Hands on with Nintendo's Wii controller

Alright, we briefed y'all on what we knew so far about the Wii controller early this morning, but now that we've gotten our paws on the Wiimote itself, we wanted to let you know how it is in the flesh. Nintendo and millions of fanboys are betting a lot on this concept, and Nintendo itself said that "playing is believing" every other sentence of their keynote, so the real question is: do we believe?

The short answer is that we're just not sure yet. The first chance we got with the Wii was for a golfing game (the shortest line we found, go fig) and as soon as we got our hands on the Wiimote we knew it was something special. We slipped the wrist lanyard on so we didn't fling the remote across the room, and held in our hands the light weight, ergonomic, and simply beautiful controller. If this was as far as we'd gotten we would have gone home happy. The controller allows plenty of leverage for the trigger "b" and the large "a" button, and only slipped out of our hand once from a particularly aggressive sword strike in "Red Steel." Click on for the rest.

Unfortunately, we soon realized a flaw in the control scheme for golf, in that there was no frame of reference or feedback for our motions. A traditional analog stick lets you know how extreme your motion was, but we just couldn't quite get a feel for how much power we were putting into our putts. Nintendo's "Tennis" game was quite enjoyable by comparison, but it automates a lot of the control such as the movement of your character. You also can't miss if you time your swing well enough, so we can't say this really tests the controller. That said, it was quite fun and provided a whole new type of play experience that we look forward to more of in the future. Next up, the "Obstacle Course" tech demo, which was so painful to play we almost swore off the controller altogether. Yeah, that fast. The sensitivity was so high that we couldn't keep our character from bouncing all around and losing all his coins, but our opponent managed his character fairly well, so perhaps we just don't got game.

Our hopes were buoyed by the sight of Ubisoft's "Red Steel," but were quickly dashed by the incredibly awkward FPS aiming that this game is banking on. The controls were great and easily learned, and we were soon slashing, parrying, ducking, shooting, reloading, opening and pushing with more convenience than we can ever remember in a shooter, and never had to look down to find a button once. But our aiming could be best compared to that of a hyperactive drunkard, and we seemed to get worse at aiming as the demo progressed. This is bad news for FPS fans who thought they might have found a new home on the Wii, but we have heard that games will allow you to set the controller sensitivity yourself, and Ubi obviously has some polishing time left before release.

We had a much more enjoyable experience aiming in a simple Bomberman mini game in which we shot at balls of lava, but weren't required to pan the camera or anything fancy. The other Bomberman mini games were equally enjoyable, including a balancing act, and a old school Sonic-like tunnel run that had us twisting our wrists in some rather uncomfortable ways -- in a good way. We didn't get to Zelda or Metroid, but we heard conflicting reports as to the ease of aiming in both of those games, with one complaining of the oversensitivity of Zelda, and another claiming Metroid to be the very pinnacle of the series and singing the praises of the FPS control.

The overall story seems to be that Nintendo's Wii controller (along with the expertly crafted and very intuitive nunchuka attachment) is all it claims to be, but software manufacturers still haven't figured out how to get this wonderful hardware to control their games as easily as the gamepads of yore, and our skills have not yet progressed beyond a shaky noob. It might turn out that the controller is just too abstract for some actions, and too hard to hold and control for others (let's hope FPS doesn't fall into that category), but we're going to reserve judgement until the software is more mature and we get a Wii in our living room for a few nights of practice.

So, first impressions in a nutshell: mixed bag. Are we hopeful? You bet. Are we floored? Not yet, but we're not willing to rule anything out. We're expecting to get some more play time this week, so we'll check back with you.

[Kamalot @ May 10th 2006 7:12PM]

Next time, actually try the first-party, polished Nintendo games instead of 3rd party nonsense.

[Adam (The First)! @ May 10th 2006 7:15PM]

It looks fun to me, and I am sure there is quite a learning curve that needs to be conquered before truly appreciating what they are trying for.

I still think Sony tried too hard on their copy-cat controller by whipping it out in a 1/2 assed attempt to mimic the Wii...

Heh heh... I said "too hard" and "whipping it out" in the same sentence...

[Matt @ May 10th 2006 7:21PM]

After reading this, I can't help but think of the first time I played Wolfenstein. I'm really hoping that this is a question of becoming acclimatized to this new method of input.

[Kamalot @ May 10th 2006 7:22PM]

'Heh heh... I said "too hard" and "whipping it out" in the same sentence...'

And Wii

[alex webb @ May 10th 2006 7:35PM]

man arent you guys just the most mature bunch i have ever seen

in a nintendo post no less...

[cycomachead @ May 10th 2006 7:43PM]

been trying to figure this out
stupid question
Are you holding 2 seperate thing for 1 controler, or do you only need 1 part?

[fraxyl @ May 10th 2006 7:47PM]

Matt C. from IGN, his hands on article is pretty informative about how the remote works in practice. I'm pretty sure that's what it's going to take for developers and gamers alike to get used to it.

Still can't wait to try it myself, even if I'm like "Whoa, I'm flailing wildly about like muppet arms!"

Man... a muppet arm flailing game would be perfect.

[Jeff @ May 10th 2006 7:48PM]

What about people that suck at Duck Hunt because they are bad at that kind of hand/eye coordination? Are they not going to be able to play games on this system at all? As for the rest of us (b/c I am awesome at Duck Hunt), there is also obviously going to be a learning curve with this system. The whole world is used to playing games a certain way, so we shouldn't be disappointed when it's harder than we thought to use the new controllers.

Also, why hasn't Nintendo marketed this as a cure for childhood obesity? The epidemic in the US is huge and growing and it seems that parents would FLIP and buy thousands just in hopes that little Jimmy could actually get some exercise while he plays videogames.

[Miguel @ May 10th 2006 7:52PM]

This console looks perfect for my 8 and 9 year olds,and it should entertain them for some 5 years.

brilliant

[Steven Kaplan @ May 10th 2006 7:53PM]

Who's that booth babe in the third picture?

[Parry Cadwallader @ May 10th 2006 7:53PM]

It seems that a majority of blogs are jumping to the conclusion that this is the final product, or close to it. Just like with any game or system, there is going to be an option in the final product that allows you to control the sensitivity. Take the basic computer FPS as an example. Originally no one had the skills to take on a fully sensitive FPS game. As time went on, they either got their skills honed, or producers realized they needed to allow for increased or decreased sensitivity in their games. Reviews of new systems (especially at e3) should be for their potential, not for how they feel right then, since we should assume that the full potential of the systems and their accessories will be fully utilized once finally released.

[Chris @ May 10th 2006 8:17PM]

It's nunchaku, not nunchuka, dammit.

[Vman @ May 10th 2006 8:20PM]

Fisrt, I have to repost this again. It was just that funny to me...

"Heh heh... I said "too hard" and "whipping it out" in the same sentence..."

Second, I'm hard-core Play Station fan and didn't even want to look at the Wii. But this thing is going to corner it's own nitch in the market. Note that I didn't say corner the console market. It looks really bad-ass. I hope it's cheap enough to buy as a second system. The PS3 and 360 is close enough on the type of games you play so if you chose one of those, I'd say don't worry about the other (unless the BD/HD-DVD war comes to a close earlier than expected) then if you still have some cash, I'd suggest picking one of these up too just for the drunken fun of it.

I think it's the zapper thing that really sold me... But can you imagine you and three friends playing "tennis" drunk?! I meantioned Wii+Alcohol three times in this post (including this time), I think I need to cut back a little...

[Darren @ May 10th 2006 8:26PM]

May you burn in hell for posting this slightly less than overwhelmingly positive Nintendo article.

Just kidding.

Personally, I would need a few hours of home time with a new controller to be able to decide how well it works with a particular style of game.

What I'm interested in at this point is just how sensitive and accurate the controller is. By the sounds of it, very, which is a great sign.

[Lucas @ May 10th 2006 8:27PM]

I'm very skeptical about this until I get my hands on a final production model to try for myself. I've owned these "motion-sensing" controllers for years and generations of consoles all the way back to the Atari 2600 (I still have that one, heh). The one thing they all have in common from the oldest to the newest is that they all suck. They are all either not sensitive enough or too sensitive, and many of them just don't work. One of the biggest problems is the lack of self-centering... and no reference for a "point of origin" to bring it back to center it yourself.

[Ian Rickard @ May 10th 2006 8:42PM]

Is there any info on what the purpose of the Sensor Bar and IR window in the front the the wiimote is for? I have a guess:

Sensor bar contains IR LEDs that flash in a predictable pattern, wiimote has a IR camera behind the window (think a cameraphone-grade camera). From this they can get orientation relative to the TV, and distance (by how wide the "sensor bar" is). Combined with the accelerometer-based orientation they can recover a full 3D position.

[Hunter @ May 10th 2006 8:48PM]

Posted by Paul Miller but starring Ryan Block?

Which one of you is giving the review?

[Halopend @ May 10th 2006 9:01PM]

Do you realize how hilarious the picture of the golf game is?

[Ian @ May 10th 2006 9:05PM]

Question:
Why can't both Sony and Microsoft just develop a separate controller interface with similar function as the Wii controller but for games on their systems that developers specifically program for?

[dman @ May 10th 2006 9:09PM]

what happens if you are a one hand gamer or cant use your left all that well?

I have cerbral palsey and I have full control of my thum but not of my full ar ot hand?

[dman @ May 10th 2006 9:11PM]

arm or hand*

[bliss @ May 10th 2006 9:12PM]

can't wait to get my hands on one of these! #18 poses an interesting question.. are there accessories out there that accomodate such situations?

[not lazy @ May 10th 2006 9:21PM]

Ian:

They can, and Sony has sorta done that already. MS, I don't know, they may not have that ability in their current consoles, in which case they would have to make a revision and circulate them, in which case some would have the ability and others would not. I am not really sure if you would need to revise the console internals to accomidate for this so please no flames.

Even if Sony and MS did, their consoles are not designed for this gameplay. Nintendo has designed everything for this gameplay, I don't feel that Sony or MS would be able to create the feel that Nintendo has created from the bottom up.

With that said, it would also be considered blatant theivery. Which no one likes.

[BLAHBLAH @ May 10th 2006 9:24PM]

If you have cerebral palsy you probably never played with your Wii before anyway.

Also, Engadget response TOTALLY predicted. Not a single nice thing to say about it, except "ooh it feels like a good Wii in my hand. now to half ass try the games! but oh boy this feels good, long heavy and hard."

[Andrew @ May 10th 2006 9:37PM]

That woman in the 3rd picture is totally checking out your Wii.

[x23 @ May 10th 2006 9:44PM]

"10. Who's that booth babe in the third picture?"

babe?

i do not think that word means what you think it means.

i see a barrel-shaped butterhog.


am i right in thinking all those games look to be running in 16:9? and progressive?

[Loban @ May 10th 2006 10:02PM]

So basically it's just like any other controller, it's nothing without the software, that's not a surprise. I'm sure once developers figure out how to get the most out of the Wiimote, it'll be incredible.

[takitus @ May 10th 2006 11:09PM]

wow... can you say biased? this blog is a waste of internet space. why dont you just post on the playstation forums instead.

[kyle @ May 10th 2006 11:20PM]

according to bit-tech, this thing is amazing.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/05/11/nintendo_wii_gameplay/

looks like maybe this controller has a lot to do with personal preference

[Slider @ May 10th 2006 11:21PM]

omg that third picture with the girl is HILARIOUS! You guys definitely did that on purpose didn't you?? hahahaha The only thing missing is the subtitle "Oh your wii is soooo big"

[CZ @ May 11th 2006 12:18AM]

#15, you are very close to correct.

The controller has 2 separate sensing mechanisms as you suggest; the optical one and the accelerometer. With only 2 LEDs in the sensor bar, you can tell how the control is pointed at it, and how far away it is, but you can't quite recover the full 3D position in space (you need at least 3 non-collinear LEDs for that). Doesn't matter, as that's only used for precise pointing. The accelerometer is used for gesturing or for tilt angle detection.

[Andy @ May 11th 2006 12:54AM]

The fact that they weren't totally blown away suggests that it doesn't actually work. Supposedly, anybody who sits down with it - even if "it is your grandmother" - will be able to pick up and play. If the folks from Engadget were having trouble with it, then it sucks. True, maybe it's early but I still don't buy into the "revolution."

[Ian @ May 11th 2006 1:08AM]

not lazy 22:
"blatant theivery" is a little dramatic.
I hope no one ever determines that "swinging a golf club" motion is copyrighted (or whatever) by some business model. Maybe some specific sensor technology related to picking up that motion. I just want the fun spread out to all consoles. Which in the next generation or two will be standard I'm guessing. No theivery involved.

[Javaflash @ May 11th 2006 3:23AM]

I can say that if Kutaragi-san of PS3 pulled out a "WIRELESS MOUSE" instead of a gamepad, I would have pre-ordered the system on the spot disregarding cost.

Why can't any of these console makers approach that concept? Or at least an accessory...

[Aria @ May 11th 2006 3:28AM]

You have to wonder... Do marketing groups really not see all the possibilities they open, or do they just take it as part of the territory? In addition to those listed:

"C'mon, lets you and me go up stairs and play with my Wii. We'll play Zelda and swing it like a sword for _hours_.."

My biggest guess is that it's intentional. After all, we are talking it about it more than we would have...

[Jasen @ May 11th 2006 9:05AM]

My dream: Nintendo releases the Wiimote as a USB peripheral for PCs.

- Jasen.

[Jason @ May 11th 2006 9:06AM]

Vman: I think you got it. Wii will make tons of gamers incredibly happy, and be a real option for the hard core MS or Sony fanatics as a second console.

For the price of a few PS3 games you might be able to get a Wii...

[Johnny Bling McTastic @ May 11th 2006 9:30AM]

"25. "10. Who's that booth babe in the third picture?"

babe?

i do not think that word means what you think it means.

i see a barrel-shaped butterhog."

Congratulations, x23, you're officially queer for not having the common sense you should've been born with to get that she's wearing a vest and it's a tad bulky, or flowing... but she's not bulky.
Okay, so you'll understand I'll put it in small words -- you're dumb.

On the controller -- Now, allow me to preface this by saying I haven't handled one of these controllers so I'll not make stupid widebrush statements about it, but does it figure to anyone else that essentially breaking a controller into two pieces is a bad idea? I don't want a controller that's cumbersome & even if I just use one half of it, WHY? Are the current "normal" controllers truly that bad? I'm just speculating, not bashing, but I think the appearance alone will offput some potential customers. Though it's certainly possible it'll draw people in also.

[J @ May 11th 2006 9:42AM]

I think it is good news that it over sensitive and responsive, software can always fix that, software couldn't fix it if it was unresponsive and slow.

[chris @ May 11th 2006 9:51AM]

@ #31
you have a good mousing surface from all of these?
- your arm chair
- all seats on your couch, with 4 people on it
- the middle of your floor, while laying on your back proped up by a pillow
- the back seat in your car

this is why there's no mouse.

[Brian from Texas @ May 11th 2006 11:23AM]

#35. The two controllers are detachable. Sometimes you just need the stick, and other times you will need to hook up the extra left-hand remote.

[BIG reub @ May 11th 2006 11:24AM]

I think all of us are a little to eager to love or hate this system with out justification. Do you remember when the NES GamePad was the coolest thing ever? It was a huge change from the joystick of the previous generation but has since shaped all controllers since. At the same time though, playing is believing. And I'll save my final judgment until I get it in my hands.

I think Nintendo makes great games. I really wish that Sony could realize that simply adding a little blood or half naked chicks doesn't make me want to play a game more. Now, having said that I'm excited for the 1st party titles on the Wii but a little afraid (especially of the first wave) of the title from outside developers. But given time it will be allowed to sink or swim. And let's not forget that if every one hates the damn thing you can just plug in your game cube controller (I totally have thing for my wavebird) and life will go on.

[Marshall @ May 11th 2006 12:43PM]

Johnny Bling McTastic: Yes, the current controllers are really bad. There are too many buttons, and they are positioned for people with a certain size of hand, which typically makes them too big for me. Having two parts might also be nice for left-handed persons (though I'm not sure, being right-handed). I can hardly wait to try this setup.

It would be nice if both controllers were wireless though, instead of being tied together.

[BTate @ May 11th 2006 3:45PM]

Anybody else think that shorty in the pic is kinda hot?

[abhas1 @ May 12th 2006 11:44AM]

"Heh heh... I said "too hard" and "whipping it out" in the same sentence..."

I'd like to second this guy here.

[Quadrius @ May 18th 2006 9:11AM]

Quoting 2:
Heh heh... I said "too hard" and "whipping it out" in the same sentence...


XD Yes, yes you did.

Ok, from what I've heard from friends who went to the expo, they say that it depends on what game you're playing, as it does here. I think if they let you set the sensitivity, this will be the best system for FPSs ever.

[feuer*frei @ May 25th 2006 1:03PM]

Have to wonder if anyone at LucasArts will read down this far, but this looks really good as a lightsaber combat controller. Just remember to make the software understand if you're using a backhand hold, and remember some characters use one in each hand.

[William @ Nov 5th 2006 11:35PM]

I've seen a few videos since this console found it's was to my email. One video published by IGN.com showed that you are able to control the sensitivity of the controller in the console settings which is a very big plus for me. The only thing i don't like about the Wii is the FPShooters... i can't help but think there not going to do so well. With not having the gun locked the the center, you have to move the gun to the edge of the screen inorder to turn the camera. I don't think this will work... but I havn't played it myself also i still remain hopeful that nintendo will over come this problem somehow. (Maybe a lockon feture?) :D that would be cool.
But to kinda sum this up, i won't buy a Wii until i play it first. If i get no game time with redsteel and wii sports, this console will have to wait for me. Good Luck Wii!