Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
You get one with the console, very light, durable and responsive |
| Disadvantages: |
For 4 players in a Nunchuk - required game, you need 4 of these bad boys . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
INTROSo the Christmas rush and the January Sales are now over. People have realised that they've spent far too much money on products they never realised they needed until just a couple of months ago. One such boom product in particular is the Nintendo Wii, which despite having launched over a year ago, is still difficult to come by and very much in demand with nationwide shortages reported over the festive period.
For those of you lucky enough to get your hands on a Wii, the first thing that will have struck you is that very peculiar shaped controller that looks like a TV Remote. And what's this other thing with an analogue stick on the top. That my friend is the Nintendo Nunchuk controller, and forms the basis of this review.
Firstly the basics.
THE OTHER HALF
The idea is that you hold the main Wii Remote (the one that looks like a remote) in your right hand with a view to pointing it towards the screen as you would a normal TV remote. At the base of the remote there is a socket for attaching the Nunchuk device.
THE NUNCHUK ITSELFThe Nunchuk is then held in your left hand and consists of a moulded curved shape with an Analogue stick (or mini
joystick) on the top, and a Trigger button (Called the Z button) and a small round button (Called the C button). The idea is that you hold it so that the Analogue stick is pointing upwards, and you will find that the shape of the Nunchuk allows for your thumb to comfortably control the Analogue, whilst the rest of your hand wraps around the base. Your index finger is then free to press either the Z or C buttons when needed. Attached to the chunky part of the Nunchuk is a wire with a connection on the end that plugs into the Wii Remote mentioned above. The idea being that you are now holding the Nunchuk in the left hand and the Wii Remote in the Right hand and the two are connected via a cable.
CONTROL SYSTEM
So now we've sorted out how to hold the Nunchuk it's important to ascertain if the Nunchuk controller is actually any good as a supplementary controller. Well when you first pick it up it certainly feels weird. Firstly if you're a consumer who's used to console gaming, you've always been used to a physical control pad that you hold in both hands, and so all of a sudden holding two different controls - one in each hand - seems very alien. If the Nintendo Wii is you first outing in the console gaming world, then just using any type of control scheme is going to be tricky.
Thankfully though it seems to work.
The main reason is, is that when you break it down, the separate Nunchuk controller isn't actually that different to the part of a normal controller that you would regularly control with your left hand. If for example you pick up an XBox 360 controller, you left hand would be in charge of the left sided Analogue stick as well as the two left shoulder buttons, and nothing else. All that's on the Nunchuk is an Analogue stick and a couple of buttons so it really isn't asking your hand to do anything outrageously new. It just seems strange because it's on a separate controller to the one in your right hand.
DURABILITYObviously if you're forking out money for these controllers, you want to make sure that they withstand the test of time. Well I can serve as a personal testament to their durability because I have owned my Nunchuk controllers for well over a year now and I haven't had any trouble with them whatsoever. And to be perfectly honest, that not down to me being extra careful, because anyone that knows me knows I'm quite heavy handed, but that's also allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants a go on my Wii to use and abuse them. And they don't currently show any negative signs of wear and tear. And I think that's pretty good going really.
RESPONSIVENESS
The Analogue and buttons all respond as you would expect controller sticks and buttons to react - quickly and efficiently. They essentially do what you would expect, which is great with a controller, because the last thing you want is for it not recognise your stick movement or button press on screen.
The Nunchuk however holds an ace up its sleeve and that is that it has the same
sensor technology that the Wii Remote has. So what this means is that instead of simply button pressing or analogue pushing, you will be required to thrust, pull, push, twist or shake the Nunchuk as well, depending on your situation. Essentially this means that you have the same physical interaction that you have from the Wii Remote in your right hand, but now in your left hand using the Nunchuk controller. The reasonable length of the
cable connecting the two allows for plenty of interactive positions and opportunities for the Nunchuk depending on the game environment. Whether it is the frantic punching of Boxing on Wii
Sports, or the thrust action of beating down an opponent with your gun on Call of Duty 3, or spinning on a launch star in Super Mario Galaxy, the Nunchuk provides this new control schematic and executes it brilliantly.
PRICE & AVAILABILTY
The RRP of a Nunchuk controller is priced at £19.99 but you can certainly find them much cheaper. Amazon have them for £14.99, GAME for £17.99, and HMV £14.99. Notoriously all things Wii are quite scarce, but you'll find the reality is actually they are much easier to find now that the Christmas and January rush has died down. You should be able to easily find them online or in store.
MY TWO CENTSThe Nunchuk controller is certainly an interesting addition to the Wii as it allows your left hand to get in on the action, rather than looking at the right hand enviously as your swing your heart out to Wii Tennis. Its harmonised sensor
technology with the Wii Remote means that the Nunchuk completes the Wii control scheme experience rather than adding an unnecessary complication. It means both hands will be used in tandem to perform more complicated tasks and embrace you more in the gaming world than ever before.
Most games released for the Wii these days require the use of the Nunchuk for this very reason. That added variety and versatility that a second hand controlling the action gives you, greatly adds to the amount of different things (and therefore improving the overall gaming experience) you can achieve within just a single game.
Sure when you first look at it, you might think its strange, and when you first hold it, it might not feel right, but this is the same with all controllers, and you'll get used to it in time.
Basically the upshot is, is that if you have a Wii, you will need at least one of these, and it certainly isn't something you will ever resent owning. Its a control system for the future, that as developers get to grips with the new control scheme, the more varied and fun the actions you need to perform will become.
And
trust me; soon you'll be fully engrossed in classic Wii games and flailing both arms around like a madman.
Just make sure you keep those curtains closed eh, we don't want the neighbours thinking you've lost it now do we?
:-)
Thanks for reading.
Chris
Featured merchant
very helpful
very helpful
very helpful
helpful
