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The Nintendo Wii took the world by storm and got people moving thanks to its motion-based controls. The console was incredibly popular, becoming one of the best-selling video game consoles in history. There are those who are still playing the Wii in 2026, and still finding several clever uses for their aging console.

The Wii Remote controllers helped define the console and the way players interacted with its games. They also helped draw people into the gaming space who would otherwise have ignored it, such as older and more casual consumers. These motion controllers were also pretty impressive for their time, with people even finding cool ways to take advantage of the Wii Remote long after they stopped using the console.

And it's those controllers where things start to get a little bit weird with regards to accessories. Every console gets a plethora of accessories, going all the way back to the Atari 2600. But the Nintendo Wii was special for the number of accessories that were released, many of which were incredibly strange and didn't really do anything other than be a good waste of plastic.

Wii Sports changed the video game landscape not only by being a fantastic tech demo of what the Wii Remote was capable of, but also by being a lot of fun in the process. The compilation of games in Wii Sports saw a plethora of accessory packs released to help you play the included games. These packs often included a tennis racket, golf club, and baseball bat.

Wii Bowling often got left out of a lot of accessory bundles, but that doesn't mean accessories didn't release that specifically targeted Wii Bowling. The Wii Bowling Ball is the perfect example of this: a large blue bowling ball that opened up and allowed you to insert a Wii Remote inside. It's designed to look like an authentic bowling ball in both design and size.

Aside from the design and the included holes for your fingers, it doesn't do anything to make Wii Bowling a better experience. What's interesting is that just because the Wii Remote is encased in a big blue ball, it still features all the controls on the outside of the ball, allowing you to play all your other Wii games with it.

With Wii Sports being so popular, it was only inevitable that other ball-based sports got the video game treatment, with motion controls tacked on. This makes a lot of sense given how well the Wii sold, with many games from soccer to baseball to football getting some form of motion-based gameplay. But one game you might be surprised to learn got its own accessory was Cricket.

The Kookaburra Cricket Ball was a very strange accessory that looked to emulate a cricket ball. Unlike the Wii Bowling Ball, the Kookaburra Cricket Ball simply slid over the Wii Remote, covering the controller's buttons. It did nothing for the game in any way, shape or form. A cricket bat would at least make sense as an attachment, but a little ball thing was just strange.

Imagine a baseball game on the Wii that came with a baseball that slid over the Wii Remote. Even the cheapest Wii Sports accessory bundles didn't stoop as low as to fake a baseball, even when most of their accessories were already pointless. It's such a strange accessory that I'm now looking for one to add to my collection, simply because of the novelty factor of it all.

"Cooking Mama" is a popular series that's sold millions of copies across the Nintendo Wii and DS consoles. The premise of the game was incredibly simple, having you learn to cook dishes by using the stylus of the DS or the motion controls of the Wii. Thanks to the Wii's unique controller, you could emulate chopping, slicing, flipping a pan, and more.

Thanks to the popularity of both the Wii and "Cooking Mama," third-party companies came out with some interesting accessories to take advantage of it. Imagine that, instead of plastic baseball bats and tennis rackets, you get a plastic frying pan and cutlery. The creators of the accessory say that this kit enhances the experience, but I have my doubts. There does seem to be an official bundle that came with "Cooking Mama" included, but several different companies released their own versions trying to get in on the Cooking Mama bandwagon.

There were a lot of gimmicks released for the Nintendo Wii that claimed to help you better enjoy the experience of flailing your arms about. Many of these accessories were designed to take advantage of specific games, or specific types of games. A cheap plastic golf club would work for Wii Sports and for every other golf title released on the Nintendo Wii.

The Wii rowing machine is a strange accessory that looks to only really work with a couple of the mini-games included in "Wii Sports Resort." It's essentially handlebars you slide the Wii Remote into for a more authentic grip. It also comes with floor pedals connected to the handles by a string to simulate riding a bike.

If that's not enough, gamers who purchased "Wii Fit" and a Balance Board could integrate this accessory bundle and combine all that plastic into some Voltron monstrosity, which would let you sit on the Balance Board and get the most awkward kayaking experience. At that point, you'd be better off just going to the gym for fear of having to explain what you're doing if someone walks in on you.

"Mario Kart Wii" is one of the most popular games in the series, selling over 37 million copies over the console's lifespan. The way in which "Mario Kart Wii" took advantage of motion controls also opened it up to a lot of accessories. The most notable came from Nintendo itself, coming in the form of the Official Nintendo Wii Wheel, a bit of plastic that the Wii slotted into to simulate holding a steering wheel. 

There were dozens of other wheel accessories. Some mounted to a table, while most were just cheap knockoffs of the official one. But there was one Wii Wheel accessory that took things to an entirely different level that has yet to be matched. The Wii Inflatable Racing Kart looked to emulate the kart itself. You inflate it, plop yourself down in the seat, and slot your Wii Remote into the wheel. If I were a kid, this would have been a huge hit, and reviews for it on Amazon were pretty solid at the time. The only glaring issue is that it's inflatable. This means that any aggressive kid could puncture the kart, making it unusable. Many saw it as a fantastic concept let down only by construction issues.