Zapper
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DIY Zapper made out of mystery material [update]
Update: Apparently, this was some sort of contest regarding homemade Zappers in Chile. You can see all of the entrants here.Scotch tape? Newspaper? A combination of both?Hey, we're all for the Zapper mods around here, but we don't like them so much when we have to figure out what they're exactly made of. On top of that, this thing is just ... well, it's ugly. Other DIY solutions at least had some semblance of being something you could actually look at. This just looks like a garbled mess of paper, scotch tape and cardboard. We'll give the folks responsible an "A" for effort, though. Anything to save twenty bucks, amirite?If you have a DIY Zapper you created or stumbled upon while surfing the vast ocean of tubes that is the internet, drop us a line. We like to hear about these kinds of things.[Via Go Nintendo]
Guns don't kill people, terrible peripherals do
Even with its folding clutch and laser sight (requires 2 x AAA batteries, not included), the WiiMAX isn't impressing anyone. Actually, those two selling points only add on to our suspicions that this light gun was assembled out of whatever plastic bits were available in the factory. That front grip? Leftover umbrella handles. The attachable scope? Grabbed from a surplus of toilet paper holders. Is there even a purpose for that folding handle? How are you supposed to pull the Wii remote's trigger if you're holding onto the grip? And whose idea was it to price this crapcessory at $21.17? Bring a roll of TP past the break for more photos of the WiiMAX.
Wii Fanboy poll: What's your preferred weapon?
We all know there are plenty of choices out there when it comes to gun shells. The latest entry in the game comes from Nerf, but there's also Nintendo's own Wii Zapper. Also, we can't discount Nyko's Perfect Shot. Or, how about the Blaster or Gun, some Zapper knock-offs. There's also the DIY possibilities to be considered. We were wondering which you decided to go with?So head on past the break and cast your vote.
Wiimote Colt 45 hack 'works every time'
If you're like us, you remember Billy Dee Williams for one role he has ever played in his life: spokesperson for Colt 45 malt liquor. Forget those wars of stars or whatever, when he popped a top on a fresh 780oz can of the good stuff and told us how smooth the taste was, we knew he wasn't kidding. When the advertisement said "it works every time," we felt life had balance and we had learned our first truth in the universeAnd now, the nickname of this Wiimote hack brings back many memories for us. When we laid eyes on the thing, it was as if a million voices cried out to us to post this. So, we did just that. Head past the break for some more screens from the creation of this thing and tell us what you think.
Zero Punctuation sinks its teeth into Umbrella Chronicles
This week on Zero Punctuation, gaming misanthrope Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw tackles Wii rail shooter Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. While the acidic one lays into the shamelessly cheesy dialogue and concludes that Capcom's title is "a rather unnecessary game that gaming history will swiftly forget," he also admits the game has "a charming retro feel."The entire review is embedded after the break, but remember, kids: this is Zero Punctuation, and so NSFW.
Diagrams for wacky Wii remote peripherals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Diagrams_for_Wacky_Wii_remote_Peripherals'; Third-party accessory manufacturers aren't the only ones coming up with ridiculous things to attach your Wii remote onto! A recent patent application posted at the European Patent Office's site reveals some of the crazy peripherals Nintendo dreamed up to explain the controller's potential, like the goggles shown above. ThinkGeek's Wii Helm seems like a respectable, thought-out product, compared to this silly idea. Wouldn't that unbalanced weight give you a sore neck after a minute of wearing this headpiece?And there are much zanier diagrams in the application document -- Wii remotes in racing helmets, bike pedals, skateboard wheels, and teddy bears! How would this stuff even work? There are also drafts for a docking station and the old shotgun-design Zapper (the GameCube and wireless receiver demonstrating the Zapper shows the artwork's age). You can check them all out in our gallery below!%Gallery-14911%[Via 22Hundred]
DIY Wii Zapper exemplifies tawdry, gets the job done
Oh sure, we've seen homegrown Wii Zappers before, but nothing screams janky like an iteration crafted from spare plastic acrylate sheets, or better yet, your recently finished box of Corn Flakes. That's right kids, you can save yourself quite a few buckaroos by simply swallowing your pride, heading down to the read link and printing out a template to create your very own Wii Zapper accessory. 'Course, the sky's really the limit with this one, but may we be the first to ask that you not use colorful sheets of cardboard if at all possible? Thanks.[Via MAKE]
Big heads make easy targets in House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return
In Sega's upcoming compilation title for the Wii, it's no secret that you're going to have to mow down lots of enemies. So, it's nice to see that there will be opportunity to make the affair a more manageable one, should you find yourself on the receiving end of a zombie bite one too many times. There will be an unlockable mode allowing the player to make all of the enemies have big heads. Your usual Big Head mode, there isn't much more to report on it. Siliconera is reporting on a new unique game mode for the Wii title, however. Dubbed Extreme mode, this new feature of the game incorporates motion control into the mix, but only in House of the Dead III, sadly. See, when the zombies start getting really close and piling on top of each other, you can shake the Wiimote and knock the enemies back, allowing you to pour into them with more bullets.What do you guys think of the new features?%Gallery-10506%Read - Big Head mode and some tiny screensRead - Extreme mode[Via Go Nintendo]
Light gun for wannabe regulators (geeks off the street need not apply)
To be a regulator, you gotta be handy with the steel, if you know what I mean, earn your keep. Regulators! Mount up! Hoping to win back the street cred it lost after selling a zapper shaped like a damn shark, Pega has improved upon the 2-in-1 Machine Gun and Pistol shell design, adding a metallic paint job and black grips for an extra touch of realism. The peripheral still looks like a cheap toy, but it should be adequate for whenever you need to lay some busters down.DealExtreme, a haven for nearly every crummy Wii accessory you can think of, carries the Pega piece for $16.54. Hook a left on 21 and Lewis, and take a look at a couple more product shots. We also have some wacky packaging that you don't want to miss!
Bundle of Honor: Heroes 2
We already think Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is pretty great. The online play is a rare treat for a Wii game, and the simplified, light-gun-style Arcade Mode is an absolutely brilliant way to turn a first-person shooter into a casual, short-session game. But what it really needed to be a truly exceptional game was an excellently huge box.Luckily, EA has addressed this deficit for the game's Japanese release. Like every other game designed for the Zapper, Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 will come bundled with the peripheral in an enviably copious package when it's released on February 14th. This will also be released in a boring small-box edition with no Zapper. We're sure the game shop owners drowning in traded-in Zappers don't mind.
A full Ghost Squad's worth of weaponry
Cruising around the CES show floor, Siliconera's Spencer stopped in his tracks when he noticed this full line-up of Wii weapons. Fit for an entire Ghost Squad, these weapons will offer a solution for those who really don't want the Wii Zapper or Link's Crossbow Training. We can imagine ourselves diving around our living room with the shotgun, pretending we're in the Metroid Prime 3 teaser trailer from E3 2006.[Via Go Nintendo]
Wii Warm Up: Point and shoot
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.
Konami takes cue from Sega, brings arcade shooter to Wii
Bless Konami, for without them and their newest game for the Wii, Target Terror, FMV actors would be all but extinct. We imagine the life of a few of the FMV actors from those Mortal Kombat games has been all downhill since about 1998, as they've been confined to a fixed income of ramen noodles and lights out before 6pm. We also imagine the FMV actor for Mortal Kombat 3 character Stryker crying, alone, in his dark apartment. Having all of his utilities shut off, he quickly downs the remaining brown liquor in his bottle of Jim Beam, loading his revolver with hands wet from his own salty tears. As he forces the gun's barrel into his mouth, pulling back the pin, he silently curses the heavens for his sad existence and prepares to pull the trigger. Then, a knock comes at the door. It's Konami. They have work for him. He is saved.But, in all seriousness, look at this. The only word that comes to mind is trash. This looks like a pretty atrocious game, one where the developers can't even face their own mothers out of disgust for what they've unleashed upon the world. For how much fun people have made at the expense of Ghost Squad, it looks like a AAA blockbuster compared to this. Would you like to know more? Head past the break for the press release.%Gallery-12569%
Zapper laser sight for when you have to kill John McClane
With the Wii Zapper being kind of hard to find at the moment, alternatives are being looked at by those who need a plastic thingamabob to place their Wiimote and nunchuk into. For us, we're fine with, you know, just holding them as we would in any other game. But, even if we wanted a Zapper (or knock-off) for any reason other than Link's Crossbow Training, why would we go with this one?It looks functional enough, but what's the deal with the laser sight? Why would we even need one? There's obviously no need for it and it's definitely not going to be accurate.
Yes, it's a GUN
We felt extra motivated to throw this Zapper clone up here after seeing some of you complain in our Ninja Reflex post that we never talk about the boxart that we actually like. Well, here's an awesome packshot for you from Pebble Entertainment. Accessory manufacturers take note -- this is how you should be designing your boxes. Wacky packaging with kooky bulleted lists and random video game characters dropped in aren't going to sell your product. It's all in the presentation (and, uh, quality and price)!You probably already guessed this from the watermark, but import shop Play Asia has these Wii remote shells available for preorder for $19.90. As far as we can tell, the only advantages it has over Nintendo's official Zapper are its badass box and magazine-molded handle.
HotD 2 & 3 Zapper bundle coming to Japan
Like with Ghost Squad, its other Arcade-to-Wii light gun port, Sega has an optional Zapper pack-in planned for the Japanese release of The House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return this March. Amazon Japan already has preorders for the set available for 5,023 yen, about $44 dollars. For comparison, the software alone is priced at 4,536 yen, or $40.You know, Sega, we wouldn't mind if you brought these bundles to the US at those prices (and with a Nyko Perfect Shot, instead). We understand that Japan didn't get the Link's Crossbow Training set, but this will be the third Zapper pack-in that North America misses out on -- the previous two being for Ghost Squad and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Come on, Sega, just think of it as a good-will gesture to all the Americans who actually gave you money for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
Zapper knock-off lets you pretend you're Eliot Ness
The latest in the long line of Zapper knock-offs looks like a modified Tommy Gun or WWII-style machine gun, allowing gamers to unload on chumps in Ghost Squad or dispatch the undead in Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles while firing from the hip, screaming at the top of their lungs like a total badass. The trigger might not be in the most ideal place, but it at least looks functional. That is more than we can say for some of the other knock-offs, obviously.You can even imagine you're a robot trashing cops like in that Terminator 2 moviefilm. Or, you can imagine you're Elliot Ness blowing away gangsters in a train station. Or, you can just go past the break and jog that memory of yours.
'Dogs of the AMS ... time they made a secret bonus mode.'
1UP interviewed The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return director Emiko Sunaga about the upcoming Wii zombie-blasting compilation. Andrew Hayward began by asking Sunaga if the versions on the disc would be exactly as the games appeared in the arcade, or if extra content would be added.Sunaga confirmed that the games would be arcade-perfect (also losing the white flashes that light guns require), with the addition of some super-secret bonus material. Referring to the extant gameplay modes, Sunaga said "Users can enjoy each of these modes right after they purchase the title, but they may notice bonus content if they try to complete each mode. Although we can't really refer to the details yet, beyond than the six main modes there will be a unique mode that is only playable in the Wii title. Don't miss it!"Sega also mocked up two images of House of the Dead characters holding Wii Zappers. Don't be surprised if this is how they actually appear in the game -- after all, the AMS agents in The Typing of the Dead carried keyboards connected to backpack-style Dreamcasts (or PS2s).As for the reason The House of the Dead 4 isn't included: Sunaga claims that it is because HOTD4 is available in arcades, while 2 and 3 are harder to find. Sunaga should come to the U.S. some time, where arcades are hard to find. As for the reason The House of the Dead isn't included: Sunaga said that the first game needs significant upgrades before it can be released on a console again.
Multiplicity: Zapper clone cloned
Though Nyko's Perfect Shot plays second fiddle to Nintendo's official Zapper, the third-party light gun has been praised for its excellent build quality and superior design. In fact, other accessory manufacturers took note of that superior design and are now selling it as their own!Datel's Wii Pistol mimics the Nyko product right down to its light blue grip. The knock-off peripheral is advertised on Datel/Codejunkies' shop as "the ideal add-on for classic blasters such as Resident Evil 4 and Chicken Shoot." Classic? Chicken Shoot?!The Wii Pistol is currently out of stock, but it regularly retails for $12.99, two bucks cheaper than the Perfect Shot (Amazon currently has it on sale for $12.99, though). You can compare Datel's clone with Nyko's shell past the break.
Being shot is good for your health, apparently
While experimenting with the Wii Zapper, Spencer Yip made an interesting discovery: the fancy handle is, according to him, well-suited for Trauma Center. For some reason, he decided to try New Blood with his Wiimote and Nunchuk ensconced in the gun shell, and found the experience pleasant. Hilariously, he compares performing surgery in Trauma Center with the Wiimote to "spraying W.O.L.F. soldiers in Time Crisis 4 with a machine gun." "The main advantage of using the Zapper is it makes aiming easier. Since you're holding the shell with two hands, it's easier to inject tiny tumors with an anti-inflammatory drug and make smooth scalpel cuts." Using forceps was the only major issue, as that move requires the A button and thus a momentary change in grip. There are two things we find notable about this story. First, it's hilarious to perform surgery by shooting at people's insides. It's fun to subvert intended control schemes, which is why we play every game with the Cooking Mama frying pan attachment. Second, Spencer has inadvertently found an identifiable advantage to using the Wii Zapper, in that it seems to actually steady his aim in a difficult game.
