Nintendo Independent Wiki Alliance
Template:NintendoWiki Template:RightTOC The Nintendo Independent Wiki Alliance, NIWA for short, is a network of wikis and their associated websites that aims to chronicle all things Nintendo, supporting wikis independent of large corporate wiki groups.
History
Founding
NIWA began as an expansion of the concept of Encyclopaediae Pokémonis, shortly after the administration of Zelda Wiki contacted Archaic, Bulbagarden's head, about a possible affiliation. It was jointly decided, shortly thereafter, that rather than a simple affiliation, an entire network of Nintendo-based wikis could be begun, and Super Mario Wiki was shortly asked to join as a founding member.
After a little under a month of planning, NIWA was launched on February 14, 2010, coincidentally the fifth anniversary of the public launch of Bulbapedia. NIWA now boasts having its own forums, hubsite page, and Facebook fan page.
Inductees
Some of the smaller Nintendo themed wikis, such as WiKirby aimed to join NIWA. After much staff discussion, it was decided that wikis needed to first create their 200th article on their own, to prove their willingness to work. NIWA publicity would bring many viewers and possibly new editors once inducting and fully supporting a fellow Nintendo Wiki.
WiKirby, the Kirby-themed wiki became the first wiki inducted into NIWA on May 21, 2010. Metroid Wiki was later inducted and followed by Wars Wiki.
Name
NIWA's name, an acronym of Nintendo Independent Wiki Alliance, is also romanized Japanese for "garden", symbolizing the natural growth of the community around the fandoms that make it up. This is fitting, given Nintendo's Japanese origins, with romanization of Japanese being an important aspect of all three wikis that currently make up the network.