It was super popular because it was $250 cheaper than the cheapest PS3 and $150 cheaper than the Xbox 360 w/ storage at launch. It was essentially always the cheapest console you could buy.
Had some great games, the Wand/Nunchuck was cool and original, but like VR, many people played it for 6 months and then it sat collecting dust.
You did see that n2burns was replying to a comment that was a size comparison of the United States with the "entire fucking CONTINENT of Europe", right?