Product Review: NYKO's Wii Nunchuck Wireless Adaptor

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 03.11.2008

Can this new adaptor make your Wii experience more enjoyable?



While playing with the nuchuck and remote for the Nintendo Wii, I, along with many of you I'm sure can sometimes find the wire that connects the two a bit cumbersome. How many times have you found yourselves getting smacked in the face by said cord during a game of Wii Boxing or perhaps simply wanted the freedom to move your arms in any position without worrying about that bully of a cord?

Well though Nintendo hasn't yet come out with a solution, NYKO has taken it upon themselves to give us a little piece of mind. The recently released Wii Nunchuck Wireless Adaptor aims to make our Wii experience just a little more comfortable. The "Cord Free" adaptor comes with a wireless dongle that attaches to the bottom of the Wii remote while a self-standing sleeve attaches to the nunchuck. The sleeve comes attached with a cord management system that basically hides the nunchuk's wire while housing two AAA batteries that provide up to 60 hours of play. The sleeve has it's own power button that you have to remember to turn on or you'll wonder why the thing isn't working; believe me I fell victim to that at first...guess I should've read the box first =)

You'll know the adaptors are working when both begin to blink that pretty Nintendo Wii-blue. The adaptor allows up to 15 feet of support so in case your name is The Great Khali or Yao Ming, you're still good to go. You'll notice immediately that the sleeve/housing combo for the nunchuck adds some weight to it because of the batteries and size of the combo. Some of you may find yourselves placing the nunchuck on your lap as the stand makes it seem like a natural place, but I found it just as comfortable holding it up as I do the nunchuck by itself. The added weight makes it seem more natural in my opinion since the Wii remote is already heavier that the "naked" nunchuck.

To test out this cord-free adaptor, I tried out the newly released Super Smash Bros. Brawl, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wii Boxing. In my tests, I found absolutely no lag between my gestures and the on-screen gameplay. While playing Zelda, I tried using the spin attack on various occasions and some sword techniques that worked like a charm. With the fast action movements of Smash Bros., I wanted to see if I would find any skipped moves and found zero. Wii Boxing was also fun to play now that the cord wasn't constantly bitch-slapping me in the eye. I can't tell you how perfect the adaptors worked for me.

At $19.99, the Cord-Free adaptor is a pretty good deal, though $14.99 would've been even better especially if you're looking for more than one. Either way, the package is a great way to get more involved in the gameplay without worrying about a cord and you won't be disappointed.

Graphics	9.0	COMFORT: Works quite well and I like the added weight of the nunchuck.
Gameplay	10.0	No more wires = bigger gestures and weightier nunchuck.
Sound	7.5	VALUE: $14.99 would've been an better deal but still a great package.
Lasting Appeal	8.0	Lots of battery life, though a wireless nunchuck is coming soon.
Fun Factor	10.0	Makes the Wii more enjoyable now that you aren't bound by a wire.
Overall	9.0   [  Amazing ]