Nintendo never made the Wii game I always wanted, but it's now a reality thanks to the fan game of my dreams

News
By published

Wuhu Island Explorer is everything I dreamed of

A Mii wandering around Wuhu Island's town in Wuhu Island Explorer.
(Image credit: AtomicLugia via Itch.io / Nintendo)

The Wii game that I always wanted was never made by Nintendo, but thankfully, all these years later, a fan created it, and it looks like everything I dreamed it would be.

It's been almost 17 years now since the release of Wii Fit, and our first introduction to the paradise that is Wuhu Island. It wasn't until Wii Sports Resort that it got its name and became the idyllic location that we all know and love, and at that point, as a younger player, I was genuinely captivated. I spent literal hours exploring the whole place in the Island Flyover game – going around the buildings, flying across the river, and obviously going straight down into the volcano, too. Hell, I even used to write my own stories about the Miis living there and their lives on the island. But in all that time, all I really wanted was to be able to freely wander around the island on foot and take in all the sights, living vicariously through my Mii. 

Well, thanks to the new fan game Wuhu Island Explorer, we can now do exactly that. It was created by Itch.io user AtomicLugia, who's clearly been holding onto the same dream I always have, as they've done their best to blend together the location from Wii Sports Resort, along with the tweaks present from its appearances in Wii Fit Plus. There are also some new additions, such as areas beneath the water. After picking from one of eight playable Miis, you can explore the island to your heart's content – whether you want to run, swim, or dive, the choice is yours. 

Latest Videos From

The reaction from fellow Wii-era enjoyers has been incredible, with none other than Twitter user @WuhuIslandFan responding to the news of the game's launch rather, uh, concisely. "I'm gonna shit myself," they proclaim. Look, it's a big moment for them. 

The creation is a lovely way to celebrate Wii Sports Resort's 15th anniversary, anyway, and as AtomicLugia says, Wuhu Island really is "probably one of the most memorable locations" that Nintendo has ever made. They add: "While we barely get to see this beloved island nowadays in the Switch era, it will always have a place in our heart."

For more games like Wii Sports Resort, be sure to check out our roundup of the 25 best Wii games of all time.

Catherine Lewis
Catherine Lewis
Deputy News Editor

I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.