A YouTuber has managed to order a Domino’s pizza using a Nintendo Wii, more than a decade after the console’s official online services were shut down.
The order was placed by Retro Game Attic using a fan-made Food Channel app, itself essentially a translated version of the Japan-only Demae Channel, which originally allowed owners of the console to order food directly from their console.
Nintendo discontinued its online servers for the Wii in 2014, with the Food Channel being used by Retro Game Attic, running on Wii Link, an open-source replacement for the official servers.
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Wii Link revives Japan only Food Channel
The Food Channel was never officially available outside of Japan and launched on the Wii as the Demae Channel in 2009. The channel stopped functioning when Nintendo shut down the Wii’s online services, leaving it inaccessible for more than ten years.
Using WiiLink, Retro Game Attic was able to reconnect the console and order a Dominos through the console, with API integration allowing him to see images and up-to-date info from the food chain’s website.
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In the video, the YouTuber demonstrated how to navigate the original Wii interface, select items through the Food Channel menu, and place an order. Despite the console’s age and software, the order was accepted and delivered.
Released in 2006, the Nintendo Wii was one of the first consoles to experiment with non-gaming services, years before food ordering and streaming apps became standard.
If this has prompted you to dig out your own Wii for a nostalgia trip, check out our ranking of all the best games released for the console.
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