NINTENDO Wii Zapper - light gun

...a glimmer of excitement when Nintendo announced the successor to this technology, almost 20 years after the original - the Wii zapper. When the prototype was first shown off at the E3 convention, the design was not dissimilar to the original, being shaped like a pistol. However, by the time the Wii zapper came to launch it had changed design drastically into the format that I am now reviewing, and now comes packaged with the game "Link's Crossbow ...
...please both casual gamers and Nintendo fans alike, there is not a great deal of mileage in it as a single player game. The multiplayer option is basically just the single player version while taking turns, and while this is more enjoyable when you have friends to compete against (and this approach also has the benefit of reducing the aches and pains you get from using the zapper for extended continuous play), I would have liked to see the multiplayer ... more

If you are old enough to have grown up when the NES was the games console of choice, then you might just remember a piece of orange and grey plastic known as the zapper. The zapper was, in 1980s parlance, a "light gun"; a new concept in video gaming that used a gun-shaped controller for shooting games by enabling you to point your zapper at the screen and pull the trigger to hit targets (Duck Hunt, anyone?). It was designed to look like a science fiction style "ray gun" and it was brilliant, just like having an arcade game in your own living room. While I was never lucky enough to own one (although I did have a temperamental light gun for my Spectrum around the same time) I do remember playing on a friend's NES zapper and it was great fun. Perhaps this is why I felt a glimmer of excitement when Nintendo announced the successor to this technology, almost 20 years after the original - the Wii zapper. When the prototype was first shown off at the E3 convention, the design was not dissimilar to the original, being shaped like a pistol. However, by the time the Wii zapper came to launch it had changed design drastically into the format that I am now reviewing, and now comes packaged with the game "Link's Crossbow Training".

**The Hardware**
For those of you who have never seen one, I'll try to describe just what I'm talking about. The Wii Zapper is a tommy-gun shaped plastic bracket that accommodates your Wii controllers and allows them to be used like a light gun - so not only has the shape changed from the original NES zapper, this is a device that converts your existing controllers into a gun rather than replacing them with a gun. The bracket, like all Wii accessories, is made of matt white plastic and has few moving parts and no electronics, so while it is less aesthetically pleasing than the NES zapper it should be expected to be have greater longevity and it also has the big advantage of being cheaper. To use it, your wiimote clips into the barrel of the gun, while the nunchuck controller fits into the stock; when both parts are securely in place, you can keep the cable than links them neatly hidden away in a compartment under the handle. This design means that you hold the zapper in both hands, with one hand on the stock and your thumb resting on the nunchuck's control stick, and the other hand gripping the handle that extends below the barrel, which features the zapper's trigger that in turn activates the B button on the wiimote. Point the barrel at the screen, and let the Wii pointer do the rest. If you are still struggling to imagine it, you can see some images of the Wii Zapper here: http://uk.gear.ign.com/articles/836/836064p1.html

The Wii Zapper is not a thing of beauty. That said, it is rugged and solidly built, and some thought has gone into the best ways to incorporate the existing Wii controllers into it. Both controllers fit perfectly and securely into their cradles, and at no point using it did I feel that they might come loose, however much I jerked the zapper around. It is easy to set up, and the connecting cable between the controllers fits tidily into the compartment so it does not hinder gameplay - but they really should have done something about the wrist strip as well, which I feel I need to remove every time I use the zapper as otherwise it can become a nuisance. The biggest drawback with this design that I found, however, is that it quickly becomes uncomfortable to use - and this is clearly a major flaw. In order to use the zapper like a gun, you need to hold it up to shoulder height and sight along the barrel for maximum accuracy; while there is no great weight in the thing, the fact that you have to sit in a slightly hunched position to best use it means I soon got stiff and uncomfortable. Worse, the amount of grip that was required to support and control the zapper in this slightly unnatural position meant my hands and wrists began to ache after a relatively short period of using it.

But what is it actually like to play a game with the zapper? While you can of course play any shooting game with the wiimote in one hand and the nunchuck in the other, the zapper adds a degree of immersion by offering you the ergonomics of a set-up that makes it feel like you are using a gun. Granted it may feel uncomfortable and hand-stiffening after sustained periods of gameplay, but for short spells it does feel fun to use and adds an extra dimension to shooting games. It is not exactly the same as using a light gun, however, as you are to a degree constrained by the Wii's sensors. The design works very well for simple point-and-shoot levels, but when you trying to use the zapper with more advanced gameplay, a couple of little niggles become apparent. Firstly is the trigger mechanism; you are pulling the zapper's trigger which in turn depresses the trigger on the wiimote that actions your shot, and I found that if you are playing a rapid fire game, then the Wii does not register as many shots as you should get from the number of times you pull the zapper trigger. Secondly is the difficulty of accessing the other buttons on the wiimote, which lie on top of the barrel when inserted into the zapper - you cannot get to them quickly or comfortably, which renders this piece of kit at best unhelpful and at worst downright obstructive in certain game contexts. This is a shame as it makes the zapper less adaptable than I would have liked.

**The Software**
The software that comes with the zapper is the mini-game "Link's Crossbow Training", nine levels of zapper-orientated shooting action featuring the green-clad hero from the Zelda games. While there isn't as much content in it as you would get from a full Wii game - you couldn't really expect something bigger than this for the price - it does its job of allowing you the see what the zapper is capable of in a package that represents pretty good value for money. Each of the nine levels in the game is split into three stages, and each stage features a different mode of play: target shooting, defender and ranger. The target shooting mode is pretty much self-explanatory; shoot the targets that pop up in the landscape in a set time, with points awarded for hits, extras for bulls-eyes and multiple bonuses for consecutive hits. In defender mode you play a stationary Link being attacked on all sides by various enemies, and as well as aiming and shooting, you need to move the zapper around to allow Link to turn through 360 degrees and face all of his enemies. The ranger levels take things one step further again. You now have completely free movement around the level, and can move Link around using the control stick on the nunchuck, while aiming and shooting enemies within the given time limit.

Each level lasts 1 to 2 minutes, so although you get 27 of them, you can see that it is not going to take you all that long to reach the end, even if you insist on replaying levels to improve your score and win better medals. The levels look good and are supported by a decent musical score and sound effects, and are mostly fun to play. While there is sufficient content and variety to please both casual gamers and Nintendo fans alike, there is not a great deal of mileage in it as a single player game. The multiplayer option is basically just the single player version while taking turns, and while this is more enjoyable when you have friends to compete against (and this approach also has the benefit of reducing the aches and pains you get from using the zapper for extended continuous play), I would have liked to see the multiplayer option developed a bit more, given the Wii's popularity as a party gaming console. The ranger levels also have potential to be expanded into a full game, but for now we will have to make do with Crossbow Training and other titles that have been released with the zapper in mind, such as "Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles".

**My Final Thoughts**
I have mixed feeling about this package. A price tag of £19.99 (currently under £15 on Amazon) for both the zapper and the Link game is good value for money, and Nintendo's use of a cradle for the existing Wii controllers rather than bringing out a whole hew gun controller has undoubtedly kept the cost to gamers down by quite a long way. If you are interested in shooting games then at this price it is worth a try, even if you never go on to purchase further zapper-orientated games. I also like that Crossbow Training has been kept simple and fun so it will have wide appeal. However, I do think it is a shame that Nintendo couldn't have developed a gun cradle that doesn't look quite so silly or feel so uncomfortable to use for more than 15 minutes at a time, and it is this that would probably prevent me from buying further games that utilise the zapper because I don't think my wrists would be able to take it! Likewise, those of us with fond memories of using light guns may well find themselves disappointed.

Recommended - to fans of shooting games or to those who want good value for money entertainment for the kids.

Not recommended - to hard core gamers (unless you are planning to use the zapper for other game purchases) or to anyone with weak hands and wrists!

**Product Details**
RRP £19.99
Amazon.co.uk £14.96: http://tinyurl.com/cc2m4w
BBFC rating: PG
Official web site: http://www.nintendo.com/wii/what/accessories/zappe r/
Product Dimensions: 35.6 x 17.8 x 10.2 cm; 1.8 Kg
Release Date: 7 Dec 2007

 

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