January 7, 2008 12:59 PM PST

Nyko Wireless Nunchuck takes the wire out of the Wii waggle

Nyko Wireless Nunchuck(Credit: Nyko)

The Nintendo Wii uses a wireless remote to begin with, but that remote still manages to use a cord half the time. Most Wii games use both the Wii Remote and the Wii Nunchuck, an analog stick peripheral that plugs into the base of the remote via a long cable. Nyko first cut the Wii cord with the Wireless Sensor Bar and is taking away yet another tether with the Wireless Nunchuck.

The Nyko Wireless Nunchuck connects to the Wiimote via a little wireless dongle that clicks into the controller's accessory jack. Once plugged in, tapping the connection buttons on the dongle and the Nunchuck syncs them together, letting the Nunchuck work as if it was physically connected to the remote. The Nunchuck runs on two AAA batteries, which Nyko claims can provide up to 30 hours of gameplay. It has all the same features as the original Nunchuck, including analog stick, C and Z buttons, and even an accelerometer for games that use the Nunchuck for motion controls.

I spent a few minutes playing with the wireless Nunchuck, and it feels very much like the original. The shape is nearly identical to the corded Wii Nunchuck, and it sits comfortably in the hand. I'm not sure if it will work with the Wii Zapper, but since the Zapper lets you stash the cord inside it anyway, it's not that important a feature. The wireless dongle only measures an inch or so and keeps the same profile as the remote itself, so it doesn't feel too different from using a bare Wiimote or a Wiimote and corded Nunchuck.

The Nyko Wireless Nunchuck ships in late January/early February and will retail for about $30.

Add a Comment (Log in or register) 21 Comments (Page 1 of 1)
by hifisamurai January 7, 2008 1:23 PM
no straps?
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by Lee Koo (ADMIN) January 8, 2008 9:53 AM
Gotta love this!!
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by nintendogame33 January 8, 2008 5:11 PM
Nintendo is gonna sue nyko. xD
This will be nice. I really hope this will work with the wii zapper, because thats what I use for Medal of Honor Heroes 2.
AAA batteries is a let down, I was hoping for AA batteries since I have rechargable AA batteries. Oh well, still looks nice.
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by Zekeuyasha January 8, 2008 7:30 PM
If people stopped throwing their controllers into their plasmas maybe the straps would not have been necessary in the first place...
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by sgwizzy January 9, 2008 6:37 AM
The whole Wii system is a fad.. it will eventually die out when people out grow the the endless string of Mario/Kids games, or want to move up to more involved HD games ... (Parents that bought a Wii for their children will be spending money on a new system as soon as their child gets old enough to want "more" from their games.)

*Not to mention Nintendo is really missing the boat by not making more Wii's... Supply/Demand... they need to put one in every home while they can! (It's their only hope.)
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by DravenStele January 9, 2008 12:47 PM
I have been a die-hard 360 gamer since it came out. However, I received a Wii for Christmas from my folks. I'm in my thirties and, I love it. I still play my 360 for high end graphics games like CoD4, but I play on the Wii at least for an hour each day. I use Wii sports to wind down and relax. Wii fitness is keeping my wife's attention more than any game has since we've been together.

Nintendo knows what they want, who they want to sell to, and are making hand over fist by doing it right.
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by miwi98 January 10, 2008 10:25 AM
This will be great but I will keep the "old" Nupchuck just in case. What's the cost? That will determine if consumers think it is worth it.
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by zarekai January 11, 2008 8:27 AM
this is so tight
ive been stuck at home all week with the flu and i was just thinking of things i want and a wireless nunchuck was one of 'em. and sgwizzy the wii isn't trying to appeal to people who want hd games
and the mario/kid games have been around for 25+ years, nobodoy has grown tired of them, why would they start now ? Mario has helped bring videogames mainstream
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by TerrontheSnake January 11, 2008 10:34 AM
I'll have to try it and see if the analog stick feels right. If the stick feels right I am so down with a wireless nunchuck. I always tie myself in knots while boxing, so this would be the best thing for me. Ohh and Nintendo is not going anywhere but up sgwizzy. Nintendo is the only game company that really cares about there customers. I have the 360, PS3, and Wii. The 360 broke within a week, PS3 under a month, Wii 10 months. 360 I was treated like a worthless cheapo because I didn't see why I should pay for a repair when It was a sys prob. PS3 customer service was a little better I got the repair for free but Cust service was iffy( Tried to get me off the phone really fast). Nintendo was excellent, no problems getting a warranty repair set up I was without my system for about half as long as the others and got a brand new warranty when my system came back. The also treated me like a king when I called they answered all my questions and they were Americans that answered the phone( YaY no language barrier issues)!!
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by mee2k7 January 11, 2008 9:23 PM
This will be great but I will keep the "old" Nupchuck just in case. What's the cost?

Remote and Nunchuk Protector Kit - Blue (Wii)

http://astore.amazon.co.uk/buy-nintendo-wii-consoles-uk-21/search?node=3&keywords=Wii+Remote+&x=9&y=8&preview=
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