Nintendo reveals Wii Zapper
by Justin McElroy 
{ Jul 11th 2007 at 12:26PM }
Described by Reggie as the "first offspring of the Wiimote and the Nunchuk", Nintendo took the wraps off of their Wii Blaster at today's E3 press conference. In addition to the controller hybrid, Reggie revealed some third-party titles in development for the Zapper like Ghost Squad, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Medal of Honor. The Zapper will be packaged this year (along with the software they're eagerly pounding away at in a secret Nintendo HQ) for a price of $19.99.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stevo @ Jul 11th 2007 12:30PM
Looks like a fun time. $20 seems like a good price too. I just hope the games that call for the zapper end up using it well.
Kye @ Jul 11th 2007 12:32PM
Nice.
I like it. Can't wait.
chenry @ Jul 11th 2007 12:35PM
Interesting. Reminds me a little of the Kriss Super V. I might pick up one of this Nintendo things.
Dale @ Jul 11th 2007 12:34PM
Sega Menacer anyone?
danjo1 @ Jul 11th 2007 12:35PM
It looks a little bit like a paintball marker.
sheppy @ Jul 11th 2007 12:35PM
So this is what happens when an iPod gets slopped up on roofies given to it by a Guncon 3....
jk
vidGuy @ Jul 11th 2007 12:37PM
It looks to me from that picture that the nunchuk portion of the Zapper comes off, giving you two handed control if you want it. If that's the case, I love it. Two hands on the Zapper looks a little awkward, but I bet it would work well and that's all that matters.
EMaster @ Jul 11th 2007 12:38PM
What happened to the previous zapper concept from last year? U know the one that looks more like the original zapper. I happen to think this thing looks ugly. Not very happy.
MooseMuffin @ Jul 11th 2007 12:48PM
This isn't actually a new controller right? Its just a plastic shell that the wiimote and nunchuck slide into? In which case, why do you need it?
Stevo @ Jul 11th 2007 12:50PM
Good call...it probably isn't necessary, and given how it is laid out, I think it'd be more difficult for controlling a FPS w/ the gun rather than the nunchuk combo.
john @ Jul 11th 2007 12:58PM
If the game can detect that the gun attachment (enclosure?) is in use, it has more motion sensor information. Knowing that the nunchuck's sensors are always in the same place relative to the remotes sensor means you can extrapolate a lot more about the positioning of the gun. Hopefully this would mean more accurate gesture recognition.
Could be wishful thinking, but that's the first thing that pops into my nerd brain.
MooseMuffin @ Jul 11th 2007 1:07PM
Good explanation. If that's true I'd expect people to measure the proper distances and then be making their own custom rigs out of legos or whatever within a week of its release =)
Dave Silva @ Jul 11th 2007 12:48PM
That looks too much like Namco's GunCon 3.
EihBeir @ Jul 11th 2007 1:33PM
Way to constrict what is free-form. Good call, Nintendo.
Savok @ Jul 11th 2007 12:58PM
Yee gods it's ugly.
Daniel @ Jul 11th 2007 1:51PM
This is *fantastic*! The big problem with gun controllers has always been access to the d-pad or joystick (that was much of what made Resident Evil: Dead Aim such agony). This neatly solves the problem, and does it while keeping it very gun-like by going to a tommygun instead of a pistol. Thus you get the thrill of shooting a (plastic) gun while still having analog control. Bravo!
Burritoclock @ Jul 11th 2007 1:03PM
Awful, I actually like the knock off third party ones I have seen better. Ugh, I really thought Nintendo would try to rock this thing out. Big let down, my Wii is feeling very abandoned.
Jackson Pritt @ Jul 11th 2007 1:15PM
I'm very, very concerned about how it looks.
The old design looked amazing, but the new one... I don't know, this whole two-handed approach seems like it's trying to make the Zapper as NOT-A-GUN as possible. While I understand why they'd want to do that (a lot of parents won't buy their kids anything that looks like a gun) the new 2-handed Zapper looks like it might be uncomfortable to hold after playing for very long...
All I really want is a good gun shell for the Wiimote that adds a pistol grip and moves the trigger button to somewhere more comfortable, and to keep the Nunchuck in my other hand.
We'll see if this Zapper is a decent compromise or a wonky mess.
Evan @ Jul 11th 2007 1:23PM
I like the two-handed approach... In all the war footage I've seen, I've never seen a real soldier running around shooting their gun with only one hand, so this two-handed shell looks like the best configuration to simulate a proper rifle.
Ken Seang @ Jul 11th 2007 2:23PM
This gun is screaming Time Crisis!!!
KenshinSlayer @ Jul 11th 2007 2:34PM
The gun is screaming tommy gun from the mafia.
Yuccadude @ Jul 11th 2007 5:13PM
Yeah, I thought that too, it also looks like you could use it as a shotgun, assault rifle, or sniper rifle, whereas holding it like you would hold a pistol would be awkward.
Rubang B @ Jul 11th 2007 4:29PM
It is not just a shell. It has that trigger under the remote, so it's some sort of pass-through between the remote and nunchuck. This way, it feels like a real two-handed gun, has a realistically placed trigger, and you still have an analog stick available for movement. So far, I can dig it.
Almack64 @ Jul 11th 2007 4:35PM
Exactly, unlike the 3rd party knockoffs. The "shell" actually plugs into the wiimote expansion port and the Nunchuck plugs into a port on the shell. This provides the trigger functionality but it may also provide something else. I can't wait find out more about this and the the wii wheel. (It also seems to dock with the wiimote rather than just hold it.)
Abscissa @ Jul 11th 2007 4:46PM
Great, this now brings the cost of a Wii controller up to $80. (Remote $40 + Nunchuck $20 + Cheap plastic "zapper" shell $20)
Nicholas Sulikowski @ Jul 11th 2007 5:11PM
Say hello to my little Wii!
That deaf guy @ Jul 11th 2007 6:53PM
This thing reminds me of the TMP from RE4.
Splinter @ Jul 11th 2007 7:10PM
Aww, i was still kinda hoping for the Wii Shotty. The "zapper" looks pretty small and cramped, i hope its effective for us larger people.
waLLy @ Jul 11th 2007 10:58PM
yeesh, that's one ugly jumble of plastic. gives the original DS a run for it's money in the looks department.
look for a zapper "lite" in 8-16 months...
spamlover @ Aug 3rd 2007 5:09AM
Ahhhh geez. Why did they have to put the trigger up front? That's just @ss backwards IMHO. Honestly! It's more natural to shoot with the trigger placed closest to your body. I'm right handed and so pulling the trigger with the index finger on my left hand just doesn't seem right.
LordZombie1 @ Jul 12th 2007 11:35AM
Yeah it does look like it might be uncomfortable after a while. But I kinda of like the look of it, better than the prototype IMO
Hachibei @ Jul 13th 2007 12:54AM
Well spamlover, if you think about it, most people hold the nunchuck in their left hand and the wiimote in their right... so even though that's not how right-handed people hold a gun...oh well. xD
Toasty @ Jul 13th 2007 7:03PM
Frankly I'm appalled at you people. You're all Nintendo fans, and I believe the new persona of Nintendo fanboys is your newfound love of origonality.
I have never seen a model akin to the Zapper before in my gaming life, and it's exciting to see them go in a whole new direction.
The true magic is the versatility as well. Because by not labelling the piece as a gun, and by keeping the form ambiguous, it can be used in games that might not necesarily even be FPS'. Animal Crossing with a tommy gun? Bring it.
It looks like an interesting piece of hardware, and I think I'll hold one before I make any final judgments as to whether it's comfortable or not. Besides, would Nintendo really put out a product that be uncomfortable? Of course not, that's why the designs been changed at all. I'm sure it'll be focus-grouped so hard you'll all cream yourselves upon touching it.
Peace.
Sidenote: Kinda looks like a high-heeled shoe if you imagine it without the wiimote or nunchuk. Maybe I'm crazy.
manoftin @ Jul 19th 2007 7:39AM
I dig it. A gun for the wii! It will totally change 1st/2nd/3rd person shooters.I like how it utilizes the numchuck instead of adding a analog. On a bum note if your getting a 2nd one and don't have a 2nd numchuck you have to buy one.Spamlover is right the trigger should be in the back.i would like one if i had a wii.