loved it! The best was I wasn’t supposed to work Fridays because I made that one of my unavailable days, yet I would make my own schedule for Black Friday where I would come in around 5 and leave at 10. There for the initial chaos, but gone before the physical crash. Plus, I would be there in time to hide the doorbusters I wanted and still purchase them before the doorbuster time ended at 12…..
This brings back memories. I worked at a electronics store back then, and we also sold everything related to gaming. The Wii..... Well..... You've showed it all in the video. The madness... The phone that never stopped ringing....all the people who lined up in front of me.... Sometimes I still dream of it. Or should I say, it still gives me nightmares. The only other console that came close to this madness, was the release of the PS2. But still, the Wii was ridiculous.
I worked that Black Friday at the Sony Store. Holy crap the phones rang off the hook with people scrambling to get a PS3. We didn’t have raffles or anything like that, and the lineups were among the biggest I’d ever seen. I’d say they were on par with Disney lineups on spring break. I legit still have nightmares of having to go back to that.
I remember me and my Grandpa went to Toys R Us to buy a Wii and they were all sold out. When I went to walk around my Grandpa saw an employee with an entire palet of them and reserved one for me. The Christmas of 2006 is still my favorite.
I also worked electronics retail when the wii was released. We got so many phone calls asking about it we started answering the phone with 'Thanks for calling - we are currently out of stock on the nintendo wii, how can we help you?' so many people just hung up.
Oh man, I remember No one could get the Wii. One of my friend was the only kid who got a Wii at launch and everyone was begging him to go over at his house and play. Me and my brothers finally got it around march 2006 and I almost passed out from excitement. The hype around Zelda Twilight Princess and the Nintendo Wii was unreal.
I remember in 2007 calling target and GameStop every week for months till I finally got lucky one weekend morning. Pokémon battle revolution and Wii sports made me happy af
Thank you for sharing your personal life and show casing it on this platform. For me, I spent 2006 Thanksgiving dinner eating an MRE in Iraq. After my shift was over, I grabbed some hot chow at the DFAC (Dining Facility) aka Chow Hall. Even though my meal was scraps and leftovers. It was still delicious and a taste of normalcy. On Black Friday, I stood in line at the morale tent to make a 10 min phone call, only to talk to my sister who was midnight shopping for the Wii.
I remember finding Wii's in rural areas after release easily for whatever reason, I was a college student without a job at the time, and I sold them locally for a reasonable mark-up to families who couldn't find them in larger cities because stores were only getting a few at a time. They simply didn't make enough Nintendo Wiis, a huge fail by Nintendo to meet demand.
Because I worked at Gamestop I was able to preorder my Wii. I remember taking it home that night and experiencing Wii Sports and it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I'm lucky, I know.
i didn’t get the wii until about 2009 i believe, we came back from a holiday at like 3am and my room had been secretly decorated a bit and we had a brand new nintendo wii in it, and i still have it and it works well still thankfully. the pure joy and nostalgia it gives me literally just looking at my wii and still having it is insane. i grew up on the wii and DS lite/3ds xl i will forever be grateful to them for bringing me my love of video games. also, just three brilliant consoles imo, awesome that with just those consoles i can play the gameboy games, the GBA games, ds, 3ds and wii games. nintendo is. so special to me for being such a great part of my childhood, and for being a great part of my adulthood now i’m getting back into games- i love how universal this connection to nintendo is even cross-generationally.
the wii was such a funky console but i adore it so much. nowadays i’m not a massive fan of the motion controls but it’s still so fun to play, with the nintendo music app has been fun bc ive been listening to just the menu music bc even that is so nostalgic, i’d just leave it on the disc or mii menu while i did other stuff. nintendo is always brilliant in the sound department, and thats part of what i love about the wii. even just the disc menu has a sweet little song. so much theming in that menu (and then…. they made the switch menu xd)
Thank you, Tyler! I always love your stories. Never stops bringing tears to my eyes. My grandparents, mainly my grandma, bought me my consoles. She used to do whatever she could to make sure I got the newest one that I wanted, I miss her. I appreciate you and your videos.
I got hired at GameStop around the launch of the Wii. You totally brought back memories of that phone ringing non-stop with people asking for Wii. Even if we did have Wii in stock, we were told by management to tell people we were sold out because chances were it’d be gone by the time they got to the store. I totally hear you about love for games becoming work and taking a backseat and the burnout. The worst for me was when family/friends would contact me on my personal phone and ask me about Wii stock when it was my day off. Or my mom asking me about Wii stock on behalf of all her coworkers looking for one. Oh man, I need a drink now.
Oh my God, I remember the Nintendo Wii Launch day like it was yesterday. Me and my dad camped out in front of a Wal-Mart with hundreds of other people, waiting to get a Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo Switch's launch day was a lot tamer compared to the Wii's launch day.
16:16 Got 2 small nieces who I just got into NES games and all the other systems from back in the day. Can't wait to set up a couple of Wii's for their Christmas presents. Thanks for the awesome nostalgia trip Tyler!
I remember the Wii hype like it was yesterday, it was insane! The Wii was great for the time but not timeless like all the other Nintendo consoles that came before it!
Wii is pretty timeless, I’m still playing through Dolphin with my real Wii remote quite frequently, but I guess growing up during that gen 7 era I’m a bit more nostalgic for it. Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 are my all time favourites. Resident Evil 4, was probably the most enjoyable way to play the game imo, excluding the remake. The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower, New Super Mario Bros, Skyward Sword, Mad World… I could keep going lol
The wii is an awesome system modded but stock system in 2024 feels really lacking especially now with most of the official services and servers are now shut down.
@@oOignignoktOo1 for sure I wouldn’t disagree with that, I tried that route but I just don’t really like playing on original hardware anymore. Recently sold all my old consoles in favour of emulation.
Somehow, someway my Mom and I managed to get a Wii console at launch when it was really supposed to be nearly impossible. A month prior, after pooling together money my whole family contributed into a large, 5-gallon water jug, my Mom started calling every EB Games she could to reserve a console, even if it was far from home. Store after store said they were out until she finally contacted one that said they did -- the woman on the phone (her name was Amy, I can still remember because I associated her with the Sonic character) for whatever reason said she could hold the reservation for us, even though she probably really wasn't supposed to. Maybe it was my Mom's manner of speaking as she was always very pleasant and polite over the phone. My Mom and I made it over there as quickly as we could, ran to the counter where Amy was and immediately put down the money for our reservation. It was pretty amazing how she did that for us because the hype for the Wii was very real and couldn't be understated. I got my reservation slip and stared at it on our way home, ecstatic. The month leading up to the launch was the most excited I ever was for a console. On the freezing cold morning of November 19th, we drove to EB Games and picked up my console. The previous day there were reports of people being robbed as they carried theirs to their vehicles, so my Mom and Uncle flanked me as I tucked it under my jacket and briskly walked to our vehicle. I'll never forget how exciting all of that was, and no other console launch has come close for me since then.
Watching this video I was reminded of the rare occasions in which I got a new console as a Christmas present. It’s not really about the item itself but the anticipation and joy of playing and sharing those moments with my family that make me emotional nowadays. You don’t get to experience stuff like that as an adult anymore. Thanks for sharing.
Making us feel old buddy😅 the 90s and 00s were an amazing time for gaming. The graphical jumps were incredible to see through each generation ( minus the Wii ofc😅) used to love hunting down the games I wanted in town or spending ages browsing the store shelves and discovering new games that way. Used to love buying game magazines reading about the next consoles etc... or pre-order in store to get a free gift! midnight launches queues around the block. Great times. What were your memories from say, 2014/16 when U were 8-10? How was it for you?
I was 18 at the time. It was amazing as was the 360 launch in 05. Dunno if it's cos I'm older now but console launches just don't have the hype around them that they used to
I was going into a store to get a charge pack for my 360 controller and saw people sitting in the entrance way wondering what they were doing. There was five people there. I asked them what they were doing waiting there and they said it was the PS3 launch date. I thought they were crazy waiting for a gaming console, let alone the PS3. But they'd done a lottery and had numbers so everyone else just went home. It was a line of five guaranteed to get a console so it was smooth sailing. Little did I know how much I'd want a PS3 the following year and got one on Black Friday with an extra controller and four free Blu-ray movies. I traded in the controller at Walmart for a game, because then, the customer was always right. I didn't buy the controller from them but "returned it" and traded for a game. From then on, my Xbox 360 sat there and collected dust. I bought tons of games for my PS3 and my 360 only got dusted off and played when Gears of War and Gears of War 3 came out. I'd been dooped about the Xbox 360. The PS3 was much better, it was my console that gen and my favorite console of all time
@@CragusMaximus For real. The PS5 Pro is out and it's barely any better than the PS4 Pro and you can still play all your games on the PS4 Pro pretty much five years in. It sucks. Innovation in hardware is gone. Xbox used off the shelf parts and PlayStation used proprietary tech that made their consoles awesome. Kutaragi wanted a beast with everything in it and we got it but everyone just complained the price was too high. Mine was $500 with a free controller and four blurays of my choice and I'd do it all over again. Yeah, new game consoles actually had graphical leaps and while getting a console could be tough, if you were patient enough, you were fine. Getting a PS5, however, with scalpers of today, was an omen that set the stage for the worst console generation of all time. I hate this console generation which is killing my love for modern console gaming and I now just want to play all the old stuff in my backlog
I worked at Walmart for Black Friday 2006 and it was chaos. It was a small town Walmart but we had people from all over coming to our Walmart because they all had the same idea that it’s a small Walmart so it won’t be as busy…. I hated that day.
My sister worked at GameStop during the 2006 holiday season and she was able to get us a Wii the whole family enjoyed on Christmas Day. I’ll never forget three generations of family members playing Wii Sports.
I think I got one at Target at midnight. It was fun. I was angry cause this dude in line was talking about scalping his. Then I asked my friend if he could work my shift that day so I could play it. He said absolutely not what the hell is wrong with you. Haha.
Dude, thank you so much for that video. Somehow I think i needed this kind of content. It brought me to tears (good ones) when you talked about the fact that it's not receiving the console itself that made that moment special, but the fact that our parents bought this for US. We need to cherish those moments, cherish every day we can spend with our loved ones. Because when we realise how good those moments were, they are always long gone.
I have the Wii today, and it was amazing! I got to play The Godfather on it, and for the PS3, I have both the Super Slim and a jailbroken Slim model, along with an Xbox 360 E. Feels good to have three consoles
Worked at Walmart late 90s early 2000s, I gotta say my absolute favorite day was black friday...... so much going on.... people, fighting , seeing old people showing their true selves. God u miss thoes days
Your videos always bring me joy, goosebumps and drive me tears in my eyes. You are the only person who is able to bring all these feelings together, in one single video. Your cutting job, your selection of music, everything is perfect. Thanks for bringing us these retro-memories back. And you deserve more subscribers than you got right now.
Thanks for all the great content! We're the same age +/- a year and all your videos trigger gaming memories from years gone by. I too worked at a Gamestop that same year and also worked 2nd shift. (Our managers must have liked us). There were 4 Gamestop stores in my city and I worked in one of the 2 mall stores (My store was originally an EB and they had yet to close the smaller of the 2 stores in that mall) so I came in to what was basically just a busy afternoon shift, not the madhouse you described. I somehow managed to completely block out from my memory until now about all the Wii calls. I ended up breaking a phone from all the calls at one point.
My first Black Friday was this same exact year too. I will never forget having to answer the phone for a year and a half that we don’t have any Wiis in stock. My district manager was on our ass about answering the phone, so we couldn’t say, “…where we don’t have Wiis in stock” or put up any out of stock signs. I don’t miss this and I know the pain. Thanks for sharing this.
I kind of miss the excitement of Black Friday in the early 2000's. Waking up at 11pm, my stomach still processing last nights Thanksgiving feast. Asking myself, is this really worth the potential 50+% off? Driving down to the mall with the heater on full blast, lining up with thousands of people in the cold, our warm breath clouds whisping away. The door's unlock at midnight, and that rush of excitment you experience as you prepare to run to the electronic section like your life depends on it. Finding that item that made it all worth it! It's funny how a chaotic time like Black Friday can be looked back upon with such fondness. Idk if it's due to the fact the sales are now extended out to a week rather than just a day or if it's the addition of Cyber monday, but it doesnt have quite the same flare to it that Black Friday used to. You did a great job capturing the experience from both sides of the counter in this video Tyler.
I was working at Circuit City in the video games department Black Friday that year and the 3 previous years. My ex wife waited on line all night to get me a Wii from another location. It was a dark time in my life and I didn't deserve for her to do that for me, especially for what I put her through. She did it anyway and I wish I was more appreciative of it. I am around your age and I look back at the early to mid 2000's as the end of a really special era where technology exploded in the most subtle of ways. Our TV's changed from 2.5 feet deep to 4 inches deep. Our internet started to become faster and matured. CD' players turned into portable hard drives with screens. Mapquest print-outs were a thing of the past and the birth of HD paved the way for clearer images. It was also a time of great action, drama and horror movies. Growing up in the lates 80's and 90's and being a young adult in the early 2000's has been a diverse trip. We had the best of everything. Now things just feel like improvements of the same exact thing.
Hi Tyler, Thank you once again for your videos. They have a remarkable way of capturing the real emotions and profound connections we experience through this hobby! Even though your dad has passed, I have no doubt he would be incredibly proud of the intelligent & heartfelt person you’ve become-and the father you are to your own children. It feels deeply meaningful that the last console he gave you was the Nintendo Wii. In a way, it symbolizes the bond you shared-a connection that was never just about him or you but about the “we” in the passion you both loved together. Your story continues to inspire!
Whats crazy PS3 came out in 06 yet the swan song game GOW2 came out in March 2007 lol nobody was buying a ps3.....only reason people got it was for Blu ray player smh
Hahaha. This takes me back. I worked in the R-Zone at Toys R Us during all of this madness. What a wild time. I actually managed to get a Wii for myself that holiday because a customer returned theirs.
Thanks for sharing this cool story! I was 10 years old and opening the Wii Christmas of 06 felt magical! Me and my family played for hours for years. We made it a mission to become pro in every Wii sport mini game, especially bowling because you would get a shiny ball. I asked my parents where they got it and they said Sam’s club had hundreds of them in stock and where getting shipments in almost everyday so every member was able to get one that year!
i really am just appalled by how great your storytelling is; how you tease us with bits of a large story in every episode, and how you find ways to make parts of it about us too. thanks for all that you do and thanks to your father for the incredible contributions he made that allowed this to happen. i'm sure you would've done it even without the home footage, but it makes it just that much more perfect that it's there. thank you truly -x
I feel you so much man... I worked at a Compucentre store (Computers and Game Consoles) in Canada back in the days between 1995 and 2003 and up here Black Friday was not a big thing because we do not celebrate Thanksgiving like you guys do in the US. (Actually our Thanksgiving is in the middle of October and it's not a big holiday) BUT December 26, the infamous Boxing Day, was a complete pandemomium and each year I was there. The same you described. Each year, one guy was standing all day before the Nintendo section behind the counter and he was only distributing GB, SNES, N64, Pokemons, Mario Allstars, Mario64 etc. People called all day for those and most of the time we were out. So much memories... MG! That's why your channel is, I think, my favorite gaming channel. It overflows with nostalgia many people cannot understand. Keep going on my friend, you do something which means a lot.
It’s crazy to see your videos and feel how relatable they are to the majority of us. The NES was my first console and definitely enjoyed the Wii as well. The nostalgia factor is amazing
I remember how crazy and impossible it was to get a Nintendo Wii anywhere. Until you checked Target and they had 150 units available lol I guess most people didn't think to check those type's of stores as much but from my experience the best way to get really new systems like this was at a store like Target or even Sears back in the day when they sold electronics. You could always score good hard to find stuff at Sears in most of their locations from what I remember.
I'm so thankful that I have such an amazing mom. She slept outside a Walmart with me, my brother, my cousin, and his mom the night the Wii came out. We were able to get 3 Wiis, and I never realized what a nightmare it was to get one until years later.
I got so lucky with my Wii. It was just after Christmas 2006 and I went to Best Buy. There was an employee coming out of the back holding a Wii and he handed it off to another employee. Without hesitation I ran up to him and asked "Is that Wii reserved for anyone?" to which he answered "no". My mom had just walked over to me as I took the Wii from him. We were both excited. For her, I imagine it was just relief at finally finding one lol. Will never forget that.
I remember that year. My brother and I actually were lucky enough to reserve one through Toys R Us. My brother knew we’d have no luck at GameStop, EBgames and even Best Buy. Toys r Us wasn’t in forefront for most people to reserve the Wii. We sat in the cold at our Toys R Us the day the system released (not Black Friday) and we were SO ecstatic! I think we were the first ones in our whole town in Texas to have it! So come that Black Friday, while there was people everywhere scrambling for the Wii my brother and I just casually browsed for games. Not gonna lie, it was one of the most satisfying moments in my life
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I really tried to like zelda for wii but it was just so dumb. lol
@@typerightseesight now way. Twilight Princess was 🔥. Maybe you should try smoking weed or just not being lame in general
@@dixoncider5046 I was heavy into first person shooters at the time with Halo 2. I would say that ocarina of time was an excellent game but as soon as they started like wii bowling with the grappling hook i was out. lol, I do admit it did kinda look interesting watching my friend play his but I always thought id never pay for a system to do that tho. Even though all those years later I bought a $2k gaming laptop to run Halo infinite.. with the grappling hook. lol
heads up buyers: incogni doesn't let you unsubscribe, there's a reddit post about it.
@@hondrjresqsriii muahahahahaha
It's wild how 2006 feels like looking at 1997 nowadays.
One more jump and it’ll be the way we see 2015.
LOl my brain didn't compute that first. Kinda scary
Almost 2 decades. Like looking at 1982 in 2000, or 1970s in 1990s lol.
Don't let the footage fool you, there were good cameras back then, most couldn't afford them.
You're saying 18 years ago feels like 27 years ago?
I worked at Toys R us black friday 05, 06, and 07.
They let me clock out early at the wii launch so I could get in line in time to get one. Played it for 24 hours straight after that
and then never played it again? lol
@ no, It was my only console until the switch came out
Edit: i mean wiiU. Almost forgot
@@Ottophil I was kidding since the Wii became a door stop for many people.. It did have a great virtual console though
@ i mostly used the web browser since we only had one PC and dad never got off it
@@Ottophil 😂😂😂 “Wii U, almost forgot” - you and everyone else who owned one… you just reminded me that I owned one for 7 years, hahaha.
It was Christmas of 2006 and there was nothing in the world that my brother and I wanted more than a Nintendo Wii. When Christmas Day came, we finished opening our gifts, and we didn’t get the Wii. It was okay, because we were extremely thankful for our gifts regardless. After we finished unwrapping, my mom asked us to set the table for breakfast. We opened up the cabinet that contained our placemats for the table and boom, there was the Wii, sitting there. We were shook. One of my most cherished memories. I wanna hug my parents extra tight after watching this!
Love this Wii story! Thanks for sharing
This is so wholesome
Wholesome bro
Christmas 2005 I got a PSP which was up there in terms of handheld games alongside the Nintendo DS
2006 had been a rough year for my family. First my Grandmother died after a long illness in February, then my dad suddenly died of a heart attack in August, weeks after my 26th birthday. To top that off, my 16 year old cat died in Mid-December.
Just a couple of weeks before Christmas, I had decided to go to Wal-Mart after my shift at a local grocery store. I wanted to find a copy of Napoleon Dynamite on DVD for my sister, who loved that movie at the time.
I was in the electronics section in the back, and as I was browsing, I suddenly saw someone with a big cart full of Nintendo Wiis, coming right through to stock them! I asked if the consoles were on hold for anyone, and when she said no, I immediately grabbed one! I thought I was gonna have to wait months to get one of these. It was a Christmas miracle!
Talk about a high note on which to end an extremely bad year. You can't do much better than that.
Wow man that's deep. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I'm only a year younger than you but last year I got a ps5 for my son a month before Christmas day but wasn't going to give it to him until Christmas day came around. He didn't know I'd got him one.
Then a week after I bought it his mum died. Me and his mum had broken up many years before and my son has lived with me for years anyway with me and my partner, but wow it was a trying time for him. Luckily me and my son are very close and always have been and share a passion for videogames. It's her first anniversary of her death in about 8 days, so just keeping a close eye on him and being there for when he needs me. I hope you have a good Christmas. I'm in the UK so we don't celebrate thanksgiving here, but I hope you have a happy thanksgiving too
Sorry for your loss
I feel you buddy
I got up at 5 am, rode my bike to the local walmart, and stood in line all day and got the FIRST Nintendo Wii sold at my store! I will never forget that day, people brought tvs and xboxs and walmart let us plug em in.
My brother and I played Guotar Hero 2 all night while waiting for our Wiis at Walmart!
@@nancyswift8090These were the days before you had to worried about getting shot stabbed or robbed 😢
"Nintendo makes you feel like a kid again". I'm 47, and it still makes me feel like I did in 1985.
💯
Yea nintendo does that to a grown man bring back happy memories when happy memories was almost an every day thing
I still remembering opening up my Gameboy. Thanks mom and dad
I worked at Walmart when the Wii and PS3 launched. (Well... the night before) My shift ended at 1am, a huge line had already formed outside in the cold. I felt bad, so I went to a nearby Krispy Kreme and bought around 4 dozen donuts and hot chocolates. I came back to the line and started handing them out for free. One guy scoffed and said, "this is all we get??"
Luckily, other folks in line knew it was coming from my pocket and not Walmart. They told him and he was like 'whatever'
Lol I'd tell him he can FRO with that attitude and give everyone else a donut and not him.
I hope that dude was #51 in line when an employee came out to announce that they only had 50 consoles left. Lol
You shouldve shown him your pp
@@peterthompsoncomedyyou're a special kind of evil 😅
Worked Toys R Us from 2004 - 2007. Black Friday was always nuts. Lines to the back of the store. People pushing/shoving. Our store paid an off duty police officer to keep an eye on things (sweetest gal, she always brought us treats).
I remember one of those Red Bull Mini Coopers stopping by and giving all of us employees free energy drinks.
As crazy as those days could be, still a lot of great memories. We're losing all of this to the online empire that is Amazon.
Nintendo and Sony were DETERMINED to make that Christmas season as miserable as possible for retail workers.
I worked Black Friday in 2000-01. Cheap DVD players and PS2 consoles caused many a fist fight. It was insane. Literally people tackling each other for a $79 Apex DVD player.
People are nuts!
Imagine if some random guy just started pissing all over the people that were fist fighting... That'd be funny as hell
Haha, yup. People are crazy!
Fighting each other over deals the day after celebrating a holiday about being thankful for what we already have. 😂
@@vic8230damn . . .
@@vic8230 It's true. Cheap electronics really bring out the worst in people.
My mom spent all day on Black Friday and next few weeks trying to find the Wii but it was sold out everywhere, even in neighboring states (we lived in the tri-state area where going to another state's Walmart was a quick 20 minute drive). She finally found one online and managed to pick it up in the next state over from a guy who wasn't a scalper and had an extra set for some reason. I was so happy on Christmas because I lost all hope on getting it. I remember being so amazed by the Wii as a kid and my family thinking that it was so high tech because of the motion control which truly was in retrospect.
I get choked up in a good way seeing these videos. Makes me have that feeling when I was kid and being able to now give that same feeling to my kids and creating that memory I once had with them. Hopefully my kids will see it how you do and when I'm gone, pass that along to their kids.
😐
Nostalgia!
Bro, your videos make me sad (happy sad). Like, I miss being a kid so much. I'm 37 years old and your videos imcapsulate the nostalgia that most millennials long for. its just wild.
Thanks man. We really had it good back when we grew up and I love reminiscing on those days.
I agree man. Whenever I watch retro lifes videos, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy, but at the same time It makes me feel sad that my young years are over. I'll be 39 in a month
😢.
Nothing will ever be like it was in the 2000s.
@MyRetroLife you really are the spokesperson of our generation
@@veganzombies2265 Sheet Im gonna be 49 next year
I get that same feeling when I watch his videos, I can't describe it, it's like a time machine..
This is why I'll never miss my retail employee days thanks to this infamous day. Back when I was at Best Buy working Black Friday was mandatory with no possibility of getting the day off. Getting up at the ass-crack of dawn and heading to the BB store I worked at I had to make sure to show I was an employee with my blue polo shirt heading towards the front entrance of the building as those waiting in line around the building would just glare at you in thinking that maybe your were trying to cut in line or do something deceptive. Nowadays I just sleep in on Black Friday and treat it like a relaxing day off work!
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed my personal account of the Black Friday MADNESS surrounding the Nintendo Wii in 2006. Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it. I'm thankful for ALL OF YOU. Good luck Black Friday shopping!
Thanks for sharing bud!!❤ Happy Thanksgiving!
I worked at a Pizza place in a mall... place looked like a bomb went off lol
Happy Thanksgiving to you too 🦃😁
I remember having a wii as a first console first game ever played was sonic and the black night best ever sonic game ever made I sold my wii for a xbox 360 though when I got older best consoles ever made my dad had a ps3 slim console around 2011 or 2013 reach and halo 4 was my favorite game on the 360 best good games ever made ❤
Another great video Tyler!! Thanks man!
Whenever you post a video, i feel like getting news of a friend from childhood,
Aww haha that’s great. Glad the videos that effect! Thanks for watching
@MyRetroLife I have no footage of my childhood. But you have all the same memories as I do. It's like I live my past through your videos. It's so heartwarming
Getting any NINTENDO console for Christmas is the best feeling ever. 💯%
I remember back on December 28, 2006 which was my birthday me and my mom went on a search for a Nintendo Wii, the first store I asked if they had any, no, second store I asked the same question again, no, but then we went to my local GameStop which had been my favorite location because of it being so reliable in the past, but when I walked in I didn’t ask at first because I was looking at their games and didn’t honestly think they’d have a Wii, my mom asks if they did and they actually did, I remember the reaction we both had, it was something else. The funny thing is when the Wii U came out the same thing happened except the third store we went to was Best Buy, and my mom was the one to speak up once again. I doubt I’ll have another experience like that again, but it’s those kinds of memories that are what make them so special.
It was such a huge deal when I got a Wii at age 10. I especially loved playing Twilight Princess. Thank you for bringing back those memories, I can hardly believe it’s been nearly two decades.
Ah 2006 , when the economy was good back then. Black Fridays now are just empty. There are no more crowds and people would rather do online shopping.
I was working for a contractor who was mostly building high-end spec houses for investors at the time and clients were starting to back out of future projects that we were putting together bids for. We ended up getting enough work to mostly stay busy through 2007, but the wheels were clearly already starting to fall off the bus.
That had to be one of the most crazy black Fridays ever. I remembered doing black Friday events for years in retail, don’t miss it one bit.
I got my Wii in Christmas 2009 with Wii Sports Resort & New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
I think the best thing about the console is the ability to play older Nintendo games.
I never had a GameCube, and my mind was blown by how amazing its library was, and I thank the Wii for that.
The wii will take game cube disks?
i never understood the Virtual Console's appeal. I had emulators.... that was nothing more than paying for ROMs. I already have ROMs............. I already have ways to play ROMs on my TV.... I can play them on my phone I can play them on my tablet... I don't need them on my Wii. I mean it's still cool it has the option of course, but uh.... it's like paying for leaves. They're lying around everywhere and we'll never run out. You just pick them up... you don't go to the leaf store.
@@Turk_2023 It doesn't have four Gamecube controller ports just for show.
@@anonamatron You act like everyone on the planet should know everything about a 20 year old game system lol
@@Turk_2023 Just about everyone in existence (except me) had one, so I think it's pretty common knowledge, yes. I didn't even have one and know that. I didn't have a Gamecube either.
I have a Wii controller now, and a Dolphinbar to use it on my computer, so I kinda have one via emulation but I rarely use it.
Here’s my story:
I was on the midnight line for the Wii on Black Friday for about two hours, outside in the cold. Suddenly an employee announced that they had units for the first 50. I was 53. I slumped home, defeated.
A week later I got wind that Gamestop might have some units in on Friday morning at opening. I took a gamble and parked my car out front at midnight. There I sat, focusing my eyes on the storefront, unblinking, for hours.
At 4:30, a car parked near mine. Then another, then another, then another, until finally one guy got out to wait next to the door. I followed quickly, and since he knew I was there first, he gave me his spot.
By opening there had to have been 50 people on line. Yes, they told us they did have units!
I was able to get the Wii, a copy pf Twilight Princess, and their only 2nd spare Wiimote. Awesome!
Then I went home and fell asleep. Worth it! Will I ever do that again? No!
We have a great new episode coming later today! I hope you and your family had a fantastic Thanksgiving, Tyler!
You were hardcore!
@@taverashomemoviesWe definitely have the battle scars…and the age!
Same story with me. I was on a line on launch day at Best buy by 6:00am. I was 48 and they had 50. Me and my brother got lucky. After Twilight princess, and the gimmicky Wii sports, the Wii was probably my least played console ever.
I always wondered what its like working at a game store in the 2000’s so to see the most ICONIC black friday in gaming launch history on film was probably the quickest click ive ever made on a video LOL thank you Tyler for another amazing story to start off my day with 💙
Being a veteran of that console war is the unity many of us share today. Chaos aside, that certainly was a memorable time for gaming!
Even when I was a kid I was too enlightened for that, because it was clear Nintendo and Sega both had awesome games.
The sad thing is there's people in their 40's or older, that have their blind fanboy-ism, and are still fighting those wars for their corporate daddy's today.
Your retro videos always hit home and bring a tear to my eye. Thank you and your father for letting me relive my childhood, and remembering my father the same way you do.
What a great story. I rebought a Wii a few months ago to let my kid and her cousins experience it (ages 10/12). Once we start playing Wii sports they were hooked. So many shouts and yells and celebratory dances just like I did back in 2006. It’s such a different console compared to the 360/ps3. It’s comfort, it’s fun, and definitely brings back the coach coop feeling of the nes/snes consoles.
Camped out at walmart for 18 hours on launch day. They had 20 in stock and I was 19th in line. Talk about lucking out. Played Twilight Princess all weekend w my roommates it was such a fun time!
Lol. This brings back memories. I worked at Kmart, Black Friday was the only time I remember having to work overnight from Thanksgiving Thursday to the next morning in Black Friday. Then going home to sleep for 6 hours and going back to do Black Friday. What a time, lol. Thanks for the memories Tyler!
Your right. A Nintendo console is such a way to get a core memory. Especially as your first console. I remember it’s mine. It was Christmas 2010 my parents knew as a 4 year old I was getting into gaming. So they got me a Wii on Christmas of 2010 I always remember my excitement. My parents are awesome. They truly started my love for gaming and my love for Nintendo. It’s a tradition I’m going to pass on when I have kids down the road in my life and a niece or nephew you know. It’s something I will always cherish as a gamer. Your dad would be proud.
I worked Best Buy in media for the Wii days. We would answer the phones “thank you for calling Best Buy, we do not have Wii in stock and we do not know when we will have it in stock.”
But it was great when we would randomly get them in and a parent or grandparent happened to be there when we dropped them on the shelf, got many thanks for making their kids Christmas special. I wasn’t able to get one on launch day but my boss let me camp out for the next ad sale which was like a week after. Good memories for sure.
looking back on 2006 was a great memory for me too! In 2006 I was 15 and my brother was 19. I'm originally from Brooklyn, so we both went into Manhattan to the Nintendo World store and waited in line until midnight for the Wii release.
Thanks for the reminder!!!
2:45 after sponsor
Thank you. UA-cam videos are getting ridiculous. First a preview nobody asked for right into a long ass ad.
For real @@ElGordo2497
Tyler, I normally don't comment but I just wanna thank you for all the happiness, joy , and sadness. I've discovered your channel earlier this year!! I've completed watching your whole channel, I've laughed and cried to your videos, it was quite an enjoyment to watch all your videos on your channel. I can relate to you so much because I had a similar childhood growing up with my family. You're like one of my favorite UA-cam channel. I'm thinking about becoming a patron too. I can't wait to see more videos to come!! Keep it up brother!! 💪
Love this comment. Thanks bro!
I worked Black Friday at GameStop 07, 08... Wild times man, it was like that with the Wii for years. I remember going into the back and rewinding the camera footage to watch it from that day, it was a circus.
I worked at Hollywood Video with a Game Crazy attached, and I too recall the madness of black Friday 2006. It wasn't just that day that was nuts it was the entire launch window of the PS3 and Wii. My goodness the amount of calls and walks in looking were rediculous. Even my side because we were guilty by association were getting inundated with the calls and walk up enthusiasts. Lucky for us my Game Crazy received 12 wii preorders, and like the savages we were the manager let us employees have first dib if we paid in full. I got that Wii. The PS3 was not so lucky, we only had 3 systems come in at launch and maybe 2 or three trickle in every other week. What a time to work electronic resale.
Very moving Tyler. Appreciate you sharing the emotional connection of the Nintendo Wii to your dad. Its a fitting tribute to your hero and legend. I'm watching a lot of your Christmas videos this Christmas season. They are very special
Glad you enjoyed it man! Thanks for watching
Thank you for your service
Worked Black Fridays from 2004-2011 at Best Buy. Loved it! The best was I wasn’t supposed to work Fridays because I made that one of my unavailable days, yet I would make my own schedule for Black Friday where I would come in around 5 and leave at 10. There for the initial chaos, but gone before the physical crash. Plus, I would be there in time to hide the doorbusters I wanted and still purchase them before the doorbuster time ended at 12…..
I knew it! You scumbags! 😅
This brings back memories. I worked at a electronics store back then, and we also sold everything related to gaming. The Wii..... Well..... You've showed it all in the video. The madness... The phone that never stopped ringing....all the people who lined up in front of me.... Sometimes I still dream of it. Or should I say, it still gives me nightmares.
The only other console that came close to this madness, was the release of the PS2. But still, the Wii was ridiculous.
I worked that Black Friday at the Sony Store. Holy crap the phones rang off the hook with people scrambling to get a PS3. We didn’t have raffles or anything like that, and the lineups were among the biggest I’d ever seen. I’d say they were on par with Disney lineups on spring break. I legit still have nightmares of having to go back to that.
I remember me and my Grandpa went to Toys R Us to buy a Wii and they were all sold out. When I went to walk around my Grandpa saw an employee with an entire palet of them and reserved one for me. The Christmas of 2006 is still my favorite.
such a wholesome ending for the video, your channel always makes me happy
I also worked electronics retail when the wii was released. We got so many phone calls asking about it we started answering the phone with 'Thanks for calling - we are currently out of stock on the nintendo wii, how can we help you?' so many people just hung up.
12:00 lolol we thought up the exact same concept..
My mom went to the Toys R Us in Times Square to get us a Wii. Bless her. She is a saint (we live 20 away from Philly btw)
Oh man, I remember No one could get the Wii. One of my friend was the only kid who got a Wii at launch and everyone was begging him to go over at his house and play. Me and my brothers finally got it around march 2006 and I almost passed out from excitement. The hype around Zelda Twilight Princess and the Nintendo Wii was unreal.
I remember in 2007 calling target and GameStop every week for months till I finally got lucky one weekend morning. Pokémon battle revolution and Wii sports made me happy af
Remember hold your wee for a wii?
Tyler, you are truly and artist.
That feeling, of not getting a Wii. That feeling of, “sold out.”
Keep being you.
I love these videos. It's always cool to look back. Especially back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Plus, these early 2000 vids are awesome too.
Thank you for sharing your personal life and show casing it on this platform.
For me, I spent 2006 Thanksgiving dinner eating an MRE in Iraq. After my shift was over, I grabbed some hot chow at the DFAC (Dining Facility) aka Chow Hall. Even though my meal was scraps and leftovers. It was still delicious and a taste of normalcy.
On Black Friday, I stood in line at the morale tent to make a 10 min phone call, only to talk to my sister who was midnight shopping for the Wii.
Thank you for your service.
@@GalidorquestWhat services did he provide?
@@HeihachiMishima48 He said he was in Iraq in 2006. This implies he's a veteran.
@@Galidorquest So he's an international criminal. Wipin out innocent people for resources and for Izrael's interest of ethnik klensing.
@@Galidorquest So he's a geno cydal kriminal pirate.
I remember finding Wii's in rural areas after release easily for whatever reason, I was a college student without a job at the time, and I sold them locally for a reasonable mark-up to families who couldn't find them in larger cities because stores were only getting a few at a time. They simply didn't make enough Nintendo Wiis, a huge fail by Nintendo to meet demand.
Because I worked at Gamestop I was able to preorder my Wii. I remember taking it home that night and experiencing Wii Sports and it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I'm lucky, I know.
i didn’t get the wii until about 2009 i believe, we came back from a holiday at like 3am and my room had been secretly decorated a bit and we had a brand new nintendo wii in it, and i still have it and it works well still thankfully. the pure joy and nostalgia it gives me literally just looking at my wii and still having it is insane. i grew up on the wii and DS lite/3ds xl i will forever be grateful to them for bringing me my love of video games. also, just three brilliant consoles imo, awesome that with just those consoles i can play the gameboy games, the GBA games, ds, 3ds and wii games. nintendo is. so special to me for being such a great part of my childhood, and for being a great part of my adulthood now i’m getting back into games- i love how universal this connection to nintendo is even cross-generationally.
the wii was such a funky console but i adore it so much. nowadays i’m not a massive fan of the motion controls but it’s still so fun to play, with the nintendo music app has been fun bc ive been listening to just the menu music bc even that is so nostalgic, i’d just leave it on the disc or mii menu while i did other stuff. nintendo is always brilliant in the sound department, and thats part of what i love about the wii. even just the disc menu has a sweet little song. so much theming in that menu (and then…. they made the switch menu xd)
Thank you, Tyler! I always love your stories. Never stops bringing tears to my eyes. My grandparents, mainly my grandma, bought me my consoles. She used to do whatever she could to make sure I got the newest one that I wanted, I miss her. I appreciate you and your videos.
Thanks man I appreciate you sharing that about your grandmother
@@MyRetroLife You are welcome. Keep up the awesome, heartwarming, work that you do!
I got hired at GameStop around the launch of the Wii. You totally brought back memories of that phone ringing non-stop with people asking for Wii. Even if we did have Wii in stock, we were told by management to tell people we were sold out because chances were it’d be gone by the time they got to the store. I totally hear you about love for games becoming work and taking a backseat and the burnout. The worst for me was when family/friends would contact me on my personal phone and ask me about Wii stock when it was my day off. Or my mom asking me about Wii stock on behalf of all her coworkers looking for one. Oh man, I need a drink now.
Oh my God, I remember the Nintendo Wii Launch day like it was yesterday. Me and my dad camped out in front of a Wal-Mart with hundreds of other people, waiting to get a Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo Switch's launch day was a lot tamer compared to the Wii's launch day.
16:16 Got 2 small nieces who I just got into NES games and all the other systems from back in the day. Can't wait to set up a couple of Wii's for their Christmas presents. Thanks for the awesome nostalgia trip Tyler!
Now you can find a Wii for 15-30 bucks at goodwill
Man I love your content, it hits home, takes me back in time to the good ol’times :)… thank you
Ahh the Nintendo Wii.
I remember wanting one so badly when I was younger...
Smash Bros Brawl was the reason I wanted one x3
Same!!!! And Mario kart Wii
I remember the Wii hype like it was yesterday, it was insane! The Wii was great for the time but not timeless like all the other Nintendo consoles that came before it!
Wii is pretty timeless, I’m still playing through Dolphin with my real Wii remote quite frequently, but I guess growing up during that gen 7 era I’m a bit more nostalgic for it.
Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 are my all time favourites.
Resident Evil 4, was probably the most enjoyable way to play the game imo, excluding the remake.
The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower, New Super Mario Bros, Skyward Sword, Mad World… I could keep going lol
The wii is an awesome system modded but stock system in 2024 feels really lacking especially now with most of the official services and servers are now shut down.
@@oOignignoktOo1 for sure I wouldn’t disagree with that, I tried that route but I just don’t really like playing on original hardware anymore.
Recently sold all my old consoles in favour of emulation.
The Wii sucked let's be real lol 😅
@@TheVRResistance nice rage bait
These videos are literally nostalgia heaven 😭😭 lol
Somehow, someway my Mom and I managed to get a Wii console at launch when it was really supposed to be nearly impossible. A month prior, after pooling together money my whole family contributed into a large, 5-gallon water jug, my Mom started calling every EB Games she could to reserve a console, even if it was far from home. Store after store said they were out until she finally contacted one that said they did -- the woman on the phone (her name was Amy, I can still remember because I associated her with the Sonic character) for whatever reason said she could hold the reservation for us, even though she probably really wasn't supposed to. Maybe it was my Mom's manner of speaking as she was always very pleasant and polite over the phone.
My Mom and I made it over there as quickly as we could, ran to the counter where Amy was and immediately put down the money for our reservation. It was pretty amazing how she did that for us because the hype for the Wii was very real and couldn't be understated. I got my reservation slip and stared at it on our way home, ecstatic. The month leading up to the launch was the most excited I ever was for a console.
On the freezing cold morning of November 19th, we drove to EB Games and picked up my console. The previous day there were reports of people being robbed as they carried theirs to their vehicles, so my Mom and Uncle flanked me as I tucked it under my jacket and briskly walked to our vehicle.
I'll never forget how exciting all of that was, and no other console launch has come close for me since then.
DANG! Black Fridays might've been CRAZY, back in the day! 👀
Even My Family & I got a Wii, around the time! & I still have it, to this day. ✨
You couldn't breathe in the store because it would get so packed.
Watching this video I was reminded of the rare occasions in which I got a new console as a Christmas present. It’s not really about the item itself but the anticipation and joy of playing and sharing those moments with my family that make me emotional nowadays. You don’t get to experience stuff like that as an adult anymore.
Thanks for sharing.
I was born in '06, I wish I was a teenager or adult then so I could experience first hand how massive the PS3 and Wii launches were.
Making us feel old buddy😅 the 90s and 00s were an amazing time for gaming. The graphical jumps were incredible to see through each generation ( minus the Wii ofc😅) used to love hunting down the games I wanted in town or spending ages browsing the store shelves and discovering new games that way. Used to love buying game magazines reading about the next consoles etc... or pre-order in store to get a free gift! midnight launches queues around the block. Great times. What were your memories from say, 2014/16 when U were 8-10? How was it for you?
I was 18 at the time. It was amazing as was the 360 launch in 05. Dunno if it's cos I'm older now but console launches just don't have the hype around them that they used to
I was 6 at the time and I remember it very well.
I was going into a store to get a charge pack for my 360 controller and saw people sitting in the entrance way wondering what they were doing. There was five people there. I asked them what they were doing waiting there and they said it was the PS3 launch date. I thought they were crazy waiting for a gaming console, let alone the PS3. But they'd done a lottery and had numbers so everyone else just went home. It was a line of five guaranteed to get a console so it was smooth sailing. Little did I know how much I'd want a PS3 the following year and got one on Black Friday with an extra controller and four free Blu-ray movies. I traded in the controller at Walmart for a game, because then, the customer was always right. I didn't buy the controller from them but "returned it" and traded for a game. From then on, my Xbox 360 sat there and collected dust. I bought tons of games for my PS3 and my 360 only got dusted off and played when Gears of War and Gears of War 3 came out. I'd been dooped about the Xbox 360. The PS3 was much better, it was my console that gen and my favorite console of all time
@@CragusMaximus For real. The PS5 Pro is out and it's barely any better than the PS4 Pro and you can still play all your games on the PS4 Pro pretty much five years in. It sucks. Innovation in hardware is gone. Xbox used off the shelf parts and PlayStation used proprietary tech that made their consoles awesome. Kutaragi wanted a beast with everything in it and we got it but everyone just complained the price was too high. Mine was $500 with a free controller and four blurays of my choice and I'd do it all over again. Yeah, new game consoles actually had graphical leaps and while getting a console could be tough, if you were patient enough, you were fine. Getting a PS5, however, with scalpers of today, was an omen that set the stage for the worst console generation of all time. I hate this console generation which is killing my love for modern console gaming and I now just want to play all the old stuff in my backlog
I worked at Walmart for Black Friday 2006 and it was chaos. It was a small town Walmart but we had people from all over coming to our Walmart because they all had the same idea that it’s a small Walmart so it won’t be as busy…. I hated that day.
Thank you , Tyler! Your vids fill my day with much needed Mario sunshine...🙂
My sister worked at GameStop during the 2006 holiday season and she was able to get us a Wii the whole family enjoyed on Christmas Day. I’ll never forget three generations of family members playing Wii Sports.
I think I got one at Target at midnight. It was fun. I was angry cause this dude in line was talking about scalping his. Then I asked my friend if he could work my shift that day so I could play it. He said absolutely not what the hell is wrong with you. Haha.
Dude, thank you so much for that video. Somehow I think i needed this kind of content. It brought me to tears (good ones) when you talked about the fact that it's not receiving the console itself that made that moment special, but the fact that our parents bought this for US. We need to cherish those moments, cherish every day we can spend with our loved ones. Because when we realise how good those moments were, they are always long gone.
I have the Wii today, and it was amazing! I got to play The Godfather on it, and for the PS3, I have both the Super Slim and a jailbroken Slim model, along with an Xbox 360 E. Feels good to have three consoles
Worked at Walmart late 90s early 2000s, I gotta say my absolute favorite day was black friday...... so much going on.... people, fighting , seeing old people showing their true selves. God u miss thoes days
Just made my morning even better!
Your videos always bring me joy, goosebumps and drive me tears in my eyes. You are the only person who is able to bring all these feelings together, in one single video. Your cutting job, your selection of music, everything is perfect. Thanks for bringing us these retro-memories back. And you deserve more subscribers than you got right now.
Thanks for all the great content! We're the same age +/- a year and all your videos trigger gaming memories from years gone by. I too worked at a Gamestop that same year and also worked 2nd shift. (Our managers must have liked us). There were 4 Gamestop stores in my city and I worked in one of the 2 mall stores (My store was originally an EB and they had yet to close the smaller of the 2 stores in that mall) so I came in to what was basically just a busy afternoon shift, not the madhouse you described. I somehow managed to completely block out from my memory until now about all the Wii calls. I ended up breaking a phone from all the calls at one point.
My first Black Friday was this same exact year too. I will never forget having to answer the phone for a year and a half that we don’t have any Wiis in stock.
My district manager was on our ass about answering the phone, so we couldn’t say, “…where we don’t have Wiis in stock” or put up any out of stock signs.
I don’t miss this and I know the pain. Thanks for sharing this.
“Do you have the Nintendo Wii!?”
“Do you have any idea how many people have asked me that?”
“Am I the first?”
“Yes.”
😅
Christmas 2006, was 8 years old, can’t believe that was 18 years ago, time goes so fast
I wish the World was still like this
I kind of miss the excitement of Black Friday in the early 2000's. Waking up at 11pm, my stomach still processing last nights Thanksgiving feast. Asking myself, is this really worth the potential 50+% off? Driving down to the mall with the heater on full blast, lining up with thousands of people in the cold, our warm breath clouds whisping away. The door's unlock at midnight, and that rush of excitment you experience as you prepare to run to the electronic section like your life depends on it. Finding that item that made it all worth it!
It's funny how a chaotic time like Black Friday can be looked back upon with such fondness. Idk if it's due to the fact the sales are now extended out to a week rather than just a day or if it's the addition of Cyber monday, but it doesnt have quite the same flare to it that Black Friday used to.
You did a great job capturing the experience from both sides of the counter in this video Tyler.
My love for gaming took a backseat during gamecube era because (dating) but came bk full swing in wii era 😊
I was working at Circuit City in the video games department Black Friday that year and the 3 previous years. My ex wife waited on line all night to get me a Wii from another location. It was a dark time in my life and I didn't deserve for her to do that for me, especially for what I put her through. She did it anyway and I wish I was more appreciative of it. I am around your age and I look back at the early to mid 2000's as the end of a really special era where technology exploded in the most subtle of ways. Our TV's changed from 2.5 feet deep to 4 inches deep. Our internet started to become faster and matured. CD' players turned into portable hard drives with screens. Mapquest print-outs were a thing of the past and the birth of HD paved the way for clearer images. It was also a time of great action, drama and horror movies. Growing up in the lates 80's and 90's and being a young adult in the early 2000's has been a diverse trip. We had the best of everything. Now things just feel like improvements of the same exact thing.
9:30 the look on your face lol
Yea the Wii & PS3 launches were Crazy!!
There will never be a generation like the 7th generation of console gaming
Good job on the uploads Tyler 👌👌👌
Thanks!
Hi Tyler,
Thank you once again for your videos. They have a remarkable way of capturing the real emotions and profound connections we experience through this hobby!
Even though your dad has passed, I have no doubt he would be incredibly proud of the intelligent & heartfelt person you’ve become-and the father you are to your own children.
It feels deeply meaningful that the last console he gave you was the Nintendo Wii. In a way, it symbolizes the bond you shared-a connection that was never just about him or you but about the “we” in the passion you both loved together.
Your story continues to inspire!
Whats crazy PS3 came out in 06 yet the swan song game GOW2 came out in March 2007 lol nobody was buying a ps3.....only reason people got it was for Blu ray player smh
Hahaha. This takes me back. I worked in the R-Zone at Toys R Us during all of this madness. What a wild time. I actually managed to get a Wii for myself that holiday because a customer returned theirs.
I worked at a funco Black Friday in 98… not much fun lol
It was definitely an experience working retail on Black Friday back in the day
@ I did a circuit city Black Friday too . That was even worse lol
Thanks for sharing this cool story! I was 10 years old and opening the Wii Christmas of 06 felt magical! Me and my family played for hours for years. We made it a mission to become pro in every Wii sport mini game, especially bowling because you would get a shiny ball. I asked my parents where they got it and they said Sam’s club had hundreds of them in stock and where getting shipments in almost everyday so every member was able to get one that year!
Brave brave man
i really am just appalled by how great your storytelling is; how you tease us with bits of a large story in every episode, and how you find ways to make parts of it about us too. thanks for all that you do and thanks to your father for the incredible contributions he made that allowed this to happen. i'm sure you would've done it even without the home footage, but it makes it just that much more perfect that it's there. thank you truly -x
Personally I don't think it's worth it to get your head stomped on by strangers just to get the newest game console.
I feel you so much man... I worked at a Compucentre store (Computers and Game Consoles) in Canada back in the days between 1995 and 2003 and up here Black Friday was not a big thing because we do not celebrate Thanksgiving like you guys do in the US. (Actually our Thanksgiving is in the middle of October and it's not a big holiday) BUT December 26, the infamous Boxing Day, was a complete pandemomium and each year I was there. The same you described. Each year, one guy was standing all day before the Nintendo section behind the counter and he was only distributing GB, SNES, N64, Pokemons, Mario Allstars, Mario64 etc. People called all day for those and most of the time we were out. So much memories... MG!
That's why your channel is, I think, my favorite gaming channel. It overflows with nostalgia many people cannot understand. Keep going on my friend, you do something which means a lot.
It’s crazy to see your videos and feel how relatable they are to the majority of us. The NES was my first console and definitely enjoyed the Wii as well. The nostalgia factor is amazing
I remember how crazy and impossible it was to get a Nintendo Wii anywhere. Until you checked Target and they had 150 units available lol I guess most people didn't think to check those type's of stores as much but from my experience the best way to get really new systems like this was at a store like Target or even Sears back in the day when they sold electronics. You could always score good hard to find stuff at Sears in most of their locations from what I remember.
I'm so thankful that I have such an amazing mom. She slept outside a Walmart with me, my brother, my cousin, and his mom the night the Wii came out. We were able to get 3 Wiis, and I never realized what a nightmare it was to get one until years later.
I got so lucky with my Wii. It was just after Christmas 2006 and I went to Best Buy. There was an employee coming out of the back holding a Wii and he handed it off to another employee. Without hesitation I ran up to him and asked "Is that Wii reserved for anyone?" to which he answered "no". My mom had just walked over to me as I took the Wii from him. We were both excited. For her, I imagine it was just relief at finally finding one lol. Will never forget that.
I remember that year. My brother and I actually were lucky enough to reserve one through Toys R Us. My brother knew we’d have no luck at GameStop, EBgames and even Best Buy. Toys r Us wasn’t in forefront for most people to reserve the Wii. We sat in the cold at our Toys R Us the day the system released (not Black Friday) and we were SO ecstatic! I think we were the first ones in our whole town in Texas to have it! So come that Black Friday, while there was people everywhere scrambling for the Wii my brother and I just casually browsed for games. Not gonna lie, it was one of the most satisfying moments in my life
I remember Black Friday at GameStop at the Janesville Mall 2007. Someone shit on the floor and people were stepping in it.