Where can I get WII ROMs: A full guide with a brief legal update

Finding a great ROM collection feels like a Christmas morning. All these games that you wish you’d be able to play as a child, are suddenly within your reach. The best part is, you don’t need even a computer to start playing. It’s all literally a few clicks away.

However, it’s only that easy if you know where and what to look for. Since you’d be dealing with copyrighted material, there are a lot of aspects that should be taken into account. We’ll discuss the most critical moments.

With ROMs, you have to be really careful. One wrong action – and you end up in a disaster waiting to happen.

You need to keep things legal

Despite many popular opinions out there, emulation doesn’t necessarily include illegal practices. However, these rumors have a strong base – most emulation practices indeed tend to be either completely illegal or border the law violation.

The rule of thumb in ROM download is to always do research about a ROM source. You need to make sure that the creators made the file from the official version of the game, not a homebrew version out of another illegal ROM.

The most reliable ROM WII collections

The list is based purely on subjective experience and personal opinion. Even if for some users the website is the leading ROM-destination, others find the website too slow or don’t like the presented selection. This is also why we recommend trying out each of these platforms – so you can know what fits your needs best.

1.   KillerRoms

This is one of the biggest WII collections out there. The service keeps statistics on each service, calculating the number of downloads and regularly updating the files. If creators have a better patch, the moderation team quickly uploads the new version to the website.

Our experience of running ROMs, downloaded here, was so far really smooth. Mario Kart WII ISO was running almost perfectly, with authentic graphics and sensitive controls. The selection of strategic games is nice to look at, too – one of the biggest ones around.

2.   NitroBlog

We love that NitroBlog keeps things casual and doesn’t try to make profits out of its users. On the other hand, the voting system seems to be broken at times. Even if you have never left a score on the page, the website says that you’ve already given a ROM the most random score on the planet. Generally, the website works great – all expect the interface.

3.   ROMSMania

Unlike the previous one, this is a big ROM library that’s dedicated to various consoles, not just WII. The selection is a bit too mainstream – you’ll have to dig really deep to find a rare title. On the other hand, there are a lot of options – the website offers dozens of pages with secure ROMs. You’ll surely never run out of games for emulation.

4.   Portal ROMs

This library is slightly less mainstream than all destinations reviewed above. The platform doesn’t host millions of downloads, but on the other hand, it also collects more exclusive files with games known only to die-hard fans.

The downside of using not a popular catalog is that the frequency of uploads is disappointing and you can’t rely on user’s reviews as much. Whenever you are going for a rare ROM, you are on your own. You can’t even tell whether the file is secure or not unless you trying running it – and that’s really not the safest method.

5.   EmuParadise

This is one of the oldest and most universal ROM libraries out there. Just as the majority of options on the list, it features games not only for WII but other Nintendo consoles too. Looking for a ROM is simple and quick – files are sorted in alphabetical order.

The Final Wisdom

With these libraries under your belt, you are almost equipped to depart into the vast emulation sea. These are only a few ground rules that you should be aware of before you begin. We made a full list – so take a careful look.

1. Don’t use personal homebrew collections of WII ROMs. You can often see personal game libraries, posted on Reddit or online forums. The folder seems perfectly legit – but your private data might’ve already been compromised.
2. If you use some of the ROMs frequently, be read to purchase the official version. Using homebrew strategies might be enough for a year, but if you’ll be actively using a file for several years, it might cause some questions.
3. Don’t share your personal ROM collection with unknown online users. If someone redirects your message and finds as much as a trace of personal data, you could potentially be in trouble.

Luckily, so far, most of these risks are purely theoretical, but the situation might change. In any case, it’s better to cultivate good habits at the very beginning of the journey. Good luck and stay safe!