Wii Warm Up: Point and shoot

by JC Fletcher on Jan 7th 2008 9:00AM

The Wii Remote is not a light gun. That's not a criticism of the thing -- just a statement of fact. The technology is different. But it's similar enough that developers have started putting light gun games on the system, and that Nintendo has encouraged this with the development of a handle that makes the thing feel faintly more gun-like.

For those of you who have played Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, or Ghost Squad, or Link's Crossbow Training, or certain parts of both Rayman Raving Rabbids games, or just done some really fast web browsing, we'd like to know: do you find the Wiimote to be up to the task of simulating a traditional gun controller? Have you tried it with and without a gun shell? This is the first time that a system's default controller could also be used as a light gun, so it is potentially important to the future of the genre!

We personally love playing Ghost Squad with the Wiimote, even without a shell. The accuracy is more than adequate for our admittedly terrible shooting skill, and we have never suffered from any kind of Wiimote-related problem in our shooting.

Tags: light-gun, zapper

Reader Comments (22)

The calibration in Ghost Squad helps things. A little. However I noticed that it is calibrated according to the angle of your remote. So it's perfectly accurate when your gun is note moved. As soon as you move it along the x-y axis then the angle calibration is stuffed up and it won't be accurate anymore.

Basically, the light gun games work by measuring angle from a set position. Move from that position and it is no longer calibrated correctly. Sucks really.

Note that I'm only about 80% sure on this, feel free to correct me if you know otherwise.

RE:UC just made my hand hurt. The point and shooting was much easer to control in RE4. Maybe with a shell gun shell it would be easier to control. Can anyone confirm? Would it be worth the extra bux? Hell, I've already bought they Nyco sensor bar because I was too far away from my TV to do any of the 'zoom in/out' type functions with any degree of consistency (note: I have not been able to confirm that it works yet, as the only game I had that I needed to do that with, I already sold), why not buy another 10bux of plastic?

When first firing up Link's Crossbow, I thought the lag in movement of the reticle was going to be a huge issue. I either adapted or was over critical because it was a non issue once I got into the games.

I've had lots of fun with Ghost Squad and was pleasantly surprised by the depth of Links Crossbow. No problems with aiming here (though I did have some on a smaller TV I tried to use it on once).

I find it a lot harder to shoot with out the shell. I wish we had some options of a similar run zapper with a shoulder butt because it can get straining to hold it up to aim without some place to balance it on.

I've been playing Ghost Squad, with the wii Zapper shell, and without. I've played RE:UC as well, and can say that the Wii does an admirable job of imitating a gun. Without a shell, the games do seem a bit off. Not necessarily targeting wise, but the games are much more fun with the zapper. I'm trying to find a couple of Dymo perfect shots in time for House of the Dead.

Now, you have to go into these games with the right mindset: These rail shooters are not Metroid Prime 3; they are not SMG; they are pretty much "Sit with a bunch of buddies and blast everything that moves" games. Ghost Squad with 4 players is insanely easy, yet insanely fun.

I am looking forward to the release of House of the Dead on the Wii and will probably by a couple Nyko Perfect Shots to play it. I think that shows what I think of the Wiimote as a light gun.

-racecar
http://everybodyvotes.blogspot.com

I used the zapper on Medal of Honor Heroes 2 and it works great for the arcade mode and even the campaign mode but it is not that great for the fast pace of online. Maybe with some configuration you could get a desirable setting for playing online but I prefer the default settings.

I'm doing fine without a light gun, but I still would like to have one.

I know there are adapters out there so you can plus a original NES or SNES controllers into the Wii and use it for VC games. If so, maybe they can make it so you could use the original NES light gun for VC games and maybe for new games??

I haven't used the shells, but I haven't had a problem. I think you just have to go into the games knowing that the Wii remote is a relative pointer and that the tip of the remote probably won't point to the spot on-screen unless there's a really good calibration system.

I always laugh at people that complain about this "accuracy issue". The Wii remote was never meant to do that, and I personally like it this way. There's no strain on the arms like with light guns.

ghost squad is great, but with the way i play, my hand just remembers how far left and right to go, and then just moves left and right as far as the guy is on the screen, relatively.

but for ghost squad, i aim with the wiimote, and pull the trigger on the nunchuk, so that my trigger pulling doesn't push my aim up... may seem unintuitive to have the trigger on the opposite hand, but i highly recommend it.

I don't see how you play RE:UC with the zapper... you have to shake the nunchuk during the game!!

I have played MoH:H2 & Ghost Squad with the Zapper shell and without. I find it actually easier with the Zapper shell, maybe because of the extra heft the shell adds.

I'd like to continue to see some more interesting shells made. The Perfect Shot is probably the best I've seen so far but I hope we see even more.

The accuracy thing bothered me in the beginning. But now I'm actually glad I'm not having to sight down my Wiimote all the time. I think I prefer the relative accuracy for comfort - easier to "shoot from the hip".

I played Ghost Squad with 2-players for the first time yesterday. It was an absolute blast! We just laid waste to anything that happened to pop up. I was finally able to move past the boss of Stage 3 (level 2) with my friend's help.

Of course, our record for hostage rescue isn't exactly that great... (note to self: don't jump in front of the trigger-happy rescuer screaming "I'M NOT A TERRORIST!!!")

I have a Perfect Shot and a Zapper, and i also have RE:UC, CrossbowTraining,GhostSquad and Rabbids1 and i admit its much more fun with a shell than with only the wiimote. The only thing is that its not really accurate, but hey it wont stop me from shooting evil zombies or terrorists !

Ghost Squad is an excellent game especially since you can turn off the reticle, hope more games do this in the future. The Zapper shell definitely adds to the light-gun experience. just wish they would sell the shells separately so I don't have multiple copies of Link's Crossbow laying around. I love light gun games and I'm glad there is finally a system that makes them again affordable.

there is a new video of the house of the dead game over at jeux france this morning for those interested...

Not really a shooter aficionado, but I like the rail shooter segments in the two Rabbids games with just the Wiimote by itself, and I do mean to pick up Link's Crossbow Training used so I don't need to get the awkward-looking Zapper.

I love the Zapper, and haven't played any of the compatible games without it since I got it. (I have Ghost Squad, Link's Training, & RE:UC right now). I think it works great, me and my mostly non-gamer girlfriend beat RE:UC so it can't be that bad for your playing. I beat Link's Training with it, and got several gold medals and a platinum. So I think it works just fine, because I ain't no work of art in the gaming department and I can still succeed.

On-rails shooters are fun, but I can't help but feel that they are perhaps a bit of a step backwards in terms of game design (fun as they are, they are somewhat simplistic and outdated) and are therefore taking the Wii backwards instead of forwards just like all the minigames have done.

I fear that they will appeal to the same laziness in developers that has seen them give us all the awful minigame shovelware thus far. Now they will think they can quickly churn out cheap and lazy on-rails shooters instead.

I have both a zapper and a nyco perfect shot.
I haev RE:UC and Ghost Squad.

From my experience the games are a lot more fun with the peripherals. I have had no accuracy issues. I prefer the perfect shot. It feels more like a real gun and lets you hold the nunchuck off to the side, in a less akward manner. Some of my friends prefer the zapper, but either way it's agreed upon that these make the games more fun.

To the comment about this being a lazy step back: I don't think it's a step back, I think it's a realization that people enjoy arcade games. Playing RE:UC feels like blasting zombies in the arcade with your friends. I really don't think FPS will stop getting made in favor of on rail shooters, but I think we will see a few more on rails in the future (hopefully).

These games aren't very deep but they are very fun, especially when played with friends.

I hate how the zapper angles how I shoot. I'm def getting a NYKO Perfect Shot!

Anyways I think it's perfect as a light gun, far more accurate in fact. And I say KEEP THEM COMING!

I think it's great that companies are making light gun games, but without being able to have the gun shoot where I point it, I find the gun peripherals useless. I don't want to hold a gun up to the screen with a relative aiming system, but just holding the wiimote and moving it slightly to aim really detracts from the experience.

The problem is especially exaggerated on my wide screen TV, and when I get to the edges of the screen the cursor will shake.

I like FPS's and all, but I'm no FPS-master... (and those of you who are, you better own a gun or your skills come to nothing)

Without the shells, I'm fine with the Wiimote as a gun.. it's simple, you don't really have trouble with it unless your hands are used to being glued to the bed.
Then again, I adapt easily to new controllers.
But I have to admit, WITH THE SHELL (zapper) it just FEELS more FUN! :)

I admit, it's not as fast in reaction time... it IS a bit slow, but your hand and eye just adapt to it. And if you're focusing on the height of the reticle compared to the height of your wiimote, you'll realize it can be awkwardly off, but you just have to ignore that. And in the end, you're doing what every person should be doing in a video game: Having fun.

For me, the Wiimote works fine for rail shooters and I have no real desire to pick up a Zapper at the moment.

Wii Warm Up: Point and shoot

Reader Comments (22)

Posted: Jan 7th 2008 9:14AM (Unverified) said

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