Is The Wii Remote Truly Revolutionary?
When Nintendo released their new Wii system late last year, everyone was curious to see how well the newly designed controller would work. It is a long, one-handed remote and it was to serve as the console's main controller. Named for its resemblance to a television remote control, the Wii remote is more innovative and more user friendly than the traditional gamepad controllers. But even with all the motion detection and interactive play, how does game play stack up the Wii Remote? Is it easier and more intuitive to use than a regular gamepad like the Sony Playstation or Microsoft Xbox? The Wii Remote Is Motion Sensitive
Responsive to every move you make, the motion detection feature of the wii remote sets it apart from any other controller ever made. Nintendo wanted to make something that anyone, even someone who has never played video games before, could pick up and easily adapt to. Anyone who has ever used the Wii remote would probably agree that Nintendo scored a home run with this design. Just make sure you have the strap securely around your wrist or the remote can fly out of your hand during game play. (Just ask those who destroyed their brand-new flat panel TVs with flying remotes!) The Wii Remote Is Wireless Unlike game pad controllers that either were limited by the length of their cords or the wireless versions that had problems relaying the information even from the smallest distance away, the Wii remote is wireless but uses short-range Bluetooth technology to communicate to a sensor placed affixed somewhere near the television being used. Up to four remotes can be picked up as far as 30 feet from the sensor, however performance is best when used within 16 feet. This is much more distance than the average gamer puts between himself and the television anyway so it is not a problem. Wii Remote Is Versatile The Wii remote was designed to be used ambidextrously, with either the right or the left hand, and to be held in a variety of positions. Hold it vertically for most games that require fighting, jumping, or swinging an object. It can be turned horizontally, like the original gamepads, to simulate a steering wheel for a driving game. Other activities that the remote can be used for include spinning, dropping, smudging, and flipping and more. The Wii Remote Is Expandable Several attachments for the Wii remote were designed by Nintendo but only two ever made it to market. The nunchuck, which can be used in almost as many games as the remote, has an oblong shape and features an analog stick, a trigger button and a C button. The nunchuck is held in the off-hand and plugged into the remote in order to share communication. This attachment also comes bundled with the Wii console. The other remote attachment that was released by Nintendo is the classic controller, which looks like the old Nintendo gamepad controllers, and is only used with the virtual console games that are purchased with special "Wii points". The list of virtual games greatly increases the number of games available for play on the Wii system. So Nintendo did their homework with the new Wii remote. It is totally different than the traditional gamepads used by the other manufacturers. With the remote, game play on the Wii Sports games is intuitive and fun. It makes games much more fun by allowing the player to feel like they are really playing the game. |
