Wiiwaa: The Lost Nintendo Wii Plush Toy Game - Game History Secrets

[@LiamRproductions]

Thanks for watching my weird deep dive into Wiiwaa! Be sure to check out other Game History Secrets videos if you liked it :)

[@MattPin]

I'll check them out then :)

[@LiamRproductions]

@@MattPin Sweet!

[@alphamarigi]

Yours? Okay pass

[@casperfl]

Fantastic video and deep dive, this was such an interesting project. I wish it had been able to be released but it's still cool to get the full history on it. I wonder if they could update the original finished game and release it on Switch.

[@reagandow850]

What a great idea for a series. I’d love to see more videos like this.

[@WhyKev]

I worked at Zoink from 2014-2017, thank you for making this video. Really fun to see this story in a way like this. Also nostalgic to see the team at 5:09 :D

[@WhyKev]

@whiplash6699 Top right, back when I had hair :D

[@WhyKev]

@whiplash6699 haha yes

[@mariokarter13]

This game got shelved and Babysitting Mama got released. We're in the wrong timeline.

[@legendofhayden]

This game looked great and WiiWaa would’ve looked so good on a shelf (so much better than that baby!!!). Collector’s would be going wild for this one. I’d love to play WeeWaa on Switch

[@byte-mx]

I guess it would need to get renamed to SwitchSwatch in that case?

[@staticcat6383]

I seriously want that plush toy.

[@LunarJolt]

I'm glad the guys who worked on this kept their heads held high despite everything. Hear every roadblock stop them along the way really bummed me out

[@zandershepherd4746]

Honestly a shame this never made it to store shelves. It looks fun and Weewaa is adorable. I'd rather have them on my shelf than that smug plush baby that's sitting there right now

[@GabePuratekuta]

Just sitting there, staring... Silently judging you... Waiting for the perfect time to strike. And you won't see it coming, either. Because that baby is an evil genius.

[@MelodyMute]

If they crowd funded for WiiWaa, I would be on board so fast. The concept is adorable and I would've loved that plushie as a kid. If they're still unsure about trying for switch, they could test run a crowd fund for just the plushie itself to see how much demand they got and go from there. There's plenty of plushie collectors that would 100% love to have the plushie.

[@lrgogo1517]

I love the typography of the WiiWaa logo. When they edited it with the name, it lost half its power

[@ATalkingSock]

With the way motion controls are currently, I am shocked and disappointed that there hasn't been any attempt to make an honest-to-gosh puppetry simulator. RIP Weewa, I pray you were ahead of your time 🙏

[@MJBManon]

This is one of two lost Wii games I always think about. This & "Last Flight: Chop 'til you Drop" I don't think people even know that one anymore

[@LiamRproductions]

Glad to see someone remembers it!

[@MJBManon]

@@LiamRproductions You do too? That's amazing! Legit can't find any results for it online so knowing someone else remembers it is genuinely amazing.

[@BottomOfTheDumpsterFire]

See, I keep of thinking of Sadness. The only silver lining about it is that it did have some music written for it (apparently there were almost no assets otherwise), which I now own a copy of, and it's pretty good.

[@BoatSquirrel]

@@MJBManon What even is it, I cant find any results online about it?

[@MJBManon]

@@BoatSquirrel HAPPY YOU ASKED. Ok so it was this WiiWare game that was about this bald guy with two butchers knives going through a plane that's been infested with Vampires & fighting them off. I swear on my 10 year+ old channel, my family, & my dogs that it was real. Unfortunately it's gone to time, it seems. EDIT: it didn't seem to ever get released but I did read about it in a gaming magazine.

[@Bunni89]

I love wiiwaa I would die for wiiwaa, this design is immediately goddamn appealing and I cherish this friend so much I hope that all the plushies they made for it ended up going to good homes, they're so goddamn sweet. I hope the kids of the developers (or the developers themselves!) kept them and gave them lots of hugs! Seriously I cannot believe how overwhelmingly sweet this lil critter is, it truly deserves the world

[@madnessarcade7447]

Seems like a cute charming concept maybe they could try again with games like ring fit and labo being successful seems like it’s the perfect time for weewaa

[@charlesplante]

Nintendo only gets away with it because they are better at making toys than games.

[@jeremyrennerapp]

@@charlesplante i would consider a console a toy, and the switch sucks so you’re wrong

[@zorinazutella3270]

It's such a shame this never got released in proper plush toy form! I really think it would've been a hit. The Cooking Mama game was such transparent shovelware but you can really tell that Weewaa had a lot of genuine love and care put into it. I think this could totally work today if they made a switch version, but it seems like the devs are content having moved on to newer projects and that's just fine.

[@PXKMProductionsGaming]

The 3DS concept was my favorite. It looked adorable as hell. I wish that had happened!

[@mattguy1773]

I never expected a lost media video from these guys

[@HorrorsofCody]

They do this from time to time. Liam is a historian and shows cancelled, lost games and peripherals like the WorkBoy. Definitely check him and Beta64 out.

[@LiamRproductions]

There are lots of lost media videos on DYKG. Game History Secrets is all about lost media :)

[@smactork]

I love this and I'm so sad we never got it. I would literally buy this today for the Switch if they made it

[@TrueTempleDog]

I was thinking the same thing. The Joycons working in shells has already been thoroughly proven by Nintendo themselves. Plus, the plush toy itself could be made half size, say around the large Yarn Yoshi scale. The doll could also have Amiibo functionality built-in. I'd by a copy just for the novelty alone...think it might be time to dust this beasty off and Kickstart it back to life!

[@mikethetowns]

Something like Star Link that comes with a figure closer to a Transformer would be cool.

[@mikethetowns]

These are some of the most impressive and neat game concepts I have ever seen, hopefully eventually some kind of phsyical-thing-and-game software does get released by 'em.

[@slyceth]

Nobody agrees with you, this is a simple concept anyone could have made up

[@PromiseMeStars]

@@slyceth Uncalled for, much? You don't have to be so rude about your opinion.

[@slyceth]

@@PromiseMeStars It's not an opinion, it's a fact! Have you watched the video? Another company did the same idea at the same time

[@PromiseMeStars]

@@slyceth "Nobody agrees with you" That's opinion, not fact. I think the original poster there was correct, those are some incredibly impressive and neat concepts! Also they never said 'unique'. They never implied someone else couldn't have thought of them. They just said they were impressive and neat. But you went and said that nobody agrees with that, and that anyone could have come up with the concept. A rude opinion and unrelated thing. Overall, uncalled for.

[@slyceth]

@@PromiseMeStars Focus on the message, not the medium. Just because I state facts in a formal matter does not take away the impact it has, if anything, it should strengthen it.

[@BellHillMayor]

Zoink are an interesting indie developer from Sweden, Shame WiiWaa was cancelled :( My favorite games from the developers are Flipping Death, Fe and Stick it to the man.

[@gurentgc3546]

Stick it to the man was my first PS+ game when I bought my PS4.

[@WhyKev]

Thanks for enjoying Flipping Death! I worked as a producer on that game and it was a joy to finally see it finished!

[@benmalsky9834]

The way how Majesco passed on Wiiwaa in favor of Babysitting Mama reminds me of how Sony went with Kill Strain over Gnomeageddon. I feel like both publishers REALLY missed out, the way how they went with games that were doomed to fail from the beginning over games that were not only new IPs, but looked and sounded so inventive and charming that could’ve found their audience.

[@m2pt5]

WHO thought it was a good idea to insert the wiimote from the bottom of the plush? People get bad enough ideas with it just going in the mouth. Also, it would probably sell moderately well on Switch.

[@RagdollWraith]

this happens a lot with batteries in toys too. i get it, the very bottom of the toy is statistically the least looked-at and least exposed most of the time, but seriously the thing has a big wide mouth constantly open!

[@weedblaster2125]

These videos where you actually talk to people involved are incredible. Gaming ‘journalists’ should take note

[@frankinglese7100]

WOW. I mean WOW. So much innovation and ambition here. It makes me feel so bad for Zoink that it didn’t come to fruition as originally intended.😢

[@GreyWolfLeaderTW]

Of freaking course Kotaku has the maturity level of a 11-year-old when mocking a poorly thought out choice for demonstrating how to put the wiimote in a plushie.

[@chuck3637]

i mean it is pretty funny you gotta admit that

[@razriri1467]

It was a horrific design decision from the get go, frankly

[@BBWahoo]

They've probably done it to themselves, so that wiimote penetration mustve made them happy

[@BBWahoo]

@@tetralesca Yeah, it's also why they hopped so hard on gamergate even though it was ultimately a nothingburger, gotta get those clicks

[@ElliotEel]

I'm so pained by this game's shelving, this is so incredibly unique I would sell my soul for the final build to come out eventually

[@lenarmangum8630]

Same man Wiiwaa looks like such an incredibly charming, imaginative, innovative fun game, I probably would’ve loved this game when it came out.

[@EmiCheese]

I wish they'd remastered it for Switch. This is one of the best pitches I've seen. I love it so much!

[@stapuft]

i KNEW that guy looked familiar, not just the art style, with one eye bigger than the other, but i know now, it was from "stick it to the man" they had the wiiwaa thing in stick it to the man, as an easter egg/refrence

[@Dreadjaws]

Ooooooh, sh*t, you're right! No wonder it looked so familiar!

[@Hansov_Bone]

Where's the Easter Egg located?

[@GreatDeath52]

With the motion controls on the Switch being way more advanced and precise, it's the perfect time for Weewaa, or something similar, to return. The plush is adorable and I can see it appealing to both children and young adults.

[@a2pabmb2]

"too dangerous" says the company whose wiimote was famous for flying off and destroying televisions, windows and skulls alike.

[@Dr.Crusader0138]

The art style for Wiiwaa looks eerily similar to Robot and Monster from Nickelodeon.

[@madnessarcade7447]

I was thinking the exact same thing

[@FTChomp9980]

You just unlocked a part of my childhood Robot and Monster was definitely an underrated Nicktoon. I remember both of them love eating bacon!🥓🥓

[@strain42]

Neat idea. Honestly, I just love the design of the creature. Video game or not I'd totally buy a little plushie of the dude.

[@HelpTheWretched]

And to think, there are probably dozens of other projects with similar stories, maybe even hundreds, that just weren't documented well enough to be known.

[@Morgil27]

Doesn't take a genius to figure out why Nintendo didn't want people throwing around a ball in the house.

[@HavingFunTimes]

Such a cute and quality looking game! Would've loved this as a kid. Such a shame it got replaced by the horrifying cooking mama thing. I'd love to see it on the switch but idk how profitable it would be in the era of digital purchases

[@ethanliam4312]

Actually I am making my own version of it on game Builder garage on switch

[@Mankey619]

It’s a very interesting concept for a kids game on the Wii. It sounds a bit familiar to Skylanders,where you use those figurines they gave you and place it on the console to play as those characters. If it weren’t for complications this game would’ve sold like hot cakes.

[@BobbyMiller64]

Dang. I know that my little nieces and nephews would LOVE a game like this, so it would be neat if it somehow made it to the Switch. Also, Kotaku was definitely being Kotaku.

[@spongebobfan78]

Even the released "WeeWaa RockOn!" app was unarchived.

[@velodus]

Great video! It's pretty heart-breaking that they made this adorable, family-friendly toy to go with the game, and yet when people saw the trailer featuring it, the only attention it got was mockery.

[@RagdollWraith]

i agree them mocking it after they changed it to make him eat the wiimote was a bit of a stretch for comedy, but you really can't blame them for the first iteration. i can't imagine them modeling a hole in the toy's ass, shoving a wii remote in it, recording a KID doing that, and not thinking to themselves "this is looks kind of wrong, people are going to make fun of this"

[@dinocactus8356]

This couldn't get released on the Wii but Ninjabread Man exists....

[@nicholaspetrini]

crazy to think that this game didnt make it but so much Wii shovelware did

[@HorrorsofCody]

I've never ever seen this wow thanks as always for the info Liam

[@themightyai-5302]

I played Flipping Death and I recommend it. Most people I have recommended it to personally have declined, stating the art style was to weird. But the game itself is really good, it is fun to move, fun to fight and the story is pretty good too. So please do give the game a try, it'll be worth your time. I hope they make a second game in the future, it feels like, story-wise, they could do so easily and with the same engine.

[@Hansov_Bone]

Great video! Stick It To The Man was a great game and I'm glad to see these guys get some more attention.

[@SchnappM]

your videos are very well researched and produced!

[@L33PL4Y]

That DS idea is the best of the lot by far. Too bad that one never happened, it's brilliant.

[@Zulfrak]

Aw man that is so freaking adorable. My Daughter would have loved this.

[@luliby2309]

What a brilliant idea. I absolutely love it. I can see it being more of a "kid" thing, but I can also easily see it appeal to those who enjoy creative gaming. I really wanna see this actually release. Just at all would be nice, but what if it actually came out for the Wii like that one game that came out so long after the Wii's cycle was over. XD

[@tangytablets5150]

I think weewaa is actually very cute for a plushie and would prefer that (and the lil scout badges) to the creepy Babysitting Mama baby plush... If this had been successful, would plush4play be a thing? Lol. Would be interesting to see them improve and upgrade this idea since I have younger cousins who do still puppet gameplay on their older bro's console with their toys.

[@NonisLuck]

These folk made Lost in Random? That game's AWESOME!

[@brycestrife5605]

This was fascinating. It was glued the whole time

[@reagandow850]

This is a great episode and I hope you make more like this. Good stuff indeed!!

[@leoviper]

Ah yes, the guy smashing the tv with a Wii remote. Classic. 😂

[@LagrimaArdiente]

I had never heard of this before. What a curious game!

[@Ospyro3em]

I hope this sort of concept gets revisited sometime in the future- I think it has the potential to be really fun for kids.

[@lirfrank]

15:38 oh my God, he just immedately broke that TV

[@bazingabazonga]

Why did Zoink think it was a good idea to make an opening for the Wii Remote in the bottom lmao

[@TheBlahblah86]

I totally would have played Wiiwa. Looks fascinating.

[@aztro.99]

a shame the game never came to fruition tbh, bro was lowkey an innovator

[@Zinkolo]

I hope the final and some early builds gets leaked.. this is my most anticipated lost Wii media now

[@n0isyturtle]

This was super interesting, thank you.

[@aortaplatinum]

I actually remember this, I'm surprised to learn it never released because it looked like it would have been a hit with younger kids. Hell I was like 11 at the time and I wanted to check it out. Could have been a really cool toy if they had also used the Wii Motion Plus [provided Nintendo weren't being ultra secretive bitches over it and just not telling third-parties that the peripheral was in development]

[@sugartea8929]

I am surprised he hasn't tried for the switch. I feel like he could find a lot of success if he made it for the switch, they could make weewaa both hand-held and with a controller whether you stick the joycons in the toy or whether you put it in the controller shell that came with the switch. Sad we won't be able to (yet???) Play what Weewaa could of been.

[@laurenkapes6381]

I dunno about any of you guys but that thing is gonna end up in my nightmares

[@MBeca_]

aww, this project looked super cute!! I love wiiwaa's design and the game looked super creative :)

[@maccamachine]

i love stuff like this and going into game development and seeing what goes down in the process and this isn’t relevant but man i wish they wouldn’t shut down the 3ds eshop i still play mine a good bit and now games are about to be ridiculously expensive

[@CrossfacePanda]

I remember this weird game!

[@jaybeeme]

It's kinda sad how much work went into something that was never able to see the light of day. Loved. "Stick It to the Man".

[@Ubylmoen]

This looks like the coolest fucking game. I'm so angry this wasn't released

[@lrgogo1517]

I thought the plush in the thumbnail was supposed to be Crash Bandicoot. I heard they gave him an odd redesign for his Wii titles, but this is ridiculous!

[@tangytablets5150]

Create "WeeWaa: Switch it Up" with TWO tiny plushies instead of one. Lol

[@SlyVocaloid]

This looks adorable. Looks like something my niece and nephew would enjoy.

[@ReallyRASYT]

It's a big shame cuz it just seems like it was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Such a cool idea

[@RodTejada502]

My first thought was, after seeing the concept, was> Papa Nintendo won't like this. Is too clever! And lo and behold! 🙄

[@joshxx1]

Release it for Switch, it seems like such a inventive concept to leave it on the shelf

[@Zanders459]

I immediately googled wiiwaa plush toy. I need one in my life

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

Wow, comments are full of positive vibes for this game

[@Skypatroller_BenCD]

The plushy kinda looks like Crash Bandicoot

[@ericwilson9457]

My kid would have loved this game.

[@FizzleFX]

8:55 too dangerous? But Nintendo...it wasn't a real bomb!

[@joyconboyz1409]

I’ve never heard of this, would have loved to have seen it. Yes, if it came out on switch I’d be interested just for the history

[@emanuelepolloni4002]

Holy shit I remember this. I saw it on a magazine about Nintendo games and it made me curious. But even then I knew it wasn’t going to come out.

[@MrFoxInc]

Really good video, thank you! I'm glad the game found its way to release one way or the other, but all in all it's a pretty disheartening story to see so much innovative ambition and competence hitting roadblock after roadblock. Also thanks for reminding me at 11:11 that game journalism has been, and still is, causing more harm than good. If at all.

[@warmachine68]

Another amazing video

[@LiamRproductions]

Thank you!

[@mackpapi9818]

Why does ubisoft have a random guy in it who's obsessed with the rabbids? Can't he cool it for two seconds?

[@suntannedduck2388]

If fans were to want a Rayman Plush. Ubisoft: Give them the Rabbids. Fans: sigh

[@MystLunarabne]

15:05 I mean I guess I can respect that, but damn that's a big missed opportunity.

[@UltravioletNomad]

That sucks, not even a lot of cooking mama fans likely remember or hold daycare in that high regard, but Weewaa might have really stuck with a lot of kids.

[@NikkioftheGivens]

Very interesting story! I love the design of the character/plush a lot! Makes me wish they sold it as just a cute plush for kids, at least.

[@Zeverinsen]

It's a shame that they didn't get to sell the game properly, because there weren't a lot of Wii games aimed at children young enough to want a plush toy game like that. We would've definitely bought that game for my younger siblings at the time, as playing games like Wii sports was too complicated for two 4 year olds! I'm sure many grandmas would've gotten that game for their grand children, so that was a missed opportunity.

[@M.R.Orlando]

What a great concept! they could hit it big (because they got other hits, right?) and brought it to the switch I wouldn't mind buying a little toy to go with my controllers. Plus I won't even have to worry about joy-con drift!

[@TheKaizokuman]

Man Ubisoft messed up not believing in Zoink. They sure could do with that variety now. Looking forward to what more Thunderful can come out with.

[@captchacon2014]

This devs most recent game Lost in Random is a super underrated gem. Highly recommend it.

[@MasterArchfiend]

Man, I would have actually liked to have played this.

[@lenarmangum8630]

Same, sad it never saw the light of day. :(

[@Tazer_Silverscar]

I wonder if maybe they'd got in touch with Bergsala, that they might have gotten somewhere with directly contacting Nintendo - because Nintendo were quite closely connected with them. The ironic thing is that now, as part of Thunderful, they are now part of what was Bergsala - and I think Thunderful still holds their connections with Nintendo. So, who knows! It's not impossible!

[@greatshadowdude]

I kinda want a WeeWaa plush now

[@viniciussp2]

'wiiwaa' could easily be a Waluigi game name

[@ericsnewlink3]

Awesome Show guys !!

[@justpinklasagna]

I have to admit, I really feel bad for this cute little kid's game. The Wii version of this game may still release. In 2019, 40 Winks for the N64 was finally released, and customers purchased it. So, it's likely that people will purchase this game. It'd be ideal for preservationists. People llike the KZbinr stop skeletons from fighting would go crazy for this game, especially since it has a weird peripheral. Even if it's just a novelty item, it would be nice to have this game in existence at last.

[@KoolLeo11]

Nintendo: balls of flurry is to dangerous Also Nintendo: wii sports is safe

[@xnamkcor]

Why is KZbin playing an ad for alcohol for a video about a child's toy?

[@Rogue_Chanman]

WiiWaa would’ve been so much cooler than Cooking mama I’m so sad

[@Killer_Rabbit23]

I really hope they don't let this idea die and crowdfund it some day!