Customer Reviews

Nyko Wand review.
I recently picked up the Wand in my quest for new things gimmicky and shiny, and I have to say that besides a couple of setbacks, it's a pretty good pick-up for the money.
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**EDITED 7/17/09: Just got the Wand back from Nyko after they updated it; works just fine with the Motion Plus. Removed statements referring to the Motion Plus incompatability.

Just keep in mind that the Wand that you pick up may have to be sent over to Nyko to be updated to work with the Motion Plus. Just call their Customer Support and they'll send you a shipping label. Turnaround for me was about a week.

Since I can't seem to adjust my star rating for the product, just imagine a fourth star hanging out up there.
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The good:

+Function. From what I've played, I haven't noticed any differences in functionality in terms of motion or IR control when compared to the stock Wii Remote.

+Price point. At 30-35 bones, you're saving some cash compared to the Remote's 40.

+Rubberized everything. Nyko's design techs seem to be unnaturally greasy, since pretty much anything that might slip on the underside has been coated in ribbed rubber.

+The little things. The 1 and 2 buttons have been upped in size a bit, which makes playing games like "Punch-Out!" significantly more tolerable. The Wand also lets you check battery status without powering the system on.

The bad:
-Limited Trans-Port accessory availability. One of the big draws to the Wand is its proprietary technology to add accessories that don't rely on convoluted mechanisms to press buttons on the controller, as well as other features, like a rumbling nunchuck. The reason this isn't in the "Good" side is due to the sheer lack of accessories at present. Right now, the only stand-alone accessory featuring the technology is the rumbling Kama nunchuck. As a fan of rail-shooters, I was disappointed to see the gun attachment only being sold with the oft-unavailable "Action Pak." Part of that is my fault, sure, for buying separately, but I would like to see the option.

-Aesthetics. It's a petty thing, sure, I get where they were going due to the Nintendo lawsuit, but still, at first glance, the visual design for the controller isn't the greatest.

If you're looking for a quickie back-up for a busted Wii Remote with some neat addons that will be released... eventually, the Wand may be up your alley.

Just like the Nintendo Wiimote
After using the Nyko Wand for 8 days, I have to say that I am very happy with it. I was a little hesitant to buy a Wiimote not from Nintendo, but I have Nyko's charge station and that has performed very well so I decided to give their Wand a chance, especially since Nyko has a new nunchuck (the Kama) coming out that vibrates when used with the Wand. Overall the Wand has performed exactly the same as Nintendo's. I also like that the Wand has a rubberized grip and trigger which gives me more feel. Plus the buttons are bigger than Nintendo's, so when I'm playing the new Punch Out, which I play with the remote held horizontally, it's alot easier to play. I highly recommend this Wiimote alternative, and I'm already considering pre-ordering Nyko's Core Pak to get the nunchuck with vibration.

Better, Faster, Stronger...Cheaper?!
The red button kind of threw me off at first, as I am not exactly the biggest fan of M&M's on my controllers, but once I saw this controller in person, it actually kind of grew on me even if it does stick out when compared to my other Wii Remotes...but in a good way! What really made me decide to buy it was that I could save 5 bucks, and be able to use the special accessories like the gun attachment. The performance has been on par with the 1st party controllers I have, and once the other enhanced accessories come out (vibrating nunchuck anyone?), I'll prolly be using this for most all of my games on the wii! So I saved some money, have a unique looking remote and the ability to buy specialized accessories...WIN!