These days, ordering pizza usually means selecting your options on a phone app or online, rather than calling to place your order. However, one YouTuber decided that was far too normal and wanted to try something far more unique.
Pete from the Retro Game Attic powered up his Nintendo Wii in an attempt to order Dominos through his gaming system. (Calling a Wii "retro" is like a gut punch for Millennials everywhere…)
How a Wii became a pizza delivery machine
Pete explained the plan while sitting next to an old tube TV and Nintendo’s long-retired console. He said that the Wii Food Channel was once exclusive to Japan, but it now worked in the U.S. thanks to WiiLink, a company that restored servers for folks with Wiis to connect and use their consoles again. Then Pete posed an interesting question: could it still order food?
After a brief loading screen filled with animated forks and spoons, the Wii Food Channel came to life. The interface looked frozen in time, looking like something out of the mid-2000s.
"We have the address information on the left side," Pete explained. "We have order history, terms of use, and the button that we care most about here, which is order. So, we'll click on it. So, you can see in this screen, the only option we have is pizza. Back in the Food Channel's heyday, there were a variety of other options. We are just limited to pizza today, which isn't a big deal. Listen, beggars can't be choosers."
While scrolling through specialty pizzas, Pete commented on the fuzzy graphics that made the Honolulu Hawaiian look identical to the Memphis Barbeque pizza. "They're probably all the same. Oh, no. You know what? They are actually different. It's just really hard to tell on the screen. [...] Probably even harder to tell via the camera."
He placed the order, and the screen warned him not to touch the power button. Then the confirmation appeared, saying, "Thank you for ordering. Enjoy your food."
Pete celebrated the success of his experiment, thanking WiiLink and calling the experience "so wacky and out of hand."
Viewers reacted with nostalgia and disbelief
In the comments, viewers responded with enthusiasm to Pete's video. @willdbrady wrote, "I feel like I just found a hidden gem I can share with my friends! Time to go get my Wii out of storage."
Others focused on Pete’s ingenuity. "I’m here just to congratulate you. Good job brainy buddy. Bon appétit too," @isaacchavarria-r4j commented. Meanwhile, @SouthernerDan exclaimed, "THIS CHANNEL IS SO UNDER-RATED this is exactly the content I need when I need it."
Some had tried it themselves. "A few years ago, I did this on my Wii, and I was so impressed by the fact that it worked," @Toasty1244 shared.
"Obviously, a Food Channel is more fun, but I feel like this could be done with the Wii’s Internet Browser, yeah?" @GigaMan91 asked. "Also, as a Domino’s driver, I feel personally invested in this."
Pete replied, "You for sure could have done this with the Internet Browser back in the day, but it's too outdated today to access most modern websites (including ordering from Domino's)."
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