Strap on these strapping Wii straps

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jan 22nd 2007 at 11:00AM }

Remember those replacement wrist straps Nintendo sent out in order to combat the debilitating menace of flying Wii controllers? It appears that those have been dealt the ultimate insult and have been replaced themselves with the variants pictured above. Are the straps even stronger? Possibly, but some gamers are more concerned by the generic aesthetics.

Tipster Ben likens the new straps to "cheap third party junk" when compared to the previous replacements. "Certainly doesn't feel, or look like, anything Nintendo would make. They always make quality things, while these things, certainly, are not."

Life-saving functionality aside, would anyone here be caught dead wearing these?

[Thanks, Ben.]

Tags: Wiimote, Wrist strap, WristStrap

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

siro @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:06AM

I couldn't care less how the strap looks. If you really can't stand it, just use the original one. It's not like it's going to break. :)

sm0ke @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:06AM

The one on the far right looks good. The others look cheap.

the real Steve @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:12AM

Tipster Ben... lol. The ultimate irony.

"They [nintendo] always make quality things, while these things, certainly, are not."

everyone think about that for a second.

Code @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:37AM

Fake'd! I got my replacement straps and they look identical to Nintendo's old straps, only with the new thickness.

Arglor @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:15AM

yeah I was reading that thinking "if they make such quality material, why issue a replacement in the first place?"

Irony runs deep in that one.

Slaziman @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:20AM

@Arglor

Because even Nintendo couldn't assess the stupidity of certain people, who let the remote fly at bowling.

Osiris @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:33AM

They only offered a VOLUNTARY recall because those little shits who have no common sense.
Nintendo shouldn't have backed down for these retards, it makes it appear that they acknowledge there are problems..

Josh @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:35AM

Um, I got my 4 replacement straps last Thursday and they have the Nintendo branding and the thicker straps. Looks like Ben got the bottom o' the barrel straps.

TravistyOJ @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:44AM

Wow, those look like shite. Glad I ordered mine early.

Brad @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:36AM

My replacement straps look like the quality one on the right. Glad I ordered early!!

Ona @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:50AM

Does anyone know which version of the strap Wii Play comes with? I am assuming that because of the delays they are going to give us the new one. Right?

Ardy @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:00PM

I placed an order last week (didn't get my Wii until then) and got one of these. I only ordered the replacements for the hell of it. I still haven't bothered changing it. The replacements barely feel stronger.

"Wouldn't be caught dead"? It's just a wrist strap..Maybe if Nintendo didn't screw up the first time, they wouldn't run out of little pieces of plastic with their logo on it. :)

DiRT @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:04PM

I have no reason to believe that picture is legit. My replacement straps look just like the regular straps, but with a thicker cord.

Dan @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:19PM

I didnt even use the strap in the first place, so looks dont really care, as long as its fun

Leshrac @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:20PM

Nintendo sent me 2 replacement straps and they were NOT the generic ones. Instead, they were the ones on the far right of that picture (with the Nintendo and Wii logos).

Jackson Pritt @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:34PM

I ordered fairly early, and got 4 straps that look like the strap on the right.
My assumption is that demand for the new wrist straps has been so high that Nintendo had to start sending out 3rd-party straps because they couldn't meet demand.

Nintendo's mistake was allowing every Wii owner to order up to 4 new straps no matter how many remotes they had. They should have figured out some way to tie the number of straps sent to the number of remotes bought, but I guess that would have been too big of a pain in the butt for everybody.

I never had any problems with my original straps, but I like the replacements better. When placed side-by-side the new ones are much, much beefier and the added length makes the remote easier to hold in adult hands.

Roley @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:55PM

I'm sitting here with four Wii-motes with replaced straps and all of them bear the Nintendo logo

The only difference I see is a thicker safety cord attaching to the controller itself.

ELUNO @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:08PM

I recently ordered my replacement straps, and I got the ugly new ones. I was kinda pissed off because it doesn't really match the console, but that's ok. The real problem is that the sliding plastic is a piece of crap. It is really uncomfortable to move that thing up and down.

Ben @ Jan 22nd 2007 2:08PM

I've been quoted by Joystiq.. I'm famous! >_< Just kidding.

In regards to #3 and #4.. There really is no irony here. Nintendo makes great products, and just because they didn't think people would be swing these remotes like they were trying to get rid of a hive of bees on their arm, doesn't change that. At least they are trying to fix the "problem."

Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:42PM

Okay, I'm a little nervous. I ordered ONE replacement strap (because the remote that came with my Wii had the original strap, and the 3 remotes I've purchased since have the new, "beefier" ones). I placed the order last week, so it should be arriving any day now.

Now, call me ridiculous (because I am), but the whole reason I did this is so that they'll all match. If I go from 3 thick straps and 1 thin strap to 3 Nintendo straps and 1 craptacular 3rd party strap..

Well.. whatever.

At least it was free. I won't feel so bad taking that out of my mailbox and immediately dropping it in the garbage. Good lord, that's ugly.

JanJan @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:52PM

Wrist straps are for noobs

I would never use a wrist strap on my precious Wii-mote

sp @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:21PM

I don't like the way joystiq actually feels this is bloggable. Anyone who needs a strap on their remote is either 6 years old or an american with co-ordination issues. Do tennis rackets have wrist straps? Golf clubs? Health and safety legislation gone mad; all forseeable accidents could be avoided by merely not letting go of the remote. Retards.

Zo� K. @ Jan 22nd 2007 9:56PM

"Life-saving functionality aside, would anyone here be caught dead wearing these?"

I got through the entire post before I realized how nonsensical, yet clever, that sounded. So I went back, saw the emphasis on "dead", and thought, 'Wait a minute, that sounds like something Ludwig would say.'

Sure enough, it was you. You, sir, are the saving grace of Joystiq.com (this side of Jonti). You simply must fabricate your own newsletter so that I may partake in a subscription to it.