Skip to Content

Can Wii Play Gameboy Games?

*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

 

The Wii is a home game console made by Nintendo, which was launched in 2006 as an introduction of motion-controlled gaming to a broad audience of gaming fans. They made this console to attract people in the gaming community who didn’t traditionally play video games.

The console gave host to new and exciting games that older gamers in the GBA wanted to play in their Gameboy.

So, can Wii play GameBoy games?

After numerous requests by Nintendo game players asking for Wii to support GameBoy games, the dream finally came true. As promised by the company, you can now play classic GameBoy games on your Wii by merely downloading games online via the console.

 If you want to know more, continue reading this article.

Are you a huge Nintendo fan? Then you have to check out the Mario and Nintendo gear that you can get. Whether you want a Mario wallet, a Nintendo sweatshirt, or a classic NES hat there are plenty of choices to choose from. You can find them all by clicking here.

Paladone Nintendo NES Cartridge Retro Drink Coasters for Game Lovers - Super Mario Bros Accessories

Do you love Nintendo? Then you have to check out this amazon NES cartridge drink coaster set!

This set includes 8 double sides drink coasters that look just like the classic NES cartridges.

This set is a perfect gift for the gamer in your life!

Wii and Nintendo

One aspect of the Wii is that it connects to the Internet and supports excellent online features that aren’t available for GameBoy users except for on the Wii mini. Nintendo kick-started the new services by releasing a trio of excellent games previously enjoyed in the Gameboy.

You can start by downloading the Metroid Fusion, Advance Wars, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

Most games on Wii will cost around $10 each. It’s easy to play the games on TV or the Wii console’s tablets, like the Gamepad controller. All the games you enjoyed on your Gameboy are now available on your TV and your Gamepad controllers.

You can also play the new GBA games that are added to the list every week.

GameBoy Games Are Shockingly Good on Wii

The Wii console puts the hand-held games Nintendo released in the last decade on its new home console. Even though GameBoy games are available on Wii, they haven’t made them available for download on its portable console the 3DS yet. The idea is weird, but not as crazy as you might think.

The game was brought over so elegantly, that users forget they were even playing older Gameboy games. Just imagine playing your GameBoy games on a 50 inch TV previously designed for a 2.9 inch screen.

The Nintendo 64 and GameCube home consoles were the great ostensible successors of the 16-bit Super Nintendo. Gameboy fans knew that the real continuation of the Super NES legacy was on the GameBoy Advance. The GBA color screen, coupled with a 32-bit processor, was perfect for perpetuating the 2-D pixel aesthetic in the world of gaming that had otherwise switched over to polygon.

Gameboy Screen Smoothing

It is surprising that the Gameboy games on Wii can display both on your large TV, and the screen on the Wii Gameboy controller.

At first, the screen smoothing option was turned on to make the Gameboy game graphics look  clear; then they would run it through a Photoshop filter that made everything look like a stained-glass window.

It’s great to be able to play a game that has so much to offer. The graphic options are more in-depth than you might think, as you can choose to have the game’s display stretch to the top and bottom edge of your TV screen, or even use a pixel-perfect model that accurately represents the dimensions of the Gameboy screen. These are dramatic changes, especially if you err on the side of accuracy.

Gameboy Games Quality of Emulation

The Wii console playing Gameboy Advance games creates a relative power to the quality of the emulation that doesn’t make your game look so much  like a portable game so much as they look like playing a Super NES. If that is something you enjoy, then you won’t love the Gameboy vintage games either. If you think the best use of a new game machine such as Wii is to play old games, this is right up your alley.

It is simple to do, you can switch the button console configuration around if you want depending on the game choice. For instance, to shoot missiles in the “Metroid Fusion,” you have to hold down the right bumper with your index finger then press B with your thumb, something any gamer knows.

However, it is also identical in the Wii U console where you rest your fingers naturally on the analog trigger buttons, not the digital bumper above them. You will be able to go in and reassign the buttons, to make it feel perfect. For those looking for a super Nintendo-ish experience, you can use the pro controller, and use it instead of the Gamepad.

Playing GBA Games (badly) on the Wii

In recent years, Nintendo was quick to tout the new Wii’s extensive backward compatibility with all the GameCube software. Having the sleek white system is a pretty bad fit for the Cube’s Gameboy player hardware add-on.

So rather than leaving that clunky old cube out to play games and create a new entertainment center, the Wii console can make use of Gameboy games using the Datel Advance game port. Using the sleek looking accessory to plug in your GameCube with the Wii memory card slot, it lets you play Gameboy games on the big screen.

The hassle will be on the Wii Advance game port, which can have some annoying problems. According to users, the games ran with inconsistent slowdowns, Laggy controls, and audio problems. The port only plays GameBoy Advance games, which is less convenient than a GameBoy player that works with games dating all the way back to the black and white classic portable.

Conclusion

To sum it up, in this article you’ve learned that Wii can play GameBoy games. You’ve also learned about the quality of the games. We’ve also talked about some of the pros and cons of different consoles and controls. If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out the video above.