Hello Hive Gaming community, in my previous post I talked about the PlayStation 2 iceberg, and today I'm bringing you something similar, but about this wonderful console, the Wii.
Without a doubt, the Wii is considered one of the most popular and best-selling consoles in history, adding a certain sense of nostalgia to those who owned one today, as family or solo entertainment time was truly enjoyable and iconic, being revolutionary for the entire console and video game market.
But like any console, throughout its history it has been accompanied by controversy, mysteries, and curiosities that defined its time.
So join us today on this iceberg in honor of one of the best consoles, exploring strange facts and controversies about it.
Level:1
Candles for Wii Gaming
Something very interesting is that candles can be used as a motion sensor.
That is, by placing two candles, lighting them, and placing them in front of the TV, you can play without any problems, even if the sensor is disconnected.
This works because the Wii relies on infrared lights to track its position, and the candle flames emit them. Thanks to this, it's possible to play as if you had a sensor bar.
Even those who have played this way say it's more accurate than the sensor itself.
Obviously, it's usually a more expensive and somewhat risky method, but it ends up being an option in case it gets damaged.
Wii Accidents
As you may know, the Wii uses a motion sensor, which is why certain games require you to move the controller using your arms, some to a lesser extent, such as Mario Galaxy, while in other games the point is primarily to move your arm, as in Wii Sports or the Just Dance Saga.
These sudden movements caused many accidents around the world, from broken screens to injuries and physical damage.
The controller has a safety strap, however, many people didn't use it, and when performing these movements, it was possible for the controller to fly off, damaging the television or someone around it.
The media was quick to attack the console, calling it dangerous, but there's no way to blame it when even the start screen warns of this...
Impact of the Wii
If there's one thing that can be said about the Wii, it's that it revolutionized the way we play, becoming almost the perfect console for families.
This console could appeal to even the most hardcore gamer, as well as older players who just wanted to play casually.
It had cooperative games for family play and guaranteed fun for everyone, such as Wii Sports.
However, the Wii Remote and its motion sensor were what made it a thing of the past, completely revolutionizing the way we play and requiring a much greater investment, as we feel that our movements in real life affect the game.
As mentioned above, it was normal for children or people without much gaming experience to cause these accidents, as they were unfamiliar and perhaps less coordinated in these areas. But as we said, it's fun for the whole family.
Level2
The Homebrew Channel
You probably never knew about this channel, but it was on your Wii.
This channel is a hack that allows you to run pirated games, install emulators, and more.
It even allows you to modify and create mods. Apps were installed from this channel to play pirated games without problems and to reactivate multiplayer in some games.
However, in its early days, it had a terrible problem. It's possible that through official Wii updates, Nintendo itself blocked your Wii console just for having this channel.
Upon detection, your console would automatically crash and stop working. However, this can also happen today if you try to install this channel.
USB LOADER
This channel is used to play games from a USB flash drive, without needing the disc.
However, as with The Homebrew Channel, improper mod installation or detection could brick the console and ruin it again.
Wii Start-Up Disc
At the launch of the Wii, many consoles were released without the latest update, called 0.1. Nintendo's solution was to ship it with a disc called the "Wii Start-Up Disc," so that even users without an internet connection could perform this update.
Nintendo quickly backed down, as this would significantly increase costs, so it returned all consoles and released them with this update.
However, some consoles were mistakenly released without an update or disc, rendering them almost useless for users without internet who purchased the console.
This turned the disc into a rumor, like a piece of lost software where no one knows if it really existed, until years later, some users found it and showed how it worked.
Level:3
The Theme Gallery
The Wii has a channel where you can search for themes to customize your Wii, including both the default ones and those you can download from other users. Many users tell anecdotes about how unusual these themes were, as they could be shared freely.
Some themes included images of families and people, which were also shared, and others included gory or sexual images.
There isn't much information that this is true, but it's a rumor that many users confirmed on forums they were able to see.
I couldn't find anything to verify, but seeing the explanation of how this system works, it's very likely that someone posted such themes as trolling.
The Wii Fails at E3
One of the most embarrassing moments in console history, the Wii failed at E3 2008.
What happened was during a presentation to show how the console worked with respect to gameplay, but due to problems with the sensor's distance, the console began to recognize it very poorly, producing in-game movements that were uncoordinated with the players' real-life movements.
The glitch was so severe that it caused a stir on the forums at the time, provoking ridicule and more, since none of the movements actually related to what was seen on the screen.
Games for Adults and Kids
Although the Wii console had this sort of family-friendly reputation, the truth is that many games with high levels of violence and sexuality were officially released and licensed by Nintendo.
I could tell you about some eroge games loaded from a mod, but they wouldn't actually be licensed by Nintendo.
However, there are many other very violent games like Mortal Kombat or Manhunt 2, as well as other games loaded with sexual content, such as a certain RPG where the characters were semi-naked. However, others took advantage of the console's playability, releasing titles like the one we'll show you below, called "We Dare," a game for a "Friends" night.
Level:4
Reader Light
Something as simple as the video player holds a rather strange mystery.
The moment it's working, it begins to emit strange blue lights, which have a hidden meaning.
However, it may be that it's not working, that is, without reading any discs, but what's going on here?
These lights blink when receiving an important message from the console, such as games posting photos on your board or other messages the console wants to give you, thus displaying a pattern inspired by and based on the subtle call of a Japanese bird.
This detail is already incredible, but the most incredible thing is how the community realized this, since it was never clarified by Nintendo; they discovered it on their own.
Manhunt 2 for the Wii
There's not much to explain, but this controversial game, banned in many parts of the world, had a Wii version (very good, actually).
The Sound of Death
Although it sounds dramatic, people love to give this name to these console features.
The Sound of Death is a squealing noise that occurs when a game repeatedly lags or freezes, indicating a console, disk, or driver failure.
Many users comment that this sound terrified them as children (myself included).
Although it has this dramatic name, it doesn't actually mean the death of your console (in some cases it does); it simply means a failure, and this sound is due to the game stopping.
Interestingly, the game could be stopped at any frame, and a strange screen could appear alongside the sound, making the experience much more terrifying.
Level:5
The Wii That Set a House on Fire
In 2015, Trevor Pellegrim left his house for a business meeting while playing the Wii, stating that he turned it off and left his home.
During the meeting, a neighbor called him to warn him that his house was on fire, so he rushed over and found the incident, a full-blown fire in his home. Investigators and firefighters claim the fire was caused by the Wii console, ruling out other causes and viewing the Wii as the culprit.
The console remained in the media's spotlight for some time, with Nintendo being asked if this was a one-time glitch or if multiple consoles had these problems, causing fear among users, some of whom claimed they stopped using it for a while because of this.
Nintendo never issued a statement or responded to the issue.
Jennifer Strange
Although not directly related to the Wii, nor was it the fault of the console or Nintendo, Jennifer Strange's case is one of the saddest in the game.
In the news since way back in 2007, a radio station, KDND 107.9 "The End," hosted a show called "Hold Your Pee for a Wii," trying to drink as much water as possible without going to the bathroom.
One of their contestants, named Jennifer Strange, participated in this contest and unfortunately lost.
Shortly after, Jennifer was found dead in her home, having suffered from "hyperhydration" due to the contest.
The saddest part of the case is that Jennifer was a mother of three children, and her reason for entering the contest was to win that console for her children, ending her life in a cruel and tragic way...
End of the Iceberg
Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoy it.
The photos were taken from websites as well as some data and information about this iceberg.
