Review & Contest: Crossfire Remote Pistol for Wii
Not long after the Wii was released, companies began making gun-shaped shells that you could put the Wii remote into, thus providing a more "pistol-like" experience for the consumer. No matter their exact design, they were always larger than the Wii remote because they had to be able to fit a Wii remote inside. A new product has been released by Penguin United that changes all this, and they provided us one for free to try out and giveaway.
What Penguin United has done is make a full Wii remote that is in the shape of a pistol, and have named it the Crossfire Remote Pistol. By changing the shape, they keep the size down, and make the gun more intuitive. They also chose to move the D-pad, 1 and 2 buttons to the back of the gun, and put the A button within easy reach on the handle. Since the motion sensors, speaker, and port for attaching a nunchuck are part of the gun too, it could be used for almost any game.
Unfortunately, the custom shape causes some problems. With the D-pad, 1 and 2 buttons all on the back of the gun, playing any NES-style-controlled game is nearly impossible. Also, the minus (-) and plus (+) buttons are located on the left side of the gun barrel, and are hard to access quickly. It really depends on the specific games you want to use it with, and whether those specific buttons are needed very often.
Overall, the Crossfire Remote Pistol is only a good buy if you play a lot of shooters on the Wii, and don't already have a pistol-shaped shell to use. Even then, I'd rather have another standard Wii remote or wireless guitar than this custom-shaped controller.
Interested in having one? Then leave a comment telling us what's your favorite game where the main character has a gun? Leave your comment by Noon (CST) on November 11,2009 to be entered. At that time, we'll pick a random commenter and get your prize in the mail before Christmas!
loveleonfan wrote:
Many to choose from but i think Onslaught is my favorite.I just don't get bored of it!
Icreatedyou wrote:
For me, I would say all Metroid Prime games are a Nintendo speciality.
Icreatedyou wrote:
BTW, not a Wii game, but Wolfenstein owns :P
c.criston wrote:
Since the Wii has come to market and the need for keeping those WiiMotes charged and useable has been a concern for hardcore gamers. So then the rechargeable AA batteries got pulled back out and WiiMote specific chargers began to get pumped onto the scene. Some were good. Some just horrid. But they all kept things working as long as it was just the WiiMote you had and nothing else. Not even the gel jacket to protect TV's around the world.
These chargers were workable as long as you didn't care taking the extra time to slide out and disassemble everything to charge the batteries or swap in new ones. Something that could be a slight chore with all the add-ons and protection connected. A chore that could mean the difference between getting your gaming on in the most efficient way. Well at least in a timely manner. I know I wouldn't want to miss out on a precious five minutes of gaming because I need to change batteries.
Enter Penguin United's Wii ElectroFlow Inductive Charger. A charger that can actually charge the battery without the need to remove the jacket or Wii Motion Plus accessory. How does it stand up? Well let me tell you.
Style:
The charger base for this unit looks just like you would expect. It lays flat and has two cradles for your WiiMotes. The design of the unit is perfectly sized for any configuration you can think, as long as the bottom side of the WiiMote can face into the cradle. I do mean any way from completely jacketed with Motion Plus to just the battery itself laid in the cradle. And they don't even need to be laid in the cradle perfectly either. Explained bellow on why.
As for the battery itself, it looks identical to the plastic case that comes originally for the WiiMote. Except for a small indicator on it for charging, you would never be able to tell the difference. Which is a great step up from others that have extra padding or bulge out a little bit for one reason or another. I've had issues with my controller not fitting into the Zapper correctly unless I placed the original case backing back on the remote. With this design, I had not a single issue and it slipped right in, nice and snug.
Longevity:
The box states that these batteries get up to 14 hours of play before needing to be charged again. Something that isn't meant "in the best conditions" either. I used them to beat Dead Space Extraction and then turn around an hour or so later for a Mario Kart and Smash Bros. mini party. All the while thinking they were going to crap out on me and require the good old fashioned batteries, but this was not the case at all. All without being charged over night from playing the day before.
When it says 14 hours, they mean it. In my case I would say, and then some.
Ease Of Use:
I mentioned above in the Style portion that you did not need to even place the battery, in any configuration, into the cradle perfectly for it to charge. I didn't give a reason because it fit better here because the fact that it just needs to be placed in so the light comes on makes this one of the easiest chargers I have ever used. Granted, it charges faster if you take the time to align everything perfectly, but if the light is even a little bit on, you are getting a charge to the battery.
This is all a huge step over the Energizer one I've tried where you need to make sure the metal connectors are touching perfectly. I'm talking "where a cat sneeze would disturb it enough to where it is no longer charging" perfect.
Overview/Final Words:
In the end, this has to be one of the best chargers I have used since I got my Wii. There has been no degradation to the length it holds a charge. It is easy to place in without having to remove anything. All in all worth the $29.99 price tag unless you want to keep swapping batteries when playing with the Wii. It will save in the long run, not to mention pretty cool to just drop it in and call it good for charging.
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a+ certification, mcp and ase exams
Spike116 wrote:
Oh wow, not a very hard question. One of the only good Wii FPS games, The Conduit. Might be an alien cliché but the online still makes it a great game! This would help so much! Thanks!
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