I was in the hospital in like 2013 and I had a GameCube IN MY ROOM! My right thumb had a staph infection, and I LOVED the big A button because I could very easily push it with a thumb as thick as a half dollar coin.
He had Bluetooth (Here is a link wololo.net/2019/09/30/wii-mini-finally-gets-hacked-with-bluebomb-updates-for-nx-shell-atmosphere-updater-and-gzdoom-released-for-the-switch/)
@@whoeusbsknsi wololo.net/2019/09/30/wii-mini-finally-gets-hacked-with-bluebomb-updates-for-nx-shell-atmosphere-updater-and-gzdoom-released-for-the-switch/ This is where i found out, but you do need a Linux distribution to use the application so if you ever do this you could use a virtualbox if you don't have an old computer laying around.
I used to have a wii mini, but a few months after I got it someone broke into my house and stole it and my actual wii, along with half the games I had for it.
That's not at all one of the major reasons, or even close to true. There's only 6 Wii U ports on the 3DS, of those only 4 (Treasure Tracker, Hyrule Warriors, Super Mario Maker, and Yoshi's Woolly World) were Nintendo-made games, and all of them were worse to play on the 3DS vs Wii U.
MikeYT Studios The wii u had a amazing game library of first party in my opinion the wii u failed as a console due them having worse hardware so third party didnt want to invest time and go the extra mile to make the game runable and money into a product that wouldnt sell. Also the lack of marketing for the wii u was abysmal as most people didnt think the wii u was its own stand alone console but a add-on instead. The name wii u doesn’t help out its case much either i much rather would of suggested a name not so similar to the past console but i think i know why they did it. to feed off the market of gamers the wii had brought in even though the majority were casual families .
ngl though it's kinda remarkable there aren't more junky android microconsoles out there, considering just how many decommissioned Android phones there are
@@clothinghanger6978 Yeah but people who know about these aspects of the wii ecosystem are probably not interested in the mini anyway. Also MK wasn't included in europe
One thing I think you may have forgot, which was wisely left out of press releases... The booming market in 2012 in the USA wasn't casual gamers. It was nursing homes. The Wii had become ubiquitous in elderly care facilities, mostly because of Wii Sports. Everything about the Wii Mini screams nursing home. Top loaders are easier to manage. There's no confusing extra options. The staff doesn't have to manage updates or web security. For the same reason VCRs are still used in some nursing homes to this day... the Wii mini is a great addition to any such rec room. The impression I got at the time of its release was that Nintendo was casually trying to slide into that market elsewhere. Canada is obviously a close analogue for something that had worked in the United States, so why not start there?
Very interesting theory. That actually makes sense, since the average person would be stupid to buy this even at launch. But then again, people thought the Wii U was a Wii accessory, so who knows.
gameboy micro you mean? I would've totally gotten one back in the day because the form factor was so different from the SP, less cramped and more like the Advanced. but that was a smaaaaaall screen!
I thought the biggest draw to the Wii mini was that had HDMI, but it doesn't? You can pick up a Wii console for 30 to 40 bucks, I really don't know why one would get a Wii mini.
Ok the Wii mini is rlly cute tho I could see a ton of five year olds with their first budget consoles having a blast, and to be honest the Wii mini was not supposed to be marketed to game geeks, but to kids who are young and parents don’t want to spend so much money on something they won’t be able to understand, honestly
I worked in quite a few social institutions with a Wii or a Wii mini. It was affordable plus it had a ton of family friendly and enjoyable games that are easy to understand and control, for almost everyone. For this reason franchises like Just Dance kept getting released so incredibly long for the Wii. I think the Wii mini came out with this sort of usage in mind as well.
Awesome look at this, without a doubt the most in-depth video I've seen on the Wii Mini! Killing any sort of softmods makes sense to me with this revision, but going as far as to remove component functionality?! Damn. I doubt I'll pick one up, not only because of the lack of features but because I think I've only ever seen 1 in the wild.
Just drive over to Canada for a day, they're everywhere and nobody is buying them. Everytime I go to Goodwill it's just chilling there bundled up with all of its accessories and a few games.
Wii's composite signal is one of the most crisp and clear I have ever seen from any device. But obviously it will look better via component, on a CRT though. Wii looks like shit on an LCD, even with the component cable at 480p.
@@pearlmax i have the component cables and the signal looks as washed out as with composite... no scratch that, the composite actually looks more colorful
What I found really weird is that the Wii mini only really has 3 channels, so instead of modifying the menu interface to only show these 3 channels, Nintendo actually let the default Wii interface,so the first thing you see when you boot up the console is how much stuff is missing.
@@itstrayantula7082 at $99 I would have cared less long as it included what I said, and came with a Wiimote with motion plus, and a nunchuck. Edit I always thought the Wii should have been a more simple top loader design to start with so no risk of ever getting a disc stuck in the system.
I kind of wanted one just because it looked cool. But since you couldn't buy stuff on the Wii Shop, that kind of killed it for me. It's kind of funny, I ignore the Wii Shop until near the end, and then I discovered all the amazing TG-16 and Neo Geo titles on there and then it was game on! I actually downloaded a game this Spring which used the last of my Wii points.
This console was a really popular gift to children where I am. Children don't particularly need internet access, and kids here mostly played video games with friends when they came over.
@Kit Chan I never said it was not, but I would not own one of the powder blue models unless it was mint condition, complete in box, and for sale at less than $50 as a collectors piece when OG Wii's are so dirt cheap these days people sometimes give them away.
The objective of the console was, clearly, to reduce production cost and lower the RRP. The 'mini' moniker is a way of making the system look more appealing to those on a budget, despite the fact the original console was already very compact. I actually really like how robust and simple it is, yet I can't help but wonder how much a wi-fi chip would have cost...
They didn't want internet at all, nor any USB. I think for clear piracy prevention means. The more important reason for the Mini, was just reuse Wii parts to sell a cut down refreshed console with no possible piracy, to just sell software and peripherals. At that point Nintendo didn't care about digital sales and the Wii was piss easy to hack and piracy was rampant.
Right, I was wondering the same thing, lol 🤣 Here I am listening to him talk about how it was released in Canada, and suddenly I'm reading a Dutch commercial about how the Wii mini "offers maximum fun for a mini price!"
Interestinly here in Europe I found more *casual games who picked up a Wii mini as their first (and often only) gaming console.* While on the other hand a good portion of *core gamers and collectors (myself included) gave the original Wii a pass due to the awkward controlls!* This results in a lot of people having Wii minis lying around somewhere in their closets more so than original Wiis to be found in general. I got mine only because it was given to me for free from my boss^^ I happen to grow a liking to the Wii though!
I had a job watching for forest fires while I was traveling many moons ago. They had a Wii u in the cottage. It was my only friend for weeks on end sometimes. Thank God they had a pro controller too.
I’ve seen it on store shelves before. I thought because it was called the wii mini, that it would be used in cars or vans. That would’ve been it’s best use.
you most likely wouldnt be able to because of the amount of power needed to run the system, as well as all the cars functions. eather the car wouldnt powere the wii, the cars functions wont work, neather work, or it drains the battery very fast. also the wii could overload and be potentialy unfixable.
@@kyandawson9271 The Wii just takes around 20W under load, most Cigarette Lighters/12V Sockets in Cars can deliver up to 100W, Dell itself offers a 90W Adapter for their Laptops: www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-auto-air-dc-adapter-90-watt/apd/330-8105/pc-accessories A problem is that the Wii uses just internal PSUs so you need an inverter to provide 110/220 Volts AC. And another problem is a Screen, but you may use a Roof mount Display with AV in, saw such LCDs in VW Multivans as extra options. So it's possible but motion control in a moving vehicle might be rather difficult.
Years ago i got a black second hand wii for €50. Still runs perfect and with the easy softmodding its an epic little retro gaming machine and even runs gc games from sd-card and have the entire top 100 games in a single external usb drive.
Rick Shaw Try using an external dvd drive with WiiMC on your WiiU and you can even watch dvd movies on your tv or gamepad. Touch controls won’t work but you even get sound! Neat little trick I discovered a few months ago just to see if it would actually work. Sadly HD content doesn’t work. (vWii)
I remember managing to get my hands on one of these. I wanted to get a new Wii since mine was getting slightly worn. I thought it’d have some stuff taken out, but I didn’t expect so much to be gone. It’s actually kind of insulting to play twilight princess on a wide-screen tv with this. Playing the original on my Wii on a widescreen worked great, and wasn’t super bad with a few adjustments. With this though, I found it to be a waste. Until, I got it onto an old square TV rather than a flat screen, and while twilight princess wasn’t great, games like resident evil 4 worked pretty well! It’s a hit and miss for me. But in a situation like this, the misses outweighs the hits. I’d rather pick up an original Wii. Thanks for doing a video on this forgotten console mini
That would’ve honestly been a badass redesign of a wii if they would’ve still had the GameCube support and internet like a standard wii. By the time the wii mini came out it was easy to buy some family’s wii at a yard sale with a handful of the basic games for $50 and being a family console usually came with like 3 controllers.
I literally went "ooOOOOOhhh" in sync with the audience in that golf clip at the start. a legitimately impressive shot, to be honest. I didn't know the flag pole had a hitbox lmao
I like how you specified that this did in fact include the cable to plug it into the wall, and the sensor bar so that it can be used. Like a car salesmen telling me the car comes with wheels AND windows!!
Fun fact, mvg is an abbreviation in Dutch meaning 'with friendly greetings' or maybe better stated 'with friendly regards'. Nice review! Also, I was pleasantly surprised at the Dutch ad at 6:00' Gonna check out your other videos as well. Met vriendelijke groet, A new Dutch subscriber
I would say it was a half decent price, except for the lack of any online features. Sure, the online multiplayer shut down not long after, but the e-shop was still running (I think it still is IF you have current funds loaded). If anyone wanted a Wii for cheap at that point, they would have been much better off getting a used standard model than a brand new Mini.
It was worse in Canada. Since it didn't come with MK bundled in(not sure if that changed), getting it and a copy of Mario Kart came to the same price as the Mario Kart and regular Wii bundle. So, it saved you nothing to get a Mini in the long run.
@sammmy moreno that bundle only hade one controller and a wheel and Mario Kart. I have seen it and still see them before paying $30 more just for a wheel isn't worth it when a cheaper wheel would work just as good Because Wii Mini came with Mario Kart only thing you are not getting is one wheel When the Wii Mini came with Mario Kart it was a good deal
The problem wasn't that it was impossible, but that it seemed pointless to pursue on it. The closest method that popped out was a potential Wii remote memory trick, but the person who brought it up didn't really know what he was talking about and Wii homebrew wasn't as big as it used to be.
Dude forget older consoles, newer games also look well on CRT if it has a lot if motion. CRT still beats modern displays when it cones to motions. Even the high refresh ones.
Sounds like you want a decent Plasma TV - with nanosecond pixel response time and basically no input-lag, combined with superior color rendering - and for the last generations - superior black levels - they do everything CRT's did and more. Pioneer 43" models strike a good size-ratio for older games, as at larger sizes, nothing will make it look good.
I just bought an excellent condition Wii Mini for $25 with the power adapter, controller and AV cables included. The console is interesting, however games are some what expensive, I rather play most of my Wii games on my PC anyway because it is more convenient.
Gabriel Brouwer yeah I’m curious too i don’t see hdmi on mine and it would be great if it did cause then I wouldn’t have to unplug my ps1 everyone I wanna play twilight princess.
Anne Foreigner well sorry to disappoint you but I was a bit sarcastic in my comment. I asked where is the HDMI located then? Because there is no HDMI on it.
in response to the idea of CRTs being ideal for Wii games, I disagree, you really should try it on an early 2010s midrange/high end CCFL backlit TV that is 32 inches or less in size (via component cables obviously). It pops even more than a CRT and is widescreen. They key is getting an older TV with "worse" upscaling methods (for a cleaner image) and a small screen size.
Will 2012 30-something-inch LG do good? That's our main TV today, and back in 2012 we moved our huge heavy 2002 CRT Samsung Plano out to sit in the country house. Both still work well.
No internet connection and only a couple inches smaller than a regular wii... so its form factor isn't a selling point and you cannot patch games that would have needed it.
nintendo: we need to make a new budget console and fast employee: grab the wii, strip the wifi, give it a top loading dvd drive and ruin the point of the entire console nintendo: someone give this guy a promotion
Is it possible that the Wii Mini may have been created in an attempt to boost the sales of the WiiU? So that people who were considering getting a new console weren't thinking, WiiU, Xbox, or Playstation? But instead thinking Wii Mini or Wii U and seeing a clear advantage to the Wii U. It's a tactic that a lot of companies use nowadays, especially Apple.
i worked in an electronics department (in canada) for the launch of both the wii u and the wii mini... the amount of confusion around both was astounding... and you're right. it was a VERY common holiday gift at release. poor kids that wanted a wii u and got the mini :(
i never knew this was a thing until this year. and i’m 26 and have owned almost all major portable and regular consoles since the nes i played growing up that my dad owned.
1. There is something worse than the Wii mini and that's the "Wii Family Edition". Looks like a normal Wii but doesn't have Game Cube support... yuk... :D 2. I don't see what's so strange about the concept of the Wii mini. Nintendo rereleased the system in a smaller form factor which was cheaper to produce than the original at launch and omitted several features the average customer would not need or connections that weren't used at all to drop the price even further. Nintendo did this several times with the Famicom, the NES and the SNES, Sega had the Master System 2 and several versions of the Mega Drive / Genesis and the Playstation slim is essentially the same thing. PSone, PS2 slim... Many of those dropped RGB output or expansion ports and often were meant as a cheap alternative to the newer full priced console of the next generation. Granted... the timing was a little bit strange, but that's essentially how they all do it all the time
if the wii mini was hackable and had online in some form, Id be fine with it, but they have the GUTS to bundle Mario Kart Wii, the single best online game on the wii, with the console that doesnt go online.
@@AuroraNemoia, for the targeted demographic, Mario Kart Wii still made sense. Business is never in a bubble and while 'super users/fans' may raise their nose to a 'lesser' product--it was never them that the product was trying to reach.
"worse" The Family Edition still had the ability to go online, was still hackable, still had SD card support, and through Nintendon't, was still capable of playing Gamecube games.
Yes. Riiconnect24 and Wiimmfi are homebrew replacements for Nintendo's online services that are still actively used and developed (although they can't replace the Wii shop channel since they obviously don't have the legal right or encryption key to distribute any of the software on it.).
sammmy moreno you can? I tried playing DS Pokemon games online on the 3DS but it told me I can’t because the Nintendo WiFi connection was gone, I assumed it was the same for Wii games.
I bought a Wii mini Mario Kart bundle back in February 2015 from a Target store which was still $99.99 back then...Still have the bundle today and love the lunchbox Game and Watch form factor.
The Wii mini lacking online is utterly baffling. I mean, I guess it makes SOME sense given that it came out around the time they were starting to plan out the end of online support for the Wii, but that really just makes it even more baffling that they would have bothered manufacturing this at all, especially given how many Wiis were still out in the wild. Given how many core Wii titles were digital-only, it significantly cripples its functionality. It’s especially weird given that it uses the standard Wii home screen which is practically taunting the handful of people who actually do own this thing.
I remember when the Wii U came out. Me and my dad were in a Walmart just looking around the video game section when he saw the Wii U and asked me what the difference between this and the Wii was. I legit thought it was supposed to be like the Nintendo Switch and told him that was the gimmick. I had never even seen the actual console, so I assumed the gamepad was the console, and I was so confused when I found out it was supposed to be a weird hybrid.
The 360 Kinect was a success if you ask me. It may not have sold as well as the wii but a ton of people had them and we all played games with it, Kinect adventures, Kinect sports, just dance....
The Wii mini was very popular in prisons, because of the lack of internet connectivity!
Akseli Janhunen i don't know eather ;) i just read an article in the newspaper about this wii mini :p
*cue a scene of several mass murderers and thiefs playing Wii Sports golf calmly*
@@infinitenumeric7235 i can imagine that and it makes me laugh so much
so...what did you do to get into prison?
i used my phone with the wii ethernet
the phone got a boost in wifi connectivity
The "Wii Mini"? Why didn't they just call it the "Wiini"?
I mean, they already named the first one after urine. They may as well double down.
Underrated comment
this comment is legendary
Uh that’s kinda immature
@@counterclockwisefilms3814 So is the Wii's target audience.
Jake Eyes ehhh a lot of people that bought the Wii were hoping for something pretty good but just got shit but I guess ur right
I saw a Wii Mini at a hospital. Mario Kart Wii was playable there and lots of kids were playing it.
Lucky kids
That's actually really sweet. :) That Wii Mini is living its best life!
When I was in the hospital as a kid, they had a computer that was ancient and I watched an AMV that took forever to download, and was like 240p
Atsuko Kagari this makes me miss the 2000’s where i played so much on the GameCube and Wii. :(
I was in the hospital in like 2013 and I had a GameCube IN MY ROOM! My right thumb had a staph infection, and I LOVED the big A button because I could very easily push it with a thumb as thick as a half dollar coin.
Discontinued in 2013? Wow, I still remember seeing these things brand new at toys r us in 2016. Guess they just couldn’t get rid of them...
No, the Wii Mini was discontinued in January 2016.
@Michael Persico LMAO Look at the Map. Australia has nothing to do with EU, its just in the Commonwealth of UK, it is Austria thats in EU.
@@mourgos1234 Australia used to actually be part of the European Union back then. He's wrong only because Australia left like the UK did recently.
Daniel Martin No. Australia has never been a member of the EU. They do have several trade deals with them but they have never been a member.
Most companies bunch Oceania (Australia) and Europe together.
Btw SOMEONE ACTUALLY MODDED THIS THING
WITHOUT SD CARD SLOT
WITHOUT INTERNET
WITHOUT ANYTHING AT ALL!
HE'S A LEGEND
has usb..
He had Bluetooth (Here is a link wololo.net/2019/09/30/wii-mini-finally-gets-hacked-with-bluebomb-updates-for-nx-shell-atmosphere-updater-and-gzdoom-released-for-the-switch/)
ExpertBacon yeah right after i commented this i was curious so i went to see how he actually did it, just didnt care to update the comment 😜
@@whoeusbsknsi wololo.net/2019/09/30/wii-mini-finally-gets-hacked-with-bluebomb-updates-for-nx-shell-atmosphere-updater-and-gzdoom-released-for-the-switch/
This is where i found out, but you do need a Linux distribution to use the application so if you ever do this you could use a virtualbox if you don't have an old computer laying around.
@@expertbacon6447 just run a liveCD
I forgot about the Wii Mini. Such a weird system.
Gear Seekers it failed because we couldnt hack it
Everyone forgot about the wii mini. Purposefully. Unfortunately this channel reminded us of it.
I got it -_-
Wii Mini, except everything that made it the best was taken away
I used to have a wii mini, but a few months after I got it someone broke into my house and stole it and my actual wii, along with half the games I had for it.
Nintendo seems to have the habit, of being its own worst competitor!
true, one of the things that killed the wii u was almost all the games it had were available either fully or "good enough" ports on the 3ds
That's not at all one of the major reasons, or even close to true.
There's only 6 Wii U ports on the 3DS, of those only 4 (Treasure Tracker, Hyrule Warriors, Super Mario Maker, and Yoshi's Woolly World) were Nintendo-made games, and all of them were worse to play on the 3DS vs Wii U.
Aaron Greenfield this sounds more like sega
MikeYT Studios The wii u had a amazing game library of first party in my opinion the wii u failed as a console due them having worse hardware so third party didnt want to invest time and go the extra mile to make the game runable and money into a product that wouldnt sell. Also the lack of marketing for the wii u was abysmal as most people didnt think the wii u was its own stand alone console but a add-on instead. The name wii u doesn’t help out its case much either i much rather would of suggested a name not so similar to the past console but i think i know why they did it. to feed off the market of gamers the wii had brought in even though the majority were casual families .
@@manichispanic999 But he is almost 100% right, Nintendo today only loses battles to their self making bad choices. Just think about It...
Interesting idea, when Sony release weird console hardware, like a PlayStation TV, it's usually them finding a way to get rid of old hardware.
oh yea i have one of those gathering dust... i should soft mod it since you can now mod later firmwares
Hello you
ngl though it's kinda remarkable there aren't more junky android microconsoles out there, considering just how many decommissioned Android phones there are
Not gonna lie, here in Italy, EVERYONE tought the Wii U was just a Wii with a different joypad...
I don't know a single person that bought a Wii U.
Got to at least check out Xenoblade X though. Average user has 200+ hours on it.
I bought a Wii U just for Smash
In the U.K., if you bought a Wii U you thought you needed a Wii already. Or was lucky and bought it when you had little knowledge on what it was.
In my little city literally everyone either knows about or has the wii u
Ignoranza italiana😂😂😂😂😂😂🇮🇹
when this was released in Italy, the price of the regolar wii was already lower than the starting price of this wii mini
That’s hilarious
But MKWii and a Wiimote Plus and Nunchuk weren't cheap, so the Wii Mini still had a good reason to sell.
Yeah, in spain too. I wonder who was gonna buy it back then
@@clothinghanger6978 Yeah but people who know about these aspects of the wii ecosystem are probably not interested in the mini anyway. Also MK wasn't included in europe
Why? Because you had a lot of people, especially elderly people, who enjoyed playing Wii Sports. The Wii Mini functioned enough just for that purpose.
And kids who had parents who didn't want to spend more than $/£100 on a console
Shhhh... You're ruining the magic.
In Japan they actually have a lot of respect for older people. So makes sense they made a minimalistic version for the sole purpose of playing.
@@AstralStriderZ except this was tested first on Canadian soil
What rubbish you speak!
One thing I think you may have forgot, which was wisely left out of press releases...
The booming market in 2012 in the USA wasn't casual gamers. It was nursing homes. The Wii had become ubiquitous in elderly care facilities, mostly because of Wii Sports. Everything about the Wii Mini screams nursing home. Top loaders are easier to manage. There's no confusing extra options. The staff doesn't have to manage updates or web security. For the same reason VCRs are still used in some nursing homes to this day... the Wii mini is a great addition to any such rec room.
The impression I got at the time of its release was that Nintendo was casually trying to slide into that market elsewhere. Canada is obviously a close analogue for something that had worked in the United States, so why not start there?
Ive never seen that word. Ubiquitous.
Very interesting theory. That actually makes sense, since the average person would be stupid to buy this even at launch. But then again, people thought the Wii U was a Wii accessory, so who knows.
I feel like you've hit the nail on the head. This would be perfect for a nursing home.
Nail on the head, my friend.
Well said
The Wii mini, barely smaller than the original and lacking most features!
Lacking all features
just like the gbamini! i see a pattern there
Nabre Labre 'Mini' is a Wii for those with mini brain or I should say lack of it
gameboy micro you mean? I would've totally gotten one back in the day because the form factor was so different from the SP, less cramped and more like the Advanced. but that was a smaaaaaall screen!
they were probably lazy/cost-effective enough to think there wasn't any point in changing it
I thought the biggest draw to the Wii mini was that had HDMI, but it doesn't?
You can pick up a Wii console for 30 to 40 bucks, I really don't know why one would get a Wii mini.
at the time of its release I imagine the wii was not as cheap as today.
thumbs up!! agreed
Apparently it was vary useful for prisons as it has no internet connections
Wii Mini was probably more of a travel and go kind of Wii
It could have worked if they gave it an Internet connection and sell it as a streaming box that can also play Wii games
Ok the Wii mini is rlly cute tho I could see a ton of five year olds with their first budget consoles having a blast, and to be honest the Wii mini was not supposed to be marketed to game geeks, but to kids who are young and parents don’t want to spend so much money on something they won’t be able to understand, honestly
I love the wii mini so I'm happy to see other people agree BTW it's my favorite console every
I worked in quite a few social institutions with a Wii or a Wii mini. It was affordable plus it had a ton of family friendly and enjoyable games that are easy to understand and control, for almost everyone. For this reason franchises like Just Dance kept getting released so incredibly long for the Wii. I think the Wii mini came out with this sort of usage in mind as well.
It's got virtual boy colours for a reason xD
Fail
I love the Virtual Boy though
@@KoopaMedia64 Man, don't say that. Someone will Wii on you. I have no problem, just a litle joke. :)
*_HHMMMMMMMMMMM...._*
not sure why ur all complaining, the wii was a hit, regardless of the shape or form
Awesome look at this, without a doubt the most in-depth video I've seen on the Wii Mini! Killing any sort of softmods makes sense to me with this revision, but going as far as to remove component functionality?! Damn. I doubt I'll pick one up, not only because of the lack of features but because I think I've only ever seen 1 in the wild.
Yeah, that's a dealbreaker. Lack of component-out was acceptable 20 years ago, but this type of narrow-mindedness from Nintendo is so 2005.
Yeah, removing 480p component output is really bad. They could have droped 480p, but component output? No way!
I seen like 13 of these where I live by maybe I'll pick it up for the novelty
Why not simply go for the RGB cable instead of component.
Just drive over to Canada for a day, they're everywhere and nobody is buying them. Everytime I go to Goodwill it's just chilling there bundled up with all of its accessories and a few games.
"CRT really makes those games pop"
They pop even more when connected through component or SCART.
Wii's composite signal is one of the most crisp and clear I have ever seen from any device. But obviously it will look better via component, on a CRT though. Wii looks like shit on an LCD, even with the component cable at 480p.
@@pearlmax I meant that it's super cheap and douchey move by Nintendo to remove component/rgb output. Pathetic, really.
It looks good on a smaller older lcd via WiitoHdmi as long as the lcd isn’t doing a ton of processsing on the image
@@pearlmax i have the component cables and the signal looks as washed out as with composite... no scratch that, the composite actually looks more colorful
@@omegarugal9283 for real? I’ve loved my component cables for Wii so far, maybe it’s cause I’m also using an OSSC, but it still looks amazing
"Which is clearly outlined at the box in 4 pt font." I see what you did there.
So ObVioUs
What I found really weird is that the Wii mini only really has 3 channels, so instead of modifying the menu interface to only show these 3 channels, Nintendo actually let the default Wii interface,so the first thing you see when you boot up the console is how much stuff is missing.
Wii Mini always baffled but I won’t lie I always though it looked pretty cool :)
Same, if they had included online, and even just a micro SD card slot it would have been a must buy for me as a 2nd Wii console for the kids.
Commodorefan64 Don't forget different designs and bundles. ;)
@@itstrayantula7082 at $99 I would have cared less long as it included what I said, and came with a Wiimote with motion plus, and a nunchuck.
Edit I always thought the Wii should have been a more simple top loader design to start with so no risk of ever getting a disc stuck in the system.
I kind of wanted one just because it looked cool. But since you couldn't buy stuff on the Wii Shop, that kind of killed it for me. It's kind of funny, I ignore the Wii Shop until near the end, and then I discovered all the amazing TG-16 and Neo Geo titles on there and then it was game on! I actually downloaded a game this Spring which used the last of my Wii points.
This thing looks pretty neat, might have to get one and rip it apart to check it out!
I remember my grandparents had one of these they bought at a garage sale. Thought it was a knockoff at first because I had never ever seen one before.
8:05 "This system is not moddable at all."
**Laughs in Bluebomb**
smoothbrain
I'll admit I bought one for half price just for the controllers.
LMAO
the only reason to buy it...
I got one to use as paper weight
lol aholes
Bc its red? Or the wii motion plus? Bc u can get a wii motion pluss for 13 bucks out china
6:00 translation: “Wii just got a new look. Meet Wii mini. Wii mini gives you MAXIMUM FUN for a mini price.”
Gerhard Prins hi i do come from holland so i know the meaning of those words hahaha, but it’s nice to know you can read dutch as well.
johneygd I’m also from Holland, so hoi!
Ook Nederlands hier 🇳🇱
Gerhard Prins ja jij ook hallo👍
*Ben ik hier de enige Belg?*
I remember I bought 2 of these things back in the day because it was cheaper then buying 2 controllers separately
😂😂😂
Wow
Bruh moment
Damn haha
LMAOO
thats a fail on nintendos side
This console was a really popular gift to children where I am. Children don't particularly need internet access, and kids here mostly played video games with friends when they came over.
10:01 "If you're looking to pick 1-up" lol that timing
I think by the time wii mini was released for $99, you could get "full" wii for the same price.
You could, but you had to be careful it was not one of the powder blue Wii models without the Game Cube function.
I bought a backwars compatible wii for 40 buck
@Kit Chan I never said it was not, but I would not own one of the powder blue models unless it was mint condition, complete in box, and for sale at less than $50 as a collectors piece when OG Wii's are so dirt cheap these days people sometimes give them away.
The worst part about the wii Mini was that you couldn't play any GameCube Games on it
My biggest issue with it is the lack of Wi-Fi. But yeah, that's also bad.
Just buy a Wii Family Edition and hardmòd it
Or use a Gamecube.
And the wii mini you can't modified it a a cause missing un ports or way to mod
@@thattasone i have a Wii Mini modded with Blue Bomb exploit, it even plays Gamecube games via Nintendont
I currently have a Wii with no controllers, AC adapter, no composite and sensor bar.
I'd buy the Wii Mini just for the parts...
Or you could get the parts out in the wild for dirt cheap
Remember nunchucks
The objective of the console was, clearly, to reduce production cost and lower the RRP. The 'mini' moniker is a way of making the system look more appealing to those on a budget, despite the fact the original console was already very compact.
I actually really like how robust and simple it is, yet I can't help but wonder how much a wi-fi chip would have cost...
There's something very pleasing about it's simplicity. If only it were somehow able to be cheaper.
They didn't want internet at all, nor any USB. I think for clear piracy prevention means. The more important reason for the Mini, was just reuse Wii parts to sell a cut down refreshed console with no possible piracy, to just sell software and peripherals. At that point Nintendo didn't care about digital sales and the Wii was piss easy to hack and piracy was rampant.
CANADA?
WHY IS THE COMMERCIAL DUTCH?
De nederlanders nemen de gaming over
@@matthewvanvught träum weiter
Right, I was wondering the same thing, lol 🤣 Here I am listening to him talk about how it was released in Canada, and suddenly I'm reading a Dutch commercial about how the Wii mini "offers maximum fun for a mini price!"
@@VioletEnds He said initially
Still bugs me Wii U wasn't able play GameCube games
Hack it bro!
Ironically with Nintendont it actually plays GameCube games at 720p LOL
It can if you install homebrew. It's great with homebrew.
Even the 3ds could play gc games lmao
@@JonnyHatSwag
No it cannot, the 3Ds struggles with some Nintendo 64 games in emulation, you underestimate how complex it is to emulate GC
Such a wii little thing, isn't it?
I "wii" what you did there! ;D
@@SkyScourgeGod. Yes U did;-)
Thats cute and funny pun lol
strange isnt it?
ACK
Interestinly here in Europe I found more *casual games who picked up a Wii mini as their first (and often only) gaming console.*
While on the other hand a good portion of *core gamers and collectors (myself included) gave the original Wii a pass due to the awkward controlls!*
This results in a lot of people having Wii minis lying around somewhere in their closets more so than original Wiis to be found in general.
I got mine only because it was given to me for free from my boss^^
I happen to grow a liking to the Wii though!
I had a job watching for forest fires while I was traveling many moons ago. They had a Wii u in the cottage. It was my only friend for weeks on end sometimes. Thank God they had a pro controller too.
I discovered this channel 2 days ago and it became one of my favourite channels. Thank you for your great content.
I’ve seen it on store shelves before. I thought because it was called the wii mini, that it would be used in cars or vans. That would’ve been it’s best use.
MrBurn37000vr / CR098 ドラゴンヨッシー I doubt the Wii sensor bar would work in a car/van.
Calvin Abad if you have a place to put it, it will work. However, it’ll be shaky because of how a typical drive would be.
Why would you play wii in cars though-
you most likely wouldnt be able to because of the amount of power needed to run the system, as well as all the cars functions. eather the car wouldnt powere the wii, the cars functions wont work, neather work, or it drains the battery very fast. also the wii could overload and be potentialy unfixable.
@@kyandawson9271 The Wii just takes around 20W under load, most Cigarette Lighters/12V Sockets in Cars can deliver up to 100W, Dell itself offers a 90W Adapter for their Laptops: www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-auto-air-dc-adapter-90-watt/apd/330-8105/pc-accessories
A problem is that the Wii uses just internal PSUs so you need an inverter to provide 110/220 Volts AC.
And another problem is a Screen, but you may use a Roof mount Display with AV in, saw such LCDs in VW Multivans as extra options.
So it's possible but motion control in a moving vehicle might be rather difficult.
Years ago i got a black second hand wii for €50. Still runs perfect and with the easy softmodding its an epic little retro gaming machine and even runs gc games from sd-card and have the entire top 100 games in a single external usb drive.
You sir are a fucking pirate!
What if I told you... that nintendont now lets you run GC games off USB HDD :-D
@@drd5455 oh cry me a river
@@arlobubble3748 il cry you a lake to sail my pirate ship on hahahs
Rick Shaw Try using an external dvd drive with WiiMC on your WiiU and you can even watch dvd movies on your tv or gamepad. Touch controls won’t work but you even get sound! Neat little trick I discovered a few months ago just to see if it would actually work. Sadly HD content doesn’t work. (vWii)
I remember managing to get my hands on one of these. I wanted to get a new Wii since mine was getting slightly worn. I thought it’d have some stuff taken out, but I didn’t expect so much to be gone. It’s actually kind of insulting to play twilight princess on a wide-screen tv with this. Playing the original on my Wii on a widescreen worked great, and wasn’t super bad with a few adjustments. With this though, I found it to be a waste. Until, I got it onto an old square TV rather than a flat screen, and while twilight princess wasn’t great, games like resident evil 4 worked pretty well! It’s a hit and miss for me. But in a situation like this, the misses outweighs the hits. I’d rather pick up an original Wii. Thanks for doing a video on this forgotten console mini
Vsauce Puppet are you the Justin Y of Nintendo content?
What about a 4:3 flatscreen or a widescreen CRT?
@@TheMarioManiac ikr
Of course you did
Vsauce Puppet *hit or miss* I’m getting tik tok ptsd from this.
That would’ve honestly been a badass redesign of a wii if they would’ve still had the GameCube support and internet like a standard wii. By the time the wii mini came out it was easy to buy some family’s wii at a yard sale with a handful of the basic games for $50 and being a family console usually came with like 3 controllers.
I literally went "ooOOOOOhhh" in sync with the audience in that golf clip at the start. a legitimately impressive shot, to be honest. I didn't know the flag pole had a hitbox lmao
"the most WTF moment in Nintendo history"
Sakurai:lets get a plant in smash
Nah, it's when they replaced the Squid Sisters with Off the Hook.
Uh, Smash always has a 'wtf' character, ie R.O.B. And Mr.Game&Watch. Piranha Plant is nothing new.
Also Sakurai: Let's make an Smash characters holocaust
Meh. Stop the whining
GreatPapyrus 626 *having to pay for your own wifi*
I live in Canada and I didn't even know about the Wii Mini, literally never heard about it until now, what the heck?
It was only marketed and sold in areas that had no access to the internet. Hence its rarity
Same here man
I like how you specified that this did in fact include the cable to plug it into the wall, and the sensor bar so that it can be used. Like a car salesmen telling me the car comes with wheels AND windows!!
Lovin this channel. Very instructive, entertaining, educational.
I remember being intrigued by the price and simplicity, but the no gamecube compatibility was a dealbreaker for me
Fun fact, mvg is an abbreviation in Dutch meaning 'with friendly greetings' or maybe better stated 'with friendly regards'. Nice review! Also, I was pleasantly surprised at the Dutch ad at 6:00' Gonna check out your other videos as well.
Met vriendelijke groet,
A new Dutch subscriber
99$? That's actually quite expensive... For a Wii
Not really it was 2013 $99 isn't much seeing that the Play Station classic is going to be $100 and and it will only have 20 games on it
I would say it was a half decent price, except for the lack of any online features. Sure, the online multiplayer shut down not long after, but the e-shop was still running (I think it still is IF you have current funds loaded). If anyone wanted a Wii for cheap at that point, they would have been much better off getting a used standard model than a brand new Mini.
@@ressljs yeah true
It was worse in Canada. Since it didn't come with MK bundled in(not sure if that changed), getting it and a copy of Mario Kart came to the same price as the Mario Kart and regular Wii bundle. So, it saved you nothing to get a Mini in the long run.
@sammmy moreno that bundle only hade one controller and a wheel and Mario Kart. I have seen it and still see them before
paying $30 more just for a wheel isn't worth it when a cheaper wheel would work just as good
Because Wii Mini came with Mario Kart only thing you are not getting is one wheel
When the Wii Mini came with Mario Kart it was a good deal
literally unhackable (not really but there's no point of hacking a Wii Mini since there's no SD card slot)
The problem wasn't that it was impossible, but that it seemed pointless to pursue on it. The closest method that popped out was a potential Wii remote memory trick, but the person who brought it up didn't really know what he was talking about and Wii homebrew wasn't as big as it used to be.
you cant hack it via dvd?
I hacked my Wii. Very easy to say. Just to put Japanese games
@@Bruno_Laion yes, but that Wii had an sd card slot and an internet connection
The board does have the solder points for the SD slot, so with a bit of mechanical stil somebody could atleast try.
2020, Still playing with my 11 years old WII, for me it is the best gaming console ever....
Just a shame how underpowered it was.
@@user-jt1jv8vl9r it is better to play on dolphin emu, underpowered but funny
I wish a modern company would make a modern crt with hdmi, av, everything you need for older consoles including a 720p resolution
Dude forget older consoles, newer games also look well on CRT if it has a lot if motion.
CRT still beats modern displays when it cones to motions. Even the high refresh ones.
@@kicapanmanis1060 not realy, backlight strobing high refresh displays are better.
They're re-producing records and cassette tapes, so I'd say give it some time before the mass nostalgia hits and that becomes a thing :)
Sounds like you want a decent Plasma TV - with nanosecond pixel response time and basically no input-lag, combined with superior color rendering - and for the last generations - superior black levels - they do everything CRT's did and more.
Pioneer 43" models strike a good size-ratio for older games, as at larger sizes, nothing will make it look good.
CRTs displays are dead for good reason.
1:54 Shoutouts to Sonic Colors in the background :)
I just bought an excellent condition Wii Mini for $25 with the power adapter, controller and AV cables included. The console is interesting, however games are some what expensive, I rather play most of my Wii games on my PC anyway because it is more convenient.
NASIRUB1 you could go on OfferUp or something and find local sellers and get a Wii U for $80 and then mod it to get any game you want for free.
The original wii is cheap any way so why go for the mini???
hjboss09 the mini has hdmi, can be plugged into a monitor. EDIT: it hasn’t, i was totally wrong
Guido Russo Heck you can get an adapter so the original wii can work with hdmi.
Guido Russo Heck so where is that HDMI located you are talking about? Because I can’t find it.
Gabriel Brouwer yeah I’m curious too i don’t see hdmi on mine and it would be great if it did cause then I wouldn’t have to unplug my ps1 everyone I wanna play twilight princess.
Anne Foreigner well sorry to disappoint you but I was a bit sarcastic in my comment. I asked where is the HDMI located then? Because there is no HDMI on it.
Really nice and extended video and you used dutch commercial video on 6:15... LOL
You're easily my favorite channel!
in response to the idea of CRTs being ideal for Wii games, I disagree, you really should try it on an early 2010s midrange/high end CCFL backlit TV that is 32 inches or less in size (via component cables obviously). It pops even more than a CRT and is widescreen. They key is getting an older TV with "worse" upscaling methods (for a cleaner image) and a small screen size.
Will 2012 30-something-inch LG do good? That's our main TV today, and back in 2012 we moved our huge heavy 2002 CRT Samsung Plano out to sit in the country house. Both still work well.
Agree. I've got a Samsung LCD 32" TV and the image looks good
No internet connection and only a couple inches smaller than a regular wii... so its form factor isn't a selling point and you cannot patch games that would have needed it.
I actually owned a Wii mini but was confused on why I couldn't get the Homebrew Launcher to load.
lol
10:01 You say "one up" at the exact same moment "1 up" appears on screen. Was that intentional?
“The CRT makes these old games pop”
Old games!? They are-14 years old!?
Christ on a bike! I’m old!!!
Old in the sense that they’re not new I guess.
@@user-jt1jv8vl9r gta v is considered to be old, as it has 7 years old...
Been binging you're videos ever since I subbed. Awesome stuff man
Bingeing not binging
The only reason they made it the way it is was so that it could not be soft modded. Man nintendo really cracked down here lmao
then who wants a wii? no one
@@omegarugal9283 wii can be cracked it's obviously the better choice
The commercial at 6:00 appears to all be in Canadian, which looks suspiciously like Dutch.
hue hue br?
i can confirm, that is indeed Dutch.
I didn’t even recognised it as antoher language, I’m so used to switch between English and Dutch hahaha
I live in Canada, and here we don't have a language called 'Canadian', rather we speak English and French, but our French is slightly different.
I'm surprised it wasn't called the "Wee Wii"
teehee
u used 2 spaces after the word I'm smoothbrain
Man, I wish there was a full wii in the Wii mini case, it looks so pretty
nintendo: we need to make a new budget console and fast
employee: grab the wii, strip the wifi, give it a top loading dvd drive and ruin the point of the entire console
nintendo: someone give this guy a promotion
Broo he had sonic colors in the background, thats some of my childhood 😭
shut up smoothbrain
i am really funny LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
I’ve never heard of this before, interesting.
The Wii mini has such an appealing design.
true
Is it possible that the Wii Mini may have been created in an attempt to boost the sales of the WiiU? So that people who were considering getting a new console weren't thinking, WiiU, Xbox, or Playstation? But instead thinking Wii Mini or Wii U and seeing a clear advantage to the Wii U. It's a tactic that a lot of companies use nowadays, especially Apple.
Gutted my Wii mini and used the shell as a case for my raspberry pi lol 😆
Why?
@@clothinghanger6978 wii?
2 years later I predict this guy to make a video titled "Why did Nintendo Realease the Switch Lite?"
Because it outsold the original switch
Because the 3ds is death and many people play only Handhelds
I think the Wii mini was a cool idea but I think they should have at least allowed Component cables at 480p to be supported.
i worked in an electronics department (in canada) for the launch of both the wii u and the wii mini... the amount of confusion around both was astounding... and you're right. it was a VERY common holiday gift at release. poor kids that wanted a wii u and got the mini :(
i never knew this was a thing until this year. and i’m 26 and have owned almost all major portable and regular consoles since the nes i played growing up that my dad owned.
1. There is something worse than the Wii mini and that's the "Wii Family Edition". Looks like a normal Wii but doesn't have Game Cube support... yuk... :D
2. I don't see what's so strange about the concept of the Wii mini. Nintendo rereleased the system in a smaller form factor which was cheaper to produce than the original at launch and omitted several features the average customer would not need or connections that weren't used at all to drop the price even further. Nintendo did this several times with the Famicom, the NES and the SNES, Sega had the Master System 2 and several versions of the Mega Drive / Genesis and the Playstation slim is essentially the same thing. PSone, PS2 slim...
Many of those dropped RGB output or expansion ports and often were meant as a cheap alternative to the newer full priced console of the next generation. Granted... the timing was a little bit strange, but that's essentially how they all do it all the time
if the wii mini was hackable and had online in some form, Id be fine with it, but they have the GUTS to bundle Mario Kart Wii, the single best online game on the wii, with the console that doesnt go online.
The Family Edition is still a superiour choice to the Mini, but it still pales in comparison to the original console.
@@AuroraNemoia Not like the Wii online service lasted much longer after the release of the Wii Mini anyway, it got shutdown in mid 2014 iirc.
@@AuroraNemoia, for the targeted demographic, Mario Kart Wii still made sense. Business is never in a bubble and while 'super users/fans' may raise their nose to a 'lesser' product--it was never them that the product was trying to reach.
"worse"
The Family Edition still had the ability to go online, was still hackable, still had SD card support, and through Nintendon't, was still capable of playing Gamecube games.
The GameCube Wii is the best Wii
With Nintendo WiFi connection and the Wii shop channel being killed does being unable to connect to the internet even matter anymore?
Yes. Riiconnect24 and Wiimmfi are homebrew replacements for Nintendo's online services that are still actively used and developed (although they can't replace the Wii shop channel since they obviously don't have the legal right or encryption key to distribute any of the software on it.).
@@micahs.7592 oh really? that's interesting I didn't know there was a homebrew replacement for Nintendo's Wifi connection. Thanks for letting me know.
sammmy moreno you can? I tried playing DS Pokemon games online on the 3DS but it told me I can’t because the Nintendo WiFi connection was gone, I assumed it was the same for Wii games.
Ellis okay I’ll try those, Thanks. The DS especially would be useful.
Never heard of it. This channel is always a learning experience!
I honestly think the Wii Mini looks more beautiful than the regular Wii, with the red color and its rectangular shape
Because the normal Wii isn’t a rectangle
I think I saw one once at a Targets years ago and just thought: "what the hell is... why the hell does this exist?"
I have a black Wii until today, it is really a good system.
Bruno Assunção Kappa
What a dust gatherer..
It was pointless to me and a waste of money for Nintendo..
stathissim hai
I bought a Wii mini Mario Kart bundle back in February 2015 from a Target store which was still $99.99 back then...Still have the bundle today and love the lunchbox Game and Watch form factor.
You intro music is just so great. Especially the the music from the series 'Mistakes were made'.
Sadly you Soundcloud Link does not work anymore...
I remember seeing this a ton and thinking “what a waste of money”
It was cheaper to buy Mario kart the controller in this bundle then to buy it separately.
Hi I remember you from an ibxtoycat video!
2:08 i think u left the old crt tv on in the background... i can hear it...
I get it they wanted to be in every home the problem is they already are. Haha Funny
The Wii mini lacking online is utterly baffling. I mean, I guess it makes SOME sense given that it came out around the time they were starting to plan out the end of online support for the Wii, but that really just makes it even more baffling that they would have bothered manufacturing this at all, especially given how many Wiis were still out in the wild. Given how many core Wii titles were digital-only, it significantly cripples its functionality. It’s especially weird given that it uses the standard Wii home screen which is practically taunting the handful of people who actually do own this thing.
うぉ〜でぃん it’s old
I remember when the Wii U came out. Me and my dad were in a Walmart just looking around the video game section when he saw the Wii U and asked me what the difference between this and the Wii was. I legit thought it was supposed to be like the Nintendo Switch and told him that was the gimmick. I had never even seen the actual console, so I assumed the gamepad was the console, and I was so confused when I found out it was supposed to be a weird hybrid.
Unhackable? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
ProTayToe Gamer let us know how that gos
tbh pls do and comment here when you finish so I can see it
@@gayprinceofzora1884 its easy just Google it. You'll have ur mod software downloads there.
Literally never heard of the Wii mini lmao
It olnly had a "small" impact on gaming.
Same
Same
You know, "Why Nintendo?" and "Why, Nintendo?" have different meanings...
Just found out about Blue Bomb which enables the Homebrew Channel on the Wii Mini. Would love to see a video on that!
The 360 Kinect was a success if you ask me. It may not have sold as well as the wii but a ton of people had them and we all played games with it, Kinect adventures, Kinect sports, just dance....