Nintendo’s new Wii Zapper has hit stores today, bringing the precision and thrill of arcade-style targeting games right into the home. Made exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, the Wii Zapper houses a Wii Remote and Nunchuk to provide a better feel in games where pinpoint accuracy is key. The Wii Zapper also comes with Link’s Crossbow Training, a series of targeting challenges in the style of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The entire package, game and all, sells for $19.99.
The Wii Zapper provides immersion for hardcore gamers by putting them literally hands-on with the shooting action. The Wii Zapper is just the first of several motion-sensitive peripherals on tap for Nintendo, though, as the company will release two more in 2008: the Wii Wheel for racing games and the Wii Balance Board for exercise (and skateboarding/snowboarding?) games.
Link’s Crossbow Training puts players through a series of increasingly difficult targeting tests. In some challenges, hero Link uses his trusty crossbow to hit bull’s-eyes. In others he is greeted by an army of approaching enemies and navigates the terrain using the control stick on the Nunchuk. Up to four players can compete one at a time as they try to best one another’s scores.
Third-party publishers are also backing the Wii Zapper. EA’s Medal of Honor Heroes 2, available now, lets players put World War II action into their hands using the Wii Zapper with a Wii-exclusive Arcade Mode, a full single-player campaign and support for up to 32 players in multiplayer.
Capcom’s Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles also supports the Wii Zapper as players uncover the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3. The game also includes new never-before-seen locations like Umbrella’s stronghold. One or two players use the Wii Zapper to take aim against a horde of zombies in first-person perspective.
Sega’s Ghost Squad is one of the first titles that lets players replicate the arcade light-gun experience at home with the Wii Zapper. Ghost Squad(TM) is loaded withWii-specific features, including a co-op mode for 1-4 players, a new training mode and online rankings.
