Product Description

To make gaming as accessible to people of all ages and all abilities, Nintendo wanted to create a controller that was as inviting as it was sophisticated. The outcome is the Wii Remote controller. Nintendo fused the familiarity of a remote control with the sophistication of motion-sensing technology to come up with an input device for the ages!Sporting the size of a traditional remote control, the wireless Wii Remote controller is a multifunctional device that is limited only by the game designer's imagination. In a tennis game, it serves as your racket you swing with your arm. In a driving game, it serves as your steering wheel. For first-person shooters, the remote acts as your weapon that you point at an enemy. The list of potential uses goes on and on.Using Bluetooth technology, the wireless Wii Remote controller sends your actions to the Wii console from as far as 30 feet away. As a pointing device, the controller can send a signal from as far as 15 feet away. Up to four Wii Remote Controllers can be connected at once, making for some great multiplayer fun!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7 in Video Games
• Brand: Nintendo
• Model: Wii Remote
• Released on: 2006-11-19
• Platform: Nintendo Wii
• Subtitled in: German
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.80" h x 6.75" w x 8.75" l, .60 pounds

Features

• Used as a remote, operates up to 15 feet away
• Built-in speaker
• Rumble
• Features expansion port for additional input devices, such as the Nunchuk controller

Customer Reviews

High-capacity NiMH batteries recommended
The purchase of additional Nintendo Wii Remote controllers are the basic requirement for multi-player games. Strongly consider buying a pair of high-capacity NiMH rechargeable AA batteries along with each additional controller. The Nintendo Wii Remote consumes a lot of power because of the many functions it performs -- the Wii Remote serves as a motion controller, provides power to controller attachments, and generates sound and vibration effects. The included set of disposable alkaline batteries will last less than a couple of weeks for active players (six days in my case). This compares to a battery life of a couple of months for the previous generation of Nintendo's wireless controller -- the Nintendo Wavebird controller for the GameCube.

Many games require the additional purchase of a controller attachment for multi-player mode -- the Wii Nunchuk Controller or Wii Classic Controller, both of which plug into the base of the Wii Remote. In multi-player mode, the Wii Nunchuk is used for two-handed Wii games, e.g., Red Steel or the boxing game in Wii Sports.

The Wii Classic Controller attachment is currently used to play games on the Wii Virtual Console. Held sideways, the Wii Remote can serve as a game controller for all current Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx 16, and Nintendo (NES) Wii Virtual Console games. A Wii Classic Controller or Nintendo GameCube controller is required to play Super Nintendo (SNES) or Nintendo 64 virtual console games.

You may want to purchase a Wii Classic Controller or Nintendo GameCube controller (this plugs directly into Wii Console itself) to play Virtual Console titles anyway. The Wii Remote is diminutive, and a Wii Classic Controller or GameCube controller both offer better handgrip and button placement. Of note, a Wii Classic controller can currently only be used for Wii Virtual Console games, while a GameCube controller can be used for Wii Virtual Console games and all Nintendo GameCube games.

Each "Wiimote" has a nice touch of interactivity, holding up to 10 Mii avatars per remote. You can take your Mii character along with you to play games like Wii Sports on other Wii consoles by taking your Wii Remote along with you.

The one improvement I would make to the Wii Remote Controller would be to add finger nubs. The Wiimote can get a little slippery during gameplay because of sweat. Third-party manufacturers offer latex rubber / silicone controller gloves that fit over the Wii Remote to improve hand grip. I find these gloves are more hassle than they are worth because they are time-consuming, both to put on and to peel back when changing the Wiimote's batteries.

Light, Intuitive, Easy to Use
The Wii Remote Controller is shaped like a standard TV remove, and has motion sensing ability. You wave it around, and your on-screen character waves their wand!

This isn't an add-on controller - this is the actual, standard controller that most if not all games on the Nintendo Wii use as their primary control unit. There is also a "nunchuck" that can be used in your off hand, but many games don't use the nunchuck.

The aim of the Wii was to make gaming as simple and intuitive as possible for the casual non gamer. Pretty much every person with a TV is comfortable using a TV remote. You point, you click. The Wii Remote Controller works in the same fashion. The motion sensors know what you are doing with the remote. If you're playing a baseball game, you swing at the ball. If you're playing a bowling game, you bring your arm back and swing it forward. Everything "makes sense". A sword swing? A light saber battle? Just move your arm and the character does the same thing.

There are only two buttons that really matter. There's an A button on the front that you push for most operations. There's also a trigger underneath that is the B button. Depending on the game, they will have you use one or the other button. There are also a few other buttons for more complex gaming. There's a D-pad. A "home" button lets you go instantly back to the main Wii menu if you're tired of playing. There's a plus and minus button, a 1 and 2 button. There's even a power button. You don't have to walk over to your Wii any more to turn it on or off. Just hit the power button on the remote and you're all set.

The remote runs on two AA batteries, so there's no USB plugging in or charging up, as with the other systems' remotes. You do get a wrist strap, though, so the Wii remote doesn't fly out of your hands while you're doing a super powerful golf swing.

There's even a speaker in the remote! This is great if you're playing a game against another player. Say I'm boxing my boyfriend and I am the winner. *My* remote says that I triumphed, to me. Neat!

I definitely love the Wii remote controller. It's light, it's super easy to use, it's intuitive and I can just pop batteries into it when it runs out, instead of having to wait for a recharge. Highly recommended. Just note that if you want to play a game that needs a nunchuck as well, that you have to buy that separately.

Buy an Extra One
As fun as the Wii can be, it only gets better when you play head-to-head against family and friends. Since the standard Wii packaging only includes one controller, you will need to order a second device to experience the optimal level of game play.

Holding the controller reminds me most of holding a fishing pole. The thumb and index finger control the most essential functions of the players, with extra buttons only really coming into play during mode selection screens. During live action, players don't toggle between much more than two buttons.

Batteries seem to be an issue for many people, but not me. I suggest you turn off the "rumble feature" for games (the controller vibrates or pulsates during dramatic moments in games) as a way to save battery use. I've gotten about 30 hours out of each round of batteries on my Wii.

Lastly, believe what people say about collateral damage with your Wii controller. I thought the stories of people breaking TVs, windows and fish tanks by accidentally losing grip of their controller during a strong tennis swing and sending a dangerous projectile through their living rooms were exaggerations. But it happened to me...and it will happen to you.