Wii Nunchuks

Review by Lisa Shea:

In martial arts, nunchucks are a pair of short wood rods connected with a chain that ninjas whirl around their bodies With the Wii, the nunchuck is a single controller held in your off hand.

The nunchuck is not the main controller unit for the Wii. The Wii primarily uses the Wii Remote, shaped like a TV remote, for its functionality. The Nunchuck is for use in the "other hand" (i.e. your left hand if you're right handed) just for a few games. It plus into the bottom end of the Wii Remote with a cable that's about 2 1/2 feet long. Most of the time, you leave it unplugged and sitting by the console.

For example, in the sports pack that comes with the Wii, only one of the five games uses the nunchuck. This is the boxing game. You use the nunchuck to hit with your off hand, just as you use the Wii remote to punch and jab with your primary hand.

The nunchuck has the same motion sensing technology as the Wii remote does, so that you can move your hand around and the game knows what you are doing. The buttons are much simpler - there is a Z big trigger button, a smaller C trigger button above it, and then a joystick up on top. For some games, no buttons are used at all.

The cable length is designed so you don't trip yourself with it It's long enough that if you held your hands apart, you could easily ride even a wide-handled bike. It's not long enough that you could put both arms straight out to the left and right, though. I've never had any problems with the cable length hindering me. None of the games require you to have your hands far apart. In boxing, for example, your hands are always near each other and there's plenty of cable length even when you're jabbing.

The nunchuck doesn't need its own power - it plugs into the Wii remote controller when it's in use. So there's no worry about charging up or batteries.

I would definitely have at least one functional nunchuck for my Wii, and if you're really into multiplayer two-handed games like boxing matches, then having two would be important. However, for most gamers, one will probably suffice!

Review by MastrCake:

In case you are unfamiliar with the Nunchuk, it is an accessory that simply plugs into the bottom of any Wii Remote. You may have seen Nintendo saying things like "with the Wii Remote, to hit a tennis ball, simply swing the Wii Remote". This is true for some games, for many others, it is not that simple.

How would one play a game like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess without a Nunchuk? How would you control your character and swing your sword? Would you simply use the + control pad (on top of the Wii Remote) to move your character, and when you get some action, start swinging? How would you move around while in combat? Why am I asking so many questions?

This is where the the Nunchuk adds depth and variety to games like Zelda. The Nunchuk has two buttons (Z and C) and an Analog Stick. In Zelda, the Analog Stick is used for character movement, the Z button is for aiming, and the C button is used to look around. Some games use them (Zelda, Metroid Prime 3 etc.) and some don't (Boxing in Wii Sports... I think that's it). But the most innovative feature of the Nunchuk isn't ON the Nunchuck, but rather IN it.

It has a built-in accelerometer, which in human terms, means that it shares some of the motion-sensing abilities with the Wii Remote. What kind of motion-sensiing abilites you may ask? I'll give some examples.

When you shake the Nunchuk in Zelda, you do a spin-attack. When you "punch" with it in Boxing (included in Wii Sports), you punch the character you are fighting against. It may not have the pointing abilites of the Wii Remote, but it shares the core motion-sensing abilites, which it also shares with products like the iPhone and SIXAXIS PS3 controller.

To summarize, the Nunchuk attachment isn't only a cool add-on for the Wii Remote, but it is a neccessary add-on for the Wii Remote. It will set you back around , but it is better to buy it now than hear your kids endlessly nag you about it. They are very durable, very innovative, and very fun.

Review by Hongster:

As of this writing the only place that sells this is online or gamestop (which is where I went to purchase this). With that said, unto the review.

For this review I will mention a few games since those games were used to test this product.

Synopsis:

First of all, I have to say I am glad NYKO has finally addressed the biggest complaint about the nunchuck, that is being attached to the remote and not being wireless. This product converts your existing nunchuck into a cord free unit. It is very easy to configure as all you need to do is get your nunchuck, slide it into place then coil the cord around until you finally connect it to the backside of the unit (just remember that when you are coiling to start from the bottom as it will bulge out a bit and you do not want it to bulge out on the top as you will need that space when you are connecting the unit, you won't understand what I am saying until you actually have the unit so keep this in mind). The unit itself is not heavy and it feels lighter than the remote. The power switch is located in the back and you put the batteries (2 AAA included) on the bottom of the unit.

Setup:

Turning on the unit is done by simply plugging in the small plug-in attachment to your Wii remote, power on the Wii remote then pressing the power button on the cord free attachment and that's all there's to it. Powering off is done by simply turning the remote power off (the cord free unit will blink a few times and then it will shut off altogether).

Testing the unit:

For this portion of the review I have used the following games:

Super Mario Galaxy: Though this isn't the best game to fully test the unit I tested it out to find out how easy it was to play this game. I found it very easy to use since the unit does stand up and I was simply resting the unit on my lap while playing the game and it was very comfortable.

Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles (With NYKO Perfect Shot): This was a big test since I wanted to know whether or not the plug-in fits the perfect shot. It fits the gun, though it's not a perfect fit when compared to how it fits the Wii remote but I can confidently say that the unit and gun fully works with the plug-in attached. I had a blast playing the game since I wasn't restricted with a cord attached to the gun.

Mario and Sonic Olympics: This was another huge test as this game involves a lot of games that requires shaking the nunchuck and I wanted to test how well the unit works with this game. First of all I have to say this is the best test for the unit since every time I play this game with the nunchuck, I usually have the cord hitting my chin and my hands, but with the cord finally gone this is no longer the case and I can enjoy every game without having to get hit with the cord. This test was what made me decide to score this unit the following:

4.5 Stars

The reason why I deducted .5 star is the price. If the unit was or under I would have no problem giving it 5 stars, but alas this isn't the case. If you do the math a regular nunchuck costs and this unit is bringing the total to . Also, NYKO will be releasing a separate Wireless Nunchuck called the Kama Wireless Nunchuck this May and will cost around which is another reason I had to deduct from the final score (watch for my review for the Kama Wireless Nunchuck in May). In conclusion this unit is very good and I highly recommend it for anyone who is tired of the nunchuck cord. Battery life is estimated 60 hours on 2 AAA batteries.

Review by R. Deluz:

This is an excellent wireless. I was able to use it with relative ease. I had no cord to tangle up on and that helped a lot. I was always getting wipped by the cord flinging around.

The NEGATIVE part, You will not be about to use this wireless nunchuk with games like; Mario & Sonic olympic games or any game that requires punching or quick movements. the controller will not work for that and has a slight delay that is quite noticeable. It really sucks because I like the hands free and it works great with CRASH.

Review by Lisa Shea:

In martial arts, nunchucks are a pair of short wood rods connected with a chain that ninjas whirl around their bodies With the Wii, the nunchuck is a single controller held in your off hand.

The nunchuck is not the main controller unit for the Wii. The Wii primarily uses the Wii Remote, shaped like a TV remote, for its functionality. The Nunchuck is for use in the "other hand" (i.e. your left hand if you're right handed) just for a few games. It plus into the bottom end of the Wii Remote with a cable that's about 2 1/2 feet long. Most of the time, you leave it unplugged and sitting by the console.

For example, in the sports pack that comes with the Wii, only one of the five games uses the nunchuck. This is the boxing game. You use the nunchuck to hit with your off hand, just as you use the Wii remote to punch and jab with your primary hand.

The nunchuck has the same motion sensing technology as the Wii remote does, so that you can move your hand around and the game knows what you are doing. The buttons are much simpler - there is a Z big trigger button, a smaller C trigger button above it, and then a joystick up on top. For some games, no buttons are used at all.

The cable length is designed so you don't trip yourself with it It's long enough that if you held your hands apart, you could easily ride even a wide-handled bike. It's not long enough that you could put both arms straight out to the left and right, though. I've never had any problems with the cable length hindering me. None of the games require you to have your hands far apart. In boxing, for example, your hands are always near each other and there's plenty of cable length even when you're jabbing.

The nunchuck doesn't need its own power - it plugs into the Wii remote controller when it's in use. So there's no worry about charging up or batteries.

I would definitely have at least one functional nunchuck for my Wii, and if you're really into multiplayer two-handed games like boxing matches, then having two would be important. However, for most gamers, one will probably suffice!

Review by MastrCake:

In case you are unfamiliar with the Nunchuk, it is an accessory that simply plugs into the bottom of any Wii Remote. You may have seen Nintendo saying things like "with the Wii Remote, to hit a tennis ball, simply swing the Wii Remote". This is true for some games, for many others, it is not that simple.

How would one play a game like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess without a Nunchuk? How would you control your character and swing your sword? Would you simply use the + control pad (on top of the Wii Remote) to move your character, and when you get some action, start swinging? How would you move around while in combat? Why am I asking so many questions?

This is where the the Nunchuk adds depth and variety to games like Zelda. The Nunchuk has two buttons (Z and C) and an Analog Stick. In Zelda, the Analog Stick is used for character movement, the Z button is for aiming, and the C button is used to look around. Some games use them (Zelda, Metroid Prime 3 etc.) and some don't (Boxing in Wii Sports... I think that's it). But the most innovative feature of the Nunchuk isn't ON the Nunchuck, but rather IN it.

It has a built-in accelerometer, which in human terms, means that it shares some of the motion-sensing abilities with the Wii Remote. What kind of motion-sensiing abilites you may ask? I'll give some examples.

When you shake the Nunchuk in Zelda, you do a spin-attack. When you "punch" with it in Boxing (included in Wii Sports), you punch the character you are fighting against. It may not have the pointing abilites of the Wii Remote, but it shares the core motion-sensing abilites, which it also shares with products like the iPhone and SIXAXIS PS3 controller.

To summarize, the Nunchuk attachment isn't only a cool add-on for the Wii Remote, but it is a neccessary add-on for the Wii Remote. It will set you back around , but it is better to buy it now than hear your kids endlessly nag you about it. They are very durable, very innovative, and very fun.

Review by Vic:

I originally wanted 3 Nunchuck controllers. I was not convinced I would like the quality of this brand so I only purchased one. When it arrived the first thing that i noticed was that the packaging looked kind of cheesy, but when I plugged in the controller it felt like any other Nunchuck controller and responded well to command inputs. That said, I went ahead and purchased another two of these. It works well and does not feel as if it will break any time soon. But know that if it does, I will be back on here with a new review.

Review by Samantha gk:

This was what I ordered and came when it was supposed to in great shape.

Review by Olga Addison:

I ordered this set because it was cheaper than all the others. It was advertised as nintendo wii controller, but when I received it I was very upset. It was a generic controller. I'm sending it back to Dazzle. I would not recommend this product if you're looking for the real thing.Remote Controller and Nunchuk Nunchuck Combo Bundle Set for Nintendo Wii

Review by Mandana Danesteh-porter:

We are so disappointed with this product. We believe we were deceived. There was no indication that what was being sent was going to be a knock-off! We noticed immediately that something was wrong when we tried to play a game (Frisbee golf) and couldn't get the controller to respond accurately to our hand and arm motions. The original Wii controllers have precision accuracy and this one just did not handle the same. Once we established that the controller wasn't working properly, we checked on line to see what we could find out about FAKE Wii Controllers and the world opened up. We saw all the minute differences, the strap does not have a latch, the controller doesn't even have the Wii Logo on it (how did we not notice that right away?), the font size and colors on the buttons are different...and even upon closer look, you can see that a lot of the "safety and inspection" raised print that show code compliances on the original are completely missing from this Fake one, even the electrical connectors are slightly different... Ultimately, it's the Performance that matters! Every person who picked up this controller at our house noticed the difference between the original and the new "FAKE" controller...it really messes you up if you are serious about your game. I wouldn't recommend this product to any one. I can't believe there is no clear statement alerting people that what is being sold is not a genuine Nintendo Wii product. I have contacted Amazon, and they are working on helping us get some type of resolution.

Review by Joanna Adler:

I'm not returning it, so it can't be that bad. I'm good at returning things so clearly I like it more than not having it. I just wish it were better. I'm not understanding why Nintendo hasn't come out with something of their own considering the comments I've read on ALL of the wireless nunchuck products out there.

Also, when I bought this last week (Dec 2009), it was available for Amazon Prime shipping, but today only the black one is available for Prime shipping... odd.

I was looking to get rid of the controller/nunchuck cable mostly for use during EA's More Workouts. I do a lot of step aerobics and boxing and that cable drove me nuts always causing the nunchuck to come out of the leg strap or having the cable in my face during boxing. This is why I'm keeping it despite the pitfalls.

And there are some big pitfalls.

Compatibility.

The packaging CLEARLY, in large print, says compatible with Wii Motion Plus. I've looked at the directions about 30 times and I've looked at how it connects and there's just no making it happen unless you want to permanently mangle the Wii Motion Plus connector, which I've read that some people have done (and made it work) with other wireless nunchucks. I'm not ready to break plastic on the Motion Plus connector so I'm using the wireless nunchuck without Motion Plus and it seems to work just fine. Can't tell the difference. Which makes me wonder if the Wii Motion Plus thingy is worth having... Oh, and there's no lock to keep the wireless connector attached to the controller like there is with the Motion Plus. This has caused a few incidents of it flying off and my having to stop everything and get re-set up.

Silicone cover.

Can't use it. Well, you can and it works for 2-3 minutes and then is intermittent to the point of frustration. If you're willing to use the controller without the silicone cover - which I am at the moment - then it works fine. But I kind of miss having the silicone cover, which makes for easier gripping.

Charging time.

According to the instructions it takes 4 hours to charge the wireless nunchuck, which should provide 12 hours of fun. I can only manage to get one hour of solid working time. There is an off switch, but when I work out I go for 60 minutes full on. If I turn off the wireless nunchuck after my workout and come back 20 minutes later it needs recharging. It is easy to recharge using the provided USB cable which I keep connected to my monitor in hopes that it will remind me to recharge. The directions mention that the wireless nunchuck goes to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity, and I've wondered if this is what's happening, but I followed the directions and couldn't get it out of sleep mode. Plus, the flashing blue light (again, according to the directions) means it needs recharging. I (should) automatically put it back on charge after I'm done working out, even if I'm planning on coming back later in the day. I'm charging for considerably more than the 4 hours they say it takes, but not getting near the 12 hours they say that I should.

On days like today where I forgot to put it on charge last night, I'm reminded by how annoying this little device is. I am tempted to return it, but after working out with the wired nunchuck this morning, I've decided to put my frustration into this review rather than returning it. I am still on the lookout for something better, so let me know if that something turns up.

In the meantime, I'm just waiting for the recharge.

Review by C. Hager:

We do not have the Wii Motion Plus add-on so I cannot speak to the compatibility issues with that. My wife and I have been using the wireless Z-Chuk for about a week now, mainly for EA Active More Workouts. We do not have a silicone sleeve on the z-Chuk, nor do we have the sleeve on the Wiimote. My friend has the Wii Motion Plus and it looks as though the Wiimote/Motion Plus combination is about the same length as the Wiimote/Z-Chuk receiver combination, so you may be able to use the longer sleeve included with the Wii Motion Plus.

We charged the unit before use as per the instructions. Attaching the receiver to the bare Wiimote (sorry, you'll have to take off any silicone sleeves or plastic faceplates) and syncing the Z-Chuk to the Wiimote was as easy as the instructions indicated. It seems it would also be easy to switch the Z-Chuk to a different Wiimote as well. We have four Wiimotes so it just stays on the one we typically use for working out.

Obviously, the best part of the product is, you can use the nunchuk in games without the need of a cable connected to the Wii remote. For workout games, boxing games, and others that require more exaggerated arm movements this is a huge plus and the reason for purchasing. We were getting tangled in the Nunchuk cable while doing sparring workouts, which prompted our purchase. The sense of freedom we now have when using the Z-Chuk is great. One word of warning: The Z-Chuk does not have a safety strap. It is molded to fit your fingers and hand better than the official Nunchuk, but without the cord to hold it back if it slips from your hand, the Z-Chuk has no restraint. The potential is there for the device to go airborn if you lose your grip. If you handle with common sense, however, you should have no problems.

Unlike some other wireless unites (i.e. the Nyko brand), the Mad Catz version is very close in size to the original corded one. As such, it fits easily in the EA leg band. While using the Z-Chuk in EA Active I noticed very little sensitivity or lag difference from the corded Nintendo model. Squats, lunges, arm workouts were all quite responsive.

I have also used the wireless Z-Chuk in Metroid Prime: Trilogy. Button presses and thumbstick movements were responsive without any noticeable lag.

We like the fact that the unit charges off of a USB connection. This makes charging quite versatile, as it can be done from a computer, USB/power outlet adapter (such as the one that comes with the iPod touch or iPhone), or the Wii itself. As I said, we have only been using it for about a week, but after several EA workouts and an hour-long play session in Metroid, it has not yet needed a recharge.

This product is performing for us exactly as advertised (the packaging we received ours in said nothing about being compatible with Wii Motion Plus, only that it was compatible with Wiimote game controllers.). We are very pleased with it, and if you are looking to get rid of the Nunchuk cable to improve your mobility in workouts or other sports games, I recommend it.

Review by C. Shah:

The description of this product on amazon.com does not say anything about Motion Plus compatibility.

I ordered the product, as it said compatible with all wii remotes. When I received the product, packaging clearly stated "Not compatible with Wii MotionPlus, games affected are: tiger wood pga tour 10, virtua tennis 2009, grand slam tennis, wii sports resort"

it turned out to be a bummer, i guess i have to stick to the regular nunchuck

Review by Phillip Hatfield:

This controller lasted all of 4 days before it quite working. When I order another one I'll just spend the extra and get a quality controller.

Review by C. Shah:

The description of this product on amazon.com does not say anything about Motion Plus compatibility.

I ordered the product, as it said compatible with all wii remotes. When I received the product, packaging clearly stated "Not compatible with Wii MotionPlus, games affected are: tiger wood pga tour 10, virtua tennis 2009, grand slam tennis, wii sports resort"

it turned out to be a bummer, i guess i have to stick to the regular nunchuck

Review by Phillip Hatfield:

This controller lasted all of 4 days before it quite working. When I order another one I'll just spend the extra and get a quality controller.

Review by Joanna Adler:

I'm not returning it, so it can't be that bad. I'm good at returning things so clearly I like it more than not having it. I just wish it were better. I'm not understanding why Nintendo hasn't come out with something of their own considering the comments I've read on ALL of the wireless nunchuck products out there.

Also, when I bought this last week (Dec 2009), it was available for Amazon Prime shipping, but today only the black one is available for Prime shipping... odd.

I was looking to get rid of the controller/nunchuck cable mostly for use during EA's More Workouts. I do a lot of step aerobics and boxing and that cable drove me nuts always causing the nunchuck to come out of the leg strap or having the cable in my face during boxing. This is why I'm keeping it despite the pitfalls.

And there are some big pitfalls.

Compatibility.

The packaging CLEARLY, in large print, says compatible with Wii Motion Plus. I've looked at the directions about 30 times and I've looked at how it connects and there's just no making it happen unless you want to permanently mangle the Wii Motion Plus connector, which I've read that some people have done (and made it work) with other wireless nunchucks. I'm not ready to break plastic on the Motion Plus connector so I'm using the wireless nunchuck without Motion Plus and it seems to work just fine. Can't tell the difference. Which makes me wonder if the Wii Motion Plus thingy is worth having... Oh, and there's no lock to keep the wireless connector attached to the controller like there is with the Motion Plus. This has caused a few incidents of it flying off and my having to stop everything and get re-set up.

Silicone cover.

Can't use it. Well, you can and it works for 2-3 minutes and then is intermittent to the point of frustration. If you're willing to use the controller without the silicone cover - which I am at the moment - then it works fine. But I kind of miss having the silicone cover, which makes for easier gripping.

Charging time.

According to the instructions it takes 4 hours to charge the wireless nunchuck, which should provide 12 hours of fun. I can only manage to get one hour of solid working time. There is an off switch, but when I work out I go for 60 minutes full on. If I turn off the wireless nunchuck after my workout and come back 20 minutes later it needs recharging. It is easy to recharge using the provided USB cable which I keep connected to my monitor in hopes that it will remind me to recharge. The directions mention that the wireless nunchuck goes to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity, and I've wondered if this is what's happening, but I followed the directions and couldn't get it out of sleep mode. Plus, the flashing blue light (again, according to the directions) means it needs recharging. I (should) automatically put it back on charge after I'm done working out, even if I'm planning on coming back later in the day. I'm charging for considerably more than the 4 hours they say it takes, but not getting near the 12 hours they say that I should.

On days like today where I forgot to put it on charge last night, I'm reminded by how annoying this little device is. I am tempted to return it, but after working out with the wired nunchuck this morning, I've decided to put my frustration into this review rather than returning it. I am still on the lookout for something better, so let me know if that something turns up.

In the meantime, I'm just waiting for the recharge.

Review by C. Hager:

We do not have the Wii Motion Plus add-on so I cannot speak to the compatibility issues with that. My wife and I have been using the wireless Z-Chuk for about a week now, mainly for EA Active More Workouts. We do not have a silicone sleeve on the z-Chuk, nor do we have the sleeve on the Wiimote. My friend has the Wii Motion Plus and it looks as though the Wiimote/Motion Plus combination is about the same length as the Wiimote/Z-Chuk receiver combination, so you may be able to use the longer sleeve included with the Wii Motion Plus.

We charged the unit before use as per the instructions. Attaching the receiver to the bare Wiimote (sorry, you'll have to take off any silicone sleeves or plastic faceplates) and syncing the Z-Chuk to the Wiimote was as easy as the instructions indicated. It seems it would also be easy to switch the Z-Chuk to a different Wiimote as well. We have four Wiimotes so it just stays on the one we typically use for working out.

Obviously, the best part of the product is, you can use the nunchuk in games without the need of a cable connected to the Wii remote. For workout games, boxing games, and others that require more exaggerated arm movements this is a huge plus and the reason for purchasing. We were getting tangled in the Nunchuk cable while doing sparring workouts, which prompted our purchase. The sense of freedom we now have when using the Z-Chuk is great. One word of warning: The Z-Chuk does not have a safety strap. It is molded to fit your fingers and hand better than the official Nunchuk, but without the cord to hold it back if it slips from your hand, the Z-Chuk has no restraint. The potential is there for the device to go airborn if you lose your grip. If you handle with common sense, however, you should have no problems.

Unlike some other wireless unites (i.e. the Nyko brand), the Mad Catz version is very close in size to the original corded one. As such, it fits easily in the EA leg band. While using the Z-Chuk in EA Active I noticed very little sensitivity or lag difference from the corded Nintendo model. Squats, lunges, arm workouts were all quite responsive.

I have also used the wireless Z-Chuk in Metroid Prime: Trilogy. Button presses and thumbstick movements were responsive without any noticeable lag.

We like the fact that the unit charges off of a USB connection. This makes charging quite versatile, as it can be done from a computer, USB/power outlet adapter (such as the one that comes with the iPod touch or iPhone), or the Wii itself. As I said, we have only been using it for about a week, but after several EA workouts and an hour-long play session in Metroid, it has not yet needed a recharge.

This product is performing for us exactly as advertised (the packaging we received ours in said nothing about being compatible with Wii Motion Plus, only that it was compatible with Wiimote game controllers.). We are very pleased with it, and if you are looking to get rid of the Nunchuk cable to improve your mobility in workouts or other sports games, I recommend it.