This was my introduction to the world of what the devices I own could be capable of. A Nintendo Wii, and a game modification for Mario Kart Wii known as CTGP-R.
My Dad and I had followed a video guide on how to install it, and it was a fairly simple process, however we were incompetent, so it took us one failed attempt, however after that we succeeded, and let me tell you, seeing the CTGP-R channel screen for the first time was amazing!
Ahh... Pure Bliss
Of course, after this groundbreaking success, I wanted to see what other cool things a Nintendo Wii could do, and upon my research, I discovered a whole slew of programs and applications that rely on one specific utility: The Homebrew Channel.
There are plenty of things this tool can do. You can load a plethora of emulation apps that allow you to play retro games. There's also USBLoader GX, an app that enables you to make and load backups of your Wii and Gamecube game discs, as well as play games that use the Triforce Arcade architecture all with a few graphical enhancements that make a world of difference if you're playing the games on a high definition display. This provides an incredible way to play games for almost every major Nintendo console leading up to the Wii itself, all in one convenient package.
The Wii can do so many other amazing things to, there are tools that re-enable the Wii's many fun online services (Wiimfi and WiiLink24), and you can watch movies, listen to music, and even watch YouTube videos. via WiiMC
A Wii with Homebrew is an amazing utility, and provided me with an amazing gateway to the world of computers. I absolutely beleive that this console is what kick started my love for tech, and made me the tech enthusiast I am now (And if your curiosity has been piqued by any of this, and you just so happen to own a Wii, feel free to check out this website for a lovely step by step guide on the homebrewing process!)
The Wii U also exists.
I bought my Wii U last summer, and intended to use it as a replacement for my Wii, because fun fact: The Wii U essentially has an entire Wii built into it, known as the vWii, as well as having its own unique user environment. The Wii U's extra perks are being able to load homebrew apps directly from the Home Menu, including apps for the vWii. There are utilities like SDCafiine which allow you to modify game contents via the SD card. The Wii U Gamepad while being a unique utility, could be made even better with a few extra touches, being able to swap content shown on the gamepad to the TV, and vice versa are massive game changers, and luckily there's an app called SwipSwapMe to do just that. One that I personally really think is cool is Papaya HUD, an app providing an overlay showing statistics for technical aspects of the Wii U (FPS, CPU & GPU Utilization, etc.)
Much like the Wii, there's an amazing guide available walking you through the entire process of setting up your Wii U step by step, and I truly believe that this takes the Wii U from a fairly forgettable console, to one of the coolest pieces of tech one can own!