the game will start up and everything
but when i plug in the controller the wii just shuts off
theres no light and i have to unplug the power cord and plug it back in
Interesting. What happens if the controller is already plugged in when you start the game?
The wii is technically two different consoles, a wii with a built-in gamecube. It sounds as though the gamecube part of your wii is messed up. If you can't find any answers by searching around the internet, I suggest you call nintendo.